A Brush Of Darkness

WISHLIST:
A Brush Of Darkness by Allison Pang

About A Brush Of Darkness:

I had a naked incubus in my bedroom. With a frying pan of half-cooked bacon and a hard-on. And a unicorn bite on his ass. Christ, this was turning out to be a weird morning.

Six months ago, Abby Sinclair was struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Now, she has an enchanted iPod, a miniature unicorn living in her underwear drawer, and a magical marketplace to manage. But despite her growing knowledge of the OtherWorld, Abby isn’t at all prepared for Brystion, the dark, mysterious, and as sexy as sin incubus who shows up searching for his sister—and is convinced Abby has the key to the succubus’s whereabouts.. Abby has enough problems without having this seductive shape-shifter literally invading her dreams to get information. But when her Faery boss and some of her friends vanish as well, Abby and Brystion must form an uneasy alliance. As Abby is sucked deeper and deeper into this perilous world of faeries, angels, and daemons, she realizes her life is in as much danger as her heart—and there’s no one she can trust to save her.

Source: Info in the About A Brush Of Darkness was taken from the author's website at http://www.heartofthedreaming.com/books/ on 15/08/2010.

Rebel Moon

WISHLIST:
Click the cover to grab your copy of REBEL MOON! Includes a supernatural short story by L.J. Boldyrev!

Paperback 220 pages
ISBN 13: 978-0-9565035
ISBN 10: 0956503519


REBEL MOON
(An Anthology of supernatural tales)
by Various Authors

Have you ever wondered what Death would look like if he approached you at a bus stop? Or what would happen if a vampire’s chosen victim turned out to be more than they had bargained for?

Rebel Moon is a collection of stories that will whisk you into worlds of vampires, werewolves and witchcraft so prepare yourself for a bumpy ride as sometimes the dead have more of a life than the living and if this book teaches you anything it is to always expect the unexpected!

From the teen witches you wouldn’t want to cross in One Witch Down to the dark comedy of Evil 101, this is a book you won’t want to put down.

Buy Link:

I SO WANT TO READ THIS: SIREN'S CALL

WISHLIST:

Siren' a Call by Devyn Quinn

Genre: urban fantasy

About Siren's Call:
Book 1 of the Dark Tides series

Between desire and love there are some things that can’t stay buried, even in the deep of the ocean.

As a woman with a secret, lighthouse keeper Tessa Lonike savors her solitude on the island of Little Mer, off the coast of Maine. During a violent storm, Tessa spots a man thrashing in the ice cold waters and dives in to save him, using her ability as a mermaid to easily pull him to shore.

When Kenneth Randall awakens on the beach he is alone, left with the haunting memory of his beautiful, flame-haired savior. But a year later, when Kenneth meets her again, he’s determined not to let Tessa slip away. Just as the desire between them begins to burn, Tessa’s archaeologist ex-lover comes back to town with a tantalizing clue to her murky heritage.

The trio travel to the Mediterranean in search of answers, and when Tessa inadvertently opens an underwater portal they find a lost mermaid city. But in the deep, not everything is as it seems, and Tessa must decide if she wants to take her place as the royal heir, or follow the call of her heart…

“Siren’s Call is a thoroughly mesmerizing ride — Quinn throws open the doors to an unbelievable world where nothing is as expected. At once terrifying and fascinating and unbelievably entertaining, this is a book you won’t forget.” -Kate Douglas, bestselling author of Wolf Tales & The DemonSlayers

Source: Info in the About Siren's Call was taken from the author's website at http://www.devynquinn.com/ on 31/05/2010.

Buy Link:

Wishlist: FIRELIGHT

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Genre: urban fantasy, YA

Publication Date: 7 September 2010

About Firelight:

With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret.

Wishlist: MY AVENGING ANGEL

My Avenging Angel by Madelyn Ford

Publication Date: 25th of May 2010

About My Avenging Angel:

To save her life, he must break a covenant—and lose his heart.

An Angels and Demons story.

It’s Victoria Bloom’s twenty-fifth birthday. But is she out celebrating? Oh, no. She’s in a stuffy old attic with the Three Stooges—a.k.a. her so-called spirit guides. There’s a demon who wants her dead, the same one that killed her mother two decades ago. No worries, say the Stooges. All she has to do is summon an angel. What could go wrong?

Well, plenty when you summon the wrong angel. The next thing Tory knows, she’s got one very bad-ass, pissed-off and sexy Archangel on her hands.

Michael, mighty warrior, leader of an elite team of demon killers, is shaking in his heavenly combat boots. Not because he finds all humans distasteful. But because he’d rather face Lucifer himself than the woman his soul has just recognized as his mate. Binding himself to a mortal, one who will eventually die, is the one path he’s sworn never to follow.

It’s too late now; his fate is sealed. With one touch, she becomes as necessary to him as the air he breathes. He will move heaven and earth to protect her—but against a demon as powerful as Asmodeus, heaven and earth may not be enough…

Warning: This book contains one bad-ass Archangel with a fiery, um, sword, a witch who blows things up, one nasty demon who is trying to kill them both, and ghosts who make interfering their mission. Steamy sex is had, even with the voyeur ghosts—though Tory is still blushing.

Source: Info in the About My Avenging Angel was taken from the publisher's website at http://samhainpublishing.com/coming/my-avenging-angel on 24/05/2010.

Review: SECRET SPEAKERS by KSR Kingworth

SECRET SPEAKERS And The Search For Selador's Gate by KSR Kingworth

About Secret Speakers:

Thirteen year-old Fair O'Nelli has spent the last nine years of her life living in a cellar. She knows her father and brother are missing, or possibly dead. Set free on her day of maidenhood when it's safe to be seen, Fair sets off in the company of three guardians to find Selador's Gate. Along the way she discovers a dark secret the parents of Cloven Grave know nothing about, where the key to survival is learning to see things as they are.

Source: Info in the About Secret Speakers was taken from the back of the book.

Review:
I suggest that you do not read the prologue at the start because it is strongly suggestive of "Tolkien immitation" and as such, like most immitations, does not really come to par to the original. This is not true. Yes, the book is Tolkien-nish, and it is not a masterpiece... but it holds it's own charm :) Let the story tell you about the world of Fair. I think, reading the prologue diminished my reading enjoyment of this book as I automatically jumped to conclusions with... the prologue screamed "Tolkien immitation"!

If you are looking for a masterpiece, academically correct book, this is not for you. If you are looking for an enjoyable read, pick this one up. Fans of Angie Sage's Septimus Heap series and Joseph Delaney's Spook series will probably like this book!

Book Link(s):
www.secretspeakers.com

Buy Link:

Wishlist: Enemy Lover

Enemy Lover by Karin Harlow

About Enemy Lover:

It’s Jax Cassidy’s first mission for L.O.S.T.—one that will give the former cop who went rogue a chance to prove herself. Her assignment: gain the trust of assassin Marcus Cross . . . eliminate him . . . then take down Marcus’s mentor, Joseph Lazarus, a man with a bold eye on the White House. But the woman who’s known by her team for being a femme fatale succumbs to passion, only to discover Cross’s deadly secret. He’s a vampire, and Joseph Lazarus is his creator.

Left for dead by his platoon in the violent hills of Afghanistan, special ops sniper Marcus Cross was given a second chance at life. His newly heightened skills make him the perfect killing machine, and as Lazarus's right hand man, he’s quickly rising to the top of his dark empire, purging enemies with speed and precision. Only when dangerous beauty Jax Cassidy is sent to bring him in does he begin to question Lazarus’s motives and his own actions. But when Jax’s life is threatened by the one thing that can destroy them both, Marcus must make a bitter choice—her death or his.

Source: Info in the About Enemy Lover was taken from the author's website at http://karinharlow.com/books.html on 18/05/2010.

Review: ANGELOLOGY by Danielle Trussoni

Angelology by Danielle Trussoni

Genre: urban fantasy

About Angelology:

1943: The preserved corpse of an Angel is discovered in the Devil's Throat Gorge in the Bulgarian mountains. Only a select few are party to this discovery, including a young nun who is later taken in a state of distress to a Convent in upstate New York and never speaks about it again. Until now.

The present: When Sister Evangeline finds mysterious correspondence between Mother Innocenta of the Saint Rose Convent and legendary philanthropist Abigail Rockefeller, it confirms that Angels once walked among us - and their descendants, the cruel Nephilim, still do.

Indeed, the Nephilim are hunting for artefacts concealed by Abigail Rockefeller during the Second World War - objects that will ultimately allow them to enslave mankind - and have so far been prevented from reaching their apocalyptic goal by one clandestine organisation: the Angelology Society.

And if the Angelologists are to stand any chance of winning this new battle in the ages-old war, they must find the artefacts first. But their fate rests in the hands of innocent Sister Evangeline, who holds the key to unlocking Abigail Rockefeller's hiding places ... and whose destiny may yet find her prey to the terrifying Nephilim army, with horrifying consequences for humanity.

Angelology moves with electifying sweep from the icy mountains of Bulgaria to Nazi-occupied Paris, to twentieth century New York, as the greatest conspiracy of them all is finally brought to light.

Source: Info in the About Angelology was taken from Penguin's press release (29/03/2010).

Verdict: Needs a lot more editing to get rid of inconsistent story lines.

Review:
This is not the first angel book around. So for originality it does not rank too high. I would give it a 2 out of 5. The premise is that there are good angels and bad angels. But the way this was explained in the book was not satisfactorily logical. In fact it defies the explanation given in the book! Ambivalent even. I also like my story to make sense. And there are several points in the book where it contradicts itself! Inconsistent lines!! This kind of put a snag on the story. Throw in some scenes where it is just not believable. An old lady jumps out of a moving vehicle clutching a case (which couldn’t have helped with balancing), hit the road running and evade pursuers… what?? “Suspension of disbelief” will have to be a 2 out of 5.

This book is a slow starter which continued on at a steady pace. The story telling quality is good but not a grab-you-by-the-throat-and-take-you-away-to-another-place, but chugs along nice and steady. Trussoni masterfully weaved fact with fiction that the line between the two blurs a la Da Vinci Code. She gives the "imagined events" a depth with obviously a well researched topic. I would give the story telling quality alone, a 3 out of 5. The ending resolved the main dilemma which created the story but the emphasis is on pointing to the dilemma of the next book. I guess this is a good marketing strategy but to me as a reader, has a cliffhanger effect, which don’t score high points. I’d give the ending a 2. Verlaine as one of the main character is well developed and as a reader I can connect with, I would give the character development a 3.5. Overall score? I would give this book an entertainment value of 2.5 out of 5.

Book Links (author, apps, fandom sites):

Danielle Trussoni
angelologist.com
penguin

Wishlist: His Darkest Hunger

His Darkest Hunger by Juliana Stone

About His Darkest Hunger:

Jaxon Castille: jaguar shifter, warrior, assassin. He has long hungered for the chance to make his former lover, Libby Jamieson, pay for her deadly betrayal. After three long years he's finally found her. The hunt is over…

But the Libby that he finds is not what he expected. She has no memory of their tumultuous affair; of her treachery; of anything beyond her own name. A shadowy and deadly clan has marked them both for death, and in an instant the game changes: the hunter has become the hunted.

On the run, with the ghosts of their past between them and a dark, desperate hunger quickly reclaiming their bodies and souls, Libby and Jaxon must discover the truth behind the dark forces working against them. Together, they must grab hold of a destiny that has the power to either heal them or destroy them. But the truth is far more shattering than anyone could imagine…

Source: Info in the About His Darkest Hunger was taken from the author's website at http://julianastone.com/ on 18/05/2010.

English Trifle Review + Giveaway at Tales Of Whimsy

Juju at Tales Of Whimsy is giving away a copy of English Trifle by Josi S. Kilpack to a lucky commenter! Giveaway is open to US/Canada residents only and ends on the 24th of June 2010.

Contest Link: http://www.talesofwhimsy.com/2010/05/english-trifle-book-review-and-contest.html

Review: WINTERCRAFT by Jenna Burtenshaw

Wintercraft by Jenna Burtenshaw

Genre: fantasy, YA

About Wintercraft:

Ten years ago Kate Winters' parents were taken by the High Council's wardens to help with the country's war effort.

Now the wardens are back...and prisoners, including Kate's uncle Artemis, are taken south on the terrifying Night Train. Kate and her friend Edgar are hunted by a far more dangerous enemy. Silas Dane – the High Council's most feared man – recognises Kate as one of the Skilled; a rare group of people able to see through the veil between the living and the dead. His spirit was damaged by the High Council's experiments into the veil, and he's convinced that Kate can undo the damage and allow him to find peace.

The knowledge Kate needs lies within Wintercraft – a book thought to be hidden deep beneath the graveyard city of Fume. But the Night of Souls, when the veil between life and death is at its thinnest, is just days away and the High Council have their own sinister plans for Kate and Wintercraft...

Source: Info in the About Wintercraft was taken from the book's official website at http://www.wintercraft.co.uk/ on 17/04/2010.

Review:
My advise is, do not read the caption at the back of the book! It's misleading!!

This book was a slow starter for me but it picked up around about chapter three or so. I would say this book has a moderate pace. The best thing about the book that I liked best is the character development. Ms. Burtenshaw paints us characters so vivid that they feel like people I could touch and talk with. Characters I relate with. The thing I didn't like about this book is that the main female protagonist is kind of stupid and gullible. It's so flippin' obvious but she just doesn't get it! It's irritating to read at times. This looks to me like an obvious attempt by the author to create a dilemma for the story so that the heroes could save the world. *sigh* Story telling quality? A 3 out of 5. The ending closed the book nicely while pointing to the next book in the series without being a cliffhanger. A 4 out of 5.

I enjoyed this book, stupid protagonist and all. And would give it a 3.5 out of 5.

Book Link(s):
www.wintercraft.co.uk

Allyson James at Lovin & Livin Life In The 808 + Giveaway

Chas over at Lovin' & Livin' Life In The 808 is having Allyson James guest-posting... and to spice things up a little bit, they are giving away a choice of Allyson's backlist and chocolates!! The contest have US-only prizes and international ones. Go here to enter the contest. Ends on May 30.

Welcome!!

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