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Thriller & Suspense Challenge Wrap Up

Tiffany — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 08:45:50 +0000

Hey look at me, I finished a challenge! Woot! Now where are my cookies? I was promised cookies.

Timeline: 01 Jan 2010 – 31 Dec 2010
Rules: To read TWELVE (12) thrillers in 2010

Review: Changes by Jim Butcher

Tiffany — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 17:31:33 +0000

Title: Changes
Author: Jim Butcher
Release: April 6, 2010
Purchase this book: Amazon | Book Depository | No Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: 5 Stars

Long ago, Susan Rodriguez was Harry Dresden’s lover-until she was attacked by his enemies, leaving her torn between her own humanity and the bloodlust of the vampiric Red Court. Susan then disappeared to South America, where she could fight both her savage gift and those who cursed her with it.

Now Arianna Ortega, Duchess of the Red Court, has discovered a secret Susan has long kept, and she plans to use it-against Harry. To prevail this time, he may have no choice but to embrace the raging fury of his own untapped dark power. Because Harry’s not fighting to save the world…

He’s fighting to save his child.

Let’s get down to business *rubbing hands together*. First note… if you have not read The Dresden Files series yet…. do not read past this first paragraph of this review. In fact, get your bum off the computer and go read book 1, Storm Front. Urban Fantasy lovers have no excuse to not read this series and you should be ashamed of yourself. Harry Dresden is a professional wizard…. a smart ass, witty, smirking, sexy as hell professional wizard. And he has a staff. I’m just saying. Changes is book 12 in the series and may be the best one yet. I have no idea how Jim Butcher has managed to keep such a long running series so freaking fantastic, but I am beginning to suspect magic or a deal with a demon. I am going to need Butcher to send me copies of all works in progress so I can work out how he is doing it, k, thanks.

Now, all you Dresden virgins move along…. tho you can read the quotes below if you want. Those are probably safe. Dresden fans, have no fear, I think I have kept it relatively spoiler free.

To say that this book has been anticipated is like saying I like twitter… gross understatement. When the blurb first came out I stuttered and was left speechless for almost an entire minute. Harry has a secret baby?? Susan is coming back and there is a child?? Whaaaa???? My speechlessness was immediately followed by cursing and vile names being thrown at Susan, who I just don’t like (if you say I’m jealous – you could be right, but be warned I will glare at you).

Changes starts out with a life changing phone call between Harry and former lover, current half vampire *cough*bitch*cough* Susan. Turns out that super hot kitchen sex scene almost 10 years ago did more than just make me pant, Susan and Harry have a daughter. As if that isn’t shocking enough for poor Harry, his daughter Maggie has been abducted by the Red Court Vampires. Harry has to call in all the friends he can find and make new ones in order to save the life of a little girl he has never met, a little girl who has been raised without knowing he exists.

Butcher brings back the familiar gang of do-gooders for Changes. Molly is still apprenticing under Harry and is showing signs of growth and maturity in her character. Murphy is Murphy, she is there for Harry no matter what – even if it means all she has worked for and cares about will be turned upside down. Thomas, Sanya, Mac, Bob, and Butters all make appearances and contribute to the cause and the story with their quips and sayings. Mouse reveals himself to be the coolest pet ever. Some of my favorite quotes (I couldn’t choose just one!):

“Your weapons, grasshopper,” I said in my Yoda voice. “You will not need them.”
She [Molly] frowned at me in annoyance and said, “You know, I believe it is possible to reference something other than Star Wars, boss.”
I narrowed my eyes in Muppetly wisdom. “That is why you fail.”

I let out a short bark of geniune laughter. “I thought I was supposed to be the one with one thing on his mind.”
“Oh, when we were younger certainly,” she replied. “Now, though, our roles have reversed.”
“Meaning you want it fast and hard, too?”

“Are you kidding?” Thomas said. “I’m obviously Legolas. You’re . . .” He squinted thoughtfully at Sanya and then at Martin. “Well. He’s Boromir and you’re clearly Aragorn.”
“Martin is so dour, he is more like Gimli.” Sanya pointed at Susan. “Her sword is much more like Aragorn’s.”
“Aragorn wishes he looked that good,” countered Thomas.
“What about Karrin?” Sanya asked.
“What–for Gimli?” Thomas mused. “She is fairly –”
“Finish that sentence, Raith, and we throw down,” said Murphy in a calm, level voice.

But Changes also gives us a much darker Harry Dresden. He is still witty and quick with the self-depreciating moments … but he is also angry and on the edge. His daughter is out there, alone, waiting for someone to save her. Harry has to chose between one painful choice after another. He is tested to his limits and pushed to re-evaluate his moral core over and over again. How far will he go to save her and what will it cost him? Every move he makes, every battle he fights in this book is of dire importance and emotionally exhausting. Finishing this book left me in utter shock, looking for a support group and chatting up people at all hours of the the night.

Honestly, this book should be titled HOLY HELL I AM AN EVIL AUTHOR AND I TURNING YOUR WORLD ON IT’S SIDE. Changes is a high speed freight train of a read and just when you think you can see the light at the end of the tunnel and a smile starts to spread across your face Butcher hits you upside the head with a can of WTF JUST HAPPENED. Jim Butcher has exceeded my expectations with this installment, easily making Changes the best book of the series so far, and what will be without a doubt one of my top 10 books of 2010.

FTC Disclaimer: Book was purchased by me (hardcover even!)

Review: Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Tiffany — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:36:21 +0000

Title: Silver Borne
Author: Patricia Briggs
Release: March 30, 2010
Purchase this book: Amazon | Book Depository | Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: 4 Stars

Being a mechanic is hard work. Mercy Thompson, for instance, just spent the last couple of months trying to evade the murderous queen of the local vampire seethe, and now the leader of the werewolf pack – who’s maybe-more-than-just-a-friend – has asked for her help. A book of fae secrets has come to light and they’re all about to find out how implacable – and dangerous – the fae can be. OK, so maybe her troubles have nothing to do with the job. But she sure could use a holiday

I’ve been sitting on this review for a week or so, just unsure of what to say. Mercy Thompson is one of my favorite Urban Fantasy series, and I was expecting a lot from this one. Silver Borne doesn’t disappoint, for the most part it delivers. I gasped out loud and had to tweet friends at various interludes. Yet, it I still found myself feeling a bit off after setting the book down.

Mercy Thompson is a shapeshifting(coyote) mechanic. She is tough as nails, brave, and fiercely independent. Silver Borne has her still recovering from the traumatic events of previous books and her vulnerability was touching. She finds herself once again mixed up in the world of Fae and some of her most cared about people in danger.

In this installment we make our way through what the mating of Adam and Mercy really means, for the pack and for her. I think this is where the story stumbled for me. There were a lot of pack things explained that I did enjoy, but I often felt that Mercy joining the pack put a damper on some of her personality as well as some of the sexual tension that I love. She apologized too quickly and too easily for her character in my opinion and it nagged me a bit.

What did work for me and was far more interesting was Samuel’s story. I don’t want to spoil anything, but he is a huge part of this book and he is what kept me turning pages in the middle of the night. I loved the resolution of his situation, but do admit it felt a bit rushed or glossed over.

As a whole, the Silver Borne was a good read. Fans of the series do not want to miss this one as it marks a turning point in the series for Adam and Mercy’s relationship. There is a lot of intimacy and tenderness between Adam and Mercy and it felt great to see them happy, yet it left me missing the tension between them. The plot was done well and the cast of characters filled out the story perfectly. There are so many wonderful side characters of this series it is hard to choose a favorite but if I had to make a choice…. Warren the gay werewolf is in the lead.

FTC Disclaimer: Book was purchased by me

Review: Battle of the Network Zombies by Mark Henry

Tiffany — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:40:19 +0000

Title: Battle of the Network Zombies (Amanda Feral, book 3 )
Author: Mark Henry
Release: March 1st, 2010
Purchase this book: Amazon | Book Depository | Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Rating: 4 Stars

In Seattle’s undead circles, Amanda Feral is one of the beautiful zombies. Of course, when you’re socializing with werewolves, devils, and rampaging yetis, there’s not that much competition. Still, Amanda has a stylish rep to maintain, which is getting tricky now that her tanking ad agency is obliterating her finances. The fastest way to make some cash: appear on a new reality show, American Minions, hosted by lecherous wood nymph Johnny Birch. Classy? Maybe not, but a girl’s gotta eat. With zombie gal pal Wendy posing as her bitchy agent, Amanda settles in to ‘Minions Mansion’, crowded with 24-7 video cameras and undead fame whores. When Johnny is found incinerated in a locked room, Amanda decides to channel her inner Miss Marple (minus the ugly cardigans) and find out who’s responsible. Was it Hairy Sue, the white trash stripper yeti? Tanesha, the glamorous trannie werewolf? Angie, the Filipino vampire with a detachable head? Unveiling the culprit in a heart-stopping finale won’t just save the show from cancellation, it might just keep Amanda alive – or as close as a ghoul can get…

In the third installment of the Amanda Feral series Amanda is back, dirtier than ever. Her ad agency is on a downward spiral and her expense budget is in the toilet. In order to keep her condo and pay off her debt to the Reapers Amanda says yes to an opportunity to appear on a new reality show. Yet, things are never simple with Amanda and she finds herself in the middle of her very own murder mystery.

Amanda Feral books always makes me giggle and snort like kids do when they tell fart jokes. Battle of the Network Zombies was no different, it was funny, sarcastic, and disgusting. If you like crass humor with a side of wit, this series is for you.

Amanda and Wendy make a great crime solving duo even if when they seem to be at odds with one another. Gil once again provides comic relief and I found myself looking forward to his bits the most. He is definitely my favorite character of the series. Scott and Amanda’s relationship was a pleasant surprise and I look forward to more of him in the next book (fingers crossed!).

The book started off a bit slow for me, but the plot picked up the pace once wood nymphs started dying and the crazy character parade began. Amanda even shows signs of unexpected personal growth, proving her heart isn’t rotted out after all. Battle of the Network Zombies is another snort out loud story of zombies with killer fashion sense by Mark Henry. Fingers and toes crossed that Amanda Feral’s story doesn’t end here. Oh and the best part? Battle of the Network Zombies is only FREE for your kindle at Amazon right now. Go on, get the rest of the series too, you know you want to.

Other Reviews:

WickedLilPixie – 5

SmexyBooks – 4

Enchanting Reviews – 4.5

FTC Disclaimer: Book recieved from author for review

I get around lately….

Tiffany — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:52:15 +0000

Check out my guest review of Anton Strout’s third book in the Simon Canderous series, Dead Matter, over at Fantasy Dreamer’s Ramblings. Loved this book!

Review: Shift by Rachel Vincent

Tiffany — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:00:15 +0000

Title: Shift (Shifters, book 5 )
Author: Rachel Vincent
Release: March 1st, 2010
Purchase this book: Amazon | Book Depository | Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Rating: 5 Stars

Being the first female werecat enforcer isn’t easy. Scars accumulate, but I’m stronger in so many ways.

As for my personal life? It’s complicated. Choices worth making always are. Ever since my brother’s death and my father’s impeachment, it’s all I can do to prevent more blood from spilling. Now our Pride is under attack by a flight of vicious thunderbirds. And making peace with our new enemies may be the only way to get the best of our old foe.

With the body count rising and treachery everywhere, my instincts tell me to look before I leap. But sometimes a leap of faith is the only real option…

I was going to try to write this review without spoilers from the previous books in this series, but I honestly don’t know how to do it. Too much has happened that built up to this book to leave them out. I will avoid spoilers about the plot content of Shift and tread cautiously with previous books, avoiding spoilers about the main mystery/suspense plot of each book. Several people have asked if they can read this book without reading the previous books…. my answer is yes, you could if you really wanted to. But I agree with Patti over at Book Addict that if you do you are missing the full impact of the story. The buildup and history of these characters add so much I would avoid it if you can! You won’t be sorry.

Fans of this series know what a hugely important and controversial book Prey, book 4, was. Besides the devastating death of a well loved character, there was shocking (and totally hot!) smexing between Jace and Faythe. Fans have high expectations of Shift and it delivers on every one of them.

Simply put, Faythe Sanders is not the same girl she used to be. Book 1, Stray, introduces her as a mouthy, defiant, and somewhat whiney college student. Her father is Alpha of South Central pride of werecats, and tabbies (female werecats) are rare. So incredibly rare that they are prized and used as pawns in greedy attempts at controlling all the werecat prides. Initially, Faythe wants none of this system and insists she can have a life of her own outside of the pride, away from her family. This series is very much about the growth of Faythe and her finding her own path within the system her natural werecat instincts are longing for.

By the time we get to Shift Faythe is a strong, determined, intelligent, and forward thinking tabby. She no longer denies who she is or what her status means, but instead works to redefine it and make it her own. She is done shying away from the tough choices. She is the first female enforcer for a pride and thrives on the decisions that will lead her to become the first female Alpha. Yet, she is still flawed, she still makes mistakes. Faythe has to face the consequences of one of those mistakes in Shift.

The tension between Marc, Faythe, and Jace in this book is overwhelming. For most of this series there has been tension between Marc and Faythe, could she ever just let go and be with him? I was rooting for him, he was strong and dependable and would let Faythe lead in her own way. He surprises me in Shift and it only adds to my admiration of his character arc.

Jace was always the fun, but flirty guy who made the readers laugh. I never expected him to grow so much over such a short period of time. The events in Prey, changed him drastically. He is no longer willing to be the fun flirty guy who’s intentions aren’t taken seriously. He is making a serious attempt to win Faythe’s heart in Shift and I find myself swooning over his new found Alpha-ness. Faith is going to have to choose and if being with both of them isn’t an option, I don’t know what I want for her!

With so much of this book riding on the relationship between Jace and Marc and Faythe I was worried the overall plot of the werecat pride conflicts would be lost. I should have known better. Rachel Vincent has written a dynamic, fast paced, action driven story that had me hanging on every word. The South Central pride faces new dangers from both a flight of Thunderbird shifters and Carl Malone’s Pride, intent on gaining control of the pride council. Once again Faythe and her enforcers are fighting for their lives and tough decisions have to be made.

This is probably one of the longest reviews I have written and the sad thing is that I could keep on writing! I finished the book this morning and have been unable to think of anything but it all day long. My heart is torn, my nerves are shot, and my emotions are a mess in that way that you can only get from being invested in a great book. Where do they go from here? With only one book in the series left, Alpha can’t come soon enough. Rachel Vincent’s Shifter series is a roller-coaster ride of suspense and emotion that I don’t want to get off.

Other Reviews:

Book Addict – 5

FTC Disclaimer: Book recieved from NetGalley