Pure Jonel ~ Confessions of a Bibliophile: Eva Pohler

Showing posts with label Eva Pohler. Show all posts

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Active Minds & Gray's Domain by Eva Pohler

Twenty-four amazing authors have joined forces with Eva Pohler Books and over a dozen outstanding bloggers to raise money for Active Minds, a non-profit organization devoted to mental health awareness and suicide prevention in young adults. In addition to donating their books, swag, and gift cards, many of these participants have also given cash donations directly to the organization. This coalition of authors and bloggers wants to help eradicate the stigma associated with mental illness and let young adults know there are people who care and to never give up. You can help, too! One of the entry options on the rafflecopter giveaway is to donate $1 or more to Active Minds. The link will take you directly to the foundation's website, and it's so easy to do! Click on the Active Minds logo above to find out more about this organization.

Here is the list of prizes you can enter to win!

Mercy Amare and K.T. Smith's Legacies

Casey Bond's Reap

Jacinda Buchmann's Indigo Incite

Nely Cab's Creatura Series, Books 0.5-2

Amy Evan's Clicks plus jelly bean kisses

C.R. Everett's I Loved That About Her

A.M. Hargrove's Tragically Flawed

Susan Holmes's Deadly Ties: A Waterside Kennel's Mystery

Laura Howard's The Forgotten Ones

Amy Jones's A Zebra Like Me

Allana Kephart and Melissa Simmons's Uprising

Carlyle Labuschagne: Winner's Choice of any of her books

Quinn Loftis's Grey Wolves Series

Quinn Loftis's Elfin Series

Quinn Loftis's Call Me Crazy

Kelly Martin's Big Is Beautiful

Jo Michaels's Lily (Mystic Vol. 2)

Jennifer Miller's Pretty Little Lies

J.D. Nelson's Night Aberrations

Alison Pensy's Custodian Novels Boxed Set

Eva Pohler's The Gatekeeper's Saga

C.W. Stokes's Second Chances

Felicia Tatum's Intoxicating Passion Boxed Set

Becca Vincenza's Damaged

K.A. Young's The Nephilum Warrior Boxed Set

K.A. Young's The Elise Michaels Series Deausha Kitty's YA Book Blog:

$5 Amazon GC Lisa's Book Lair:

Swag The Bookworm Blog:

$1.99 ebook Supagurl Books:

Swag Wicked Women Book Blog

$3 Amazon GC Kat's Indie Book Blog:

Rachel M Raithby's Lexia The Deadwood Hunter Series, Book 1

Along with the rafflecopter for the prizes above is a tour celebrating the release of Gray's Domain, the second book in The Purgatorium Series. If you are need in therapy, this is the series to read! It tells of an island off the coast of California where Dr. Gray and her staff use experimental methods on clinically depressed and suicidal patients sent their by family members who have no other hope. Seventeen-year-old Daphne is their newest patient.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And now, let's find out some more about Gray's Domain.

Title: Gray's Domain

Series: The Purgatorium #2

Author: Eva Pohler

Published: June 1st 2014 by Green Press/Eva Pohler

Length: 296pgs

Format: ARC ecopy

Genre: YA

Shelf: review

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

After enduring Dr. Hortense Gray’s experimental therapy on an island off the coast of California at a compound known as The Purgatorium, seventeen-year-old Daphne is delighted to learn she will now have a chance to have revenge on her parents and boyfriend by participating in their therapy. It’s payback time, and Daphne can’t wait to begin.

Dr. Gray defends her dubious methods by claiming that all treatments come with risks, but when real bullets fly and lives are at stake, Daphne decides she wants no part of it and hatches a plan to save her family.

My Review:

This novel was spooky and eerily entertaining. Pohler’s phenomenal descriptions of the natural world leave you breathless while her fantastically imaginative storytelling keep you hooked. The story’s smooth forward flow pulls you in. The symbolism behind various aspects of the story adds an extra layer to the tale. Not only is this story suspenseful and grippingly entertaining, it also has a huge psychological impact on the reader. It opens your eyes to the possibilities and realities around you. I repeatedly asked myself if the end justified the means. I found myself laughing regularly. Even when events seem a bit over the top it’s still easy to see and feel the real possibility behind it. Pohler also had me crying towards the end of the story. I will warn you, however, that this novel picks right up where the last left off. As a reader you’d be missing a great deal by not reading the first novel in the series first. And it’s worth the read.

I really appreciate how the main character grows and an individual. Pohler really lets you get inside her head. You see her weighing the pros and cons, battling her demons, and becoming a more rounded and understanding individual (even if I may not always agree with her decisions). The supporting cast is so varied that there is someone for everyone to connect with, and for everyone to throw a bucket of water at. Everyone was uniquely yet fully developed to create a well rounded cast.

This novel may have been written with teens in mind, but it’s so compelling and is perfect for adults as well. I couldn’t put this one down. The story and theories behind it will stay with me for the long haul.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

The Gatekeeper's Secret by Eva Pohler

Title: The Gatekeeper's Secret

Series: The Gatekeeper's Saga #5

Author: Eva Pohler

Published: Apr 1/14 by Green Press/Eva Pohler

Length: 282pgs

Format: ARC ecopy

Genre: YA paranormal

Shelf: review

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When Zeus invites Therese and Thanatos to a party on Mount Olympus in their honor, they and the other gods who have formed the Athena Alliance are immediately suspicious of a trap. They fear Zeus has learned of their desire to free Metis and Cybele and to stand up for all the women he has wronged. Although Therese recruits Dione, Amphitrite, and others to the Alliance, Pete has unwittingly sabotaged their plans by revealing to Zeus the prophecy from the ghost of Mr. Holt. And now, the day that might have been the most wonderful day of Therese’s life (her wedding day) will be wrought with conflict where someone close to her is fated to die. Can Therese and the other gods in the Alliance bind the almighty Zeus and restore justice and true democracy among the Olympians? Or will Zeus succeed in swallowing Therese and separating her from Thanatos for all eternity?

My Review:

Pohler’s done it again & these books just keep getting better and better. She works her magic with the same smooth, approachable writing style that we’ve come to know and love to create a work of creative brilliance. There is an air of mystery and suspense that winds its way through this tale. Pohler combines intense emotional scenes with action packed sequences to always keep you on your toes. This novel is also emotionally intense as the characters are faces with some very difficult and life altering choices.

I absolutely love how you get to know the gods in their down time in this one. It gives you extra insight into them as people. They’re real & fun, rather than simply untouchable deities. The way that the characters’ emotions really play out through their actions factor into this as well, allowing you to relate to them and understand them on a deeper level. I was completely wrapped up in this tale and the characters that filled it. The reader also becomes much better acquainted to some of the gods who’d played minor roles in other novels. I also appreciate how when Pohler introduces new gods into the series or brings minor characters back she ensures that she includes what they’re the god of rather than assuming that everyone knows. She reveals a great deal about the characters with a few simple words.

Although this is a brilliant read in and of itself I’d definitely suggest reading the previous novels in the series to get the full impact of this one. It’s a brilliant addition to the series adding some creative twists to the plot. Pohler’s saga keeps getting more and more action packed the further into the series you get. I couldn’t put this one down for a second.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Guest Post with author Eva Pohler

In honor of today's release of The Gatekeeper's Secret I'm handing the reins over to Eva Pohler, author of the Gatekeeper's Saga.

How Greek Myths Inspire Us to Be Heroes

I fell in love with Greek myths in the eighth grade, when I read Edith Hamilton’s Mythology. Later, after studying Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, I better understood why most people are drawn to myths: They help us to project and symbolically play out our own fears and desires. Carl Jung wrote of universal archetypes—such as the Madonna, the soldier, and the rogue. Sigmund Freud wrote that art was the opportunity for adults to continue childhood play in a socially acceptable way. Joseph Campbell built upon the works of both Jung and Freud to describe The Hero with a Thousand Faces, which inspired George Lukas in the creation of Star Wars.

As a writer, I, like Lukas, wished to tap into that universal consciousness where fears and desires are shared. Myths make it possible to project universal fears, or what we often call our inner demons, into monsters that can be externally fought and defeated. The most universal fear is death. I created a saga for young adults in which death is not only faced and, in some ways, battled, but also embraced and transcended.

In the first book of this contemporary fantasy, The Gatekeeper’s Sons, fifteen-year-old Therese Mills meets Thanatos, the god of death, while in a coma after witnessing her parents’ murder. She feels like the least powerful person on the planet and is ready to give up on life, but the story forces her to fight. As she hunts with the fierce and beautiful Furies (the deities responsible for punishing the bad souls) to track down her parents’ murder and avenge their deaths, she falls in love with Thanatos and symbolically accepts her parents’ and her own mortality.

In the second book, The Gatekeeper’s Challenge, Therese has the opportunity to transcend death by accepting five seemingly impossible challenges issued by Hades, the god of the Underworld. All five challenges represent the universal fears of rejection, culpability, disorientation, death, and loss in the forms of a box not allowed to be opened, an apple that shouldn’t be eaten, a labyrinth meant to confuse, a Hydra that wants to destroy, and the allure of bringing back the dead. These same myths are recycled again and again through the centuries because they help us to recognize our inner demons and inspire us to defeat them.

The third book of the saga, The Gatekeeper’s Daughter, forces Therese to look inward. All gods and goddesses serve humanity or the world in some way, and in order to remain at Thanatos’s side, she must discover her unique purpose while protecting her loved ones against antagonistic forces. Throughout mythology, heroes have gone on long quests, often seeking an object. The object is not without importance, but self-actualization is the true victory in any hero’s quest, and Therese’s is no exception. Her journey to become a goddess with a unique purpose parallels the young adult’s transition into adulthood and self-fulfillment.

The fourth book, The Gatekeeper’s House, begins with an attack on the Underworld, and now that Therese is just like any other god, she is without the special favors afforded to humans. She’s on her own in this epic battle to rebind the unleashed souls and save the House of Hades while helping the Furies discover the identity of the attacker. She has to learn to put her big girl goddess panties on and run with the big girl goddesses if she’s going to be relevant. Think of Odysseus when he returns to Penelope after his long journeys. Heroes must remain relevant when they return home, and the heroes of myth demonstrate the need for social consciousness. Therese learns to look beyond her own needs and desires to contribute to the greater good and to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.

The fifth and sixth books of the series, The Gatekeeper’s Secret and The Gatekeeper’s Promise, depict Therese transcending from the status of rookie god to become a key player among the Olympians. She joins the Athena Alliance, which plans to free Metis and Cybele and stand up for mothers and daughters who’ve been wronged by Zeus. Therese wants to help the Alliance to reform the pantheon and to establish true justice and democracy among the Olympians, even at the risk of her own happily ever after.

As young adults negotiate through adolescence and adulthood, they struggle with the same universal conflicts portrayed by the ancients. As modern readers, we should revisit those stories to help us with our own epic battles—both the internal and external ones.

##

Eva Pohler writes both adult and young adult fiction and teaches both writing and literature at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she lives with her husband and three children. She is the author of The Gatekeeper’s Saga (a young adult series based on Greek mythology), The Purgatorium (a contemporary young adult suspense series), and The Mystery Book Collection (comprised of three adult mystery novels—The Mystery Box, The Mystery Tomb, and The Mystery House).

Eva loves to interact with people. Here are a few places you can find her:

The first book of her saga is free in all ebook formats and is also available in audiobook! Here are links to download the free book:

| | Nook | Smashwords |

And pick up your copy of the rest of the series as well!

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

The Mystery Tomb by Eva Pohler

Title: The Mystery Tomb

Series: The Mystery Book Collection #2

Author: Eva Pohler

Published: February 1st 2014 by Green Press/Eva Pohler

Length: 356pgs

Format: ecopy

Genre: Women's contemporary/mystery

Shelf: review

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Meet Samantha Beck and Rebecca Nisha—two women born twenty-five years and hundreds of miles apart, yet joined together by a shocking family ritual. When Samantha discovers the remains of an ancient tribe in Pennsylvania, she expects to at last prove her grandmother’s Native American ancestry and to make a name for herself as a budding archaeologist. She does not expect to make an enemy and a lover of a fellow descendant—son of Rebecca Nisha—who unwittingly wears a necklace made of his dead mother’s bones.

As the novel unfolds, alternating between Samantha’s story and Rebecca’s twenty-five years before, Samantha becomes more and more determined to discover the devastating mystery that estranged Rebecca’s wealthy Pennsylvania Dutch father from her half-Native American son. Samantha gradually uncovers a troubling secret and decides to risk everything—love and career—to restore harmony to Rebecca’s family.

My Review:

Eva Pohler is back with her usual eloquently written, approachable writing style in this tale that melds romance, mystery, and history together into an unforgettable whole. She takes some of the darker, less common ritualistic aspects of certain societies and brings them to the forefront in a captivating and inescapable manner. The history wound through this story is absolutely breathtaking. The past and the present come together seamlessly in this novel to create a work of sheer genius. Pohler’s intricate storytelling is highlighted by her very visual descriptions, allowing you to enter this world completely.

The characters in this novel really help to drive the point home through their actions and reactions. The main characters are very well developed as individuals. It was nice to see two such individuals who would stick to their beliefs and could put said beliefs into words. The supporting cast is also quite unique. I appreciated the fact that each character had a definite purpose in the story and that purpose was integral in some way to the forward motion of the tale.

Overall this was a hauntingly poignant tale that will stick with me in the long run. I can’t wait to read the next novel in the series and would definitely recommend this to others.

| Goodreads | Shelfari |

| Amazon | B&N | Smashwords |

Sunday, February 16, 2014

The Mystery Box by Eva Pohler

Title: The Mystery Box

Series: The Mystery Book Collection #1

Author: Eva Pohler

Published: January 12th 2014 by Green Press (first published May 2nd 2011)

Length: 404pgs

Format: ebook

Genre: suspense

Shelf: bought

Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Soccer mom Yvette Palmer lives an ordinary life in San Antonio, Texas when a box is delivered to her by mistake, and in taking it to its rightful owner—a crotchety neighbor named Mona who shares her back fence—is drawn into a strange and haunting tale.

Mona’s ratty robe, mood swings, and secretive behavior all raise red flags, and Yvette is sure someone else is living there despit Mona’s claim to live alone, but Yvette is unable to break away as she listens to how Mona transformed from a young college woman about to be married to the odd, reclusive, ghost of a woman she is now.

As Yvette listens to her neighbor's tale, she discovers a shocking connection, but doesn't know whether Mona's come to help or to harm her and her family.

My Review:

This novel is simultaneously mellow and intense. Pohler mixes intrigue with suspense to keep you on your toes throughout. By writing in the present tense Pohler gives a sense of the here and now, adding to the suspense of the tale. She also flashes back to provide the background for current events in a very captivating manner. I fully admit that at the beginning I found myself wondering where the story was going, but once it took off I was hooked. The genetics and history worked into this novel really had me hooked.

I love the fact that the main character was quite easy to identify with. She lives the stereotypical life of a stay at home housewife yet is quite true to herself, if only in thought. I loved journeying along with her, getting to know her family and those who have a profound effect on her life. Pohler’s character development in this novel is brilliant. Each individual is developed to suit their role perfectly. They are also true to their character. No one magically becomes someone else nor do they miraculously have a moment when they ‘see the light’.

As a whole this novel was well written and thought out. It’s not a light read, but rather a work that really makes you think. It was emotional and suspenseful, combining elements that I would never have dreamed of putting together. This was an intriguing start to Pohler’s new series and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

The Purgatorium by Eva Pohler

Title: The Purgatorium

Series: The Purgatorium #1

Author: Eva Pohler

Published: December 16th 2013 by Green Press/Eva Pohler

Length: 213 pgs

Format: ebook

Genre: YA suspense

Shelf: bought

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Seventeen year-old Daphne Janus is floored when her parents agree to let her accompany her best friend to a getaway resort on an island off the coast of California. She doesn't know her parents have sent her to the Purgatorium as a last-ditch effort to save their child.

Her best friend and life-long neighbor takes her to a mostly uninhabited island with a wildlife preserve on one side and Chumash Indian ruins on the “haunted” side. The resort might be beautiful, the beach pristine, and the views from the headland amazing, but strange things begin to happen that soon have Daphne running for her life. At first she finds the therapeutic games thrilling: the ghosts that visit her room, the dropping elevator, and the kayak incident are actually kind of fun once she recovers from them. But when her horse bucks her off during a trail ride and she becomes lost on the haunted side of the island, it’s not fun anymore, and she wonders if her parents have sent her there to help her or to punish her.

My Review:

This story had me hooked from the first chapter. This suspenseful and exciting story had me guessing and running alongside the main character, engaged in an unimaginable journey. Pohler’s seamless writing and engaging storyline make it very easy to immerse yourself in this atypical story. She presents a well-developed history and mythology of the island that the characters find themselves on. It all combines into an in-depth story that’s intensely enjoyable while making you think.

I really enjoyed the gradual character development, as opposed to a large information dump. You get to know the characters well and personally without feeling like you’ve read their biography. It all seems so natural. You also get to know the main character even more closely because you are on a journey of self-discovery with her.

My overall thoughts? Oh. My. Gods. Could you just imagine?

Saturday, November 2, 2013

The Gatekeeper's House by Eva Pohler

Title: The Gatekeeper's House

Author: Eva Pohler

Series: The Gatekeeper's Saga #4

Published: November 1st 2013 by Green Press/Eva Pohler

Page Count: 289

Genre: YA Paranormal

Shelf: Review Copy

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Eighteen-year-old Therese Mills has second thoughts about marrying Thanatos when she learns no god has ever been faithful to his wife. Before she can move into Hecate's rooms, however, the Underworld is attacked, she and her friends are crushed, the souls are unleashed, and a malevolent goddess threatens to unhinge Mount Olympus.

Hypnos has just made a deal with Hades to have his turn in the Upperworld, but before he can tempt Jen with a kiss, he's called back to rebind the souls and defend the House of Hades, and he unwittingly puts Jen and her family in harm's way.

My Review:

This novel is simultaneously mythologically accurate and an extremely entertaining story. Pohler combines mystery with suspense with mythology and romance to create a captivating and well-rounded whole with some shocking twists. As an author Pohler engages her readers both emotionally and intellectually. She had me on the edge of my seat biting my nails, curled in a ball with a broken heart, and laughing like a little kid. Her smooth, flowing writing style draws you into the story and keeps you following her characters throughout. Not only is this novel well written but Pohler’s descriptions flow from one another very smoothly and paint a picture that takes you all over the world with her characters. Her show-not-tell descriptions draw you into the scenes and don’t let you go. I also appreciate that this is a well-rounded story with a beginning, middle, and end even though it is part of a series. It follows well in the series and leaves an opening for a sequel but doesn’t have you feeling confused at the beginning or leave you hanging at the end.

Pohler also mixes modernity with antiquity throughout relationships and the novel as a whole to create a seamless work that you won’t want to put down. Not only does she portray the Greek Pantheon with her own twist, but she keeps to the major facts and doesn’t completely reinvent an entire culture and religious base. I love how she takes the relationship between Hades and Persephone and gives it a bit of a shake, taking a very different route from most but ensuring that there is still an explanation for everything that fits in the overarching knowledge about their characters. It’s also really nice to see Hades as the ‘good guy’ for once, especially without it throwing preconceived notions of the deity out the window.

I love how Pohler introduces her new characters, especially the divine ones. She works the actual mythology of the characters right into the plot of her story as part of a character’s thoughts or actions. The audience not only learns about the god(dess) in question but also gets to know them as a real person without breaking the flow of the story. Character development also steps it up a notch in this one when Pohler not only develops the personalities of her new characters, but also gives us a much more rounded view of those we’ve already met. This is especially apparent in Hip, who becomes more than simply the fun loving twin, of course, I do also want to throw a pillow at him a time or two for being a total rich guy with a sense of entitlement and no clue about girls. It’s entertaining to watch him grow as a person, regardless of his age. I appreciate that she develops all relevant aspects of a character, but that you don’t ever feel like you’ve read a complete psych profile on them. You get to know everyone in a manner befitting a friend or acquaintance rather than the subject of an inquiry. Above all, Pohler’s characters are the type of people that you want to know and love and are developed in such a way that you feel like you’ve known them forever.

As a whole this novel is both an educated piece of fiction and a fun, suspenseful romp through the lives of the characters that we’ve come to know and love throughout the series, as well as the new ones that we meet in this instalment. As much as I love this series as a whole, this may be my favourite yet. Pohler combines suspense with a love story or two and a culture worth of mythology to create a work of art.

See the trailer for this novel.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Interview with Eva Pohler ~~ Giveaway ~~

Today, let's welcome Eva Pohler, author of the phenomenal Gatekeeper's series to Pure Jonel!

I've asked her some interesting questions, let's see what she has to say about my nosyness.

Q ~ Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’ve lived in Texas for nearly my entire life (for two years, I lived in the Philippines when my father was stationed there and I was four and five years of age). For years, my education was my top priority. I played the flute and twirled the baton in my high school band. I also loved to swim and taught swimming lessons, both public and private, for many years as I put myself through college. I didn’t stop going to school until I had completed my Ph.D. in English. Shortly after, I married and had three kids while teaching writing and literature at The University of Texas at San Antonio. My teaching job gave me the flexibility to involve myself in my kids’ activities as their cub master and Girl Scout troop leader. I loved those years, but they are behind me now, giving me more time to write and read and live the life of a serious writer. Although my kids are teenagers and I still spend time with them and my husband, they aren’t as dependent on me as they once were, allowing me to give more focus to my writing career.

Q ~ If you could go anywhere, real or imagined, where would it be and why?

If I could transport my friends and family with me, I would go to a place where everyone values knowledge and peace and where no war or poverty exists.

Or, if I didn’t have the option of transporting others with me, I would take a family vacation to Costa Rica where you have forest, beach, and mountains all in one view!

Q ~ How did you begin writing professionally?
I attended writing conferences and workshops and joined critique groups.I wrote several books. I started querying agents a few years ago and took the plunge to self-publish last August (2012). I continue the search for an agent for other projects because I would like to have my feet on both paths to publication.

Q ~ What’s the best thing that’s happened since you began writing? The worst?

So many good things have happened that it’s hard to choose. I’ve absolutely loved reading my reviews. They have encouraged me to keep writing when I might have given up after two years of rejections from agents. Hitting number 1 in my category on Amazon’s best sellers list and maintaining that position (so far) has also been extremely gratifying.

Q ~ What inspired you to develop the Gatekeeper’s saga?

A movie starring Brad Pitt called Meet Joe Black portrayed Death taking over the body of a mortal so that Death could learn from a successful man played by Anthony Hopkins. I liked the concept, but felt the movie left a lot of unanswered questions, so I decided to answer them. My love for Greek mythology naturally took me in the direction of Thanatos, the god of death.

Q ~ Do you have a favourite character (or two) in your series? What is it that draws you to them?

That’s a really tough one! I love all my characters, even the bad ones. I guess my very favorites are Than and Therese, and I suppose it’s because they are good-hearted and compassionate individuals who are up against greed and selfishness and who want, more than anything, to be together even though the gods are often against them.

Q ~ Can we expect anything further in the Gatekeeper’s saga?

Yes! I’m writing book four in the series, The Gatekeeper’s House, which begins with an attack on the Underworld. Books five and six, The Gatekeeper’s Secret and The Gatekeeper’s Promise, will follow.

Q ~ Are you working on anything outside of this series?

Yes! I’m shopping the first book in a contemporary series called The Purgatorium, which takes place on a remote island off the coast of California where parents send their lost and suicidal teens to be terrified into loving life.

Q ~ If you could give aspiring authors one piece of advice, what would it be?

Don’t get stuck on the first book. Keep writing beyond the first novel. Not only is it good practice, but it will also give you options as you move forward in this transitional industry.

About the Author:
Eva Pohler writes fiction for teens and adults and teaches writing and literature at The University of Texas at San Antonio, where she lives with her husband, three kids, two dogs, and two rats. She’s also an avid lover of books and animals.

Connect with Eva Online:
Website http://www.evapohler.com/
Blog http://www.teenbookpix.blogspot.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/EvaPohler?ref=hl
Twitter https://twitter.com/EvaPohler
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4888434.Eva_Pohler
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Eva-Pohler/e/B009D0TAZ4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1372795492&sr=8-1

About the novel:

Fifteen-year-old Therese watches her parents die. While in a coma, she meets the twin sons of Hades—Hypnos, the god of sleep, and Thanatos, the god of death. She thinks she's manipulating a dream, not kissing the god of death and totally rocking his world.

Than makes a deal with Hades and goes as a mortal to the Upperworld to try and win Therese's heart, but not all the gods are happy. Some give her gifts. Others try to kill her.

The deal requires Therese to avenge the death of her parents. With the help of Than’s fierce and exotic sisters, the Furies, she finds herself in an arena face to face with the murderer, and only one will survive.

Excerpt:

Whether McAdams injured himself in one of her traps or in some other way, he was nevertheless injured, and this added to Therese’s overall optimism as she scrambled beneath the cliff edge with her arms full of rocks the size of softballs. The noise of the falls thundered as she neared them and the spray hit her bare skin and chilled her, a relief after the sweat she had worked up from building her traps in Demeter’s woods.

“How long till nightfall?” she asked Than in her mind. It seemed like hours had passed, and yet the sun still bore down on them high in the sky. “Wait a minute. We never left Olympus, did we? The sun always shines, right?”

If Than answered her, she could no longer hear him this close to the crashing falls. She hadn’t thought of that! How would she make it without him?

Unlike Than and the other gods, she had no powers of telepathy and could not be sure if voices in her head were inspirations or delusions. She almost turned back. In fact, she changed her mind five or six times and nearly wore herself out beneath the cliff edge with indecision. At last she decided it was her best chance of survival to go on with her plan. “I can’t hear you anymore,” she prayed. “But I’ve decided to go on anyway.”

She reached the falls and found a hidden grotto behind the roaring water, but if McAdams came this way to her decoy camp, she would have no advantage for attack. Although there were many little nooks and crevices back here that she could climb onto, she would be open, visible, and vulnerable to his retaliation. She dropped her rocks in a heap, set down her fruit, and looked around.

At the furthest lip of the grotto on the outer edge of the falls, she found a nook way up high that just might work. If McAdams came through the grotto, she would see him, and she would be above him, with gravity on her side. She would also be hidden until he reached the point where she stood now. It also seemed, from down here, anyway, that she might have a view of the deeper canyon in case he came that route. The trick would be hauling the rocks and fruit up the steep wall nearly twenty feet to the nook. First she would try it empty-handed to see if it was possible.

Now that she couldn’t hear Than, she felt really anxious that McAdams could be coming around the corner for her at any moment, and this anxiety caused her to tremble more profoundly than she had before. The trembling made climbing up the nearly vertical wall very difficult. She used her fingers to find places in the wall to grip, and she fished around with her feet for footholds to support her weight. One false step meant falling to her death at the bottom of the canyon.

Dirt from the canyon wall got into her mouth and crunched in her teeth when she clenched them. She ran her tongue around her teeth, trying to wash it out, and she spit and gagged. She reached for another rock, keeping her mouth closed this time, breathing through her nose. A fingernail broke at the tip as she clung to another ledge, but that was the least of her worries.

Thankfully, there were plenty of strong footholds within reach of one another. When she made it to the nook, she found it was actually a cave that tunneled back into darkness. While she was glad to have all this room to store her things and move around, the unknown darkness added to her anxiety. Stop it, Therese! McAdams was the only threat worth fearing right now, she reminded herself. She walked over to the furthest edge and saw that she could indeed see most of the lower canyon from here. This just might work. There were even a few loose boulders she could move, though barely and straining with all her might. Maybe if she scooted them to the edge and found something to give her leverage, she could launch them from the nook. She needed a branch or heavy stick, but there were none around. Would her sword work, or would the rock break it? She unsheathed the sword and tested it, gently at first. The blade gave. It was too flexible. She’d have to find something else. She returned the sword to its sheath.

The sheath! It was light, but it was solid and firm. She unbelted it from her waist and tested it out. It would work! This could be her saving grace! She looked around for other such boulders and found four more loose enough and light enough for her to drag to the edge of her cave.

She re-belted her sword and sheath and climbed back down, quickly but carefully, to carry up her bundle of fruit between her teeth. Then she took the empty shirt back down and filled it with six of the softball-sized rocks. Any more than that might throw off her balance too much or be too heavy and slip between her teeth. She’d have to make a third trip down for the remaining six. She hesitated. If McAdams spotted her, she’d lose the element of surprise. Was it worth getting the remaining rocks? She decided to go for it.

Check out my review of The Gatekeeper's Sons, as well as my reviews of the other books in the series, The Gatekeeper's Challenge & The Gatekeeper's Daughter.

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Friday, June 7, 2013

The Gatekeeper's Daughter by Eva Pohler

Title: The Gatekeeper's Daughter

Author: Eva Pohler

Series: The Gatekeeper's Trilogy #3

Published: May 1st 2013 by Green Press/Eva Pohler

Page Count: 235

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance

Shelf: Review Copy

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In The Gatekeeper's Sons, Therese and Thanatos, the god of death, met and fell in love. In The Gatekeeper's Challenge, they did everything they could to be together, even break an oath on the River Styx. But the Olympians don't tolerate oath-breakers.

In this final book in the trilogy, The Gatekeeper's Daughter, Therese may have finally succeeded in becoming a goddess, but if she wants to remain one, she'll not only have to discover her unique purpose, but also make some allies among the gods. Artemis sends her on a seemingly impossible quest across the world, while Than searches for a way to appease Ares. To make matters worse, her baby sister's life depends on the outcome of her quest.

My Review:

As always, Pohler manages to remain mythologically accurate while telling a completely unique and one of a kind tale.

This novel picks up right where the previous story in the trilogy left off. Pohler weaves an intriguing and captivataing tale that tells a love story and a tale of self-worth on many different levels. As an amazing storyteller Pohler draws you in with her immaculately put together storyline. She keeps you there with her brilliant descriptions and narrative that are so clear and inviting that they allow you to walk this world with the characters.

Although we got to know many of these characters in the previous novels, their true selves become even more apparent in this novel. Pohler continues to develop the main characters as they continue to grow as individuals and as a couple. She also gives us further insight into the hearts and minds of the supporting characters, allowing her readers to see why and how the conflicts in this novel and the series as a whole, came to pass. Overall, her character development is unique in that the characters, regardless of their age, learn and admit things about themselves as we learn them. Self-growth and realisation is a never-ending process in this story.

This novel was a great ending for the Gatekeeper’s Trilogy, even though I still want more time with these amazing characters who have wormed their way into my heart.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

The Gatekeeper's Challenge by Eva Pohler

Title: The Gatekeeper's Challenge

Author: Eva Pohler

Series: Gatekeeper's Trillogy #2

Published: December 1st 2012 by Green Press

Page Count: 228

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance

Shelf: Review Copy

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Ten agonizing months have gone by since Therese faced off against her parents’ murderer at Mount Olympus, and she suspects Thanatos’s absence is meant to send her a message: go on with your life. She tries to return Pete’s affections even though her heart aches for the god of death, but when Than shows up to take her hamster’s soul, she becomes infuriated when he says he’s “been busy.” In cahoots with her new friend, who's gotten in with the Demon Druggies at school, Therese takes a drug that simulates a near-death experience, planning to tell Than off so she can have closure and move on, but things go very, very wrong.

Eventually she learns Than has been busy searching for a way to make her a god, and he’s found it, but it requires her to complete a set of impossible challenges designed by Hades, who hopes to see her fail.

My Review:

This novel is phenomenally well written. A great deal of time was put into formatting and editing. The descriptions are spot on, while remaining quite enthralling and entertaining. I love that this novel is mythologically, historically and scientifically accurate. It adds an entirely new level to the story, making it even more complex and enjoyable. Pohler manages to seamlessly blend mythology with reality to create an awesome world for readers to get lost in.

The characters in this novel were also awesome. Although most of them were quite well developed in the first novel of the series, development continues with leaps and bounds in this novel. They grow and mature the way that normal high school students do, even if some of them have challenges or fears that most of us will never face.

I appreciate that Pohler attacked some very difficult topics in this novel. Not only does she entertain us throughout, but loss, drugs, sex, and abuse are brought up in ways that make them approachable and open them up for conversation. These can be very difficult subjects to even think about, but Pohler tackles them and winds them into her phenomenal tale.

As a whole, I am thoroughly in love with this novel and this series. The mythology is sound, as is the writing. I cannot wait for the next installment.

Friday, March 29, 2013

The Gatekeeper's Sons by Eva Pohler

Title: The Gatekeeper's Sons

Author: Eva Pohler

Series: Gatekeeper's Trilogy #1

Published: August 13th 2012 by Green Press/Eva Pohler

(first published August 12th 2012)

Page Count: 384

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance

Shelf: Review Copy

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

My Review:

This novel was a phenomenal introduction into the Gatekeeper series and into the world of Greek mythology.

I have great respect for authors who do their research before writing fictional work based on fact or existing mythology. That said, I love the fact that this story is mythologically accurate. I also like the fact that Pohler includes a variety of Greek gods in her writing, rather than simply using the Olympiad as so many authors attempting to write about Greek mythology do. And Pohler doesn’t just attempt to wrote a world based on Greek mythology. She succeeds. Pohler has not only researched her facts with respect to mythology, but with her novel as a whole. Even the trail riding and equine aspects of this novel, where present, are factual. I appreciate the fact that almost everything that Pohler includes is very well researched and extremely detailed.

Pohler is very detailed in her writing. Everything is precisely worded to convey a specific thought, feeling, or image. Each and every word seems to have been carefully chosen to build a cohesive overall picture. Everything is vivid and extremely well laid out. She creates a world that you can imagine yourself walking into. I also appreciate the differentiation in writing style between Earth and Olympus. Everything on Olympus is much larger and more elaborate than Earth, as it should be. Her writing also sports an intensity rarely seen in a YA novel, while also giving you some very good laughs.

The characters in this novel are quite well developed. You may not know their entire life histories, but you do get to know everything that is pertinent to the story and to let you get to know the characters. It was very refreshing to read a story by an author who can differentiate between necessary development to create a well-developed character, and giving an entire life history that slows down the storyline because it isn’t actually relevant to the plot.

As a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and can’t wait to tear into the sequel. Pohler manages to end this novel without a cliff-hanger but still needing to grab for the sequel to find out what happens next. Bravo!

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