The Day of First Sun [Kindle Edition]

Sheryl Steines (Author)

Book Description

When Princess Amelie of Amborix is murdered by magical means, Annie Pearce and Bobby “Cham” Chamsky of the Wizard’s Guard are called in by the FBI. Their job is to help solve the crime while keeping the non-magical world from discovering the existence of the Wizard Council.

During their investigation, Annie and Cham discover that Princess Amelie’s death is connected to a series of other crimes in the Chicago area. A larger plot involving, a vampire, a rogue wizard and an army of soul-less zombies is revealed, but can Annie and Cham discover who is responsible before The Day of First Sun?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sheryl Steines is equal parts driven, passionate and inspired. With a degree in English from Wright State University, Sheryl dedicates time everyday to her art. Her love of books and a quality story drives her to share her talent with her readers as well as make the time to talk to book clubs and students about her process. Sheryl has eclectic tastes and enjoys character driven novels. In her own writing, the Annie Loves Cham series is driven by her love of the characters and her desire to place them in totally new situations. She enjoys testing their mettle. Behind the wheel of her ’66 Mustang Convertible, Sheryl is a constant surprise. Her sense of humor and relatable style make her books something everyone can enjoy. Sheryl can be found on Twitter, Facebook, or her blog. She also encourages her readers to email her and let her know what you think of Annie and Cham!

Product Details

• File Size: 376 KB
• Print Length: 379 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1469990474
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004P8JP7C
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #491,812 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Experience April 8, 2012

By CP

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have to admit, I got this book because my wife raved about it and talked me into it. There, now that the blame game is finished we can get started (Love you dearJ). I've always been a fan of the supernatural with some of my favorite stories being the Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Dracula as well as a love for books, shows, and movies about them and witchcraft (ie Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Forever Knight, Charmed, Harry Potter). With that being said the thing that struck me most about The Day of First Sun wasn't its similarity to any of those in particular but the combination of them. Let me explain.

While reading the novel, I could understand and see various parts of each within it. The organization and infrastructure of the magical community reminded me of the world of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter with their own police force and remaining separate while intertwined with our real world. In that way, the author avoided the often chaotic circumstances from the Charmed universe.

Speaking of Charmed, the book reminded me of the series because of the potions they made to heal and vanquish demons as well as the Book of Shadows that witches and wizards have to help them in the fight against evil. Like in the show, the two worlds are kept separated except for the occasional non-magical person learning of their existence in which case their memories would be modified or they'd be brought into the fold to help.

Citing Buffy the Vampire Slayer as her original antithesis, I expected a blonde (duh right?) slaying vampires and saving the world. I wasn't too off with that but I think the largest contribution was the idea of Girl Power. The protagonist struggles through realizing the love of her life, both of them being in extreme danger, and the murder of her father in an effort to bring the bad guys to justice and let good triumph. While it wasn't as clean and neat as that, the characters didn't disappoint.

With this work, Sheryl Steines managed to bring a little of each of my favorite fantasy shows to the forefront and incorporated them in what I feel is a masterpiece. Yes, you heard me right and please keep in mind that`s my opinion and I won`t hold it against you if you disagree or call me names. To me, between her story telling and command of the world in which her characters live, I'd be surprised if one day she isn't considered among the greats. I really enjoyed reading this and look forward to its sequels in the future.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect blende of fantasy and romance! March 28, 2012

By BooksAreMagic

Format:Paperback

Perfect blende of fantasy and romance. If you are a lover of fantasy novels, you will get everything here - wizards, vampires, curses, brooms, ... you name it!

STAR 1:
The plot! Amazing and well thought-out plot. Annie and Cham are friends for a very very long time like started their school together, same college and then got to the same job - in the Wizard Guard, yeah, you read that right. Wizard Guard is like FBI for the magical world. When a non-magical princess is murdered by magical means, Annie takes over this case, with her team, Cham, Gibbs and Spencer. They find various clues and suspects to the murder. Soon, they are on trail for a vampire and an irresponsible wizard. All the paranormal elements are satisfactorily explained and they are completely enjoyable. So, star 1 added!

STAR 2:
Kick-ass heroine! Annie is one of those heroines, who walks around the world with a confidence and bravery. One thing I always fall for in a book, is a confident heroine. Annie shows courage, patience and kindness, whenever needed or necessary. I actually adored her, when she tortured the vampire, who was killing most of them in their country.

STAR 3:
Well narrated! There are no sub-plots, only one main plot. But, the author has done a good job of delivering it to the readers, without boring them. The friendship between Annie's team is great. And Gibbs' character was both bad-ass, smart and adorable. Sometimes, we need such members in a team. And it was a long time now that I have read a book, where vampires are villains (you must see me swooning over JRWard's heroes, LOL!).

STAR 4:
The start of the novel! Totally my taste..children racing around in broomsticks, nanny's are fairies who take care of the children, and childhood friendship starting with action and adventure. Deserves this star with sparks around it!

STAR KNOCK-OFF 1:
Two reasons. First one being there are some information missing in the novel, and it seems like there will no sequel, so I felt like knocking off one star. For example, the reason for the murder behind Annie's father is not explained well. And what is it with the school teams - they start investigating like its a clue, but I have no idea what they are talking about. I just imagined maybe that's a team name in their school. Second reason is in most of the places, I didn't enjoy the romance between Annie and Cham. Its like looking into bad actor in the stage. But, as romance is not the key aspect of this book, it's not much to expect to!

"Fairy-tale Detectives" + "Harry Potter" + (spiced up for adults) = "The Day of First Sun"

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A Good Afternoon Read March 23, 2012

By Marie Borthwick

Format:Kindle Edition

The Cover
The cover of Sheryl Steines "The Day of First Sun" is simple enough, almost too simple. While the eyes are haunting, the athame hints at magic and the shading suggest intrigue - it does nothing more than betray the story within. Now before you jump down my throat, I mean nothing negative by this...exactly. I like the cover well enough, but nothing JUMPS out at me - I'm sad to say that if I saw this cover in the local bookstore it wouldn't motivate me to stop and pick up the book. Which, frankly is a shame because the story within is worth a comfortable read. I myself enjoyed taking the my Kindle Fire outside, Hershey the bunny in tow and sitting under a big tree in a camp chair with a gentle breeze swirling around me.

The Magic
The first thing that came to mind when I started reading "The Day of First Sun" is a mature version of Harry Potter. The story starts out by introducing us to Annie, her sister Samantha, Jason (Annie and Samantha's father) and a good portion of the Chamsky clan. This glimpse into the past gives us a delicious taste of the magic as we whisk along with a spirited broom race - which ends with 9 year old Annie... well you should read the book.

As the story progresses, we learn a few more things about the wizarding world Sheryl Steines has created. A Wizard Council which acts as the governing body, with the Wizard Guard to carry out measures much as the police do in the "non-magical" world are two key components threaded throughout the words Sheryl has crafted with care. We learn about various spells, charms, incantations and magical objects.

As I swiped each page I felt myself wanting MORE. I wanted to know more about the spells being used, I wanted to know more about teleportation and I hungered for the history behind it all.
The Plot
As I read I hungered for more magic, I could see it dance in front of me... all the while it's true depth held just out of reach. I guess I have been spoiled by Harry Potter, Twilight and the like - which is totally unfair to talented authors like Sheryl. I liked the pace of the story overall and was hanging on until a good distance within the story before I started to figure things out - something I appreciated greatly. I like crime-related fiction and mysteries - I hate how so few authors put the effort needed into crafted a decent mystery plot.

My Final Thoughts
I liked how Sheryl was able to weave two worlds into one in her story - balancing things to such a degree it resulted in a pleasurable afternoon of reading on an early spring afternoon. I would have liked to have seen more "cut away" scenes that delved into the history between Annie and Cham, it might have made certain things make more sense (at least for me personally).
I do hope that Sheryl continues her story, the potential of the "world" she has created is immeasurable. I personally, would like to see a book that tells us what happens between the prologue and chapter 1.

Read If...
you like magic, but prefer a more "realistic" approach to the genre
you like a good mystery that progresses at a fair pace - revealing nothing too fast or taking to long to reveal.
you like dualing realities - a magical vs. a non-magical world.

More About the Author

Sheryl Steines' mind is chaotic and surprising and it shows in her writing. Never one to sit back and see what may come, Sheryl is driven to write everyday. Somehow, amidst the chaos, she finds the time to volunteer and give talks to book clubs and students about her writing. She even walked the Avon Breast Cancer walk two years in a row.

Sheryl's series Annie Loves Cham is full of surprises and mystery. Refusing to be restricted by genre Sheryl has taken the characters she loves and set them in new situations which test them and their friendships. The second book in the series is set to release in late summer 2012.

Sheryl can be found on Twitter, Facebook, or her blog. She also encourages her readers to email her and let her know what you think of Annie and Cham!