4 Star
Review: Alpha by Rachel Vincent
Alpha
Rachel Vincent
Release: October 1, 2010
Purchase Book: Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble | Nook Version | Kindle Version
Rating: 4 Stars
The unscrupulous new Council chair has charged Jace, Marc and me with trespassing, kidnapping, murder and treason. Yeah, we’ve been busy. But now it’s time to take justice into our own hands. We must avenge my brother’s death and carve out the rot at the heart of the Council.
It’s not going to be easy, and loss seems unavoidable, but I have promised to protect my Pride, no matter what. With a target on my back and Marc at my side, I’m heading for a final showdown that can—that will—change everything forever. A showdown I’m not sure I’m ready for.
But life never waits until you’re ready.
It wasn’t that long ago that I was asking for advice on which series were complete, and now… I’m finishing up three of my favorite series within one month. It’s killing my poor book loving heart. Yet I understand, sometimes it is time to let go of characters because there is only so much torture they can take. I wouldn’t mind a spinoff involving Jace tho… #justsaying
Faythe, Faythe, Faythe, my how you have grown. I went into this last book not expecting her to be so mature and so clear headed considering the emotional beating of the Prey and Shift. I expected her to flail and struggle and make mistake after mistake because her life was in turmoil. She certainly did struggle to find her footing when it came to her romantic interests. She stubbornly held onto her own selfish wants when it came to the men in her life up until the very end. I wanted to grab hold and shake her. It wasn’t fair to either Mark or Jace, but I can overlook it. Why?
Because she may have been acting selfishly and avoiding the problem, but for once it was the right thing to do. There was simply no way for her to stand up and lead in the way that she does, and needs to, in Alpha if she couldn’t see past her own problems and grab hold of the bigger picture. Immature, weak, whiny Faythe has grown into a fearless, courageous, intelligent bad ass motherf**ker (BAMF!). There are losses, there are wins, there is heartbreak… and she handles it all. She fully accepts her role, acknowledges her devotion to her pride, to her family, and it fits her.
I have to admit, Alpha isn’t perfect and won’t be my favorite of the series. I was fairly certain of who would die and the choice she would make in the end, but…. I didn’t care. This book didn’t make me bawl like Prey did, didn’t make me scream OH MY HOLY YODA like Shift did, but it did leave me feeling satisfied. It was a great story and a fitting end to a fantastic series. My favorite aspect of Alpha? The political world of the shifters once more being center stage, while the romance was still there, just as a supporting role along the side.
With this review, I say goodbye to one of my top 10 Urban Fantasy series. You have made me laugh, made me cry, made me gasp, and made me yell in frustration. You have entertained me and given me little pockets of fantasy to escape into. I’ve shared you with friends and pushed you onto complete strangers, all just so I could relive my own excitement through their experience. Thank you Rachel Vincent, may your new series be just as well loved.
FTC Disclaimer: This book was purchased by me.
Review: Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning
Shadowfever (Fever series, Book 5)
Karen Marie Moning
Release: January 18, 2011
Purchase Book: Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble | Nook Version | Kindle Version
Rating: 4 Stars
MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina, were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland forever. Twenty years later, Alina is dead and Mac has returned to the country that expelled them to hunt her sister’s murderer. But after discovering that she descends from a bloodline both gifted and cursed, Mac is plunged into a secret history: an ancient conflict between humans and immortals who have lived concealed among us for thousands of years. What follows is a shocking chain of events with devastating consequences, and now Mac struggles to cope with grief while continuing her mission to acquire and control the Sinsar Dubh — a book of dark, forbidden magic scribed by the mythical Unseelie King, containing the power to create and destroy worlds. In an epic battle between humans and Fae, the hunter becomes the hunted when the Sinsar Dubh turns on Mac and begins mowing a deadly path through those she loves. Who can she turn to? Who can she trust? Who is the woman haunting her dreams? More important, who is Mac and what is the destiny she glimpses in the black and crimson designs of an ancient tarot card? From the luxury of the Lord Master’s penthouse to the sordid depths of an Unseelie nightclub, from the erotic bed of her lover to the terrifying bed of the Unseelie King, Mac’s journey will force her to face the truth of her exile, and to make a choice that will either save the world… or destroy it.
How does one even start to review what is easily the most anticipated book of the year among urban fantasy fans? I guess I will start by saying, if you want to read my reviews of the previous books go here. If you haven’t read the series, you might want to stop and start at book 1. I’m not going to be purposely spoilerly, but it is hard to be entirely vague.
I’ve been a bit overwhelmed with book choices lately. After reading almost nothing for the last few months because of school, all of a sudden I have a “to read” list that is crazy huge almost solely because of popular series books I have missed the release of. I pushed all of those aside and bought my kindle version of Shadowfever at midnight on release day. I read for about 2 hours for that night before I had to finally admit defeat and get some sleep.
Right out from the gate the book has you twittering “OMG! NOOOOOO”. There were several oh my god moments really. One thing Moning did incredibly well was keep us on our toes. There was not a single event in this story that I had guessed or seen suggested by anyone else. The twists and turns were thought provoking and frustrating all in one. In the end we get answers to some questions, but definitely not all. We get just enough about Barrons and his men to feel slightly satisfied, but still curious. We get in-depth history as well as out of nowhere curve balls regarding the Fae and Mac’s sidhe-seer heritage. We get the long awaited answer to Alina’s death and the future of Mac and Barrons.
Yet, I finished it was left feeling unsettled. Shadowfever is a lot of book, almost 600 pages, and honestly the first half it was a slow read. There was a great deal of emotional monologue and stubborn characters that dragged on the plot. Additionally, I’ve always adored Dani but I felt her character lacked growth in this installment and I can’t help but wonder whether or not the reveal we get was planned all along. I didn’t fully believe the events surrounding V’lane and I still don’t understand Christian’s progression. I almost think that the effort to create a story that lived up to expectation and defy all speculation may have led to an end result that lacked a certain amount of credibility. (I know that’s vauge, I’m sorry! lol).
My last complaint, too much of the finale was focused on the relationship between Barrons and Mac. Yes, their “happy ever after” chances are a huge draw to readers, but it is has never been the focus of the series. For me the series has always been about Mac and her search to find the truth about her sister, to find her place among this new world she has journeyed into. I needed a final scene between Mac and the killer.
I realize how one sided this review is. The truth is for all my complaints, it is an entertaining and good story. Mac 5.0 is broken down and then built up stronger and smarter than we have ever seen her. Barrons is everything we have come to expect from him and most people will be content with the series ending. Shadowfever may not have hit all the perfect buttons for me, but I enjoyed the creatively twisted story that kept me guessing and am sad to see the series come to an end.
Favorite Quote:
With Barrons, you aren’t sure if you’re going to get fucked or turned inside out and left a new, unrecognizable person, adrift with no moorings, on a sea with no bottom and no rules.
I was never immune to him. There were merely degrees of denial.
FTC Disclaimer: This book was purchased by me
Review: The Missing by Shiloh Walker
Title: The Missing
Author: Shiloh Walker
Release: Out in Trade Paperback now, Mass Market July 6th, 2010
Purchase this book: Amazon | Borders | Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Suspense
Rating: 4 Stars
As a teenager, Taige Branch was able to do things with her psychic gift that others couldn’t understand – except for Cullen Morgan, the boy who stole her heart. He did his best to accept her abilities, until his mother was brutally murdered – and he couldn’t forgive Taige for not preventing her death.
PASSION FOUND
Now a widowed father, Cullen Morgan has never forgotten Taige. but what brings her back into his life is another tragic event. His beloved little girl has been kidnapped, and Taige is his only hope of finding her.
A LOVE THAT NEVER DIED
Working together against the clock, Cullen and Taige can’t help but wonder whether – if the find his daughter in time – it isn’t too late for the overpowering love that still burns between them…
The Missing is only my second Shiloh Walker read and it served as a good reminder that I really need to pick up more of her books. In spite of my “paranormal/romance burnout” I flew through this book yesterday and could not put it down. I was cursing Shiloh Walker and updating my goodreads status at 4 am, wondering where the night had gone.
Taige, pronounced like Paige with a t (I asked!), has a unique gift. Ever since she was a little girl Taige has had visions or dreams that help her find missing kids. As a young girl she does her best to ignore her gift and the inconvenience it causes. Yet, events in her life push her toward using it to help kids any way she can, no matter the cost her own life.
Taige and Cullen were a sweet, but electric, couple. At first I wasn’t sure where things were going and I was a bit apprehensive about meeting them as teenagers. Over the first 50 pages all reservations I had disappeared and I was smitten. Shiloh Walker wrote them in such a sweet, yet realistic courtship it was impossible not to fall in love with the pair. She then went on to take my heart, rip it out of my chest and stomp on it. Shiloh Walker is evil, in the way all good tragedy writers are. She made me cry. There I admitted it. Taige and Cullen were so perfect for each other, yet their relationship takes such a heartbreaking turn. I hated it and I loved it. I couldn’t put it down once I got to that point. I would have liked to see Taige drag Cullen around by his “you know what” a bit to make him suffer, but that could just be the evil bitch in me talking.
The suspense of The Missing was haunting and readers are given enough clues to figure out bits and pieces here and there, yet I didn’t have an clear hunch about the bad guy until three quarters of the way through. I think portions of the missing children plot could have been prolonged and I would have enjoyed seeing Taige and Cullen’s relationship change during that hardship, but overall the story worked well as it was.
The only annoyance I had were the dreams Taige and Cullen shared. I knew where that subplot was going and I just couldn’t get on that train. It felt too easy and neither of them seemed like the kind to not face their feelings and be honest with each other. In the end I think the couple really needed a knock down, drag out, all things on the table, tupperware thrown at your head type of discussion and I felt shorted that because of the dreams. It didn’t annoy me enough to not love the book, but I would be a slacker blogger if I didn’t mention it.
The Missing is a haunting and emotional story you will not want to put down once you start it. Clear off your schedule for the day, bake some brownies, grab a box of tissues and curl up with some Shiloh Walker. You won’t regret it, I promise.
WickedLilPixie – 4.5
Bibliophilic Book Blog – 3
Stacy’s Place – 4.5
FTC Disclaimer: Book was given to me for review by author
Review: Red Rock Pass Series by Moira Rogers
Title: Red Rock Pass Series: Cry Sanctuary, Sanctuary Lost, Sanctuary’s Price
Author: Moira Rogers
Purchase books: here
Rating: 4 Stars
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Review: Black London Series by Caitlin Kittredge
Black London Series
Caitlin Kittredge
Buy Books: here
Rating: 3 to 4 Stars
Street Magic – 3.5 stars
Her name is Pete Caldecott. She was just sixteen when she met Jack Winter, a gorgeous, larger-than-life mage who thrilled her with his witchcraft. Then a spirit Jack summoned killed him before Pete’s eyes—or so she thought. Now a detective, Pete is investigating the case of a young girl kidnapped from the streets of London. A tipster’s chilling prediction has led police directly to the child…but when Pete meets the informant, she’s shocked to learn he is none other than Jack. Strung out on heroin, Jack a shadow of his former self. But he’s able to tell Pete exactly where Bridget’s kidnappers are hiding: in the supernatural shadow-world of the fey. Even though she’s spent years disavowing the supernatural, Pete follows Jack into the invisible fey underworld, where she hopes to discover the truth about what happened to Bridget—and what happened to Jack on that dark day so long ago…
Demon Bound – 4 stars
Thirteen years ago, Jack Winter lay dying in a graveyard. Jack called upon a demon and traded his soul for his life… and now the demon is back to collect its due. But Jack has finally found something to live for. Her name is Pete Caldecott, and because of her, Jack’s not going to Hell without a fight.
Pete doesn’t know about Jack’s bargain, but she does know that something bigger and far more dangerous than Jack’s demon is growing in the Black. Old gods are stirring and spirits are rising–and Jack doesn’t stand a chance of stopping them without Pete’s help.
I already had Caitlin Kittredge’s Nocturne City series on my “to read” list, but I was looking for something quick in between review books and The Mighty Buzzard suggested this series as he was really enjoying it. With only 2 books released so far, it was perfect. I was looking for a good urban fantasy that wouldn’t tear my heart out and this was just what I needed.
First things first…. what I loved about these books? The characters. I liked and related to both Pete and Jack from the first chapter. Pete is smart and independent, but also stubborn. Jack is a tortured, cocky, moody bastard. He is cynical, dirty, and dangerous…all things that attract me even tho I know better.
The first book, Street Magic, is narrated by Pete and focuses on her investigation into the disappearance of young girl. The investigation lands her in the middle of a supernatural world she is hesitant to accept and connects her with a long lost friend she believed was dead, Jack Winter. She fights to keep a drug addicted Jack clean in order to save the missing girls while Jack struggles to stay sane and keep Pete safe from monsters from their past. It manages to move the romantic subplot along without taking away from the urban fantasy story line.
Demon Bound, book 2, is narrated by Jack and is all about a decision he made 13 years ago coming back to haunt him. Because of his growing feelings for Pete, Jack tries to keep her out of the dangerous tasks he has to do, but he can’t save himself without her help.
I enjoyed both characters and enjoyed both books, but I found myself liking Jack’s narration more than Pete’s. It felt more honest and realistic. I liked being inside his twisted head and was surprised to find his book was heavy on emotion. Street Magic had definite romantic tension between Pete and Jack, but it was very low key and I assumed it would take books to develop. Instead Demon Bound is filled with Jack’s struggle to accept his emotions for Pete and find a way to keep her safe, even if he loses his fight.
My biggest complaint about the series is the world building, its lacking. Street Magic barely touches on the rules of the world and a few times I was left feeling confused as to how things worked or what was going on. Demon Bound did make an attempt to rectify this and added a few layers of depth, but in general I still feel unsure as to what Caitlin Kittredge’s supernatural Black London world really entails. I also wasn’t a fan of the ending of Demon Bound, tho I give the author credit for not doing the predictable thing. I am willing to be open minded and wait to see what book 3 has to offer us.
If you like urban fantasy with rich characterization, dark plot lines, and a bit of British slang, you’ll enjoy the Black London series.
FTC Disclaimer: These books were purchased by me
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R.R. Martin
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