Book Review: Eye of the Tempest by Nicole Peeler

Review: Eye of the Tempest
Series: Jane True – Book 4
Author: Nicole Peeler
No of Pages: 319
Release Date: 26 July 2011

Nothing says “home” like being attached by humans with very large guns, as Jane and Anyan discover when they arrive in Rockabill. Seeing Anyan fall awakens a terrible power within Jane, and she nearly destroys herself taking out their attackers.

Jane wakes, weeks later, to discover that she’s not the only thing that’s been stirring. Something underneath Rockabill is coming to life: something ancient, something powerful, and something that might destroy the world.

Jane and her friends must act, striking out on a quest that only Jane can finish. For whatever lurks beneath the Old Sow must be stopped…and Jane’s just the Halfling for the job.

My Thoughts:
Eye of the Tempest was another fast paced instalment in this fantastic series.

Jane accidentally short circuits herself when she pulls the water from several human beings to protect Anyan during an attack. It kills the men, and it nearly kills her as well. When she wakes up, a month has passed and strange occurrences are becoming more frequent in Rockabill.

Jane once again had me in fits of laughter; her trademark libido vs. virtue monologue is absolutely hilarious. Jane is growing as a character; those changes are quite obvious but also well earned. Her training is increasing and because of it she is becoming more powerful learning new tricks to impress us with in each new adventure.

Anyan was a little bit of a disappointment for me this time; I feel his real character is starting to show through. He has gone from this adorable, burly man who any woman would count their lucky stars to be with to more distant and a bit of a jerk. Anyan always seems to be around when Jane is naked or he even turns up to get her naked, but he doesn’t seem to treat her properly. When Ryu and Jane were sleeping together it was obvious that Ryu was using her for blood, but with Anyan it’s a little more subtle. The connection between them doesn’t seem to be there. As Jane pointed out herself Anyan always seemed to cop a feel, but they had never even kissed properly.

For me, this was a little bit of a letdown with Anyan, it might just be my natural distrusting ways, but if I were Jane I’d put my foot down and not give over anything until I knew where I stood.

The actual story was once again very well written. It didn’t have the adventure in that Jane actually stayed in Rockabill for nearly the entire novel, but it did have a deeper story. One in which Jane got to meet a being that was literally millions of years old. Jane also had to man up because Nell and Anyan, her two most powerful allies, were rendered completely helpless and it was up to Jane and Blondie, who Jane didn’t trust, to help them.

Peeler’s writing was once again superb; I do feel though that she is playing up a little too much on her Jane monologues. After such high praises of the ingeniousness of it in previous books, Libido and Virtue were appearing what felt like all the time. Every new situation Jane was put into it felt like those two felt the need to be heard, it was actually kind of annoying after a while because it was obvious what was happening, just because a device has worked in the past doesn’t mean you have to become a one trick pony.

Eye of the Tempest was once again a fabulous read, it kept me engrossed from start to finish and I once again cannot wait for the next instalment.

Others in this series:
Tempest's Rising
Tracking the Tempest
Tempest's Legacy
Tempest's Fury

Book Review: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Review: Bloodlines
Series: Bloodlines – Book 1
Author: Richelle Mead
No of Pages: 421
Release Date: 23 August 2011

SYDNEY PROTECTS VAMPIRE SECRETS – AND HUMAN LIVES.

Sydney belongs to a secret group who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the world of humans and vampires.

But when Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, she fears she is still being punished for her complicated alliance with the dhampir Rose Hathaway. What unfolds is far worse. The sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir is in mortal danger, and goes into hiding. Now Sydney must act as her protector.

The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one…

My Thoughts:
We were never going to get another Vampire Academy, but what we did get was still surprisingly unique considering it was set in the same world.

Sydney Sage is a disgraced alchemist. After helping Rose to escape from prison whilst on a murder charge and befriending vampires and dhampirs, she is under constant surveillance from the Alchemists. Sydney is terrified of getting sent to a re-education centre and for her younger sister to get caught up in the Alchemist life.

Her newest mission is to keep Jill – Vasilisa’s sister – safe after being repeatedly attacked by people who want Lissa removed from the throne. They move to Palm Springs, a place that is very uncomfortable for vampires because of the heat. Jill is in for a struggle, but her safety is now more important than her comfort.

Sydney for me took a little time to warm to. She was never my favourite person in Vampire Academy purely because she was too uptight. Well, in Bloodlines she was still uptight, but being able to get into her mind, I also found that she was very human. Being raised in a cult like lifestyle full of rules and regulations Sydney hasn’t had the life of a normal teenager and once the full extent of that deprivation is explored, her upbringing is really quite sad.

Bloodlines took a few chapters for me to get into as well; I bought it purely because it had Richelle Mead on it and a Rose appearance in it. At first I was sceptical thinking that Bloodlines couldn’t possibly be as good as Vampire Academy, that Sydney was more of a consolation prize for Adrian to those of us who loved him in the first set of books.

There was actually no romance between them in this and I was so glad for it. Mead didn’t fall into the trap that I have found with so many authors lately of rushing relationships. She knows she has six books and it’s not even clear if Sydney and Adrian will get together. They are just friends for now which I am really happy about.

Bloodlines itself was more mystery than action. The mystery was fairly see-through but Mead’s incredible writing kept the pages turning even though I knew from the start which bad guys were going to do what.

Sydney started to come out of her shell towards the end of Bloodlines, making for a promising character to lead this series, she showed that she wasn’t the push over everyone seemed to think she was and I really started to like her.

The only thing that really disappointed me about this book was in the first chapter. Sydney narrated that she knew a secret about one of the other characters. I hate when people do that. Don’t tell me you have a secret about someone, it’s a cheap trick to try and entice us to keep reading. It’s what gave me the bad first impression, but I’m glad that Mead worked it up to a very good book in the end.

Mead left us with quite a few loose ends but no unbearable cliff hangers to carry us into the next book, the mystery behind the heritage of some characters and the future of others is quite enough to have me eager for more.

Others in this series:
The Golden Lily

Book Review: One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost

Review: One Grave at a Time
Series: Night Huntress – Book 6
Author: Jeaniene Frost
No of Pages: 358
Release Date: 30 August 2011

HOW DO YOU SEND A KILLER TO THE GRAVE WHEN HE’S ALREADY DEAD?

Having narrowly averted an (under) World War, Cat Crawfield wants nothing more than a little downtime with her vampire husband, Bones. Unfortunately, her gift from New Orleans’s voodoo queen just keeps on giving – leading to a personal favour that sends them into battle once again, this time against a villainous spirit.

Centuries ago, Heinrich Kramer was a witch hunter. Now, ever All Hallows Eve, he takes physical form to torture innocent women before burning them alive. This year, however, a determined Cat and Bones must risk all to send him back to the other side of eternity – forever. But one wrong step and they’ll be digging their own graves.

My Thoughts:

There is just something about this series that makes it so fantastic.

After Cat’s uncles passing Cat has had to grieve and then deal with an upheaval in the team that he used to head. Her friend Tate has been demoted from the top job and replaced by someone who obviously has a problem with the all vampire team. Cat now has to deal with the new guy poking into her business while having to go up against a psychopathic homicidal ghost running rampant on Halloween.

Cat is still amazing, but she isn’t quite as brilliant as what she was in the first four books. She is still smart talking, still completely ass kicking fantastic. But now she is just Cat. We’ve seen all of her tricks, but what now?

I will be honest that I am getting scared for the rest of this series. The first five books were absolutely tongue tying-ly brilliant. But this one? It was a little on the stale side. There was even a scene with awkward dialogue in it.

Then there was also the sex scene. We’ve gone from the infamous Chapter 32 which was absolutely amazing, to some half-assed sex in the sky. It could have been as fantastic as the Eternal Kiss of Darkness ceiling scene, but it had a bit of a bore factor to it.

I am even having some trouble remembering the great scenes from this book, it’s just not as hard hitting, and I worry if this is a preview into how the rest of the series is going to go, we still have three books left and I want them to be as awesome as the first half of the series was.

One Grave at a Time was missing the X factor that the other books Frost has written have. It was just going through the motions. Bones was there, ghosts were there, friends were there, Cat was there. Stuff happened but meh.

I want to love this series, I want to love this book as much as I loved the others but I just couldn’t. Don’t get me wrong, this book is still absolutely brilliant. But it’s not on par with the rest of the series, it’s great, but it’s not excellent, it’s not of the same calibre. Frost set the bar very high, and I hope she can reach it with the next book.

Other books in this series:
Halfway to the Grave
One Foot in the Grave
At Grave's End
Destined for an Early Grave
This Side of the Grave

Book Review: Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

Review: Dead and Gone
Series: Sookie Stackhouse – Book 9
Author: Charlaine Harris
No of Pages: 312
Release Date: 5 May 2009

Sookie Stackhouse enjoys her job as a cocktail waitress in Bon Temps, Louisiana, even though she sometimes gets tired of the constant chatter – and not just the gossip; Sookie can read minds. It’s taken time, but she’s finally found cute, dateable guys whose minds she can’t read. And okay, so most of them happen to be vampires, but no man is perfect, right?

All of the humans in Bon Temps have had dealings with the vamps – mysterious, seductive creatures who ‘came out’ a few years back. Now the weres and shifters have decided to follow the lead of the undead and reveal their existence to the ordinary world.

Sookie already knows about them, of course – her brother turns into a panther at the full moon, she’s friend to the local Were pack, and Sam, her boss at Merlotte’s bar, is a shifter.

The great Were revelation goes pretty well at first – then the horribly mutilated body of a were-panther is found in the parking lot of Merlotte’s. Though Sookie never cared much for the victim, no one deserves such a horrible death, and she agrees to use her telepathic talent to track down the murderer.

What Sookie doesn’t realise is that there is a far greater danger that this killer threatening Bon Temps: a race of unhuman beings, older, more powerful and far more secretive than the vampires or the werewolves is preparing for war. And Sookie is an all-too human pawn in their ages-old battle…

My Thoughts:

I have always been fond of this series because of its light hearted content, but this book broke that chain.

Wars are brewing left right and centre in Sookie's world. Vampires are taking over other vampires land and werewolves are at each other’s throats as well. Add into the mix Sookie’s fairy heritage and the war that they are waging, and you have the perfect brew for a really depressing novel.

Dead and Gone left me feeling really bad, Harris might not be killing off central characters, but she definitely killed off a few loved ones in this book, and I really don’t think it was necessary. The fairy war came to a head at the end of this book and it took a few characters with it that left me feeling pretty depressed after it.

Sookie was also left scarred after her ordeal with the fairies but she should recover, hopefully.

At the end of this book, I felt depressed, not just a little sad but down in the dumps for a couple of days. There was so much loss, so much death, and for what? A part fairy that screws vampires and attracts trouble.

I still flew through this book, and I still loved it, but I was left with the thought of, where does it end? What makes Sookie so special that all these people are willing to die for her? Vampires regenerate but even so, they can still die and frequently do where Sookie is concerned. Fairies are a dying race and how many were taken out purely because some big wig wanted to finish off Sookie because she was a half breed.

I still love Sookie and I love that she is growing stronger and wiser with every novel, but surely no one could expect such loyalty.

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

Book Review: From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris

Review: From Dead to Worse
Series: Sookie Stackhouse – Book 8
Author: Charlaine Harris
No of Pages: 359
Release Date: 6 May 2008

The supernatural community in Bon Temps, Louisiana is reeling from two hard blows: the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina, and the manmade horror of the explosion at the vampire summit in the up-north city of Rhodes. Sookie Stackhouse is safe but dazed, but too many vampires – some friends, some not – were killed or injured, and her were-tiger boyfriend Quinn is among the missing.

It’s clear that things are changing, whether the weres and vamps like it or not. And Sookie, Friend to the Pack and blood-bonded to the leader of the local vampire community, is caught up in those changes. She’s about to find herself facing danger and death and, not for the first time, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood has stopped flowing, Sookie’s world will be forever altered…

My Thoughts: 

Although I loved Sookie and I loved Quinn…they never really had a chance.

Sookie is back home and trying to comprehend all the events that have taken place since the vampire summit including the devastation of hurricane Katrina.

I loved the addition of Amelia living in Sookie’s house in From Dead to Worse. She brought to the table someone who is ditzy, intelligent and really likeable. Amelia also lightened the mood in Sookie’s household, which I feel would have been a lot worse with Quinn’s absence and the aftermath of the summit to content with. It was very clever on Harris part to introduce Amelia in the way that she did.

At this point in the story I’m wondering if we’re not seeing a little biasness from team dead in general on Harris’ part. The vampires can get away with doing absolutely everything to Sookie, from lying to cheating to nearly killing her. And yet they’re still at the top of her to do list. The were’s barely have to cough too loudly and they’re out her door with no explanation.

Let’s look at this pattern over the course of the series:

Sam never got a look in because he was Sookie’s boss and then he moved too quickly for her when he kissed her. (Dead Until Dark)

Alcide was perfection in a male and yet Sookie never wanted him, even though she did because she was too wrapped up in Bill who had disappeared on her and cheated on her. Then after Sookie shot his ex in the head she decided that it was too awkward to be around him anymore even though she still uses him when she needs to and runs to his beck and call, every time. Yep, that level of ambiguity is extremely healthy.

Quinn’s only mistake? Loving his mother and being captured by a pack of nasty vampires who held him hostage. Hmmm, when Bill was held hostage and didn’t contact Sookie what did Sookie do? She went looking for him of course, but as soon as a were does it he’s out the door with nary a bat of the eyelid.

Now Sookie and Quinn’s relationship may have been a little awkward in the beginning and he was a little annoying with his “babe” and baldness – I’m sorry but I like my men with hair – but in All Together Dead their relationship was starting to blossom really beautifully and it was looking like it could work even though Quinn was really busy with his business.

I love Sookie, and I love how strong she has become and how confident she has become over the course of this series, but I really wish everyone got a fair go with her because she could have possibly had some happiness by now instead of so much sadness.

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

Book Review: All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

Review: All Together Dead
Series: Sookie Stackhouse – Book 7
Author: Charlaine Harris
No of Pages: 323
Release Date: 1 May 2007

Sookie Stackhouse would really like time to get over being betrayed by Bill, her long-time vampire lover, and get used to her new relationship with sexy shapeshifter Quinn – but instead, she finds herself attending a vampire summit, the destination of choice for every undead power player around. She’s being used as a sort-of human Geiger counter for Sophie-Anne Leclerq, vampire queen of Louisiana.

But Sophie-Anne’s power base has been severely weakened by Hurricane Katrina, and she’s to be put on trial for murdering her king. Sookie knows the queen is innocent, but others have their doubts. And there are some vamps who would like to finish what nature started. With secret alliances and backroom deals the order of the day – and night – Sookie must decide which side she’ll stand with, and quickly, for her choice may mean the difference between survival and all-out catastrophe…

My Thoughts:

This series continues to get more and more engrossing.

Sookie is attending the vampire summit after being employed by the queen to accompany her as her portable lie detector. Sookie discovers a plot to start a war between the vampires and the Fellowship of the Sun.

Sookie is still Sookie and she is completely loveable, yet in this book I started to really see her growth since the first in the series. One can really see how far Sookie has come since her bartending vampire free days of the first novel and yet it’s still the same Sookie. She hasn’t become obnoxious or arrogant because according to the vampires she is special, she is still Sookie, but with nicer clothes and a nicer house as the old one gradually gets destroyed by fire and Amelia.

I think what I am loving most about this series at the moment is that Sookie is the heroine, but she doesn't act like one. She just gets on with it and performs feats that are human, like going to an archery range to try and suss out whether or not someone else had been there previously. There are no amazing feats of power or intellect, she is just normal and it makes me relate so much more to her than I do to other heroines who are magical and ninja like and completely kick-ass.

Sookie isn’t a wimp, but she isn’t a hero either and that is what makes me love her.

All Together Dead took a deeper look into vampire politics and workings and it was really interesting. I was a little disappointed that Eric wasn’t in this book as much as I was used to him being there, but it really didn’t detract from the story because there wasn’t really a need for him, bar his priestly duties.

Despite the fact that Sookie was attending a vampire summit surrounded by werewolves, aliens and of course, vampires, who were all staying in a pyramid whilst the proceeding took, place I still found the entire story very this world. Some novels carry you off into for example a New York that has something extra, but these novels are all out in the open, and I think it’s because the vampires are out in the open that keeps this series grounded rather than fantastical.

I love this series so much, and I am starting From Dead to Worse as soon as possible.

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

Book Review: Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian

Review: Kiss of Midnight
Series: Midnight Breeds – Book 1
Author: Lara Adrian
No of Pages: 402
Release Date: 1 May 2007

INSATIABLE DESIRE. ENDLESS SEDUCTION. ONE TOUCH IS JUST THE BEGINNING.

He watches her from across the crowded dance club, a sensual black-haired stranger who stirs Gabrielle Maxwell’s deepest fantasies. But nothing about this night – or this man – is what it seems. For when Gabrielle witnesses a murder outside the club, reality shifts into something dark deadly. In that shattering instant she is thrust into a realm she never knew existed – a realm where vampires stalk the shadows and a blood war is set to ignite.

Lucan Throne despises the violence carried out by his lawless brethren. A vampire himself, Lucan is a Breed warrior, sworn to protect his kind – and the unwitting humans existing alongside them – from the mounting threat of the Rogues. Lucan cannot risk binding himself to a mortal woma, but when Gabrielle is targeted by his enemies, he has no choice but to bring her into the dark underworld he commands.

Here, in the arms of the Breed’s formidable leader, Gabrielle will confront an extraordinary destiny of danger, seduction, and the darkest pleasures of all.

My Thoughts:

Kiss of Midnight was an interesting story, but it was far too similar to the Black Dagger Brotherhood series for me to get the full enjoyment of it.

After witnessing a scuffle outside a nightclub Gabrielle who has the common sense to take a photo of the attacker as he descends on his victim, this would have been fine if anyone could tell what the picture was. Dismissed as being a little unhinged by the police, Gabrielle doesn’t realise that being a witness to what she saw has put her in a lot more danger than what she ever realised.

Gabrielle was a flaky character; she had absolutely no resistance to Lucan even when he was pushing himself inside her house uninvited on many occasions. She also wasn’t very intelligent, there is a rule, don’t walk in dark secluded places at night, and don’t open your door to strangers when you know evil people are after you.

Kiss of Midnight was well written, the characters had ok chemistry and the writing flowed nicely. The major problem with this book though is that is far too much like the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

Vampires who are protecting their race from evil baddies under the reign of a traitor, trying to simultaneously protect human and vampire kind. Each book centres around one warrior who goes through the motions of finding his true mate or Breed mate as these women are called. The only difference in the Midnight Breeds series is that there are no female vampires and the Breed mates are born with a special mark usually behind the ear that signifies them.

I also felt that at the end Kiss of Midnight became far too long-winded. The ending started to be really drawn out, and could have been wound up at least 50 pages earlier omitting a few pages of denial and empty threats.

I am interested in this series purely because it is a safe read, you know it will be hot, you know it will have a happy ending and it is written well but it is not a series I will be going anywhere near until I have long since finished the Black Dagger Brotherhood books.

Others in this series:
Kiss of Crimson
Midnight Awakening
Midnight Rising
Veil of Midnight
Ashes of Midnight
Shades of Midnight
Taken by Midnight
Deeper than Midnight
Darker after Midnight

Book Review: Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris

Review: Definitely Dead
Series: Sookie Stackhouse – Book 6
Author: Charlaine Harris
No of Pages: 324
Release Date: 28 April 2006

Sookie Stackhouse doesn’t have that many relations, so she really hated to lose one – but of all people to go, she didn’t expect it to be her cousin Hadley, a consort of New Orleans’ vampire queen – after all, Hadley was technically already dead.

But Hadley is gone, beyond recall, and she’s left Sookie an inheritance, one that comes with a bit of a risk – not least because someone doesn’t want Sookie digging too deep into Hadley’s possessions…or her past. Sookie’s life is once again on the line, and this time the suspects range from rogue weres to her first love, the vampire Bill. Sookie’s got a lot to do if she’s going to keep herself alive…

My Thoughts:

Definitely Dead probably had the worst start of this series so far, but it turned out okay in the end.

Sookie has been called to New Orleans to clean out her dead cousin Hadley’s apartment. After arriving there, meeting a witch who is a bit of a ditz and finding a werewolf/vampire obomination in Hadley’s old apartment, she finds out the real reason the queen is so interested in some of Hadley’s possessions.

Sookie is a consistent character, which is why I like her. She hasn’t turned into some superwoman, she is still a barmaid who can read minds and knows her place when it comes to the paranormal. I do feel though that she is starting to judge others a little harshly, considering she lives in the proverbial glass house.

I felt that her treatment of Quinn, especially after he had saved her life – twice in one day – after he couldn’t shift fully back and was left with his tiger tail was a bit mean. If I had someone as sexy, powerful, warm, and gentlemanly as Quinn, I wouldn’t discriminate because of a measly tail, Sookie can’t really talk with her weirdness. I would probably prefer Quinn to just sleep as a tiger myself – but that might be because I am a tiger person.

Quinn for all his attributes – I mainly like him because he is a tiger – doesn’t really seem to fit in with Sookie’s life, and I can’t yet decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing. As much as I would want to be with Quinn – tiger thing – I couldn’t feel much chemistry between him and Sookie during the course of this book. The physical was there definitely, but take for example Eric in his amnesia days, there was so much more gentleness and love. With Quinn its more like a possession, Sookie is his woman and probably the excessive use of the word “babe” just grated on my nerves when it came to him.

The start of Definitely Dead was absolutely horrible. I don’t read .5’s in any of my series, not even Cat and Bones of whom I am in love. So when a significant event like Hadley’s cousin dying, Sookie meeting a whole bunch of new characters and Bill somehow being involved in that process happening in a novella and including significant details pertaining to the premise of the story I was extremely confused for the first couple of chapters.

One thing I am starting to find with this series though, is that the stories are starting to run together which is ok from a reading perspective, but horrible from a reviewing perspective. About two days after putting this book down, I could remember what happened, I could remember key elements and funny parts, but then they started to get confused with things that had happened in previous books. The events run chronologically for the most part, but its hard to pick out certain occurances and pinpoint exactly when they happened in the story.

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

Book Review: Bargains and Betrayals by Shannon Delany

Review: Bargains and Betrayals
Series: 13 to Life – Book 3
Author: Shannon Delany
No of Pages: 303
Release Date: 16 August 2011

Locked away at Pecan Place, Jessie finds her situation to be even more dangerous than she feared. While she struggles to maintain her sanity and discover answers about the group that seems less and less like any legitimate government agency, Pietr fights to keep their relationship alive. But very aware that his mother’s time is running out, Pietr makes a deal he doesn’t dare tell Jessie about. Because the deal Pietr’s made could mean the death of far more than the tenuous relationship with the girl he loves.

My Thoughts:

Bargains and Betrayals was definitely an improvement on Secrets and Shadows.

Jessie is locked away at Pecan Place, an institute for the mentally unstable, and she quickly learns that Pecan Place is hiding some pretty big secrets when it comes to what they are doing to their patients.

Jessie matured between Secrets and Shadows and Bargains and Betrayals and although it was only minor it was definitely an improvement, yes she was still pining after Pietr but at least she has a real reason to this time. By the end of Bargains and Betrayals Jessie was actually a likeable character again, putting others with bigger problems before herself and stopping to think about her actions before running after Pietr every ten seconds.

Pietr was still a little annoying being his typical I am seventeen therefore I am a grown-up and can make huge decisions for myself. Uh yeah buddy, no you can’t. Pietr was still irrational and mildly irritating in this book but we didn’t see that much of him compared to the previous two books.

For the first time in this series, the POV was spilt between Jessie and Alexi and I absolutely loved it. Reading from Alexi’s POV was absolutely fascinating and definitely kept the book going, we had a mature outsiders impression of the situation, sure Alexi decided to become a drunk about halfway through for a little while, but his blackouts were reverted back to Jessie’s mind so it didn’t impact too much.

Alexi is a very interesting character, having done everything he can for his family and still being shunned, watching his inner turmoil as he continues fighting for those he loves is amazing. He left the love of his life for his family and it’s only after Cat becomes human again that she really starts to bond with him.

Bargains and Betrayals was definitely much better than the previous two books, I will admit that I was reluctant to pick it up after finishing Secrets and Shadows and it was only because I had a review copy that I read it at all, but I devoured it quickly and it was on my mind from the moment I put it down right up until I dived back in once again.

The story actually moves this time around, it moves quite a bit to be honest, we are still lacking many answers but they are more answers to questions like how can people get away with these evils things they are doing. I think Delany may have shorn off a few plot points a little too abruptly, it was almost like she didn’t want to continue having that bad guy as a problem, so she just killed them, every time a character got too in the way she killed them off which was a little weird, but I suppose you can’t have all these characters antagonising the mains when the mains have making out and devoting themselves to each other to do.

I am interested in this series, and this book has definitely redeemed some of the series more horrible qualities but I am not sure if I will be continuing on. Considering there is another book whose release date hasn’t been announced yet and this series general lack of memorability I will probably end up just as confused as I was when I picked up Secrets and Shadows a year after 13 to Life.

Others in this series:
13 to Life
Secrets and Shadows

Book Review: Cleopatra's Men by Eve Langlais

Review: Cleopatra’s Men
Author: Eve Langlais
No of Pages: 97
Release Date: 14 January 2011

One former Egyptian queen plus two vampires equals a threesome with lots of bite.

I’ve paid my dues in Hell for my mistakes, but Satan thinks I’m too dangerous to keep around so he’s kicked me out into the modern world for a second chance.

Ambushed by a pest from my past, I’m rescued by a seriously hot vamp. I vowed to not allow men to use me anymore, a pledge forgotten with Michael’s first kiss. And when Julius, my first love, shows up bitter and angry, I can’t help but want him too.

Maybe I do deserve the nickname Whore Queen, for I’ve decided I shall keep them both—naked in bed.


My Thoughts:

Cleopatra’s Men was yet another hot exhibit of Langlais’s writing ability.

Cleopatra is alive and well in modern times, having been kicked out of hell for nearly forcing Lucifer to marry her, Cleopatra is now fending for herself in the real world once again. She is immortal, powerful and currently blonde.

But Cleo has made many enemies in her time, one of those being Antony, her ex, who has an annoying habit of continuously trying to kill her by sending demons her way. On her first night out, these demons attack her and things are looking bleak if not for Michael, the mysterious dark stranger who jumps from a building to save her.

Cleo is definitely my kind of chick, I would have preferred more actions behind her words though as she seemed to be playing damsel in distress too much, but for a quick, hot story like this, I didn’t really mind. Cleo was not only tough and sexy but she also had an added element of wit that kept the story light.

Michael was everything and more, sexy, powerful and a gentleman. Michael was everything Cleo wasn’t used to after being used for most of her life and although it made for some questioning on her part as to his intentions, it also made for some really hot sex and quite a few swoon moments.

Cleopatra’s Men was a quick hot dive into the world of a paranormal Ménage a trois with the addition of Julius Caesar, Cleo’s first love into the mix it made for some comical but very hot reading. I loved Cleo’s dissection of her feelings for each man and how she didn’t try to hide behind an equal love excuse for her actions.

The massive deux ex machina at the end did put a slight dampener on the rest of the story. It was expected, but I was hoping it wouldn’t happen.

Cleopatra’s Men was another excellent example of Langlais’s incredible writing and has left me wanting even more of her yet again.

Book Review: The Lottery by Alexandra O'Hurley

Review: The Lottery
Author: Alexandra O’Hurley
No of Pages: 177
Release Date: 21 December 2010

Living in a world where men were treated like a rare commodity, Ethan Spears did what he could in order to survive. But when the proverbial rug was pulled out from under him, desperate measures called for desperate actions. To save his sister, he entered The Lottery, offering himself to one woman for a year.

Karlyn Bowman was a rebel in her family, choosing not to climb the corporate ladder in order to pursue her love of art. Lonely, ostracized by the family who should have loved her, she pushed forward trying to become a success. When her friend gives her a lottery ticket to cheer her up, she puts it aside and forgets it. Imagine her surprise when the knock came to her door and her life—and his—were changed forever.

Be Warned: anal sex, masturbation, orgies, bondage

My Thoughts:

The Lottery was a sexy, emotional rollercoaster ride that left me in tears of joy.

Karlyn is a virgin, she is waiting for true love before she decides to have sex, but in a world where men are rare and only the richest are allowed to enjoy their presence, that dream is far from ever coming true.

Karlyn’s best friend Sam decides to buy her a birthday present in the form of a Lottery ticket. The ticket gives the holder a chance to win a young sexy man for a whole year to do with whatever she desires, the ticket holder also has to be financially stable, of which Karlyn - being a struggling artist – is not.

Lo and behold Karlyn wins the lottery, and on her doorstep she finds Ethan, a young, struggling, super sexy male prostitute.

Karlyn didn’t expect to win, and Karlyn also didn’t really want to win. When around Ethan she acts like a frightened kitten because she is painfully shy and has never even kissed a man let alone had sex with one. All Karlyn wants to do is paint and fantasise about her dream man who will sweep her off her feet and love her until the day she dies.

Ethan is a man with a chip on his shoulder, his parents are dead, his sister is dying and his grandmother has disowned him. To survive and to pay for his sisters medical bills Ethan has been a male prostitute since his early teens. After some of the traumatic mistresses he has been with he thinks that Karlyn’s shy nature must be some sort of trick to catch him off guard.

The Lottery was a sweet and very sexually charged novel, but it also had a good background story surrounding Karlyn’s painting career, Her friendship with Sam the proud and very loud lesbian and the friendship that forms between Karlyn and Ethan.

The Lottery was a lot more than what I was expecting; it is way more than a quick hot read. The intense connection between Karlyn and Ethan jumps off the page and is superbly put into words, it had my heart twisting when they fought and leaping when they made up. It even brought a tear to my eye when they parted.

The addition of her best friend Sam kept everything light and entertaining because of Sam’s loud demeanour and ability to point out the obvious.

The Lottery had a predictable storyline but O’Hurley took a basic concept and turned it into something beautiful. The writing flowed seamlessly and the characters were both strong and multi-dimensional.

The Lottery was a quick read but a very memorable one and it has left me complete, but still wanting more.

Book Review: Lover Unbound by J. R. Ward

Review: Lover Unbound
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood – Book 5
Author: J. R. Ward
No of Pages: 502
Release Date: 25 September 2007

In Caldwell, New York, war rages between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers – six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Now the cold heart of a cunning predator will be warmed against its will...

Ruthless and brilliant, Vishous, son of the Bloodletter, possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a pretrans growing up in his father’s war camp, he was tormented and abused. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of a human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the time – until a destiny he didn’t choose takes him into a future that cannot include her...

My Thoughts:

Lover Unbound almost surpassed Lover Awakened as my new favourite in this series, until the ending.

Vishous is the intelligent one, the ruthless one, the cursed one. With his birthday just around the corner he gets a visit from the Scribe Virgin telling him that he is destined to become the Primale, a warrior who lives amongst the Chosen and is charged with replenishing the race. But when he gets shot in the chest and rushed to a human hospital, a wrench gets thrown in the works in the form of Jane, the doctor who saves him.

I have loved Vishous from the first book. He’s dark mysterious ways and his unique, calculating nature was all explored in Lover Unbound. His odd sexual tastes that seem to stem from his violent and traumatic past involving his father all come to the surface as Vishous is ripped apart and put back together again because of his attraction for Jane who was at the centre of his first vision in a long time.

Jane is a strong woman, nothing much fazes her and she is only interested in surviving and saving lives with her work. After losing her sister when she was young Jane went into the medical field to try and save as many people as she could, so they would never have to go through what she went through.

I loved Lover Unbound; I loved exploring Vishous’ nature and the inevitable barriers of falling in love after being traumatised by people he should have been able to trust. I loved Jane’s and Vishous’ relationship in general Jane’s no nonsense attitude when it comes to what she does best. She doesn’t care if Vishous is a dangerous monster as long as he is well.

Lover Unbound was beautifully written as the others are in the series and gave us further insight into John’s story and that of the Scribe Virgin. Lover Unbound was almost perfect, I say almost because of one thing. The last fifty pages.

The ending of Lover Unbound was absolutely atrocious. Ward created an unneeded problem and then created an even worse solution. She had laid all the ground work for an ending that would have worked perfectly giving each party what they wanted in the end, but no, she had to rip one apart and give all of the control to the other.

It was unfair on the couple, and unfair on Vishous what she did to them, she couldn’t just leave him alone to finally be happy. Perfect ending right there, I’ve found what I’m looking for, I am a complete person now let me take my woman home and be happy. But no.
The ending disappointed me, not because it didn’t end how I wanted it to, but it ended stupidly and unnecessarily. It makes me worry about what is in store for the rest of the series if Ward is willing to destroy a perfect book in the way she did.

Of course I am eager to continue on, because I want to get to John’s story, but I have become wary of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series in general now because it was moving along swimmingly, until this.

Also in this series:
Dark Lover
Lover Eternal
Lover Awakened
Lover Revealed
Lover Enshrined
Lover Avenged
Lover Mine
Lover Unleashed

Book Review: The Shadow Seer by Fran Jacobs

Review: The Shadow Seer
Series: Ellenessia’s Curse – Book 1
Author: Fran Jacobs
No of Pages: 337
Release Date: 2 April 2009

For generations prophets have foreseen the birth of the Shadow Seer, the oracle of dark visions and fallen kingdoms. But by the time of Sorron, King of Carnia, their warnings have mostly been forgotten and his name is known only to a handful of scholars. When Sorron's grandson, Prince Candale, falls deathly ill, the Seer's legends are brought to light once again by his saviour, a witch named Mayrila. She believes that Candale is the fulfilment of those long forgotten prophecies. She believes that he is the Shadow Seer...

My Thoughts:

The Shadow Seer was an extremely interesting read, but it was a little slow in its movement.

Candale is a prince with a secret; he is having prophecies, hearing voices, and seeing people that aren’t there. The Shadow Seer starts with Candale being gravely ill and close to death. All we hear are snippets of conversation between his relatives, arguments between his father and grandfather about how to best help him.

His grandfather sends for a woman named Mayrila, a conniving, gold-digging witch, who seems to be the only person who can help him. Mayrila saves Candale, but she also changes his life forever, revealing herself as his birth mother and him as the Shadow Seer, a dark prophet whose visions will only ever be of death and destruction.

Candale is an interesting character, if a little naive. He is intelligent and easily relatable being a quiet, odd child who fits in well enough at court, but is always dreaming and looking for something more. Candale did get a little infuriating at times when he went off by himself without thinking things through only to nearly get killed by his enemies. At times I wanted to shake him, but mostly I felt empathetic and a little sad about his situation.

The Shadow Seer was well written and completely engaging because it didn’t seem like you were racing to the finish line. Each new event in the timeline was well paced and flowed seamlessly into the plot.

The only problem with The Shadow Seer was that we never really get answers to our questions, the world of Carnia that Jacobs created was superb, but there was so much groundwork to lay that we only got to see snippets about the myths behind the shadow seer and those myths were relentlessly repeated.

The Shadow Seer was an excellently written story with an engaging main character who kept me entertained and continuously coming back for more. The mystery behind who Ellenessia is and how she is going to affect Candale in the long run has me itching to get my hands on the second book in this promising fantasy series.

Book Review: Ada Legend of a Healer by R. A. McDonald

Review: Ada Legend of a Healer
Author: R.A McDonald
No of Pages: 250
Release Date: 1 January 2011

No sickness, No injuries, No pain, No limits.

If you had the power to heal, what would you do?

For fifteen-year-old Ada discovering that she can heal feels more like a curse than a gift. When she learns of the mystery surrounding her mother’s disappearance, and sees the indifference of so-called friends, she sets out for Paris to find her.

The power to heal protects her, but also has her hunted by a man who sees her as nothing more than his fountain of youth. Ada realizes her true power is her will to survive, and that her only chance at freedom is to become the best at escaping.

My Thoughts:

Ada Legend of a Healer had a bad start, but ended up turning into a rather good read.

Ada is an orphan with an attitude problem. After getting kicked out of yet another foster home she can’t be placed anywhere else, so she leaves the system, embarking on her own journey to find her mother. Her journey leads her to France and the people she meets there help her hone not only her healing skills but develop skills in the art of parkour.

Ada was not a likeable character for most of the story. Her only redeeming attribute was her sheer force of will power, all of her other aspects boiled down to her being an egotistical, self-centred teenager. For the first hundred pages I had the urge to not only scream but stick a fork in my eye because of the constant whining about how unfair the world is and how unfair it is that she have to bear the burden of having the ability to heal not only others, but herself.


Ada Legend of a Healer did start to get interesting when Ada went to France on her mission to find her mother. After using Jessie – her aunt – for money and information Ada struck out on her own to find out if her mother was still alive.

Delving into the world of parkour and the limits of Ada’s power was the highlight of the novel because we got to see McDonalds writing ability on show. Daniel and his friends and Daniel’s budding romance with Ada drove the novel from that point.


Ada Legend of a Healer was a slow read to get started and once it got going it was easy to see where it would end up, but I felt oddly compelled to finish, quickly. McDonalds writing drew me in after Ada got to France to a point where I couldn’t let go and Ada’s story wouldn’t let me go. Even after the final page was turned McDonalds message - to cherish what you have - stayed with me for a long time afterwards.

Book Review: Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

Review: Dead to the World
Series: Sookie Stackhouse – Book 4
Author: Charlaine Harris
No of Pages: 321
Release Date: 3 May 2005

Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in Bon Temps, Louisiana. She’s pretty. She does her job well. But she has only a few close friends, because not everyone appreciates Sookie’s gift: she can read minds. That’s not exactly every man's idea of date bait - unless they’re undead; vampires and the like can be tough to read. And that’s just the kind of guy Sookie’s been looking for. Maybe that’s why, when she comes across a naked vampire on the way home from work, she doesn’t just drive on by. He hasn’t got a clue who he is, but Sookie has: Eric looks just as scary and sexy – and dead – as the day she met him. But now he has amnesia, he’s sweet, vulnerable, and in need of Sookie’s help – because whoever took his memory now wants his life.

Sookie’s investigation into what’s going on leads her into a battle between witches vampires and werewolves. But there could be even greater danger – to Sookie’s heart – because the kinder, gentler Eric is very hard to resist.

My Thoughts:

Another dive into the world of Sookie Stackhouse, and now that Bill is out of the way, it’s getting interesting.

Sookie once again is just getting better, taking Eric in after he suffers amnesia to help keep him safe to me is just so good for her and her growth in this society. Sookie still remembers her place in the supernatural society, but she also is starting to come into her own. Things aren’t quite as scary anymore and when Sookie finds out about witches actually existing she doesn’t freak out like she would have in earlier books.

Eric is just getting hotter as far as I’m concerned. Suffering from amnesia at the hands of the witches Eric has forgotten that he is a 1,000 year old Viking vampire that people bow to and cower in fear from as soon as he enters a room. Eric’s tender side in Dead to the World made me fall even more in love with him than before, because it proves that he’s not just an evil overlord, but that he may have a sliver of humanity left.

Eric is a little bit of an odd character for me, I don’t want him to be gentle; I want him to be hard hitting, evil and funny. But in Dead to the World, his tender side was just so perfect; it didn’t even seem like Eric. So although I missed witty Eric, I absolutely loved gentle Eric and although it fits him I can’t see the two sides of him ever reconciling into one being and if I had to choose it would definitely be evil Eric.

Alcide and his wolves also play a major part again in this book and with the addition of Alcide it once again adds more of a plot mover to the story.

I was so glad that Bill barely made an appearance in Dead to the World, as in Club Dead because I really don’t like him. Sookie doesn’t need the distraction that Bill causes and I am hoping that the series continues on this broader path of the extended set of characters.

Dead to the World also introduces witches, which for me wasn’t that big a deal. They seemed more like the hippy Wiccans rather than full blown cackling witches for most of the story. They made for an interesting dilemma for Sookie to deal with though.

Dead to the World was yet another excellent instalment in this fabulous series.

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

Book Review: Human Blend by Lori Pescatore

Review: Human Blend
Series: Blend Trilogy – Book 1
Author: Lori Pescatore
No of Pages: 230
Release Date: 12 June 2010

Marion, Virginia seemed like a nice place to live a normal life, but she is not a normal girl. Laney has special abilities that keep her looking over her shoulder as she makes her escape from the men who had kidnapped her.

A young doctor’s interest is piqued when he witnesses her mysteriously curing a young child’s illness. He befriends her due to his growing fascination with uncovering the true nature of her abilities, but not without harbouring secrets of his own.

Laney’s budding relationship with a local boy puts both of them in danger when the men she was hiding from find her. All of their lives will change forever as ancient secrets become unearthed.

My Thoughts:

Human Blend was far better than I was expecting.

Laney/Julie is on the run from the men that stole her from her family. Stopping to rest in a small town that catches her eye she decided to stay when she meets a local boy and realises that she might have a chance at a normal life.

Laney needs to stay hidden so she assumes the new identity of Julie Miller when she arrives in the small town of Marion. Laney/Julie isn’t just a normal girl though, she has powers that let her “see” numbers meaning she’ll never lose a bet or the lottery and she can also heal others by taking the illnesses into herself and healing instantly.

Laney was a strong, independent character that expertly drove the story. She backed up her words with her abilities, not only her powers but also her survival skills and instincts. Laney was also extremely intelligent which was a refreshing change from the constant damsels in distress that we read about. Laney listens to her gut, and she doesn’t walk into her house alone in the dark after finding the door open, she gets help first from someone who is capable.

I loved that Laney just wanted to be normal even though she is so different. She went to work in a hospital just so she could be near people and use her powers to heal them, not for recognition just because she felt it was the right thing to do.

Laney also had a love interest in Austin, the local boy who takes a liking to her as soon as he meets her. Austin is a complete gentleman which is also a pleasant change from the controlling stalkers and the dangerous bad boys we are currently bombarded with in literature.

Human Blend was really well written and kept me completely engrossed from start to finish. It was not only an interesting storyline but a refreshingly new one as well. Pescatore didn’t conform to our current stereotypes of men, women and the paranormal but created something completely new and exhilarating to read.

Not only did we have a paranormal story with sci-fi themes mixed in, but we also had a beautiful YA romance that unfolded perfectly and without unrealistic devotion but with camaraderie and tenderness.

Human Blend was an excellent start to a promising new series and I absolutely can’t wait to get my hands on the next novel in this trilogy.

Also in this series:
Earth Blend

Book Review: Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

Review: Embrace
Series: Violet Eden Chapters – Book 1
Author: Jessica Shirvington
No of Pages: 382
Release Date: 1 October 2010

THE WRONG CHOICE COULD COST NOT ONLY HER LIFE, BUT HER DESTINY.

All Violet wants is to be with Lincoln. But he has a secret so great it could tear them apart.

Then there’s Phoenix. He’s intense and enigmatic, but always there for her.

Caught up in a battle between light and dark – where angels seek vengeance and humans are warriors – Violet must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice. And who to trust...

My Thoughts:

Embrace was more than I expected, and I absolutely loved it.

Violet Eden’s life is turned upside down when she finds out that her best friend and man she is secretly in love with has been keeping a secret, about her. Violet is a Grigori, a half angel-half human protector of human kind against exiled angels, evil fallen angels that wish to control mankind.

After finding out that Lincoln has been keeping such a terrible secret about her identity she shuts him out of her life, a hard thing to do to your closest companion over the last two years. She meets Phoenix, an exiled angel who seems to have a darkness about him, but is fiercely protective of Violet when other exiles are around.

Violet was an interesting and well fleshed out character. After losing her mother at birth and being terrorized by a former teacher at school she has developed a habit of not letting much get to her and never fleeing from something too hard or scary. She broke that rule when it came to Lincoln and her destiny of becoming a Grigori leaning on Phoenix to help her get through her life upheaval.

Lincoln was a hard character to like for me if choosing between the two boys vying for Violet’s attention, he keeps secrets, lies and is condescending when around Violet but he also had that irresistible charm that Violet has been in love with ever since they got close. Violet’s and Lincoln’s love for each other was obvious from the first page, no matter how much Lincoln tried to keep his distance from her it was still clear that he loved Violet as much as Violet loved him.

Phoenix on the other hand is your typical bad boy; he is an exiled angel who takes a liking to Violet when he meets her. Violet tries to stay away but is inexplicably drawn to him. She admits that she doesn’t love Phoenix, but he can give her so much more, and is willing to give so much more than what Lincoln is.

Embrace was beautifully written, if a little confusing. I had a hard time keeping track of which angels were what and up until mid-way through the book exactly who the bad guys were. Even the motions of Embracing were a little sudden and rather confusing.

Other than the slight confusion Embrace was an engrossing read. Each time I was forced to put it down all I could think about was getting back to it. Having had some bad experiences with angel books in the past I highly encourage everyone to give Embrace a try.

Embrace is an addictive read, and left me salivating for more not just answers but for more beautiful prose and engaging characters. I cannot wait until I can dive into the next instalment in this intriguing series.

Also in this series:
Enticed
Emblaze