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Book Review – The Intra-Earth Chronicles: The Two Sisters, by Kara Jacobson

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Last month The Intra-Earth Chronicles: The Two Sisters, by Kara Jacobson was featured over on Sadie’s Spotlight. Honestly, being Middle Grade I wouldn’t normally have chosen to feature it, but I just loved the cover so much I made an exception for it. I went through the same thought process when I chose to enter the giveaway to win a copy. And guess what, I did.

two sisters cover

In the year 2444, two noble sisters, Sasha (15) and Adrianne (11), have survived a nuclear fallout, only to be torn apart.

The ground splits open and Adrianne is thrown from her horse, plummeting into the ravine. Spurned on by the hope that Adrianne lives, Sasha embarks on a journey through the desert to face the ravine that claimed her only sister. Meanwhile, deep within the earth, Adrianne is running for her life. She took something that did not belong to her.

In The Intra-Earth Chronicles; Book I: The Two Sisters by Kara Jacobson we experience a fast-paced fantasy adventure woven within the earth, and the unshakeable bond between two sisters.

my review

I have to preface this review by saying that I don’t read a lot of children’s fantasy or middle grade books, now that my own children are a bit older. And I find them hard to review. Because, while I obviously know I can’t judge them by adult standards, it’s difficult to know where the line between ‘this is written age appropriately’ and ‘this is just awkwardly written’ sits.

In the most general terms, I enjoyed this. I liked the strong bond between the sisters, that the world is colorful and diverse, and the story-line. However, I also thought things progressed so quickly that it was often jarring and the dialogue was quite stilted. Also, while, I wasn’t looking for editing mistakes, I did notice a few. Notably a homophone (lay/lei) and an extra ‘a’ in a sentence on page one. But honestly, there weren’t enough to do more than mention it. I can’t imagine children will notice, after all.

All in all, I’d call this a middle of the road read for me, with the caveat that I’m not usually a MG reader/reviewer.

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Other Reviews:

https://ramblingmads.com/2022/04/20/blog-tour-the-intra-earth-chronicles-book-one-the-two-sisters-kara-jacobson/

https://daleydowning.wordpress.com/2022/04/22/blog-tour-the-intra-earth-chronicles-book-1-the-two-sisters/

The Two Sisters

 

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Book Review: Free Dive, by Emma Shelford

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I won an e-copy of Free Dive, by Emma Shelford.

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Marine biologist Corrie Duval saw something as a child, something she could never forget. To her colleagues at the university, she is a research scientist collecting ocean data. But Corrie’s experience as a young girl led her to a secret online life consumed with finding evidence of mythical sea creatures.

Forgiveness is something Zeballos Artino can’t grant his recently deceased father. George Artino withheld crucial information about Zeb’s heritage, information that may explain Zeb’s extraordinary abilities. Now, Zeb must search for answers while concealing his hidden talents.

Together, they navigate dangerous waters, dodge ruthless fishermen, and dive into uncharted knowledge. They may find the answers they desire, but what other questions will emerge from the depths of the ocean?


This was fine. But I have to admit my disappointment that it turns out to be YA (maybe NA). I thought being a marine biologist/research scientist with colleagues would mean Corrie is an adult. But she’s a STUDENT marine biologist and the book’s plot reflects her age. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with being YA/NA, other than not being what I expected or prefer.

All in all, I thought the characters were interesting and the possible world below the waves intriguing. But I also spent an awful lot of the book bored, waiting for something significant to happen. And it just doesn’t until pretty late in the game. What’s more, the book ends with very little concluded. It’s obviously only the start to a longer series.

If I came across the sequel as a freebie or at the library, I’d probably read it. But I’m not running out to buy it.

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Other Reviews:

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Book Review: These Darker Streets, by Abigail Linhardt

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Earlier this year, Abigail Linhardt‘s These Darker Streets was featured over on Sadie’s Spotlight and I was lucky enough to win a copy of the book.

these darker streets cover
Tragic loss. Eternal love. Ancient magic.

Brigit is dealing with the loss of her mother and brother while trying to run her mother’s shop of magical oddities. She used to believe in magic and had hopes for a great future. When fate took her family away before she was ready, all of her belief in happiness and love died with them. When a mysterious man named Ildanach appears and is everything Brigit is not–happy, fun, adventurous, and extremely handsome–she feels her stable life of hiding being threatened as he calls her out into a vulnerable relationship. There is more to this man than meets the eye. He brings with him a life Brigit is not sure she believes in. One that doesn’t even exist in her reality. Plagued by visions of past lives, Brigit’s trust in a magicless existence is about to be shattered.

Ildanach has been the fairy guardian for centuries. Every few lifetimes, he meets a woman who is the reincarnation of his love and together they can protect the earth. Ildanach thought he had found his love in this century, but she was killed by a rogue fairy from the underworld, taking his hope. Now he has met Brigit, a woman hell-bent on denying anything that she cannot touch in this reality. When he sees the spark of his love in her, he knows she’s the one with whom he can stop the dark spirit for good. However, she is dead to the world of magic; too wrapped up in her trials and the darkness that mortal life has given her.

The world is in danger as the lord from the underworld, Arawn, taints mortal souls in order to grow his army of the underworld and stop the guardian and the goddess once and for all.In a battle of life or death, Idlanach must save the mortal world before time runs out and Brigit must decide once and for all if she can believe in something as mysterious as magic.

my review
I think the idea of this story was bigger than the author’s ability to relay it. She very clearly wanted to show big emotions and a moving moral dilemma, cast over millennia. But the writing is just too shallow to pull it off. Instead it feels contradictory and stilted. All of the fantasy elements feel secondary to the very simple romance plot. And none of it has the feel or tone to match the awesome cover.

Having said all of that, I did like Idanach and Brigit. It was interesting to see elements of old Celtic lore (or Celtic-like lore) incorporated. Robin was a delight (my favorite character) and the book wraps up nicely (with a bit of an epilogue setting the stage for a sequel). So, I wouldn’t call it a total failure, just not as good as it might have been or I’d hoped it would be.

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Other Reviews:

Jessica Belmont: Book Tour These Darker Streets Book Review