What I'm Reading Right Now:

What I'm currently Reading:

Fevre Dream - George RR Martin
Moon Over Soho - Ben Aaronovitch
Ravenheart - David Gemmell
Prisoner of the Iron Tower (Book II) - Sarah Ash
Showing posts with label 2011. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2011. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Review: Moon Called (Mercy Thompson Series) - Patricia Briggs

Rating: 5
Husband: liked it
Got it: Books 1 - 4  - Second hand bookstore
            Books 5 & 6 - Nook (I just couldn't wait)
Finished: 2011
Price: SHB - $avg: $3.50, Nook: $12.00

Synopsys:
“Werewolves can be dangerous if you get in their way, but they’ll leave you alone if you are careful. They are very good at hiding their natures from the human population but I’m not human. I know them when I meet them, and they know me, too.

Mercy Thompson’s sexy next—door neighbor is a werewolf.

She’s tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire.

But then, Mercy Thompson is not exactly normal herself…and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble.

Mercy must rescue the Alpha of the local werewolf pack and his young daughter, after they are taken by a band of humans and werewolves who are testing new medical drugs on werewolves. While helping Adam she must ask the Marrok, the leader of all North American werewolves, for help and encounters an old flame, Samuel Cornick, who decides to move back to the Tri-Cities with Mercy in an effort to win her back

Review:
I resisted reading these books for some time.  I kept seeing book 1 and book 2 in the second hand bookstore that I frequent, and I would pick up - read, put back.  Must have happened 4 times.   Luckily for me, the first 4 books finally appeared all together on the shelf and I thought, well, if its good, I'll have them all to read. If its bad, I'll bring them back.

I'm SO HAPPY I finally read these.  They have a great lead, a bit of romance, NO swearing, and a great urban day setting with fantastic melding of werewolves, vampires, fairy creatures and Native American magic/lore thrown in for good measure. Really a wonderful series, and I wouldnt hesitate to recommend them to a 13+ audience.

Mercy Thompson is awesome; strong willed, self sufficient, smart, sassy and confident. I love her. The "Pack" is great, lots of good characters, and background. I really like the inclusion of a homosexual character that isn't simpering, just a regular guy in a committed relationship.

In fact, as each book went along, the characters and small players in the previous books shone, and Mercy really developed throughout.  All in all, I started and finished the series in under a month, and the husband really liked it too.  Even the romance parts which he said, "weren't so bad that they were a turn off in reading".  Strong praise indeed!!

Here is the Series Synopsys:
  • Moon Called (2006)
Mercy must rescue the Alpha of the local werewolf pack and his young daughter, after they are taken by a band of humans and werewolves who are testing new medical drugs on werewolves. While helping Adam she must ask the Marrok, the leader of all North American werewolves, for help and encounters an old flame, Samuel Cornick, who decides to move back to the Tri-Cities with Mercy in an effort to win her back.
  • Blood Bound (2007)
Mercy accompanies her vampire friend Stefan on a task and encounters an evil demon-possessed vampire sorcerer who is on a killing rampage. She learns that only she can stop the sorcerer, and with everyone she cares for missing she must take out the sorcerer before he destroys her friends. Amidst all this chaos she is also caught between her feelings for the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, Adam Hauptman, and her old flame Samuel Cornick, who is currently living with her while he battles internally with his wolf.
  • Iron Kissed (2008)
Mercy is requested by her friend and old boss Zee to investigate some murders on the fae reservation near her home. During the investigation Zee is framed as a murderer and Mercy must work to free him from human prison. During the book she finally chooses between Samuel and Adam.
  • Bone Crossed (2009)
Mercy has been marked an enemy of the local seethe for killing the right hand man of the head mistress, Marsillia. She becomes mated to Adam and in an effort to save her friends and get away from Marsillia, Mercy travels to Spokane to help her friend rid her house of a ghost. Once there Mercy uncovers a much bigger problem than a ghost and is captured by a powerful vampire on a quest to keep Mercy for her skills as a walker.
  • Silver Borne (2010)
In an attempt to return a book she once borrowed from a fae friend, Mercy discovers that something bad has happened to him and she has the reason why in her possession. While she attempts to find her fae friend, Adam's pack is in an upheaval about Mercy being added to the pack without their consent, so they attempt to sabotage her and Adam's relationship.
  • River Marked (March 2011)
Finally hitched, Mercy and Adam vacation on their honeymoon. The honeymoon ends quickly when people start dying in the river. It is up to Mercy and her new friends to stop the monster who is killing the swimmers. Mercy also gets to learns about her heritage and who her real father is.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Laini Taylor

Rating: 5
Husband: like it
Got it: Nook
Price: $7.99
Finished: late 2011

Synopsys:
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Review:
This was a recommendation from a friend, and since we typically like what each other is reading, I downloaded it on the nook last winter. I was not disappointed!!!!
This was an excellent YA urban fantasy. I couldn't put it down! The romance was well done.  The action was excellent.  The Husband liked it and tolerated the romance with ease (because the story was so great).
 
I loved the main character, her development and discovery through the book was first class. The supporting characters were fascinating and I honestly wanted there to be pictures.  The other "world" was enticing, well thought out and had such great texture and background.  I loved that the antagonists were flawed zealots, but not evil. Both sides fight for what they believe is right. That made for great energy in the book, it was a serious page turner.
 
If you have not read this book and you like YA urban fantasy you must get it!  Well work the full price nook download.


Review: The Adamantine Palace - Stephen Deas


Rating: 4
Husband: Liked it
Got it: Retail bookstore
Price: $8.95
Finished: late 2011

Synopsys:
The power of the Realms depends on its dragons. With their terrifying natures tempered by a mysterious liquid, they are ridden by the aristocracy and bred for hunting and war. But as dangerous political maneuverings threaten the empire, a single dragon has gone missing. And even one dragon-returned to its full intelligence and fury-could spell disaster for the Realms...



Review:
I really liked this book! Stephen Deas dragons were a dangerous mix of Anne McCaffrey's intelligent Dragons of Pern and the man eater/hater from the movie Dragonslayer.  Color me totally sold on these dragons! I just couldn't get enough of the dragons and the magic used to enslave them.

The political drama was not much to my liking, there was a little too much and a little too contrived. It just didn't hold my interest, which was sad because the opening had a lot of promise with an excellent bit of backstory!   I would have liked tighter writing on the political manoeuvrings, and more about the dragon culture that the characters/world is based on.

Husband thoroughly enjoyed it and we were looking forward to the second book.  Review coming next.