Review – Blackbirds June 20, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in 5 stars, Paranormal.Tags: "book review", blackbirds, books, chuck wendig, miriam black, paranormal, reading
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Title: Blackbirds
Author: Chuck Wendig
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Angry Robot
Publish Date: May 1, 2012
ISBN-10: 0857662295
Available at: Amazon – Barnes and Noble
Summary:
Miriam Black can see the last minutes and seconds of a person’s life, but she can’t do anything to stop their death. She lives on the fringes of society, robbing the dead. When she meets Louis, a truck driver, she sees him die a horrible death and she’s involved. If she’s to survive she needs to somehow find a way to stop Fate and save Louis and in so doing, save herself.
Review:
Miriam is a damaged soul. Whenever she touches someone skin on skin, she sees their last moments on Earth. This drives her a little crazy. She somehow ends up in Louis’ truck and he’s not like most of the road scum she meets. He’s decent and kind. She doesn’t expect that, but when she sees his death she catapults out of his truck and into the arms of Ashley.
Ashley turns out to be a con-artist who has been on her trail for months. He found out about her and he manipulates her into a partnership. Unfortunately he has bad guys after him.
Just the interplay between Ashley, Louis, and Miriam could have withstood a book on its own. Ashley is a conniving, manipulative, opportunistic character. Miriam is still attracted to him because he’s charming, but at the same time she’s repulsed by him. Especially when she finds out what he’s really all about.
Whereas Louis is the epitome of the knight in shining armor. He’s a hulk of man yet he’s gentle and kind. He treats Miriam with nothing but respect and she’s not used to that. I think that throws her for a loop. She’s used to be treated like garbage yet here she is being treated like a lady. Add to that the fact that she thinks he’s going to die in a horrible fashion in about a month. She ends up rejecting him.
Miriam is a complex character. She’s tortured by the death scenes she sees every time she touches someone. She drowns them out with alcohol and she smokes too much. But she’s a survivor. Miriam manages to get out of one tough situation after another. She also feels terrible guilt for what she’s doing, but she manages to talk herself out of it time and again. That’s another reason why she keeps drinking.
The story was a bang bang action packed adventure. Between Miriam’s penchant for trouble and the torturing bad guys there was never a dull moment. Miriam was always on the run. From her visions, from the bad guys, from her past. The only question was when was everything going to catch up with her.
This story was dark and thrilling. A thoroughly enjoyable ride!
Review – Jessica McClain: Blooded June 17, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in 4.5 stars, Novellas, Urban Fantasy.Tags: "book review", amanda carlson, books, jessica mcclain: blooded, paranormal, reading, urban fantasy
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Title: Jessica McClain: Blooded
Author: Amanda Carlson
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Orbit
Publish Date: April 11, 2012
ASIN: B0078XGUZQ
Available at: Amazon – Barnes and Noble
Summary:
Jessica was born to the Alpha Werewolf of the Pack. Not only is she the only female, she’s human. She’s been called Daughter of Cain, a witch, a curse by superstitious werewolves. Now that she’s nineteen she decides to take her fight to the ring. Hopefully her fight will win her freedom off the compound.
Review:
This short novella was action-packed. From the first moments in the ring to the last moments of the story, it was filled to the brim with violence. It’s not that it was gory, it was just heart-stopping thrills.
Jessica is fighting for freedom from the werewolves who are threatening her life at the Compound. Her father doesn’t want to let her go. She shows a level-head and a strength of will that I admire.
This is a wonderful prelude to the full-length book Full Blooded. You’re given a taste of their world and of the independence of spirit Jessica has. For such a short novella this was also a very satisfying read, although the teaser of Full Blooded at the end was a little hard for me to take. I’ll have to wait for September for it to come out!
Review – Tempt June 15, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in 4 stars, Urban Fantasy.Tags: "book review", ava delaney, books, claire farrell, paranormal, reading, tempt, urban fantasy
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Title: Tempt (#3)
Author: Claire Farrell
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Claire Farrell
Publish Date: May 21, 2012
ASIN: B0062AINEW
Available at: Amazon – Barnes and Noble
(This review contains some spoilers if you haven’t read book two and if you haven’t read this book.)
From the publisher:
There’s a monster running around Dublin, and it’s up to Ava to catch it. The pressure’s on, and she’s becoming as cynical as Peter. But when a demon marks her friend, and a possible threat from England spells war, Ava’s left with a huge choice to make. The lives of one or many.
With a little help, Ava has the chance to win all of her battles… if the darkness doesn’t take her over first.
Review:
She’s back. Ava is back. She’s chasing Becca down and nothing is going to stop her. She’ll go to the ends of the Earth if need be. Liverpool to be exact.
It’s good to see that the sixteen-year-old Ava is in the closet and the ass-kicking Ava is back in the forefront. She’s still vulnerable and she still cares about humans to a fault. She also cares about her friends. I like that about her though.
Her relationship with Peter gets leveled up a notch thanks to some supernatural powers. It still makes things heated and interesting. Where there’s smoke there’s fire, right?
We learn more about Eddie and even though his level of mystery has lessened he remains an enigma. He’s a powerhouse and his agenda is still a riddle. Every time I learn something about him, I end up with even more questions. I like that about his character. He constantly keeps me interested.
In fact, all the supporting characters are interesting and fascinating, with the exception of Carl. Carl is more like the warm cup of cocoa on a cold day. He’s the family Ava desperately needs. The security she wants. He’s safe.
Even if it weren’t for the characters in the story, I would have kept reading for the plot. It was well-paced. It wasn’t action packed but it was still nicely paced.
I’m still left with questions about Ava and her nephilim ancestry and whether or not there are more like her out there. I’ll just have to wait for book four to come out.
Review – Taunt June 14, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in 3.5 stars, Urban Fantasy.Tags: "book review", ava delaney, books, claire farrell, paranormal, reading, taunt, urban fantasy
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Title: Taunt
Author: Claire Farrell
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Claire Farrell
Publish Date: May 21, 2011
ASIN: B005232SDW
Available at: Amazon – Barnes and Noble
From the publisher:
All Ava wants to do is forget about the vampires, but they won’t leave her alone. Between her failing business, angry landlord, disloyal friends, and vampire stalkers, life is starting to feel pretty stressful. When Ava finally deals with her biggest problem, she is caught up in the chain of events it triggers and taken along a path she can’t escape from.
Ava has to figure out what exactly is her biggest threat: the humans, the vampires, the Council—or her true heritage.
Review:
The second book of the Ava Delaney series starts out strong. She’s down on her luck with rent money and she’s being stalked by vampires. Suddenly she’s taken in by the Council to stand trial.
Unfortunately it’s all downhill from there. Ava turns into a petulant, sulky teenager. She whines and she bemoans her fate. She lashes out at everyone. She’s anything but the spunky and strong heroine I had come to love in Thirst.
The rest of the cast even remonstrates her for it yet she continues to act out as if she’s only sixteen. I’m not sure what the author set out to achieve with such behavior but it only served to turn me off.
There were tantalizing bits of plot to keep me reading though. Bits of action that kept me interested. I had to see what would happen next. What would be revealed at the Council trial? I had to know!
I also had to know whether or not Peter would smack Ava. Unfortunately he didn’t. What did happen was a huge revelation in the end that made it worth my while after all. It was enough of a teaser for me to eagerly read on to book three.
Review – His Dark Embrace June 12, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in 3.5 stars, Paranormal Romance.Tags: "book review", amanda ashley, books, his dark embrace, paranormal, paranormal romance, reading
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Title: His Dark Embrace
Author: Amanda Ashley
Publisher: Kensington
Publication Date: June 5, 2012
ISBN-10: 1420121332
Available at: Amazon – Barnes and Noble
From Goodreads:
Tall, dark, mysterious—and with a faint scar on his cheek that only makes him more gorgeous—Kaiden Thorne is one schoolgirl obsession Skylynn never forgot. Now, returning to her childhood home after eight years, she can’t believe her reclusive neighbor is still living across the street—and hotter than ever. Skylynn doesn’t know how Kaiden manages to stay so young, virile, and impossibly attractive. But she knows she wants him…even if he harbors a fearful secret he refuses to tell her.
When Kaiden sees the beautiful young woman Skylynn has become, he can no longer control the bloodlust that is his true nature. Once he pulls Skylynn into his arms, presses his lips against hers—and accidentally draws blood—he longs for more. Only she possesses what he wants and what he needs. Only she can save him or destroy him. But once Skylynn agrees to help Kaiden battle his darkest desires, there is no turning back…
Review:
I don’t normally read Paranormal Romances but I happened to be in the mood for one and this one caught my eye. It’s a good one.
Skylynn is grieving for her recently deceased grandfather and is wrapping up his affairs in his house. Across the street is her old neighbor, Kaiden. All her old schoolgirl crush feelings come roaring back when she sees him again.
Kaiden has watched Skylynn grow up into a beautiful woman. A beautiful desirable woman. Only he has a dark secret. He’s a vampire. How she reacts when she finds out he’s a vampire is entirely realistic, but you know what they say! Love conquers all!
Skylynn’s brother Sam gets thrown into the picture in an intriguing plot mix making the story interesting and all the more fast-paced. He wasn’t the most charming character I’ve ever read but he was a good addition to the story.
There are good plot twists and I liked the way the story’s pace moved. There were some new paranormal elements on vampires that I haven’t read before. Desmairis, the novel’s villain was a little corny but he did make you hate him a bit. He added a lot of the plots thrills.
In fact there was more then one instance where the book got a little corny, but I didn’t mind. It still made for a good story. I had a good time with Kaiden and Skylynn. It was a nice romance with some fun paranormal components to it.
Review – Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea June 7, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in 4.5 stars, Urban Fantasy.Tags: "book review", between the devil and the deep blue sea, books, j. l. murray, paranormal, reading, urban fantasy
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Title: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Author: J. L. Murray
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Hellzapoppin Press
Publish date: January 29, 2012
ASIN: B0073998MC
Available at: Amazon
Summary:
Ever since Niki Slobodian got put on the Registry as an Abnormal for her ability to see ghosts, her life has gotten tough. She hasn’t been able to pay her electric bill and they might send her deathly ill grandmother home from the hospital.
So when a job from a mysterious client pops up that includes getting off the Registry pops up, Niki jumps at the chance. The job includes rounding up a Dark that’s escaped from Hell and is now hopping bodies on a homicidal spree. Somehow it seems Niki’s Summoner father is involved even though he’s still incarcerated. And the Dark might not be the only thing that escaped from Hell.
Review:
Niki was all that you could wish for in a strong female protagonist. She had humor, sarcasm in all the right places, and chutzpah. She also showed just the right amount of vulnerability when it counted. I couldn’t help but cheer her on as she was catapulted from one impossible situation to another.
I enjoyed both Bobby and Eli as supporting characters. Bobby for his hulking, almost brotherly presence and Eli for his romantic connection. I appreciated both of them in their own ways as they each had their own charms.
Eli and Niki are old flames and meet again during the course of the investigation. Their encounters are sweet and I thought that Niki showed her vulnerable side well. She manged to appear both tough yet fearful of getting hurt again. All the while I cheered them on.
As you have Niki and Bobby hunting down the denizens of hell through the city, you’re taken on a wild ride. The plot is quick paced but it’s not rushed. There are pauses here and there for it to slowly build back up again. There are also enough twists and turns in the story to keep it from going stale. It was exhilarating and I felt like I was on one fun roller coaster.
I had a ball with Niki and I hope there are many more books to come in this series.
Review – Shift June 5, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in 4.5 stars, Urban Fantasy.Tags: "book review", books, m.r. merrick, paranormal, reading, shift, urban fantasy
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Title: Shift
Author: M. R. Merrick
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Publisher: M. R. Merrick
Publish date: February 1, 2012
ISBN-10: 0987726242
Available at: Amazon – Barnes and Noble
Summary:
Chase is trying to reconcile himself with the death of his mother while Rayna tries to shift to her beast before it kills her. Meanwhile, Chase discovers secrets Marcus has pertaining to his mother and her death as well as the events leading to Rayna’s abduction to the other realm. Riley is still alive and gathering an army. Will Chase work with the Circle to battle his father and the army he’s massing? Or will Chase find an army of his own?
Review:
I thought this book got rolling right away. It begins with a meeting with the Circle and the action got going right away. The thrills just continue on from there, but it wasn’t without rhyme or reason. The plot was well developed and well thought out.
I loved the way the characters continued to evolve. Chase continued to mature as a person and as a leader. Rayna continued to grow as well as Willy. Whereas Marcus peeled back his layers like an onion. While Tiki showed off his many and varied facets.
The addition of the pack of werecats was something I adored as they’re my favorite paranormal creature. Between the werecat pride and the werewolf pack, the new characters continued to pour in and add even more sparkle to the book.
Chase and Rayna’s relationship revved up in this book. It wasn’t hot and steamy but there was definitely some chemistry. It was just the right amount of romance to the mix. It wasn’t over-powering. There was enough to know that it existed and to keep it interesting.
The relationship between Marcus and Chase changed too. I can’t give too much away, but it was enough to tug at my heartstrings. With Chase being left alone in the world with no one to care about him, it’s heat-warming to know that there’s an adult there that does look out for him and have his best interests at heart.
I love how Willy evolved in this book. I’ve always had a soft spot for him. I’ve always rooted for him and it’s good to know that he gave me something to root for. His growth in this book was particularly significant to me, because it was the most radical.
Although the end was somewhat predictable, it didn’t take away from the enjoyment of it. Needless to say, I cannot wait for the third book of this series!
Review: Children of the Cross May 17, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in 2.5 stars, Paranormal.Tags: "book review", books, children of the cross, lawrence van hoof, paranormal, reading
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Title: Children of the Cross
Genre: Paranormal
Author: Lawrence Van Hoof
Published: April 2012
Publisher: Lawrence Van Hoof
Available at: Amazon – Smashwords
A golden fireball crashes into the Walters’ car during their drive to the cottage for summer vacation. Thirteen-year-old Cora survives without a scratch. Her twin brother, Nathan, spent two weeks in critical care and endures months of rehabilitation.
Nine years later, Cora works as a high-end call girl in Toronto and looks after her brother, who began suffering from schizophrenia during their last year of high school. On the streets, meanwhile, a supernatural mafia hunts for the Light. None of them knows where it will manifest. None of them knows how it will manifest. But their leader, Teresa, believes the Light is her only chance to destroy their progenitor before he wakes from his centuries-long sleep.
When their search finally bears fruit, Cora’s daily struggles explode into one for the twins’ very survival, perhaps requiring the ultimate sacrifice of all.
I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.
The Good:
The character development in this book was well done. You got a definite sense of each person.
I don’t necessarily find fault with the author’s style of writing. It’s very easy and smooth. He transitions from the view point of Cora the call girl to her brother Nathan to Alex, a soldier in the “supernatural mafia” well.
The author is also good at visual descriptions. I could picture the streets they walked very well. I could picture the dresses Cora wore. I could see Nathan’s apartment. It all came vividly to life.
This is a great dark and gritty novel. It gets into the harsh world of what it means to be a call girl. No illusions are left for the reader as to what a hard life Cora leads as she takes care of her schizophrenic brother.
The same can be said for Alex. As he fights off the nightmarish psychic hold of “the Father” with alcohol, his life is nothing but hardship. All his friends and loved ones have died or been taken away from him. This is starkly laid before you.
The Bad:
If anything, this book was too dismal and depressing. there wasn’t a single ray of hope until the very end. Reading it took extreme effort.
Cora’s life was so hard, I didn’t understand why she didn’t throw in the towel and run away. Instead we are given to understand she is some sort of church-going angel that sticks to what she believes is her duty no matter what.
If it weren’t for the blurb, I would have really had to puzzle out that Nathan was her twin. It barely mentions that fact. Yes, he’s her brother but her twin? No, that fact was only glanced at.
As for Alex? What a lost cause! He was running around town on some hell bent mission that I never did end up figuring out. I think it was revenge but he was also looking for “The Light”. All the while he’s chugging beer after beer after beer in an effort to drown out “the Father”. I got sick of his throwing beer bottles at the walls and his search for the next beer.
Then there was “the Mistress” and her hopelessly devoted soldiers. She was unstintingly cruel and spoiled. Yet she commanded the devotion of all these men? It just seemed skewed and wrong. She didn’t seem like the head of a “supernatural mafia” so much as a spoiled child given a bevvy of servants.
What about Paul? There are a whole lot of unanswered questions about him. So many I can’t enumerate them here without giving away too much of the story in case you do decide to read it.
And what about those weird sexual dreams Cora kept having? What was the point of those? Were they just meant to unsettle the reader? They seemed wildly divergent and off the mark. Not to mention disturbing.
The climax and resolution were chaotic and confusing. I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on. There was a kidnapping. They confronted “the Father”. People died. There was a big showdown. There was a happy ending? What? What just happened?
This book was like a buffet where you were just given an end table.
My experience with this book was most unfortunate. Your experience might be different. If it is, I’m willing to have a discussion.
Review – Timeless March 18, 2012
Posted by thehypermonkey in 5 stars, Paranormal, Steampunk.Tags: "book review", "book reviews", books, gail carriger, paranormal, reading, steampunk, the parasol protectorate, timeless
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by Gail Carriger
Alexia Tarabotti, Lady Maccon, has settled into domestic bliss. Of course, being Alexia, such bliss involves integrating werewolves into London High society, living in a vampire’s second best closet, and coping with a precocious toddler who is prone to turning supernatural willy-nilly. Even Ivy Tunstell’s acting troupe’s latest play, disastrous to say the least, cannot put a damper on Alexia’s enjoyment of her new London lifestyle.
Until, that is, she receives a summons from Alexandria that cannot be ignored. With husband, child, and Tunstells in tow, Alexia boards a steamer to cross the Mediterranean. But Egypt may hold more mysteries than even the indomitable Lady Maccon can handle. What does the vampire Queen of the Alexandria Hive really want from her? Why is the God-Breaker Plague suddenly expanding? And how has Ivy Tunstell suddenly become the most popular actress in all the British Empire?
I was sad to learn that this is the last book of the series, but if ever was there a series to go out with a bang then this one was it! There are surprises in store in the end! I won’t go into them for fear of spoiling the story, but I had a really fun time.
Prudence, Alexia’s child, was adorable and I’m not generally a fan of little people. She was precocious without being bratty. She also had intriguing powers and idiosyncrasies. It was quite enjoyable just to read about her. I think that Carriger is doing a series about Prudence sometime in the future and that should be fun.
Alexia was her indubitable self, strutting out her irrefutable logic in the face of each crisis at every turn. Even if it was done before I didn’t get tired of reading about it.
Biffy was further developed in this story and how I loved that he was. He was always one of my favorite characters. I won’t go into those developments. I think it’s best I leave those surprises to those who will read the book unsaid.
This was a great read. It had me wondering what on earth was going on and where the story was going. It kept me reading until the late hours of the night, anxious to know what would happen next. It had me laughing. It had my heart in my throat. All in all, a really wonderful book.
The Akamai Reader 