A Dream Within A Dream: Estevan Vega

March 6, 2013

Ashes Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

Ashes (Arson #2)
Author: Estevan Vega
Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy
Release Date: September 27, 2011

Description:

ASHES is a YA paranormal thrill-ride. Book 2 in the gripping Arson trilogy.

MORE THAN THREE MONTHS HAVE PASSED SINCE ARSON AND EMERY WERE SUDDENLY TAKEN. TAKEN AND THEN SEPARATED. AND EXPERIMENTED ON.

The minds running Salvation Asylum have abducted them for a dark purpose. A campaign has been set in motion to genetically alter mankind. Unknowingly, Arson has become the most vital instrument in this global scheme, initiated by a select group of brilliant scientists and cunning world leaders. Confused, trapped, and unable to fully manifest his abilities, Arson faces a new existence crawling with questions. Will he ever see Emery again? Is Grandma still alive? Can the fate of the human race really hang in the balance of one choice?

Nightmare and reality collide in Ashes, book two in the gripping ARSON trilogy. Love will be tested. Powers will shift. And the past will invade the here and now as Arson discovers a part of himself he has never before known and fights against his own shocking origins. Will this boy who once tempted fire be able to take on a fearful future? When the struggle intensifies and secrets come to light, will Arson be ready to accept the haunting revelation that there may be others out there, others like him?

Ashes is the second book in the Arson trilogy. It continues telling the story of Arson after he and Emery were separated. Now Salvation Asylum has taken them for dark and unknown reasons - something to do with genetically altering mankind. After all the experiments he was put through, Arson has become the most valuable piece of scientific evidence that these crazy people have - and they intend to use him to put their devious plans into motion. Arson will discover who he really is and will decide if he wants to stand up for what he believes in. He must learn to use his powers for good - to fight for what's right.

This was a really intense and intriguing second book in this series. At times, I was kind of confused about what was real and what was only happening inside Arson's head - but eventually you get the hang of telling what's going on and the story takes over. The plot was amazing in its depth and detail. I loved learning more about Arson's past, his origins, and the evil plans that the scientists were creating. I felt it added an extra layer to the story and made it more dimensional. Arson is a weird, but fantastic, main character. He's certainly not your normal lead, but he shows a lot of character growth in the story - which I really liked. I found myself rooting for him to overcome the obstacles that had always blocked his way and I definitely liked that he was finally willing to accept himself for what he truly was and what he could be. The plot was intricate and fast-paced - it definitely had me turning pages to see what would happen next. The writing was confusing in parts, like I mentioned earlier, but had a great style and flowed effortlessly throughout the book. Overall, this was a wonderful sequel to the first book and I am really intrigued to see where the third and final book will take us. I'm hoping all the questions will be answered and we'll see a fantastic ending to a truly unique trilogy.

Grand Prize Includes:

Signed copy of Arson

Signed copy of Ashes

Custom Arson T-Shirt

E-books of Arson and Ashes (Nook or Kindle)

Custom Personalized letter from Estevan Vega telling you how classy you are ;)

$25 Amazon Gift Card

(US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

July 30, 2012

Arson Tour: Review & Giveaway

Arson

Author: Estevan Vega

Genre: YA Paranormal

Purchase Links: Amazon Barnes and Noble

Summary:

ARSON is the first book in a Young Adult Paranormal series. Book two, ASHES, is also available now.

ARSON GABLE FEELS LIKE A FREAK. HE CAN CREATE FIRE. HE NEVER ASKED FOR IT. HE NEVER WANTED IT. BUT HE CAN'T SHUT IT OFF.

Before now, three things were true: he both loved and despised his grandmother; his life was going nowhere; and he was alone. But when a strange girl--who feels more normal behind a mask than inside her own skin--moves in next door, Arson hopes to find something he's never had: purpose. After years of living in fear, he will be forced to confront his haunting past and embrace the unknown as he walks the fine line between boy and monster. Edgy, realistic, and breathtaking, Arson, the chilling chronicle of an isolated teenager with unimaginable ability, is set to ignite the hearts and minds of a new generation.

Review:

Arson is a really interesting book that focuses on the idea of a person being able to create fire. The teenage hero has a confusing and hard life which is made all the more difficult by his unique ability to make fire. He has to deal with the truth of his past all while trying to understand what is happening to him. Adding to the story of Arson is the strange new neighbor who seems to have secrets of her own. What is she hiding from and what will become of them both?

The storyline of Arson is unique and gives new life to the YA paranormal genre. The characters are all likeable and realistic, and we get to see Arson grow into his role in the world as well as confronting his dark past. There are normal teenage issues to deal with - high school, cruel classmates, crushes on cute girls - all intertwined with the much bigger plot of dealing with his ability of creating fire and what he believes he must now do.

Vega does a great job of creating a realistic scenario for his novel; one that doesn't seem quite so unbelievable. The narrative is very well-written and flows easily, making this a great page turner that I ended up flying through in one day. Arson is a great YA novel that explores how far someone will go to fulfill their destiny and save themselves.