Martha BourkeBesprekingen

The story was a fast-paced, fun fantasy for young adult readers. I was disappointed at the climax, probably because it took most of the book to reach, and then It felt rushed and confusing. I'm still uncertain if the end result was "goal accomplished" or if somehow they ended out off their mark. A little more clarity would have been appreciated.

Fun Fantasy

The story was a fast-paced, fun fantasy for young adult readers. I was disappointed at the climax, probably because it took most of the book to reach, and then It felt rushed and confusing. I'm still uncertain if the end result was "goal accomplished" or if somehow they ended out off their mark. A little more clarity would have been appreciated.

This was a fantastic book. I'm looking forward to devouring the rest of the series! The author totally rocked my world!!!

Meh, it was ok.

Paranormal Romance. The new breeds/ shifter warriors must stop shapeshifter civil war. Soaring Eagle with amnesia and Ana from the other team. OK-

Sometimes you read books with characters gaining special powers and after the journey to gain the powers the adventure is pretty tame or disjointed. Sometimes the story is awesome all the way through (Cassidy Jones, Matt Archer). With Jaguar Sun I found the start - the discovery of Maya's 'difference' - a little tedious, but I think mainly because it was very high-school based, with all the angst of teenage crushes and bullies and apparent misfits. Having got over that phase, the rest of the story was awesome!

Maya turns out to be a shifter (which she sees as a huge stigma early in the book), and not only that, she may well be the one who is cited in a Mayan prediction regarding the end of the world. And that is due to take place on the winter solstice just a few months ahead. Friends turn out to be enemies, staid and boring people turn out to be friends, and some buddies turn out to be about as awesome as Maya is herself. All the ingredients for the prediction have been gathered together just waiting for the time to be right.

Once past the discovery of powers the characters settle down and become well-drawn, the plot fairly sizzles along and I found it hard to put the ebook down. I trust that Martha Bourke's research on Mayan culture is good, since she acknowledges help in this respect, and it hangs together for me, compared with other legends and cultures. It probably helps if you understand a little Spanish, although Maya herself doesnt, yet it doesn't appear to stop people talking to her in it.

From at one stage wondering if I really wanted to finish the book, I'm now looking forward to the next challenge in her quest. I'd recommend Jaguar Sun to everyone from about 10 and up who doesn't mind a little mushy stuff! (mushy=love interest, in case that doesn't translate!)

Books & Sweet Epiphany
www.booksandsweetepiphany.blogspot.com


I've received this book from Martha a long time ago and I've finally got the time to write the review for it. Sorry, Martha!

First of all, the cover....is AWESOME.
I love it when book covers catches my attention. I love the Jaguar at the background and it beautifully complements the theme of the book.

When I first started reading Jaguar Sun, I find it to be a really engaging read because it has the end of the world theme which I really love.

Maya (the main character) is just a highschool girl with normal issues until she saw her nightmare shadowing her. Of course, in this scenario, who wouldn't freak out?

Her grandma helped her alot and revealed that Maya was a shapeshifter.

The story is really nice to read (especially at night!) and I understand her situation really well because Martha wrote it excellently.

You can't help but be connected to Maya but sometimes you just wanna strangle her.
But, of course, you can't expect all main characters to be strong, kick-ass person all the time.

There were a few reason why I love reading this book:

ONE, I love the way Martha twist the Mayan prophecy to work for her. Imagine, it wasn't earthquakes or fires blowing up everywhere. Instead, it was a supernatural war during December 21, 2012.

TWO, I love humorous characters and there's a few of them inside.

THREE, There's shapeshifters! Most books out there are talking about vampires and stuff. Now, I get to read about shapeshifter. :D

In conclusion, (Hahaha, it's like an English essay) if you like Jaguars and twist to prophecies, Jaguar Sun is the book to get.

I'll be reading Jaguar Moon, the book 2 of the Jaguar Sun Series as fast as I can!

Sincerely,
Selina.

*Received e-book through Authors Requesting Reviews (ARR) program on Goodreads from author for an honest review
**Also posted on Amazon.com under Leanne

Summary from Publisher: December 21, 2012: Will that fateful day destroy our world, or did the Mayans have something else in mind? Maya Delaney knows. Unfortunately. Maya Delaney is just an average sixteen-year-old. She's busy dealing with exams, her soon to be ex-boyfriend and fitting in. But Maya's got bigger problems. She's hiding a major secret from her dad and having strange visions she can't control. In her struggle to figure out who she is, she learns that she is meant to fulfill an ancient Mayan Prophesy and bring forth a New Age on earth. Will the spirit magic Maya wields be enough to defeat Toltec, an evil society bent on keeping her from her destiny? Or will that destiny itself destroy her?

I was instantly intrigued by this book’s premise as I am obsessed with “end-of-the-world” stories. I loved how Bourke took a unique perspective on this popular genre by bringing in the Mayan culture and tying in the supernatural with shape-shifters (another subject I enjoy). I thought that Maya was an endearing protagonist and sympathized with her struggle to realize her destiny in the prophecy, while also dealing with typical teenage issues in high school and with her boyfriend/mate, Matt. I found Maya’s relationship with her grandmother/mentor quite heartwarming and realistic - she gave just enough information so Maya could grow into her new role and powers by herself. In addition, Bourke successfully created multifaceted supporting characters in Maya’s twin friends, Lyssa and Damian. They added much needed charm and hilarity in the plot to balance Maya’s serious circumstances.

The only negative thing about the book was that I would have liked the romance between him and Maya to have been more developed as it switched abruptly from the beginning of the story. I think this would have been helped with more insight into Matt’s character, but hopefully that will be revealed in the second book.

Overall, Jaguar Sun was a surprisingly fun and fast-paced (finished in two sittings) story integrated with elements of the Mayan culture and the supernatural. I will definitely read the sequel, Jaguar Moon, and would recommend this book to teen and adult readers alike who enjoy the coming of age of strong female heroines.

When already awkward teenager Maya discovers she’s become a shapeshifter - a socially shunned minority of people who can turn into animals - she fears her life is over. Little does she know this is the least of her worries, as she is destined to play a pivotal role in the upcoming end of the Mayan calendar. (Yes, Maya is Mayan. It’s a little silly, but easily overlooked.) I sped through this book in a couple days. Maya is quite entertaining as a narrator, reminding me quite a bit of myself as a teenager. Her best friends, the ever enthusiastic twins Lyssa and Damian, are tons of fun as well. The only part I wasn’t so keen on was the romance, which was overly melodramatic, but I probably would have appreciated it more before I got old and cynical. The ending was a bit anti-climatic, somewhat clumsily clearing the way for the next book, but until then the action was well paced. In short, a quick, fun read. I’ll have to keep my eye out for the rest of the series.