Title: Much Ado About Vampires

Author: Katie MacAlister

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: Dark Ones (Book 9)

Publication Date:  October 4, 2011

Format: Paperback

ISBN-10: 0451234928 (Penguin/Signet)

ISBN-13: 978-0451234926 (Penguin/Signet)

Reviewed by: Kiwi

Synopsis:

Bitter at first bite…

Corazon Ferreira is one heck of a jaded woman. Not only did her husband dump her for a pretty, vivacious blonde, but her sister has lost her mind and married a vampire. Worse, it turns out that Cora herself was a vampire’s mate in a past life…the very same vampire she witnessed killing someone.

If only Cora hadn’t inadvertently been caught up in the ill-laid plans of a reanimated corpse and its master, she could deal with the distractingly gorgeous vampire. But it’s only Alec who stands between her and those who threaten her existence, and there’s only so much temptation a woman can bear before she starts taking her heart as seriously as her head…

Quick & Dirty: Such fun to read, wild and witty.

Opening Sentence: Alec Darwin was dying, or as close to it as one could be without having that last little spark of life flutter away into nothingness.

Excerpt: Yes

The Review:

Alec Darwin has been sentenced to Akasha (sort of like purgatory) for crimes against his kind.  Just as he has decided to fade away into nothingness, along comes Cora to bring him back. Which, by the by, was the exact opposite of his wishes. Having lost his beloved some centuries ago, Alec has merely existed all this time, and wants his time to come to an end.  However, now that she has given herself to him, in every way…ahem… Alec cannot find the will to turn Cora away, especially when he finds out what a real mess she is embroiled in.

Alec and Cora, once out of the Akasha, must enlist the help of their friends, and some of their enemies, to rid themselves of the dangers of death, destruction and perpetual imprisonment. And in doing so together, they realize that even after all this time, they truly are meant to be.

Set in the age of cell phones and credit cards, Much Ado About Vampires takes place in several countries and on many separate planes of existence. Ms. MacAlister seems to have that knack for tying the dramatic into the funny, and I found myself chuckling out loud, much to the consternation of those sitting by me at the restaurant I was in while reading a good chunk of the book.

The only thing I wonder about is if some of the concepts in this story are covered in some of the previous books.  It would have made some of the more bureaucratic and political situations a tad bit easier to follow.

Otherwise, as I stated before, this book was a lot of fun. Makes me want to run out and grab books 1-8 and all the other related stories. If only.

Notable Scene:

“You know, this doesn’t look like hell.”

“That’s because it’s not Abaddon. It’s the Akasha.” Alec strolled beside me as we walked down a long hallway, our footsteps echoing slightly along the smooth walls and stone floor.

“Yeah, but that greeter person told Diamond and me that this was a place of perpetual torment, and that sounds like hell to me. However, this…” I waved a hand around our surroundings. “This just looks like any old office building. I don’t see anything tormentish about it.”

“Try opening one of the doors,” he said, nodding to one as we passed it.

I paused. “Why? Is something ghoulish going on in there? Are people being dismembered? Tortured? Eaten by fire ants?”

He crossed his arms and nodded toward the nearest door. “Open it and see.”

“All right, but if it’s something gross, I’m aiming at you when I barf up my breakfast.” I opened the door and looked in, braced for the worst.

A group of a half-dozen people sat around a long table, papers scattered across its surface, which was also littered with half-empty bottles of water, and a rainbow of highlighters. Crumpled paper spilled off the table onto the floor, leading in trail to a whiteboard covered in several different styles of handwriting.

“We are agreed, then, are we not,” said a man in a business suit at the head of the table, “that examining the cost-savings that will accrue from our cutback on the performance-related functions will make good any and all productivity shortfalls we experience this quarter?”

A woman shook her head and tapped at the table with one of the highlighters. “I believe that if we realign our organizational aims to better benefit the enterprise, we can absolve our office of the clearly unsustainable redundancy of not only the expense claims, but of the external consultants, which I think we all agree will lead to the downfall of this and other management teams within the venture.”

“No, no, no!” a third man said, hoisting his pants up over his beer belly as he rose to his feet. “If we form a task force to investigate the benefits of a mentor program—“

“Good god,” I said softly, closing the door. “It’s worse than I thought.”

Alec nodded. “Middle-management committees. Still think this isn’t a bad place?”

I shuddered. “We have to get out of here.”

The Dark Ones Series:

1. A Girl’s Guide to Vampires

2. Sex and the Single Vampire

3. Sex, Lies and Vampires

4. Even Vampires Get the Blues

5. The Last of the Red-Hot Vampires

6. Zen and the Art of Vampires

7. Crouching Vampire, Hidden Fang

8. In the Company of Vampires

9. Much Ado About Vampires

FTC Advisory: Penguin Group provided me with a copy of Much Ado About Vampires.  No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Title: Highland Hunger Anthology

Authors: Hannah Howell, Jackie Ivie, Michele Sinclair

Genre: Historical Paranormal Romance

Publication Date: August 30, 2011

Format: Paperback

ISBN-10: 0758261527 (Kensington)

ISBN-13:  978-0758261526 (Kensington)

Reviewed by: Kiwi

Synopsis:

Hidden in the shadowy caves and caverns of the Scottish Highlands, secret vampire clans wage dark battles both deadly and passionate. . .

“Dark Embrace ” by Hannah Howell

While searching for his clan’s demon Lost Ones, Raibeart MacNachton encounters an ethereal beauty running for her life. The decision to play hero is easy; fighting the urge to ravish the enchanting Una Dunn is more difficult—especially when Raibeart learns they share a powerful connection.

“The Guardian ” by Michele Sinclair

The immortal Dorian vows never to fall in love with a mere human—until he meets the beguiling, arousing, Moirae Deincourt. She stirs a longing in Dorian that he dares not quench. But when Moirae’s life is put in danger, her true nature is revealed—and the lust that rages between them can no longer be controlled. . .

“A Knight Beyond Black ” by Jackie Ivie

Vampire Iain Duncan MacAvee has stepped forward to claim the woman he betrothed years ago—only to learn that the tempting Lady Tira knows nothing of the engagement. Though Tira feigns disinterest, the Duke’s animal-like charisma has unleashed her most carnal desires—a hunger only Iain can satisfy…

Quick & Dirty: This delightful anthology delivers romance, plenty of interesting characters, and will leave readers wanting more.

Excerpt: Yes

The Review:

This is my first story by all three of these authors, at least that I can recall.  Each of these stories features a paranormal lead male of the “vampire” variety and a not so vampire-ish leading lady.  All of the stories are set in the Highlands of Scotland in the time of kings and lairds…

 “Dark Embrace” by Hannah Howell (MacNachton Vampires series)

A touching tale of an innocent maiden, on the run from a psychotic madman, who is saved by knight on a black horse instead of a white horse and without the shine. You catch the drift. However, Una Dunn is not your typical damsel in distress.  This girl can kick butt and take the pursuant names, all without breaking a nail.  A genetic mix between ordinary human and the clan MacNachton, Una has always been stronger and faster than the average bad guy. While being held captive with eight others like her, Una escapes to search for help. But, after being starved and bled for weeks, she finds herself surrounded by henchmen and in danger of being recaptured.  Then, just at the right moment, in marches, or rides as the case may be, Sir Raibeart MacNachton, resident hot guy on a horse and, it turns out, he’s pretty good with his sword too…ahem. After hearing her story, he offers his and his fellow clansmen’s aid in rescuing her fellow captives. The bad guys are defeated, the captives recovered, and in the end Una realizes that Raibeart has not only rescued her friends, but also her heart as well.

Rating: 4/5

“A Knight Beyond Black” by Jackie Ivie

Just looking back through my notes for this story, my first reaction is “Ummmmm” shortly followed by “Huh?” I will say that this story starts off a tad bit…. randomly. It took me a full three chapters to understand fully the premise of the story.  And in a story with only sixteen chapters, that kind of seems like a long time. Anyway, this story starts off at a ball in London, where the almost beautiful Miss Tira Coombs is scandalously swept off her very feet by the enigmatic and very fan worthy Iain Duncan Evan James Alexander MacAvee. The IV. Duke of MacAvee, Earl of blah blah blah, chieftain of clans so on and so forth. She then finds out that Iain is her arranged betrothed, her parental unit having kept this news from her for the entirety of her 21 years. Love those good old days. Imagine on his part, waiting 21 years for his bride to mature, that’s a long wait. Especially when, on the day of her birth, the very earth whispered to him that his soul mate had arrived. Eventually, Iain wears Tira down and the couple is married. So the “happy” couple leaves London after their nuptials and they board a ship to his homeland. While on the ship she finds out her new husband is a… *gasp* …a vampire and on top of that bad news he has turned her into one as well.

This is the one thing that I dislike the most when I see it in any historical or paranormal romance. I know it’s the way things were, and I get it, but I hate when a characters free will is taken from them. Really! Aside from that point, the story is a good one, and I liked it. And they do eventually find their HEA.

Rating: 3/5

“The Guardian” by Michele Sinclair (McTiernay Brothers series)

This novella tells the story of Dorian, a centuries old nosferatu who is bored with life and searching for something. We are also introduced to Moirae Deincourt, enigmatic social outcast who runs around at night protecting the innocent, a la Bruce Wayne.  After an attack and subsequent fire leave her physically damaged at age seventeen, Moirae vows to find those responsible. Dorian, a mystery himself, takes up residence in a nearby castle, and also takes over the role of Batman, or in this case, “The Guardian.” When the new guardian repeatedly out performs her, and saves her life, once or twice, Moirae decides to use Dorian as an asset and she bribes him into training her in physical combat.  Dorian, on the other hand, is aiming for another type of physical training altogether. By the end of the story it is revealed that not only does Dorian have a touch of the paranormal within his chromosomes, but Moirae is also special within her own right. And that ensures a rather long HEA in their future.

Rating: 4/5

FTC Advisory: Kensington Books provided me with a copy of Highland Hunger.  No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

We are so pleased to have Megan Crewe here today to talk about her most recent release, The Way We Fall.  We are also featuring this title in our Dystopian Reading Challenge 2012.  Thanks to Disney-Hyperion, you also have a chance to win a copy of the book. Comment below for a chance to win!

Author Bio:

Like many authors, Megan Crewe finds writing about herself much more difficult than making things up. A few definite facts: she lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband and two cats (and does on occasion say “eh”), she tutors children and teens with special needs, and she has yet to make friends with a ghost, though she welcomes the opportunity. Her first novel, Give Up the Ghost, was published by Henry Holt in 2009 and is now out in paperback. Her second novel, The Way We Fall, is coming in January 2012 from Disney-Hyperion.

You can visit Megan around the web here: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

________________________________________________________________________________________

Welcome Megan!

DFT: Could you start us off with telling a little about The Way We Fall?

Megan: Sure!  The Way We Fall is about a 16-year-old girl named Kaelyn, who is trapped when the government quarantines her small island community after a deadly epidemic breaks out there, and must struggle to protect herself and her loved ones.  It’s written as a series of journal entries, some of which Kaelyn addresses to a friend who left the island before the quarantine.

DFT: What can you tell us about your protagonist, Kaelyn?

Megan: Kaelyn’s always been a little socially awkward, and her anxieties got a lot worse after her family moved from the small town where she grew up to a big city for five years.  She’s only just come back to the island, and she’s finding it harder than she expected to fit in again.  Her lack of self-confidence is something she grapples with throughout the book.  She doesn’t trust people easily, but is quick to defend those she cares about.  One of her main interests is animal behavior, so she’s spent a lot of time studying the local wildlife.  She hopes to become a wildlife biologist in the future.

DFT: What was your research process like for creating this story?

Megan: I read a few books with broad accounts of deadly diseases and how people have dealt with epidemics in the past.  Those gave me a pretty good idea of what sort of characteristics I wanted my virus to have.  Then I looked up some more in-depth textbooks on viruses and the immune system to make sure all the elements made sense, and to see if there were others I should account for.  The internet was a big help too, of course, for looking up the more random details I couldn’t find in the books, about viruses and also factors like living on an island.  There were a few important scientific plot points I was still uncertain about, and thankfully author and microbiologist Jacqueline Houtman took the time to discuss my ideas with me and point me in the right directions.

DFT: Do you have any plans to continue to write about Kaelyn or this story universe in the future?

Megan: Definitely!  I knew before I started writing that this book was not the whole story.  The Way We Fall is the first in a trilogy–the second book has already been written and edited, and I’m working on book three right now.

DFT: What was your favorite part about writing The Way We Fall?

Megan: One of the main reasons I wrote this book is because I find epidemics so frightening.  I think my favorite part of the process was getting at the heart of what was so scary about them for me, and bringing those feelings to life on the page through the characters and the situations they find themselves in.

DFT: What other projects are you working on that you would like to tell us about?

Megan: I can’t give much detail, but other than the trilogy, I’ve most recently worked on a contemporary fantasy set in Japan, and a novel that would probably best be labeled supernatural horror, both YA.

DFT: What motivated you to write The Way We Fall?

Megan: As I mentioned above, I’ve always been terrified by the idea of an epidemic.  The only books that have scared me enough to give me nightmares are Stephen King’s The Stand (about a deadly flu virus) and Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth (about a zombie virus).  After that second nightmare, it occurred to me that an idea that affected me so deeply would probably make for good story material!  And I was right–as I explored the concept, characters and plot and themes came to me until I had enough for not just one novel, but three.

DFT: What would you do first if you were stuck in Kaelyn’s position?

Megan: I would get my hands on the best protective gear (face mask, gloves, clothing, etc.) available, so that regardless of who I had to interact with or where I had to go, I could feel at least somewhat protected.

DFT: Why do you think there is the misconception that young adult books are not as deep or as complex as books for adults? What is your response to this misconception?

Megan: I think there’s a misconception that teens themselves are not as deep or complex as adults, and so therefore books about them wouldn’t be either.  And while it’s true that teenagers have less experience, and may not always be as articulate in expressing themselves, I think a lot of adults forget just how thoughtfully and intensely they responded to the world at that age. There’s nothing simple about dealing with unfamiliar emotions and situations for the first time, and nothing shallow about trying to figure out what kind of person you want to be and how. I suspect the teen years are when the majority of people grow and change the most, and that most of us stay relatively stuck in our ways afterward.

Just as with adult books, some YA is deep and some is brain candy.  I haven’t noticed that either has proportionately more of the deep stuff.  And YA by its nature is addressing those same concerns the teens themselves have, which are often deep and complex to its intended readers even if to an adult eye they appear shallow.

DFT: What genres/books do you read in your spare time? Any recommendations for our readers?

Megan: I try to read a variety of genres, because you never know where you’ll find inspiration, and if I read too much of the same type of story all at once I get bored.  I tend toward the sort of books I write: YA with some sort of speculative element, whether it’s fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, or horror.  But I also read realistic and historical YA when the storyline appeals to me, and sometimes middle grade, and a fair number of adult books.  I worry less about the genre and more about the quality of the writing and story.

A few of my somewhat recent favorites…

MG: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, Spell Hunter by R.J. Anderson, and The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z by Kate Messner
YA: The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner, Dramarama by E. Lockhart, and Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
Adult: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold, and Out by Natsuo Kirino

DFT: Are there any questions that you wished were asked in an interview, but never are?

Megan: To be honest, I think I’ve been asked just about everything at one point or another!

DFT: How would you describe a “bad writing day”? How do you deal with a bad writing day?

Megan: Usually a bad writing day is a day when I have trouble getting myself to sit down with my laptop in the first place.  Either I’m anxious about whether that day’s writing is going to turn out well (most common when starting a new draft, or writing a first draft), or I’m anxious about non-writing things, and I end up procrastinating with whatever I can find to distract myself. The easiest way to deal with this is to make it as hard as possible to procrastinate.  I’m not “allowed” to turn on my desktop computer, where I do most of my internet surfing, until after I’ve done at least one writing session that day.  I refuse to let myself pick up a book.  So usually before too long I get bored, and start writing, and the writing goes fine once I’ve started.

Occasionally I have days when the writing itself is just not coming, if I’m under the weather or tired or more stressed than usual.  I may sit with the laptop for a half an hour and only manage to get out a paragraph–one I don’t even like.  I usually push myself to try for at least a thousand words, even if they’re words I’m unhappy with, and then I let myself stop.  If I can’t focus at all, which happens pretty rarely, I give myself a break after a couple paragraphs and leave it for tomorrow.  As important as self-discipline is, I think it’s also important to know when to cut yourself some slack and give your mind and/or body time to recuperate.

DFT: Do you have any particular writing process or rituals?

Megan: My basic process is: come up with the idea, brainstorm and research, outline scene-by-scene, write the first draft, get critiques, write a second draft, polish.  Then the book goes to my agent or editor.  Depending on how tricky the book’s being, there may be an additional draft after the first before I let anyone see it.  The longest part of this process is almost always the second step.  Some ideas take years before I figure out enough of the pieces to outline and write the book, but once I’ve started drafting, I’m usually at the polishing stage in six months or less.

As for rituals, I always write on my laptop, which for some reason feels better than the desktop computer.  And I have a special “writing chair” that I only sit in when I’m writing, though sometimes I will go out on the deck or down to the living room couch for a change of scenery.

DFT: What influences and inspirations (both literary and non-literary) do you draw from while writing?

Megan: I’m sure I’m influenced and inspired by all the stories I’ve enjoyed, in various forms (books, TV, movies, plays), throughout my life.  It’s hard to pinpoint specific ones while I’m writing, because a lot of what I’ve picked up has become automatic.  (I’m more conscious of which influenced the ideas behind what I’m writing.)  I also find music to be a huge inspiration.  I have playlists for all my books, and often listen to them before starting a writing session to get in the right mindset.  Sometimes songs will even suggest plot or character developments to me that I hadn’t considered before.

Thanks for having me on the blog!

DFT: Thank you very much for stopping by and chatting with us about your new book and your writing in general! It was a pleasure, and I look forward to reading your trilogy.

Available on January 24, 2012 from Disney-Hyperion

About the Book:

It starts with an itch you just can’t shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you’ll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.

And then you’re dead.

When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back. Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival.

As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest. Because how will she go on if there isn’t?

Title: Kiss of Snow

Author: Nalini Singh

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: Psy-Changeling Series (Book 10)

Publication Date: May 31, 2011

Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages

ISBN-10: 0425242099 (Berkley)

ISBN-13: 978-0425242094 (Berkley)

Reviewed by: Kiwi

Synopsis:

Since the moment of her defection from the PsyNet and into the SnowDancer wolf pack, Sienna Lauren has had one weakness. Hawke. Alpha and dangerous, he compels her to madness.

Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would’ve been his mate long ago. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf.

Then Sienna changes the rules and suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. Yet as they strip away each other’s secrets in a storm of raw emotion, they must also ready themselves for a far more vicious fight…

A deadly enemy is out to destroy SnowDancer, striking at everything they hold dear, but it is Sienna’s darkest secret that may yet savage the pack that is her home…and the alpha who is its heartbeat…

Quick & Dirty: Truly animalistic. A wild and sexy read.

Opening Sentence: 1979. The year the Psy race became Silent.

Excerpt: Yes

The Review:

Kiss of Snow is the 10^th installment in Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling paranormal romance series featuring changelings, a race of shape shifters and the Psy, a race of humanoids with the powers of the mind, telekinesis, telepathy, etc.

I sometimes find it hard to write a review for a book so far along in a series such as this.  You see, it’s kind of like soap operas.  These books feature a whole cast of characters that you have been reading about for months, all their stories are intertwined with each other.  It’s difficult at times to review when so much of today’s stories depend on the knowledge of yesterday’s news. So for this review, I will just concentrate on the romance between Hawke and Sienna, and a bit of the general world building.

Sienna is a Psy with a power only rumored to exist, at a level that is completely off the charts. For a woman so young, 19, she has been through a tremendous amount of tragedy in her life.  Because of her extraordinary gift, she was subject to intense experimentation from a young age, often being forced to do inexplicable, soul altering things. When the lives of her newly found pack family are on the line, she is willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice to keep them safe.

Personally, I had to ignore the references to her age. It is hard when the heroine is the age of your niece and you really do not want to think of your niece doing things of that nature…lol. Otherwise, Sienna is a well written character, as are they all.  You really connect with her throughout the story. I admit to wanting to rail a couple of characters upside the head for her, I wanted to cry for her, pray for her.

As for Hawke, well he can be my alpha any day. As a virile changeling male and leader of the SnowDancer pack, he is the stuff of legends, some nightmares and even the occasional daydream. Hawke has always been portrayed as tough as nails, and take no prisoners with the capacity to be sensitive and caring.  It’s nice that we get to see his light and playful side as well as the side that makes you fan yourself and whisper “oh my.”

Aside from Hawke’s being such a man (please insert the requisite sarcasm and head shaking), he has always been my favorite wolf. The way he cares for the others, and even those not born wolf just gives you hope for the human race. Though, I guess he really isn’t one of us, but the idea is the same. His love for Sienna also makes him willing to make the ultimate sacrifice towards the end of the book, and that dear readers, is positively unimaginable.

Oh and on a side note, I’m so sad to find that Walker’s past was such as it was, and love has given him a new lease on life.

These stories take place in the California wilderness and the nearby city of San Francisco, with an occasional trip to South America and elsewhere. With the Psy and the changelings “out of the closet” in this case unlike in other paranormals, there is no need to hide and be secret, so we can imagine the events as if they are happening today, right in our own back yard.  It’s incredibly realistic.

Overall, this latest piece of the future Ms. Singh sees for the world she has created is as riveting as those that came before it.  She is a master at crafting scenes that get you hot and bothered. She is also great at scenes that make you tear up and the ones that have you pumping your fist in the air saying “take that, bad guy!” I read this book through twice, and could not put it down either time. Seriously, I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Notable Scene:

It was time.

Abandoning any attempt at secrecy, she walked out into the night-cloaked battlefield bathed in the crimson and gold shimmer of cold fire.  The enemy might have been Silent, but they went pale at the sight of her. An instant later they began to shoot. She would’ve taken evasive action … except the flames around her repelled everything, melting the bullets down to nothing, reflecting the lasers back at the shooters.

It was then that she realized Judd couldn’t have acted as a failsafe. No bullet would’ve gotten through. That wasn’t the scariest part—her link to the LaurenNet was shielded by cold fire even Sienna wouldn’t be able to breach, the ultimate defensive measure from a martial mind. But that was no longer an issue. She knew what to do now, and she would do it after the battle was done and her pack was safe.

Angry and sickened at the sight of the broken and hurt SnowDancers around her, Sienna spread out her arms, palms facing the sky. And the fire with the cold, cold heart touched the enemy, and they weren’t there anymore. She aimed the most powerful wave at Henry Scott, knowing he’d try to get his men to teleport him out.

The bastard screamed high and shrill before he disappeared. She didn’t know if he was dead, but she did know the attacking force should’ve retreated at the sight of her. Yet bullets continued to fly, now aimed at the fallen changelings.

No.

Something arctic and dark and deadly rose up inside of her as the X-fire emerged in a straight line on either side of her body, cutting the enemy in the way in half and cauterizing the massive wounds with such flawlessness, it appeared the men had fallen into two neat pieces. The rest of them were trapped beyond the wall of voracious flame, but they continued to shoot. And then her mind, a huge, vast endless thing that saw and heard every sigh, every heartbeat, caught the whisper of more of them coming down through the mountains.  They’d slipped in past the defenses when the sonic weapon took out the changelings as well as the feral wolves, and now they thought to flank them from behind.

“Traitor!” The word came from the throats of those in front of her and she knew them then. Pure Psy. Zealots. They would not back down.

Very well.

The cold, dark thing inside of her shoved aside all else…and the flames began to feed. Screams filled the air, filled her consciousness, filled the sky. The monster inside of her, she thought with a small part of the endless vastness that was her mind, had seized control.

The problem was…the Psy weren’t the only targets in the vicinity.

The Psy-Changeling Series:

1. Slave To Sensation

2. Visions of Heat

3. Caressed By Ice

4. Mine to Possess

5. Hostage to Pleasure

6. Branded By Fire

7. Blaze of Memory

8. Bonds of Justice

9. Play of Passion

10. Kiss of Snow

FTC Advisory: Berkley provided me with a copy of Kiss of Snow.  No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.  In addition, I don’t receive affiliate fees for anything purchased via links from my site.

Title: Infinity

Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Genre: YA Paranormal

Series: Chronicles of Nick (Book 1)

Publication Date: May 25, 2010

Format: Paperback, 480 Pages

ISBN-10:  0312603045 (St. Martin’s Griffin)

ISBN-13:  978-0312603045 (St. Martin’s Griffin)

Reviewed by: Kiwi

Synopsis:

At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he’s next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn’t hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

Quick and Dirty: Not your typical vampire paranormal YA novel that’s fun with characters who eat sarcasm for breakfast.  It’s enjoyable and so relatively easy going that I recommended it to my own son.

Opening Sentence: “I am a socially awkward mandork.”

Excerpt: Yes

The Review:

Infinity is the first book in the Chronicles of Nick young adult series from Sherrilyn Kenyon.  Nick is ever the brash, smart-alec we met early on in Ms. Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter series.  Smart mouthed, irreverent and moody too and that’s why we love him, or love to hate him at the very least.   But there are sometimes, as a mother, I want to reach through the pages of the book and give him a smack upside the head.  And that is the only complaint I have, but I am an adult reading a YA, so I guess I’m not exactly the target audience. Though I suppose we as readers should give Nick due credit.  It’s not every day a kid finds out they are a being of potentially awesome powers, living in a world teaming with things that are only supposed to go bump in the night. *cree-eepy* I do think he handles it much better than I would have if I had been handed these same facts at 14.

Accompanying Nick in this series of unusual circumstances is a cast of; well I guess we can call them quirky, characters.  With the notable exception of Nick’s much beloved mother, Cherise, some of these guys could give crazy a run for its money, a lot of money.  But I digress.  In this book, we also begin to overlap with her Dark-Hunter series.  But this overlap in no way requires knowledge of the Dark-Hunter series, which is nice for readers like my son, who aren’t capable of the level of the Dark-Hunter series, but want a different side of the usual paranormal titles.

As for her world building, Sherrilyn sets this in modern day New Orleans with an added touch of the extra freaky.  Though in New Orleans, the threshold of freaky is a bit on the high side of life.  Ms. Kenyon is absolutely fabulous at irreverent sarcasm, and supernatural oddities.

In this first installment of the Chronicles of Nick, we have chaos and mayhem, all with the added touch of the supernatural. A tortured prep school geek fine tunes a video game with the intention of making the football team leave him alone. Little does he know that his fine tuning will turn these people into, well, people eaters, and not the purple one from the song, either. (Showing my age there, I know.) Nick and his schoolmates, many of whom he now realizes aren’t quite human, must band together to take on these real life zombies. And when a work of evil mixes their hand in, well who knows what will happen next.

I’ll finish up by saying I have always been a fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s work, and Nick has always been my favorite of her characters.  I am enjoying this series, and its fresh look into Nick’s past.  Or, a look into his “fresh” past, as it were.

Notable Scene:

“Should we head back?” Alex asked.

Bubba shrugged. “That’s what common sense would say. What do you think?”

Nick leaned back in his seat. “Far be it from me to ever let my common sense get in the way of my stupidity. I say we press on. Caleb?”

He flashed a cheesy grin. “What’s an arrest record anyway? Me, Alex, and Nick are all minors.”

“To infinity then.”

Nick frowned at Bubba’s words. “What’s that mean?”

“It’s something my dad used to say when I was a kid. To infinity, meaning you’d see something through to the end.”

Nick didn’t get it. “Infinity is never-ending.”

“That’s right, which means you keep going and going no matter what happens or what obstacles you meet. Over, under, around, or through. There’s always a way. And if you have to chase something to infinity, strap on your big-boy pants, hikinh boots, and go.”

Nick opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, something slammed into the SUV. One minute, they were fine.

The next, they were spinning out of control.

Chronicles of Nick Series:

1. Infinity

2. Invincible

3. Infamous

FTC Advisory: St. Martin’s Griffin provided me with a copy of Infinity.  No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.  In addition, I don’t receive affiliate fees for anything purchased via links from my site.

Title: Archangel’s Blade

Author: Nalini Singh

Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance

Series: Guild Hunter (Book 4)

Publication Date: September 6, 2011

Format: Paperback, 336 Pages

ISBN-10:  0425243915 (Berkley Sensation)

ISBN-13:  978-0425243916 (Berkley Sensation)

Reviewed by: Kiwi

Synopsis:

The severed head marked by a distinctive tattoo on its cheek should have been a Guild case, but dark instincts honed over hundreds of years of life compel the vampire Dmitri to take control. There is something twisted about this death, something that whispers of centuries long past…but Dmitri’s need to discover the truth is nothing to the vicious strength of his response to the hunter assigned to decipher the tattoo.

Savaged in a brutal attack that almost killed her, Honor is nowhere near ready to come face to face with the seductive vampire who is an archangel’s right hand, and who wears his cruelty as boldly as his lethal sensuality…the same vampire who has been her secret obsession since the day she was old enough to understand the inexplicable, violent emotions he aroused in her.

As desire turns into a dangerous compulsion that might destroy them both, it becomes clear the past will not stay buried. Something is hunting…and it will not stop until it brings a blood-soaked nightmare to life once more…

Quick and Dirty: Dark, sexy and one heck of a ride.

Opening Sentence: Crouching on the concrete pier lit only by the dull yellow glow of a flickering streetlight several feet away, Dmitri tilted the severed head toward him with a grip in the dead male’s damp hair, not bothering with gloves.

Excerpt: Yes

The Review:

The setting of this fourth installment of Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series is “modern day” New York with an added twist. In Ms. Singh’s world the angels and archangel’s run the show and vampires are common place.  In order to become a vampire, a mortal must submit to testing, and be physically compatible to the venom secreted by the angels that turns mortals into vampires.  The vampires are then required to serve under those angels for a period of time before they are given their freedom. Then there are the Guild Hunters.  These are mortals put in charge of policing the rogue vampires, ones who break their contracts with their angels, or break the rules of living within the mortal realm.  It is these hunters that the series is based upon.

Honor, this novel’s heroine, is one of the Guild Hunters.  Well, she used to be anyway.  After being kidnapped and tortured for two months by a group of vampires, Honor finds herself unable to perform her duties, and hides out among the archives. But, when her expertise is needed, she faces her demons head on and teams up with a vampire *gasp*to solve a string of murders and find her kidnappers.

I am a lover of Ms. Singh’s writing in this and her other series. She has a knack for writing characters that are truly believable, and admirably strong and resilient. I am in awe of Honor’s tenacity in the face of adversity (and I believe I’ve heard that somewhere before). A quote from Dmitri says it best. “So soft,” he murmured. “Feminine, beautiful, and tough to break.”

Dmitri is the baddest of the bad.  As the archangel Raphael’s second in command, he is the vampire that all others of his kind and everyone else fear.  Dmitri was also kidnapped and tortured, long ago, but by an angel named Isis, who also murdered and tortured his wife and children.  When this bit of bad news rises up from the past, Dmitri must bring in Honor to help him find out who and what is going on.  Also, after meeting the lovely Honor, he makes it his personal mission to hunt down those vampires that tortured her, and make sure they pay in kind.

In every book in this series, Dmitri comes off as one scary SOB, and I’ll be damned if that isn’t what makes him so sexy. Gifted with the ability to attract with his scent, and who wouldn’t want a man who smelled of “a drugging whisper of champagne and desire molten as gold, orchids under moonlight, chocolate-dipped berries kissing a woman’s skin.” I don’t know where Ms. Singh gets her inspiration for her heroes, such as Dmitri, but I think we’d all like a chunk of it.  Add into the mix his tortured soul, and this vamp reaches heartthrob status.

All in all, Archangel’s Blade is a perfect follow up to Archangel’s Consort, and Nalini Singh knows when to give her readers exactly what they want. So, this reader would like to put in a request for a book for the delectable Bluebell.  Pretty please?

Notable Scene:

When Valeria bared her teeth at Honor, refusing to answer the question, he shot the other woman through the thigh, in almost precisely the spot where the female vampire liked to feed.

Valeria screamed high and shrill.

Honor understood that the punishments used for immortals, their bodies able to recover from brutal injuries, weren’t the same as for mortals. But she’d never been up close and personal with the merciless reality of it. “Does it bother you at all?” she asked Dmitri when Valeria’s screams died out into sobs.

He shrugged, shoulders moving with muscled grace beneath the thin cotton of his T-shirt. “No.” Putting his gun down beside the crystal bowl, he said “Valeria, be a good hostess and answer Honor’s question,” before popping one of the chocolates into his mouth.

“I don’t know anything else,” the vampire sobbed, her eyes rimmed red with her tears. “J-just about T-Tommy.”

“Oh don’t worry,” Honor said, remembering how Valeria had sipped at her own tears, how she’d giggled when Honor screamed so much her throat turned raw, her voice gone, “we’ll get to Tommy.” She didn’t know what Valeria had heard in her voice, but the vampire suddenly looked afraid in a way Honor would have never expected in a vampire of her age and power.

“He did everything, remember?” Valeria said, hands rising to her throat again as the wound began to heal around the heavy hunting knife.

“I wouldn’t.” Dmitri ate another chocolate.

Dropping her hands in spasming fear, Valeria continued to speak to Honor, eyes shimmering with tears. “He was the one who hurt you—I just wanted to feed.”

Yes, Tommy had hurt her, as only a man could hurt a woman. But only because Valeria had egged him on. Before that, his psychical assaults had been relatively minor in the scheme of things—the bastard had enjoyed her blood more than anything else. Valeria, however, has always been very inventive when it was just her and Honor in the dark.

“Oh, did that hurt?” A whisper-soft laugh. “Naughty me. But a girl has to feed.”

“Dmitri,” Honor said, “I’ve changed my mind.”

And then she shot Valeria through the other thigh.

Guild Hunter Series:

1. Angel’s Blood

2. Archangel’s Kiss

3. Archangel’s Consort

4. Archangel’s Blade

FTC Advisory: Berkley Sensation provided me with a copy of Archangel’s Blade.  No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.  In addition, I don’t receive affiliate fees for anything purchased via links from my site.

Title: Deeper Than Midnight

Author: Lara Adrian

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: Midnight Breed (Book 9)

Publication Date: June 28, 2011

Format: Paperback, 416 Pages

ISBN-10: 0440246113 (Random House)

ISBN-13:  978-0440246114 (Random House)

Reviewed by: Kiwi

Synopsis:

Delivered from the darkness, a woman finds herself plunged into a passion that is DEEPER THAN MIDNIGHT . . .

At eighteen, Corinne Bishop was a beautiful, spirited young woman living a life of privilege as the adopted daughter of a wealthy family. Her world was changed in an instant when she was stolen away and held prisoner by the malevolent vampire Dragos. After many years of captivity and torment, Corinne is rescued by the Order, a cadre of vampire warriors embroiled in a war against Dragos and his followers. Her innocence taken, Corinne has lost a piece of her heart as well–the one thing that gave her hope during her imprisonment, and the only thing that matters to her now that she is free.

Assigned to safeguard Corinne on her trip home is a formidable golden-eyed Breed male called Hunter. Once Dragos’s most deadly assassin, Hunter now works for the Order, and he’s hell-bent on making Dragos pay for his manifold sins. Bonded to Corinne by their mutual desire, Hunter will have to decide how far he’ll go to end Dragos’s reign of evil–even if carrying out his mission means shattering Corinne’s tender heart.

Quick & Dirty: Dark and sexy, powerful and beautiful.

Opening Sentence: The club was private, very much off the beaten path, and for damned good reason.

Excerpt: Yes

The Review:

Deeper than Midnight is the ninth installment of Lara Adrian’s Midnight Breed series.  The Breed is currently one of my favorite groups of vampires, and one of the more traditionally vampiric groups as well.  One difference between the Breed and your everyday blood suckers is their ruling bodies, and type of enforcement.  This series features a group of warriors and enforcers known as the Order. These gentlemen are known for being hard as nails, ruthless, demanding…..and as sexy as your most vivid daydream. And this story’s hero, Hunter, is no exception.  Darkly mysterious Hunter was bred to be just that, a hunter. As a former assassin for the most hated among the Breed, the dastardly Dragos, Hunter knows nothing of love, compassion, or friendship…and everything about evil, corruption and death. As a member of the Order, Hunter must complete his primary objective, certain annihilation of the one who created him and the other hunters like him. Even when this objective will almost certainly mean the end of his tentative relationship with the fragile Corinne, Hunter must follow through for the greater good. It’s so sad that this beautifully stoic man should face losing his first love, in the line of duty as it were. But, relax my friends, as this is a paranormal romance, and thus he does live out his own HEA.

One other thing that makes the Breed different from your average vampires is the way their mates are chosen.  Breedmates are traditionally humans born with the genetics to become the perfect mates for their Breed counterparts, and marked with a special birthmark. Unfortunately, in recent times, these genetics also made Corinne and many others a target for the machinations of a deranged lunatic, his sick scientific experiments and horrifying breeding program. After having been trapped for decades, she was freed in the last book, and brought to the Order’s HQ to acclimate before going back home to her adoptive parents. When her original escorts are detained, Hunter offers to accompany her home.  Once there, a horrible truth is revealed and she sets off on a mission with the mysterious Hunter while secretly hoping to find the son she was forced to give up as a result of that breeding program.

Now this poor woman has really been through one of the worst horrors any of us could think of.  Being kidnapped, violated, forced to mate with a beast, and forced to give up a child… it’s all unimaginable. The way she was able to use the hope of finding her child to pull through a nightmare is inspiring. The subsequent betrayal and losses are also seriously distressing. Really, that part of this story seriously ticked me off.  Anyway, Corinne is a real reader’s heroine. She’s not whiny or overly pathetic.  She’s not nauseatingly upbeat or perky. She’s just driven by hope for the future and by the love and understanding of a good man, or vampire in this case.

This story also continues the storylines involving the rest of the Order’s members.  In this one we witness life, love, loneliness and sorrow. And the final scene will absolutely break your soul.

I have to say Deeper than Midnight really touched my heart. Lara Adrian is an artist. She just makes you truly feel things. I can’t wait to read the next installment, Darker after Midnight.

Notable Scene:

“I need to find my child, Hunter. I need to see him and touch him, make sure he knows that I love him. Now that I’m free, I have to find him. I have to try to give him a better life.” She moved around in front of him, forcing him to meet her gaze. “Hunter, I need to remember everything about the day my son was born. Something might have been said or done by Dragos or his Minions that could lead me to my child. Something that may be tucked away in my memories. I need you to help me remember everything about that day.”

Hunter’s face went even tighter as he absorbed what she was proposing. He grabbed her hand and pulled it away from him on a growled curse. “You want my help? Do you know what that would mean?”

“Yes,” she admitted. “And I know it’s asking too much of you. But I’m asking because you’re the best hope I have right now. You are very likely the only hope I have of finding my child.”

He stared, disbelieving or disgusted, she couldn’t tell. Heat flared in his eyes, but she wouldn’t back down. She couldn’t. Not when she felt closer than ever to the answers she so desperately needed.

“Hunter, please,” she whispered. “I want you to drink from me.”

The Midnight Breed Series:

1. Kiss of Midnight

2. Kiss of Crimson

3. Midnight Awakening

4. Midnight Rising

5. Veil of Midnight

6. Ashes of Midnight

7. Shades of Midnight

8. Taken by Midnight

9. Deeper than Midnight

FTC Advisory: Random House provided me with a copy of Deeper than Midnight.  No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.  In addition, I don’t receive affiliate fees for anything purchased via links from my site.

When I put out a call for help out a few months ago, I was really worried about the type of response that I would get.  I really thought that I wouldn’t be able to find any help at all.  I’m very pleased to say that I had a fantastic response to my application.  So many enthusiastic and talented applicants made the decision really hard for me.  I’ve decided to bring on a few team members and I hope that you enjoy their insights and personalities as much as I do.

We have been spending some time getting things setup for the new site launch design, as well as getting everyone trained in the different facets of blogging on the WordPress interface.  Our introduction comes today from Kiwi.  She’s going to do reviews for us.  Please welcome Kiwi to the team.

You can also follow Kiwi via Twitter: @Kiwi_DFT

So, a little about myself…

My name is Kiwi and I’m a stay at home mom of three kids, ages 13, 9 and 4.  I have a darling husband who I have been “happily” married to for almost 11 years who works in retail….well sort of.  I live in a tiny town in upstate NY, I’m a Capricorn, enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelit dinners…whoops, wrong kind of intro. Just Kidding.

I’ve enjoyed reading for as long as I can remember, and I love to read about all things paranormal.  My first vivid memory of running to get the next book in a series was for Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern titles (RIP Anne). I also grew up reading Stephen King, V.C. Andrews, etc.  Now that I am old, my tastes have grown more eclectic. I have been reading many non paranormal type books as well, and for some reason, Stephen King now scares the crap out of me. *shudder* Lately, I can usually be found with a book somewhere in my possession, whether in my purse, or in my car, in paper form or on my eReader. And yes, that was me at the library, taking out 15 books at once.

Book reviewing is still a pretty new adventure for me, and I am so excited to be joining the staff at Dark Faerie Tales. I look forward to reviewing some great titles, and trying out some new paranormal type genres.

Title: Adam

Author: Jacquelyn Frank

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: Nightwalkers (Book 6)

Publication Date: November 1, 2011

Format: Paperback, 336 Pages

ISBN-10:  1420109863 (Kensington Books)

ISBN-13:  978-1420109863 (Kensington Books)

Reviewed by: Kiwi

Synopsis:

Haunted by magic, beset by evil, the Nightwalkers face their darkest hour yet. And when they unthinkable happens, only one legendary male has the power, the will, to save them: Adam….

FOR 400 YEARS HE WAS LOST TO HER, BUT HE IS HERS TONIGHT…

From their first tantalizing touch, Jasmine knows he is different. What other lover could unlock her tight control, flood Vampire senses jaded by a lifetime of decadent self indulgence? Centuries ago, when he disappeared without a trace, she had given up hope of ever fulfilling the promise of incomparable passion. But here he is, against the very laws of nature, ready to bring down their most vicious enemy, ready to bring her blood to the boiling point…. If she will only let him.

Pleasure rules the night.

Quick & Dirty: Thrilling, mysterious and sexy paranormal romance with some time travel and a whole lotta arse kickin.

Opening Sentence: “There’s too many of them!”

Excerpt: Prologue

The Review:

Okay, so apparently this reviewer is even more out of certain loops than was previously expected.  Looking through Goodreads, I just found out that Noah, the book before Adam, was supposed to have been the last of this series. *GASP* Well, I for one am glad that Ms. Frank decided to dust off her Nightwalker cap and bring us another story. Seriously, how silly to think we would be satisfied with the villains in this series left to walk free among the masses. Also some readers, myself included, would be quite happy if she would hang around and finish off some of the other characters’ storylines, especially now that we have met a few of them at an older age.

I found the character of Adam an interesting choice for the hero of what again appears to be the last of the series. I admit I had a bit of an issue remembering any of his previous storyline.  Actually, other than knowing I had read the books starring his brothers, I had absolutely no recollection of him whatsoever. Which makes me wonder why choose him.  It also makes me want to ask, if this is definitely the last of this series, why not have Seth and/or Leah as its main characters?  Thinking back to all the revelations from the past books, these two would seem the more logical and perhaps the more popular choice.  And here is where I lodge my biggest complaint.  This book concludes the series in true “popular” horror movie fashion.  It solves just enough of the crises to be a plausible ending, but leaves plenty of loose ends for a series of sequels. This drives me crazy, in movies and in books.  I do not enjoy the endless cliffhanger, the constant “I wonder if we will finally find out what happens in the end.” But that is very likely just me.

Otherwise, I am very glad that the main storyline of this book was the end of some very bad dudes. These people have been asking for it for a very long time, and it made me want to get up and dance when they got their just desserts.

Now a bit on the characters, etc.  This series is based in the present in a Hungarian forest which borders the vampire lands in Romania.  Jacquelyn Frank has built her characters their own little world hidden within these woods, surrounded by peaceful villages.  You would expect a level of serenity, and you do get some of that, but demons, as with any other paranormal culture, do have their good times.

Ms. Frank does a marvelous job bringing her characters to life in this and all her associated series’.  Adam is the requisite supernatural hottie, gifted with the power of water, controlling it and becoming it.  And ladies, who wouldn’t want a man who can literally caress every single part of your body, all at the same time. *swoon* I get chills just contemplating it.  Adam is also mostly everything you could ask for in a hero, loyal, smart, good with his hands, and willing to sacrifice everything for the ones he loves. Everything including life as he knows it, given up to save his brother 400 years in the future.

Meanwhile, the vampire Jasmine… wait! A vampire and a demon… in love?? *gasp* I actually love this part of her writing.  It’s always interesting to see what comes when paranormal creatures date outside of their group species, and not just your average paranormal-human matchups. Ms. Frank matches demons with vamps and druids, vamps with lycans, etc. Sounds like an all around good time to me.

Anyway, Jasmine is sure one tough cookie.  Well, on the outside anyway. Anyone who can hold onto a love for four centuries has to have a bit of soft on the inside.  Jasmine is also fiercely loyal to those she calls family and there are no ends she will not go for them, even if those ends are personally hurtful.

When a chance at revenge against those who have harmed them and their loved ones arises, both Adam and Jasmine are prepared to lay it all on the line.  Heroes in my mind.

Overall, I liked Adam and Jasmine’s story quite a bit.  Ignoring the whole “end of the series” issues, I would recommend it to my friends, if paranormals were their thing. Ms. Frank’s books are always a pleasure and I am hoping for a continuation of the series. Think it will help if I ask really nice? Pretty please, with a cherry on top??

Notable Scene:

“Who are you?” Adam demanded, moving forward to get in her face. “Why should we trust anything about you when you stink of magic? You even helped Ruth cast that thing she was going to use to capture me and Damien!”

“But she did not capture you, did she? All I have done is help cast the trap that finally caught the Demon traitor Ruth. Thin on that a moment.”

She moved slightly, tipping her head back and taking a deep breath. I was as if she were breathing in freedom.

“Ah…here it comes,” she breathed.

She held out her hands and Jasmine could see the tips of her fingers fading away. For the first time, emotion broke through the girl’s features. Tears filled her kaleidoscoping eyes.

“It means it’s all changed,” she breathed to Jasmine. “It means I did what I was supposed to do. I only pray this time things turn out for the better.” She looked at Jasmine with a momentary flash of worry. “It will be better now, won’t it?”

The girl was fading quickly, but Jasmine felt her pain and thought she understood, at least in a small sense, what was happening.

“Yes,” she assured her softly. “Trust us. We’ll make it better for you.”

The girl let out a stark sob of relief.

And then she was gone.

Nightwalkers Series:

1. Jacob

2. Gideon

3. Elijah

4. Damien

5. Noah

6. Adam

FTC Advisory: Kensington Books provided me with a copy of Adam.  No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.  In addition, I don’t receive affiliate fees for anything purchased via links from my site.

Title: Carrier of the Mark

Author: Leigh Fallon

Genre: YA Paranormal

Series: Carrier Trilogy (Book 1)

Publication Date: October 4, 2011

Format: Paperback, 352 Pages

ISBN-10: 0062027875 (HarperTeen)

ISBN-13:  978-0062027870 (HarperTeen)

Reviewed by: Emmy

Synopsis:

From the moment she sets foot at her new school in Ireland, Megan is inexplicably drawn to the darkly handsome Adam DeRis. But Megan soon discovers that her feelings for Adam are tied to a supernatural fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that unites them could be their ultimate destruction.

Quick & Dirty: Think of Twilight set in Ireland, without character development and having the story bogged down with excessive exposition.

Opening Sentence: Flames engulfed the boat, and my lungs ached as dark, noxious smoke filled the air.

Excerpt: Yes

The Review:

The cover for Carrier of the Mark is beautiful. Unfortunately, I really could not get into the actual story behind it.  I read a little over a hundred pages the first time and after a few days I finally convinced myself to try again, but I had to drag myself through it.  I don’t even know where to start.  For the most part, Fallon’s writing is reliant on huge swaths of exposition and info dumping as a way to try and explain what is supposed to be happening in the story and what the reader needs to know. The writing made the story boring, the backstory of the Carrier of the Mark was strained and there was really no tension at all.  There’s really not a lot I can say about the plot, because Fallon is so reliant on her plot twists that you could probably figure out the story with just a few words from me.  Think of Megan as an Avatar-to-be (as in, The Last Airbender, not the blue one!) and Adam, our love interest, as another boy with supernatural powers.

And just so you know, you can trace a lot of this story right back to Twilight. Within the first thirty pages I was thinking “Wow, this all seems so familiar” and then I realized I’d read it before. In Twilight.  Except Twilight–while not the greatest story in the world–was entertaining and Carrier of the Mark didn’t live up to the hype.  A lot of the characters were the same–Fallon barely tried to hide it.  Alice becomes Aine, Rosalie morphs into Rian.  The little things add up throughout the story until you’re basically looking at Twilight set in Ireland. There are no vampires or werewolves, instead the supernatural powers at play are magic and the four elements.  But pretty much every other aspect of Megan’s life can be seen as a reflection of Bella Swan.

The characters stay pretty much exactly the same throughout the entire book.  There’s no development or depth.  Their conversations sound awkward and super formal. You don’t talk to a person like this: “Hey Megan! What are you doing today Megan! Want to go look at horses with me Megan?” and you shouldn’t write a conversation that way either.  Honestly, I think having deeper character development would seriously help create tension within the plot and make the conversations actually readable.  By the third time our heroine’s friend Caitlin said her name in as many sentences I was thinking “Of course it’s Megan. Who else would you be talking to?”

Everything in this story was easy.  Megan accepted everything so easily–do not take this for understanding.  Megan still asked questions but it was really another way for Fallon to disguise info dumping, and did nothing to add tension to the situation.  Our characters are more than half way in love before they even have a conversation with each other.  Everything just happens.  There’s nothing to keep the reader engaged in the story. Which might be one of the reasons I found it so easy to put down, but so hard to pick up again.

I really did not like this story. I was really, really looking forward to it.  I’ll admit to judging a book by its cover, and was really disappointed not only with the writing but with the blatant Twilight parallels.  I don’t know if I’d qualify it as a redeeming factor, but the plot was absolutely crazy. I can’t say I was exactly intrigued by it.  I won’t be reading the rest of the series, but if a reader can get past page 200 the plot picks up significantly.

Notable Scene:

“We need to talk,” he said.

I looked up at him.  That was a mistake.  His eyes smoldered down at me.  They  were brighter than ever, as the light from the distant bonfire flickered up into his face.  I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as my breath caught in my throat.

It seemed like he was fighting some sort of inner conflict.  I had seen that look before, but this time he softened.  Whatever the battle was, I think he had won it.

“I apologize in advance for what I’m about to say.  I dont’ want to scare you off, but I need to be honest with you.”

“Okay,” I whispered.

“This is going to sound crazy, but…since the moment I first set eyes on you I haven’t been able to stop thinking of you.”

The Carrier Trilogy:

1. Carrier of the Mark

2. Dawn of the Knights

3. Age of the Fifth

FTC Advisory: Harper Teen provided me with a copy of The Carrier of the Mark.  No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.