Nocturnal book reviews/Блог Полуночников

Starters by Lissa Price EARLY REVIEW

2012-02-23T01:43:00.000Z

Starters by Lissa Price (Starters #1)

Egalley thanks to Random House Children's Books

Synopsis from Goodreads
HER WORLD IS CHANGED FOREVER

Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.

He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . .

Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US | The Book Depository US/UK

Release Date: US 13th March 2012/UK 29th March 2012

* * *

It was actually a relief to find a dystopian that didn't revolve around love story. Starters is a very, very good book which reads like high-octane, supercharged thriller with just enough world-building and characterisation to make it believable and creeptastic.

Imagine US in near future, where Spore Wars wiped out all the population between 20 and 60, because the people who got vaccinated first were the most vulnerable - the kids and the older generation. They were the only ones who had a chance of survival when the spores were released.

What if you haven't had grandparents and according to martial law were not allowed to work? As a kid, a teen you are refused your right to earn money and if you get caught you will be taken into one of the institutions that are no more than juvies in disguise.

The Elders see most kids as the troublemakers at the best of times. Imagine, what would they do if they are left in charge?

Callie squats in one of the old flats with her seven-year-old brother who is almost always ill, and with a friend Michael. They've been living on the streets for a year, and she is always hungry, dirty, cold, and desperate to find help for her brother.

When she hears about Prime Destinations - a service where your mind goes to sleep for a week or so and your body gets taken over by one of the elders who can experience youth through you, it doesn't sound like a hard way to make money. Creepy? Sure. But not hard.

However, the client who takes over her body is the one who tampers with her chip in order to uncover the big and sinister conspiracy behind Prime Destinations and its leader Old Man, who always wears a mask.

Woken up in a posh night club in the middle of conversation, she is forced to take on the life of her renter. Between blackouts and strange voices in her head, before she even manages to realise what is going on, Callie is on the run for her life, helping her client and trying to save her little brother and Michael.

What I found really fascinating was a pretty advanced futuristic world even in a dystopia like this - the extended life to 150-200 years, the almost flawless reconstruction surgery, ways to heal people much faster, cures for many diseases and of course the technology that allowed to use someone else's body.

The drawbacks, - the lack of history of Spore Wars (who fought whom? why they fought?) and what about the rest of the world which didn't suffer from the same problems, what happened to them? - were impossible to ignore like a very large elephant in the room. (It irritated the hell out of me just like it happened with Dark Inside).

Would it have killed the author/editor team to have a tiny prologue in a manner of Star Wars? :) It would have added clarity and made us see the big picture much easier.

Oh well, I suppose we can't have everything, besides it's an ARC, maybe they'll add to it before publishing the final copy :)

Other than that, the book is nearly perfect. I breezed through it, it's addictive and very refreshing. Highly recommended.

* * *

Посреди книжного рынка, переполненного псевдо-антиутопиями, где сюжет "она встречает его, любовь-морковь, жизнь за него отдам-не пожалею" обычно заменяет всё остальное, включая построение мира, Starters читается легко и свежо.

К моему облегчению, любовной истории здесь нет, есть взрывной интересный футуристический триллер, странный и морозящий, увлекательный и очень быстрый.

США после вирусных войн в недалёком будущем теряет огромный возрастной пласт населения между 20 и 60-ю годами. Причина проста. Так как те, кто наиболее подвержены вирусам - это дети и старики, то их вакцинировали первыми, а остальных не успели перед аттакой.

Вот и представьте себе государство, отрезанное от остального мира из-за боязни заражения. государство. где всем управляют старики. А помните, как они относятся к подросткам в лучшие времена? Вот и представьте, что происходит с детьми и подростками, у которых не осталось бабушки и дедушки, чтобы их защитить, а все остальные считают их неудобством и хулиганами. которых надо всех хватать на улицах и сажать в интернаты, что ничем не лучше тюрем...

А ведь по военным законом, которые до сих пор не изменены. детям и подросткам запрещено работать.

Калли 16 лет, и она вот уже год живет на улицах вместе с больным 7-летним братишкой и другом Майклом. Они постоянно голодают. мёрзнут. опасаются враждебных группировок тинэйджеров и маршаллов, которые готовы упечь ихв интернаты в случае поимки. Калли к тому же очаянно пытается найти медицинскую помощь для брата.

Прайм Дестинэйшэнс звучит как решение всех проблем. Засни на неделю или две, пока в твоём теле переживает молодость один из богатых стариков. проснись отдохнувшей, получи деньги и свободен.

Но не тут-то было. Калли засыпает в клинике, а просыпается посреди роскошного нелегального ночного клуба. Её клиент модифицировала чип Калли, и теперь между внезапными потерями сознания и голосами в её голове, Калли оказывается втянута в попытку отомстить и остановить огромный заговор, который подвергнет тысячи подростков опасности. Не успев оглянуться, Калли оказывается в бегах, пытаясь помочь своему клиенту, раскрыть тайну личность босса Прайм Дестинэйшенс, спасти своего братишку и вообще выжить...

Единственный жирный недостаток книги - отсутствие предыстории. И она ох как тут нужна! Что за вирусные войны, с кем воевали. что произошло в остальном мире? - хрен его знает. А ведь всего лишь нужен был небольшой пролог в стиле Звёздных войн, чтобы эту ситуацию исправить.

Плюсы книги это её футуристические элементы - удлиннённая до 150-200 лет жизнь, реконструктивная хирургия, возможности очень быстро вылечивать раны и повреждения, лекарства, излечивающие большинство смертельных болезней.

В общем, очень советую. Вторая книга Enders уже не за горами.

9/10

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor REVIEW

2012-02-22T01:11:00.001Z

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (Daughter s Smoke and Bone #1)

won from Planet Print

Synopsis from Goodreads
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.
When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository US/UK

* * *

I agree with Cat from Beyond Books, - this book is pure poetry. It's beyond amazing. The writing is so rich, so delicious, you gorge yourself on words and images, you fall in love with Karou's blue hair and cafe Poison, beautiful views of Prague and spiciness of Marakkesh...

You imagine Karou's tiny little flat with angel wings on the wall over her bed, her wishing beads and sketchbooks with drawings of Brimstone, Issa, and her gorgeous best friend Zuzana.

Even Akiva is absolutely stunning like a force of nature although I didn't find that the love story added anything vital to the plot, it was more of a sub-plot.

I can not stress high enough how much you need to read this book! It's definitely another one of the most memorable reads of 2012 for me.

I won't go into any details because there are way too many reviews around and you probably heard it all before... Hewever here is my favorite piece of advice from Brimstone which i thought was one of the best quotes from the book:

" I don't know many rules to live by", he'd said. "But here's one. It's simple. Don't put anything unnecessary into yourself. No poisons or chemicals, no fumes or smoke or alcohol, no sharp objects, no inessential needles - drug or tattoo - and... no inessential penises either."
"Inessential penises?" Karou had repeated, delighted with the phrase despite her grief. "Is there any such thing as an essential one?"
"When an essential one comes along you'll know," he'd replied. "Stop squandering yourself, child. Wait for love."

Ain't that true, peeps. And I'm going to Prague now. It's decided.

* * *

Абсолютно фантастическая книга. Лэйни Тэйлор пишет невероятно красиво и в то же время её образы и огромный эмоциональный смысл вжаты в маленькие скупые предложения.

Дочь Дыма и Костей оставила меня в полнейшем восторге, и я с огромным нетерпением жду второй книги. Офигительны и Кару с её синими волосами, и загадочная Прага, и Бримстоун с его таинственным магазином, полным зубов, которые он обменивает на желания, и даже невероятно прекрасный Акива. Нити связывающие его с Кару - это как природный катаклизм, как Рок, избежать которого невозможно.

Кару - само совершенство, начиная с её мыслей и заканчивая крыльями ангела в её маленькой квартире над кроватью, Зюзанной - её чешской подругой, и её приключениями в Париже.

Я влюблена в героев и в Прагу. Хочу туда. Читать всем!

10/10

Amazon UK paperback deals

2012-02-21T23:40:00.000Z

Sorry to pester you, guys, but these books just caught my attention and I wanted to share the offers. Again, this is for UK only.

£ 2.99

£ 3.15

£ 3.64

All these are paperbacks with free postage. Enjoy!

Assassins in Love by Kris DeLake EARLY REVIEW

2012-02-21T02:28:00.001Z

Assassins in love by Kris DeLake (Assassins Guild #1)

Egalley thanks to Sourcebook Casablanca

Synopsis from Goodreads
Two brilliant assassins in a fascinating futuristic world need each other to finish one more job before calling it quits in the highly respected killing business. But it’s more of a challenge than either expected. A series of mishaps plagues their every move, and if it’s not Misha helping Rikki with a bungled getaway, then it’s Rikki helping Misha to hide some damning evidence. They can’t seem to get anything right… except for the way they feel about each other.

Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository US/UK

Release date: US 1st March 2012 / UK 1st April 2012

* * *

We are talking about Kristine Kathryn Rusch here using a pen name to write racy sci-fi romances, folks! Of course the book is buckets of fun since the very first moment when Rikki tries to get rid of the body in space...

This is a short, entertaining read similar to Mr. & Mrs. Smith. In this world assassins are respected professionals and not liable for the kills, their clients are. The laws vary from planet to planet, but Rikki prefers to act as an independent instead of belonging to The Assassins Guild and paying a hefty yearly membership fee.

However, she annoyed one of the best Guild Assassins Mikhail (Misha) who gets blamed for quite a few of her kills. He thinks she is messy and inexperienced and wants to teach her a lesson...

Oh boy, he is in for a hell of a surprise!

They are both tricky, and sneaky and paranoid, but despite a very bumpy road they manage to fall over heels for each other and get involved in a big conspiracy, where only mutual trust will keep them both alive.

Fun, easy, pretty short. Perfect mindless holiday read. Very much recommended.

Similar reads:

Slip Point
Break Out

* * *

Лёгкая, смешная книга наподобие Мистера и Миссис Смит, только в космосе.

Далёкое будущее, где ассассин - это уважаемая, легитимная профессия. За убийство по закону отвечает не ассассин, а его клиент, если того поймают.

Рикки предпочитает работать независимо и держится подальше от Гильдии Ассассинов, членство в которой вынуждает тебя платить здоровый годовой взнос. Книга цепляет с самого начала когда Рикки пытается избавится от тела на космическом лайнере, пока на помощь ей не приходит Миша.

Миша (он же Михаил) - один из лучших Ассассинов Гильдии, которого достало, что за некоторые из убийств Рикки винят его. Он считает, что она работает грязно и неумело, хочет преподать ей урок и завербовать в Гильдию.

Ну да, мальчика ждёт ба-альшой сюрприз!

И Рикки и Миша оба хитрющие, ловкие мошенники и параноики, однако несмотря на постоянные схватки и недоверие друг другу они всё же умудряются друг в друга влюбиться и попасть прям в гущу заговора с целью убить Мастера Гильдии. Теперь им быстренько придётся научиться доверять друг другу и работать вместе, чтобы остановить убийство, выжить и найти виновных.

Книга короткая, увлекательная и простая. Прекрасно подходит под отпускное настроение.

Крис ДеЛэйк - это псевдоним Кристин Кэтрин Раш, которая широко известна в мире научной фантастики.

8/10

Whoa! What a price drop...

2012-02-20T03:02:00.000Z

I just bought this book from my wishlist on Amazon UK and wanted to share what a bargain it is at the moment :)

£ 2.99

(for a mass market paperback with free delivery!)
£ 2.84

on Kindle

ONLY FOR AMAZON UK CUSTOMERS (don't forget that, peeps!)

Ciao!

IMM #25

2012-02-19T22:27:00.000Z

What a weird 24 hours... Laptop crashed, so the best I can hope for is salvaging as much as possible from the hard drive. Few books are totally lost, because the files are not transferable, plus my netbook suddenly stopped working with Firefox, and I'm using Internet Explorer now...

Oh well, it always can be worse, right?

Here is what I have in my mailbox...

Won

Thank you The Qwillery!

Time travel again!

Thank you, Bella Street and Small Blogs, Big Giveaways!

For review

Thank you, KaSonndra! The author contacted me because she saw that I like Angelfall (and who didn't?). She said that her book is a similar type of dystopian.

Bought

(All the books I bought last week were such bargains I couldn't resist)

I was after this book for absolute ages, and usually it costs about £10, but few days ago they reduced most of the books in the series to £2.50 each!

Yet another long-suffering book on my wishlist. I've wanted to read this fantasy for couple of years already, and managed to buy it from Books on Boards for under $2.

Freebies

UK/US - get yours!

Get yours!

So this is it. How was your mailbox, ladies and gents?

Back to good music and man candy :)

I don't know if you like electronica, but I think Dusty Kid is really good!

In our man candy edition we'll go with the classics...

as in hot and sweaty!

Happy Sunday!

No IMM yet...

2012-02-19T06:29:00.000Z

Hey, peeps! I haven't been able to upload any pics to my blog since yesterday so until I solve this problem no IMM, plus my laptop crashed last night (talk about bad timing, eh?)....

Wish me luck in figuring out what's wrong! I'll get to it as soon as I'm back from work. Happy Sunday!

Today's Deals on Amazon UK!

2012-02-17T19:29:00.000Z

£ 0.99

(only for today)

£ 2.56

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley REVIEW

2012-02-17T16:58:00.001Z

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

Egalley thanks to Little Brown & Co

Synopsis from Goodreads
"The body you are wearing used to be mine."

So begins the letter Myfanwy Thomas is holding when she awakes in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves. With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down the agents who want to destroy her.

She soon learns that she is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization called the Chequy that battles the many supernatural forces at work in Britain. She also discovers that she possesses a rare, potentially deadly supernatural ability of her own.

In her quest to uncover which member of the Chequy betrayed her and why, Myfanwy encounters a person with four bodies, an aristocratic woman who can enter her dreams, a secret training facility where children are transformed into deadly fighters, and a conspiracy more vast than she ever could have imagined.

Filled with characters both fascinating and fantastical, THE ROOK is a richly inventive, suspenseful, and often wry thriller that marks an ambitious debut from a promising young writer.

Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US | The Book Depository US/UK

* * *

What a clever, clever book! Without any doubts it's going to be one of the most memorable reads of this year for me the likes of Daughter of Smoke and Bone and The Night Circus.

In short, if you like Men in Black and Hellboy, this is British version of it, and a delightful at that, with self-deprecating humour and snarky personal assistants.

Myfanwy Thomas (pronounced like Tiffany with M) loses all her memories in a botched attempt of assassination. She is a high-ranking member of The Chequy, a super secret organisation which has been controlling and suppressing supernatural occurrences in Britain for centuries. Myfanwy before the amnesia left her new self thorough letters and descriptions of her life because her loss of memories was prophesied, but now this new strange woman has to pick up the pieces and lead day to day domestic operations of Chequy, because the alternative is death. Nobody leaves Chequy alive, it's just not an option.

Oh, and she needs to find the traitor who tried to kill her. No biggie. Just a day of work in the office.

What I found fascinating were the different characters belonging to The Chequy. You see, they don't work much with sophisticated weaponry, it's more like their bodies are the weapons. Myfanwy for example can manipulate biological responses of any body close to her, her counterpart, Gestalt has one powerful brain shared between four bodies who can work simultaneously in different parts of the world, another member of the organisation can walk through dreams of random people, and yet another has an affinity to metal...

...and it gets even more fascinating when you start reading about the big threat to The Chequy - The Grafters, who work with genetic modifications.

The old Myfanwy is an essential pencil pusher, a bureaucrat and a damn good administrator, but new Myfanwy has to take on a much more active role in the field, and it's so much fun, peeps! None of the other characters are there to be just props, they are alive, very interesting and have fascinating personalities.

I really want to spill all the beans here, but I don't want to spoil all your fun, so just READ IT. Highly recommended, hilarious and extremely clever.

* * *

Что за книга! Мама дорогая, это просто гениально, смешно и чрезвычайно занимательно!
Без сомнения, одна из лучших книг этого года для меня.

Мифани Томас одна из важных шишек чрезвычайно секретной организации, держащей под контролем паранормальные явления в Великобритании вот уже многие века, и она просыпается с полной амнезией, стоя под дождём в парке, окружённая телами людей в латексных перчатках.

В кармане её жакета два письма адресованные ею для неё же. Теперь новой Мифани предстоит следуя письмам старой Мифани (амнезия которой была предсказана) узнать кто предатель в организации, пытающийся её убить, как руководить всеми домашними операциями той же организации и не выдать, что она потеряла память... Ну в общем обычный день в офисе для женщины, которая может управлять биологическими функциями любого организма, находящегося рядом с нею, и партнёр которой обладает одним мозгом между четырьмя телами, которые могут функционировать одновременно в различных точках мира...

Очень умно написанная, смешная и увлекательная книга. чередующая письма Мифани и её жизнь после амнезии, а также попытки разоблачить огромный заговор внутри самой организации.

Что мне очень понравилось, это то, что старая Мифани - обычный бюрократ, великолепный администратор и трусиха в боевых ситуациях, которую по большей части настоящие агенты игнорируют. Однако новая Мифани лишена страхов и предрассудков своей предыдущей копии, и смотреть как она ломает все устоявшиеся мнения о себе - это сплошное веселье.

В общем, я постаралась важной информации вам не выдать и саму книгу рекомендую чрезвычайно. Она шикарна!

9.5/10

Half-Blood and Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout MINI RANT

2012-02-16T15:41:00.000Z

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Covenant #1)

bought

Synopsis from Goodreads
The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository US/UK

6/10

___________________________________________________________

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

gifted

Synopsis from Goodreads
Starting over sucks.When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.And then he opened his mouth.Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. The hot alien living next door marks me.You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. If I don't kill him first, that is.

Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository US/UK

6/10

* * *

To be absolutely honest I was planning to have a big rant about these books, but I'm too tired and it's too unpleasant to write negative reviews in general. The fact is I understand why Jennifer is such a popular YA author but sadly she is not a good fit for me.

Half-Blood was so reminiscent of the most unpleasant aspects of Vampire Academy, Rose's carefree party-for-all attitude and disregard of someone else's opinion/experience in general plus mucho angst, I barely managed to finish it.

In addition both characters from Obsidian and Half-Blood, both Alex and Katy make such stupid mistakes over and over again, I just wanted to slap them.

Katy has absolutely no excuse for such behaviour, - she is a book blogger for god's sake! She reads about characters like that all the time, yet she goes into the woods with a drunken boy with wondering hands and what?.. Hopes for the best? or decides to sacrifice herself for no good reason whatsoever.

It boggles me, that there is such a lack of sensible, savvy and practical heroine in YA literature. Instead there is an influx of harebrained girls with no instinct of self-preservation whatsoever, making half-@ssed attempts to save the world.

I apologise to all the fans of the author, she writes really well, my issue is with the way the girls are portrayed/stereotyped in YA in general.

* * *

Мои дорогие читатели, а вас ещё не достали героини-идиотки, совершающие одна за другой глупые ошибки, не умеющие признать что они не правы и полностью лишённые инстинкта самосохранения?

Меня вот достали. Поэтому Дженнифер Л. Арментрот - это автор не для меня, и слог у неё нормальный, и она донельзя популярна, но героини, блин, героини, убиться и не жить.

Полукровка слизана с Вампирской Академии, только вместо замечательных боёв тут толстый слой ангста. Обсидиан рассказывает о девушке с книжным блогом, которая уж должна-то знать, что ей не стоит совершать те же самые ошибки, что и героиням книг, которые она читает, но нет...

Тут вам присутствует и "пойду-ка я в лес с пьяным, сексуально-озабоченным мальчиком и посмотрю получится ли у меня избежать изнасилования" а также особо популярное "я должна пожертвовать своей жизнью ради (зачеркните то что актуально, вампира/оборотня/инопланетянина, которого люблю", и не важно что тот вполне способен сам разобраться со своими проблемами, а вместо них должен мчаться спасать дуру, которая наломала дров, пытаясь спасти его...

Я просто прихожу в отчаянье от презентации женского пола в YA - почему они просто ну поголовно такие дуры за редкими исключениями? Читать или нет, решайте на свой страх и риск.

Valentine's Day Giveaway winner, some freebies and when is the next giveaway?

2012-02-15T18:24:00.001Z

First of all, Happy Valentine's, me dears!

The winner of Avenger's Angel is...

Arianne!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For those of you who didn't win, here is a consolation prize...

is FREE on Amazon UK/US at the moment!

is FREE at Books on Board (among other amazing freebies).

As to when is the next giveaway? Mark your calendar for the 24th of February. I'm participating in this blog hop, and it's gonna be epic :)

Ciao!

What I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long REVIEW

2012-02-15T05:00:00.000Z

What I Did For a Duke by Julie Ann Long (Pennyroyal Green #5)

bought

Synopsis from Goodreads

For years, he's been an object of fear, fascination . . . and fantasy. But of all the wicked rumors that shadow the formidable Alexander Moncrieffe, Duke of Falconbridge, the "ton" knows one thing for certain: only fools dare cross him. And when Ian Eversea does just that, Moncrieffe knows the perfect revenge: he'll seduce Ian's innocent sister, Genevieve--the only Eversea as yet untouched by scandal. First he'll capture her heart . . . and then he'll break it.
But everything about Genevieve is unexpected: the passion simmering beneath her cool control, the sharp wit tempered by gentleness . . . And though Genevieve has heard the whispers about the duke's dark past, and knows she trifles with him at her peril, one incendiary kiss tempts her deeper into a world of extraordinary sensuality. Until Genevieve is faced with a fateful choice . . . is there "anything" she won't do for a duke?

Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository US/UK

* * *

Unbelievably amazing book, one of the finest historical romances I've read in the last few years.

Extremely powerful couple, witty, sarcastic and seeing each other for exactly who they are. I was laughing and giggling through most of the book but there were plenty of moments which struck me as bittersweet and very romantic.

The synopsis MUST be ignored. It couldn't have been further from what's happening in the book.

Falconbridge is getting ready to be married. He is 40, a widower and he found someone who he thinks he might feel affection for with time. Only the girl jumps into bed with one of the bright, naughty and young Eversea brothers.

Everyone knows that Duke of Falconbridge always exacts his revenge. He comes as a guest to Eversea estate with a plan to seduce one of Eversea's sisters, - Genevieve.

Only she sees right through him...

Genevieve just received a blow. Her best friend and the guy she loved all her life confessed to her that he loves their mutual friend and intends to propose to her. Blind and stricken with grief she amuses herself with a daring dangerous game with a duke which turns into a passionate affair the more they know each other, until the duke realises that it's not enough.

Accidentally he fell in love and now has no idea how to make Genevieve see past their game.

“A proper kiss, Miss Eversea, should turn you inside out. It should . . . touch places in you that you didn’t know existed, set them ablaze, until your entire being is hungry and wild...It should slice right down through you like a cutlass with a pleasure so devastating it’s very nearly pain … It should make you want to do things you’d never dreamed you’d want to do, and in that moment all of those things will make perfect sense. And it should herald, or at least promise, the most intense physical pleasure you’ve ever known, regardless of whether that promise is ever, ever fulfilled. It should, in fact . . . ” he paused for effect “ . . . haunt you for the rest of your life.”

Brilliant! Highly recommended.

* * *

Просто пиршество какое-то, а не книга! Превосходная история, до боли романтичная и полная иронии, с шикарными характерами...

Я не часто встречаю такие прекрасные исторические романы.

Герцогу Фэльконбриджу сорок лет, он - вдовец, который решил вторично жениться и подобрал невесту, к которой он сможет со временем, как он думает, начать испытывать привязанность. Только вот девушка прыгает в постель с одним из молодых, хулиганистых и задорных братьев Эверси...

Помолвка расторгнута, но это ещё не всё. Фэльконбридж собирается отомстить Эверси, сооблазнив одну из его сестёр - Женевьеву.... которая видит сквозь все его махинации, и ей на него с высокой колокольни.

Женевьева только что узнала, что её ближайший друг и мужчина, которого она любила всю свою жизнь собирается предложить руку и сердце их общей подруге. Сломленная, ослеплённая болью, она равнодушно наблюдает за попытками герцога её сооблазнить, и когда у того ничего не выходит они понемногу становятся друзьями и сообщниками, видящими друг друга такими как есть и не скрывающими свои мотивы.

Дружба перерастает в флирт, а флирт в страстную любовную связь, пока Фэльконбрижд не осознаёт, что он-то влюбился и теперь совершенно не знает как дать понять Женевьеве, что они просто созданы друг для друга...

9.5/10

Drink Deep, Heist Society, One Grave at a Time MINI REVIEWS

2012-02-14T05:00:00.002Z

Drink Deep by Chloe Neill (Chicagoland Vampires #5)

gifted

Synopsis from Goodreads
Clouds are brewing over Cadogan House, and recently turned vampire Merit can't tell if this is the darkness before the dawn or the calm before the storm. With the city itself in turmoil over paranormals and the state threatening to pass a paranormal registration act, times haven't been this precarious for vampires since they came out of the closet. If only they could lay low for a bit, and let the mortals calm down.

That's when the waters of Lake Michigan suddenly turn pitch black-and things really start getting ugly.

Chicago's mayor insists it's nothing to worry about, but Merit knows only the darkest magic could have woven a spell powerful enough to change the very fabric of nature. She'll have to turn to friends old and new to find out who's behind this, and stop them before it's too late for vampires and humans alike.

Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository US/UK

* * *

Hmm... I was admiring the balls of Mrs Neill for doing what she did with Ethan in the last book, but now I don't know what to think anymore. The predictability and comfort are gone. People we thought dead, - are not, those we thought friends, - are not, and even the obvious enemy is so much more than you think. Frankly, I'm at loss as to what is going to happen next, and that's why I'm even more excited to read the next instalment in the series, - Biting Cold.

Overall, despite this book being very slow, almost bureaucratically so, big thumbs up!

* * *

Ни фига себе, Миссис Нэйл совершенно не щадит своих героев, что очень сильно мне импонирует. Одного убили и вернули к жизни, второго превратили из друга во врага. Что творится с врагами, которые нам известны - совершенно не ясно...

Я с огромным нетерпением жду продолжения серии, и эту книгу, несмотря на медленное развитие сюжета, смело рекомендую всем поклонникам писательницы.

8.5/10

_____________________________________________________

Heist Society by Ally Carter (Heist Society #1)

Goodreads UK Bookswaps

Synopsis from Goodreads
When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

For Kat, there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository US/UK

* * *

Fantastic book, cheeky, refreshing, funny and smart! I would say it's even better than Gallagher Girls series. Rest assured, peeps, no boy trouble here, no drama or any sort of idiocy.

Kat is brave, very clever, responsible and holds her team of miscreants aka professional thieves together like a superstrong glue :) It was actually a perfect YA. Serious motives, real problems, plenty of action, endless amount of fun and lack of stupidity. Highly recommended.

* * *

Превосходное начало серии про профессиональных воров. Почти что идеальное YA без любовных драм, идиотизма и с реальными проблемами.

Кэт - живая, безумно интересная, ответственная девушка, которая держит свою команду детишек-воришек в железном кулаке, чтобы совершить самую большую афёру в мире и спасти своего отца из тисков опасного мафиози. В книге полно нон-стоп экшна и безумного веселья. Советую чрезвычайно.

8.5/10

__________________________________________________

One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost (Night Huntress #6)

library copy

Synopsis from Goodreads

How do you send a killer to the grave when he's already dead?
Having narrowly averted an (under)World War, Cat Crawfield wants nothing more than a little downtime with her vampire husband, Bones. Unfortunately, her gift from New Orleans's voodoo queen just keeps on giving--leading to a personal favor that sends them into battle once again, this time against a villainous spirit.
Centuries ago, Heinrich Kramer was a witch hunter. Now, every All Hallows Eve, he takes physical form to torture innocent women before burning them alive. This year, however, a determined Cat and Bones must risk all to send him back to the other side of eternity--forever. But one wrong step and they'll be digging their own graves.

Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository US/UK

* * *

Anyone is up for crispy Cat? *grinning*

Frankly I found the choice of an almost unstoppable villain in this book a bit bizarre. That's why for me this was a pretty weak book between books. No Vlad and very few moments with people we know and love, plus one extremely annoying pencil pusher.

Read it if you are following the series, but I'm personally eagerly awating Vlad's book, so this was just a filler.

* * *
Книга между книгами.

Выбор злодеев среди злобного призрака-шовиниста и бюрократа-нового директора Бюро меня не очень впечатлил. Влада здесь нет, да и остальных героев, что мы успели полюбить, практически нет. Ну и Кэт в процессе финальной битвы теряет свои шикарные волосы... Читать чисто для того, чтобы не отставать от событий серии, но я лично с нетерпением жду книги о Владе.

7.5/10

Windowshopping on Netgalley

2012-02-13T05:00:00.020Z

The deal is I've got a back log on Netgalley, and I really need to get rid of it before requesting more books, but like a hopeless addict I still like to browse, so let's combine pleasure with usefulness again :)

I'll browse, you request.

All the links lead to Netgalley.

The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long

The trees swallowed her brother whole. And Jenny was there to see it. Years later, when she returns to the woods where Tom was taken to say good-bye at last, she finds herself lured into a world where stunning beauty masks the most treacherous of evils, and strange and dangerous creatures await—creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with allegiances that shift as much as his moods. Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack’s help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where nothing is what it seems, no one is who they say, and she’s faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice—and not just her own.

_____________________________________________________

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama

Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences. Almost one hundred forty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him. For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse? With Ezra’s help, Hester investigates her family’s strange, sad history. The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean—but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago.

_____________________________________________

The Raft by S.A. Bodeen

Robie, 15, lives with her family on the Midway atoll, a group of islands in the middle of the Pacific. Her parents are scientists; it’s an isolated life. Robie enjoys visiting her aunt in Hawaii – she gets back and forth on a cargo plane that brings supplies to Midway.

During a visit, her aunt is called to the mainland for a work emergency, leaving Robie to get home on her own. On her flight back to Midway the cargo plane hits nasty weather, and goes down. It’s just Robie, the pilot, and Max, a co-pilot she’s never met till this flight, on board. Robie is pulled aboard a raft by Max, who is injured and slipping in and out of consciousness. They have a bag of candy and very little water between them. When they finally reach an island that seems abandoned, Robie hopes they’ll be found quickly. But she’s not sure she was even on the flight manifest. Her parents must be looking for her…aren’t they?

In THE RAFT, S.A. Bodeen creates a hair-raising suspense story that will have readers agonizing over the same question as Robie -- how long can they survive?

____________________________________________

Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near-impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one unlikely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life– a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha… and the secrets of her heart.

______________________________________

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.

A huge store isn’t the worst place to be stranded. There’s food and water, bedding and books. But what if it’s not safe to leave? Emmy Laybourne had us from the get-go with her utterly fresh and fast-paced debut.

Six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids are trapped together in a chain superstore. Together they build a refuge for themselves inside, while outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapon spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.

_________________________________________

All These Lives by Sarah Wylie

Sixteen-year-old Dani is convinced she has nine lives. As a child she twice walked away from situations where she should have died. But Dani’s twin, Jena, isn’t so lucky. She has cancer and might not even be able to keep her one life. Dani’s father is in denial. Her mother is trying to hold it together and prove everything’s normal. And Jena is wasting away.

To cope, Dani sets out to rid herself of all her extra lives. Maybe they’ll be released into the universe and someone who wants to live more than she does will get one. Someone like Jena. But just when Dani finds herself at the breaking point, she’s faced with a startling realization. Maybe she doesn’t have nine lives after all. Maybe she really only ever had one.

________________________________________________

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Emma and her friend Chloe are spending vacation in Florida. When Emma (literally) runs into a hot guy named Galen on the beach, little does she know he’s a prince of the Syrena. Galen and Emma both feel something strange – is it attraction? – and Galen suspects that Emma might well be the girl he’s heard of – a human who can communicate with fish.

What follows is a deadly scene with a shark in which Galen witnesses Emma’s gifts. He must know more about her, and follows her back to New Jersey, and high school, to find out for sure if she’s the key to saving his kingdom. Soon, Emma can’t deny her feelings for him, but can’t explain them, either – and both she and Galen must learn more about where she comes from and what her powers are before they can trust one another and their feelings.

_______________________________________________________

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

____________________________________________________

Burn Mark by Laura Powell

An action-packed drama full of East End gangs, witches, and a modern day Inquisition.

In a modern world-where witches are hunted down and burned at the stake-two live interact. Cleo is from a family of witches, and is desperate to develop the 'Fae' and become a witch herself. Lucas is the son of the Chief Prosecutor for the Inquisition and his privileged life is very different from the witches he is being trained to prosecute. And then one day, both Cleo and Lucas develop the Fae. In one fell stroke, their lives are inextricably bound together, whether they like it or not.

______________________________________________________

The Weepers: The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker

3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 6 days since I’d seen daylight. One-fifth of my life.

Sherry and her family have lived sealed in a bunker in the garden since things went wrong up above. Her grandfather has been in the freezer for the last three months, her parents are at each other’s throats and two minutes ago they ran out of food.

Sherry and her father leave the safety of the bunker and find a devastated and empty LA, smashed to pieces by bombs and haunted by ‘Weepers’ - rabid humans infected with a weaponized rabies virus.

While searching for food in a supermarket, Sherry’s father disappears and Sherry is saved by Joshua, a boy-hunter. He takes her to Safe-haven, a tumble-down vineyard in the hills outside LA, where a handful of other survivors are picking up the pieces of their ‘other lives’. As she falls in love for the first time, Sherry must save her father, stay alive and keep Joshua safe when his desire for vengeance threatens them all.

________________________________________________

Hollyweird by Terri Clark

Paranormal + Hollywood + cute fallen angel = WIN

When sixteen-year-old Aly King is the grand prizewinner in the "Win a Date with Dakota" contest, it seems like a dream come true. Along with her best friend Desi, and soap star wannabe sister Missy, she flies from Colorado to Hollywood for her celebrity date. Like every other girl in America, Aly knows that Dakota Danvers is a smoking hot movie star. What she doesn't know is that he's also Satan's son.
Luckily for Aly, in the City of Angels there is one actual angel, Jameson Dagon. Granted, Jameson is a fallen angel, but he has one last chance at salvation if he can derail Dakota's evil machinations. Can Jameson protect Aly and Desi from Dakota's damning influence, put up with Missy's prima donna antics--and ignore his smoldering attraction to Aly?
___________________________________________________________

The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry
This dark and thrilling adventure, with an unforgettable heroine, will captivate fans of steampunk, fantasy, and romance.
On her 18th birthday, Lena Mattacascar decides to search for her father, who disappeared into the northern wilderness of Scree when Lena was young. Scree is inhabited by Peculiars, people whose unusual characteristics make them unacceptable to modern society. Lena wonders if her father is the source of her own extraordinary characteristics and if she, too, is Peculiar. On the train she meets a young librarian, Jimson Quiggley, who is traveling to a town on the edge of Scree to work in the home and library of the inventor Mr. Beasley. The train is stopped by men being chased by the handsome young marshal Thomas Saltre. When Saltre learns who Lena's father is, he convinces her to spy on Mr. Beasley and the strange folk who disappear into his home, Zephyr House. A daring escape in an aerocopter leads Lena into the wilds of Scree to confront her deepest fears.
This is it for today, ciao!

This week's Amazon UK Kindle deals under £3!

2012-02-12T12:27:00.000Z

Here is a new list for this week, peeps!

free

£ 0.99

£0.99

£1.98

£1.99

£2.55

£2.60

£2.63

£2.65

Enjoy!

IMM #24 or slowing down a little

2012-02-12T05:00:00.002Z

Morning, me dears! Shall I be British and complain about the weather?

No snow since last Sunday, instead we had rain and sleet in minus temperature which resulted in ice. Lots of it. Don't. Like. It.

I figured that with my new job I would need to slow down blogging and have 5 posts a week instead of 7-8. By the time weekend is here I really want to just chill out with the book and catch up on my fellow bloggers posts (I had to go through 600 today :) So, I hope you don't mind me slowing down a bit.

What have I got in my mailbox this week?

Won

Thanks to The Book Smugglers and Neesha Meminger! The cover is absolutely gorgeous, and it's about time-travel!

Goodreads Book Swap

Thank you, Lucinda! This book has been on my wishlist forever simply because French Revolution is one of my most favourite historical periods.

For Review

Mayan Prophecy and Russian mafia... How could I possibly resist?! Thank you, Killian!

This urban fantasy was a pleasant surprise from Orbit UK.

Bought

For those of you who don't know it, Sarah Wendell is one of two bloggers of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books (and I love that blog!). Their first book Beyond Heaving Bosoms was absolutely hilarious and a must buy for any fan of romance novels, and I had this one on my wishlist for ages! It's currently on offer from Amazon UK/US under £3/$3 on Kindle.

Freebies

Savor Amazon Kindle UK/US - get yours!

So, this is it. How was your mailbox, ladies and gents?

This soundtrack I found by accident through an ad for a video game, and it's amazing!
Photek - Sleepwalking (feat Linche)

Enjoy!

Man candy for this week is Taylor Kitsch! Have you seen the trailers for John Carter?! I'm salivating over this movie :)))

Happy Sunday!

Isle of Night by Veronica Wolff REVIEW

2012-02-09T05:00:00.000Z

Isle of Night by Veronica Wolff (The Watchers #1)

gifted

Synosis from Goodreads

Is life offering fewer and fewer options? Then join the dead.
When Annelise meets dark and seductive Ronan, he promises her a new life-if she has the courage to chance the unknown. Now, she's whisked away to a mysterious island and pitted against other female recruits to become a Watcher-girls who are partnered with vampires and assist them in their missions. To survive and become a Watcher, Annelise has to beat out every other girl, but she's determined to do so, because to fail doesn't mean dishonor-it means death.

Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US | The Book Depository US/UK

* * *

I had love/hate relationship with this book. I loved the dark and very atmospheric feel of it. I could see the island of Night, taste the salt in the air, shiver in its chilly wind... On the other hand the characters are incomplete. There are glimpses of greatness in Alcantara, the vampire mathematician, potential in Emma, Annelise's friend, but here goes nothing. They all remain props, necessary to move the plot, but devoid of any depth.

This is a mash up of Morganville Vampires and Hunger Games, but Annelise despite claiming that she is a genius, doesn't use her brain like Claire or feels the terrible weight of taking human lives like Katniss... She is empty, selfish and annoying.

The book is full of gratuitous violence and terrible cliches like an uber mean girl bent on destroying Annelise.

In order to survive, you shed your humanity and betray everyone to become a Watcher. I just don't get it, peeps. What is the point? You have these male vamps who need to have female Watchers (sexist much?) so they get them among 10% of survivors - the toughest, strongest, meanest, potentially the most psychotic b*tches on the island.

The reasonable question is why not breed human servants who respect and love you in exchange for the care of their families and comfortable life, why not indoctrinate people from birth? That will ensure devotion and dedication, without a very real possibility for one of these Watchers going on the rampage and offing the vamp as soon as they are off the island.

So the whole idea either incomplete or doesn't make much sense.

The other thing that made me go bonkers is that Annelise has her ipod and listens to her favourite music for a month until she is caught with it. There is no mention of her charging it and I sure as hell want to know what's so special about its battery if it can hold charge for more than 3 weeks! When I had one I was lucky to get 10 hours of listening to the music, and even if she does have a charger (let's be anal about it) US and UK sockets are very different, so she probably won't be able to use it anyway... Am I the only one who thought it was bizarre?!

Overall, I found the book very interesting and enjoyed it despite its flaws, and I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series. There must be light in the end of the tunnel. Surely.

* * *

Книга из серии "хотели как лучше, я получилось как всегда". Автор сварганила гибрид Морганвильских Вампиров и Голодных Игр, только вот в отличие от Клэр Аннелиза совсем своими мозгами не пользуется и в отличие от Катнисс совсем не страдает угрызениями совести когда кого-то убивает...

А жаль. Не смотря на нелепую жестокость, сливаемую на читателя с целью шокировать, потенциал, едва заметный во второстепенных персонажах - таких как Эмма или таинственный вампир-математик Алькантара совершенно не реализуется. Они так и остаются картонными характерами, оживлёнными для продвижения сюжета, но совершенно пустыми.

Сама Аннелиза уверяет нас в том, что она гений, но всё что я вижу - это глупая блондинка, эгоистка и нытик. Идеи и система мира не объясняются, упоминаются вскользь и рставляют о себе весьма шаткое впечатление...

Несмотря на огромное количество минусов, я прочитала Остров Ночи с большим удовольствием, так как умение автора создать атмосферу - мрачную, депрессивную и холодную, совершенно неповторимо.

7.5/10

The unbeatable Reds!

2012-02-08T05:00:00.001Z

OH, YES!
Please welcome the new addition to our collection of redheaded covers, plus a little chat about highly desirable books and one evil doppelganger cover...

Interested in my collection? Look it up in Monthly Features.

Now, I don't know what's happening to Lux series covers, but this is a second doppelganger for one of the books I've seen...

Check out the first. Yeah, overall it's an improvement *grinning*

Because of the overuse of stock photos I wholly approve of new covers for these books

Better safe than sorry.

Last but not least, here is a few books I've added to my wishlist because they look delicious...

The Legacy of Tril by Heather Brewer

What's worse than being blackmailed to attend a hidden school where you're treated like a second-class citizen? How about nearly getting eaten by a monster when you arrive? Or learning that your soulmate was killed in a centuries-old secret war? And then there's the evil king who's determined to rule the world unless you can stop him...

Meet Kaya, a young woman with the power to heal and the determination to fight. But struggle as she will, she remains tied to three very different men: a hero who has forsaken glory, a tyrannical ruler who wants to use Kaya, and a warrior who's stolen her heart. Kaya learns the hard way that some ties can't be broken...and blood is the strongest bond of all.

Forget the love triangle! Hello, love... square?

____________________________________________________________

Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo

I'm sorry, guys, but this book has already attracted my fellow Russian readers making fun of "The Grisha" and "Alina Starkov" - it probably will be just as entertaining and annoying as The Mephisto Covenant... I have to read it just so I can rant about it later!

______________________________________________________________________________________

Nightshifted by Cassie Alexander

Welcome to the secret wing of County Hospital—where vampires get transfusions, werewolves have silver allergies, and one nurse is in way over her head…

Nursing school prepared Edie Spence for a lot of things. Burn victims? No problem. Severed limbs? Piece of cake. Vampires? No way in hell. But as the newest nurse on Y4, the secret ward hidden in the bowels of County Hospital, Edie has her hands full with every paranormal patient you can imagine—from vamps and were-things to zombies and beyond…

NIGHTSHIFTED

Edie’s just trying to learn the ropes so she can get through her latest shift unscathed. But when a vampire servant turns to dust under her watch, all hell breaks loose. Now she’s haunted by the man’s dying words—Save Anna—and before she knows it, she’s on a mission to rescue some poor girl from the undead. Which involves crashing a vampire den, falling for a zombie, and fighting for her soul.

Grey’s Anatomy was never like this…

Really really want to read it! Such a refreshing take on UF!

_______________________________________________________

Precinct 13 by Tate Halloway

A new, drop-dead hilarious paranormal romance series.
Recent college grad Alex Conner is thrilled to have landed a job as the Hughes County coroner/medical examiner in Pierre, South Dakota. But when her first day on the job ends with a missing body and a conversation with a corpse, Alex starts to wonder if she would have been better off collecting unemployment...
After working up the courage to report the missing body, Alex is transferred to the mysterious Precinct 13. There, she discovers her new co-workers are paranormal themselves — including a cute, if a bit geeky techno-wizard named Jack, who encourages her to use her ability to speak to the dead to solve crime. And despite being in the middle of nowhere, Hughes County sure does have a lot of paranormal activity…

Come on! She is a coroner! This is awesome!

This is it. Hope you enjoyed it!

Ciao!

January Netgalley month wrap up

2012-02-07T21:05:00.000Z

Hi, guys!

I just realised that I actually never posted my results for January Netgalley Month.

All these lovelies have been read, although Assassins in Love and Ripper reviews will be up later this month for one and mid-March for another.

God's Eye

Protection for Hire

Tooth and Nail

Firelight

I had fun!

How about you?

Grave Dance by Kalayna Price REVIEW

2012-02-07T05:00:00.000Z

Grave Dance by Kalayna Price (Alex Craft #2)

copy thanks to Berkley UK

Synopsis from Goodreads
Whoever said dead men tell no tales obviously never met Alex Craft.

After a month spent recovering from a vicious fight with a sorcerer, grave witch Alex Craft is ready to get back to solving murders by raising the dead. With her love life in turmoil thanks to the disappearance of Fae Investigation Bureau agent Falin Andrews and a shocking “L” word confession from Death himself, Alex is eager for the distractions of work. But her new case turns out to be a deadly challenge.

The police hire Alex to consult on a particularly strange investigation in the nature preserve south of Nekros City. The strange part: There are no corpses, only fragments of them. A serial killer is potentially on the loose, and Alex has no way to raise a shade without a body, so she’ll have to rely on the magic of others to find leads. But as she begins investigating, a creature born of the darkest magic comes after her. Someone very powerful wants to make sure the only thing she finds is a dead end—her own.

Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository US/UK

* * *

Alex Craft turned out to be pretty fascinating series. Fans of Seanan McGuire certainly will gobble it up in between October Daye books. *wink*

This is pure urban fantasy, and Alex's life is a mess. In book #1 she found out that she is part-fae on top of being a grave witch. Not only that, she seems to be inheriting all the property of the Fae she killed which leads to an unwanted and dangerous attention of Winter Court and the rest of the Fae world.

What we get out of this mess is an irresistible talented witch who is chased by: her pal, Death, a soul collector and a very hot dude; a lanky Winter Queen's assassin, blondie Falin Andrews, with whom she had a passionate but brief affair previously; a mad rich mortal addicted to magic; a Fae client, police detectives and agents of Fae Investigation Bureau...

Yes, she is definitely on Most Wanted list, and sh*t only gets weirder and more complicated the more Alex gets drawn into Fae politics and intrigues.

I've really enjoyed this book! It's not overly dark or oppressive, there is plenty of easy banter and likable characters. Overall, It's an easy and very entertaining read. Recommended to all fans of Seanan McGuire and Fae themed urban fantasy in general.

* * *

Легко читается, занимательные персонажи, диалоги да и сам сюжет. Я рекомендую серию Алекс Крафт всем поклонниками Октобер Дэй, да и эльфийской городской фантастики в общем.

После первой книги, когда Алекс узнаёт, что она - наполовину эльф, убийство ею могущественного эльфа и открытие новых (или хорошо забытых старых) возможностей фэ привлекают к ней опасное внимание Зимней Королевы, да и всех остальных эльфийских Дворов.

Помимо этого пока она пытается помочь полиции в расследовании серийных убийств, кто-то задался целью зачаровать её и её друзей, наследство убитого ею эльфа в мире фэ по закону переходит к ней, за Алекс гоняются агенты ЭБР (Эльфийского Бюро Расследований) а также сумасшедший богатый экцентрик, испытывающий наркотическую зависимость к магии и пытающийся заставить Алекс открыть ему к ней доступ...

Её приятель, Смерть, коллектор душ и симпатичный молодой человек всё также с ней флиртует и переодически её спасает, а на горизонте опять появляется сногшибательный эльф Фалин Эндрюс, ассассин Зимней Королевы и агент ЭБР, с которым Алекс замутила короткую интрижку в прошлой книге.

В общем, как обычно, тучи сгущаются, Алекс всё больше втягивают в эльфийские интриги и сам сюжет всё закручивается и закручивается.

Читать определенно стоит. Занимательно, и время отнюдь не будет потрачено зря!

8.5/10

Cascade and Torrent by Lisa T. Bergren REVIEW

2012-02-06T05:00:00.000Z

Cascade by Lisa T. Bergren (River of Time #2)

bought

Synopsis from Goodreads

Mom touched my underdress—a gown made six hundred years before—and her eyes widened as she rubbed the raw silk between thumb and forefinger. She turned and touched Lia’s gown. “Where did you get these clothes?”

Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, weeks have passed and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence—while the Florentines will go to great lengths to see them dead.
But Marcello patiently awaits, and Gabi must decide if she’s willing to leave her family behind for good in order to give her heart to him forever.

Amazon US | Amazon kindle US/UK |

* * *

Torrent by Lisa T. Bergren (River of Time #3)

bought

Synopsis from Goodreads
When Gabi and Lia finally learn to surf the river of time, they realize they must make hard choices about life and love in the third and final book in the River of Time series.
Gabi and Lia Betarrini have learned to control their time travel, and they return from medieval Italy to save their father from his tragic death in modern times. But love calls across the centuries, and the girls are determined to return forever—even though they know the Black Plague is advancing across Europe, claiming the lives of one-third of the population. In the suspenseful conclusion of the River of Time series, every decision is about life … and death.

Amazon US | Amazon kindle US/UK |

* * *

OK, the good part of this trilogy is that it's fascinating, adventurous, full of extreme danger and often almost miraculous escape from it. River of Time is rush, bold and breathtaking.

On the other hand, as long as you know that this is pretty much a teenage girl's fantasy in la-la land, you are fine.

I can't wrap my head around Gabi's stupidity and lack of instinct of self-preservation. Sure let's sneak out past Marcello's guard and save the world despite him being of this era, knowing all the risks and trying to prevent Gabi from committing a virtual suicide. The girl lacks common sense so much I wanted to smack her and smack her hard. I really don't know how she survived all her trials...

Then comes the matter of Black Death. What on Earth was THAT?! First, Luca contracts it and deteriorates way tooo fast. But wait. Next time we see him, he is miraculously cured. What?! I've no idea what happened, and it irked me to no end.

My issue with this series is that despite it being hugely entertaining, most of the problems Gabi brings on herself trying to play a superhero. Secondly, there is no consideration of the butterfly effect. You know, the whole Bettarini bunch changing the past hugely all the time? Yeah, that one.

My last problem is that most of the situations are repetitions of what already happened. If Waterfall was refreshing and unique, the rest two books were annoying and improbable. Gabi is way far from a Christian ideal. She kills and she maims, but where is her remorse? Where is her PTSD? She is just a teenage girl, but her behaviour is not adequate to what she has to go through.

So, yeah. A great read with lots and lots of flows very much like Steel by Carrie Vaughn which made pirates look like cartoonish version of the real deal.

If you want to read a really good time travel book, I highly recommend The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.

* * *

На самом деле после прекраснейшего Водопада, Каскад и Торрент это повторение пережёванного, отвратительные ошибки, и я вообще не понимаю как Габи с её отсутствием инстинкта самосохранения каким-то образом пережила позднее средневековье.

Она не только всё время лезет на рожон, в то время как мужчина, который её любит и который непосредственно живёт в этой эпохе пытается предотвратить её идиотский акт самопожертвования, она ещё и никаким образом не страдает от пережитого - у неё нет шоковой реакции на убийства, которые ей приходится совершать, на то, как она приказывает совершенно хладнокровно отрезать уши своему врагу...

Габи играется в супергероя и отнюдь не является идеальной христианкой. А ведь это христианская литература, которой автор широко известна. Я была в шоке.

Да, написано чрезвычано увлекательно, но здесь так много ошибок, роялей в кустах и недочётов, что читать Каскад и особенно Торрент было очень тяжело. Мне это напомнило Сталь от Карри Вонн с её мультяшными версиями настоящих пиратов. Плюс эффект бабочки - эффект манипулирования временем здесь совершенно не учитывается.

Мой вердикт? Если хотите почитать хороший роман с путешествием во времени, лучше познакомьтесь с творчеством Дианы Гэбэльдон.

7/10

IMM #23 or thanks God It snowed!

2012-02-05T05:00:00.022Z

HOLY MOSES!!! IT FREAKING SNOWED HERE AT LAST! YAAAAY!
*view from my windows*

Closed Catholic Convent is on one side.

On the other side is a view of snowed in town...

Also, I'm happy to report that the new job is lovely, and that I scored some nice books this week *wink*

Won

Thanks to fantastic Lesley@My Keeper Shelf!

Library Sale

(for whopping £1.25 in total!)

I haven't read anything by Christopher Pike or Janet Evanovich yet, so no time like the present...

Review

So excited! I absolutely love Elizabeth's books!

Thank you, Kenya!

Freebie

Amazon UK/US, - get yours!

Bought

Something Secret This Way Comes was sooo good I had to read the second book straight away! Seriously guys, I highly recommend both!

This is it. What was in your mailbox, ladies and gents?

P.S. Don't forget to enter my international Valentine's Day Giveaway :)

Music and man candy per usual...

This is Cocorosie, - beautiful, dark, haunting and disturbing, it somehow reminds me of dark fae.

Also, a hilarious video thanks to Tynga!

WARNING: do not eat or drink anything to avoid a mishap while watching this awesome Breaking Dawn spoof.

Of course, a very thematic man candy, Kellan Lutz comes next...

He has a wicked sense of humor, me thinks!

Happy Sunday!

Flesh and Blood by Kristen Painter REVIEW

2012-02-04T05:00:00.001Z

Flesh and Blood by Kristen Painter (House of Comarré #2)

library copy

Synopsis from Goodreads
Those born into the comarré life produced blood in rich, pure, powerful abundance...

With the Ring of Sorrows still missing, and the covenant between othernaturals and mortals broken, Chrysabelle and Malkolm’s problems are just beginning. Chrysabelle still owes Malkolm for his help, but fulfilling that debt means returning to Corvinestri, the hidden vampire city where neither is welcome.

Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository US/UK

* * *

It was bad people, it was bad, I'm telling you! What a huge difference from the book one...

Bad points:

The plot stagnates. Pretty much nothing is happening. Chrysabelle is angry at Mal, Mal is pissed off with Chrysabelle, Tatiana wants to kill them both and get her ring back. Doc is trying to get Fi back. Enter the witches who cursed him. Hello "go to the point A, collect the item 1, bring it to the point B, exchange for the item 2, repeat until death by boredom".
Hi, Creek, a new male interest, a mysterious vampire hunter and a member of Kubai Mata. You suddenly develop a case of rabid and rapid attraction to Chrysabelle, who reciprocates and spends the whole book awkwardly interacting with Creek and Mal and wanting them both. Both men are surprisingly accommodating. Hello, hateful love triangle. We've missed you. NOT.

Good points:

Octavian and Tatiana are the only ones who actually don't piss me off. The only reason they don't succeed is because they have to rely on imbeciles, who always fail to deliver :)

Why on earth do we need a love triangle somewhere where there is no ground for it, no passion, and only a mild curiosity on all parts? It's like the characters are trying hard to persuade themselves and the reader that yes, they DO have the feelings for each other and they want to act on it, damn it!

Frankly speaking, the whole book is a disaster. The potential for a great story I saw in Blood Rights hasn't been realised at all, which is a great pity.

* * *

Мать вашу, такое впечатление, что после первой книги закончились праздники и началось тяжёлое похмелье, потому как вся вторая книга - это бред сивой кобылы.

Сюжет стоит на месте, главные герои дуются друг на друга, второстепенные персонажи играются в "пойди туда, не знаю куда, принеси то, не знаю, что"... Рояль в кустах в форме внезапно появившегося Крика, охотника на вампиров, принадлежащего к тайной организации Кубай Мата решает внезапно и рьяно, что хочет Крисабель, и здравствуй, - самый неловкий любовный треугольник, который я когда-либо видела...

Это как будто актёры читают сценарий впервые, и робко пытаются войти в роль пылких любовников. Без содрогания читать было невозможно.

Татьяна занимается тем же самым, что и в первой книге - безуспешно пытается отобрать Кольцо у "шлюхи комаррэ" и планирует мировое господство.

В общем, потенциал, обещанный в первой книге не наблюдается. Чтение - потеря времени.

5/10

This week's Amazon Kindle UK deals under £1

2012-02-03T22:06:00.000Z

Hey guys!

Here is another quick list of Amazon UK deals from this week.

All the prices are correct at the time of posting.

Happy reading!

Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt REVIEW

2012-02-03T05:00:00.002Z

Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt (Maiden Lane #1)

bought

Synopsis from Goodreads

Infamous for his wild, sensual needs, Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, is searching for a savage killer in St. Giles, London's most notorious slum. Widowed Temperance Dews knows St. Giles like the back of her hand-she's spent a lifetime caring for its inhabitants at the foundling home her family established. Now that home is at risk . . .

Caire makes a simple offer-in return for Temperance's help navigating the perilous alleys of St. Giles, he will introduce her to London's high society so that she can find a benefactor for the home. But Temperance may not be the innocent she seems, and what begins as cold calculation soon falls prey to a passion that neither can control-one that may well destroy them both.

Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository US/UK

* * *

Funny how this is a first historical romance with honest to God bondage I've ever read. Colour me surprised! This book pretty much ticks all the boxes I usually need to tick in a historical romance:

strong plot
sizzling attraction between two very mature characters who both know what they want
interesting secondary characters

You won't believe how many HR authors I avoid because they lack this wonderful formula, and I'm happy to say Elizabeth Hoyt delivered and more.

Simply speaking, disreputable Lord Caire has been avoiding society and especially his mother most of his adult life because he can't forgive her for not saving his younger sister who died ill and neglected when she was a child. The man's got issues to a point where he doesn't trust anyone and experiences pain from a physical touch, thus his need for bondage. He doesn't even have lovers among The Society, he has mistresses or pay prostitutes for their services. His last mistress was found tied up and butchered, and he is determined to find the killer and avenge her.

Temperance is a middle class young widow who lives one step away from the abject poverty trying to run an orphanage left to her and her siblings by her dad. When Caire decides to enlist her help they make a deal - she who knows the poor area of London and its inhabitants really well will help him in his investigation, and he will pay her orphanage expenses and will help her find a patron for it among the society.

Spending time together among the slums of London, running away from assassins and simple thugs, meeting the famous ghost... Both Lazarus and Temperance realise that they are not really who they think they are. He might be capable of deeper emotional involvement and she hides wicked desires under her prim and proper appearance...

I just really loved this couple! They are equal partners, and essentially Temperance bests Lazarus who thinks he figured her out, in his own game. This was an absolute delight to read!

* * *

Ну вот, впервые прочитала исторический роман с бондажем! Вообще, рекомендации Элизабет Хойт я вижу довольно часто, и она действительно замечательно пишет.

В этой книге от главных героев не только искры так и летели, но и сам сюжет совсем не подкачал, да и второстепенные персонажи были выписаны очень интересно.

Лазарус Кэйн - своего рода анафема в светском обществе. Слухи о его необычных сексуальных предпочтениях идут давно, да и сам он сторонится общества и, главное, своей матери, которую не может простить с тех пор, как она не оказала помощь его больной сестре в детстве, и та умерла. Лазарус страдает от психологической травы и испытывает боль от физических прикосновений, поэтому когда он занимается сексом, связывает своих любовниц, чтобы они к нему не прикасались.

Когда очередная из его кралей найдена связанной и убитой в одном из худших кварталов Лондона, он намерен найти и наказать убийцу.

Тэмперанс - молодая вдова из семьи буржуа, живущая на грани нищеты и пытающаяся изо всех сил удержать на плаву доставшийся ей в наследство от отца приютный дом.

Когда Лазарус предлагает ей сделку - его деньги и помощь в нахождении благотворителя для приюта в обмен на услуги Тэмперанс в качестве проводника и помощника в районе, который она знает как свои пять пальцев, она соглашается без оглядки.

Оба, среди убийств, погонь и драк, получают от своего партнёрства больше, чем ожидали. Лазарус осознаёт, что всё-таки способен на эмоциональную привязанность, и молодая вдова, которую он думал, что разгадал, на самом деле таит под своей благочестивой маской, вольную, страстную натуру сильной женщины. Тэмперанс осознаёт себя и наконец начинает принимать себя такой как есть.

Рекомендую.

9/10