Review: Uprising By Allana Kephart & Melissa Simmons @MelandLanaWrite @GHBTours #Giveaway

Title- Uprising
Series- The Dolan Prophecies Series Book #1
By- Allana Kephart & Melissa Simmons
Publication Date- April 18th, 2014
Genre- New Adult Dystopian

Blurb-

The year 2102--the world as it was no longer exists. Ravaged by nuclear war and polluted almost to the point of no return, Earth was dying. When the faeries came and brought their healing magic, humanity was grateful at first. Centuries of damage repaired in just five years, and during the course of that rehabilitation, they invaded. Quietly overthrown, the human race is now enslaved. The majority doesn't even realize they have no free will. Branded, herded and kept only to further the agendas of the Fae Courts, humanity could be facing extinction.

But a resistance is coming…

Fianna Dolan has spent her entire young life preparing herself for an uprising against the Fae. One scorching summer night Fi's parents leave and never return. Thrust into a position of power she never expected, Fi struggles with her new position and the responsibility it entails. When a secretive fae man known only as Flint breaches the city's defenses claiming he can help, Fi begins to doubt everything she's ever considered truth. As betrayals and deception come to light, will Fi want the answers she's been seeking, or will trusting Flint lead to her destruction?

        

Excerpt-

I shook my head, looked around the room and instead, focused on other details. The music was loud, making the floor shake and causing people to scream at each other to be heard. Astrid's skimpy, black bejeweled shorts and midriff-baring red shirt got the attention of a deeply tanned young man with short dark hair, and he approached me through the crowd of other half-naked individuals and I stiffened involuntarily. He looked harmless enough, but he reeked of alcohol and his eyes were hazy as he loomed over me in a way that made me want to run away and hide. Khan wasn't paying a damn bit of attention and I didn't have a guard beside me as I always did. I wasn't used to being left alone, and I really didn't like feeling so exposed.

His full lips moved and I knew he was trying to talk to me, but with the music blaring as loud as it was I couldn't understand a word that came out of his mouth. Knowing I was nearly deaf with the music, the man reached out and rested his hand on my waist; trying to pull me away from the wall and speak with his hands. He stumbled though, and ended up sandwiching me between himself and the smooth concrete. His mouth opened and he was laughing, I'm sure, but I felt like I was going to throw up. I tried pushing him away from me, but he didn't seem to understand and smirked down at me; his hand sliding from my waist to the bare skin of my thigh as he fingered the too-high hem of my shorts. Panic gripped my throat but before anything could happen, he froze. His eyes grew wide and his brow furrowed, and slowly his mouth opened and he looked as though he couldn't breathe properly; giving me a pleading look as though I could help him. I didn't know what was going on until he hacked and blood spilled from his lips, dripping down his chin.

The music abruptly cut off when someone pulled the plug and suddenly I could hear him, this horrid choking sound coming from deep in his throat. His knees buckled out from under him and he fell in front of me; landing in a heavy lump on the floor with a blade hilt sticking out of his back. I was eye to eye with one of my fathers' guards, and one look down confirmed my thoughts-he had that boy's blood on his hands.

I couldn't hold in the banshee scream that tore itself from my throat.

Khan looked up when the music cut, and when he saw the guards swarming in the building and one of them in front of me, he took off in the other direction. I yelled for him, but it was like he didn't even remember me. The guard rolled his eyes and extended a hand; wrapping it around my upper arm and yanking me forward.

"You are in an obscene amount of trouble," he hissed in my ear just as a male voice cried out, "It's the Fae!"

My Review-

I received a free copy of the book from the authors for my honest opinion.

Fi lives in a world that was devastated by nuclear war but the Fae came along and fixed it for them. They made it beautiful and livable again. The Earth was dying and the Fae brought it back to life. But there is one thing the humans didn't know when they Fae fixed the earth that they were going to have to pay with their life or their freedom. Humans were rounded up like cattle and taken to the home of the Fae. The Fae uses the humans as slaves or animals waiting on them hand and foot.

Fi and her sixteen year old brother Eirnin are not a part of the Faes enslavement. They are trying to find a way to stop the Fae from taking humans as slaves. Fi is a young woman of nineteen with a great big heart who never wants to hurt anyone Fae or human but sometimes she is put in a situation where she has no choice.

Fi's father was given some info on how to fight the Fae and take back their lives. So Fi's father and mother both leave their little community one day in search of this info. They are supposed to return in a couple of weeks but they never return and no one knows if they are alive or dead. With Fi's father gone and is not expected to come back leaves Fi in charge of her family as well as the leader of the whole group. Before Fi's father leaves he tells her to keep a close watch on her brother Eirnin because the Fae are coming for him.

One day this new guy just shows up out of nowhere. Most or some of the people don't like this new guy Flint because he is a Fae. They don't take the time to get to know him and find out what kind of person or Fae he is they just dislike him because he is Fae. Fi and Eirnin both like Flint especially Fi who just happens to fall in love with him. But that is ok because Flint is in love with her as well. They make a good couple, they may be a lot of difference in their sizes but their hearts are probably about the same size though. Flint doesn't approve of what the Fae are doing to the humans and wants to help them.

I feel bad for Fi when she finds out that her one and only real friend who also happens to be her cousin Sean has betrayed her. And she ends up having to do something she never thought she would have to do. But she has no choice in the matter the evidence is all there and it all points in one direction. Fi has so much on her for some so young. So many lives depend on her and the decision she is forced to make. But she deals with it quite well for someone of her age.age.

I loved reading and following a long with each and every character in Uprising. They all seem so real as if you are standing right there beside them and you want to reach out and give Fi, Eirnin, Flint and Lumi all a helping hand. You want to stand by their side when the time comes to fight the Fae. You feel as if you are a part of their world or at the least wish you could be with them to just make things easier for them. I am going to make a prediction here I believe that Uprising is going to be the most talked about book of 2014. So hey maybe you should grab your copy today so you can jump on the band wagon. You don't want to miss out and not know what everyone is talking about now do you?

Character Bios-

Fianna Aoife Dolan-

Nickname(s)- Fi

Age- 19

Height- 5'2"

Weight-113 lbs (not that it's any of your business, geesh)

Personality- It really depends on who you ask, honestly...

Affinity- None

Abilities- Can you be more specific? I'm a perfectly capable human being, I have many abilities. I especially enjoy my ability to make coffee--was that what you had in mind??

Last Book You Read- 'Love is a Mixed Tape' by Rob Sheffield

Favorite Quote- "It is not fair to ask of others what you are unwilling to do yourself." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Biggest Fear- failing

Last Song You Listened To- 'Between Two Lungs' by Florence + The Machine Favorite Food- my Aunt Ruth's shepherd's pie (her coffee cake is a very close second..)

Eirnin Kearney Dolan-

Nickname(s)- Eir

Age- 16

Height- 6'7"

Weight- 225

Personality- I'm pretty easygoing, funny, a likeable guy by most accounts. Affinity- None!

Abilities- Seer / Empath Extraordinaire

Last Book You Read- 'Dark Justice' by Jack Higgins

Favorite Quote- "The best way out is through." ~Robert Frost

Biggest Fear- being unable to help the people I love

Last Song You Listened To- 'Let Me Kiss You' by Morrissey

Favorite Food- I'm a teenage boy, anything edible is my favorite food… ;)

Flint-

Nickname(s)- Hellboy, Hellion, Ass… None that would be considered "nice".

Age- 278 years, but physically I look like I'm in my early twenties--lucky me.

Height- 5'8"

Weight- 162

Personality- I am a raging pain in the neck and I am very proud of it. ;)

Affinity- Fire

Abilities- I have the ability to talk and piss you off at the same time. Does that count? And I can run very fast as for 'physical' abilities.

Last Book You Read- "The Mists of Avalon" by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It was my baby sister's favorite book of all time.

Favorite Quote- "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." ~Mark Twain

Biggest Fear- You could not pay me to answer this question.

Last Song You Listened To- "Shaking" by Sugarcult *smirks*

Favorite Food- … *chuckles* Okay, I am going to presume you are hoping for a G-rated answer so I am really not sure what to say here. As of right now Fi's aunt, Ruth, makes very good blueberry muffins.

Lumi-

Nickname(s)- Lulu, Princess

Age- 546 (and yes, I do mean years)

Height- 5'1"

Weight- 50,000 grams, about 110 pounds

Personality- Well, I've heard I'm an angel and I've heard I'm a prude, so I guess it depends on who you ask.

Affinity- Air

Abilities- I am an awesome ninja spy, if I do say so myself.

Last Book You Read- "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott, per the Dolans' suggestion.

Favorite Quote- "Do what you feel in your heart to be right--for you'll be criticized anyway." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Biggest Fear- That's a hard one… The thought of the people I care about getting hurt keeps me up at night sometimes.

Last Song You Listened To- "Brick by Boring Brick" by Paramore

Favorite Food- Ice cream! *coughs* Um. Yeah, I love mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Author Interview-

What inspired you to write Uprising?

Melissa: I was talking with a friend and fellow author one night on the way home from a book signing where I got to meet Holly Black, Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan and we got to talking about faery books. And bam! What would happen if the fae enslaved humanity...lol

Allana: Melissa, actually. I had wanted to write a book about the fae since I was like, eight, but I could never come up with a good idea. Then Mel told me the very bare bones idea for Uprising and we started it up.

When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Melissa: I know I was in the 6th grade and my English teacher read a short story I wrote aloud to the class. And I remember between the whole feeling like I was going to hurl at any moment feeling being really happy that people were reacting to what I'd written. And so it began...

Allana: I think I made that decision when I was around seven. I had been writing (very bad stories) since I first learned how to scribble but I always thought being "an author" was specifically for magic people. I am not sure exactly what was said but my parents convinced me I could be whatever I wanted to be--magic or otherwise.

What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?

Melissa: I was reading before I was 4. I would carry "The Monster at the End of this Book" around the house just giggling like a fool.

Allana: Uhh, like two. My mom read me Dr. Seuss books before I could speak and I had loved reading ever since.

What genre of books do you enjoy reading?

Melissa: Any genre. I don't have a favorite; I read anything. :)

Allana: I will read any genre if I think the story sounds good.

What is your favorite book?

Melissa: Oh, evil question. Umm, honestly it changes. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott or Anne of Green Gables (whole series) by L.M. Montgomery....both are very near and dear to my heart.

Allana: Uhh… I'm like Mel, it changes all the time. I really love Butter by Erin Jade Lange, Intangible by J. Meyers, anything by Ellen Hopkins… It really just depends on my mood that day. Today, for example, it is Divergent by Veronica Roth.

You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?

Melissa: I don't just have one favorite author, picking one favorite of anything is pretty impossible for me. There are just too many amazing authors out there to pick from; so I will give you my top three. Or at least my top three for right now. :) And they are: Kristen Day-- adorable, insanely talented and one of my favorite ladies on the planet. I LOVE LOVE LOVE her Daughters of the Sea series!! Holly Black has this ability to grab your attention with an opening line that just astounds me. She's the kind of author I'd like to be when I grow up. ;) Then there is the sarcastically hilarious brilliance of Sarah Rees Brennan. She draws you in so masterfully to everything she writes it's amazing. I love the way she weaves a story.

Allana: This is an unusually cruel question. Considering all the authors I love I am going to be incredibly biased and say KRISTEN DAY! Because she is one of my favorite humans and she's an amazing cheerleader and super sweet and adorable and ahh. I just love her. :)

If you could travel back in time here on earth to any place or time, where would you go and why?

Melissa: That's a hard one…maybe the 1950's. Just because it was a simpler time, sock hops and milkshakes and poodle skirts...I think I could get used to that...for a day or so and then I'd want to come home again. :)

Allana: I have always been really attracted to the late eighteenth-century, the 1770's to be exact. I really don't have an answer as to why, but ever since I was little I have wanted to go back to that time.

When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?

Melissa: Ditto to Lana's answer!

Allana: It depends how the voices are behaving that day, lol. If they don't want to talk to me it's impossible to write, but if they are feeling chatty I can churn out chapters within hours.

Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?

Melissa: I have a diva cat, she's adorable and her name is Percy (don't ask; we thought she was a he and now she won't answer to anything else). She is my not-so-little furbaby and I would be very lonely without her. Even when she attacks my feet in my sleep and lays on my face and tries to suffocate me. I'd still miss her...

Allana: Yep, five of them. I have four dogs (two basenjis, two akitas) named (from oldest to youngest) Stanley, Tinker Belle, Digby and Eshu, and one cat named Little Bit. I am a Crazy Pet Lady in training.

What is your "to die for", favorite food/foods to eat?

Melissa: There is this amazing deli that makes subs to order and I could eat a turkey & swiss sub from them everyday and never get sick of them.

Allana: Um, I just like food LOL I really love pasta of any kind, turkey sandwiches, ice cream, french fries… I think the one thing I could eat all day every day for the rest of my life is probably chicken and dumplings (my own recipe, though, because I'm picky like that. :P)

Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?

Melissa: Get used to not sleeping, stock up on caffeinated beverages and just write; write the story you would want to read.

Allana: Please make sure you really love what you're doing. If you love writing nothing can discourage you away from it and you need that passion. And don't let anybody tell you that you can't do it, because you can.

Dream Cast-

Our idea of the perfect soundtrack to 'Uprising'

Prologue--"Blinding" by Florence + the Machine -- "No more dreaming like a girl so in love with the wrong world"

Chapter 1-- "Call It What You Want" by Foster the People-- "Well I'm just gonna do here what I gotta do here 'Cause I gotta keep myself free"

Chapter 2-- "Breaking Inside" by Shinedown-- "I don't want to live To waste another day Underneath the shadow of mistakes I made Cause I feel like I'm breaking inside"

Chapter 3-- "The Golden Age" by Beck-- "These days I barely get by, I don't even try"

Chapter 4-- "Basketcase" by Green Day-- "I am one of the melodramatic fools Neurotic to the bone no doubt about it"

Chapter 5-- "Break Stuff" by Limp Bizkit-- "And if my day keeps going this way I might just break somethin' tonight"

Chapter 6-- "Breath" by Breaking Benjamin-- "I see nothing in your eyes, and the more I see the less I like. Is it over yet, in my head? I know nothing of your kind, and I won't revel in your evil mind. Is it over yet? I can't win."

Chapter 7--"Should I Stay Or Should I Go" by The Clash-- "If I go there will be trouble, if I stay it will be double"

Chapter 8-- "One Step Closer" by Linkin' Park-- "Everything you say to me Takes me one step closer to the edge And I'm about to break"

Chapter 9-- "You Gotta Be" by Des'ree-- "You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold, you gotta be wiser. You gotta be hard, you gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger. You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm, you gotta stay together."

Chapter 10-- "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" by Kelly Clarkson-- "You didn't think that I'd come back, I'd come back swingin', you tried to break me but you see what doesn't kill you makes you stronger"

Chapter 11--"Shake It Out" by Florence + the Machine-- "And I've been a fool and I've been blind, I can never leave the past behind, I can see no way, I can see no way, I'm always dragging that horse around"

Chapter 12-- "The Bitch Song" by Bowling for Soup-- "Is there anything that I can do? Anything to show you you're a bitch, but I love you anyway"

Chapter 13-- "I Caught Myself" by Paramore-- "You got it, you got it, some kind of magic Hypnotic, hypnotic, you're leaving me breathless I hate this, I hate this, you're not the one I believe in"

Chapter 14-- "This is Gospel" by Panic! At The Disco-- "Don't try to sleep through the end of the world Bury me alive 'Cause I won't give up without a fight"

Chapter 15-- "Blue Skies" by Blue October-- "It's time to wake up, time to make up Time to shake these memories It's time to leave the past in the past"

Chapter 16-- "Don't Give Up" by Peter Gabriel with Kate Bush-- "Don't give up, 'cause you have friends Don't give up, you're not beaten yet Don't give up, I know you can make it good"

Chapter 17-- "Count On Me" by Bruno Mars-- "You can count on me Like one, two, three and I'll be there And I know when I need it I can count on you Like four, three, two and you'll be there 'Cause that's what friends are supposed to do Oh yeah"

Chapter 18-- "If You Only Knew" by Shinedown-- "If you only knew, I'd sacrifice my beating heart before I lose you"

Chapter 19-- "Thunder" by Boys Like Girls-- "I tried to read between the lines, I tried to look into your eyes, I want a simple explanation For what I'm feeling inside, I gotta find a way out Maybe there's a way out"

Chapter 20-- "Untouchable" by Taylor Swift-- "Untouchable, burning brighter than the sun, and when you're close I feel like comin' undone"

Chapter 21-- "Heels Over Head" by Boys Like Girls-- "You mean everything to me, But I'm the first to fall and last to know Where'd you go?"

Chapter 22-- "I Think I Love You" by The Partridge Family-- "This morning, I woke up with this feeling I didn't know how to deal with and so I just decided to myself I'd hide it to myself and never talk about it And didn't I go and shout it when you walked into my room I think I love you"

Chapter 23-- "Just For" by Nickelback-- "And I want to rip his hands off just for touching you Yes I do"

Chapter 24-- "All Your Life" by The Band Perry-- "Lately I've been writing desperate love songs Mostly I sing them to the walls You could be the centerpiece of my obsession If you would notice me at all"

Chapter 25-- "Close To Me" by The Cure"

Chapter 26--"Fly From The Inside" by Shinedown-- "I can't control the pain I can't control the rage Sometimes I think I'm going insane"

Chapter 27-- "Somebody's Heartbreak" by Hunter Hayes-- "You leave me here wonderin' if I'll ever know How much you care, or how much you don't"

Chapter 28-- "About A Girl" by The Academy Is…-- "Last night, I knew what to say But you weren't there to hear it"

Chapter 29-- "Pretty Girl" by Sugarcult-- "She's beautiful, as usual, with bruises on her ego and Her killer instinct tells her to Be aware of evil men"

Chapter 30-- "What The Water Gave Me" by Florence + The Machine-- "Lay me down Let the only sound Be the overflow"

About The Authors-

Allana Kephart has been making things up and bending people to her will from a very young age. She loves animals and reading and spends a large amount of time thinking up ways to torment her characters. She shares a brain, a love of coffee and the color purple with her alter ego/best friend/co-author, Melissa Simmons.

Melissa Simmons is an avid reader who married her soul mate and is the proud mother of a spoiled cat. She spends her days helping promote independent authors and doing what the voices in her head tell her to. She shares a brain, a love of coffee and the color purple with her alter ego/best friend/co-author, Allana Kephart.

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