Sheep Book Review: Othersphere by Nina Berry

Othersphere (Otherkin book 3)
By: Nina Berry
Young Adult
Paranormal
320 pages

Plot:
I always wanted to know where I came from. Now that knowledge could destroy me.

Dez thought she knew who her mother was, who she was. Thought she had friends, a boy who loved her, and a school where she finally fit in.

But across the veil linking our world and the next lurks a monster which can annihilate. . .or liberate her. Now she must confront it there with help from one boy who loves her and one who can't stand the sight of her.

Dez thought she understood her tiger form, her deepest self. But in this treacherous place, she'll have to choose between the two halves of her soul--and determine which world survives.

Here we are at book 3 in this Young Adult series, and I find myself utterly and completely invested in the outcome. I waited months for this latest edition and it was worth it, with just a few tiny issues.

Let me take you back a little in the series. Dez is a tiger shifter, maybe the only one left in the world. She's rare and she's had no idea about her shifting abilities until recently. This being a YA story, you're thinking what I was in the beginning, "omg not teen angst!". Let me assure you, there is very little of that. It helps that this story is not placed in a typical human high-school filled with locker-room drama. Thank the undead gods!

This saga is set in something more akin to Harry Potter, and there are a lot of influences from that world which I sense transferred over. I don't see this as a copy or knock off but as a use of some great elements in a new world. The kids are each shifters of some kind, rats, hawks, bear, wolf, etc. And each type of animal has it's prejudice towards the others. But these young adults have to find a way to work as a team, grow their abilities and survive in a world that wants to see them dead.

Sounds good right? It is!

Now we jump to book 3, and after the dramatic ending in book 2 I didn't know what to expect! I certainly didn't expect Dez to start this story the way she did. It was a little shocking, but as with any love triangle...drama will ensue. Being honest, I could have lived without it though. Maybe just having Dez all by herself to do some soul searching, but it seemed like instead she was very emotionally needy and jumping from man to man.

As we move into the meat of the story, Nina takes us into the world of Othersphere. It was a magical place, filled with many animals from Earths past. Extinct breeds have been living there, thriving in a world that couldn't bare to see them lost. There was a real message in the story about how destructive humans can be. It's truth and one we should all take heed of.

There's plenty of action and adventure, with evil dead set on taking over Earth, the story gets going into full swing. Shifters will have to unite and it seems an almost impossible task. But it's fight or die time, and finding out what you're made of.

I've heard this is the last installment in this series and I certainly hope that's just not true. There is a ton of room to grow and continue this saga. 

I would personally like to see it move over to PNR at this point. The characters are all at the 18 year old mark, and it would be wise to make this open to the adult readers as well. 

Getting 4 'shifter' Sheep
KD

Fourth of July Giveaway!

Baaart is celebrating the 4th of July like every true American does...

He is going to blow s*** up! WOOT!

Here is little 4th of July joke...

Q: What was the last thing the American said on the 4th of July?

*Answer is at the bottom of the post

Baaart also likes to celebrate by giving books away!

Trouble, Chaos, and Vengeance (trilogy)by Crista McHugh
Wolf With Benefits by Shelly Laurenston
Sweet Dreams by January Valentine 
Undead and Underwater by Mary Janice Davidson
Othermoon by Nina Berry
River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay
Waterborne by Katherine Irons
Escaping Dominance by MaryLynn Bast

Contest is US ONLY and closes on July 10th! 

A: Hold m'beer and watch this!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sheep Book Review: Othermoon by Nina Berry + Giveaway

Othermoon, by Nina Berry, is the second installment in her YA series Otherkin. This book is just as riveting as the first story in this saga, Otherkin, and layered with emotional drama that had me flying through the pages like a witch on a broomstick. 

Plot:

Everyone has secrets. When Dez rescued a boy, Caleb, from a cage, she discovered secrets she never knew she possessed, Now she's sure she's found the place where she belongs. With the otherkin - and with Caleb. But as the barriers between the mortal world and Othersphere fall, a wall rises between Dez and Caleb, leaving her fiercest enemy her only friend ...and maybe something more. Now Dez must make a devastating choice: keep the love of her life, or save the otherkin from annihilation...

There's YA out there that's geared pretty much for that one age group, and then there's YA that takes on a life of its own and allows anyone of any age to get sucked into the pages, which is what Nina has created here; A story of epic proportions that anyone of any age can enjoy. The typical YA is littered with locker chit chat and who's going with Betty Sue to the sock hop after school. (let's pretend it's the 50's)*yawn* That bores me, makes me want to crawl back into my coffin and sleep for the next century.Othermoon delivers on multiple levels and dishes out the adventure and drama in a very adult fashion while still maintaining that PG-13 reading level. 

Now, I've personally asked Nina if this saga may kick it up a notch at some point, I'd love to see these characters hit the PNR realm. And while she never said yes or no to that exact question I take that as hope! *fist pump* But, back to the story at hand. We jump right back into the world of the Otherkin, a small group of magical other worlders who call earth home and want nothing more then to live their lives and stay in the shadows. 

Out to destory the otherkins are a group of radical zealots that want to "exercise the demon" and kill every last otherkin that's out in the world. Nina sets up this second story very nicely, we pick up a few months after book one and jump right back into the young group of high-school age kids that are learning to control their shifter powers. Amongst it all is friendship, learning new ways of thinking, and forming life long bonds. Prejudice runs rampant amongst the shifters, and while it would serve them better to unite they are at constant odds with one another. 

Dez and her main squeeze Caleb are a strong force, both romantically and power wise. There are some major falling ins and outs that happen this time around. I am so severely invested in this series, already, that I wanted to scream by the end! Caleb, dude, don't talk to me. *turns back on Caleb* Men in general can be pigheaded idiots and while I like Caleb to pieces, I saw a new side to this young man that rubbed me the wrong way! *throws glass of water in Caleb's face*

Othermoon is an adventure and life lesson all kind of wrapped up in one. The stakes are high and the bad guys are worse then ever, action and suspense to the max this time around! There are lots of moral issues and plenty of "what's the right thing to do" type of scenarios taking place. There are hard calls that someone needs to stand up for, and it's all very moving and heartbreaking at the same time. And I would not have it any other way! 

If you've yet to check out this series now's the time! Book two hits shelves January 29th, I will recommend picking up from the start or you will miss out on all the excitement as to where we are now. 

Getting 4 'pretty kitty, nice kitty' Sheep

KD 

***GIVEAWAY***

One lucky winner is going to win a paperback copy of Othermoon. Please list the following in the comments below to be entered to win! 

1. Your Email Address 

2. You must follow our site, tell us how you follow

3. If you could throw a cup of "something" in someones face, what would it be and why? (Get as creative as you want!) 

Contest open to US/Canada ONLY 

Ends January 24th at midnight

Sheep Interview: Author Nina Berry + Giveaway!

Today we welcome debut author Nina Berry to I Smell Sheep! This lady is one amazing writer and we are VERY excited to pick her braiiiiins!! Or, just sit down and talk like normal people. Make sure to stay tuned until the very end to win a signed copy of Otherkin! 

Katie: Hello Nina and welcome to the flock! Just step around the herd droppings…it's been a busy week!

*Sharon walks up with the pooper scooper* Um…lift your foot…thanks!

Nina: *lifting foot* Have you tried litter box training?

Katie: Great idea!

Katie: Can you start out by telling folks a little about your YA series Otherkin?

Nina: It’s about a girl with a back brace who learns she can shape-shift into a tiger. Almost the exact moment that happens, she’s captured by a secret group bent on wiping out her kind – the otherkin. She escapes with help from a mysterious, handsome boy and is off to find allies, foil the bad guys, learn the truth about who she is, and maybe fall in love. It’s got fiery helicopter crashes, first kisses, and a tiger. Something for everyone!

Katie: How long did it take you to come up with this story idea?

Nina: I wanted to write about a girl with a back brace for years, because I had one in high school, and it had a big effect on me. But I didn’t know quite how the story would go until I got a separate idea about a girl who turns into a tiger. Then I thought – how would my life have been different if I’d found out I could shift into a tiger while I had the brace? Would that have changed how I thought about myself and my body? So you could say it took years, or you could say it was – bam! One second when the ideas came together. I took maybe a couple weeks to outline it, then I started writing.

Katie: What can readers look forward to in the next installment?

Nina: Othermoon will be out January 31, 2013. I think of it as “The Empire Strikes Back” of the trilogy. It’s darker and deadlier. The bad guys come back stronger and more dangerous than ever. And there’s trouble on the love boat between Caleb and Dez, from a direction you would never expect. Book three should be out early in 2014.

Katie: Oh! You dirty tease!

Nina: Mwhahaha!

Sharon: Would you want to be your heroine?

Nina: Ooh, tough one. On one hand I’d love to be able to shift into a tiger – to be that powerful and fearless. On the other hand, I’d rather not have an entire secret organization bent on killing me and those I love. Drama’s better on the page than in real life.

Katie: I wonder as the series grows, and the characters ages, will this move into the adult realm of PNR?

Sharon: I think what she wants to ask is will there be of-legal-age smut eventually.

Katie: Yes, yes I do.

Nina: Hmm, don’t want to be spoilery, so let’s just say things do get hotter and heavier in the second book. But this is YA, so we won’t be going fifty shades of tiger, if you catch my drift.

Sharon: Katie, should we make her spell it out?

Katie: I’ve still got the duct tape and feathers from the last author that tried to hold out with the juicy details…

Nina:

Sharon: What would you use a do-over spell for?

Nina: Wow, so many things. The worst events were all things I couldn’t control, like friends and relatives passing away, so even a do-over spell wouldn’t help, unfortunately. So I wish I could go back in time knowing it’s silly to worry about what people think and dedicate myself more to writing earlier in life. I’d trust myself a bit more. Also, there was this cute guy in college who really seemed to like me, and looking back, I can see I was super clueless. Do over!

Katie: Was Harry Potter an influence while writing because I hand some strong Potter moments!

Nina: I know what you’re talking about. I loved the Harry Potter books, but I wasn’t consciously thinking of them when I came up with the concept. Then, when I got to writing the school parts of my book, I realized the similarities and they worried me. I comforted myself with the thought that Morfael’s school is a lot less cozy than Hogwarts, and way smaller. They don’t have magical spells at my school to keep the bad guys out. Also, all the students hate each other. At least at first.

Sharon: Sounds like middle school…

Katie: In no way was I trying to say anything negative about the story Nina. It’s fantastic!

Nina: Oh no worries. It’s an honor to be compared to Harry Potter. And thanks!

Katie: If you could shapeshift in to an animal that's not listed in your stories what would it be and why?

Nina: A dolphin. I love the water. I grew up in Hawaii and learned to bodysurf when I was nine, and I go back every year to my favorite beach. It’s where I feel happiest. Can you imagine how awesome it would be to surf as a dolphin? I’d slice through the water with all their power and grace, and I’d have a huge school of dolphin friends around me who love to do that too. We’d figure out a way to free all the dolphins and whales currently living in captivity and stop those damned whaling ships too. Now you’ve made me want to write a book about dolphin shifters, so good job.

Sharon: What would your dolphin superpowers be!? Shoot acid out of your blow hole? (okay, that sounds really wrong once I wrote it down)

Nina: That is a very disturbing and yet very cool idea. I was going to go much more conventional and say that maybe I had sonar that could penetrate objects, but let’s go for acid instead!

Sharon: Which Disney Princess would you like to be?

Nina: I’m a bit like Belle, a book reader. But the princess that inspired me the most comes from an obscure animated series from Japan that aired in Hawaii when I was six called Princess Knight. It had a huge effect on me, but I have yet to meet a single other person who’s seen it. I’d love to be Princess Sapphire in that show. She’s an expert with a sword, rides a horse as smart as she is, and has an angel in training as an ally. She kicks butt, has a great sense of humor, and breaks all the rules. Love her!

Here’s a link to the Wikipedia page in case anyone is interested:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Knight

Sharon: Sounds cool. Mulan is one of my favorite Disney heroines and this seems very similar.

Katie: Now it's time for some rapid fire questions! Hold on tight and answer with the first thing that pops up.

Nina: *holding tight*

Katie: Grilled cheese or Quesadilla?

Nina: Grilled cheese. Yum! Sharp cheddar, please.

Sharon: Newsweek or People Magazine?

Nina: Newsweek has jumped the shark with its silly controversial cover stories lately, so People.

Sharon: Plus People covers the best and worst dressed at award shows…and that is quality entertainment there.

Nina: The worst dressed are totally my favorite. Not that I can be catty or anything *cough cough*

Katie: Coke or Pepsi?

Nina: Coke, Diet. With ice. I love that sweet, acrid taste that can burn through rubber.

Sharon: *turns up music* sorry…can’t hear yoooooou!

Katie: Coke again for the win!!!! *dances a burn rubber dance to music* 

Sharon: Porch or deck?

Nina: Lanai, actually. I’m a Honolulu girl.

Sharon: Pssst…Katie. That is a Hawaiian porch. I googled it…

Katie: Ah, thanks Sharon. Was just going to smile and nod like I knew.

Katie: Stab in the back or stab in the heart?

Nina: I’m no backstabber. Right in the heart, face to face. Take that! (And yes, I’d take a stab in the heart first. You die faster that way. And betrayal’s the worst.)

Sharon: I think I am scared of you…

Sharon: Stephen King or Shakespeare?

Nina: Shakespeare. Greatest writer of all time, blah blah blah. I think even Stephen King would choose Shakespeare, but oooh, Salem’s Lot was fantastic.

Sharon: I know, right?! I loved that one. Read it when I was 11 scarred me for life!

Nina: His friend the vampire right outside the window….? Gah. I’m scared now!

Katie: Christmas cookies or Halloween candy?

Nina: Cookies! My mom and I make these shortbread snowball things every Christmas, then I inhale all of them while she smirks.

Sharon: Classic or modern?

Nina: Classic. Especially in movies and manners.

Photo by: Jeni Darling Photography

Katie: Haunted house or Haunted graveyard?

Nina: Graveyard! I love graveyards and cemeteries. Send me to a chapel made of bones, a catacomb of moldering bodies, or a dank Egyptian tomb and I’m the happiest girl on Earth.

Sharon: Still scared…

Katie: Action hero or Romance hero?

Nina: Action hero. Adds excitement to the romance.

Sharon: Got a favorite?

Nina: I’m a fan of the most recent James Bond, Daniel Craig. Also Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and of course Buffy herself.

Katie: Would you like to add anything before we wrap?

Nina: Thanks for having me. It was sheep-tastic!

***Giveaway***

Nina is giving away a signed copy of Otherkin to one lucky winner. US/Canada only. To enter please do the following in the comments below: 

1. Your Email Address 
2. What animal would you like to shapeshift in to? 
3. Double entries for followers!

Contest ends November 12th at midnight. Good luck!