Sony Luvs Books

 

Bane's character has always intrigued me. So when I found out about this stand alone series I was excited. But you know what they say with great expectations comes great disappointment.The story itself was fluff. Unlike writer Clare's Mortal Instruments & Infernal devices series.

I felt led around by the nose the break between both writers is obvious. The plot jumped around with no bridge between the four arcs to give the story better flow and cohesion. The half told narrative at first was annoying, at first. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, like newbie writing or worse fan fiction . And we knooow writers Clare and Brennan can write but I don't see it here much. The whole thing felt rushed. For me this version of Bane kinda of shattered some of that mystique I liked about him. Magus is funny and endearing man-child with powers.

There were a few sparks of substance though out the story the relationship between Bane and Imaus and its conclusion. When Bane and his companions talk about their heritage and mothers there is a genuine sadness there. If WRHP* was sprinkled with more of these precious moments, it would have made for a much story. And about these adventures he keeps referring to though humorous the details are glossed over as result no new information is imparted to the reader. And no direction for the characters to advance or the plot to properly develop.

While What Really Happened in Peru* is light, fun read. The purpose is to give new character insight. But instead its information recycled nothing told in those pages wasn't learnt in The Mortal Instruments or The Infernal Devices series, unfortunately. Still Magnus's character was entertaining and once I didn't think too hard it was a quick read. Here's hoping it gets better as series develops. And after all of that the question posed by the title remains a mystery. However I will be reading the other books in this series. I really can't wait to see Bane's and Alex's story. I gave WRHP a three out five leaving room for improvement.

 

 

 

Gone Girl left me an emotional wreck puling in two different directions. There is no question about  writer Flynn’s ability to turn a phrase. The dialogue is rich and steeped in realism. I read Amy’s thought process and though to myself this is a real person. Her descriptions of people, places and things draws you into the story. So as far as skill writer Flynn has it in spades.

Gone Girl is the portrait of “the” golden couple Nick and Amy Dunne. And the subsequent collapse of their relationship after years of marriage. When “awesome Amy” she is dubbed discovers her husband has been cheating, Amy takes a dark path to teach cheating hubby a lesson. Two things leave an impression on me in this book. Amy’s dark side the cold calculative-ness of her personality. Nick distance towards her. I wonder did all the mind games she played with his head over the years. Just eat away his love for her or was he ever in love or lust. Gillian Flynn does a marvelous job of taking the reader on this journey through a broken marriage.

Still reading Gone Girl was an experience for my emotional antenna. Which was pointed on pissed a lot of this book. The characters though realistic and flawed. Irked me of all the reason, and the elaborate way Amy goes about getting even. “Old testament style” seems like a lot of work. That really takes a certain personality.

At the beginning of the book the main question was.  Do you believe Amy’s husband killed her? The first half of the book the Nick is painted as a man with secret–that perhaps he’d killed maybe the reason he killed his wife. After all you see it on the news all the time seemingly loving husband murders wife to be with lover.  And as you read Amy’s diary entries you can’t help but feel Nick had what was coming to him. By the second half I was wondering  What a monster Amy was. How could she plan such an elaborate scheme to teach Nick a lesson in such a brutal way? By the end I thought what a ride.

After reading this book I asked myself could I hate someone that much because he cheated on me. Could I have gone that? Writer Flynn character of Amy is complex and simple. Nick is typical man with commitment issues but he tried Amy was just the wrong choice. The plot is rich with details and substance. Gone Girl I recommend if you like suspense, characters with meat on their bones. It’s perfect for book clubs for the rich content and characters especially Amy whose the kind of character that evokes ire and heated discussions at any book club meet.  I gave Gone Girl a four out five though the writing is superb, detailed and awesomely flawed characters. But for me the premises is too weak inspire such an vicious intricate planning on Amy’s part. So it lost some plausibility there. Since this is an adult book ages I recommend 18+ . Some of the dialogue is a bit mature for young readers.

4/5

The Red Plague Affair the follow up to the Iron Wyrm Affair. Since their encounter with the Iron Wyrm both Bannon & Clare have drifted back into the pace of their own lives. At the beginning of TRPA* this time around we find our main characters both in the separate pursuit of nefarious characters.Archibald his nemesis Dr Vance, and Emma in sussing out traitors to Queen Victrix court –there is an uncomfortable moment when The Spirit of Britain question Victrix’s mother. On her recent plot in pursuing the throne.When the discovery is made of a dangerous plague. Once again Emma Bannon and Archibald Clare have found themselves thrown together in service of the crown, to thwart yet another fiend that threatens Londinium and its inhabitants. Sounds all good right and for the most part it is. I loved reading the new tension in Archibald and Emma’s friendship.Their out of sync and it’s represented in the misunderstandings in communication. And the sudden realization with hurt feelings that the opinion of the other matters more than they care to admit. And do I sense a love triangle between Mikael, Archibald and Emma, hmm I wonder. Her concerns over Mikal’s origins increase after an encounter with a former acquaintance. Adding more strain to the tenuous relationship that maybe brewing between them. Add these elements and the new threat and the drama beginning to take shape no one knows where it will lead. I believe that is what saves the story and keeps the reader interested.Writer Saintcrow’s descriptions of the world Londinium is of a hell’s paradise. Meaning just as they’re still places of beauty–there are others equally as ghastly that would fit well into hell’s decor. The smell, the atmosphere is convey in great description. Which leads me to the plot “The Red Plague” is a nasty piece of business. The idea of a plague used as a weapon of destruction isn’t new but the way writer Saintcrow spins this tale is interesting. I loved that we see more of Emma’s emotional side, and Clare’s reflective. The introduction of new characters: the biologist Morris, the prime that has been following Emma for a while, as well as the return of the second and third fiddle characters.All in all I gave The Red Plague Affair a three and half stars not quit worthy of my book shelf, but still better than average. What killed it for me was pacing though things were happening it felt dry to me the immediacy that often spurs on the plot was lacking here. Wish is disappointing because I know writer Sanitcrow is capable, and had won me over with her other series. Archibald’s obsession with Dr. Vance is never really explained. Unless I missed something so I couldn’t buy into it. Especially after the team up to stop Morris’s. The other gripe I had–the speed in which the victims of the plague are claimed. The infected dying within hours of being diagnosed, yet Clare and Vance survived beyond that point. And the cure a major plot point the facts of the cure are glossed over. The reader isn’t told any details or how it was discovered. Who is Lady Sellwyth?If you hadn’t read The Iron Wyrm Affair you wouldn’t have guessed they were referring to Emma Bannon, because she is only addressed by title once in this book. If you were not going to incorporate her title as another part of her character don’t address it at all. It just confuses the reader.These are among the reasons I gave TRPA a rating 3.5 out of 5. So here’s to hoping that the third installment will be much better than its predecessor. As The Red Plague Affair was better than The Iron Wyrm Affair.I recommend this book for historical fiction and steampunk fans, though some of the younger readers may be turned off by the character’s dialogue.3.5/ 5

Can anyone be so unlucky? Accidents Happen, honestly I was intrigued by the synopsis. Can one person have that much bad luck. At the beginning its a slow read, the pacing. But a few chapters in  a mystery starts to form. And questions begin to bubble to the surface. Is Kate crazy, and who is this mysterious figure lurking in the background. Just enough drama to keep the reader’s interest as you are spoon fed clues. If you’re smart you’ll pick up the clues fast. I like that its written in the vein of BBC mystery.

 

 With a slow undercurrent of suspense and malicious intent via the lurking stranger. You know that feeling one gets when you think someone has been in your space, that something is wrong. But you don’t know what it is except that things are off. I have just described how Kate feels all the time. 

 

Characters. Jack is a typical kid who has lost a parent and dealing with the emotional train wreck of the surviving parent. The mother-in-law was a frump full of passive aggression, and a father-in-law with a sweet nature veneer. Who underneath it all was a manipulative hard arse that loves money. And her sister-in-law is a jealous cow. She is having a hard time of her own. Her marriage is going down in flames. So her attention to Kate is a distraction, and while meddling in her life under the guise of concern. She flip flops between wishing Kate will just stay the same, and jealous that the life is coming back into Kate’s eyes. Jago, the professor is like a refreshing breeze in Kate’s life. He doesn’t look at her like some broken thing that needs to be fixed. He represented hope to Kate of someday being normal again, and she grabs onto it like a drowning woman, but is Jago too good to be true. And just who is creepy neighbor Magnus? Is is he bad or good. I like that characters aren’t who they seem to be, that they’re not clearly defined.

 

 After Kate’s parents died on her wedding night she was raw for a long time. When her husband died I think that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Kate needed to have some control over her life and the statics gave some measure of control. Until it spiraled into an obsessive compulsive disorder.  I love the way Kate’s state of mind is shown through action. The over-protective nature, the over the top security system. The anxiety attacks. At first Jago becomes a light at the end of the tunnel. With his help Kate undergoes an experimental treatment under his supervision.  The challenges he has her doing are  questionable. Still Kate begins to blossom as this experiment is getting results. I like that the changes are gradual, little, a laugh, letting go of the handle bars of her bike ignoring her own rules of statistics, the most noticeable the change in her appearance.

 

Kate reawakens the woman in her at the same time. Getting to the premise can a person have such bad luck who or is this the work of malicious   hands. Is someone is out to hurt Kate and her family. As we read these questions begin to raise is Kate crazy, is the danger all in her head.  And just who is creepy neighbor Magnus, is he involved in Kate’s bad luck? The twist, secrets all the plot points of a good mystery.

 

With an high octane ending that I didn’t see coming. In the end all the pieces fell into to place and the picture made sense. It’s always been a wish of mine to go back and visit England. And through writer Millar’s descriptions of the city of Oxford (by the way more fictional murders take place Oxford in almost all the mysteries i’ve read or watched, fun fact.) its descriptive enough that feel like I’m visiting England for a while. I loved the premise, the mystery, the twist and secrets. I enjoyed Accidents Happen. I gave AH a four out five. And would recommend AH for the  16+ and up crowd. Mystery buffs if you’re like me and watched mysteries like  Misdsomer’s murders ,Inspector Lewis  on BBC or channel 13 ( public television) for N.Y. then you would love this book. 

 

What I love about writer Briggs Mercy Thompson series is that there is always more to the story. Just like an onion there are multi layered. One central story with subplots that connect to form a bigger picture. Sometimes the journey is better than the destination. I wasn’t so too happy about the plot in River Mark book 6. Though we find more about the shape shifters I was disappointed.But writer Briggs more than made up for it in Frost Burned. I fell back love with the series after the last book I was ready to break up with Mercy.You see it was hard for me to let go of Mercy because I really like her. Not many female characters are smart ass tough like her and likable. Mercy’s character is brave, loyal, afraid but not enough to stop her from doing the stupid reckless things that would kill a normal human being. e.g take on a powerful fae, Its that strong sense of right and wrong that often guides her into these kamikaze situations. That somehow in the end she lands on the other side of it mostly in one piece.Her constant evaluation as a character is what keeps me wanting more Mercy stories. Over time Mercy has become wiser, stronger learning what she is capable of. I use the word “rape” loosely because magic was involved. Surviving being raped in Silver Borne, book 5. Sharpening her Survival instincts, and learning more about her coyote magic with each encounter Mercy learns what she’s made of. And Frost Burned is no different she learns she a new ability. And does a crazy trick in a dream with silver that freaks her out.Mercy inspires loyalty in the people around her. Ben the foul mouth werewolf protects her to the death if he has to. After the whole pack is abducted. Tad the half-fae and son of Zee a powerful fae, he too comes to Mercy’s rescue without hesitation. To protect Gabriel and Jesse. Stefan the vampire also comes to her aid when Mercy sends up the bat signal.To rescue Kyle Warren’s mate from bad guys. Asil a wolf sent by Bran to help known as “The Moor” the half mad werewolf is hanging onto to his sanity by a thread. Even he isn’t immune to Mercy. Eventually he comes to respect and even like Mercy as he watches the effect she has on the people in her life and impressed and wary by the variety of the company she keeps. There are few new characters introduced I won’t spoil the surprise by telling you who they are, read if you want to know.Yet the more things change the more they stay the same what do I mean by this. The more mature Mercy becomes, those rough edges are still there there that smart mouth, rebellious attitude, and mischievous nature. Basically the same smart ass coyote we love. Speaking of love I love the progression of Adam and Mercy’s relationship its apparent how much he loves Mercy. And how much Mercy loves him as well. I can barely remember the way she fought her attraction for Adam and confusion over Samuel. And whatever Mercy thought she and Samuel could have had. Nearly messed up a good thing I must admit I was rotting for Samuel, but I’m glad Adam won. Writer Briggs writes their story well I smiled, and laugh a few times at their interactions makes me want to invest time reading about them and I was sad to say goodbye at the end of the book.Frost Burned had a lot of moving parts moving in sync. Except for a few things that didn’t really need to be there especially since there weren’t addressed later. The ghost at Tad’s house for one. Opening the door to questions, like who is she and why was she there? The villain is isn’t even worthy of the title in my opinion. Yes he was scary with power that would make one pee their pants. A narcissistic power hungry with dreams of grander. The perfect vamp but in the end he lacked the charisma of a real villain. He was so transparent I had no respect for him as an adversary. He was a wannabe with reach, disappointing. Still villain aside I enjoyed being in Mercy’s world for awhile. I gave Frost Burned a 4 out 5. Because like I said before the journey is sometimes better than destination. I would recommend FB to urban fantasy lovers. There is some violence in the book and parents if you’re monitoring what your child is reading maybe read FB first and see it pasts your cleared for reading test.

Shadow of the Mark the follow up to Carrier of the Mark. SOTM is a better ride than the first book, in my opinion. Though I must admit I was expecting a lot and after the first few slow chapters. I was beginning to get disappointed. Nothing was happening and my interest waned. But simmer simmer the plot started showing signs of life and began with a little conflict and drama. Megan and Adam’s make out sessions were starting to become dangerous. Rian and Anie were getting physical with Megan.Anie absentmindedly holding Megan’s hand to Rian’s visible attraction to Megan. The elements. Causing all kinds of confusion and relationship angst. That part got old but opened the doors to other parts of the plot which gradually grabbed my interest again. Set against the backdrop of Ireland added another dimension to the story.The deeper I got into the story the more I got hooked and remembered why I wanted to read SOTM in the first place. I wanted to know what was going on with the elements? Why was Meagan so freakishly unaffected by the elements like the others? What secrets were the order keeping from the marked? Would the world really end if Adam and Megan kept hooking up? These and loads more question made me keep reading. The world in which the marked ones live in is beautiful and terrifying. Always hunted, never being able to trust those around you, and never letting anyone in. Writer Fallon’s does an excellent job of showing this in her characters. They are layered and complex but still evolving. With each encounter the marked ones are becoming emotional land mines you see the wear and tear seeping through in the scars of their loss and grief they wear it in their attitude, rebellion, and a strong hope that those sacrificed were worth it for a better life someday beyond the elements.Still I was expecting more bigger explosions and by explosions I meant I wanted to see more damage. I wanted to see in the writing and feel like they survived what could have been the extinction of all life. The elements are so powerful is all I keep hearing I wanted to see the power really unleashed. I expected the villains in this piece to be badder. Instead you’re left to wonder who is really the villain “the order” or “the Knox” which is not entirely bad for the story.Though at the end SOTM won me over don’t get me wrong it was a good story but there were things that didn’t go unnoticed. Some characters seemed too transparent. I don’t know if it was done on purpose to give the reader insight or some sense of intelligence. But as for me I won’t name names a few characters made me antenna go up. As I read those suspicions were confirmed. The pace took far too long to pick up. The build up towards the end felt incomplete because all hints pointed the story in a different direction. But to me it seemed like writer Fallon changed horses in mid stream. Basically changing her mind and direction of the end.The last chapters of the book all the real action happened quickly and the show down that followed was anticlimactic, but sad. The ending felt rushed compared to pacing of the body of the book. I could feel that looming deadline in the pace. I finished reading the book in shy of two days partly because I procrastinated in the beginning. For these reasons listed above I gave Shadow of the Mark a 3.5 out 5. If you’re into mythology, paranormal romance, or dabble in urban fantasy you may like this book. Aside for the occasional cursing and heaving petting. 14 + can come on down.

Indelible is one of my most anticipated books to read this summer. After browsing the synopsis. I had to read it. At the heart of the book Indelible it’s a love story. Two individuals meet one human the other not. Understanding and a slow friendship is formed with lots of unintended attraction, quickly becomes mutual. Figuring out the balance between plausible without being ridiculous wasn’t easy writer Metcalf did a great job.The world she built was imaginative but simple. She made me care about these characters and what happened to them. Ink is unlike any character I’ve read in description that is, I’m shallow I usually go for the obviously pretty face, sigh. But the mystery behind those black eyes is what lured both Joy and myself in. Ink is cold but warm, curious, stubborn and its these facets of his character that mad me like him. Joy is a typical bruised person whose family has just imploded on them. She has mommy & abandonment issues and all the trauma that comes with being blindsided by the break up of a home. So she is a very relatable character any teenage girl can identify with some aspect of her life. Honorable mention goes to Monica I love the fact her character is sassy and African American. Who’s willing to do what’s in Joy’s best interest even if includes getting adults involved. And frank enough to say to Joy’s face when she’s being stupid. All the characters are nicely written with room for character development throughout the series.The danger in plot took a while to settle in, which was fine with me because the love story between Ink and Joy is so beautifully written and corny, sensual, I loved it and wanted more. The danger is real though she is tested by “the folk” and her resolved nearly breaks a few times. The baddies’s plan was ingenious and dishonorable. I hated her immediately (uh.. spoiler) did I ever tell you how much I hate “hollow villains” those that only have one theme on their playlist. So one track minded, fanatical that their personality is just that there are evil, no contrast equals boring. I prefer my villains with substances, that leaves you conflicted. My only major OMG I can’t believe that moment was durning Ink and the villain’s bargaining moment. The words “Nooooo you can’t trust her” were out my mouth.At the end I was so invested in the story. Joy surprised at how slowly capable she’s becoming. The ending was awesome. So much happening at once. Heart breaking, sweet and sad, though everything is not wrapped in a pretty bow at the end. There are some resolutions and surprises. I can’t wait to see what the next book brings. I would recommend Indelible if you are into paranormal romance, or a good story in general. The content is suitable for 14 +. aside from a little gore and few descriptive make-out sessions withstanding. I gave Indelible a four out five. 4/5

My first impression of the Lightening Rider I didn’t know what to think. Evy is racing home to catch Nick her loser now ex-boyfriend in the act of robbing her blind. But is side tracked by a lightning storm and curious cop. Needless to say she doesn’t get there in time to stop jerk Nick now thief ex-boyfriend, too late, and the story begins.Time travel via lightning? Writer Greyson’s concept intrigued, me. Lightening Riders those who can travel back in time and orchestrate ”alterations” that changed the destiny of people. Individuals who ultimately change our history, sometimes for the better like draining a malaria infested lake in Africa. That saves a family near by that turn out to be the descendants of Nelson Mandela and others not so much. Writing about certain subject like time travel isn’t easy to pull off, go too far and its ridiculous, so I wanted to see how it would translate in this story. Time travel via lightning? Interesting. Writer Grayson manages it well keeping the world plausible.What I didn’t expect was to like Evy as much as I did. She was not the kind of girl one puts in the corner. And I liked that, she didn’t sit and wait to be rescued she figured it out herself. Evy is Latina, by nature she is assertive, confident she questions status quo of what a woman is allowed and that makes her an awesome heroine but Evy is still human and her she doesn’t always follow through, she skirts commitment and secretly I think it’s the reason she picks loser boyfriends because they live up to Evy’s expectations.I like the fact that she made mistakes they made her flawed, human and real but she didn’t fall prey to making her mistakes own her. E.g Nick the thieving ex-boyfriend she felt stupid, embarrassed and when she had to crawl home to crash. Because he taken the bed too. She felt like a disappointment to her father, lesson learned. Evy moved on unlike some characters. The progression of her character from a babe in the woods so to speak to a kick ass heroine was a nice change. Evy learns to control her gifts and learns the notions she had of right and wrong don’t or won’t always apply, because the world now opened to her eyes wasn’t always going to be black and white but sometimes varied shades of grey in between.The romance is steamy but sad because she’s from the present and Constantine is from the past. Constantine is the opposite of the jerks Evy usually dates. He respects Evy, allows her to be herself his equal. That’s what makes it so sad the question mark on their future, nice little drama there. I loved the father daughter relationship and push and pull of it. Illif I didn’t care much for and his chauvinistic notions, turned me off. As for Penya she is his polar opposite, but I like the way her character is written as a question mark can you trust her intentions, does she have her own agenda?These are reason I gave The Lightening Rider a four out of five. Writer Grayson weaves a compelling story that has the reader flipping, even tempted to skip pages to get to the ending and find out what happens. I enjoyed the Lightening Rider and though it didn’t end with a pretty bow on top. Some questions were answered, while new questions came to light. These however are questions for the next book to answer.

Defying the Odds starts out slow and sweet two strangers meet and a connection is felt. Leaving Clay smitten and Melody intrigued but not for the same reasons at first she’s drawn to him because his gruff exterior reminds her of her father, but it becomes more. I like the progression of their romance tentative at first then it seemed to move to fast. Still it rang true if you have ever been in love you will recognize this dance touch and go especially if you have been hurt. But when its meant to be it awesome and Melody and Clay were meant to be.The characters are believable and each have their own distinct aura. Shaped by backstories of pain and lost. Of course romances are filed with beautiful people but their hard lives tempered that beauty. I liked Clay the most this big mean looking guy that was so gentle (reminded me of my hubby). Melody was second I give writer Moon props for making her so strong to fight for her right to be happy. So many times in stories of abuse the wife goes back sometimes until the husband kills her. I liked that even though she was scared, tired and overwhelmed she didn’t give up on that right. The Connor twins were funny, and the pillars that Clay rested on for support. I loved their family dynamic dysfunctional but close.Overall I really enjoyed the story, the characters were solid, the plot was simple and enjoyable but my only bone of contention is the ex-husband Justin. Through out the story we are given a picture of Justin and what he did and was capable of. Still his appearance at the end seemed like an after thought, it bristled me. Not enough to ruin the story but enough to loose a star. I would recommend Defying the Odds to steamy romance lovers (you know who your are), those who read erotica, and if you want to add a steamy read to your bedtime reads.Publisher’s Note: This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable: violence. So NO KIDDIES (12-18) Adults only room here sorry. 4/5

Deer in headlights is as it sounds the feeling of be caught so off guard you freeze like a deer in headlights. I started reading this book with no expectations. But as I read I was caught off guard by how good it was, refreshing and well written in my opinion such a it is. Writer Hart infuses the gods with humanity that makes them real. There are a lot of pop culture references that give DIH authenticity. I chuckled a little to hear Aphrodite use modern day language e.g “You’re not going to ruin this for me. Suck it, son!” She crotch chopped WWE style, slamming her arms across her waist in an x formation (It was moments like this that made me giggle). As she gloated to Apollo god of the sun apparently having the upper hand at the moment in their friendly competition. A practice the gods indulged when they are bored which was all the time.Pitting humans against each other in competition to past the time to the victor goes the spoils. The prize a token (a favor from loser ). That was an interesting concept one have seen before, but in this case it’s forming a love match. The unwitting players two damaged souls–one afraid to commit while the other has abandonment issues (which are kinda Dita’s fault). Who couldn’t understand damages goods better than someone was just as damaged, right at least that’s what Dita is counting on? That made the insta-attraction somehow more plausible even believable. The romance is corny and beautifully written. I got the impression of sweet innocence but fragile and just like glass it could shatter easily. Their first date was spent tip toe-ing around all this potential of real love and feelings that just seemed to real. But I kept having that “waiting for the other shoe to drop” feeling. You could tell the characters were too but they were so busy being distracted by the pull of their attraction they were ignoring it.Emotions aren’t running high just amongst the humans (Lex and Dean) but the gods had their own drama, a complicated mess. Deceit, a star-crossed love story, a murder and revenge. But when you have forever what does that all mean? Does time heal all wounds, and how much time is long enough a thousand or three? Will Aphrodite figure out who really murdered her love Adonis? Will Apollo be reunited with his lost love Daphne? The competition hinges on Apollo being the victor to ensure the return of his love. I love the fact that the gods have their own back story and its juicer than the humans, tee hee.Some of the dialogue is a little “trying to hard” I don’t know if that’s the right word. I could tell this wasn’t a young person but a grown woman writing the dialogue, with the suck it son etc but at the same time I liked it. I know bipolar I use quotations because some people may not agree and may think I’m just knit picking. I only mention this as a critique because it bothered me it doesn’t affect the story. Its just down to individual personality. I feel like i’m reaching for things to say I don’t like that’s a good sign bookies when you have to reach. But the one thing I was kinda bummed about was Ares wasn’t found out. Other than that I enjoyed my ride in DIH. The ending was bitter sweet the lovers were happy everyone is happy except Dita. That might be a karmic sucker punch Adonis’s reaction but she’d built up enough bad karma since her existence maybe a time out is not so bad. Can’t wait to read book 2.I would recommend this book if you love Greek mythology character stories, paranormal romances or reading in general. I gave Deer In Headlights a four out five. However for its occasional f-bombs, hot steamy sex scenes puts a no kiddies band sorry strictly 18 and older need come to this tea party. 4/5

Normally my mythical go to creatures are not mermaids because I felt there wasn’t much story there. However after reading Of Triton by Anna Banks I was pleasantly surprised that I liked the story. Books about mermaids aside from the star-crossed lovers angle, what eles was there? Yes there is that element in Of Triton with a twist. I wondered would the story appeal to me, the synopsis hooked me and that was my motivation to read Of Triton.What did I like about the book you say. For starters the story wasn’t epic but the bread crumbs throughout was enough to hold my attention. I was engaged in the plot I found it hard not to skip ahead at some especially juicy thing that was happening. The characters were funny and there were genuine moments when I laughed at something one of them said. Compelling at some points that I found myself wanting to know what happens next.Told from g Galen and Emma’s point of view. Was nice to see the story unfold from both sides of the coin so to speak. The romance was cheesy but in good way if you have romanticize idea of love. There was some points of the story that just didn’t belong the book could have done without, the pacing slowed down to a crawl at one point (in my opinion). The ending to me seemed like just a way to facilitate what writer Banks need to do to make Galen and Emma’s union happen. So that they could be mated one day to each other. The book could have done without a few fluff paragraph. Of Triton had its moments the pacing slowed down throughout the body. Still the story was engaging I gave Of Triton a 3.5 out of 5. I would recommend this book if you love books about mermaids. Or paranormal fantasy in general. There is no age cap on this book child or adult could read. Its just a sweet story about a boy and a girl the obstacles they have to face to be together.

Being Henry David is a literary feast I loved the narration of Hank’s inner thoughts they’re on the same level as R’s in Warm Bodies. Intelligent and descriptive. Hank’s odyssey to discover his true identity is precarious path that takes him fro the streets of New York city to the town of Concord, Massachusetts. Hoping that the familiarity and comfort he feels from his soul possession. A copy of Walden by Henry David Thoreau would yield answers. I’m intrigued by Hank. Most stories are formulaic and have cues that make it easy to guess the plot, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It empowers the reader with a sense of control and intelligence. But sometimes you just want to be blindly led down a rabbit hole, with BHD the story was unique I never knew where the story was going until I got here. I liked the unpredictability of Being Henry David, that unbalanced sense of not knowing what was going on. It was a nice distraction from the pace kudos to writer Armistead for that.Hank is a great male character I haven’t read too many books with male leads. To date I’ve only loved two male characters Lestat from interview with a vampire. R from Warm Bodies now Hank from Being Henry David has made to that exclusive club. Hank was a mystery and the more I got to know him the more frustrated I felt because the big picture wasn’t quite clear as the flashes that sparked his recollection grows. I wanted to reach through the pages and hug him and offer him a room to stay as long as he needed. The story was beautifully written without unneeded embellishment the words flow naturally in a rhythm. Writer Armistead has a great sense of character and can handle many difficult plot devices like a pro. Dream sequences, flashbacks are not easy to write but she does a beautiful job of keeping the rhythm of the book. Depicting the stressful, and heart pounding scenes honestly–for instance when Hank trips the alarm at the school alerting the authorities. The nail biting scene of him hiding under the bleachers as the cop shines a light on the drip from his wet clothes is a perfect example.My gripes aren’t too many the first the pacing. Even though there are some nail biting scenes in the book the mood felt slow and somber. The barely there romance. BHD disintegrates into an ode to Walden and if you have a low tolerance for the classics this could become annoying. I hated the that they were unresolved fates of some characters. The multiple stories could have been tied to together better this was a weak link for me. The ending I felt cheated with my reward after reading the whole book, it wasn’t resolved to my satisfaction.But can I take a minute to play devil’s advocate here. Say you are Henry and wake up with no memory. Injured $10 in your pocket. Wouldn’t you ask the cops for help? I mean all the suffering he goes through could have been avoided. Sure the story might have been different but it would have made more sense. Just putting that out there okay ratings time I gave Being Henry David a three and half stars out five. I would recommend for 18+ and if you are a fan of contemporary or realistic fiction. 3.5 / 5

The story begins at Rabbi David Kahn funeral. His long lost brother shows up and announces to the congregation that their beloved rabbi was a con artist. And so begins the intimate portrait of the Kahn family spiral through grief and crisis of faith. Roy Dobbs his character was a catalyst that pulls the curtains apart to reveal a family that was splintering. The wayward daughter that has sex at her father funeral service. The rebellious younger son that gambles in school and gets into fights. And Avi the older son the confused, lost rabbi whose congregation abandons him. All the drama is interesting mix as we each how character handles the news in their own way.The characters are complex each grappling with their own crisis that Roy’s revelation brings into their world. Losing someone you love and coping with loss is hard enough to endure but when you add betrayal of that magnitude on top of that, its unbearable. The one good thing that came from the Kahn’s crisis was strengthening of the family bond and Lea’s reawakening of her faith.The artwork is all drawn in black and white. I think to symbolize right and wrong, truth and lie in a idealistic black and white world. To represent some high ideal that doesn’t truly exist. Avi confronts this issue when an lapse in judgement leads him to a crisis of faith. He questions his worth, if he’s good enough to be a man of god and so forth. It’s interesting to see how the community turns their back on the Kahns the whispers the looks–when the congregation held him in such high esteem before his death. Just goes to show human nature people can be so hypercritical. I loved that all the emotions were from a real place and the characters were believable. No sugar coating –the end isn’t wrapped up in a bow… just like life it gives way for more story to be told and the readers are left wondering did things work out for Avi in the end?One thing that annoyed me though was Roy. He shows up unannounced at the funeral of all places and throws this bomb at Avi and his family in public no less. Never apologizes for the destruction it caused. I think he could have handled that better. And did he really have do it in public the family could have self destructed in private. I guess the story would be different then but I think it would have given it some contrast. I gave The Big Kahn 4 out 5. I recommend the Big Kahn for the 18 and older crowd there are a few f-bombs, some alcohol abuse, and sex not graphic but there are some compromising scenes. 4/5

After discovering Poison upon writer Bridget Zinn’s death I was sadden by her untimely passing, but was intrigued by the story of the young poisoner. I must say I feel odd reviewing Poison though because I was afraid I wouldn’t like the book. And if I did would my review be taken as sentiment for writer Zinn and not an honest critique. However after reading the first few chapters I was wooed by Kyra’s world and realized if I felt this way so would a lot bookies who have read her book. Wooed from complete love of Poison’s descriptive world to irritation at characters like Fred. Whose first introduction like Kyra I wanted him to leave. But just like Kyra Fred began to grow on me. What surprised the most was how beautifully vivid writer Zinns descriptions of the Kingdom of Mohr was. Descriptions that weren’t too flourished or ornate but just detailed enough for one to form a mental picture of Mohr.The characters are thankfully developed with complex pasts and secrets. The plot is original and had a nice pace to start and the pieces slowly came together. Intrigue, assassination attempts, magical creatures. Witches, wards, and poisoners, and a pig are just some of the elements that are part of Kyra’s world. And so much more to peek one’s imagination. That I simply can’t get into all of it besides reading the story will give you a much better experience than me telling you. Amongst the traits I like most about Poison is it’s wide appeal middle grade readers to adults can enjoy strolling through Wexford under a cloaking mist. The plot is simple–Poison was a fun well spun tale of young Kyra embracing her true self and finding the courage to do what’s right even at cost of her life. Along the way is a path of encounters people meant to help or harm her. There are temptations of love and friendship that makes her question her goal,and threaten to sway Kyra off her path to save the kingdom. Nice right those are my reasons for giving my rating.My only complaints which are few and far between. Fred’s appearance ruffled me at the beginning I found my sentiments echoing Kyra’s at first I just wish he would leave. As some minor character to be forgotten. Poison’s pace start off well enough but lags towards the middle–filler to tie the beginning and the end of the story into a neat bow. Urban fantasy is my thing because I like the fast pace adrenaline scenes. So maybe its a personality quirk but the middle of Poison lagged for me. And that’s why I couldn’t give Poison a five. Readers of all ages are welcomed, if you are a parent looking for a good book for your middle grader Poison is a great choice. I would recommend Poison to Fantasy junkies but Poison’s wide appeal doesn’t pigeon hole it so no matter which genre you prefer it reads well.I gave Poison a four out of five. 4/5

I first became entranced with the Beauchamp witches after Witches of East End though witches aren’t my preferred fictional entity. I did like Freya for her in your face ways and Ingrid who was the total opposite, and reminded me a little of myself. Joanna the mother read like the kind of mother most girls wish to have, but didn’t. So right way three reason for me to read Serpent’s Kiss other then the awesome sauce of a cover. That suggested intrigue and promised much good reading.Where to start? Okay how about the plot there are lot of threads in the story leading to different places. Freya and her twin Freddie who just broke out of god jail, limbo accusing her lover of framing him. Right there conflict. Ingrid falls for a mortal and sabotages herself every chance she gets we see heartache and the motions of first love, Romance. Then there are all the strange occurrences and the uneasy sense that something is not right, Intrigue. This should be the happiest time in the women’s lives the restriction on magic has been lifted. Love for both daughters old and new and even mama, Joanne is getting in on a piece of the action. So why does everything feel like it could fall apart any second. I loved all those elements of the plot. I think that captures the best essence of Serpent’s Kiss.Moving on to characters. Well there is some character development though not much. Freya is still Freya and Ingrid has made small steps to live more by taking a chance with human detective Matt Noble, but she still reverts back to old hermit habits. The new faces such as Freddie, the guardians, the pixies and so on is welcomed flavor. But my only complaint with Freddie’s story arc is I wish to see Freddie do more activity, than just veg-ging out playing video games and hooking up with college girls. But doing some skulking in the shadows looking for evidence to prove his innocence he keeps professing. Instead of basically threatening Freya into to helping him. I wanted to see some glimpses of their twin connection that they once shared understandably atrophied by five thousand years in limbo.The story as a whole just didn’t come together fully formed there were cracks that fissured through out the story. For instance the mash up of POV of the characters. From chapter to chapter would have been a nice element if the transitions was better. When I first started reading my reaction was I thought I missed something, not a god sign. Off putting at first but not a deal breaker you get use to POV swap as you continue to read. Some action sequences seemed to written for the sake of it that didn’t serve a real purpose. E.g Joanne going off to limbo and nothing happens. And the “oh I just remembered something” syndrome just when it was convenient for the story only works twice at the most anymore and you’re insulting the readers intelligence. So that when a revaluation was made it felt cheap and unearned.Writers are suppose to show you. In this case why Freddie is suppose to be so powerful everyone believes he destroyed the bridge he must have the juice for it or else why would the believe. Telling doesn’t convey as well as showing and if you’ve read or taken any courses on writing you’ll understand that term. Would you believe someone if he tells you something e.g. “hey baby I can rock your world” what’s your first reaction–disbelief right. Until he shows you he can rock your world, and does. Sorry writer de la Cruz there’s more telling than showing in Serpent’s Kiss so a lot of belief in the characters and the story gets lost. Which in turn equals to a lost of interest in story itself and reading the book.I can not describe in words how much I wanted to fall in love and gush gush about Serpent’s Kiss. I really really wanted to be blown away.I wanted to feel that excitement you know what I’m talking about. When you get so caught up in a book that you read it while crossing the street (true story I have done that I don’t recommend it). I was hoping to feel some of that while reading Serpent’s Kiss, but it was missing that kick in the pants readers experience when a book is so good they just can’t put down until the end. Save for only the call of nature (bathroom break) could tear them away. For me, that was the most disappointing. The let down because I guess I had my expectations too high, which I don’t normally do. Serpent’s Kiss has been on my TBR for awhile now. Still for all the flaws and the good I gave Serpent’s Kiss a three and half out of five.

Incarnation has been on my radar for a while, so when I saw this beauty–cover all gleaming begging to be read I couldn’t refuse. My initial impression was this was a “what if” story, and what do I mean? Have you ever read a story and thought “what if” the main character fell in love with the second fiddle instead of said love interest. How would the story change writer Cornwall takes that premise in Incarnation and runs with it. Spinning her own original work of fiction her “what if”–what if Lucy woke up as a vampire instead of a killed off minor character in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. From that point the story is original though its not heavy on the steampunk I’m used to writer Cornwall does developed a world rich with details and creatures and human alike to inhabit this London.Lucy is not the typical vampire her emotions are more human, to me. The portrait of Lucy Weston a young woman snatched at the height of her young life and turned into “a creature of the night” so to speak. Is lovely a contrast as Lucy struggles to reconcile the girl she used to be and the vampire she had become. The characters are fully formed, the story rich with intrigue and plots. A few twist and turns for good measure add in a romantic element. And that part of the story was a welcomed changed. The romance element wasn’t another main character trying to taking over the story, instead the romance was more subdued. Add all those elements together you’ve got a great story.Writer Cornwall kept the story fresh throwing a few curves the reader doesn’t expect. I was afraid that Incarnation would go the way of many cliched vamp stories, but instead Incarnation was anything but cliched. There wasn’t much I didn’t like–nothing worth mentioning that is just down to my personal quirks. Because of the well thought out detailed world of Incarnation, great characters, original story full of plots, legends, and a vamp king etc.. I gave it a four out of five. I would recommend Incarnation to anyone that loves Paranormal fiction, steampunk, historic fiction and of course vampire stories or all three genres. Perfect for young adults and older. Hope you enjoy the ride and leave a comment if you’ve read Incarnation wether you liked,loved,or hated it all feedback is welcomed.4/5