I am a big Deanna Raybourn fan (see my review of A Spear of Summer Grass) and have really enjoyed her Julia Grey novels. They are historical mysteries with just a hint of paranormal and Amazon is currently packaging the first three books as a bundle for only $9.99. This is a steal for three terrific books so I thought I would share this deal with you, lovely readers, and give you my take on each of the books.

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
Book #1 in the Lady Julia Grey Mysteries
Genre: Historical Mystery
Publication Date: March 1st 2007
E-Book Purchased from Amazon.com

Christal’s Review - 4 Skulls – A-

To be honest, Silent in the Grave got off to a slow start.  The book didn’t really grab me until 2/3 of the way through, but after that I could not stop reading.  I had been reading a lot of urban fantasies when I decided to read this book, so I think the switch to historical mystery was a little jarring and the true reason on why it took me a bit to get into this book.

I loved Julia and thought she was a wonderful lead.  She had a tremendous amount of growth from the beginning of this book to the end and I was excited to see how her character continues to develop in future novels.  Brisbane was a little rougher around the edges, but he intrigued me enough that I wanted to find out more about him and his mysterious life. 

The writing is well done, and while the story is a little slower paced at the beginning, it really picks up at the end and left me wanting more. The period elements felt authentic and the descriptions were beautifully done.  While the romance threads were very thin in Silent in the Grave, the potential for more is definitely there.  I really enjoyed this debut and immediately moved on to the second book.

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn
Book #2 in the Lady Julia Grey Mysteries
Genre: Historical Mystery
Publication Date: March 1st 2008
E-Book Purchased from Amazon.com

Christal’s Review - 5 Skulls – A+

Silent in the Sanctuary is my favorite Julia Grey book.  Deanna Raybourn really hit her stride here and all of the elements were on point.  Though I have enjoyed the other books in the series, this one remains my go-to Julia Grey book for re-reading.

Even though I enjoyed the first book, I definitely liked this one more.  The mystery was a bit more interesting and I felt that the pace was a little quicker overall. The writing was still wonderful, but there was just something extra with this story that grabbed me more than the debut.  The little bits of humor and snark were much appreciated as well.

Julia and Brisbane continued to be an intriguing pairing and constantly have me wishing for more interactions.  The secondary characters really shone in this novel and I absolutely loved the time we spent with Julia’s family, especially Portia, and friends.  Fleur is the best, but Morag and Aquinas are also great.  I continue to hope that Aquinas will be around more in the future books.  This entry really solidified my love for the series.

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn
Book #3 in the Lady Julia Grey Mysteries
Genre: Historical Mystery
Publication Date: March 1st 2009
E-Book Purchased from Amazon.com

Christal’s Review – 4 Skulls – A-

While Silent on the Moor didn’t quite rank up there with the second book, I still found it to be a compelling story with tons of growth and information from Brisbane.  The gypsy culture was featured very prominently and added color to an otherwise drab setting.  I liked seeing Brisbane and Julia taken away from their normal city and society; it added a new dimension to the series.

The mystery was a little less important this time around and the pace a little slower, but we did get to meet some interesting new characters. I really loved Rosalie and how the story of Brisbane’s early years turned out. The Allenbys were one messed up family. Julia was adorable as always and I loved to see her holding her own with Brisbane even more.  This book took character growth to the extreme and we had a lot of questions answered, especially about Brisbane.  I loved that he and Julia developed as individuals as well as developing as romantic partners and equals.

The change of scenery suited this story perfectly.  The descriptions of the manor and the moor were suitably creepy and I liked the inclusion of the Egyptology subplot. All in all, this was a solid entry into the series and, since I haven’t read the fourth book yet, I eagerly await seeing how the ending of this book affects the series going forward.

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

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Review: Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
Book provided by NetGalley and Atria Books
Release date: June 4, 2013 (first published September 2012)

AH’s Review – 5 Skulls – A

Initial Thoughts: I am a teary-eyed mess and I think that this is one of the best books I’ve read this year. Don’t let the description put you off – this book is much more. A must read book!

The Review: Wow! Just wow! I have new hope for the young adult/new adult genre. This book is the reason why.

Take a damaged girl and move her to another city. Give her as little supervision as possible. Oh, and she doesn’t speak – by choice. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, doesn’t it? Actually, it’s probably one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.

First of all, the writing is superb. It does start off a little slowly, but stick with it, it is really worth it. The story is told in alternating points of view of the main characters, Nastya and Josh. Both main characters are well developed, each battling their own personal demons. There is depth to these characters and as the story progresses more details about them are revealed. The book was almost impossible to put down and when I finished reading I was a teary-eyed mess. I fell in love with Nastya and Josh. I felt their pain and I wanted them both to have their happily-ever-after moment.

Nastya’s voice is eloquent, especially for a character that chooses to be mute. She is by far, one of the most complex characters I’ve had the privilege of reading. She is damaged by a trauma in her past. There is something wrong with her hand and she will never live her dreams of being a concert pianist. We’re told that something happened, but not what happened. Flashbacks fill in the blanks as the story unfolds. This event damaged her physically as well as psychologically. Nastya hides behind a new persona she has created. She wears sleazy clothes and horrid makeup.

“I am a slutty horror show.”

She exercises and runs herself to exhaustion. She has a daily writing ritual. On a side note, Nastya is quite the accomplished baker.

In contrast, Josh has not had it easy either. His mother and sister died in an accident. His father died a few years later and his grandfather was battling cancer. Josh has difficulty getting close to anyone because he’s afraid that they’ll die. Josh has become an emancipated minor and lives on his own. Josh is perplexed by Nastya at first, but then his garage becomes a refuge for Nastya.

Josh and Nastya are perfect for each other but their relationship is far from perfect. There are some rocky moments where I burst out crying. But Josh gets Nastya and feels that he can protect her. Nastya trusts Josh and speaks to him.

Sea of Tranquility is one of those books that will haunt you for days after reading. Be prepared with a box or two of tissues. Set aside a chunk of uninterrupted reading time. This is a compelling read – a book you won’t be able to put down. I enjoyed Katja Millay’s writing and I can’t wait to read her future books.

Rating:  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a review copy of this book.

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As a blogger, we have access to numerous novels not yet released. It’s like putting a kid in a candy store without a parent in sight and it is absolutely glorious. I’m so grateful for those advance reader copies because if I want to read a brand new story every day, I can do so.

Even with an endless supply of advance reader copies, a continuing story in a established series draws me in even more.

Why you ask?

You already know the characters, the setting and the general storyline. The author can take an already developed storyline to an entirely new level with each subsequent book in his/her series. It’s so nice to start a book knowing the semantics so you can get right into the meat of the story.

However, with all that is good about continuing on with a series, you also encounter problems. They include but are not limited to:

• Sometimes book 1 is so lackluster (for whatever reason) that the reader isn’t compelled to read further.
• Sometimes the author never intended to go further than book 1 so he/she is unprepared to continue the story and it shows in the lack of creativity, writing or whatever.
• Sometimes the author is prepared but the inspiration is not there for later books in the series. Just because an author receives a contract for X number of books in a series, does not mean that the author will actually create X number of blockbuster books.

I’ve encountered plenty of great books that turned into duds as the story progressed from one book to next and some of those books are mentioned below.

Please pay close attention to my fellow bloggers comments and you’ll see how different our view is on some of the books.

I’ve also read blah first book in a series and then fell in love later in the series. It’s those books that I’m so happy that I gave the story a second chance. Take a peek below and let me know if you agree or disagree. Or maybe, you read book 1 and after reading our thoughts, you’ll go on to book 2 and give the series a chance.

Series that started slow but progressively improved with each book-

Kara Gillian series by Diana Rowland

Book 1 was okay. You have a female protagonist that is nothing special. She’s unfit, and frankly, kinda boring. The first book is confusing with demon/summoning terminology and lots of police procedure lingo. I gave the book 5 stars but truthfully, I was very generous back then. I was surprised I made it to book 2. Book 1 was just so blah. About halfway through book 2, and I could see the story develop and the twists and turns hooked me. By book 3, I was in love. The story is unique, the twists continue to make me scream in disbelief. The characters are frustrating because they are not predictable but also scary, sexy and even demonically sweet (made up word alert). I find myself committed to the characters and the story until the end.

Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward

This is a surprise to me that I placed this series on this list because I am now at the breaking point with the entire series. So my choice for the book being one that starts slow but gets better seems illogical. However, you must understand that I’m at the breaking point at book 11. This means I’ve read 10 books in this series before I finally had enough. That is quite remarkable. With all the book choices I have, to read 10 books in the same series means something kept me interested. When I first started reading, I was indifferent. It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t good. It was at book 2 that I was hooked. I went out to the book store at 10pm so I could grab all the books in the series (at that time, about half of the books, up to book 5, were released). I loved the sex, the alpha hero that would do anything for his beloved. I adored the bond between the brothers in the Brotherhood and their snarky, playful attitude. In my brain, the series is over even if the books continue. It’s not like I don’t enjoy the books still, I’m just satisfied enough that I don’t want to ruin a good thing. AH: I’m a bit ambivalent towards this series. A few years ago I loved the Black Dagger Brotherhood but today I really don’t care if I read the next book in the series. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the books – I’m just sick of the talcum powder scented Keystone Cops bad guys. So silly that I skipped those parts entirely. D.G.:I’m ambivalent on this series as well. After reading the train wreck that was book 6, I haven’t been able to continue reading the series. I’ve tried several times and I just can’t seem myself to do it, specially when the books get longer and longer and there are so many POVs that the main couple barely has any time in the limelight.

Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews

This is another odd choice for me. Why? Because I cannot get past book 1. However, every person I know who has read past book 1, has fallen hard for the story. Don’t believe me? Keep reading below. AH: I agree with you on the Kate Daniels series. It is quite a complicated world and I didn’t understand why so many people loved the series. Then I read book 3 and fell in love with the characters. The Kate Daniels series is an auto-buy for me. Christal:I am in the minority in that I actually loved Book 1. I don’t think it is as strong as the books that follow, especially Books 3 and beyond, but it immediately drew me into Kate’s world. I absolutely love this series and like AH, have it as an auto-buy. D.G.: I had trouble getting into Kate’s character until I listened to the audio. For some reason, in print, she seemed a screaming byotch and I couldn’t stand her so I started the first book and couldn’t get past 50 pages but when I tried the audio, I realized she had a big mouth. Then I liked her and loved the books (all of them.) I rarely read series back to back and I inhaled all those books in a couple of weeks. I just couldn’t stop listening! Told you! Now if only I could get myself to read past blah book 1.

Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole

Oh Kresley Cole, you are a wicked little creature. You make me tilt my head in befuddlement, wondering where you are going with a story and questioning my sanity for reading your books. Then it happens. I’m addicted. I’m so addicted I’m stomping my feet in frustration since the next book is not released. I repeat this behavior after each book in the series and for this reason I love you. However, you must learn how to write faster. AH: I have a few of these books, but have not yet read them. I don’t know why. I just pass them by all the time. D.G.: A bounty of cheesy goodness!! I’m sort of divided here. I’m in love with the narration and that’s the only reason I’m still reading this series (I actually pre-order them as they come out.) But the books are so repetitive! The heroes sound all alike and the situations sometimes are very similar. If I didn’t love the audios so much, I wouldn’t continue reading. How funny. I keep thinking how different the characters turn out even though the storyline sometimes ends up like the previous books in the series.

Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon

Those horrible, horrible first 150 pages. Evil. Here is the deal, if you are going to try and read this series, you must promise to read through page 200 before you decide to continue or not. It took numerous attempts before I managed to break page 200 but once I did, my life changed. The Outlander series is my favorite all time series and Outlander is my favorite all time book. This is even though I hated the first 150 pages (you find out much later in the series that the first 100 plus pages are necessary but until then, you’ll have to trust me). This series has the greatest love story ever. It is also full of heart breaking emotion, anger, and intelligence. This is the book you want to read if you can think outside your normal love relationship. I’ve read every book in the series (ok listened to) and have the next book on email notice so I can download it the second it is released. AH: Nope, haven’t read it. The big blue book stares at me constantly. I think I am intimidated by the length of the book. I just don’t want to make a commitment to a chubby chunkster series. AH, please read it. It’s one of the best commitments you’ll ever make. D.G.: Completely love the series! But I’m not sure I recommend it to everybody. You sort of have to be into history and fantasy at the same time. I think if you like romance, fantasy, time travel, or historical novels, you’ll enjoy this book and series. I think the only group that wouldn’t enjoy it is people who prefer contemporary thrillers or espionage type novels.

Shifters series by Rachel Vincent

One of my all time favorite series even though I almost failed to finish book 1. This series not only starts off slow but paints Faythe, the main protagonist, in a horrible selfish, bitchy light. I could not figure out what the heck was the attraction since Faythe was so unpleasant. By the end of the first book, you understand. You also fall hard. I was so sad when the series ended. I love the family dynamics in the series. It also helps that it has humor, horror, suspense and plenty of sizzling men and hot moments. AH: Shifters by Rachel Vincent is one of my favorite shifters series. I know people hate the main character Faythe with a passion. She is self-absorbed and seems to have poor self-preservation skills. But if you look at the series’ timeline, all the events take place in a rather short span of time. Faythe does grow and mature and her choices do reflect a 22 years old’s thought processes. If you do read this series, make sure that you have books 4, 5, and 6 on hand and ready to read. There’s some serious action and cliffhangers in these book and they are well worth the read. I couldn’t agree with you more!

Series that I loved at the beginning but I can’t get myself to finish-

Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris

When I first started this series, I was so sucked into the world. I loved the characters, the storyline, the atmosphere, and the steam. I loved the horror elements and literally could not wait for the next book. Around book 9, I started seeing a pattern. The pattern became a rushed telling of a segment of the overall story. It was more of an over bloated chapter. It felt so incomplete like the author wanted to be over with this series but she had a contractional obligation to keep it going. The passion was long gone. AH: Agree with you on the Sookie Stackhouse series. At this point, I am ambivalent about the whole Sookie-verse. It didn’t help that someone posted a spoiler about the last book. That made me not want to read it at all. I also think that the TV series killed the books for me. Funny, huh? Christal : I’m hanging with Sookie until the end but I have to admit I’ve lost most of my joy about this series. Now it feels more like a duty to continue than actual enjoyment. I never got into the tv show. I am happy since I would have probably stopped this series earlier than I did. So just a general question, do you all think Charlaine Harris fell out of love with her own story and characters but continued due to obligations such as her contract? Her writing lacked the passion that it had in the beginning.

Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost

This is another strange selection for me in this category. The reason? This series is over for me but I will probably continue to read the rest of the books. However, I don’t think there should be more books. I have no animosity or disappointment over the later books. I just feel the spark is gone. I’m kind of disappointed because since Cat and Bones marriage, the excitement, drama and even the humor kind of went away. What does that say about me? That I find relationship conflict exciting? I hope not. AH: This series kind of died for me when Cat and Bones got married. I do like the spin off series – Night Huntress World because it focuses on Vlad Tepesh. Christal : I’m still chugging along with Cat and Bones but I have to admit the last few books haven’t been up to par. I’m also enjoying the Night Prince books with Vlad and Layla, but I still have hope that Cat and Bones will be redeemed. D.G.: I’m stuck on book 3 and have no desire to finish it at all.

House of Night series by P.C. Cast

What a horrible mess. That is how I’d sum up the progression from book 1 to book 10. I’m sorry but I don’t think mom and daughter (authors are a mother /daughter team) are working well with each other towards the later books. There is no logic behind character development. The characters are ridiculous in their behavior and frankly, the storyline is now unbelievable. This is sad since book 1 through book 3 were excellent. Christal : Ugh, just horrible. I tried to read these books because my mom and sister were, but I had to give up around Book 5. AH: I can’t believe that I made it to book 8 before I flung the books across the room and vowed no more. I can’t believe that these books are being read by middle school children. There are some really inappropriate scenes in those books. Plus Zoe got on my nerves. Book 8! I can’t believe you made it that far as well.

Psy-Changeling series by Nalini Singh

I just felt like this wonderfully unique storyline turned into wash, rinse, and repeat. Book 9 was so similar to the previous books and it discouraged me. In fact, for book 9, I wrote the following review: Boy likes girl. Girl likes boy. Boy is stupid boy, pisses off girl. Girl is stubborn girl, won’t forgive boy. Boy wins over girl. Girl and Boy are semi-happy but…. (spoiler- won’t say) Even with my dislike for book 9, I read book 10. I liked book 10 but I felt like the story was stuck in never finish land. I might give this a second chance when I know the end is in sight and I’m not just reading a story with no end. AH: I’m going to have to disagree on this series. I find the Psy-Changeling series quite addictive. I’m nowhere near finished the series, but I have the next few books sitting on a shelf waiting for me to pick them up. D.G.: I sooo disagree! I actually think this series has gotten better because the author found an overall story arc for the series. The first 3 books are very PNR with sort of very individual conflicts per book, but all that changed in book 4 and since then, there’s been a very good conflict involving the 3 races that has been growing. In book 8 or 9, Ms. Singh even managed to redeem a nasty character from one of the first books!! (I was in awe!) And book 10 was sooo freaking good! Has every book been super amazing? No, of course not but you feel there are at least 2 or 3 books left in the series to resolve all the issues – I’m all caught up…book 12 is releasing in June. Ok, I’m convinced. I’ll finish this series.

Series Worth Starting:

Experiment in Terror series by Karina Halle

I haven’t read this series so handing this off to AH. AH: This series is worthy of being a Badass Hidden Gem. It’s kind of hard to describe: it’s horror, a ghost story, urban fantasy, and maybe even a romance all rolled into one. The horror stuff is not gory scary, more dark shadow scary and the entire series is addictive. I’m excited to give this one a chance!

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

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The Badass Bulletin is our recap of everything that we posted on the blog last week and some of the most interesting things we saw around the web. We also give you guys a peak into some of our newest book acquisitions so you can see what reviews might be featured in the future!

Reviews:

Last week we brought you reviews of:

• Tempest Reborn
• Gameboard of the Gods
• A Highland Werewolf Wedding
• Rising Darkness
• The Testing
• The Pirate’s Wish
• Tarnished
• The Forever of Ella and Micha

Last week’s features included a guest post by Tarnished and Silver author Rhiannon Held.

Giveaways:

We have one new giveaway going on this week. Enter here for a chance to win a copy of Tarnished or Silver by Rhiannon Held.

Coming This Week:

Coming up this week, we will have reviews of:

• Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
• The Boleyn King by Laura Andersen
• Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell
• Forever by Jacquelyn Frank

Our features this week include a Genre Book Showdown, Michelle’s best and worst series, DG’s life is too short post, and an interview from author Susan Elia MacNeal.

Book News and Announcements:

• Sookie Stackhouse, Duck Dynasty Top Bestseller List
• Community Bookstore to Open (Mostly) Used Bookstore
• After Google, Amazon to be grilled on UK tax presence
• Publisher Threatens to Sue Blogger for $1-Billion
• Is this the end of fiction’s genre wars?
• New Report Says Microsoft Won’t Buy Nook Media
• BEA Upbeat: Consumer Day, Live Streaming Plans
• Signs Point to June 3 Start for DoJ Price-Fixing Trial
• Penguin Attorneys Recycle Failed Arbitration Bid
• Here’s That Steve Jobs E-Book Email to James Murdoch
• Congratulations to the 2012 Nebula Award Winners

Author Updates:

• Watch John Green’s commencement speech: ‘Do not worry too much about your lawn’
• Strange Chemistry Signs Danielle Jensen
• Jaye Wells Start a Newsletter
• A Conversation with Leigh Bardugo + Siege and Storm Giveaway!
• Lisa Shearin shares: What I’ve been up to, and what I’ll be doing

Favorite Cover Reveals of the Week:

Highlights from the Blogosphere:

• 10 Biggest Book Adaptation Flops
• So You Think You Want to Be a Librarian?
• The 10 Worst Mothers in Books
• Marketing Tactics for Authors
• How to judge readers and alienate people
• Book Babble: Reading Fraud
• Writing Reviews: Some Guidelines and Suggestions (There are No Absolute Rules)
• Blacklisted Authors: Will you read them?

Our New and Exciting ARCS, Purchases, and Library Books:

Freebie and Cheapie Finds:

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

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The Forever of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen
Book #2 in The Secret series
Genre: New Adult Romance

Christal’s Review - 4 Skulls – A-

I was initially wary of this book because I felt The Secret of Ella and Micha ended on a very good note, but Jessica Sorensen proved my doubts wrong.  The Forever of Ella and Micha focuses more deeply on Ella and Micha truly dealing with their issues and becoming more stable as people.  Ella especially made huge strides in dealing with her past pain and coming to terms with what she out of the future.  Of course the romance was stellar as always, but Ms. Sorensen created a fascinating character study in this novel as well.

Ella deserves a lot of credit in The Forever; she realizes that she still has a lot of issues and tries to correct them.  She doesn’t always go about things in the best way, but her heart is always in the right place.  She sees how her father entered into a downward spiral when her mother started having issues and she doesn’t want that to happen to Micha if she inherits her mother’s disease. She recognizes that no matter how much she loves Micha, she needs to work on herself first and to learn to stand on her own two feet.  She slows the relationship down to a pace she is more comfortable with and gradually works on becoming happier with her life.  As she personally grows and accepts her past, she is able to move forward in her relationship with Micha and become the partner he truly deserves.

Micha has a few problems of his own that he deals with in this novel, mainly revolving around his absentee father, but his main role is keeping Ella grounded and reminding her that they belong together.  He doesn’t let her run away from her feelings or decide what is best for him.  He knows he is best when he’s with Ella and he won’t let her leave him out of some misplace sense of protection.  He knows that his relationship with Ella is different from her parents’ and he won’t let them end in the same situations.  Micha does have some problems with his drinking in The Forever, but for Ella he will change anything.  Micha is an overall better person when he has Ella and he helps her to enjoy life and realize how special she really is.

The book wouldn’t be complete without Ethan and Lila.  They were both wonderful in this book, sweet and supportive as well as passing out some straight talk.  They, more than anyone else, realize that Ella and Micha have something really special and they do everything in their power to make them see that.  They are both amazing friend to both Ella and Micha and the foursome have become an inseparable family.  I’m super excited to read their story because they definitely belong together!

The Forever of Ella and Micha really cemented the strength of Ella and Micha’s love.  I truly believe they will be together forever and that they can survive anything that comes their way.  Ms. Sorensen has created another touching and emotional read that will leave you on the verge of tears at times and make your heart soar at others.  I really enjoy her new adult romances and look forward to perusing more of her back catalogue soon.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for providing an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:
1. The Secret of Ella and Micha
2. The Forever of Ella and Micha
3. The Temptation of Lila and Ethan (Expected publication: October 22nd 2013)

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

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Tarnished by Rhiannon Held
Book #2 in the Silver series
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Christal’s Review – 5 Skulls – A+

I found Rhiannon Held’s debut novel, Silver, to be a wonderful and enthralling read.  Tarnished definitely lives up to its predecessor’s success and solidified Silver and Dare as one of the best mated pairs in urban fantasy!  I highly recommend this book to urban fantasy fans and am already jonesing for another dose of Ms. Held’s world.

Tarnished finds Silver and Dare mostly healed from their physical injuries in the previous book, but they are still trying to overcome their emotional and mental scars.  The first item they decide to tackle is finding a pack to belong to.  Dare has decided that he wants to challenge for leadership of the Roanoke pack because he feels their current leader Rory is not protecting his wolves like he should.  In order to challenge Rory, Dare knows he needs allies so he and Silver travel to Seattle to petition for aid from the Western packs.  Things don’t go as smoothly as expected, and Dare finds himself challenged by many enemies from his past on his way to building a new future for his mate.  Silver also finds that she has to prove herself to everyone as they see her as broken and not the strong alpha she truly is.  She must not only prove and protect herself, but must also protect Dare in ways only she can.  Together, they must defeat their enemies and help bring peace to the unsettled werewolf packs of North America.

While Silver was more about Silver and Dare finding one another and saving themselves, Tarnished is about the two of them finding their place in the world and saving the werewolf community.  The main plot conflicts had broader implications for the world than the debut, but the challenges Dare and Silver had to face still felt very personal.  The writing was on point as always and filled to the brim with emotion.  I love the relationship between Silver and Dare and the natural banter that they have.  Since they are both natural alphas, it was good to see them finding their way together and I really enjoyed the scenes were they were nurturing and supporting other wolves.  While this book did focus a lot on werewolf politics, it never felt dull.  I enjoyed seeing more of how Ms. Held’s werewolves policed themselves and how rules and decisions were made.  The action scenes were nicely spaced out and each one was very thrilling and well-written. The second half of the book was especially well-done and from there on, I didn’t put this book down once until the end.

Dare and Silver have so much character growth in this novel, both separately and as a couple.  Dare’s past comes back to haunt him in a big way in Tarnished, and it was heartwarming to see Silver support him no matter what.  Dare learns what self-sacrifice truly means and puts to rest some of the demons from his past.  He has developed into a strong, supportive leader that genuinely wants to carry the weight of people on his shoulders.  Silver was amazing in this book!  She is such a strong character without being very outwardly physical.  Ms. Held created a true gem when she dreamed Silver up.  Silver uses people’s’ perceptions of her fragility against them and never lets them forget her inner core of strength again.  She is smart and insightful and dedicated to the end.  She and Dare compliment each other wonderfully and make for an amazingly strong pair of mated alphas.

One minor character from Silver came to the forefront of this book and really shone.  Susan, Seattle pack leader John’s human girlfriend, was an absolute delight and the perfect plot device for helping the reader organically learn more about the werewolf world.  She was strong in her own right, human or wolf, and carved out a niche in the werewolf world.  Ms. Held’s world building leaves no magical bite to turn Susan werewolf, but she didn’t let that deter her.  She refused to be pushed out of her son and John’s lives and proved to everyone that she was a dominant and valuable member of the pack.  I absolutely loved her pluck and hope that we see more of her in future books.

Tarnished was a wonderful read and provided detailed and believable growth for all its characters.  I think this is one of the most fascinating werewolf worlds on the market today and hope that Ms. Held has many, many more books planned in this series.  Both books have been single day reads for me and I can’t imagine any book in the future being different.  I think any urban fantasy reader would enjoy this series, but I think they will especially appeal to the werewolf story reader that is looking for a grounded series with unique and well-developed characters.  Two very enthusiastic thumbs up!

Thank you to Tor Books for providing a print galley of this book!

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:
1. Silver
2. Tarnished

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BadassBookReviews is so pleased to have Rhiannon Held stopping by the blog today.  Rhiannon is the author of Silver, a werewolf urban fantasy that just so happens to be one of our most pleasant surprise finds from last year.  Silver tells the story of Andrew Dare, werewolf enforcer, and Silver, a beautiful werewolf that has lost her ability to shift.  Originally, I thought Silver was going to be a standalone novel so I was absolutely delighted to hear about the upcoming release of Tarnished.  In Tarnished, Rhiannon takes us back into Dare and Silver’s world and shows how they are both dealing with the events of the first book.  Come back later today for our early review!  Rhiannon has agreed to talk a little bit about her creation of Silver and how she incorporated her inability to shift into her character.  Tarnished releases on May 21st; keep reading for your chance to win a copy or you can currently pre-order it from your favorite retailer!

The thought process behind Silver and her inability to shift

by

Rhiannon Held

When I got this question, I definitely had to stop and think for a while. I never had a female werewolf character in my head that I one day said, “Aha!  She should be unable to shift!” Silver was always Silver, and everything about her silver metal poisoning informed her fundamental identity, including the inability to shift. It wasn’t separate from the rest. Taken together, though, I think the challenges she faces make her compelling in a couple of ways, which is why I was inspired to create her.

For one thing, Silver’s poisoning—as she discovers herself—isn’t only about what she lost, but also about what she gained. If not for the poisoning, she wouldn’t have visions (or hallucinations) and the unique perspective on the world they give her. Without that perspective, a story can be become just a dry recitation of events. She sees the world differently. Often that can make her understand it in a new way, and then share that understanding with the other characters and the reader. But you don’t gain a new perspective for free. Wisdom often comes most strongly from the most painful events.

I also wrote Silver as I did to remind us that we all feel a little crazy sometimes—and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s easy, when everyone around you is looking at you sideways with exasperation, to discount your emotions as irrational, or oversensitive. Silver is full-on crazy, and people openly stare at her with suspicion and pity. But instead of working to fit herself into their perspective on the world, their assumptions about how she should see things, she learns instead how to deal with her weaknesses, and accomplish everything she wants to despite them. She owns her crazy.

I did make one explicit choice when creating Silver: I decided a ways into the process to give her a dead arm. I did it because I was getting so tired of seeing strong urban fantasy heroines who bought into the idea that strength was defined purely by muscular power. Sure, she could spinning roundhouse kick enemies into submission, but what about intelligence? What about cunning? What about things that would resonate with young women with a ton of brains but not necessarily a ton of muscles? So I gave Silver a physical weakness as well, since my Weres are stronger and faster than humans even in their human forms. I didn’t want her kicking evil into submission, I wanted her to think, and plan, and gather allies, and use clever tricks, and weapons, and the element of surprise, and everything else she could think of. If she found her enemy, shifted and tore his throat out, the end, that’s (a) a very short novel—heck, even too short for a short story!—and (b) no kind of hero’s journey at all.

It’s especially fun to write this post for the second book in the series, Tarnished, because it covers another aspect of Silver’s journey in dealing with her weaknesses that I think often gets forgotten in some stories. Every good hero has to overcome weaknesses within him or herself, but when they’ve countered their inner (or outer) demons and saved the day, someone often tries to hand them the crown to the kingdom (or urban fantasy equivalent). You’re so heroic, be our leader! Now, usually this is our hero’s cue to demur, because they haven’t quite conquered all of their inner demons yet, and they don’t have the self-confidence to accept. But what if the hero is ready to be the leader, but all the subjects still recall all those pesky demons of hers? Would they really want to be led by her? That’s Silver’s situation. People are suspicious of her, and her strange perspective and inability to shift. In the first book, she came to terms with her own weaknesses, and in the second, she has to prove to everyone else that those weaknesses don’t stop her from doing what needs to be done. A different process, but equally as difficult!

** A big thank you again to Rhiannon Held for that insight into Silver and her upcoming release, Tarnished.  Remember, it releases on May 21st and is definitely worth the read.  Come back for our early review later today and check out our review of the series debut, Silver, here! **

Giveaway

Use the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win a copy of Tarnished or Silver in the format of your choice.  International entries are welcome as long as Book Depository ships to your country.  Winner will be contacted on 24 May, 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Rhiannon Held was born in Minnesota but moved to the Pacific Northwest young enough that she imprinted there instead. She got her MA in archaeology from Washington State University, and her current day job is as a professional archaeologist. Unfortunately, given that it’s real rather than fictional archaeology, fedoras, bullwhips, aliens, and dinosaurs are in short supply. Most of her work is done on the computer, using databases to organize data, and graphics programs to illustrate it.  Her novel SILVER, the first book in an urban fantasy series from Tor, released June 5, 2012. The second, TARNISHED, will be out in 2013.

Comments, questions, suggestions, or other miscellanea? Email her at contact(at)rhiannonheld.com

Find Rhiannon Held on the web:
Book Page//Website//Twitter//Facebook

Book Description

Experience the romance and danger of running with the werewolves in this urban fantasy

Andrew Dare has found his mate in Silver, but they haven’t found the pack they can call home. Some of his old friends think he should return and challenge Roanoke for leadership of all the werewolf packs on the East Coast. But Andrew has baggage—his violent history with the packs of Spain and the rumors of his lack of control. And then there’s Silver—the werewolf who has lost her wild self to a monster’s assault, and who can no longer shift forms. But perhaps together they can overcome all the doubters.

The second book in this wonderful urban fantasy series plunges readers into the world of the shape-shifter packs who live hidden among us.

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Early Review: The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
Book 1 in The Testing Series
Release date: June 4, 2013
Book provided by NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

AH’s Review – 4 Skulls – A-

The Testing takes place in a world ravaged by the aftermath of war and a series of natural disasters. Resources are limited: a university education is a highly coveted prize. Each year a group of the most talented students are chosen to compete in The Testing for one of the twenty available spots. The competition is ruthless and many candidates succumb to the pressure. Others are not so lucky: their mistakes carry a higher cost – their lives.

Cia Vale is from the Five Lakes Colony. When she and four others from her small town are chosen to compete in The Testing, she is very excited. Her family does not share her enthusiasm. Her father had been through The Testing years ago and he does not have any memories of the selection process. Cia, along with her friends, is taken by skimmer to the capital city of Tosu where they will be tested.

At first the tests seem innocuous: general knowledge exams in which Cia and her friends from Five Lakes Colony do well. As the testing progresses, a more sinister side becomes apparent. The competition becomes more brutal. Failure to complete a test correctly can results in pain or dismemberment or even death.

Then comes phase two. This is where the candidates are dropped off into the wilderness and told to find a way back to Tosu. This is where the book becomes very “Hunger Games-ish.” Cia and Tomas vow to work together to find their way back.

I think that I really enjoyed the second half of the book. The pacing was action packed and you never really knew what obstacle would be thrown in Cia and Tomas’ way. I adored Cia and Tomas The romance between these two was tender and sweet. I loved how they took care of each other. Cia and Tomas are the MacGyvers of this world. Give Cia a box of nuts and bolts and other assorted junk and that girl will fashion a bicycle. Cia was so smart and resourceful. I also liked that she had strong morals and did not resort to the dirty tricks that the other candidates used.

As I read this book, I couldn’t help but think why a society would have only twenty spots for a university education. Surely a society ravaged by war and all sorts of environmental disasters would want to keep all of its most promising students and leadership candidates rather than killing them off in some ridiculous testing program. This is the part where I just had to suspend belief and just keep reading.

The Testing is a solid start to the series. The next book The Testing: Independent Study is expected to be published January 7, 2014. If you’d like to get a sample of this author’s writing, there is a free prequel available called The Testing Guide. This short story gives an overview of the world and also includes the first 3 chapters of The Testing.

Rating:  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:

1. The Testing Guide (prequel) – available for free download here (not necessary to read this, it gives a taste of the world).
2. The Testing
3. The Testing: Independent Study – January 7, 2014

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for a review copy of this book.

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Early Review: The Pirate’s Wish by Cassandra Rose Clarke
Book 2 in The Assassin’s Curse series
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Book provided by NetGalley and Angry Robot

AH’s Review – 4 Skulls – A-

Pirates, Manticores, Magic – how can you go wrong with that? Part II of The Assassin’s Curse was an action packed, exhilarating read.

Fans of Cassandra Rose Clarke’s The Assassin’s Curse will be very happy to hear that the sequel The Pirate’s Wish is even more exciting than the first book. The Pirate’s Wish starts off right after the events of The Assassin’s Curse. Naji the cursed assassin must complete three impossible tasks to rid himself of his curse. He and Ananna are marooned on the ever-changing Isle of Sky. To add to their troubles, a hungry man-eating manticore has escaped and is looking to make Naji into her next meal. But first, the curse must be removed.

There is so much to love about this book and this series. The world is enthralling and so original. The author has expertly crafted a diverse magical world full of intriguing characters and mythical creatures. The magic is so interesting – part dark and foreboding, part life giving. This is also a love story, although the main characters do take a circuitous route to love. The love story is not heavy on the romance, but nice just the same. In the same vein, there is also a same sex relationship as well.

The journey taken by Naji, Ananna, and the ever resourceful Marjani and their crew was incredible. Pirate ship battles, interesting metallic weapons, talking sharks – all sorts of magic – they really must make this series into a movie soon.

I loved the characters. I think that the manticore won my heart. Frightening, imposing, hungry, yet child-like in her perceptions, the manticore was also very calculating. I loved how she attached herself to Ananna and kind of became her “pet” (or was it the other way around?)
Ananna was a little more difficult to like in this book. Yes, she is going through a lot of things and she does have a bit more than a crush on the very oblivious Naji, but she kind of grated on my nerves just a little. Marjani was one of my favorite characters – so cool, so skilled. I loved her relationship with Queen Saida.

If you enjoy swash-buckling adventure, The Pirate’s Wish is a lot of fun to read. Really, pirates, magic, treasure – how can you go wrong?

Rating:  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:

1. The Assassin’s Curse
2. The Pirate’s Wish (June 4, 2013)

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for a review copy of this book.

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Rising Darkness by Thea Harrison

D.G.’s Rating: 3 skulls = B-

I’m being very generous with this rating. Rising Darkness was one of those books with an over complicated plot and a pretentious prose that seemed to shout “Look at me! Am I not clever?” The first half was maddening and boring by stages and I was tempted to dnf it many times. The second half was more exciting and clarified many things but I’m not sure it made up for the terrible beginning.

Mary has always felt like something is missing in her life. Lately, something seems to be wrong but she doesn’t know what it is.  She’s always had weird recurring dreams that disturb her and they seem to be getting more vivid. Then a chance meeting with a psychic and a cry for help open her up to a world she cannot believe existed.

It takes Mary a loooong time to belief what’s going on. A really long time. Even after all sorts of crazy stuff happens to her, she keeps thinking she’s crazy. I think Ms. Harrison wanted the reader to be as confused as Mary and sympathize with her disbelief, which could have worked if the story had been told in the first person and we only knew what Mary knew. However, this book is written in the third person and there are several other POVs including that of Michael, an old woman, the villain plus some confusing dreams with extravagant descriptions that seemed to go on and on. Instead of making the story mysterious, it was annoying to have all these people be so vague for no recognizable purpose.

Once Mary and Michael are together (at around the halfway point) and the reader gets some answers, there were some good parts. I was really touched by Michael’s reaction when he confronted what happened in their previous lifetime. The end was exciting so there’s a big chance the next book in the series will be significantly better.

If you have read Thea Harrison before, please be warned that this book is darker than her Elder Races series. Terrible stuff happens to innocent people and this may make some readers squirm. Things are not completely resolved at the end. The book doesn’t end in a cliffhanger but the story is more of a “Round 1″ where combatants inflict enough damage that they have to retreat to their corners and regroup.

I recommend readers to wait until the next book is out to see if the series is worth the effort (I read somewhere that this will be a duology…not sure if this is true though.) If the second book is sensational, then you can gird your loins to suffer through the first half of Rising Darkness because you’ll be sure to get a big payoff.

D.G.’s Rating:  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Order
1. Rising Darkness
2. Falling Light (coming Feb 1, 2014)

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Early Review: Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead
Book 1 in Age of X series
Release date: June 4, 2013
Book provided by Edelweiss and Dutton

AH’s Review – 4 Skulls – A-

Gameboard of the Gods is something entirely different from author Richelle Mead. No vampires, no succubi, no fae. Instead, the reader is treated to a fast-paced mystery thriller with some supernatural elements.

The world is intriguing: a sort of post-apocalyptic world devastated by a virus that wiped out half the population. The remaining survivors suffer from all sorts of genetic woes: poor fertility, asthma, damaged hair and skin. In this world, organized religion is banned. Only state approved religion and churches are allowed to exist. The state is the higher authority.

On a more sinister side, genetic manipulations have been made in order to counteract the effects of the virus. Each citizen is given a genetic rating based upon their genetic background. The higher the number, the more likely that person could reproduce a genetically healthy offspring.

The story focuses upon two characters. Mae is a Praetorian, an elite soldier with a special implant that gives her speed and strength. Mae does have a dark side to her, and it is quite scary. Justin is a Servitor who has lived in exile in the south. Justin has a few demons of his own, and he hears the voices of two ravens in his head. (loved them!) Mae and Justin are assigned to solve a serial murder that appears to be ritualistic and occurs every full moon.

I really enjoyed this story, probably because Vancouver was the capital of the Republic of North America. It’s so much fun to see my hometown in books! I found the world absolutely fascinating, especially how the state tried to thwart religion and replace it with its own authority. I loved how the author incorporated folklore about the gods into the narrative.

Gameboard of the Gods is a solid start to an original series. Fans of Richelle Mead’s adult books would enjoy this book. My only criticism and it is minor – I was left wanting more! I can’t wait for the next book which does not yet have a publication date.

Check out the author’s webpage for more information on Gameboard of the Gods. She has a glossary of terms, and all sorts of background information here.

Rating:  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Thank you to Edelweiss and Dutton for a review copy of this book.

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New Release Review: A Highland Werewolf Wedding by Terry Spear
Book 11 in Heart of the Wolf series
Book provided by NetGalley and Sourcebooks
Release date: May 7, 2013

AH’s Review – 4 Skulls – A-

I know that I’m in for a treat whenever I pick up one of Terry Spear’s books. Think about it: highlanders, sexy werewolves in kilts, castles, pirate treasure, even a ghost – how can you go wrong?

A Highland Werewolf Wedding can be read as a standalone book, but it is book 11 in the authors Heart of the Wolf series. It is a testament to the author’s writing skill that a reader can skip around the series, reading it completely out of order, and still enjoy each book. I never felt like I missed anything by skipping around this series and I still plan to read the entire series. It would make a great summer “read by the pool” read.

I know that some people don’t like the “love at first sight” trope, but it just seems to work with werewolves. Blame it on the wolf, blame it on the mating instinct – I can easily buy the raw, animal emotion that screams out “Mine!” and “Mate!” when werewolves are involved. I also love the fact that the wolves inside the humans get intrigued first, then the human side follows. I think that this type of attraction works, especially when an accidental meeting sparks that mating instinct.

And whoa, these two are hot together! I loved the main characters. Cearnach is such an alpha male: strong, protective, confident, smart – and he looks amazing in a kilt. He exudes masculinity and has a patient and caring side. Elaine is beautiful and strong willed. She too is an alpha wolf and I loved how she “protects” Cearnach and stands up to his mother. She is a perfect match for Cearnach. I think I enjoyed this couple the most when they roamed the countryside as wolves. The author captures their animal side so well down to every detail. The reader is treated to the sights, sounds, and smells from a wolf’s point of view. Fascinating.

The supporting cast of characters was interesting as well. I loved the camaraderie of the MacNeill clan of wolves, how they were able to protect each other and then joke and play together. There’s even a ghost living in the castle! Flynn was quite the mischievous ghost. Yup, you can’t have an old highland castle without a ghost.

Ms. Spear writes very entertaining werewolf stories. I can always count on her books for some sexy werewolf times. I’ve now added the remaining books in the series to my summer reading list. I can’t wait to catch up on this series.

Rating:  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:

1. Heart of the Wolf
2. Destiny of the Wolf
3. To Tempt the Wolf
4. Legend of the White Wolf
5. Seduced by the Wolf
6. Wolf Fever
7. Heart of the Highland Wolf
8. Dreaming of the Wolf
9. A SEAL in Wolf’s Clothing
10. A Howl for a Highlander
11. A Highland Werewolf Wedding
12. A SEAL for Christmas – coming October 1, 2013
13. Silence of the Wolf – coming February 4, 2014

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for a review copy of this book.

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Christal’s Review - 4 Skulls – B+

Tempest Legacy still reigns supreme as my favorite Jane True book, but Tempest Reborn was a nice end to a compelling series.  This book is packed with action and some nice scenes between Jane and Anyan, but it did get a little convaluted with all the alchemy and mythology explanations.  I found my self skimming over these sections so that I could get back to the main story faster.  Most of the explanatory sections were towards the beginning of the book so the last half was definitely a smoother, quicker read.  While I am sad to see the series end, I think Ms. Peeler did a good job of wrapping up her storyline while still keeping the characters true to themselves. 

Anyan has been taken over by the white dragon and Jane will do anything in her power to get him back.  She still also has to stop Morrigan, aka the Red, and her forces, as well as helping the humans, halflings, and supes learn to work together.  The issue with Anyan is solved fairly quickly in this book, but the majority is dedicated to taking down the Red.  Jane and her friends find help from numerous unexpected places and have their work cut out for them in deciphering ancient texts.  It takes everyone working together as a team to beat back Morrigan, but it takes a one lone sacrifice to truly bring her down.  The only question is, who will be the sacrifice?

Jane acted like a true champion in Tempest Reborn, standing strong and doing what needed to be done.  She was still funny and a little bit flighty but she didn’t shirk her duties or turn her back on anyone.  Even when it hurt and all wanted to do was hide, she still stepped up to the plate and lead.  Anyan’s role was a bit smaller than in other books, but he was the same hunky puppy as always.  Ryu really shone in this book!  I was never his biggest fan, but here he proved me wrong.  He was loyal and supportive and was really there for Jane when she needed him in a completely platonic way.  I’m glad to see that they have finally reached a point where they can be friends.  The creature that Jane has a mental connection with was still in this book and helped to ground some of the stranger moments… like when the Universe decides to talk through Grizzie… yeah…  Anyways, the creature gets a thumbs up!  Almost everyone is back in this book including Iris, Caleb, Nell, Daoud, and Trill.  Nyx is even makes an appearance towards the end.  It was a good send off for each of the characters.

It’s tough to lose a good series, but I think Ms. Peeler did a good job of pacing her books and ended things at an appropriate place.  She didn’t drag them out too long, nor did she short-change any of the storylines.  I like the place that we leave Jane and  Anyan at; it was believable and actually felt organic to the characters and their relationship.  Though it does hurt to lose Jane, I applaud Ms. Peeler for creating a satisfying and believable end to her story with Tempest Reborn. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for providing an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:
1. Tempest Rising
2. Tracking the Tempest
3. Tempest Legacy
4. Eye of the Tempest
5. Tempest Fury
6. Tempest Reborn

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The Badass Bulletin is our recap of everything that we posted on the blog last week and some of the most interesting things we saw around the web. We also give you guys a peak into some of our newest book acquisitions so you can see what reviews might be featured in the future!

Reviews:

Last week we brought you reviews of:

• Binding Agreement (Just One Night Part 3) by Kyra Davis
• Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas
• Zenn Scarlett by Christian Schoon
• Dare You To by Katie McGarry
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• The Collector by Victoria Scott

Coming This Week:

Coming up this week, we will have reviews of:

• Tempest Reborn by Nicole Peeler
• Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead
• A Highland Werewolf Wedding by Terry Spear
• The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
• The Pirate’s Wish by Cassandra Rose Clarke
• Tarnished by Rhiannon Held

Our features this week include a group review, a look at some of the best and worst series, and an author guest post from Rhiannon Held!

Book News and Announcements:

• Speculation: Microsoft to Buy Nook Media for $1bn? (via The Digital Reader)
• The Age asks “Could we scrap DRM?”
• Harlequin First Quarter Revenues Drop
• SYNC returns May 30th!  Register today!
• Marketplace Fairness Act Sails Through Senate
• Kindle Post Looks at the Upcoming Sci Fi and Fantasy Awards Season
• B&H Publishing Group Changes Fiction Strategy
• Tor Presents the Ultimate Urban Fantasy Sweepstakes
• World Book Night U.S. Brings 32% Jump In Sales

Author Updates:

• Congratulations Elizabeth Wein!  Code Name Verity named 2013 Edgar Award Winner!
• Paul Cornell’s Genre Identity Crisis
• Ilona Andrews’ Top Moments of RT13
• Suzanne Johnson Nominated for a Prism Award
• Arclight Author Josin McQuein on the Origins of Her Unusual SciFi Thriller

Favorite Cover Reveals of the Week:

 

Highlights from the Blogosphere:

• The Great Gatsby is an Alternate Timeline Where Jack Survived Titanic
• Celebrating Girl Power: Matilda
• The OCD of Picking a Book
• Twitter Etiquette
• What Readers “Owe” Authors – A Counterpoint
• 10 Fantasy Short Stories for the Non-Fantasy Fan
• 24symbols, the “Spotify for eBooks”, Gains an Investor And Signs a Worldwide Distribution Deal
• 2013 Locus Awards Finalists

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The Collector by Victoria Scott
Book #1 in the Dante Walker series
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Christal’s Review - 4 Skulls – A-

The Collector by Victoria Scott was FUN!  Yes, all capital letters fun!  Dante Walker is a bad boy with mad swag but underneath it all, he has a good heart.  Ms. Scott nailed his voice and she sprinkled heaps of humor throughout this novel.  It zipped along like lightning and constantly forbade me from putting it down.  If you’re looking for a fast read that will keep you entertained the entire time, The Collector is definitely worth a look!

Dante Walker is a soul collector and he’s the best one around.  He’s got the style, the looks, the skills, and the attitude to back up his talk.  If he takes your soul, it’s nothing personal.  He’s just doing his job.  Dante pretty much floats through his afterlife, moving up the undead ranks, until his Boss Man asks him to bring in Charlie Cooper’s soul.  Meeting Charlie brings another side of Dante to light and shows that he is more than the bad boy facade he constantly hides behind.  I really enjoyed being in Dante’s head.  He’s super snarky and tells it like it is.  He’s vain, self-obsessed, conceited, and sarcastic, but he backs that shit up, yo!  Dante has swag for days and his black Amex doesn’t hurt either.  While he starts out as an anti-hero and sometimes you might want to strangle him, he has massive amounts of character growth throughout the novel.  Ms. Scott kept the progression gradual; I found the changes Dante goes through to be believable without being too sudden.  I can’t wait to see if the events of this book affect Dante’s narrative in the next!

Charlie Cooper started out a little one-dimensional, the goofy nerd girl who is clumsy and unpopular, but then we started to learn more about her background.  Ms. Scott developed a nice back story for Charlie, almost shaping her into Dante’s mirror image, and Charlie really started to come alive.  She was a pure soul, genuinely concerned with others, and helpful simply because she wanted to.  Being around her made others want to help too, but because of her dorky appearance, she was a bit of an outcast.  Dante used this weakness to worm his way into her life and convinces her to change her appearance.  Though you hate him at first for taking advantage of poor Charlie, it is actually Dante who is changed by her in the end. 

On the same note, Charlie’s relationship with Dante was a little heartbreaking at the beginning because of how one-sided it was one her part, but it was nice to see how committed he was by the end.  I’m not 100% sold on the Charlie as the savior aspect, but I am intrigued enough to come back and see how it plays out.  I really enjoyed the dynamic between Charlie, Dante, and Charlie’s friends Annabelle and Blue.  Each had a strong personality and played off one another nicely.  I especially loved when they played basketball together and the night that they jetted off to Vegas.  Annabelle and Dante were particularly hilarious together.

Victoria Scott has created a winner with this series debut and an incredibly memorable character in Dante Walker.  While I absolutely loved reading The Collector, I cannot wait to see what Ms. Scott has up next.  I most definitely recommend this book to urban fantasy readers, YA and adult alike, who are searching for an interesting new world with a main character whose voice is unique, fully developed, and just overall made of win!

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Teen for providing an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:
1. The Collector
2. The Liberator (Expected publication: August 27th 2013)

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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
First Published: 1925
Genres: Classics, Literary Fiction
Available in Paperback, Ebook, Audiobook and Film

D.G.’s Rating: 5 skulls = A

The Great Gatsby is a masterpiece that chronicles the rise and fall of a man, during the excesses of the Roaring Twenties, the decade of Jazz and Prohibition. I read it for the first time 5 years ago and loved it, so I was ecstatic a the idea of reading it again. I’ve never read a book that managed such vivid descriptions in such sparse language. 

The Great Gatsby is a book with no heroes. All the characters are flawed and some of them are particularly horrible. For all his worldliness and money, Gatsby is a charming fool with a boyish idea of himself who got caught up in the idea of love and couldn’t let it go. Nick has ghosts of his own so he contented himself with being the observer and became Gatsby’s friend when it was already too late. Tom and Daisy were the worst of them all:

They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was the kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made…

Even though you may not care much for any of the characters, the story pulls you in until you want to know them all. There’s a certain melancholia about the narrative that warns you this is not a a love story gone wrong but something even worse: the terrible despair of lost dreams and the reality that sometimes, the villains get away with murder.

The descriptions of New York are timeless and they are still so true that as a New Yorker, I felt them deep in my heart. It’s as if Mr. Fitzgerald described something I always knew about the City but never could put into words:

The city seen from the Queenboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world.

If you read The Great Gatsby in high school but didn’t like it, I recommend you to give it another try as a an adult. It’s the kind of book that you may enjoy with the perspective of time and it’s simply so beautifully written that it deserves a second chance.

D.G.’s Rating =  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

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Early Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry
Book 2 in Pushing the Limits series
Book provided by NetGalley and Harlequin Teen
Release date: May 28, 2013

AH’s Review – 4 Skulls – A

Dare You To was one of those books that just kept compelling me to read. I could not put it down. I loved how the author captured the voice of her main characters Beth and Ryan. I really didn’t remember Beth from Pushing the Limits. All I remember was that she was kind of nasty to Echo. OK, she was a bitch. So when I heard that Dare to You was focused on Beth, I was a little curious about her story. I mean, how could you base a story on someone so strung out as Beth? Does she even have a story? As I started the book, I was struck by how difficult it was to like Beth, or to feel any affinity for her. Once the events of her past and her dysfunctional relationship with her mother are revealed, it was easier to feel for her.

Oh, and let’s talk about Ryan for a moment. I think every girl needs a guy like Ryan. Ryan is the perfect son, good looking, a jock, good in school, and a gentleman. Ryan is surrounded by a nice group of friends and seems to be the polar opposite of Beth. Ryan’s entire life has been plotted out by his father who lives vicariously through Ryan’s baseball accomplishments. His parents even recommend a girlfriend for Ryan for appearances sake – the evil and conniving Gwen.

This book took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. I was shocked by what Beth had to endure with her alcoholic and drug dependent mother. As I read the book, I often wondered who the parent was. I mean, what kind of parent would allow their child to be arrested for their own crime? I was perplexed by Beth’s need to “rescue” her mother from her abusive boyfriend. The role reversal was astounding as Beth took on a caretaker/parent role for her mother as early as 8 years of age, cooking, cleaning, and paying bills – a huge burden for a young child. I couldn’t understand why she thought she could save her mother, but kudos to her for trying.

I loved how Beth and Ryan’s relationship progressed. It always seemed like one step forward and two steps back. Ryan was intrigued by Beth – she always said what was on her mind, and usually what she said was completely unexpected. Beth has difficulty trusting anyone but herself and she could not accept help from others. And in yet another role reversal – Ryan is the one waiting for his special girl.

This is another great book by author Katie McGarry. It may not appeal to everyone, but it is a compelling read. Beth may not be easy to like, but she grows on you. If you enjoy young adult contemporary romance, this book may be for you.

Rating:  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:

1. Pushing the Limits
2. Dare You To (release date – May 28, 2013)
3. Crash Into You (release date – November 26, 2013)

Crossing the Line (1.5) novella

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for a review copy of this book.

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Zenn Scarlett by Christian Schoon
Book #1 in the Zenn Scarlett duology
Genre: YA Science Fiction

Christal’s Review - 3 Skulls – B-

Zenn Scarlett was a cute and fun read, but the story did feel a little disjointed at times.  There was a lot going on and it didn’t really come together until the end, making the middle feel a little meandering.  Overall, the characters and the original premise were enough to overcome the shaky plot and make this an enjoyable read.

The world building in this novel was wonderful.  I loved learning about all the different lifeforms and seeing the different medical issues they had.  The cloister life was well-developed and the tension between them and the “towners” was stressful and believable.  I liked the inclusion of politics between Earth and Mars as well.  Mr. Schoon’s world was vividly created and I cannot wait to see what creatures he introduces in the next book.

I really like Zenn.  She was very smart and tenacious.  She was a little naive, having lived in the cloister her whole life, and it made her too trusting sometimes.  Her uncle Otha was interesting as well, but my favorite was probably the cloister sexton Hamish.  He’s a bug-like alien that has come to learn and help around the cloister.  Liam was pretty obviously shifty from the very beginning, but I liked his redemption at the end.  I am looking forward to learning more about Zenn’s parents in the next book.  I absolutely loved Zenn’s rikkaset Katie and wish I could have my own!

The plot was mainly a “day in the life” story until about the last third.  We learn about Zenn and Otha and their life at the cloister.  We see the different alien animals they are in charge of and how they take care of them.  We learn about their relationship with the “towners” and how there is a political rift between Earth and Mars.  It was all interesting though not particularly engaging.  I was waiting for a true angle to develop, some mystery or interesting twist.  We are fed threads of possible sabotage at the cloister and Zenn’s strange connection to the animals, but it took a while for those threads to really develop.  The last third of this novel was well-done and provided many answers.  It gave this duology a direction and showed us what was really behind the story. 

Though this book did suffer from first-book syndrome, I think it created an intriguing platform for the next in the series.  It seems like the next book will have more action and interesting reveals and I can’t wait to see what is really going on with Zenn, her family, and the political heavy weights of this science fiction world.

Thank you to Strange Chemistry for providing an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠ 

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Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas

D.G.’s Rating: 3 skulls = B-

Lisa Kleypas has been one of my favorite authors for a long, long time. I don’t think she walks on air and I’ve certainly not loved everything she’s written but I can’t remember the last time I was so disappointed by one of her books. While reading Crystal Cove, I was in disbelief that a writer known for her romantic love stories and great character/plot development would write a book with an insta-love trope and plot holes the size of tanks. I ended up rating it 3 skulls (barely) because the denouement was surprising, even if it was a tad convenient.

At the beginning of Crystal Cove, Justine finds out she’s been cursed against heartbreak and as such, she can’t fall in love. As a natural born witch, she decides to break the curse, even though she hasn’t had any training and has been warned not to even look at a particular spell in the book she owns. (Because warning people not do something is a sure-fire way to make sure they don’t do it.)

Jason shows up in Friday Harbor with the apparent purpose to close a business deal. However, he has other (nefarious) plans in mind, involving Justine. She has something he wants and he will stop at nothing to get it.

After Justine breaks the curse, they both feel this pull that tells them that they are meant for each other, forever and ever. Even though Jason came up as sort of creepy and manipulative in their first two encounters, Justine is quickly bedazzled by who knows what. But they find out that breaking the curse has terrible consequences for them both – this is of course, ANOTHER curse, called the witch’s bane.

The witch’s bane makes absolutely no sense. Natural Selection tells us that anything that makes a species difficult to reproduce will result in extinction so I didn’t get why there were so many witches around. Also, it seems this curse doesn’t apply to same sex couples. (A man hating curse!) The witches make a show of being close to nature so it was unbelievable that a precept of their covenant perverted the cycle of creation.

The whole witchcraft angle was really weird. They didn’t seem to be any purpose to them besides doing parlor tricks. All their supposed power demanded a price but they really didn’t do anything of importance. All they did was talk pagan and eat organic. What’s the point of being a witch if that’s all they did!

I had so many other issues with Crystal Cove. Jason’s problem, which was super convoluted and strange; how Justine seemed to know next to nothing about witchcraft even though she grew up with a witch for a mother; why she owned such a powerful book of spells when she wasn’t a practicing witch, how said book was supposedly tied to the owner but how other witches were able to use it; how Justine’s estranged mother makes only one appearance to conveniently play the villain. I could go and on.

One of the few intriguing parts of the book was Jason’s Japanese ancestry. This was the one thing about him that seemed real because it permeated different aspects of his personality. Otherwise, I really didn’t care for the caricature of the brilliant but recluse billionaire.

If this series continues with the witches’ angle, I’ll stop reading it. Not because I have anything against witches or magic (I read pretty much everything) but because the premise is just too flawed in my eyes. Books I read need to make sense in some level, and when they don’t, I just have to let them go.

Series Order:
1. Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor
2. Rainshadow Road
3. Dream Lake
4. Crystal Cove

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Early Review: Binding Agreement – Just One Night Part 3 by Kyra Davis
Book 3 in Just One Night series
Release date: May 20, 2013
Book provided by Edelweiss and Pocket Star

AH’s Review – 2.5 Skulls – C

Out of the frying pan, and into the fire…

Binding Agreement is the third and last installment of Kyra Davis’ Just One Night series. The book was a short and quick read for me. I’m finding that my personal preference would have been to have read this series as one book rather than waiting for each short novella to be published. Had it been one book, I would have found the series to be more cohesive.

Binding Agreement continues right where the second book leaves off. Kasie now has to deal with the repercussions of her relationship with Robert Dade:

“I thought that when I broke up with my controlling fiancé, Dave, I would become the master of my own life. But now it’s just another version of the same thing. Dave controlled me with guilt and shame, even fear. Robert controls me with a kiss.”

She is promoted to a supervisory position after her supervisor was dismissed for sexual harassment. Her work relationships suffer because of Robert’s influence and meddling. Everyone in her office knows that she is sleeping with Robert.

Kasie irritated me. I grew tired of her voice. She got everything she wanted yet she still came across as whiny and self-absorbed. Of course it is hard for people to take you seriously if you sleep your way up to the top. I was also surprised by how similar Dave(ex-fiancé) and Robert were. Both sought to control Kasie. Where Dave was downright mean, Robert had more finesse and controlled aspects of Kasie’s personal and business life.

One of the more interesting characters in this series had to be Asha. Asha was career oriented to the point of ruthlessness. She challenged Kasie every step of the way. The one thing I liked about Asha was that she never felt any guilt or remorse for her actions whereas Kasie would agonize about everything. I’d love to see a book about Asha in the future.

Robert’s character put me off, which kind of surprised me. What girl doesn’t want a knight in shining armor to come and rescue her from her dull existence? What is with all of these stunningly gorgeous and sexy billionaires in all of these romance novels? It’s as if the earth revolves around them and not the sun. I’m not so sure that I would enjoy a relationship with a man that tried to control me and everything in my life the way that Robert did. Red lights and sirens would be going off in my brain.

I must say that there were some notable steamy scenes in this book. An exclusive evening at one of Robert’s clubs ends up rather hot. If you are a fan of office sex, well, there’s some of that, too.

As a serialized novel, Binding Agreement (Just One Night Part 3) was a quick read. I think I was able to read it in an evening in one sitting. I think that I may have enjoyed it more had it been a full length book. In any case, I did enjoy this author’s writing and I am hoping to read more of her work in the future.

Rating:  ☠  ☠ .5

Series Reading Order:

1. The Stranger (Just One Night Part 1)
2.  Exposed (Just One Night Part 2)
3.  Binding Agreement (Just One Night Part 3) – Release date: May 20, 2013

Thank you to Edelweiss and Pocket Books for a review copy of this book.

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