David Polney

Smashwords book reviews by David Polney

  • Hope(less) on April 11, 2013

    I accepted this book in exchange for an honest review. (We all know I'm brutally honest, I was scared for her LOL.) Often times I don't like werewolf books, and I even try to avoid them. In my opinion they are really annoying with the constant hostility and edginess. There is so much more to Hope(less). Sure there was blood and hostility, but it wasn't because of the whole attitude that werewolf's had to be tough, edgy, and disturbed. Hope(less) had a softer side that ultimately made this book for me. These weren't the typical werewolf's I see in horror movies. As I had mentioned already, they weren't super influenced by their animal side. They weren't demented, they weren't loud (yeah Clay, I'm talking about you), and they were only hostile in scenarios that called for action to be taken. I loved them for the sole reason that they were in control of themselves. I'm not saying that the action was lacking, far from it actually. I'm just saying that it wasn't uncalled for. There were no random fight scenes just because someone spilled milk. The fight scenes that did happen were intense. I can't even imagine being around Clay (the unwanted love interest) when he was in his fur, tearing apart another werewolf for the sake of protecting Gabby. I would be down right terrified watching giant wolfs attack each other. In fact I probably wouldn't leave the house for days after seeing them down the street from me. I loved the character development. It was an even paced read that allowed many characters to fully develop their own distinct personalities. (For the sake of keeping this shorter and readable I'm only talking about the two main characters) Gabby was the main character that just wanted to be normal, she didn't understand her gift but it didn't prevent her from being who she wanted to be. She was a strong willed female and had a witty personality. I totally felt she was a real person. Clay was the silent, protective, totally lovable type. *Swoon* Totally crushed on him, the rugged look totally sits well with me, though he did need a serious bath in beginning. I liked the fact that Gabby and Clay didn't outright love each other the moment they met. Sure they were linked to each other but Gabby did not want anything to do with Clay. It took months of being forced together for the affection to really kick in. It was steady and when it did happen it felt like a real experience. Not that insta-love crap. I do have a complaint that I just can't get over. In the very beginning Gabby meets Sam (her guardian of sorts), and what is Sam doing? He's stripping naked in the middle of a park, turning into a giant wolf. Sure she ran away from him but twenty minutes later, she was sitting with him chatting it up. I mean common.... what? The hell I'd trust him. I know it was essential for their meeting but I didn't understand why her trust came so easily soon after. Other then my one and only complaint I think this is an amazing book. I loved it and even asked the author to allow me to review the next book, it was just that good.
  • (Mis)fortune on May 29, 2013

    I received this book in exchange for an honest review. (Mis)Fortune is the second book in the Judgement series and lead us deeper into the world of werewolfs. The mysteries grow and the characters continue to be lovable. But let me tell you what I loved about this book instead of the general "everything." :) Thankfully due to Michele's point of view we find out more in (Mis)Fortune then we did in Hope(less). The plot deepens in the aspect that we are now finding out more information that applies to the whole "judgement" thing. With a focus more on the overall plot I am aware that there is much more going on then humans finding their way into a werewolf community, which makes me happy since I hadn't fully understood where the plot line was going in the first book. I'm actually pretty excited for what I anticipate to be a big ass battle in the end of this series. I loved the characters in this book but as always, will only talk about the main two. Michelle (aka Mimi) was the main character and at first I didn't think I would like her. She was the depressing and I'm not to fond of depressed characters. Don't get me wrong, Michele definitely had reason to be depressed, she was locked up for four years by a demented werewolf named Blake, was forced to reveal her visions, and her brothers were leverage used against her. Fast forward a bit and we see a young girl trying to do right by her two little brothers. Almost always she put their safety first and that was commendable. When she wasn't being afraid, she was unbelievably mature, kind, and responsible. She was the "damsel in distress" type but she felt real. I really ended up liking her. Emmitt was the heart throb in this book. Unlike Clay, Emmitt actually spoke. He was practically the perfect man, saying the right things, taking his shirt off at the right moments, and being a badass werewolf in the right way. Everything about him from appearance to personality was just right. He was so swoon worthy it made me wish I could push Michelle out of the way and literally claim him as my own. Though if I did that how would Clay take it? So the love triangle begins. *evil smile* There is a lot more action in (Mis)Fortune then I had anticipated but I loved it. Some of the fight scenes were crazy good. My favorite fight scene is probably when Nana Wini, in her advanced age, kicked some mega butt. She walked into the fight and had them running in just a matter of minutes. Let me mention that ending without spoiling anything. Whoa. Just whoa. First we are lead to believe that Blake is a heartless man but now it kind of just confirms it. Can you say psycho that takes advantage of people without them even knowing it? I loved this book and there were times when I felt like squealing with excitement of what was to come. But because I am a guy, I didn't let myself, but I wanted to lol. I'm so hooked on this series that the only complaint that I have for (Mis)Fortune is now that I am finished, I have to wait for the next book book to come out. 5/5
  • Dealing with Demons on June 04, 2013

    I accepted this book in exchange for an honest review. If you have read any of my previous reviews about Melissa Haag's work then you are aware that I am a huge fan and was highly anticipating getting my hands on Touch. There are so many little moments that I want to talk about. I want to gush about how amazing and hot Morik is. I want to talk about how envious I am of Tessa's ability. But I'm going to keep this review short because I don't want to ruin the chance for people to discover it for themselfs. I loved the romance in Touch. I loved Tessa and Morik together, everything about it seemed so real. It wasn't that insta-love crap that I see in YA literature. It was a slowly built romance and little by little Tessa felt more and more for Morik. I don't even think she was aware of her growing feelings for Morik, but I am sure he was slyly laying his cards on the table, enjoying every moment of it. They were so sweet together and there was something oddly innocent about them (emphasis on innocent). *heartfelt sigh* The story line was pretty good though it was a little slow. I was entertained regardless and I even thought there were a couple creepy elements to it. For example, I couldn't believe when the guy who was bullying Tessa just walks infront of a bus. I was like what just happened?! It was so creepy, especially what happened after. I really enjoyed the characters in Touch and feel that each of them really embodied a certain personality. Tessa was a loner but really just wanted a friend. She wanted to be a part of a world that just didn't allow her. Then there was Beatriz, Tessa's new found best friend, she was crazy and really brought humor and tough-love into the mix. Tessa's grandma was the nurturing hand that really brought the family environment together. And then there was obviously Morik who brought some amazing romance. I do have one pretty big complaint and I hate to point it out because I loved this book otherwise. The bad guy, Ahgred, wasn't all that bad. Yes, he was very creepy but other then that, he was just a pest. He should have been destroying everything in Tessa's life, holding her grandma hostage, making horrendous deals, killing people, but none of that happened. He just showed up maybe 3 or 4 times and just inconvenienced Tessa by ruining someone elses life. He kinda sucked, in a creepy way. Even though the bad guy was just eh, I really enjoyed this book. Touch was heavy on romance and I loved every moment of it. 4/5