Friday, August 31, 2012

Friday Finds: Rogue Descendant by Jenna Black


Blurb:
No longer the leader of the Olympians, Konstantin has now gone into hiding. Konstantin is vulnerable, and Anderson believes now is the perfect time to destroy his nemesis. He orders private eye Nikki Glass to use her powers to locate Konstantin, and she balks at the idea until a series of attacks leads her to believe that Konstantin is gunning for her and Anderson instead of remaining safely in hiding. 

Nikki's search is complicated by Cyrus - Konstantin's son and the new leader of the Olympians - who threatens retribution should his father be killed. The complications mount up as Nikki begins to suspect that Konstantin might not be behind the attacks after all. The only person who hates Konstantin more than Anderson does is Anderson's estranged wife, Emma, who has joined the Olympians. And Nikki knows Emma would be more than happy if Anderson and his people embroil themselves in an all-out war against the Olympians - a war they cannot hope to win. 

As Nikki tries to figure out who the true enemy is, she deals with her tumultuous relationship with Jamaal, who struggles to control his death magic. But being loved by a descendant of a death goddess is the least of Nikki's worries....

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books (April 30, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1476700087
ISBN-13: 978-1476700083

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Review: Death Most Definite by Trent Jamieson


Death Most Definite is the first book in the Death Works series by Trent Jamieson and an Orbit Fantasy.

Blurb:

Steven de Selby has a hangover. Bright lights, loud noise, and lots of exercise are the last thing he wants. But that's exactly what he gets when someone starts shooting at him.

Steven is no stranger to death-Mr. D's his boss after all-but when a dead girl saves him from sharing her fate, he finds himself on the wrong end of the barrel. His job is to guide the restless dead to the underworld but now his clients are his own colleagues, friends, and family.

Mr. D's gone missing and with no one in charge, the dead start to rise, the living are hunted, and the whole city teeters on the brink of a regional apocalypse-unless Steven can shake his hangover, not fall for the dead girl, and find out what happened to his boss- that is, Death himself.

My thoughts:

Steven de Selby is a Psychpomp: a Pomp.  He and those like him, draw the dead through themselves and into the Underworld.  At the same time, they prevent the Stirrers from trying to come through from the other side.

Steven’s world is pretty predictable, so imagine his surprise when the ghost of an eerily familiar woman saves him from being shot.  But why would someone be shooting at him in the first place?

Things go from bad to much worse when Steven begins receiving the souls of those he holds near and dear - friends, family and coworkers.  And then the bodies of those newly dead begin chasing him.  They have been invaded by Stirrers and they are on a mission.  

Kill Steven. 

Death Most Definite is a great read - I completely enjoyed Steven and all his quirks.  I’m looking forward to reading more.

I give Death Most Definite 4 out of 5 stars.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Orbit (August 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 031607800X
ISBN-13: 978-0316078009 

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

WoW: Alchemystic by Anton Strout


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly post started by Breaking the Spine to showcase books we are patiently awaiting.

My WoW for the week: 

Blurb:
Alexandra Belarus is a struggling artist living in New York City, even though her family is rich in real estate, including a towering Gothic Gramercy Park building built by her great-great-grandfather. But the truth of her bloodline is revealed when she is attacked on the street and saved by an inhumanly powerful winged figure.

A figure who knows the Belarus name. Lexi's great-great-grandfather was a Spellmason-an artisan who could work magic on stone. But in his day, darkforces conspired against him and his, so he left a spell of protection on his family. Now that Lexi is in danger, the spell has awoken her ancestor's most trusted and fearsome creation: a gargoyle named Stanis.

Lexi and Stanis are equally surprised to find themselves bound to each other. But as they learn to work together, they realize that only united can they save the city they both love.

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 18 and up
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Ace (September 25, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1937007790
ISBN-13: 978-1937007799

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday: 08-28-12

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.  Each Tuesday we're given a book related topic and we post our top ten favorites for that topic.


This week's topic is Top Ten Bookish Confessions:

10.  I am not a fan of the 'classics'.  Aside from assigned reading in high school - I've not finished one book that falls into that category.

09.  While we are on the subject of things I'm not a fan of - I'd like to add MM Romance and Erotica.  Perhaps I am a prude, or maybe just a stick in the mud - but those genre's aren't my cuppa tea.

08.  As further proof of my prudish tendencies, I often skim over the sex scenes in books.  In my defense though, it is generally the bad sex scenes with such phrases as "You're weeping for my cock." and "I'm drenched in your cream".  That just makes me roll my eyes and laugh.

07.  I often think that the book is better than the movie adaptation - but not so in the case of Forrest Gump - the movie was much better than the book.

06.  Sometimes I will buy a book I have already read just because I find it at the dollar store.  I mean, really - who can pass up a book for $1?  I'll just set it aside for a giveaway.  :)

05.  I do not read E-books.  I just can't.  There is something about a bound book, the smell, the feel - I'm not really sure what it is - that is different from an e-reader.  I guess I am a purist as well as a prude.  A prudish purist?  :)

04.  This confession is not one that I am proud of.  I do judge a book by its cover.  I know, that is awful.  And I freely admit that I could be missing out on some great reads - but I just can't help it.  If the the cover does not catch my eye - I usually won't pick it up and read the back blurb.

03.  This one is along the same lines as the one above.  If I see a book from a new to me author and the cover has a blurb from an author that I have read and didn't quite enjoy - I won't pick it up.  I know - that is terrible.  But honestly, if I don't like that particular author and he or she is recommending this new author...well, you get my drift.  And yes, I am hanging my head in shame.

02.  I carry a book in my purse and have an emergency stash in my van.  You never know when you might have a reading emergency.  I like to be prepared.

01.  I have 310 books on my tbr bookcases.

Monday, August 27, 2012

It's Monday...What Are You Reading?

It's Monday... What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.  This is a chance to showcase what you read in the last week, what you are reading now, and what you plan to read for the upcoming week. 


Books Read Last Week:
Liquid Lies - Hanna Martine
Eternal Beast - Laura Wright
(ARC) A Trace of Moonlight - Allison Pang
Dead Mann Running - Stefan Petrucha

Current Read:
Pride Mates - Jennifer Ashley

Friday, August 24, 2012

Friday Finds: Ever After by Kim Harrison



The ever after, the demonic realm that parallels the human world, is shrinking. If it disappears completely, so does all magic. It's up to witch-turned-daywalking-demon Rachel Morgan to avert catastrophe and keep life from changing... for the worse.

While saving the world is important, it isn't Rachel's only motivation. There's also the small fact that she caused the ley line to rip in the first place, setting off a chain reaction of unfortunate events. That little mistake has made her life forfeit unless she can fix it. It's also made her more than a few enemies, including the most powerful demon in the ever after—a terrifying entity who eats souls and now has an insatiable appetite for her. He's already kidnapped her friend and goddaughter to lure her out, and if Rachel doesn't give herself up soon, they'll die.

But Rachel has more than a few impressive and frightening skills of her own, and she isn't going to hand over her soul and her life without one hell of a fight. She's also got a surprise: elven tycoon Trent Kalamack. With this unlikely ally beside her—a prospect both thrilling and unnerving—she's going to return to the ever after, kick some demon butt, rescue her loved ones... and prevent an apocalypse before it's too late. Or, at least that's the plan...

Product Details
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Harper Voyager (January 22, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061957917
ISBN-13: 978-0061957918

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Not book related - but....

I can not wait for the new season to begin!

  

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

WoW: Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly post started by Breaking the Spine to showcase books we are patiently awaiting.

My WoW for the week: 

Blurb:

Born the only female in an all male race, Jessica McClain isn’t just different—she’s feared. 

After living under the radar for the last twenty-six years, Jessica is thrust unexpectedly into her first change, a full ten years late. She wakes up and finds she’s in the middle of a storm. Now that she’s become the only female full-blooded werewolf in town, the supernatural world is already clamoring to take a bite out of her and her new Pack must rise up and protect her.

Product Details
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Orbit (September 11, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316205206
ISBN-13: 978-0316205207

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Review: Darkness Unbound by Keri Arthur


Darkness Unbound is the first book in the Dark Angels series by Keri Arthur and a Dell Fantasy.

Blurb:

Being half werewolf and half Aedh, Risa Jones can enter the twilight realms between life and death and see the reapers, supernatural beings that collect the souls of the dead. But she soon makes a terrifying discovery: Some sinister force is stealing souls, preventing the dead from ever knowing the afterlife.

Reapers escort souls - not snatch them - but Risa is still unnerved when a reaper shadows her in search of someone Risa has never met: her own father, an Aedh priest, who is rumored to be tampering with the gates of hell for a dark purpose. With the help of her 'aunt' - half-werewolf, half-vampire Riley Jenson - and an Aedh named Lucian who may have lost his wings but none of his sex appeal, Risa must pursue whatever shadowy practitioner of blood magic is seizing souls, and somehow stop her father . . . before all hell breaks loose.

My thoughts:

Risa Jones is the daughter of a very powerful psychic and an Aedh - this gives her a combination of gifts.  She has visions like her mother - but not as precise - and she can transform herself into a vapor like substance and travel undetected for short periods of time like her father, though it is very draining. 

When Risa is asked to visit a child in the hospital she is shocked to find that the child’s soul has been ripped from her body.  Shaken, Risa asks for help from the first reaper she sees - who also happens to have been following her.

What the two discover is that blood magic is being used to alter the gates of hell - and more than one faction thinks Risa’s father is involved...

Darkness Unbound was an enjoyable read.  I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Dell (September 27, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0440245729
ISBN-13: 978-0440245728    

Monday, August 20, 2012

Review: Lure of the Wicked by Karina Cooper


Lure of the Wicked is the second book in the Dark Mission series by Karina Cooper and a Paranormal Romance from AVON.

Blurb:

Naomi West was plucked from one prison and placed undercover in another: the gilded cage that is Timeless, New Seattle's premier spa and resort, where owner Phinneas Clarke - the most seductive man Naomi has ever met - may be hiding a killer. 

She's an agent of the Holy Order, trained to hunt the guilty and render justice. But while she's tracking down a rogue agent on a killing spree, Phin is determined to uncover her most damning - and dangerous - secrets. Whatever the cost. 

My thoughts:

Naomi West works for the Holy Order - that does not mean that she always agrees with them.  Her attitude has often been the cause of trouble and now she’s found out that she is being monitored - is in fact, one step away from disciplinary actions.  And no one likes the Holy Order’s brand of discipline.

Determined to get her latest assignment completed in a timely and satisfactory manner, Naomi immerses herself in the monied spa named Timeless.  But though Naomi is there to track a rogue agent - it is the owner’s son that has caught her attention.

Phinneas Clark is more than Naomi bargained for - in more ways than one.  He is hiding something...and Naomi’s interest is more than piqued.  

Lure of the Wicked is an enjoyable read.  I like that Naomi is so headstrong and stubborn.

I give Lure of the Wicked 3 out of 5 stars.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Avon (June 28, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 006204690X
ISBN-13: 978-0062046901

Friday, August 17, 2012

Friday Finds: Plague Nation by Dana Fredsti


Blurb:

Having stopped the wave of the undead that swarmed their facility, Ashley Parker and the other wild cards (those immune to the zombie virus) are assaulted by an unknown enemy and forced to travel to a secret laboratory in San Francisco. 

En route some are killed, while others are kidnapped by their shadowy foe, who seems to use the zombies as a weapon. But the worst is yet to come, as the plague begins to manifest in key locations nationwide. And the truth begins to emerge about the paramilitary society, the Dolofónoi tou Zontanoús Nekroús (DZN).

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Titan Books (April 9, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0857686364
ISBN-13: 978-0857686367

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Review: A Blood Seduction by Pamela Palmer


A Blood Seduction is the first book in the Vamp City series by Pamela Palmer and an Avon Fiction.

Blurb:

Take Me Down To Vampire City...

Vampires live only for lust and pleasure in the eternal twilight of Vamp City.  But the city’s magic is dying.  The only person who can restore it?  A beautiful woman from the mortal world...one who knows nothing of the power she wields.

Quinn Lennox is searching for a missing friend when she stumbles into a dark otherworld what only she can see - and finds herself at the mercy of Arturo Mazza, a dangerously handsome vampire whose wicked kiss will save her, enslave her, bewitch her, and betray her.

What Arturo can’t do is forget about her - any more than Quinn can control her own feelings for him.  Neither one can let desire get in the way of their mission - his to save his people, hers to save herself.  But there is no escape from desire in a city build for seduction, where passion flows hot and blood-red...

My thoughts:

For some time now Quinn Lennox has experienced things that no one else seems to know exists.  All over town she feels and then sees the air shimmer - when she goes through the shimmer, things change.  Often she feels the hair on her arms raise and she knows she’s about to see a vision - a vision of a different time, a different place - superimposed on the world she lives in...

People all over town are going missing and when Quinn and her brother are looking for a missing friend, they are hurled into that world that Quinn has seen in her visions. Only this place is real - and Quinn and Zack find out all to quickly that they are at the bottom of the food chain.

Arturo Mazza is a vampire living in Washington, VC - a crumbling version of Washington, DC circa 1840.  Vampire City was created by great magic - and that magic is failing. If the vampires can’t figure out a way to restore the magic - they will all die.

Arturo thinks Quinn has that magic - and he has no plans to let her go...

A Blood Seduction was an okay read.  I love the concept - but think I would have liked it better if Vamp City was more like 60's Vegas instead of 1840's Washington.

I give A Blood Seduction 3 out of 5 stars.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Avon (May 29, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062107496
ISBN-13: 978-0062107497

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

WoW: Mutated by Joe McKinney


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly post started by Breaking the Spine to showcase books we are patiently awaiting.

My WoW for the week: 

They Outnumber The Living. . .

25 to 1. Those are the odds of being struck down--and resurrected--by the savage plague that's sweeping the country, forcing survivors to band together against the dead. 

They're Growing Stronger. . .

Even among the living, there is dissension. A new leader known as the Red Man has risen up and taken charge--and he's nearly as dangerous as the hungry dead. Some, like Bob Richardson and his friends, strike out on their own. Because if the men with guns don't get them, the zombies will. 

They're Getting Smarter. . .

Fleeing the cities, Richardson and his crew find sanctuary in an abandoned farm. But their stronghold may not be strong enough. Something strange and terrifying is happening to the undead. They're banding together. Working as a group. Hungering for a common goal: human flesh. And lots of it. 

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Pinnacle (September 4, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0786029293
ISBN-13: 978-0786029297

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

YA Review: Ashes by Ilsa J Bick


Ashes is the first book in the Ashes trilogy by Ilsa J Bick and a YA from Egmont.

Blurb:

 It could happen tomorrow . . .

An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.

Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom - a young soldier - and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP. 

For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it's now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.

My thoughts:

Alex is a young woman lost.  Her parents died when she was very little - leaving her to be raised by her grandmother.  If that weren’t tragic enough, not long after their death, Alex found out that she has a medical condition.  A very serious medical condition.

Needing time to regroup and come to terms with the decisions she has recently made, Alex heads to the woods she once hiked with her parents.  The peace she finds is soon broken by an unexplained event that results in the death of an elderly gentleman Alex met on her hike.

With his death, Alex is left to care for his young granddaughter.

The two head out in search of help from the ranger station only to be confronted by a man acting completely insane and intent on causing the girls harm.  At the last minute they are rescued by a young man named Tom who is a soldier on leave from Afghanistan.

The trio form an quick alliance and together head out into the unknown - hoping to find safety in what is fast becoming an unsafe world.

I loved Ashes! 

Post-apocalyptic is one of my all time favorite genre’s and Ashes is a prime example of why.

I give Ashes 5 out of 5 stars.

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 14 and up
Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: EgmontUSA (September 6, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1606841750
ISBN-13: 978-1606841754

Monday, August 13, 2012

Review: Shadows Before the Sun by Kelly Gay


Shadows Before the Sun is the fourth book in the Charlie Madigan series by Kelly Gay and a Pocket Books Urban Fantasy.

Blurb:

Between life and death lies a chasm of pain beyond imagining. . . .

Elysia may be a heavenly off-world destination, but beyond it, in the siren city of Fiallan, the Circe have punished Charlie Madigan’s partner, Hank, into a torturous state between life and death. With all the proper legal channels cleared, Charlie heads to Elysia, not knowing what she’ll find, or if she’ll ever see the siren again . . . while at home, jinn crime boss Grigori Tennin has begun an all-out hunt for the divine being Ahkneri. Tennin’s tactics set off a chain reaction that puts Charlie in the crosshairs of the shadowy creature known as Death, and stirs Ahkneri from her long sleep—and if Vengeance awakes, Atlanta will never be the same.

My thoughts:

Charlie has finally come into her divine powers - that doesn't mean she knows how to use them correctly.  All she does know is that whenever she taps into them - Death shows up.  And he usually tries to kick her a$$.

Hank has been taken back to his home world - branded a traitor - and Charlie is determined to bring him back.  She tries going thru the proper channels first - but when that doesn't work out she sets off on her own.  Or so she thought.  When the Oracle shows up and tells Charlie that she is going to help her retrieve Hank - Charlie is surprised to say the least.  But for the first time in her life - Charlie decides to take the offered help - and together the two set out to bring Hank home.

A task easier said than done.

I completely enjoyed Shadows Before the Sun and think it is the best installment yet.  I give Shadows Before the Sun 4 out of 5 stars.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books (July 31, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1451625480
ISBN-13: 978-1451625486

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Stacking the Shelves: 08/12/12

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!    



Here is what I received this past week:

For Review:
Dead Mann Running - Stefan Petrucha
Taken - Benedict Jacka
Haunted - Jeanne C Stein
A Trace of Moonlight - Allison Pang
Thanks to Penguin and Simon&Schuster

Purchased:
Eternal Beast - Laura Wright

Friday, August 10, 2012

Friday Finds: Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs


Shapeshifter Mercy Thompson's life is calming down, at least enough that she can focus on mundane matters like Black Friday sales. But on her return, Mercy is unable to contact her mate, Alpha Adam Hauptman, or the other members of their pack. 

All she knows is that Adam is angry and in pain. 

With the werewolves fighting a political battle to gain acceptance from the public, Mercy fears Adam's disappearance may be related - and that he and the pack are in serious danger. Outclassed and on her own, Mercy may be forced to seek assistance from the most unlikely of allies: the vampire seethe.

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 18 and up
Hardcover
Publisher: Ace Hardcover (March 5, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0441020011
ISBN-13: 978-0441020010

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Review: Bonded by Blood by Laurie London


Bonded by Blood is the first book in the SweetBlood series by Laurie London and a Paranormal Romance from HQN.

Blurb:

Deep within the forests of the pacific Northwest, two vampire coalitions battle for supremacy - 

Guardian enforcers who safeguard humanity and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors.  Now Guardian team leader Dominic Serrano will be forced to choose between the vengeance he craves and the woman he can’t live without...

Movie location scout Mackenzie Foster-Shaw has always known that she's cursed to die young. No one can protect her from the evil that has stalked her family for generations - vampires who crave her rare blood type. Until one afternoon in a wooded cemetery, she encounters an impossibly sexy stranger, a man she must trust with her life.

For Dominic, a man haunted by loss, Mackenzie satisfies a primal hunger that torments him - and the bond they share goes beyond heat, beyond love. She alone can supply the strength he needs to claim his revenge. But in doing so, he could destroy her..

My thoughts:

Mackenzie Foster-Shaw is an artist- teaching others how to paint - as well as using her artistic eye to find just the right location for movie shoots.

Her professional life is all she could hope for.  Her personal life - well, that’s a different story.

For years members of her family have unexpectedly disappeared.  A distant cousin, an uncle - Mackenzie’s own father.  With that threat over her head, Mackenzie tries to live every day to the fullest.

What she doesn’t know is that she is a SweetBlood - an individual with a rare blood type that is prized by vampires.  

Dominic Serrano is a Guardian.  He and his team of Guardians do their upmost to protect humans from the Darkbloods - the rogue vampires who kill humans for their blood.

When Dom meets Mackenzie he is immediately attracted - then he finds out that she is a SweetBlood - and he is determined to protect her - no matter the cost...

Bonded by Blood was an okay read.  It bogged for me a little and the slow going was a bit boring.  But it picked up again and I enjoyed it.

I give Bonded by Blood 3 out of 5 stars.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: HQN Books (January 18, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 037377544X
ISBN-13: 978-0373775446    

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

WoW: Break Out by Nina Croft


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly post started by Breaking the Spine to showcase books we are patiently awaiting.

My WoW for the week: 

Blurb:
The year is 3048, Earth is no longer habitable, and man has fled to the stars where they've discovered the secret of immortality--Meridian. Unfortunately, the radioactive mineral is exorbitantly expensive and only available to a select few. A new class comprised of the super rich and immortal soon evolves. The Collective, as they're called, rule the universe.

Two-thousand-year-old Ricardo Sanchez, vampire and rogue pilot of the space cruiser, El Cazador, can't resist two things: gorgeous women and impossible jobs. When beautiful Skylar Rossaria approaches him to break a prisoner out of the Collective's maximum security prison on Trakis One, Rico jumps at the chance. Being hunted by the Collective has never been so dangerous-or so fun!

Product Details
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Entangled Select (August 14, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1620612275
ISBN-13: 978-1620612279