Friday, June 7, 2013

The Chronicles of Koa: Netherworld

What would you do if a demon threatened your mother's life? If you're like Koa, you'd sharpen your enchanted sword and go after him...

The world is a dangerous place. Our world is threatened by the creatures of an alternate land called the Netherworld. Good thing Koa and the Netherworld division are there to keep the vampire population in check. Koa is a powerful half-blood with a mysterious past. Her best friend is her boss, she has a cursed mother, an enchanted sword, and an attractive human pet.

Koa also has a problem. A Netherworld serial killer, with a taste for little girls, threatens everything Koa has worked hard to protect. Not even Koa's boss, Halston can stop him. But he knows one prisoner that can. Too bad that prison is in the Netherworld.

Is Koa ready to journey to the Netherworld to release the one creature that can break her mother's curse and protect all that she holds dear?

**Bonus Material**
Someone has stolen classified documents from the Netherworld division's vaults. Read the secret interviews that were leaked to the press, and discover the hidden clues of Dark Prophet (The Chronicles of Koa #2)
Available on Amazon!


5.0 out of 5 stars Koa! Koa! she's our man! If she can't do it...we're all doomed., June 25, 2013
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Since I am neither an author nor writer in any sense, I typically don't write book reviews. It's hard for a lay-person to do justice to a complete work that took months if not years to complete, in just a few minutes. It's like trying to describe a Picasso by saying, "well, it had a lot of angles, and the colors were nice," With that being said, here's my 2 cents on the Chronicles of Koa.

The Chronicles of Koa is another great read for fans of the young heroine genre, such as Hunger Games and the Divergent series. While it has similarities to these other popular stories at the macro level, it carves out its own unique world and characters that make it stand on its own as an original series. Koa really keeps you guessing on how she's going to screw up next. Not that she is inept, but she is young, foolish, and strong willed. Like many of us were at her age. Ready to show everyone else that we have what it takes to conquer the world. However, in Koa's case she's taking on a Netherworld filled with creatures and beings with a seemingly limitless array of powers. Koa herself is on a journey to discover herself on a personal as well as supernatural level. Bottom line, the book is a fun read.


5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating world and story that left me wanting more (minor spoilers), June 21, 2013
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This review is from: The Chronicles of Koa: Netherworld (Kindle Edition)
The Chronicles of Koa focuses on the journey of Koa, a female, half vampire living in the human world with her guardian Halston, a "perfect man" of unique and mysterious powers to an underworld of evil and danger. From the beginning, it's clear that there will certainly be surprises as Koa has abilites that makes her character very different; for instance, in combat, she effortlessly wields a huge sword that detects evil and she can be exposed to direct sunlight.. In a recurring theme, the author seems to play with the reader, taking your stereotypes of what is accepted about the rules of vampires and other fantastical creatures but presenting something different.

I throughly enjoyed Koa, the character. She is depicted as a strong and powerful protaganist, but one with flaws. She is frequently impulsive throughout the novel and quick to anger both, somewhat anti-thematic to the calm, cool grace that most vampires are associated with. But she exhibits feistiness and self-resolve as her past is slowly revealed. You learn that even what Koa herself knows is not all there is to her life and situation. In this sense, I felt that Netherworld was a bit of an origin story that seem to be all the rage in superhero movies these days. The main character is just starting to learn about her powers and how to use them in her surroundings.

The supporting cast that Koa and Halston meet in their travels is the other strength of the author's writing. I found several of the characters genuinely interesting and am anxiously awaiting their continuing roles in the next book. The others are a very eclectic mix and have their own background and abilities which I hope are expanded on in the future.

There are some light romance themes throughout as well. But to be clear, the story is NOT anything like the fluffy young adult drivel of a certain goopy all too long vampire movie series. This is a character driven adventure in a rich and detailed world which the protaganist learns about her past as we the readers do. Her self discovery changes her perspective on the few friends she has and we share in those moments of confusion and enlightenment as she struggles to figure out herself and her past.

Bottom line: this is an engrossing read that ends all too soon. A book that is part dark fantasy, part adventure with colorful and creative personalities throughout; think less Twilight Saga and more Arya Stark meets Ocean 11.


5.0 out of 5 stars Great!, May 20, 2013
This review is from: The Chronicles of Koa: Netherworld (Kindle Edition)
The ending had me on edge. I have to say I have not read a vampire novel like this one before. Koa is a very intriguing character. I love all the different creatures. I had a hard time writing this review because I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I could see some of the scenes playing out like a movie in my head. I can not wait to find out what happens next! K.N.Lee took me on adventure to the Netherworld that did not disappoint.


5.0 out of 5 stars Just because I'm biased doesn't make me wrong!!, May 13, 2013
This review is from: The Chronicles of Koa: Netherworld (Kindle Edition)
This debut novel from K.N. Lee is such a wonderful way for her to introduce her writing skills to the world!! Her writing has a way of getting people excited to read something and it is infectious. This is a fantasy novel full of Vampires and other mythical creatures that are so popular right now in books. Sometimes stories about Vampires can get repetitive and stale, however Ms Lee manages to find a way to create a fresh take on it. Her characters have depth, growth, and they are the kind of characters you can get attached to. Her vision and imagination really comes through on the page and I'm so excited for the second installment of the Chronicles of Koa as this one left me wanting more! I don't want to give any spoilers on the book but it centers around a young woman (who is an anomaly as a half human/half vampire) who is determined to reclaim her memory and her life. She is full of strength and determination and you want to cheer her on. If you like books such as The Hunger Games, or The Mortal Instruments series etc. then this is definitely a book you will enjoy.


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