Droolworthy Covers: One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost

Isn't it puurrrty!! I would very much like to eat it, or print out a picture and just sleep next to it...while I wait...August 30 just seems sooo far away.

The model has changed though and Jeaniene has put that down to the old model no longer doing book covers (couldn't she have just waited 4 more books?)

But anyway, I like this new model too...she has long hair :D

Book Review: Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost

Review: Eternal Kiss of Darkness
Series: Night Huntress World – Book 2
Author: Jeaniene Frost
No of Pages: 361
Release Date: 27 July 2010

AN IMMORTAL WAR HAS BEEN BREWING IN THE DARKNESS...

AND NOW ONE WOMAN HAS STUMBLED INTO THE SHADOWS.

Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept on walking. Bur her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from just inside a warehouse just before dawn. Suddenly she finds herself in a world she’s only imagined in her worst nightmares.

At the centre is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master vampire who thought he’d seen it all. Then Kira appears – this fearless, beautiful...human who braved death to rescue him. Though he burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life. Yet sending her away is unthinkable.

But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose wither the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction.

My Thoughts:

Kira was only trying to help when she “rescued” Mencheres from the pack of ghouls attacking him. Little did she know that it would get her tangled up in a supernatural world that she had no idea existed, or into the arms of a four thousand year old vampire.

Kira is a beautiful addition to Frost’s world. She is a hardened private investigator who isn’t fazed by anything; let alone accepting the existence of vampires. Kira was believable in everything she did, she believed the story because it ended up being logical to, she took it all in her stride not because she is amazingly empathetic but because she knew any other course of action, any rebelling on her part, would end in her death.

She also took in being made into a vampire into her stride as well. Knowing that if this was how she was to live from now on, she would do it with a conscience and she would do it because living meant something to her.

Then we bring in Mencheres, the super-powerful, four thousand year old, slightly suicidal ex-pharaoh of Egypt and current co-ruler to his and Bones combined lines. Mencheres has lost his power to see the future; all he can see is darkness which he believes is his impending death. He’s old, he’s tired and he’s weary of the cold war going on between him and his arch-enemy Radjedef.

Eternal Kiss of Darkness was packed full of anticipation surrounding Radjedef framing Mencheres for a crime that carries the death penalty within the vampire world and the race against time for Mencheres and Kira to clear his name.

The relationship between Kira and Mencheres was beautiful and very well done; both with similar pasts of betrayal are astounded by their feelings for each other. It was also mildly frustrating in a good way with the amount of times they were interrupted, so when they finally came together for that all important ceiling sex, it was so worth it.

Cat and Bones made an appearance in Eternal Kiss of Darkness, although they weren’t painted in a good light which kind of disappointed me even though it was understandable from the history between them and Mencheres. Vlad also made an appearance which made me fall that much more in love with him and his humorous ways.

As with First Drop of Crimson, the cover disappointed me with Eternal Kiss of Darkness it didn't seem related to Mencheres at all and Kira was blonde.

Frost blew me away with her writing once again. Although I am not as fond of the Night Huntress World books as I am of the Cat & Bones books, Eternal Kiss of Darkness is a wonderful addition to my collection of her work.

Also in this series:
First Drop of Crimson

Teaser Tuesday: 15/3/2011

 

 

Currently Reading: Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

He's sell his soul and wouldn't miss it for a second. Because until everyone in the world loved him, he'd have no use for that soul anyway.

Teaser Tuesday is the brainchild of Should Be Reading

Book Review: Demonic Persuasion by Mahalia Levey

Review: Demonic Persuasion
Series: Prophecies Implied – Book 1
Author: Mahalia Levey
No of Pages: 75
Release Date: 15 November 2010

Born of a Navajo healer and a high-level prince of Hell, The Dine Gods demanded Fatal be turned over to her mother's tribe to learn their healing arts and kept away from demon hands. But with her tutelage came cruel segregation and disrespect because of her father's heritage. Not knowing why her life has suddenly come under demon attack, Fatal sets out, armed with her knowledge and her fighting skills, to take out any evil that getsin her way.

As prince of a lower level of Hell, Orobus signed a contract in blood that he be betrothed to Fatal, the high prince of Hell’s half-breed daughter. Oracle by birth, he isn’t privy to complete visions with regard to himself. Having forgotten the fateful night he signed the agreement, he’s thrust into the fight of his life—the fight to claim his woman! Come Hell or high water, he will take care of what is rightfully his, even if it means making her face both sides of her heritage and teaching her there is no shame.

My Thoughts:

I was expecting great things from Demonic Persuasion but I was left confused and mildly irritated.

Fatal has been shunned by the community she was raised in because of her half demon heritage. She leaves to strike out on her own and winds up fighting in demonic bars to earn her keep. When Orobus spots her in his bar he is drawn to her presence before he enforces their contract made at her birth and whisks her off to Hell.

Fatal really wasn’t a strong character, she was one contradiction after another. She acted tough was tough but then seemed to fall apart about halfway through. She has the training of the Navajo healers, her birth mothers people, and hates her demonic side. She also hates her parents hates Orobus and hates the life she has been forced to lead. But then all of a sudden, she can’t be without Orobus, loves her brother and runs to her mother’s open arms a day after telling them all she hated them.

That was the entire tone of Demonic Persuasion, that and trying to confuse the reader to the point of violent frustration. Every third page I was re-reading entire paragraphs just to figure out if Fatal was still in Hell or on Earth.

Orobus who apparently has this highly valued contract with Fatal’s father giving him possession of her and the right to mate her against her will didn’t even know who she was even after she stated her true name. Then six chapters later he is telling her how he had been waiting so long for her to come to him.

Not to mention the complete character change when Fatal is forced to go to Hell after being knocked unconscious, and waking up in a strange room, does she try to run? Does she put up any sort of a fight against the being she hates most in this world? Of course not, the next course of action is to so clearly jump into bed with a demon prince of Hell and wake up the next day like this is the life you have been living for the last ten years even though you still hate the person you just woke up next to.

The real killer for me was when Orobus was beaten to within an inch of his life for covering for Fatal, he told her it would take him two weeks or so to recover from the poison infested wounds and yet he’s up the next morning for another exciting round of I-don’t-like-you-and-there-is-no-logical-reason-for-me-to-be-doing-this sex.

Demonic Persuasion was a buffet of absurdity. Levey took a good idea and hacked it to pieces with incoherent writing, jumpy timelines and a very shaky main character that didn’t seem to know who or what she was.

I have been known to have masochistic tendencies, but even I will not be sitting down the next instalment of this trainwreck.

Friday 56: 11/3/2011

Water Song: A Retelling of "The Frog Prince" by Suzanne Weyn
Page 56, 5th Sentence

This was no doubt just the sort of emergency that her great-grandmother had been referring to when she'd said there was something in the locket to help her.

Now if only she could just get the stupid thing open, aye?





 


 
Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Freda's Voice.
*Post a link along with your post back to Freda's Voice.
* Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Book Review: Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Review: Club Dead
Series: Sookie Stackhouse – Book 3
Author: Charlaine Harris
No of Pages: 274
Release Date: 1 May 2003

Sookie Stackhouse always found it a little difficult to date – she’s cute, but not many guys are comfortable with her mind-reading abilities. But vampires have no problems with Sookie’s talent – she can’t pick up much of anything with the undead.

But there’s only one vampire Sookie Stackhouse is with – at least voluntarily – right now, and that’s Bill. But recently he’s been a little distant – in another state distant. His sinister and sexy boss Eric has an idea where to find him, and next thing Sookie knows, she’s off to Jackson, Mississippi, to mingle with the underworld at Club Dead. It’s a dangerous little haunt where the elusive vampire society go to chill out and suck down some Type O – but when Sookie finally finds Bill, he’s not only in trouble, but caught in the act of serious betrayal. Should she save him, or sharpen some stakes?

My Thoughts:

Thrown back into the world of Sookie Stackhouse the story gets even better with the addition of werewolves.

Bill is missing and Sookie has taken it upon herself to find him. Eric enlists the aid of a werewolf who knows the area called Alcide, as he owes Eric a debt.

Sookie just keeps getting stronger and funnier as far as I’m concerned. She still knows her limits and the fact that she is a human among supernatural beings. But she doesn’t seem as naive as she once was back in Dead Until Dark.

Eric is still as irresistible as ever showing up once again as Leif the faithful friend of Sookie Stackhouse. It’s because of Bill that Sookie gets into most of the messes she’s in and it’s always Eric that is there to back her up.

And then we come to Alcide. The big bad wolf who is as gentle as a puppy dog. Taking Sookie under his wing as she tries to navigate the seemingly huge city of Jackson he is the perfect gentleman and the most promising introduction to this series yet.

I loved that Sookie could feel at home with Alcide whether it was just over dinner or while at a club or even while burying a mysterious dead body they found in a closet. They were at an ease with each other that was refreshing in a series where Sookie is usually seen as an outsider looking in, even with the vampires.

My favourite love-to-hate character so far would now have to be Debbie, Alcide's ex. Her big crime? Dumping Alcide the were-wolf for a were-owl but still not wanting anyone else to have Alcide which she makes blaringly obvious to Sookie by not just burning her clothes with cigarettes, but also occasionally trying to kill her.

Sookie Stackhouse is only getting better as it goes along not only do we get the comedy of watching a human in the mix of some dangerous people, we also get the well written mystery of “Where’s Bill?” which if anything kept me more involved with the story than the rollercoaster ride of Sookie’s love life.

Club Dead was an excellent third instalment to this increasingly fantastic series. I cannot wait to sink my teeth into Dead to the World.

Others in this series:
Dead Until Dark
Living Dead in Dallas
Dead to the World
Dead as a Doornail
Definitely Dead
All Together Dead
From Dead to Worse
Dead and GoneDead in the Family

Droolworthy Covers: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Yeay! They've released the cover for Bloodlines! This is apparently the final (so far).

I will be honest and say that it doesn't do a heap for me, but in saying that neither did the later Vampire Academy books either. But whatever, I can't wait for this to come out! Ms. Mead you are a genius!

Teaser Tuesday: 8/3/2011

Currently Reading: Lover Unbound by J. R. Ward

"I was told to show this as well," the redhead said. He handed over a thick piece of paper that was folded into a square and sealed with black wax. When she got a load of the insignia, she wanted to curse again.

Teaser Tuesday is the brainchild of Should Be Reading

Book Review: Crazy by Eve Langlais

Review: Crazy
Author: Eve Langlais
No of Pages: 52
Release Date: 22 November 2010

Institutionalized at a young age after the breakup of her parents, Ella’s always heard voices. Even worse, the voices in her head like to act. She thinks she’s crazy and destined to be a patient for life until the night she meets a vampire and for the first time in her life, the voices shut up.

Zane just wants to enjoy his usual blood buffet, instead he runs into a wisp of a woman who makes him feel emotions he thought long dead. Rescuing her from the insane asylum, he brings her home, determined to assuage his lust; a plan that is foiled by ghostly voices more determined to keep her pure than a steel welded chastity belt.

Together they discover Ella might not be as crazy as everyone thinks, but even as they discover her innate power, someone from her past wants to hurt her. Will crazy and un-dead prevail against covetous evil? And most important of all, will the voices ever allow them to indulge in the desire that consumes them?


My Thoughts:

Although Crazy was definitely intriguing it didn’t live up to my high expectations of Langlais’ abilities.

Ella is crazy, literally. She hears voices and sometimes has violent tendencies that she can’t control. She has been in mental hospitals since she was seven years old, now she’s twenty-five. Ella is resigned to her existence; relying only on a prophecy the voices told her when she was young of a man coming to rescue her.

Ella was definitely interesting but a little too naive and flimsy for my tastes. She was constantly flinging herself into Zane’s arms whenever he entered a room. It crossed me as more childish rather passionate or loving. She provided the comic relief with her constant battle with the voices in her head which was quite an interesting storyline when she explored what the voices were capable of if provoked.

Zane was also a little off for my tastes, yeah sure vampires have a tendency to find a woman they can’t resist or realise instantly that they can’t live without but his thought process was to “take her home to seduce her”, then later on he decided he couldn’t live without her, but I couldn’t feel that.

Crazy was well written in its ideas like much of Langlais’ other work but it just didn’t work for me like I was expecting. It was good, but not great. It was funny but not overly. It was passionate but it was transparent.

They may have been professing their love for one another, but it was hard for the reader to see or feel that for themselves. It was very tell with no show.

The action in Crazy was also short lived. A total of four paragraphs with no suspense housed the action and the bad guy of the plot; almost to the point where he wasn’t even needed Crazy would have been just fine without him and his weirdness.

I love Mrs. Langlais’ work and I will continue reading it as fast as I can get my hands on it but Crazy, whilst keeping me entertained with its superb writing and fairly likeable characters just didn’t do it for me.

Book Review: Tempest's Legacy by Nicole Peeler

Review: Tempest’s Legacy
Series: Jane True – Book 3
Author: Nicole Peeler
No of Pages: 341
Release Date: 1 January 2011

After a peaceful hiatus at home in Rockabill, Jane True thinks that her worst problem is that she still throws like a girl – at least while throwing fire-balls. Her peace of mind ends, however, when Anyan arrives one night with terrible news...news that will rock Jane’s world to its very core.

After demanding to help investigate a series of gruesome attacks on females – supernatural, Halfling, and human – Jane quickly finds herself forced to confront her darkest nightmares as well as her deepest desires.

And she’s not sure which she finds more frightening.

My Thoughts:

Yet another fantastic instalment of Jane True, packed full of side splitting antics.

Jane is devastated, she has just found out that her mother has been murdered and now she is on a mission, she is going to help Anyan and Ryu find her murderer. As they venture into the borderlands they find that this operation is a lot bigger than originally suspected. Purebloods and Halflings are going missing left right and centre and showing up in research labs either dead or mutilated.

Peeler has once again enthralled me with her world. I have said it before and I will continue saying it, I love her mix of species. This isn’t a vampire novel, nor is it a werewolf novel, it is: an everything novel. From selkies to genies to succubi to imps to brownies and gnomes. People aren’t sexualised, some aren’t even human, but all are mentioned and all play an important part.

Jane is still reigning as one of my favourite female characters and she is only getting better. Jane is now struggling with her new ruthlessness, after her mother dying and a friend gone missing she wants revenge, she wants to hurt people and she’s not afraid to like it. Jane revels in the thought of lobbing mage balls at people, seeing them hurt as much as she does inside, and she realises also that she may be willing to kill. It is a new side to the odd multi levelled character we met in Tempest Rising.

Jane is coming into herself now, she isn’t afraid and that new kickass ability and her steady decrease in vulnerability only adds more and more to her already lovable character. Her libido and her virtue are still fighting, and so are various other parts of her mind, and the fact that she has kept that through all she has been through is remarkable. Jane is still Jane but better.

I loved Anyan from the beginning; he is exactly my type of male. Strong, protective and intelligent he also isn’t afraid to teach Jane how to use her magic which only makes him more likable, he doesn’t want to shelter her which is refreshing. The only thing I didn’t like about him was his habit of calling Jane “honey” towards the end and I am hoping that he breaks his newfound habit very soon.

Speaking of annoying, Ryu returns. Ryu is turning into a character that makes my skin crawl. We all know that guy at work who’s past his prime but still thinks he can get any woman he wants, when really people are talking behind his back because he is a sleaze. That’s Ryu in a nutshell, every time I visualise the guy I add another layer of grease.

Tempest's Legacy was another fantastic instalment in this mind blowing series. I cannot wait until Eye of the Tempest comes out because this series is only getting better as it goes on.

Also in this Series:
Tempest's Rising
Tracking the Tempest
Eye of the Tempest

Friday 56: 4/3/2011

Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian
Page 56, 5th Sentence

It was hard not to be intrigued, especially given everything she had been through the past few days.

Too bad, whenever some things sounds too good to be true...they usually are.





 


 
Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Freda's Voice.
*Post a link along with your post back to Freda's Voice.
* Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Man of the Month: February 2011

This month's man of the month is:

*drumroll*

Anyan from Tempest's Legacy!

Anyan is a Barghest. Which basically means he can turn into a dog or a hell-hound on command. Anyan is everything a man should be in a series like Jane True's. He is protective but lenient, he teaches willingly and is patient. He cares for Jane and can tell what she wants and even if he doesn't know he will always listen to her.

Anyan is perfect in more ways than one. He is powerful, sexy and smells nice...and you get a two in one boyfriend and doggie deal!


Anyan is described as big, lean, built, sexy, dark haired, dark eyed and yummy. But this is how I see him:

With a bit of this:

And a bit of this for good measure:

Johnny Depp's smile is a secret one, just like Anyan's. Take Hugh Jackman's body (think X-Men/Wolverine) and that guy in the middle to add a bit of anonymity (because Anyan is his own person too) and think about what these three would look like merged...

ANYAN!

TBR Drawer: March 2011

• Just After Sunset by Stephen King
• Enchanted. Inc by Shanna Swendson
• Night Rising by Chris Marie Green
• Water Song: A Retelling of the Frog Prince by Suzanne Weyn
• Lament by Maggie Stiefvater
• The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
• Need by Carrie Jones
• Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon
• Claimed by Shadow by Karen Chance
• Jessicas Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
• Original Sin by Allison Brennan
• No Rest for the Wicca by Toni Lotempio
• Blood Magic by Eileen Wilks
• Tempting Danger by Eileen Wilks 
• What's a ghoul to do? by Victoria Laurie
• Soulless by Gail Carriger
• The Boys Next Door by Jennifer Echols
• Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs by Molly Harper
• Shades of Midnight by Lara Adrian
• Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
  
• Bloody Jack by L. A Meyer
• The Awakening by Kelly Armstrong
• Dark Beginnings by Gena Showalter
• The Birthing House by Christopher Ransom
• Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready  RC
• The Taken by Sarah Pinborough
• Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
• Bloodlines by Lindsay Anne Kendal
• Dead Men's Dust by Matt Hilton
• Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs
• Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs
• Mortal Remains by Kathy Reichs
• Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs
• Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs
• Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs
• Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs
• Devil Bones by Kathy Reichs
• Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs
• The Shadow Seer by Fran Jacobs   RC
• Everything Erotic: Volume I   RC
• Everything Erotic: Volume II   RC
• Everything Erotic: Volume III   RC
• Bloody Bones by Laurell K. Hamilton
• Lover Unbound by J.R Ward
• Another One Bites The Dust by Jennifer Rardin
• Biting The Bullet by Jennifer Rardin
• The Killing Dance by Laurell K. Hamilton 
• Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
• The Lunatic Cafe by Laurell K. Hamilton
• Strange Familiar by Cassidy Hunter   RC
• The Lottery by Alexandra O'Hurley   RC
• Running Blind by Nicki J Markus   RC
• Fatal Embrace by Aris Whittier   RC

March Arrivals:

• Dragon Haven by Robin Hobb
• Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost
• Embrace by Jessica Shirvington   RC
• Enticed by Jessica Shirvington   RC
• Revving Her Wild Engines by Bethany Hale   RC  
• Ada Legend of a Healer by R. A. McDonald   RC 
• This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
• Breaking Down by Maia Kinney-Petrucha & Stefan Petrucha   RC

Monthly Wrap-Up: February 2011

February is over...so is summer. Aaand my first anniversary! - so yeah maybe that doesn't matter too much to you guys but OMG! we made it!

As for blogging...it has taken a hit once again because with the end of February comes the start of Tech once again. I started tech mid-feb and as some of you may have noticed...my posts kind of dropped off aswell.

This year tech is my no.1 priority, so although I am striving to keep good content on here, i want to pass this course and finish my diploma, so sleep comes before blogging late at night until June...then you won't be able to get rid of me :D

My Favourite book for the month would have to be: Tempest's Legacy by Nicole Peeler

In February I read 8 books.

• Blood Prophecy by Stefan Petrucha 
• Awakened by PC Cast & Kristin Cast
• Paramour by Margaret Ethridge 
• Human Blend by Lori Pescatore 
• Tempest's Legacy by Nicole Peeler 
• Crazy by Eve Langlais 
• Demonic Persuasion by Mahalia Levey 
• Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian

I reviewed 9 books:

• Snowballs In Hell by Eve Langlais
• Born Into Fire by KyAnn Waters & Tarah Scott
• A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler 
• Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
• Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs
• A Ghostly Menage by Eve Langlais 
• Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning 
• Blood Prophecy by Stefan Petrucha 
• Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton

My Shelfari TBR Pile at the start of the month was 1,038 At the end of the month it is 1,037 (yeay!)

My physical TBR pile had a reduction this month from 51 to 50 (wooooo!)