Nocturnal Book Reviews

YA Fantasy Review: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

2013-06-19T05:00:00.000+01:00

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore (Graceling Realm #3)

Review copy courtesy of Gollanz Geeks

Synopsis from Goodreads
Eight years have passed since the young Princess Bitterblue, and her country, were saved from the vicious King Leck. Now Bitterblue is the queen of Monsea, and her land is at peace.

But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisers, who have run the country on her behalf since Leck's death, believe in a forward-thinking plan: to pardon all of those who committed terrible acts during Leck's reign; and to forget every dark event that ever happened. Monsea's past has become shrouded in mystery, and it's only when Bitterblue begins sneaking out of her castle - curious, disguised and alone - to walk the streets of her own city, that she begins to realise the truth. Her kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year long spell of a madman, and now their only chance to move forward is to revisit the past.

Whatever that past holds.

Two thieves, who have sworn only to steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck's reign. And one of them, who possesses an unidentified Grace, may also hold a key to her heart . . .

Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK(£3.99) | The Book Depository US/UK | Fishpond

8.5/10

* * *

Beautiful book. After so many disappointed reviews I was bracing myself for the worst, but Bitterblue was quirky, puzzling and utterly lovely.

I love Kristin Cashore, and I could see how meticulously she crafted this dreamy, confusing world where queen Bitterblue lives in her tower and tries to make sense of the kingdom after Leck. Leck, whose mostrous nature we've been following through Graceling and Fire.

You see, Bitterblue is a truthseeker, and while she doesn't realise it, her nature drives her to dig through the lies and silence her councellors surround and suffocate her with. So she sneaks out of the palace every night to listen to the stories people tell in taverns of her capital to get the truth of what's going on.

Monsea's descriptions are wonderful: weird bridges and bizarre architecture of the palace, crazy things that are happening to everyone around her and of course Bitterblue's wonderful friendship with Katsa and Po, and her attraction to a daring thief Saf.

There is so much going on in Bitterblue, you get exhausted in the end. Conspiracies that don't make sense, strange cover ups, spontaneous suicides and murders, ciphers and terrible truths, painful reconnection to Bitterblue's own memories... All as a legacy of Leck's terrible rule. And poor Bitterblue has to deal with it all.

I'm intentionally not giving away any spoilers because this book deserves to be savored, so the truth of it all will fit like a key into a puzzle and everything will start making sense again.

Wonderful story and wonderful experience, very much recommended.

* * *

Очень милая, грустная и странная книжка, которую я читала с огромным удовольствием.

Вот люблю я Кашор, и несмотря на плохие рецензии Биттерблю, в этой книге я совершенно не разочаровалась.

Королева Биттерблю живёт в своём дворце, пытаясь быть идеальной правительницей для людей Монси, пострадавших от сороколетнего режима её отца - монстра Лека,с которым мы познакомились в двух предыдущих книгах серии. Биттерблю - искатель правды, и хотя она об этом не подозревает, именно её дар позволяет ей видеть как её любимые советники что-то от неё скрывают, так как очень многое в Монси кажется ей совершенно не логичным и бессмысленным.

Биттерблю начинает сбегать из дворца ночами и бродить по тавернам города, слушая истории различных сказителей. Она знакомится с парой воришек и именно они начинают раскрывать ей глаза на то, что происходит в стране.

Сама книга - это лабиринт различных историй, странных архитектурных сооружений Лекса, шифров, потерянных воспоминаний, искалеченных душ, неожиданных убийств и самоубийств, прекраснейшей дружбы между Биттерблю и Катсой с принцем По и очень опасных интриг и заговоров. Её надо читать медленно, постепенно раскрывая её загадки и секреты, но это этого вы получите одно удовольствие.

Очень рекомендую!

Sci-Fi Early Review: Lexicon by Max Barry

2013-06-17T05:00:00.000+01:00

Lexicon by Max Barry

Egalley thanks to Penguin Press HC

Synopsis from Goodreads
At an exclusive school somewhere outside of Arlington, Virginia, students aren’t taught history, geography, or mathematics—at least not in the usual ways. Instead, they are taught to persuade. Here the art of coercion has been raised to a science .Students harness the hidden power of language to manipulate the mind and learn to break down individuals by psychographic markers in order to take control of their thoughts. The very best will graduate as "poets": adept wielders of language who belong to a nameless organization that is as influential as it is secretive.

Whip-smart orphan Emily Ruff is making a living running a three-card Monte game on the streets of San Francisco when she attracts the attention of the organization’s recruiters. She is flown across the country for the school’s strange and rigorous entrance exams, where, once admitted, she will be taught the fundamentals of persuasion by Brontë, Eliot, and Lowell—who have adopted the names of famous poets to conceal their true identities. For in the organization, nothing is more dangerous than revealing who you are: Poets must never expose their feelings lest they be manipulated. Emily becomes the school’s most talented prodigy until she makes a catastrophic mistake: She falls in love.

Meanwhile, a seemingly innocent man named Wil Jamieson is brutally ambushed by two strange men in an airport bathroom. Although he has no recollection of anything they claim he’s done, it turns out Wil is the key to a secret war between rival factions of poets and is quickly caught in their increasingly deadly crossfire. Pursued relentlessly by people with powers he can barely comprehend and protected by the very man who first attacked him, Wil discovers that everything he thought he knew about his past was fiction. In order to survive, must journey to the toxically decimated town of Broken Hill, Australia, to discover who he is and why an entire town was blown off the map.

As the two narratives converge, the shocking work of the poets is fully revealed, the body count rises, and the world crashes toward a Tower of Babel event which would leave all language meaningless. Max Barry’s most spellbinding and ambitious novel yet, Lexicon is a brilliant thriller that explores language, power, identity, and our capacity to love—whatever the cost.

Release Date: June 18th 2013.

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

9.5/10

* * *

I can't help it, guys. Max Barry is my author, like Chuck Palahniuk, John Twelve Hawks and I suspect, Cory Doctorow (when I finally get to read his books).

Last year I read Jennifer Government, and it blew my mind. This year Lexicon did exactly the same. It's convoluted, paranoid, bizarre and utterly men in tin foil hats material. I was walking in a haze for a couple of days totally consumed by this book, thinking about it.

If anyone ever looked into legalese, you know that the common meaning of words doesn't always mean what we think it means. Lexicon takes this idea further and creates a powerful organisation which finds young people with the ability to sway human minds and teach them the way to breach our brain defences with tailor made words for different types of personality, which will make us do and think what they want. All for the good of organisation of course.

Lexicon follows the recruitment and education of Emily, a young prodigy, who doesn't work well with the rules, and whose breaking of said rules because she craves knowledge and human touch brings a chain of events of catastrophic proportions.

Few years later, rebellious Emily is back hellbent on revenge and righting all evils the leader of organisation brought upon the people dear to her.

Lexicon is brutal, fast-paced, shocking, heart-wrenching. It's a tragic love story where you least expect it. It's about war, betrayal, cynicism and manipulation. It's about people and incredible things we could do. It makes you think. The latter is what I appreciate most of all in the books I read.

Highly recommended.

* * *

Бесподобная, прекрасная книга! Вот мой это автор - Макс Барри, так как я обожаю всё, что выходит из под его пера.

Барри пишет о тайных организациях, мировых заговорах, политическом цинизме и манипуляции человеческого мышления.

В прошлом году его Государственная Дженнифер снесла мне крышу, а в этом году по тому же пути пошёл Лексикон. Барри взял теорию манипуляции массами и развил её ещё дальше.

А что если существует некая организация "поэтов", умеющая подбирать слова к каждому типу личности, которые способны взломать защитные механизмы нашего мозга и передать полный контроль над ним поэту?

В такой организации учится и работает Эмили - молодой и очень талантливый поэт, которая нарушает одно из табу - не подускать к себе никого близко. Её отправляют в изгнание в маленький городок в Австралии и забывают о ней на несколько лет, где она встречает простого парамедика Гарри и вновь ломает все правила ради него.

Когда лидер организации разрушает любимый ею городок и превращает его в кровавую баню, чтобы проэкспериментировать с силой библейского Слова, Эмили вступает в войну с организацией, добиваясь её уничтожения и правосудия для тех, кто умер в Брокен Хилл.

Лексикон - книга странная, параноидальная, полная драйва, и в то же время разрывающая сердце как раз тогда когда этого меньше всего ожидаешь. Она о любви. Она о войне. И самое главное, она заставляет задуматься, что я ценю в книгах больше всего.

Очень рекомендую.

The Postman Knock #33

2013-06-16T05:00:00.000+01:00

Rain, rain, rain all week.

Looks like British summer has officially ended, peeps :(

Otherwise, I've been reading fiendishly.

Nothing new here.

Oh, I also had a massive clear out of my wishlist on Goodreads and in my library (250 books gone), and transferred a lot of books to my kindle wishlist (easier to notice a bargain price).

READ:

Phew. That's a lot of books! THE SHE-HULK DIARIES is awesome, peeps! Marta at her best. READ IT! On the other hand, I really did not like ACID. Poorly written and badly paced, unfortunately. THE MISTRESS as all the books by Tiffany Riesz go was a mind f*ck of a highest calibre. I don't think you can call it erotic romance. Not EVER. More like high-octane psychological thriller. BURN MARK was a very good dystopian YA, so good, that I wish I had book#2 to read now. Reminded me of Holly Black's books. RISING DARKNESS let me down, peeps. I think there are good ideas, but execution is very average. I won't be continuing with this series. At, last MAGNIFICENT DEVICES series blew me away. I gobbled up 4 books in 2 days, because it was pure bliss reading this light clever and fun steampunk adventure!

DNF:

SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE'S BED was so bad, peeps, I couldn't go past the first chapter. Old-fashioned, formulaic and full of cliches. No, thank you! Nothing was wrong with GREAVEBURN except that I didn't like the writing style, so I'll be donating it to my library.

NETGALLEY:

Thanks to all the publishers!

LIBRARY:

The Necklace of Gods is called Eona in US.

BOUGHT:

I love everything Sara King writes, but her books are usually a bit too expensive for me to buy outright, so this time I've waited until it was reduced on kindle. The same goes for Blaze and Where Bluebirds Fly - both currently are kindle offers.

FREEBIE:

It was free on Amazon this Saturday, so go and check it out!

Happy Sunday!

This cutie is Margaret Berger from Norway, and this is the only song I've liked from Eurovision 2013.

What do you think?

Bookish Inspiration Behind Marking Time: A Guest Post from April White

2013-06-15T05:00:00.000+01:00

There’s a law somewhere that says readers will invariably get hooked on a series the minute they don’t have time to read it. Especially a really substantial, meaty fantasy series with complicated world-building that doesn’t lend itself to anything other than full-immersion.

Those kinds of books make a very lasting impression. And in my case, the fantasies I plowed through starting in college, invariably during dead-week and finals when I’d have to claw my way to the surface, gasping for air, just to stumble to class, were the ones that stayed with me and helped shape my very strong opinions about things like the rules of time travel and how vampires and shifters should behave. You know, the important things.

So when I talk to high school English classes full of teenagers waiting for me to dazzle them about being an author, the really intriguing parts of the conversation are about other people’s books, starting with the ones that influenced me as I wrote Marking Time.

“The rest of the journey passed uneventfully, if you consider it uneventful to ride fifteen miles on horseback through rough country at night, frequently without benefit of roads, in company with kilted men armed to the teeth, and sharing a horse with a wounded man. At least we were not set upon by highwaymen, we encountered no wild beasts, and it didn't rain. By the standards I was becoming used to, it was quite dull.” ― Diana Gabaldon, Outlander

Outlander is constantly shelved in the wrong section of nearly every bookstore I’ve ever browsed. The exception being a small, independent bookstore in Northern California that kept Outlander stocked in the fantasy section, not among the bodice-rippers.

Don’t get me wrong, the love story between Claire and Jamie is, well… steamy, and whole discussions have happened over wine about who could play Jamie in the movie. But actually, Outlander is one of the very best time travel novels EVER!

Diana Gabaldon researched the hell out of 1743 Scotland and it’s the details that really make this an extraordinary story. The thing that has always really resonated with me was how it felt to be a “modern” woman thrown into the past with no warning and no real survival skills beyond whatever knowledge she brought with her.

“Lucas Priest, Sergeant Major, United States Army Temporal Corps, was trying to figure out how to stop a charging bull elephant with nothing but a Roman short sword. Scipio had given the order to advance and Lucas wondered if the legion commander really believed that Rome's famed phalanx formations would intimidate a berserker like Hannibal. Sending foot soldiers against his pachyderms was not unlike attempting to stop a Panzer column with tricycles.”
– Simon Hawke, The Ivanhoe Gambit

The Ivanhoe Gambit is a book one in a twelve-book fantasy series, and the one that cemented the “rules” of time travel firmly in my brain.

It explains the Grandfather Paradox (if a person goes back in time and kills their grandfather before he has met their grandmother, how can he exist to go back in time?) in a way that makes it perfectly impossible for a person to ever meet themselves in the past.

And the series explores the idea of time as like a river, with small anomalies behaving like pebbles thrown in the water and causing ripples that are easily absorbed by inertia. But big anomalies, say like going back in time to kill Hitler before he could start a war, would be more like throwing a boulder into the river and causing the water to divert around it. What, then, would happen when those two streams re-join? Would one entire timeline suddenly cease to exist?

Simon Hawke’s device of setting each book around an established historical event and playing with what might happen inspired me to dance with the known history of Jack the Ripper and then put my own spin on it. Because solving historical mysteries with fantastical resolutions is so much fun!

“Zane looked. The death’s-head gaped back at him, encased in its hood. His hands in the gloves were skeletal, and his ankles above the shoes were fleshless bones. He had assumed the visage of Death.” – Piers Anthony, On a Pale Horse

On a Pale Horse is book one of Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony, and plays with the brilliant device that Death is an office. And if, like the hero of the book, you accidentally kill death, you get the job. I love the idea of concepts personified, and I borrowed very liberally from that idea for Marking Time when I made Time, Fate, Nature, War and Death into Immortals with long family lines full of descendants with skills they inherited from their powerful ancestors.

“It's like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story.” ― Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

Patrick Rothfuss is a genius. Totally irreverent, deeply committed, unapologetically geeky and incredibly well-read, he has joined the ranks of my favorite authors EVER.

And although I can’t claim that The Name of the Wind influenced Marking Time in any discernible way, everything about Pat’s brilliant writing makes me want to be better. Just… better. That is all.

“I snuck a look to see how Eric was taking this, and he was staring at me the same way the Monroe vampires had. Thoughtful. Hungry. "That's interesting," he said. "I had a psychic once. It was incredible." "Did the psychic think so?” ― Charlaine Harris, Dead Until Dark

Okay, to be fair, Dead Until Dark and any of the other Sookie Stackhouse novels from Charlaine Harris had very little to do with the Vampire mythology I created in Marking Time.

I’ve actually never come across mythology like mine – with Vampires as the Descendants of Death – made, not born, since it’s an oxymoron for Death to be born.

But I’ve been reading about Vampires since Anne Rice’s Vampire Lestat (not bad, except for the Rock Star stuff), and some of that mythology just doesn’t work for me.

Sorry, sparkly Vampires? Really? But Charlaine Harris brought Vampires back in a funny, slightly irreverent way, and Sookie’s voice, especially in the early books, has enough sass to bring Vampires out of the dark and creepy realm and turn them into real characters.

These are just the books I start with.

Invariably, Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card comes up (“What? You haven’t read it? Get it RIGHT NOW and read it before the movie comes out in November!”), Blood Song by Anthony Ryan (cheap on kindle, with a ridiculously high number of five-star reviews), and anything by Robin Hobb or Neil Gaiman.

Among my YA recommendations are some amazing books like Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson, Divergent by Veronica Roth, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, and a new (to me) find in contemporary fiction, The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay. And that’s not even counting anything by Suzanne Collins and J.K. Rowling.

Stephen King said “Books are uniquely portable magic,” and Alice Hoffman believes that “Books may well be the only true magic.” And of course Lemony Snicket never trusts a person who has not brought a book with them, but Neil Gaiman said it best:

“May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.”

APRIL WHITE has been variously a film producer, private investigator, bouncer, and screenwriter.

She writes in the morning before her chickens wake up, follows her husband to the ends of the earth (the Yukon, the jungle) when his work takes him there, and the rest of the time, lives in Southern California with her family, their dog, and said chickens.

Find April:

Website | Twitter | Blog | Facebook

Summary

Seventeen-year-old tagger Saira Elian can handle anything... a mother who mysteriously disappears, a stranger who stalks her around London, and even the noble English Grandmother who kicked Saira and her mother out of the family. But when an old graffiti tag in a tube station transports Saira to the 19th Century and she comes face-to-face with Jack the Ripper, she realizes she needs help after all.

Saira meets Archer, a charming student who helps her blend in as much as a tall, modern American teen can in Victorian England. He reveals the existence of the Immortals: Time, Nature, Fate, War and Death, and explains to Saira that it is possible to move between
centuries – if you are a Descendant of Time.

Saira finds unexpected friendships at a boarding school for Immortal Descendants and a complicated love with a young man from the past. But time is running out for her mother, and Saira must embrace her new identity as she hides from Archer a devastating secret about his future that may cost him his life.

Buy:

Goodreads | Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | Smashwords

Thank you for being my guest, April! I am definitely checking out some of your books and I totally agree with you on Outlander, because I'm a rabid fan who is just waiting for the newest book to be released :)

Friday Mini Reviews #1

2013-06-14T05:00:00.000+01:00

source

I'm in a bit of a conundrum, peeps.

One one hand, I've reduced the amount of days for blogging.

On another hand, I'm still a voracious reader, and the non-review books I read keep piling up while I prefer to review those I've promised to review.

So I decided to come up with a compromise:

I'll do review reads Monday and Wednesday and a bunch of mini reviews for the books I read for myself on Friday.

I hope I'll be able to run out of them pretty soon and get back to full reviews, but I'll be honest with you - I don't know when I'll be back to normal.

So, this is it. Hope you don't mind.

In any case, please let me know what you think!

Dead Surround by Celis T. Rono (Julia Poe Vampire Chronicles #2)

bought

Synopsis from Goodreads

Julia Poe escapes from the politics of Downtown Los Angeles after helping rescue 200 human cattle from blood farms. Enraging master vampires throughout the city, Poe's two-year freedom is cut short when she becomes the second most wanted person in the land right behind Kaleb Sainvire, an unfailing idealist and the elusive love of her life. She is once again forced to take a stand against vampires trying to reclaim the human slaves stolen by Sainvire's revolutionaries and face the wrath of Quillon Trench, the master vampire she disfigured.

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

9/10 - I've already raved about the first book in the series. This one is just as good.

Action packed, mind-blowingly crazy, bloody and gritty dystopian urban fantasy. Not for weak in the stomach. Very strong, paranoid, unique and stubborn heroine, causing a deep feeling of sympathy in a reader. Non-stop action. Similar to: The Immortal Rules, Vampire Miami and Rhiannon's Law.

* * *

Я уже пела дифирамбы первой книге, и спою их второй. Прекраснейшая вещь, полная экшн, сурового серого быта вампирской антиутопии, параноидальной, упрямой как Брюс Уиллис и очень сильной героини, которая вызывает сильнейшую симпатию у читателя. Не для слабых желудком. Похоже на: (ссылки в англ. варианте, чтоб не повторять).

Selling Out by Justina Robson (Quantum Gravity #2)

library

Synopsis from Goodreads

Book two of the Quantum Gravity series sees Lila Black drawn into the intoxicatingly dangerous demon realm. Capricious, in love with beauty, demons are best left to themselves. This is not easy when they can't resist tampering with humans. Justina Robson's new series is a joyful melding of science fiction and fantasy brought together in the figure of the dangerously lovely Lila Black, a 21-year-old secret agent who's had much of her body replaced with weapon-and-armor-heavy intelligent metal and who isn't sure where her mind ends and her installed AI begins. Lila's world is one where demons, elves, and elementals live alongside people. And somehow Lila and the other agents of the security agency have to provide security for all and stay alive themselves.
Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository US/UK | Fishpond

8/10 - There is a phrase to describe this sci-fi slash fantasy read: bat-shit crazy. If I could still follow book #1, this one had a lot of infodumps and incredibly detailed complex worlds. My head was spinning, but I still enjoyed Lila and Co. adventures. She is a secret agent and a cyborg falling for a dark elf/demon. What's not to love? Add a loyal fae friend, different dimensions and incredible vicious beauty of demon realms, and you have one mesmerizing pain in the butt of a book. Similar reads: none. Maybe Fifth Element and Final Fantasy?

* * *

Очень сложная книга, множество совершенно ненужной информации и описаний различных миров, от которых кружилась голова, а вот оторваться от приключений Лилы и Ко. было невозможно. Она - секретный агент и киборг, связанная судьбоносной Игрой с тёмным эльфом/демоном. Добавьте жестокий мир демонов, интриги различых измерений и интересные гаджеты, и получите очень занимательную головную боль. Похоже на: Пятый Элемент и анимэшную Файнэл Фэнтэзи.

Sealed With A Curse by Cecy Robson (Weird Girls #1)

gifted

Synopsis from Goodreads
Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other twenty-something girls—with one tiny exception: They're the products of a curse that backfired and gave each of them unique powers that make them, well, a little weird…

The Wird sisters are content to avoid the local vampires, werebeasts, and witches of the Lake Tahoe region—until one of them blows up a vampire in self-defense. Everyone knows vampires aren't aggressive, and killing one is punishable by death. But soon more bloodlust-fueled attacks occur, and the community wonders if the vampires of Tahoe are plague-ridden.

Celia reluctantly agrees to help Misha, the handsome leader of an infected vampire family. But Aric, the head of the werewolf pack determined to destroy Misha's family to keep the area safe, warns Celia to stay out of the fight. Caught between two hot alphas, Celia must find a way to please everyone, save everyone, and—oh, yeah—not lose her heart to the wrong guy or die a miserable death. Because now that the evil behind the plague knows who Celia is, he's coming for her and her sisters.

This Wird girl has never had it so tough.
Amazon US /UK | Amazon kindle US /UK | The Book Depository US/UK

7/10 - I loved everything else in this novel apart from the love line. Aric was demeaning and condescending as hell son of a bitch. I'm sorry but I could not stand him and his way of deciding to do something without consulting Celia. Ugh. If you can get past his attitude, it's a lovely read, but not for me. Similar books: The Trouble With Fate, Seven Kinds of Hell, Full Blooded.

* * *

Ужасная любовная линия, типичная для паранормального романа, хотя это городское фэнтези. Арик - снисходительный, вспыльчивый шовинист, у которого виднеются зачатки мужей, бьющих своих жён. Антипатию к нему я перебороть не смогла несмотря на вполне нормальный сюжет. Дальше читать не хочу - не моё. Похоже на: (ссылки выше).

Street Fighting Fiction Review: Devil's Honor by S.W. Vaughn

2013-06-12T05:00:00.000+01:00

Devil's Honor by S.W. Vaughn (House Phoenix #2)

review copy from the author

Synopsis from Goodreads

Honor is life . . . and death.

Shiro Kuroda is a man torn between two worlds – born and raised in traditional Japan, he’s now a fighter and assassin embroiled in New York’s underground street fighting scene. After he accidentally kills an opponent in the ring, breaking the one rule of the organization, his employer’s retribution is swift: he must assassinate a deadly rival to the Harada clan, or take his own life in shame if he fails.

However, the people he has trusted over the years are not who they seem to be. A secret from Shiro’s past assures that no matter what the outcome of his mission, he will lose – whether he must commit ritual suicide, or watch those closest to him die.

Amazon US | Amazon kindle US($2.99)/UK(£1.99) | Smashwords

7.5/10

* * *

I think, Shiro wasn't the best character for me to enjoy. I do love Gabriel aka Angel and Jenner, but Shiro was a pure contradiction in himself.

First of all, he is this stoic Japanese character determined to serve his master with honor. On the other hand he suddenly develops these inexplicable bouts of rage where he kills one fighter because he calls him a derogatory name, and nearly beats to death a homeless person for repeating the same offence. WTF? is all I can say.

The other confusing part of Shiro, was his split personality between lily white Shiro and demonic Akuma, which wasn't explained well at all. The character development wasn't helped by giving almost equal parts in the plot to larger than life Angel and a very scary and mysterious Jenner, so Shiro had to fight not to fade into the background with these two.

Otherwise the plot is straightforward and continues the story started in the book #1 really well. Devil's Honor is not the best instalment of the lot, but it still makes me want to continue with this unique series.

By the way, the book is shelved as MM Romance which is totally not what this is all about.

* * *

Не очень удачная вторая часть серии Дом Феникса, благодаря главному персонажу - Широ Курада.

Широ выписан как очень противоречащий сам себе характер с необъяснимым раздвоением личности на Широ и Акуму. Вроде бы мы видим типичного японца - стойкого, невозмутимого, готового на всё ради чести и службы господину. Однако совершенно внезапно Широ охватывает ярость и он одним ударом убивает бойца, находящегося с ним на ринге, что приводит к его бесчестью и заданию найти и убить Шонена, ассассина, сбежавшего из организации несколько лет назад. Если Широ провалит задание, ему приказано совершить сеппуку - мучительный путь самоубийства в японской культуре.

В то же время книга уделяет равное внимание Ангелу, другу Широ, о котором написана первая книга серии, и Дженнеру - его летейнанту. Оба характера очень сильные и совершенно затмевают тихоню Широ.

Сюжет сам по себе прямолинейный и достаточно простой, так что я бы посчитала Дьявольскую Честь книгой между книгами, так как она продолжает Сломленного Ангела безпрерывно, вместо того, чтобы отделять её как историю Широ, так как о нём здесь написано было совершенно недостаточно.

Читать можно.

Historical YA Early Review: Born of Illusion by Teri Brown

2013-06-10T05:00:00.000+01:00

Born of Illusion by Teri Brown (Born of Illusion #1)

Egalley thanks to Balzer & Bray

Synopsis from Goodreads
Anna Van Housen is thirteen the first time she breaks her mother out of jail. By sixteen she’s street smart and savvy, assisting her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage show and séances, and easily navigating the underground world of magicians, mediums and mentalists in 1920’s New York City. Handcuffs and sleight of hand illusions have never been much of a challenge for Anna.

The real trick is keeping her true gifts secret from her opportunistic mother, who will stop at nothing to gain her ambition of becoming the most famous medium who ever lived. But when a strange, serious young man moves into the flat downstairs, introducing her to a secret society that studies people with gifts like hers, he threatens to reveal the secrets Anna has fought so hard to keep, forcing her to face the truth about her past. Could the stories her mother has told her really be true? Could she really be the illegitimate daughter of the greatest magician of all?

Release Date: June 11th 2013.

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

8.5/10

* * *

Born of Illusion is not The Diviners, but it's a lovely, fun and colourful book, strong in its own right.

Like Libba Bray, Teri Brown took on a fascinating and not a very well known topic of magicians and mediums in New York in 1920s. However, while Bray concentrated on a bigger picture, describing a great and sinister conspiracy, Teri Brown painted portraits of individuals with their own dreams, fears and desires.

Anna is a strong, determined young girl, whose sole occupation is to provide for her flighty, dramatic mother, a famous medium currently on tour in New York. Ironically, Anna is the real medium in the family while her mother is a shiny fake, but it's not the side of her talent she wants to explore. Anna is deadly afraid of her visions and contacts with the dead, and wants no part of it.

Her passion is magic, and she is a fabulous magician, forced to live in her mother's shadow and fight for every bit of performance she wants to improve. Anna is bitter and disappointed and wants to escape her dear old mom when she reaches adulthood to do her own shows.

Anna is also fascinated by the identity of her father. Her mom told her he is Houdini himself, and Anna obsessively follows his performances, watches his movies and tries the same stunts is he does... while her mom thrives on Anna's bit of notoriety.

Add to this Anna's visions of an impending danger to her mother, kidnapping attempts, two young and dapper gentlemen showing interest in Anna, jealousy of her mother and a secret society determined to research mediums' powers... and you get a few hours of pure entertainment.

The plot is simple and easy to follow, there is a little bit of a love triangle going on, but mostly it's a charming and atmospheric book which guarantees a few hours of pure entertainment for the reader. Recommended!

* * *

Сразу скажу, что с шедевром Либбы Брэй эту книгу сравнивать нельзя, несмотря на то, что оба автора затрагивают тему паранормального в Нью-Йорке 20х годов.

Мисс Браун создала милую, очаровательную и яркую историю о медиумах и фокусниках, и об огромном интересе к ним в эпоху джаза и подпольного алкоголя. Историю, за которую легко сесть и забыться на несколько часов читателю любого возраста.

Анна - сильная юная девушка, талантливый фокусник, которая вынуждена жить в тени своей знаменитой матери-медиума и заботиться о том, как бы их обоих прокормить, пока её мать гуляет на полную катушку. Всё, о чём мечтает Анна - это достигнуть совершеннолетия и начать своё собственное шоу, так как она устала бороться за каждую кроху своих выступлений во время шоу мамы. Её мать также распространяет слух, что Анна - дочь знаменитого Гарри Гудини, что добавляет скандального интереса к её выступлениям и заставляет Анну чувствовать себя очень неудобно, так как как фокусник она вынуждена невольно соперничать с Гудини, которого она постоянно изучает, смотрит все его фильмы и пытается повторить его опасные трюки.

Ирония заключается в том, что настоящий медиум в семье это сама Анна, которая ужасно боится своего дара видеть грядущие катастрофы и общаться с мёртвыми и скрывает его изо всех сил, однако Нью-Йорк меняет равновесие сил между мамой и дочкой.

Анна никак не может отвязаться от видений её матери в опасности, у неё неожиданно появляются два очень разных поклонника, и между попытками похищения и вербовкой в секретные организации, изучающие медиумов, она наконец-таки сталкивается с Гудини лицом к лицу...

Читайте, легко и атмосферно. Мне очень понравилось!

The Postman Knock #32

2013-06-09T05:00:00.000+01:00

Mostly beautiful weather this week. I'm enjoying the sun!

I'VE READ:

DEATHLESS was absolutely mind-blowing, heart-breaking, wretched and beautiful book. I recommend it to anyone, especially those interested in Russian folklore and history. I don't even know how to review it, words fail me. GOLDEN FIRES by Pehov was a great example of fab Russian fantasy again, and I enjoyed it enormously. THE BROKEN KINGDOMS reminded me again of how much I adore N.K. Jemisin. Why the hell do I always wait so long to read her?! Her books are just beautiful. QUEEN OF THE WORLD I read at the same time as Mel, and we could compare what we thought of it. It's a very decent fantasy, but quite unfinished. No rumors of book #2 yet. However, some great characters in this one. VIGILANT was another very decent read in a typical for Lawson mix of genres It's about villains, superheroes and normal people caught in between.

NETGALLEY REQUEST:

If you are on Netgalley, Parasite and Charming are currently on READ NOW option, but I'm pretty excited about all the reads I've managed to request this week.

FOR REVIEW:

Thank you, April, who is guest posting about time travel reads with me next week!

GIFTED:

Funnily enough, this was gifted to me by the author through Beyond Books giveaway months ago, but I couldn't access it through Amazon US and pretty much gave up on the book. I don't know what happened but this week I tried to download it again at the same time as April's book and it worked! Thank you, Cat and Rhiannon!

LIBRARY:

This is it. How was your week, peeps?
Ciao!

Lovely video from M83. Enjoy!

Dreaming of Books #11

2013-06-08T05:00:00.000+01:00

This feature/meme is very much like On The Smugglers Radar from The Book Smugglers , and I will use it when I really want to bring to your attention some of the very cool book releases I'm looking forward to. You are welcome to borrow this feature if you want.

Summary

A deadly game of deception
A notorious beauty with a shadowy past

In the time of Napoleon, Vidia Swanson appears to live a gilded life of ease and luxury. Beneath this façade, however, she works for the Home Office as an ‘angel,’ coaxing secrets from powerful men who may or may not be traitors to the Crown. In the course of her latest assignment, matters take an alarming turn when she realizes that her spymaster suspects that she is the one who is tainted--a double agent working for the enemy.

Lucien Carstairs is a fellow agent with his own dark secrets--unless he is setting an elaborate trap to reveal her own supposed treason. Backed into a corner, she can only hope to stay one step ahead of the hangman in a race to stop the next war before it destroys them--and destroys England.

Tainted Angel offers up a compelling game of cat and mouse in which no one can be trusted--and anyone can be tainted.

Goodreads

I LOVE historical fiction like this especially anything about spies. Blodeuedd already reviewed and liked this one, so I'm good to go!

Summary

Fifty years ago the Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. He created the Hole where sinners are branded according to their sins and might survive a few years. At best.
Now LUST wraps around my neck like blue fingers strangling me. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit and now the Hole is my new home.

Darkness. Death. Violence. Pain.

Now every day is a fight for survival. But I won’t die. I won’t let them win.

The Hole can’t keep me. The Hole can’t break me.
I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter.
My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story.

Release date: June 28th 2013.

Goodreads

Interesting concept, which inevitably reminded me of The Handmaid's Tale. I've got this on my shelf now and looking forward to reading it.

Summary

Evelina Cooper, the niece of the great Sherlock Holmes, is poised to enjoy her first Season in London’s high society. But there’s a murderer to deal with—not to mention missing automatons, a sorcerer, and a talking mouse.

In a Victorian era ruled by a council of ruthless steam barons, mechanical power is the real monarch, and sorcery the demon enemy of the empire. Nevertheless, the most coveted weapon is magic that can run machines—something Evelina has secretly mastered. But rather than making her fortune, her special talents could mean death or an eternity as a guest of Her Majesty’s secret laboratories. What’s a polite young lady to do but mind her manners and pray she’s never found out?

But then there’s that murder. As Sherlock’s niece, Evelina should be able to find the answers, but she has a lot to learn. And the first decision she has to make is whether to trust the handsome, clever rake who makes her breath come faster, or the dashing trick rider who would dare anything for her if she would only just ask.

Release date: September 24th 2013.

Goodreads

Intriguing series and gorgeous looking covers. I'm really hoping this won't be a fluke like many pseudo-steampunk books I fell for before...

Summary

This is a full-length, 110k word novel and is the first book in the Knitting in the City series.

There are three things you need to know about Janie Morris: 1) She is incapable of engaging in a conversation without volunteering TMTI (Too Much Trivial Information), especially when she is unnerved, 2) No one unnerves her more than Quinn Sullivan, and 3) She doesn't know how to knit.

After losing her boyfriend, apartment, and job in the same day, Janie Morris can't help wondering what new torment fate has in store. To her utter mortification, Quinn Sullivan- aka Sir McHotpants- witnesses it all then keeps turning up like a pair of shoes you lust after but can't afford. The last thing she expects is for Quinn- the focus of her slightly, albeit harmless, stalkerish tendencies- to make her an offer she can't refuse.

Goodreads

This just sounds like a light, hilarious read and has been recommended by Betsy, my book guru. I am waiting when I'm in the mood for it! :)

Summary

Sixteen year old Taylor Oh is cursed: if she is touched by the ghost of a murder victim then they pass a mark beneath her skin. She has three weeks to find their murderer and pass the mark to them – letting justice take place and sending them into the Darkness. And if she doesn’t make it in time? The Darkness will come for her…

She spends her life trying to avoid ghosts, make it through school where she’s bullied by popular Justin and his cronies, keep her one remaining friend, and persuade her father that this is real and that she’s not going crazy.

But then Justin is murdered and everything gets a whole lot worse. Justin doesn’t know who killed him, so there’s no obvious person for Taylor to go after. The clues she has lead her to the V Club, a vicious secret society at her school where no one is allowed to leave… and where Justin was dared to do the stunt which led to his death.

Can she find out who was responsible for his murder before the Darkness comes for her? Can she put aside her hatred for her former bully to truly help him?

And what happens if she starts to fall for him?

Release date: August 6th 2013.

Goodreads

I knew Bryony was an amazing writer after reading Angel's Fury, so as soon as Strange Chemistry announced that she is writing for them, I got extremely excited. This one is available on Netgalley right now!

Summary

Frightened for her life after her father, a British spy, is murdered, Giselle Barrington flees with the secret document her father gave her for safekeeping. Needing to hide from those now chasing her, and knowing that no one would look for a wealthy young society lady in a kitchen, she takes a job as a cook for a nobleman, determined to use her anonymity to uncover the murderer. Life below stairs gives her a new perspective on the hard realities of servants’ lives, even though she’s a highly paid one. And when her employer is drawn not only into her investigations, but also to her, they find themselves faced with the power imbalance between servant and master.

Release date: October 22nd 2013.

Goodreads

I've come to realise that everything I read by Michelle Diener I enjoy immensely, so this has been on my radar for a while, peeps.

Summary

Everything repeats.
You. Your best friend. Every person you know.
Many worlds. Many lives--infinite possibilities.
Welcome to the multiverse.

Sixteen-year-old Sasha Lawson has only ever known one small, ordinary life. When she was young, she loved her grandfather's stories of parallel worlds inhabited by girls who looked like her but led totally different lives. Sasha never believed such worlds were real--until now, when she finds herself thrust into one against her will.

To prevent imminent war, Sasha must slip into the life of an alternate version of herself, a princess who has vanished on the eve of her arranged marriage. If Sasha succeeds in fooling everyone, she will be returned home; if she fails, she'll be trapped in another girl's life forever. As time runs out, Sasha finds herself torn between two worlds, two lives, and two young men vying for her love--one who knows her secret, and one who thinks she's someone she's not.

The first book in the Many-Worlds Trilogy, Tandem is a riveting saga of love and betrayal set in parallel universes in which nothing--and no one--is what it seems.

Release date: October 8th 2013.

Goodreads

Multiverse! You don't have to say anything else if you want me to snatch this book right out of your hands!

Summary

A warning to all young ladies of delicate breeding who wish to embark upon lives of adventure: Don't.

Sixteen-year-old Peggy is a well-bred orphan who is coerced into posing as a lady in waiting at the palace of King George I. Life is grand, until Peggy starts to suspect that the girl she's impersonating might have been murdered. Unless Peggy can discover the truth, she might be doomed to the same terrible fate. But in a court of shadows and intrigue, anyone could be a spy—perhaps even the handsome young artist with whom Peggy is falling in love . . . History and mystery spark in this effervescent series debut.

Release date: November 5th 2013

Goodreads

This is not a historical period you normally see in YA, and I'm really curious if Sarah, who I heard is an excellent author, can pull it off.

Summary

Frankie Bailey introduces readers to a fabulous new protagonist and an Alice in Wonderland-infused crime in this her stunning mystery The Red Queen Dies. The year is 2019, and a drug used to treat soldiers for post-traumatic stress disorder, nicknamed "Lullaby," has hit the streets. Swallowing a little pill erases traumatic memories, but what happens to a criminal trial when the star witness takes a pill and can't remember the crime? Biracial detective Hannah McCabe faces similar perplexing problems as she attempts to solve the murders of three women, one of whom, a Broadway actress known as "The Red Queen," has a special interest in the story of Alice in Wonderland. Is the killer somehow reenacting the children's tale? This smart, tough mystery will appeal to fans of high-concept police procedurals.

Release date: September 10th 2013.

Goodreads

I don't know anything about this book, apart from that it sounds totally spooky and intriguing.

Summary

Chicago Detective Alicia Raymond, aka Berg, hides her depression and a brutal past with dangerous, anonymous sex and an obsessive desire to track down killers. Bringing murderers to justice is the only thing she has in her life worth living for.

Her partner, Detective Inspector Jay O’Loughlin, has a few secrets of his own. He knows Berg isn’t as perfect as her faultless veneer, but as his intense attraction to her grows, can he overlook it?

Captain Louise Leigh assigns them to investigate the gruesome murder of a trucker and repeat sex offender. But before they can get a lead on the killing, another trucker’s body is found on the highway. Soon the bodies pile up, and it’s a race against time to find the killer before their Chief, Consiglio, uses them as scapegoats to fulfill his political aspirations.

When Berg’s DNA is found on one victim, her career looks to be over. In the course of clearing her name, she and Jay grow even closer, so when her sordid sex life is exposed, their precarious relationship comes under fire. With nothing to lose, Jay and Berg forge ahead and defy direct orders to continue working on the cases, until Jay disappears.

Desperate to find him, Berg stops at nothing to unearth what links the murders together, eventually uncovering a sadistic vigilante exacting revenge for a thirty-year-old gang rape. The sheer viciousness of the rape makes Berg question her place in a justice system that increasingly allows the guilty to go unpunished.

Berg fears for Jay’s life, but her demons are overwhelming. As events spiral out of control, Berg is forced towards a final confrontation with the killer where she will face the ultimate test: surrender to the evil inside her or finally confront the past she would rather bury.

Release date: August 8th 2013.

Goodreads

Sounds like a convoluted, controversial and very interesting book...

Anything you'd like to add to your wishlist, peeps?

Saturday Freebie

2013-06-08T00:00:00.000+01:00

Hey, lovelies!

is free until June 11th, so if you were interested in getting this book before, here is your chance! :)

Summary

Her heart races, her muscles coil, and every impulse in Alessa's body screams at her to run... but yet she's powerless to move.

Still struggling to find her footing after the sudden death of her parents, the last thing college freshman Alessa has the strength to deal with is the inexplicable visceral pull drawing her to a handsome ghostly presence. In between grappling with exams and sorority soirees - and disturbing recurring dreams of being captive in a futuristic prison hell - Alessa is determined to unravel the mystery of the apparition who leaves her breathless. But the terrifying secret she uncovers will find her groping desperately through her nightmares for answers.

Because what Alessa hasn't figured out yet is that she's not really a student, the object of her obsession is no ghost, and her sneaking suspicions that something sinister is lurking behind the walls of her university's idyllic campus are only just scratching the surface...

The opening installment in a twist-laden trilogy, Stitch spans the genres of paranormal romance and dystopian sci-fi to explore the challenges of a society in transition, where morality, vision, and pragmatism collide leaving the average citizen to suffer the results.

Amazon UK/US

Steampunk Review: The Red Plague Affair by Lilith Saintcrow

2013-06-07T05:00:00.000+01:00

The Red Plague Affair by Lilith Saintcrow (Bannon & Clare #2)

Egalley courtesy of Orbit

Synopsis from Goodreads
The service of Britannia is not for the faint of heart--or conscience...
Emma Bannon, Sorceress Prime in service to Queen Victrix, has a mission: to find the doctor who has created a powerful new weapon. Her friend, the mentath Archibald Clare, is only too happy to help. It will distract him from pursuing his nemesis, and besides, Clare is not as young as he used to be. A spot of Miss Bannon's excellent hospitality and her diverting company may be just what he needs.

Unfortunately, their quarry is a fanatic, and his poisonous discovery is just as dangerous to Britannia as to Her enemies. Now a single man has set Londinium ablaze, and Clare finds himself in the middle of distressing excitement, racing against time and theory to find a cure. Miss Bannon, of course, has troubles of her own, for the Queen's Consort Alberich is ill, and Her Majesty unhappy with Bannon's loyal service. And there is still no reliable way to find a hansom when one needs it most...

The game is afoot. And the Red Plague rises.

Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK(£3.99) | The Book Depository US/UK | Fishpond

8/10

* * *

The Red Plague Affair is a slightly weaker book in my opinion, than The Iron Wyrm Affair which I managed to read last year.

The weakness lies in an oversaturation of the details and much less effort spent on character development. The world-building is beautifully done, and I do like Archibald Clare - the mentath working with the sorceress Emma Bannon.

The problem is, despite the presumed attraction and sympathy for each other, they do not really fit together as a couple, and there is no attempt to develop their relationship in some kind of romance.

Emma is an overpowering, harsh and pretty violent, self-sacrificing, bitter and cold woman, although on the inside she does get hurt a lot. There are no sparks of humour to soften her character and otherwise very dry, tense dialogues, and the reader really struggles to feel for her, because she doesn't let us do it.

Despite my misgivings about Emma, I can't fault the plot. It's a very intriguing puzzle and a race against time, while The Red Plague sweeps through Londinium and spreads through the rest of the world.

Emma has to make very radical moves, gain an enemy in Britannia - an ancient force ruling the country, and lose few dear to her people, just to stop the deadly illness. Her relationships with Mikal becomes very strange as well, as a part of his nature comes into the light while she is falling to the illness herself.

Overall, this is a very interesting read, but not one of Lily's best. That's all I can say.

* * *

Не очень удачная для Лили книга, но я бы сказала, что и вся серия не очень у неё вышла удачная.

Я ни в чём не могу упрекнуть сюжет - он прекрасен и деликатен как дедукция Шерлока Холмса. Красная Чума, попытки прекратить её распространение, отчаяние Эммы, которая безуспешно старается спасти её друзей и консорта Витрикс.. Её столкновения с самой королевой, странные волшебники, следящие за ней, всевозможные медицинские эксперименты, интриги и огромная усталость Эммы, превратившейся в палача Империи... Всё это описано детально, и построение мира просто чудесно.

Моя проблема лежит в том, что Эмма, её характер, читателям совершенно не симпатичны. Она суха, беспощадна и очень холодна, несмотря на то, что внутренне её ранит осуждение Клэра. У неё нет чувства юмора, чтобы скрасить ситуацию, и честно говоря очень трудно понять, почему Микал - её Щит, настолько ей предан.

Клэр с другой стороны, гораздо мягче и сентиментальнее, несмотря на его гений ментата, что лишает его большинства чувств, оставляя только логику. По идее, читатель должен верить, что между Эммой и Клэром есть какие-то романтические чувства, но ни один из них их не выражает их ничем кроме дружбы, и самое главное, они друг другу совершенно не подходят...

В общем, меня вот как раз это отсутствие развития персонажей и неловкие чувства между ними и смущали. Так что, книга хоть и интересная, а вот неудачно она у Лили вышла.

Urban Fantasy Review: Shapeshifted by Cassie Alexander

2013-06-05T05:00:00.000+01:00

Shapeshifted by Cassie Alexander (Edie Spence #3)

Review copy courtesy of the author

Synopsis from Goodreads
Nurse Edie Spence is once again called upon to save a life…and this time, it’s personal. Can her new community of zombies, vampires, and shapeshifters come to her rescue when she needs them most?

When Edie was fired from her paranormal nursing job at County Hospital, her whole world came crashing down. Now she’s is once again shaken to her core. Her mother is deathly ill and there’s only one thing that will save her: vampire blood. But with the paranormal community shunning Edie, where can she obtain it…without losing her own life in the process?

SHAPESHIFTED

Edie hopes to procure it at her new job at the clinic across town, where the forces of evil loom large. Vampire gang wars are rampant. Old underground enemies are rising to the surface. And Edie’s zombie ex-boyfriend has arrived at the scene—but is he the same man he used to be? And what should she make of the enigmatic doctor with whom she shares an unexpected connection? She’ll have to figure it out soon, because all hell is about to break loose—literally—and time is running out…

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

9/10

* * *

I truly think that Cassie Alexander grows significantly as an author with each book. Shapeshifted was an excellent read, full of twists, original ideas and a fresh outlook on some of the paranormal creepy-crawlies we think we know very well.

Thrown into a very normal life, shunned by all supernatural, Edie is bored and depressed working as a nurse in a sleep clinic. She feels like she lost direction and drive, and when she finds out that her mother has got cancer and only have few months left to live, she is determined to make a deal with the Shadows again to save her.

At the same time she starts working at a clinic in a very rough, forgotten area of town, ruled by Latino-American gangs and as usual ends up in a thick of a territorial battle with plenty of black sorcery.

Shapeshifted is very fast-paced, emotional and full of character. Edie herself acquires a wonderful sidekick, Olympio, a young boy who works for his grandfather - healer, a curandero. He helps her negotiate the dangerous places she ends up with. We also meet a few familiar faces (who? I can't say! to avoid spoilers) who you might say have an unfinished business with Edie.

This is an excellent urban fantasy series, heartfelt, driven and refreshing if you are tired of tough, kickass heroines who can do it all, and want to read about someone a little bit more human... Recommended.

Nightshifted
Moonshifted

* * *

Очень хорошее, добротное городское фэнтези. Видно, что Касси Александр растёт с каждой книгой.

Сюжет движется быстро, обстановка накаляется постепенно, и автор не стремится проставить все галочки, присущие жанру, а ищет новые и интересные пути.

Эди - её героиня, совершенно обычная медсестра. У неё нет паранормальных талантов, она никакая не Избранная. Она просто упрямая работяга с большим сердцем, и когда паранормальный анклав её города изгоняет её из своих пределов, и Эди приходится найти обычную работу в клинике сна, она депрессует и погружается в апатию.

Только новости о том, что её мама больна раком, и ей осталось жить всего лишь несколько месяцев, заставляют Эди проснуться и найти способ сохранить её матери жизнь.

В то же время, героиня устраивается на работу в клинику в одном из беднейших, позабытых полицией и муниципальными властями районе, полном латиноамериканских банд. Ей видите ли не хватает адреналина!

Однако и здесь Эди оказывается в гуще событий, вовлечённая в схватку между гангстерами, чёрное волшебство и культ Санта Муэртэ. Она также заполучает прекраснейшего юного помощника Олимпио и неожиданно встречает старых знакомых, о которых я говорить не буду, чтобы не заспойлерить...

В общем, интересно, задорно и читается с огромным удовольствием. Рекомендую.

Follow me with anything but Google Reader!

2013-06-03T19:52:00.000+01:00

Alright, peeps!

I've just switched all my subscriptions to Bloglovin because Google Reader shuts down next month.

It's really easy because as soon as you register on Bloglovin it uploads all your subscriptions onto your page automatically. No fuss.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

However, if you follow me in any other way:

Networked Blogs, Linky, Twitter, GFC, email, etc.

than please feel free to ignore this post.
Cheers !

P.S. Hannah just mentioned Feedly, which is even better alternative as you can see full posts there not just links. Have a look at it as an alternative if Bloglovin is too limited for you.

Paranormal Romance Review: Blood and Sand by Elizabeth Hunter

2013-06-03T05:00:00.000+01:00

Blood and Sand by Elizabeth Hunter (Elemental World #2)

Review copy from the author

Synopsis from Goodreads
Dead women are showing up in the desert east of San Diego, and no one understands why. When the story comes to the attention of reporter Natalie Ellis, she can’t help but make comparisons to tragic deaths she’d investigated years ago. Are these women the victims of a serial killer, or something even more insidious?

Bodies may be piling up in his sire’s territory, but water vampire and feared enforcer Baojia is stuck entertaining the rich and clueless at a club in San Diego. He’s taken his exile with all the grace he could muster, but his patience is starting to thin.

Sparks fly when mortal and immortal are thrown together, and Natalie comes face to face with a reality that was lurking in the corners of her life. Pursuing the truth could cost Baojia everything, including the mortal woman who has earned his grudging respect.

Blood and Sand is the second novel in the expanded Elemental World series.

Amazon kindle US($4.99)/UK(£3.60) | Smashwords

8.5/10

* * *

Every time I read Elizabeth's book, I know I'm in for a treat. She skillfully combines elements of paranormal romance with an action-driven, intricate urban fantasy plot. Her male characters despite their supernatural strengths don't behave like uber macho cavemen, making asses of themselves in the eyes of the women they love and want to protect, and her women are never TSTL (too stupid to live)... So I can actually relax and enjoy the book without getting riled up every 5 minutes. *grinning*

Baojia for me became one of the most intriguing male heroes of Elemental World, and I waited for his story with baited breath. He was enigmatic, sleek, ruthless and at the same time vulnerable.

Natalie is a quintessential Luis Lane, - she has guts and perseverance in pursuing the story which she believes will bring justice to murdered women. She is strong-willed, but at the same time she has a healthy dose of fear of vampires and their powers.

Those two clicked really well as a couple and their investigation served the continuation of the plot that goes through all Hunter's books - the hunt for Elixir.

I was overjoyed to see Beatrice and Gio again, and also Corwyn with his young partner Brigid, Tenzin and Ben - they made an absolutely cracking team and as usual added an elegant solution to Baojia and Natalie's problems.

I was also relieved to see that Elizabeth avoided the problem of repetition which I complained about after reading Building From Ashes. There was none of it here.

Overall, a really enjoyable, entertaining and fast-paced read. I think that far into Elizabeth Hunter's writing I shouldn't even bother to recommend this, because if you a fan of the author it will be on your automatic buy, but if you haven't read any of her books yet, you should definitely start with Hidden Fire.

* * *

Вам наверное жуть как надоело слушать мои дифирамбы писательскому таланту Элизабет Хантер?

Я уже подробно объясняла почему она так мне импонирует своей смесью городского фэнтези, мистики и элементов паранормального романа. Её герои уравновешенны, и не скатываются то к совершенно глупейшему поведению то к манерам пещерного человека, от чего я так редко беру в руки паранормальные романы которые читаются как череда противнейших клише (за редкими исключениями).

Боуджия для меня с самого начала был одним из наиболее интригующих характеров Мира Элементов, и в своих ожиданиях его истории я не разочаровалась. Он элегантен, невозмутим и беспощаден в своей жажде справедливости.

Натали - журналистка наподобие Луи Лэйн - она упряма и храбра и верит в то, что её расследование в дело серийного убийцы на границе Мексики отомстит за смерти бесчисленных молодых женщин. В то же время она не совершает глупых поступков и чувствует здоровую долю страха по отношению к вампирам и их сверхъестественной силе.

Помимо этой пары, мы также вновь встречаем замечательную команду Беатрис и Джио, Корвина и Брижид, Тензин и Бена, которые продолжают охоту за Эликсиром - это сюжет, проходящий через все книги Мира Элементов.

В общем, книга очень хорошая, и читать её одно удовольствие. Если вы уже знаете про Элизабет, то мне не стоит тратить своё время и вам её советовать - вы и без меня всё прочтёте. А если она для вас неизвестный автор, - начинайте с первой книги серии.

The Postman Knock #31

2013-06-02T05:00:00.000+01:00

Hello, everyone!

We are having couple of days of glorious sunshine, which we're using for barbeques... and it's sooo lovely....

How is the weather where you are?

I also had a very busy reading week.

I'VE READ:

A SHADE OF VAMPIRE I pretty much skimmed through. It's full of cliches and silly inconsistencies in its world-building, and frankly I think it's just a very poorly written imitation of The Isle of Night by Veronica Wolff, so I won't even consider reviewing it. It's simply bad. I also didn't like THE RED PLAGUE AFFAIR as much as I did the first book, but it's nothing to do with the quality of the book, and everything to do with my inability to like Emma, the main character. She is very harsh, and sometimes it gets to be too much. DREAMWIELDER had a lovely concept for a great fantasy book and didn't shy away from describing violence towards its main characters. Overall, I really liked it. VAMPIRE MIAMI was so good, it made me think of a gutsier version of The Immortal Rules and I immediately went and bought book #2, VAMPIRE L.A. I really recommend it, peeps! DEVIL'S HONOUR was a very decent read, and I'll definitely continue with this series about underground fighters in New York. TRAPPED I enjoyed very much, because it's Kevin-freaking-Hearne! Tons of fun guaranteed, although I wish Atticus caught some break already, because he is running out of enemies. Virtually everyone is after him! At last, BITTERBLUE was quirky and lovely. A bit too long, but a great big puzzle which I couldn't solve until the very end.

FOR REVIEW:

Thanks to Gollanz Geeks!

BOUGHT:

I still had a bit of money left on a gift card from Waterstones, and I bought it as an ebook.

I also bought Vampire L.A. straight after finishing Vampire Miami, it was that addictive!

I promised myself this year that I'll read more Russian fantasy (which is excellent) and bought Golden Fires by Alexey Pehov, whose writing I adore.

I also popped in The Works and made use of their fab offer of 3 books for £5! I'm always happy when that happens to me (and it happens not very often, believe me!)

KINDLE FREEBIE:

The kindle offer is finished already, but I was really glad to pick up the last Marta's book I haven't read, because I adore her writing.

This is it.

I hope you enjoy these pics of Portugal I promised you last week. Some of them are mine and some of them are courtesy of our friend, Ben, who is a talented photographer.

High in the mountains of Sierra D'Estrela, it's +2 and snowing...

Breakfast in Castelo Branco - very strong coffee and Pasteis de Nata (creme cakes).

Car on the streets of Castelo Branco.

Castelo Branco

Somewhere near Proenca-a-Velha, private land.

Same location.

Largo de Relva, square on the bottom of Monsanto village.

Walking through nature reserve...

At the lake.

Typical view in Central Portugal

Drinkable water straight from the spring - something you see in every village in Portugal.

Sunday market in Tabua. The owner of the cafe tries to converse in a mix of Spanish and Portuguese.

Village of Monsanto

In nature reserve. Mayfly drying its wings on Alex's shoulder.

Happy Sunday! Ciao!

June New Paranormal Releases I'm Dying To Read!

2013-06-01T05:00:00.000+01:00

I've already read Shapeshifted, Born of Illusion and Lexicon, which were excellent! The She-Hulk Diaries is next on my list. How about you? What are you waiting for in June?

Cleen Sweep ARC Challenge May 2013 Results!

2013-06-01T00:00:00.000+01:00

The Rules

Thanks to Kimba and The Windy Pages for creating this challenge!

These were my goals:

Read:

~~Born of Illusion by Teri Brown~~

~~Lexicon by Max Barry~~

~~A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest~~

~~Devil's Honor by S.W. Vaughn~~

Disconnect by Imran Siddiq

~~Vampire Miami by Phil Tucker~~

Vigilant by Angela Lawson

~~The Deadly Sisterhood by Leonie Frieda~~
Dreamwielder by Garrett Calcaterra
The Red Plague Affair by Lilith Saintcrow

Extras:

~~Blood and Sand by Elizabeth Hunter~~

~~The Age of Ice by J.M. Sidorova~~

I think I've done well enough, peeps!

Early Review Thriller: The Doll by Taylor Stevens

2013-05-31T05:00:00.000+01:00

The Doll by Taylor Stevens (Vanessa Michael Munroe #3)

Egalley thanks to Crown Publishing

Synopsis from Goodreads
“A heroine every bit as provocative as Stieg Larsson’s Lisbeth Salander.” –The Dallas Morning News

   Haunted by a life of violence and as proficient with languages as she is with knives, Vanessa Michael Munroe, chameleon and hunter, has built her life on a reputation for getting things done—dangerous and often not-quite-legal things. Born to missionary parents in lawless Africa, taken under the tutelage of gunrunners, and tortured by one of the jungle’s most brutal men, Munroe was forced to do whatever it took to stay alive.
   The ability to survive, fight, adapt, and blend has since taken her across the globe on behalf of corporations, heads of state, and the few private clients who can afford her unique brand of expertise, and these abilities have made her enemies.
   On a busy Dallas street, Munroe is kidnapped by an unseen opponent and thrust into an underground world where women and girls are merchandise and a shadowy figure known as The Doll Maker controls her every move. While trusted friends race to unravel where she is and why she was taken, everything pivots on one simple choice: Munroe must use her unique set of skills to deliver a high-profile young woman into the same nightmare that she once endured, or condemn to torture and certain death the one person she loves above all else.
   Driven by the violence that has made her what she is, cut off from help, and with attempts to escape predicted and prevented, Munroe will hunt for openings, for solutions, and a way to strike back at a man who holds all the cards. Because only one thing is certain: she cannot save everyone.
   In this high-octane thriller for fans of Lee Child, Stieg Larsson, and Robert Ludlum's Bourne trilogy, Vanessa Michael Munroe will have to fight fast, smart and furiously to overcome a dangerous nemesis and deliver her trademark brand of justice.

Release date: June 4th 2013.

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

9/10

* * *

Breathtaking, gripping and keeping you on the edge of your seat, - which is what comes to mind when I think of Taylor Stevens' writing.

I've raved about The Informationist and The Innocent already, now it's time for The Doll which I enjoyed immensely. The book follows the same Vanessa Michael Munroe whose grip on sanity slips further and further away with each book.

First of all, this is a thriller like you've not read before. Vanessa is a bit like Dexter. Extreme violence, roaring darkness waiting to be let out and enormous control. Push her too far, that control slips, and you are dead.

Vanessa in The Informationist ventured to Africa to find a kidnapped girl; in The Innocent she saved a teenage daughter of a friend from a religious cult in Argentina, but in The Doll she is forced to do something she's been fighting all her life against - smuggle a kidnapped Hollywood starlet as a slave to a rich sadist from Zagreb to somewhere in Italy.

If she does it, the girl faces abuse, torture and death; if she doesn't do it her friends and remaning family will be taken out and killed one after another. The race has already started, and only Munroe's faith into the ability of her lover to find and save her friends and family on the other side of the ocean before she delivers the girl keeps her from slipping into the abyss.

Taylor Stevens writes very dark, violent, extremely gripping books with an insane, enigmatic and immensely powerful heroine. She raises hard issues and lets Vanessa cope with them while her awful past threatens to swallow her whole.

Even if nothing feels as powerful as the first book in the series, each of the follow ups packs a hell of a punch. Strongly recommended excellent read.

* * *

Превосходная книга, пусть и не такая сильная как первая часть серии, но всё равно превосходная.

Я уже расхваливала Информациониста и Невинную, но и Кукла от предыдущих двух книг совсем не отстаёт. Сначала мы путешествовали с Ванессой по Африке, спасая похищенную дочь миллиардера; затем освобождали дочь её друга из религиозного культа в Аргентине...

Теперь Ванессе с её тенденцией психопата, предстоит сделать невозможный выбор - согласиться перевезти живой товар - похищенную голливудскую старлетку, к её будущему хозяину из Загреба в Италию, где её ждёт унижение, сексуальные издевательства и смерть или смотреть как один за другим умирают её немногочисленные друзья и родные от рук продавца - Кукловода.

В который раз Монро пытается перебороть ужасы её собственного прошлого, что превращают её в хладнокровного убийцу, как только кто-то нажимает на её кнопки не так; переиграть ассассина, что следует за ней по пятам и не потерять надежду на то, что её любовник в Америке успеет найти и спасти её похищенных родных и близких перед тем, как она передаст товар в руки покупателя...

Вся книга - это очень напряжённая, насыщенная адреналином, смертельная схватка со временем. Не ищете здесь счастливых концовок, - Стивенс их избегает. Однако ей прекрасно удаётся передать удовлетворённую месть и чувство справедливости со стороны Монро, - те, кто переходят ей дорогу, в своей постели мирным сном не умирают.

Очень советую.

Biography Review: The Deadly Sisterhood by Leonie Frieda

2013-05-29T05:00:00.000+01:00

The Deadly Sisterhood: A Story of Women and Power in Renaissance Italy by Leonie Frieda

Review copy courtesy of HarperCollins

Synopsis from Goodreads
The book is one of drama on a grand scale, a Renaissance epic, as Christendom emerged from the shadows of the calamitous 14th century. The sweeping tale involves inspired and corrupt monarchs, the finest thinkers, the most brilliant artists, and the greatest beauties in Christendom.

Here is the story of eight of its most remarkable women, who are all joined by birth, marriage and friendship and who ruled for a time in place of their men-folk: Lucrezia Turnabuoni (Queen Mother of Florence, the power behind the Medici throne), Clarice Orsini (Roman princess, feudal wife), Beatrice d'Este (Golden Girl of the Renaissance), Caterina Sforza (Lioness of the Romagna), Isabella d'Este (the Acquisitive Marchesa), Giulia Farnese ('la bella', the family asset), Isabella d'Aragona (the Weeping Duchess) and Lucrezia Borgia (the Virtuous Fury). The men play a secondary role in this grand saga; whenever possible the action will be seen through the eyes our eight heroines.

These eight women experienced great riches, power and the warm smile of fortune, but they also knew banishment, poverty, the death of a husband or the loss of one or more of their children. As each of the chosen heroines comes to the fore in her turn, she is handed the baton by her 'sister' and Leonie Frieda recounts the role each woman played in the hundred-year drama that is THE DEADLY SISTERHOOD.

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

5/10

* * *

You know what? I was really looking forward to this book because a) I love Renaissance b) I enjoy reading book about powerful women in history, but unfortunately The Deadly Sisterhood failed to deliver coherent and strong stories despite the massive research the author so obviously undertook.

I've read a lot of biographies at some point in my life, and this one still comes to mind, because it absolutely blew me away.

Andre Maurois brought George Sand to life. She was a living, breathing woman to me, I fell in love with her and after that read everything I could find written by her. She was an astounding, powerful woman.

The Deadly Sisterhood reads like a dry recollection of many events with few interesting sparks in between. It's main failure is that it's disjointed - each woman's life is not a separate part of the book, - instead you just catch glimpses of them here and there among a huge mass of details, names and events dumped on us in between.

The second offense that made me struggle even more to engage in this book is that the recollection of events is not linear. The Deadly Sisterhood is separated into few time frames of Renaissance, that's true, but we are still jumping from past to present and back, and I think this could have been simply avoided by telling us about each woman separately. I think the effort to do so was there, but the author got buried under sheer amount of what happened, the interactions between the heroines of the book, their relatives and their husbands.

Regrettably I would not recommend this book, because I struggled to get through it. The only positive thing about my reading The Deadly Sisterhood was that it made me want to find out more about its formidable heroines.

* * *

Очень меня разочаровала эта биография сильных и могущественных женщин Возрождения.

Я в своё время начиталась прекрасных биографий Виноградова и Моруа, и после них эта книга читается совершенно сухо и неудачно.

Во первых, жизнь героинь не поделена на разные главы или части книги, а скорее собрана по определённым датам возрождения, поэтому какой-то собранной летописи жизни каждой из них не выходит. Собирать что произошло с ними приходится по кусочкам, продираясь сквозь бесчисленное количество мужей, друзей и родственников, войн, интриг и убийств, что очень утомляет.

Автор как мне кажется оказалась просто погребена под количеством исторических деталей, которые она храбро попыталась запротоколировать в стиле "хоть чуть-чуть, но обо всём".

Вторая проблема, с которой я столкнулась, продираясь через книгу - это временные рамки. Если вы думаете, что будете читать о линейной истории - из прошлого в будущее, то этого не происходит. Мы прыгаем из прошлого в будущее и опять в прошлое.

В общем, грязно, неудобоваримо и скучно. Единственная радость - узнала о нескольких героинях, о которых интересно будет накопать информации побольше. А так, не теряйте время.

Contemporary Fantasy Review: Dreams and Shadows by C. Robert Cargill

2013-05-27T05:00:00.000+01:00

Dreams and Shadows by C. Robert Cargill

borrowed from the library

Synopsis from Goodreads
A superb contemporary debut fantasy, a dreamlike yet visceral journey through a Faerie land like no other.

In the debut novel DREAMS AND SHADOWS, screenwriter and noted film critic C. Robert Cargill takes us beyond the veil, through the lives of Ewan and Colby, young men whose spirits have been enmeshed with the otherworld from a young age.

This brilliantly crafted narrative - part Neil Gaiman, part Guillermo Del Torro, part William Burroughs - follows the boys from their star-crossed adolescences to their haunted adulthoods. Cargill's tour-de-force takes us inside the Limestone Kingdom, a parallel universe where whisky swilling genies and foul mouthed wizards argue over the state of the metaphysical realm. Having left the spirit world and returned to the human world, Ewan and Colby discover that the creatures from this previous life have not forgotten them, and that fate can never be sidestepped.

With sensitivity and hopeful examination, Cargill illuminates a supernatural culture that all too eerily resembles our own. Set in a richly imagined and constructed world, complete with its own richly detailed history and mythology, DREAMS AND SHADOWS is a deeply engaging story about two extraordinary boys becoming men.

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

9/10

* * *

It's an extremely beautiful, strange, terrifying and addictive read. I have a feeling that the author managed to grasp the essence of old fairy tales and distill it into this story.

I would call it a contemporary fantasy, because it's not what we're used to seeing in our urban fantasy, and it describes the life and destiny of two human boys.

Colby is eight when he meets a Jinn in the forest and makes his wish to see every miracle, every monster and every hidden creature in this world. The weary, cursed jinn tries to persuade him to take on an easier wish, but like all stubborn eight year olds, Colby would not change his mind. The couple of such unlikely companions starts their long journey into the world of magic, angels and dragons.

Ewan on the other hand grows up as an enchanted child in a fairy forest, snatched from the cradle, replaced by a changeling, who drives his mother and father to their deaths. He does not know that he is a fairy sacrifice to the devil they make every seven years to keep their immortality. Fae world surrounding him is brutal and deadly to the humans, but Ewan grows up surrounded by love and completely unaware of his pre-destined death.

Enter the unknown chaos particle, - Colby. He meets him on his travels and two boys quickly become friends, but when Colby finds out that Ewan is going to die, he does everything in his power to prevent this.

Years later as young men both weary Colby and miserable Ewan are still friends, but only Colby remembers why, as fairy magic wiped Ewan's early memories. However you can't cheat your destiny and you can't cheat Jinn's curse, and one wily Coyote sets a catastrophic chain of events in motion to resolve the situation to his satisfaction.

To be honest, this book was a terrifying, at times, chilling and fascinating read. It felt like a mosaic was slowly being built together and suddenly you could see the whole picture in what felt like chaos before.

Dreams and Shadows is an undeniably brilliant debut from C. Robert Cargill and I wish with all my heart that he continues writing powerful stories like this one for many more years to come. A must read.

* * *

Сны и Тени напомнила мне старые, страшные, тёмные и кровавые сказки. Совершенно невероятный, прекрасный и тшательно выписанный дебют от С. Роберта Каргилла, пропускать который я вам категорически не советую.

Сны и Тени рассказывает о жизни двух мальчишек, Колби и Юана.

В восемь лет Колби встречает старого, проклятого джинна в лесу и загадывает своё желание - увидеть всё скрытое от людского глаза в этом мире. Яшар, джинн, пытается отговорить мальчика от такого страшного дара, но Колби упирается, и пара уходит в далёкие странствия в поисках фэ, призраков, ангелов, демонов и драконов.

Юан украден из колыбели младенцем и заменён на подкидыша, который доводит его мать и отца до самоубийства. Тем временем Юан растёт среди королевства фэ, не подозревая, что каждые семь лет фэ вынуждены приносить в жертву дьяволу человеческого ребёнка, превращённого в фэ, чтобы продлить свою бессмертную жизнь.

Колби и Юан встречаются и становятся друзьями, и когда Колби узнаёт от своего джинна, что Юана собираются убить, он делает всё, что в его силах, чтобы спасти своего друга.

И вот годы спустя молодые мужчины Колби и Юан живут в одном городе. Колби - уставший и постаревший раньше своих лет от груза своих знаний, и Юан - несчастный, потому что волшебство фэйри стёрло его память о первых семи годах жизни и паренёк сам не знает, что он пытается найти в его серой незначительной жизни.

Однако обмануть судьбу и проклятье джинна не так то просто, и один хитрый Койот со скрытыми целями запускает в жизнь череду катастрофических событий, что перевернут жизни двух друзей и вернут всё на свои места.

Невероятная просто книга, временами устрашающая, мудрая и пронзительно прекрасная. Очень, очень советую.

The Postman Knock #30 or I Am Back!

2013-05-26T05:00:00.000+01:00

Hello, peeps!

I'm back at last and trying to sort everything out - not enough time in the day.

How have you been?

I admit I didn't even look at my Google Reader or Twitter while I was away, it was a whirlwind.

Photos are not ready yet, because most of them were done by our friend Ben, who needs to send them to us first...

Thanks to all my friends for fantastic guest posts and reviews, I don't know what I would have done otherwise :) I'm in your debt, peeps.

Here is what I'VE READ:

10 books is pretty moderate, considering I had 3 weeks, right? In my defense I'll say that me and the hubby also watched 1st season of Supernatural :)

THE AGE OF ICE is a very long and pretty epic book about a man who lives through 3+ centuries, his adventures, loss of everyone he loves and a truly fascinating retelling of major historical events. I really enjoyed this book. THE DEADLY SISTERHOOD disappointed me, mainly because it failed to create some sort of structure out of the lives described in it. It also failed to engage and was too chaotic for my liking. THE AGE OF MIRACLES is an amazing and very touching read. I'm glad Blodeuedd brought my attention to it. THE BOOK OF MADNESS AND CURES is lush, quirky read full of charming little details. If you are easily bored, this is not for you, but I loved it. A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL was way better than I expected, and I actually quite enjoyed its intense gripping plot. BLOOD AND SAND was pure guilty pleasure on my behalf, and of course I loved it. BORN OF ILLUSION is refreshing. I don't know about anyone else, but hours flew by when I was reading it. On the other hand, LEXICON like the previous book of Max Barry I've read, blew my mind. He gives you such massive food for thought, it's impossible not to love his writing. UGLIES was meh. I pretty much skimmed it, and I blame the oversaturation of the book market with exactly the same type of YA dystopia. At last, THE GATHERING DARK left me torn. I loved the world-building, but disliked an unnecessary secondary love interest. Still, I'll be reading book #2 for sure.

NETGALLEY/EDELWEISS:

FOR REVIEW:

BOUGHT:

This is it.

Here is your complimentary music video as usual and have a lovely Sunday. Be good to each other.

Ciao!

Contemporary YA Guest Review: Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles

2013-05-24T05:00:00.000+01:00

Thanks to a wonderful Melliane from bilingual French-English paranormal and urban fantasy blog Between Dreams and Reality who agreed to give me a hand and guest review here. As usual with Melliane, her review will be posted in English and French.
If you don't know her yet, come and say hello. You can also find and stalk this wonderful mademoiselle on Twitter .

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles (Leaving Paradise #1)

bought

Synopsis from Goodreads
Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad—her chance to escape everyone and their pitying stares—has been canceled.

After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb’s free . . . if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers.

Caleb and Maggie are outsiders, pigeon-holed as "criminal" and "freak." Then the truth emerges about what really happened the night of the accident and, once again, everything changes. It’s a bleak and tortuous journey for Caleb and Maggie, yet they end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other.

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

8/10

* * *

I didn’t really know what to expect at the beginning of this book, but with all the wonderful reviews I read, I was really curious to discover it. Well, I was also a little anxious because I’m quite difficult with contemporary romances but this one was a nice surprise. Indeed, once started it was a really fast read (It took me nearly 2 hours to finish it).

It was the first novel I tried by this author so I was very intrigued to see how I would feel about it. Simone Elkeles has a very particular writing style that allows us to immerse ourselves in the story. It's true that I was surprised by the couple we meet here as they have an old history between them. How this guy, after all he has endured, can be with a girl whose life he ruined, it was still a bit difficult to understand.

However, their story is really cute and it's a pleasure to discover them both, to observe the evolution of their feelings. I was totally absorbed by the volume. I think it is pretty easy to understand Maggie’s hopes as she wants to know more about Caleb. Indeed, this boy has something really touching in him. I think we can only fall in love with him. He went through many trials and can finally go home after a year of absence to start a normal life. But nothing is as simple, isn’t it? And he will quickly understand that it is impossible for him to return to the life he left.

We love many characters here, and we hate others. It’s not really difficult to know what is behind the plot, but it does not really matter as I think the author has gradually given us the truth. But the only thing I didn’t know was the reason of all that. I was just so surprised at the end of the novel. Yes, because now I really want to read the second book to find out what will happen to our two young heroes. It is quite frustrating I must say, this is not really a cliffhanger, but it's quite the same thing. How to explain it... it's as if the story has been split in two parts and we have to read the sequel to have the whole thing.

It was nice to discover this book, and I think I’ll read the second when I can do it. This first volume also made me curious about Perfect Chemistry, her other series.

* * *

Je ne savais pas vraiment à quoi m’attendre en commençant ce livre, c’est vrai que le nombre d’avis positifs m’avait vraiment donné envie d’en savoir plus. Mon souci c’est que j’ai toujours un peu de mal avec les romances contemporaines mais il y a parfois de bonnes surprises et celle-ci est vraiment très agréable à lire. J’ai été aussi surprise par la vitesse à laquelle je l’ai fini (moi qui pensait qu’il me durerait un peu, après 1h30 c’était fini).

Je n’avais pas encore tenté de lire un roman de cette auteure j’étais donc intriguée par celui-ci et je dois dire que c’était une jolie découverte. Simone Elkeles a un style d’écriture assez particulier qui nous permet de nous immerger dès le début de l’histoire. Bon c’est vrai que l’on tique un peu par rapport à ce couple dont personne n’aurait jamais pu penser qu’il se formerait. Comment ce garçon, après tout ce qu’il a fait endurer, peut se mettre avec une fille dont il a gâché la vie, c’était quand même un peu difficile à comprendre.

Cependant leur propre histoire est vraiment très jolie et c’est un plaisir que de les voir se découvrir tous les deux, de pouvoir observer l’évolution de leurs sentiments. J’ai été totalement absorbée par l’histoire. Je pense qu’il est assez facile de comprendre les sentiments de Maggie et on espère autant qu’elle en apprendra plus sur Caleb. Car il faut dire que ce garçon a vraiment quelque chose de plus. Je crois qu’on ne peut que tomber sous le charme de ce jeune homme. Il a traversé de nombreuses épreuves et peut enfin rentrer chez lui après un an d’absence afin de reprendre une vie normale. Mais rien n’est aussi simple n’est-ce pas ? Il est impossible pour lui de reprendre la vie qu’il a laissé en partant en « prison ».

Il est très agréable de s’attacher à chacun des personnages, de même que de détester certains. J’ai aussi compris assez vite ce qu’il se cachait derrière l’intrigue, ce n’est pas bien grave car je pense que l’auteur nous a mis petit à petit sur la piste, mais je dois dire que je ne m’attendais pas du tout à cette fin. La seule chose à laquelle j’ai pensé en fermant le livre a été « Non, mais non ! Ce n’est pas possible». Oui parce que maintenant comment faire pour ne pas lire le deuxième tome pour savoir ce qu’il va advenir de nos deux jeunes héros ? C’est assez frustrant je dois dire, ce n’est pas vraiment un cliffhanger mais c’est un peu le même genre. Comment expliquer ça… c’est comme si l’histoire avait été partagée en deux et qu’il nous fallait la suite pour tout mettre bout à bout.

Je suis donc contente d’avoir eu la chance d’essayer ce livre, et je pense que je lirai le deuxième dès que je le pourrai. Ce premier volume m’a aussi rendu assez curieuse au sujet d’Irrésistible Alchimie. A voir ce qu’il en sera.

Steampunk Guest Review from Victoria: The Kaiser Affair by Joseph Robert Lewis

2013-05-20T05:00:00.000+01:00

I haven't known Vika for very long but I stumbled on her blog few months ago and followed her insightful, well-thought reviews ever since. Thank you, V., for your help and for sharing mutual love for steampunk!

My name is Victoria and I am the creator of www.zemfirkablogs.blogspot.com. Though new to blogging, I’ve had a long-nurtured love for books, and am an avid reader. Aside my passion for reading, I am also an enthusiastic cook. Thus, combining my two favorite activities, the idea behind my blog was born, where I get to share my book reviews and an occasional recipe or two. If you would like to reach me, email me at zemfirkablogs@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter and/or Goodreads.

The Kaiser Affair by Joseph Robert Lewis (The Drifting Isle Chronicles #1)

bought

Synopsis from Goodreads
When a master thief escapes from prison, detective Bettina Rothschild must put him back behind bars before the scandalous fiasco destroys the Ministry of Justice. Her investigation leads from decaying cemeteries where ravens conspire to warehouses where wondrous machines are built in secret, and even to the fabled Drifting Isle above the city of Eisenstadt where an ancient tomb hides a deadly secret.

The relentless chase proves taxing for a young woman who relies on her cane and her steamcarriage to get about, but that's where a good husband steps in. While Bettina picks locks and interrogates suspects, her beloved Arjuna defends her from the most brutal and bizarre assassins in Eisenstadt.

But as the clock ticks down, Bettina finds too many questions still remain. How did the thief escape from prison? How can he afford to hire so many killers? And why would he go to the Drifting Isle only to steal a giant beetle?

Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US($3.99)/UK(£2.73)

8/10

* * *

I am an equal opportunity reader, generally. Although I tend to focus on certain genres at times, I still enjoy a variety of reads. As of late my focus has been geared toward PNR and/or steampunk reads.

I employ various avenues to discover new-to-me books, whether through recommendations or random perusal of my own, and picking this book was no exception. There was a mention of it on the Twitterverse, reviews looked great, the concept and book description as well. So, I decided to give it a try and dove into the world of The Drifting Isle Chronicles, which, in fact, is a project begun by a team of fantasy authors who have concocted this amazing idea: to create one fantasy world, filled with magic, steampunk elements, mysteries and more. Each of the authors contributed their own story, while individual to their style and genre, still interconnected in the whole scheme. I have yet to read the other stories in the series, but here’s my take on The Kaiser Affair, by Joseph Robert Lewis which is the first in the series.

“I can decide for myself whom I deserve to be with, thank you very much,” Bettina said. “Not that I have an intellectual equal, but if I did, I sincerely doubt she and I would be able to tolerate each other for more than five minutes’ time.”

As I read the lines above, spoken by the heroine of The Kaiser Affair, I knew that we will get on fabulously.

And truly, Bettina Rothschild is the kind of woman, I enjoy reading about: determined, levelheaded, with an often-sarcastic sense of humor, and in no need of the constant rescue by the man at her side (although, she doesn’t refrain from directing the skills of said man in a much more pleasant manner). Bettina is a detective, and so is her husband, a rakishly handsome gentleman – Arjuna Rana, whose talents extend far beyond his good looks, and who is the perfect counterpart to Bettina’s practicality with his undeniable humor and charm. Together, employed by the Ministry of Justice, they set out to re-capture a thief, who has escaped under mysterious circumstances; his escape threatening to upset the city’s political balance.

Their secret mission – essentially is a chase: through the city of Eisenstadt, and above – to unknown expanse of mysterious island of Inselmond (that just might be habitable after all), and behind the city’s shadows – home to the quasi-mythical brotherhood of assassins (who walk a thin line between ally and enemy). However, their investigation just might bring the detectives closer home than they’ve thought.

Indeed, The Kaiser Affair is a charming take on an old-fashioned mystery, a genre of which I was quite fond of. Combining the elements of fantasy and steampunk; an intriguing concept behind the world building; and filled with engaging characters, who don’t fail to share plenty of entertaining banter amongst themselves, with an occasional venture onto the naughty side – it was a refreshing read in my pile of PNR.

For me, Mr. Lewis’ work had slight reminiscence of the creative works of Kir Bulychev, the Russian science fiction and fantasy author, whose books I’ve devoured growing up, and comparison to whom I would consider a great praise.

Although, there were plenty of great elements in this novel, certain aspects of it were unsatisfying. I felt the novel lacked development of its main characters. The two detectives were instantly lovable characters, that I wished we had a chance to learn more of their beginnings, rather than simply witnessing their happily ever after. Perhaps Mr. Lewis is savoring it for the future?

Another annoyance that have slightly irritated my mind is that I couldn’t quite figure out the time frame for this novel. I’ve gotten quite used to being able to pin point such factors in other steampunk novels I’ve read thus far, and found it odd that it was not made clear here. Otherwise, aside slight repetitiveness of the continuous chase scenes, I found The Kaiser Affair an entertaining read. This novel serves as a good first foray into The Drifting Isle Chronicles, which just might pique a further interest.

Why Should You Read The Lives of Tao? An Interview with Wesley Chu

2013-05-18T05:00:00.000+01:00

Hi, Wesley! Thank you for coming and I hope you are ready for the ~~interrogation~~ interview?

In one sentence, what your book is about?

The Lives of Tao is a modern day sci-fi about an overweight loser who is inhabited by an ancient alien, and is drafted, kicking and screaming, to train and fight a war over control of humanity’s evolution. And cake. Okay, fine, the cake is a lie.

Where did your ideas for The Lives of Tao come from and how long did it take you to write this book?

The Lives of Tao is my first serious attempt at publication. I had previously written a 180k word monstrosity called Woes, Toads, and Crossroads. Yes, we shall never speak of it again. It was inevitably trunked but I learned so much from it that it made writing The Lives of Tao possible.

I began working on the manuscript on and off in 2007 while *cough* being an officer in a World of Warcraft raiding guild. It wasn’t until Wow and I broke up for the 4th and final time that I began to take writing seriously. By the way, being an officer in a Warcraft raiding guild should be a requirement for future leaders. The amount of tolerance to BS a person develops is amazing.

source

If the aliens could really possess our bodies who do you think will be safe from possession or what type of person would they look for?

First of all, no one is technically safe. If you’re in the vicinity of a Quasing and they want to possess you, unless you’re wearing a hazmat suit, you’re basically screwed. Of course, most people who are aware of the Quasing welcome becoming a host. After all, who wouldn’t’ want an all-wise alien doling out wisdom in their head?

Usually though, the Quasing try to be picky with who they inhabit. After all, once a Quasing enters a host, they can’t leave until the host dies. That means if a Quasing choose wrong, he’s living with that mistake for a long time.

While most Quasing prefer a new host that is already housebroken, ie…someone who is aware of their existence and preferably has a useful skill that can be used in their civil war, that isn’t always the case. Quasings can’t survive for long in our atmosphere, so if their host dies while on a mission, they only have minutes to find a new host before Earth’s environment tears them apart.

The story in The Lives of Tao is about a Quasing who is highly skilled in covert operations. Unfortunately, his host dies while on a mission and well…the nearest guy is this frozen pizza eating loser who huffs and puffs up the stairs. Obviously, Tao has his work cut out for him.

What type of reader do you think would be attracted to your book, Wes?

source

Let’s start with: everyone in the entire world would be attracted to The Lives of Tao. In fact, I’m pretty sure most domesticated pets would be too. I highly recommend that everyone get his or her own personal copy (as well as one for each of their pets) so that no one has to share.

Okay, in all seriousness, it’s a fun read with lots of action, a little romance, and an abundance of humor. It’s definitely a sci-fi, but not a punch-you-in-the-mouth sort of sci-fi. Someone even called it poignant, something no one has ever accused me of.

Have you ever read a book and thought "I wish I wrote that!"? If yes, what was it? :)

I think almost every book that I grew up with made me wish I wrote that. From 101 Dalmation to Ender’s Game to Eye of the World, my list of wistful thinking is pretty endless. There are a lot of talented writers out there and I’m always very thankful for the guys who wrote all these fantastic books (Terry Pratchet, Tim Powers, Piers Anthony, Lawrence Watt Evans… the list goes on) that nourished my imagination as a kid.

However, there is one book very near to my heart that still just blows my mind. That’s William Goldman’s The Princess Bride. The genius in that book still knocks me on my ass every time I flip through the pages. Psst… there’s a reason why my name is surprisingly similar to the hero in that book.

Any projects you are working at the moment?

Due to the great initial feedback for The Lives of Tao, the Angry Robot overlords have pushed up the sequel, The Deaths of Tao, from its original February publication date to Oct 31st, 2013. As for the third book in the series, The Rebirth of Tao, that is up to the readers. Make it happen!

I also have the beginnings of a new time travel book in the works. Hopefully, we’ll see that one sometime in 2014.

Thank you for being such a fantastic guest, Wes, and good luck with the rest of your books!

Wesley Chu was born in Taiwan and immigrated to Chicago, Illinois when he was just a pup. It was there he became a Kung Fu master and gymnast.

Wesley is an avid gamer and a contributing writer for the magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland. A former stunt man and a member of the Screen Actors Guild, he can also be seen in film and television playing roles such as “Banzai Chef” in Fred Claus and putting out Oscar worthy performances as a bank teller in Chicago Blackhawks commercials.

Besides working as an Associate Vice President at a bank, he spends his time writing and hanging out with his wife Paula Kim and their Airedale Terrier, Eva.

Find Wesley:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Summary

When out-of-shape IT technician Roen woke up and started hearing voices in his head, he naturally assumed he was losing it.

He wasn’t.

He now has a passenger in his brain – an ancient alien life-form called Tao, whose race crash-landed on Earth before the first fish crawled out of the oceans. Now split into two opposing factions – the peace-loving, but under-represented Prophus, and the savage, powerful Genjix – the aliens have been in a state of civil war for centuries. Both sides are searching for a way off-planet, and the Genjix will sacrifice the entire human race, if that’s what it takes.

Meanwhile, Roen is having to train to be the ultimate secret agent. Like that’s going to end up well…

File Under: Science Fiction [ The Tug of War | I Was Genghis | Diary of a Slob | Spy vs Spy

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8/10

Why Should You Read The Lives of Tao? An Interview with Wesley Chu

In one sentence, what your book is about?

Where did your ideas for The Lives of Tao come from and how long did it take you to write this book?

If the aliens could really possess our bodies who do you think will be safe from possession or what type of person would they look for?

What type of reader do you think would be attracted to your book, Wes?

Have you ever read a book and thought "I wish I wrote that!"? If yes, what was it? :)

Any projects you are working at the moment?