Nov 26, 2009

Review--Friday Night Bites


Friday Night Bites
by Chloe Neill

VAMPIRES IN CHICAGO

You'd think headlines like that would have provoked the fine citizens of the Windy City to take up arms against us blood-sucking fiends. Instead, ten months later, we're enjoying a celebrity status reserved for the Hollywood elite--fending off paparazzi, who are only slightly less dangerous than cross-and stake-wielding slayers. Don't get me wrong. Joe Public isn't exactly thrilled to be living side by side with the undead, but at least they haven't stormed the castle...yet.

All that will change once they learn about the Raves, mass feeding parties where vampires round humans like cattle and drink themselves silly. Most civilized vampires frown on this behavior--but that doesn't make good copy for a first-time reporter looking to impress his high-society family.

So now my "master"--centuries-old yet gorgeously well-preserved Ethan Sullivan--wants me to reconnect with my own upper-class family and act as liaison between humans and vampires...and to keep the more unsavory aspects of our existence out of the media. But someone doesn't want people and vamps to play nicey-nice--someone with an ancient grudge.

Another book down this week! Hotdog! Chloe Neill's Friday Night Bites was the sequel to her first debut of Some Girls Bite and it was not a letdown. It kept with the stream of things and no stone was left unturned that was touched from Some Girls Bite.

Merit is a newly made vampire and is still adjusting to the undead life and the perks--not all good. She is Sentinel for her vampire house, a protector of sorts. But being a vampire has not made Merit's life any easier, in fact it has become downright complicated. Not only does she have to fight a massive attractive to her Master and creator Ethan, but she is also a companion--you could say--of Morgan, the Master of the another house.

There is definite connections with Merit and each of these guys, I was personally Team Morgan on this one. Morgan is funny and laid back where Ethan is more of a by-the-rules kind of guy, but we get to see different sides of each man in this book as Merit's feelings are in massive conflict.

Not to mention that there are other more dire occurrences happening in Chicago. As the BOC described, vampires have gone public, but a set of Raves are happening under the radar and it's up to Merit and team to quietly solve the case so they don't become the monsters everyone thought they once were. But that's not all....

Merit's past comes back to haunt her, her life when she was still her father's daughter living in high society. Totally not Merit! A lot happens...I don't want to get too far into it since the BOC doesn't highlight it much, but leave it at that. There are troubles with Merit's love life as mentioned already. And a lot more is revealed about the night side of Chicago!

Loved it! This was a fabulous book, it was well paced and kept me entertained a lot. We get to see the same characters, Catcher, Mallory, Jeff and more....It was a terrific follow up to Some Girls Bite and I cannot wait for Twice Bitten next year.

Neill is a new author, who recently came into the urban fantasy world earlier this year. Her vampires are definite faves, plus they live in Chicago--where I visited once. Totally awesome, I know of the major locations that get dropped into the story. Neill has done her research well for Chicago highlights.

Merit is a relate-able character, she is quirky and sassy and has a "nice" attitude. She would be like someone I would be friends with. Or even close to myself, saying things you probably shouldn't at the wrong moments. Stuff like that. She is not without flaws, as humans are...or even vampires. Because she is the not the optimum suave vampire she is lovable! She doesn't follow the rules, she tries to, she may mock them a bit even.

Anyway for those of you vampire fans who have not started the Chicagoland Vampire Series, it is a must. For these are vampires that don't follow the traditional rules, some of them maybe. Then again, vampires are changing everywhere.

A highly recommend read! The series is just starting and it's not to late to catch up. Neill also has a new YA series that starts next year as well. Look for Firespell coming in January.

Here's the link to the interview I did with Chloe back in September. Enjoy!
http://jessica-agreatread.blogspot.com/2009/09/interview-with-chloe-neill.html

TURKEY DAY!



HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday! Don't eat too much! ;)
(I should try to take my own advice!)

Nov 23, 2009

Review--Dawnbreaker


THE DAWN BRINGS NEW TERROR FOR THE CREATURES OF THE NIGHT...

Those of her race fear Mira for the lethal fire she bends to her will--a power unique among nightwalkers, both a gift...and a curse.

The naturi despise Mira for what she is--as they prepare the final sacrifice that will destroy the barriers between the worlds. And once the naturi are unchained, blood, chaos and horror will reign supreme on Earth.

Mira can trust only Danaus, the more-than-mortal vampire slayer, though he is sworn to destroy her kind. And now, as the day approaches when titanic forces will duel under cover of darkness, destiny draws them toward an apocalyptic confrontation at Machu Picchu. But all is not lost, for a wild card has been dealt to them: a rogue enemy princess who can change the balance of power and turn the dread tide.

YEA! Another book read! With the Thanksgiving Holiday started I was able to breeze through this book, but as my work schedule is not pretty and there is a holiday this week I might not get another post up too soon. I hope to at least read 1 more book this week. We'll see.

Anywho, here goes. Dawnbreaker was very entertaining! I was held in awe and excitement as I was nearing the end when the action was really becoming intense. Throughout the action was drawing you in to the events and making connections, but it wasn't until the near end when things were finally coming together and the major action took place.

There are battles and casualties in this novel as the back of the cover (BOC) can provide. Mira has two new allies with her and Danaus, one she is reluctant to trust and one she feels she cannot trust, the rogue princess as mentioned on the BOC. Mira plans to use this princess as bait to stop Rowe from releasing Aurora, but when do things ever go the way the protagonist plans? That's why we have series!

Mira is still the same vampire character that I like. She has all the qualities of a female urban fantasy protagonist. She and Danaus have a great connection that has yet to take a romantic edge. There is definite tension between them and because he is the lead male, I still believe their relationship will turn a little more romantic one of these days, but that has yet to be seen.

Drake writes about a somewhat dark world, hence the Dark Days series, where vampires, lycans, and the naturi all battle against one another. Tensions run high with Mira and who were once her lycan allies. For the naturi have the ability to call upon the lycans and control them if they choose to.

Drake's writing takes the reader to many different places, as Mira and Danaus never really stay in Savannah. They travel far and wide to stop Aurora from entering our world, and she does it wonderfully. It feels like you are really entering into the given countries and seeing these ancient places that the characters are taken to. I feel enriched with this cultural knowledge...now if only I could go to these places!

Dawnbreaker picked up where Dayhunter left off and I see Pray for Dawn doing the same. Pray for Dawn is the fourth novel in the Dark Day series and releases June 22 2010.

If you've read Jocelynn's first two books or even her short story in Unbound, then you don't want to miss this! If you haven't yet read her books, then I highly recommend them, especially if you are a fan of Kim Harrison's Hallow Series or even Rachel Vincent's Shifter series, as Rachel was the one to recommend Jocelynn's books to me at RT 08 in Pittsburgh. This is a highly recommended series.

Nov 20, 2009

Contest Alert--at Fantastic Book Reviews





Over at Fantastic Book Review you can have a chance to win a copy of Lili St. Crow's new Betrayals! This is on my TBR pile and and I so can't wait to read it. Above is the new cover and on the right is the old cover. I think the new cover is pretty cool, different than the first. The old one, on the right, kind of follows the first book's scheme or whatever, but I liked the red of the new one, the top one.

Anyway, the book was released Tuesday and if you haven't bought it yet, you can try winning a copy! Again go to Fantastic Book Review and follow the simple easy instructions!

Nov 19, 2009

Review--Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2


FROM THE BIGGEST NAMES IN VAMPIRE ROMANCE, 25 TALES OF A HUNGER LIKE NO OTHER

This bloodthirsty collection of vampire romance includes thrilling new stories from bestselling and award-winning authors such as Jordan Summers, Jaye Wells, Larissa Ione, Jeanne C. Stein, and Deborah Cooke. You'll encounter gothic romance and gritty contemporary tales of urban vampire love, from stand alone short stories to well-loved (and feared) characters from established series.

These vampires are ruthless but tortured, paranormally sensitive and sexually mesmerizing.

FORGET THE EVERYDAY WORLD. FORGET THE RULES. SUCCUMB TO A DIFFERENT KIND OF LOVE.

As usual school kept me from reading at a faster pace. And this book was no exception, plus it was over 500 pages so yeah it took a little longer than I would have liked.

I have enjoyed the first The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance as well as the Paranormal Romance one too. There are many great short stories by a lot of great authors!

There were 25 stories and they all were great. Some may not have been my cup of tea, but I still found them enjoyable. Some are set in the past and some are modern day. Some are from the author's leading series--that I know of, some authors in here I have not read before so I would not know--and some of them have stand alone series just as the back of the book says.

Most of the vampires were very thrilling, all dark and seductive--cliche I know. But they sound a lot better than the sparkly ones! Hey I still plan on seeing New Moon tomorrow, so I don't totally hate Twilight. That's really a conversation on its own. ;)

I enjoy reading these anthologies because there are always so many authors in them and you can find someone new to read when you are between books or looking for something to read. I enjoyed a lot of the stories, they were all very gripping and I really felt for the couples involved.

I don't know what more to say about the book since there were many authors and stories. Overall it was very pleasing to read and I look forward to another anthology like this soon. Here's hoping there might be a Paranormal Romance 2 this spring!

Nov 9, 2009

This is too FUNNY!



OMG! I saw this today on Book Reviews By Jess and I was DYING!! It was so funny! I am one of those conflicted fans of Twilight. I like it, but all the hype about it drives me insane! But this was just TOO FUNNY!

Nov 7, 2009

Review--Witch Craft


Werewolf homicide detective Luna Wilder guards the fine line that separates Nocturne City's humans from the weres and witches that roam its streets. Now, Luna must thwart a new evil more dangerous that anything she's ever encountered.

Someone, or something, is stetting fire to the homes of the city's most infamous non-humans, racking up a body count that's growing by the day. And strange, otherworldly creatures no one has seen before--selkies, trolls, and harpies--are causing chaos throughout the city. Racing to stop the carnage, Luna turns to sexy federal agent Will Fagin for help. As they work to uncover the source of the bloodshed, Luna's attraction for Will deepens. But just as she learns Will's darkest secret, Nocturne City is thrust into total chaos--leaving Luna and Will in a path of destruction they may not be able to stop...or survive.

YES! I finished a book in 2 days!! My Friday class was canceled and I had no pressing assignments or studying that needed doing so I read Witch Craft!

I haven't read Second Skin since it came out and thought it would have been better to re-read that to remember its events. A lot has happened! Luna is Lieutenant of a new special police force dealing with the supernatural events that plagued the city. But her squad is considered "special" for supernatural events are not highly common. With the threat of being shut down, Luna and her team must really work on their current case and close it to ensure that they all have jobs.

The case is a doozy as there are many players involved. Luna is going to have to exert a lot of her resources to solve this case.

The case itself was a big part of the plot and it was written very well. Parts got a little confusing when there was a n overflow of information about different crimes that tied together to become apart of the main case. There were a lot of suspects to look at and when Luna discovers that a member of her own team is passing on info to the enemy, it really complicates things! I sooo had the "mole" guessed dead on!

The characters were all very interesting in the squad room. There was a variety that you either loved or hated or somewhere in between. How Luna felt about them, is how I felt about them. One guy was a major a-hole who has a secret of his own. (Cue dramatic music!)

The romance in the book was sparse. An old flame of Luna returns on the sly and of course there is the mysterious Will Fagin, whom Luna can't seem to figure out. He has a hole slew of secrets and we only get the summary of them. I felt like there is still more to him than we learned, but I could be wrong. Wouldn't be the first time!

The action was well paced at the end as well. Just when I think we're drawing to a conclusion, there's still more to learn and go through!! Lots of action scenes and the introduction of the new species that are mentioned in the BOC (back of the cover) are fascinating as well. I knew of them prior to the book--origins and whatnot, but they're parts were well played, even if it was for a short time.

I am really looking forward to the next Nocturne City book, because Luna is an interesting character. She is a strong, kick-butt heroine who doesn't always play by the rules--cliched I know! But it is so true! She has her flaws, but she is very real...except for the whole werewolf bit! ;)

Next review may be awhile. School is still in session and I have assignments coming up. Will get to them eventually. Count down to December 10, my last day of the semester still in play!

Nov 5, 2009

Review--Doom with a View


SEEING IS BELIEVING

Business has been frustratingly slow for Abby. She needs any new commission she can get, even if it means agreeing to a job with the FBI that puts her at the center of a political struggle between two powerful agents, one of whom is flinty lead investigator and confined skeptic Brice Harrison. Abby's skills--and patience--are continually tested as she works to convince Harrison that she's the real deal and can help him locate three teens who have mysteriously disappeared.

Abby's intuition tells her these are not random abductions--and she foresees another victim being kidnapped. To get to the bottom of the case, she Harrison will have to put aside their differences and work together to find the connection between the missing kids. And to do that, Abby will have to win over Harrison while keeping her psychic eye wide-open.

YEA! I finally finished Doom with a View and once again Laurie has written a well paced mystery novel! Her Psychic Eye and Ghost Hunter Mystery series are both deliciously awesome. The mystery is done superbly well that it really grabs the reader in.

Laurie's books always seem to reflect society at its current time too, for Abby and her friend and business partner Candice--who works as a PI--are both suffering financially. No one can afford such luxuries that they provide anymore. So Abby agrees to take this case from the FBI when it is offered to her by Dutch and Candice agrees to help her when she is told she must go to D.C.

Abby is given a makeover, as it can be noted on the cover to make a good first impression to Harrison, who is a major a**. Laurie writes it so that you hate this man and want to knock him upside the head! I know I did! But his character develops throughout the story. He comes off as an a-hole who tries to make Abby look bad at every turn, but Candice is her rescuer and stands up to Harrison many times over and those two definitely have some weird connection going on with their constant spats!

The mystery angle is very intense when Abby and Candice start to piece together information about the missing kids and how they are all connected. And there was a definite surprise there. I sort of suspected the "kidnapper" but I was really looking at another person, and was I wrong! The whole reasons of why get explained at the end and it makes sense!

There were also a few more surprises at the end of the book, which again, I won't divulge too much in. But there were a few and one that I could see coming. Really if you pay attention you can see it too! I am really looking forward to reading the next Psychic Eye Mystery, but sadly that does not come out until September 2010! A Glimpse of Evil will come out in another year and there is a sneak peek at it in the back of the book, but I have learned to not read those because it just makes the wait that more agonizing! Strange theory, I know, but it works. Ignorance is bliss, as they say.

Oh well, her next Ghost Hunter Mystery novel is due out in March and I still have a nice stack of books to read that is taking forever to get through, d*mn college. Being an English major may not have been the best idea. ;)

Overall, a GREAT mystery and there is a slight, tiny, small hint of the supernatural towards the end, but I won't say much more than that. It was really thrilling to read the last bit today, as I was gripping the book totally immeresed in the story! It was fascinating! I really get lost in Laurie's book and if there wasn't any school or work to attend, I would likely finish her books in 1 day. I have with her Ghost Hunter Mysteries which tend to come out right in time for spring break.

Up next Witch Craft by Caitlin Kittredge.