Branded Book Tour Review

May 30, 2014 / 1 comment

Branded Book Tour ReviewBranded by Abi Ketner, Missy Kalicicki
Series: Sinners #1
Published by Self-Published on June 28th 2013
Genres: Science Fiction
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
Purchase @ AMAZON  or  BN
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Rating 

Fifty years ago the Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. He created the Hole where sinners are branded according to their sins and might survive a few years. At best.
Now LUST wraps around my neck like blue fingers strangling me. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit and now the Hole is my new home.

Darkness. Death. Violence. Pain.

Now every day is a fight for survival. But I won’t die. I won’t let them win.

The Hole can’t keep me. The Hole can’t break me.
I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter.
My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story.

Liezel’s Thoughts:

I rarely step away from my normal contemporary romance reads but was glad I did for this stunning dystopian romance.  From the very beginning, I was enraptured by the world that Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki created.  I couldn’t have stopped reading this book until I was done with every last word.

In the story, a young woman named Lexi Hamilton was accused of committing one of the 7 deadly sins – lust.  Without a way of defending herself she is thrown into their society’s form of prison system – “The Hole”.  Within the walls of  The Hole, it is violent, filthy and dark.  It is known that new prisoners may attempt suicide in the first few hours of confinement. To prevent this from happening guards are assigned to such prisoners. This is where Cole becomes Lexi’s guard.

Not knowing the details of her arrest,  Cole treats her like any other of the sinners. As they spend time around each other fighting to stay alive in this oppressive world they can’t help but develop feelings for each other. Both have witnessed firsthand the likely consequence for fraternizing and as they try to ignore the emotions between them their bond becomes even stronger.


” Even if it was only for a day, an hour, or a minute – I would risk everything just so I could be with you….”

Just as they thought that anything could not get any worse an uprising is brewing that put both Cole and Lexi right smack in the middle. This is one of the great things I loved about this book – the characters. They always knew what the priorities were and somehow they managed to put everything between them on hold and concentrate on everything important going around them.

I couldn’t help but admire Lexi’s courage and strength. ‘Til the very end, she managed to surprise me not only by advancing into her full potential but most importantly by taking things willingly into her own hands to deliver that much-needed retribution. She was simply amazing!

The only thing about this one was I felt that the story was cut short. There were so many more things that I  needed for Lexi and Cole to accomplish as a couple and for their world in general.

Otherwise, I thought everything else was perfect. The writing and the story flow was superb. I also appreciated the perfect balance between the romance and suspense.

The bottom line is, I thought this was a great debut.   It has so much potential to bring forth such an unforgettable and extraordinary series and I can’t wait where these authors take us next.

The Verdict:

rating-4



 

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Excerpt:

 

I turn on the faucet for a long while only to discover ice-cold water rushing out. The water never warms and I begin to understand. The Commander thinks he can wash away my soul by freezing me to death. He thinks he can destroy me by stripping away my possessions. But he can’t and I won’t let him take my memories, my ambition, and my pride.

He thinks I’m so easily broken.

The Commander doesn’t know anything about me, what I grew up with, what I endured—the father I lost, the mother I hate, the brother who walked out of my life, and the stepfather I was forced to accept. He thinks since I was rich, making me poor will cause me to give up. What he doesn’t understand is that, after my father passed away, I grew up behind walls of hatred. I had nothing, but had everything at the same time. I owned expensive clothes, enjoyed good schooling, and lived in a nice home. But my body was just a shell protecting an empty, desperate heart. My life was a colorful façade.

I had so much time to sit and think. I spent the majority of my life between four walls. I was abandoned, neglected, starved, betrayed, and abused. I’ve already been treated like the scum of the earth, so the Hole is nothing new. He wants to erase every sign of my existence on this earth, but I won’t let that happen. He can strip me naked, but he’ll never reach my soul.

It’s personal, completely personal.

 

 

Branded

 

 

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Mark My Words Book Publicity

About Abi Ketner

Abi Ketner Is a registered nurse with a passion for novels, the beaches of St. John, and her Philadelphia Phillies. A talented singer, Abi loves to go running and spend lots of time with her family. She currently resides in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with her husband, triplet daughters and two very spoiled dogs.

About Missy Kalicicki

Melissa Kalicicki received her bachelor’s degree from Millersville University in 2003. She married, had two boys and currently lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Aside from reading and writing, her interests include running and mixed martial arts. She also remains an avid Cleveland sports fan.



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