I'd been saving this book as something to look forward to after finals. It seemed like exactly the type of fluffy read that I crave after hours of pou...moreI'd been saving this book as something to look forward to after finals. It seemed like exactly the type of fluffy read that I crave after hours of pouring over stiff and serious academic textbooks. I was very pleased to find that not only did it give me exactly what I was hoping for, it gave me more.
The book is written by Carol Goodman, author of several mysteries and thillers, but for some reason this was released under a pseudonym. The original title of this was [[ASIN:B005VQFQMU Incubus]], so if you're one of the people who got the UK release, this is the same book. (Just want to make sure that nobody picks up the same book by mistake!)
While this is shelved as a paranormal romance, I was pretty enthused to see that like others have said, it does tend to take on more of an urban fantasy feel at times. The sizzling hot sex scenes are what really reminds us of its PNR classification and I'm glad to say that the sex scenes are chock full of chemistry and sexy goodness. They're well written, which is good since a poorly written or even worse, boring sex scene can absolutely ruin a book and its tone. It's the smaller elements of this book that really make it come to life, such as the iron mice (Ralph!) and the magical creatures that abound in Fairwick, both known and unknown. I'm really hoping that some of my more favorite characters (such as a certain vampiric professor) will show up and be fleshed out more in the future volumes. He's just a good example of one of those characters that aren't really dwelled upon in the books but you can't help but get drawn to them nonetheless.
The only drawbacks is that at times I kind of felt like reaching into the book and giving our heroine a good hard shove for being a little overly oblivious to everything. Some of it I could rationalize or overlook, but some of the bigger plot elements were so obvious that they all but had a neon sign blinking "sinister" or "obvious plot point" over their heads. Normally I wouldn't really be so picky about this, but I really enjoyed this book and the details here are so rich that I can't help but hold it to a higher standard.
Overall this is an absolute treat to read and I really, REALLY can't wait to read the next book in the series. (I might even have to look into importing the next book if the UK ends up getting it before we do.) It's the first part in a trilogy, so I'm pretty enthused about all of this being self-contained and not going on for umpteen million volumes. (Although it seems like the type of thing that the author could go back and revisit once the trilogy is over, however.) This is just a really fun book that I know fans of Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris, and Sherrilyn Kenyon will probably like.(less)
It's coming down to the wire now, folks. After this book there's only 2 more books left to the series, with the potential of a bonus book afterwards....moreIt's coming down to the wire now, folks. After this book there's only 2 more books left to the series, with the potential of a bonus book afterwards. I ended up getting this through eBay and I have to say, it was money well spent. Harrison is worth spending money on.
Things are heating up in this book and I mean that in multiple ways. First off, the tensions between the Inderlanders and certain factions of humanity are heating up. There's always been a portion of humanity that hated the Inderlanders and wanted them wiped off the face of the earth, so it's no surprise that Harrison would eventually revisit this idea. What's being done in this book is actually pretty chilling, and HAPA (Humans Against Paranormals Association) is a pretty lethal force here. I've never wanted to reach through a book and slug someone as much as I did in this book.
Secondly, things are heating up between Trent and Rachel. I know that none of us forgot the kiss from Pale Demon, and neither has Rachel. Her hormones are kicking in big time, but I'll warn you: there's not a lot of progress on this front in either direction, but then any progress is good progress. I have a feeling that whatever might ultimately come out of this relationship, it'll probably happen in book 12 and not a page sooner. There is some friendship brewing here, which is good since Rach needs someone who can keep up with her and understand where she's coming from. But regardless of whether or not they end up in a relationship, the tension between the two is so palpable that I'm beginning to think that they'll have to end up in bed together just to relieve it and get it over with. However, there's also the introduction of another potential interest in this book, although I'm not sure what chances he'll have against the Rachel/Trent combo. (Then again, I'm a fangirl of Rachel and Trent, so I tend to think this way about any other guy that comes into her life.)
There's a definite feel of loose ends beginning to get tied up and it's a good feeling. Harrison might have had a bit of a slump mid-series, but this is the Hollows that I fell in love with early on in the series and couldn't get enough of. It's good enough to make me want to re-read the series and is a worthy successor to Pale Demon. Oh, and the minor characters in this book rock. Hard. We finally see Rachel get her pack tattoo (a mild spoiler, but one we all knew was coming) and her tattoo artist is interesting enough to get a spinoff book of her own. (A tattoo artist that works on Inderlanders and humans? There's some material for you right there!)
And before anyone asks, yes Al is in this book. And of course he's awesome. Al is always awesome, even when you want to punt kick him across the room. His interactions with Rachel- and especially his last actions of the book- make me wonder where Harrison is going to go with his character next. There's a lot of potential here for him to be bad in the future, all with incredibly interesting results. I honestly can't wait for the next book to come out so I can see what'll happen next.
If you loved the last book, you'll really love this one. It's a fun ride and I had a blast reading this book.
This volume is a bit of a change from the previous way Yen Press has been releasing the series. While the previous arcs would be released in separate...moreThis volume is a bit of a change from the previous way Yen Press has been releasing the series. While the previous arcs would be released in separate volumes, this book collects both volumes of the Onisarashi-Hen arc (Demon Exposing Arc). It's also a bigger size than the previous volumes are, so it won't match up with the previous volumes.
First off, you don't really have to have read the previous books in the series to be able to enjoy this volume. You'll still feel like you're missing a lot, but the tension will still be present. At this point in the series they haven't fully explained all of the mysteries behind Oyashiro's Curse, so you'll be just as confused as the average Higurashi reader is.
What I liked most about this was that it addressed what happened to the villagers who no longer lived in the village. This takes place immediately after one of the failed summers of 1983, so it's interesting to see the ex-villagers' reactions to everything. It's very much a new story point for people to focus on, although I'll admit it left me with more questions than answers. For some reason I feel like this volume was far more gruesome although it's no more or less violent than previous volumes. It's still well done, but it just seems more visible, possibly because this volume helps break up some of the repetition of earlier volumes.
I did enjoy this volume, although I can't help but wish that it was the same size as my other volumes. I love that the bigger size makes the artwork easier to look at but I'll still notice it on my shelves.
I have to give a brief disclaimer at the start of this review & say that while this novella can stand on its own for the most part, to fully under...moreI have to give a brief disclaimer at the start of this review & say that while this novella can stand on its own for the most part, to fully understand everything that is going on here you'd have to have read Afterlife. That's where Banning gets his demon (singular, not plural) from & parts of the novella have him speaking to the main character of Yasmine.
Overall this was a pretty good tale. There's a decent mystery here & Clark does a great job of making you guess as to 'whodunit' for most of the book. I also liked how we're shown Banning suffering under the weight of the demonic presence in his body. He has to literally "feed the beast" by doing some pretty awful stuff or run the risk of the demonic voice gaining more power over him. Oh, and I absolutely love some of the new characters introduced here. The priest kicks butt.
Unfortunately it took me a little while to get into the book. I did eventually get into the book & get carried away, but it just took a little longer than Clark's previous works did. I'm not sure if that's because I'm used to having female lead characters narrate in my UF books or not. It's a very different experience, having a male voice narrate rather than a female voice. In any case, I still loved the book & look forward to more Banning tales, but it was just a slow beginning. I have no doubt that for people used to male narrators will have no problems with the beginning, however. (I didn't realize that 99.9% of my UF was all female narratives until this review.)
Final Diagnosis: This is a fine novella & well worth reading, but to get the full story you have to have read the previous book. This may discourage new readers, but the quick pacing in later chapters will keep them wanting to read more!
The Da Vinci Code is going to both help & hinder Browne when it comes to this book. As both books deal with religious mysteries, the two of them a...moreThe Da Vinci Code is going to both help & hinder Browne when it comes to this book. As both books deal with religious mysteries, the two of them are going to inevitably be compared to one another. The authors having nearly identical last names will only help further this along. It'll help since people will see this book, remember the good times they had reading TDVC, & pick The Paradise Prophecy up. It'll hinder because people won't find a TDVC-esque read behind these covers. Which I view as a very good thing. (Hey, there are enough clones out there.)
Agent Bernadette Callahan is a talented investigator at a shadowy government organization known only as Section, on the trail of a serial killer with nearly supernatural abilities. Sebastian "Batty" LaLaurie is a religious historian who knows far too much about the other side-and that hard-earned knowledge is exactly what Callahan needs. This unlikely duo pairs up for a race across the globe, decoding clues left in ancient texts from the Bible to Paradise Lost and beyond. In the process they stumble upon a vast conspiracy-one beyond the scope of mankind's darkest imagination.
This book was fantastic. I'm always looking for something, anything that will give me that heady rush that getting wrapped up in a good book always gives me. I absolutely loved that Browne didn't go the traditional route with this sort of book, which is to give us either a Dan Brown or a James Rollins clone. I also love that he gave us heroes that are so flawed, so initially corruptible. Batty & Callahan play well off of each other, him being the Mulder to Callahan's Scully. I also appreciated how the idea of angels & evil played into the book without going too over my head. This was an easily addictive read & I'm glad to have read it.
I can't help but feel that there will be a few people who will be inevitably disappointed that this book goes more to the supernatural than the whole "historical/mythological treasure hunt" angle that is predominant in the genre. I can understand that to a point, but if they allow that to completely taint their reading they'll be missing out on a really fun read.
The book wraps itself up nicely, but hopefully Browne will write a sequel or two. This is far too good to just be one book & I'm really digging his writing style. It's very addicting.
It doesn't matter how you like your supernatural tales. Modern, retro, a touch of gothic... there's a little bit of everything in this collection of s...moreIt doesn't matter how you like your supernatural tales. Modern, retro, a touch of gothic... there's a little bit of everything in this collection of short stories. Just don't be surprised when you end up going back over some of the stories just to figure out everything, though.
Dark Horse has really outdone itself with this book. Like I said above, you'll find a lot to like in this collection. You'll find some stories that you'll just go batty over, others that you won't be able to peel your eyes away from. I have to admit that I wasn't expecting some of the resolutions here in these stories & I love that they threw me for a loop. It's no fun when you can predict everything that happens & you don't get that here. The Absent Eye ended up being one of my favorite stories & I just really hope that the author (Brian Evenson) does more with this story. It (like some of the others) had a lot of potential to be developed into one or several books.
However, as is the case with any collection of stories, you'll find the ones that you just weren't into. I have to admit that I just wasn't drawn into Caitlin Kiernan's short story, although I will admit that it was well written. (I can either take or leave her stuff.) Others were just a little too surreal for my tastes.
There was more here that I liked than disliked, so I highly recommend that you try this book out. It'll probably end up being overlooked by many, but this really is an excellent collection of stories.
Reading this graphic novel took me back to when I used to religiously watch my taped seasons of Buffy, hanging onto each & every thing that happen...moreReading this graphic novel took me back to when I used to religiously watch my taped seasons of Buffy, hanging onto each & every thing that happened. I mourned when Oz & Willow broke up, when Angel went evil, & when Tara was killed. I've followed the comic sporadically but due to empty-wallet-itis & the fact that my local library is unable to keep entire collections of graphic novels on the shelves (they either get stolen or shredded after a year of circulation), I've been unable to really read the comic compilations like I've wanted to.
This was worth the wait, in my opinion.
I absolutely loved the artwork the first time I'd read this as it was getting released in individual issues, & that hasn't changed. I love how the artists interpreted the actors' looks into the comic without it being too obviously "this is Sarah Michelle Gellar" or "this is Allyson Hannigan". The characters individual personalities are very much brought into the artwork & it shows. (And Willow continues to be my favorite Buffy character ever.)
It'd been a while since I'd last watched Buffy or refreshed myself on the storyline so I'm glad to say that you can pretty much dive into this with little to no issues. People who are new to Buffy will be understandably lost, but the story here has enough to offer to where they can follow along & catch up via the internet & old episodes. I'll admit that I was a little afraid that this would be some cheap ploy to dive into the fandom's pockets, but this really is a well done comic adaptation. Luckily Netgalley has many more of the volumes up for perusal, so I'll let you guys know if any of this changes.
If I had to sum this novel up in a word, that would be what I’d use. When I first read this book I wasn’t really aware of what I was getting m...moreIntense.
If I had to sum this novel up in a word, that would be what I’d use. When I first read this book I wasn’t really aware of what I was getting myself into. I assumed that it was just another “woman against evil being” book similar to the ones that abound in the horror genre.
I have to admit, I was pretty impressed by this book. It does have a few flaws to it, such as character developments that happen a little too quickly, but overall I liked how fast paced the book was. It’s such a quick & addicting read that I found myself burning through the pages & finishing it within a matter of hours. I just couldn't stop reading!
Then I got to the ending, which I won’t elaborate on for obvious spoiler reasons. I wasn’t expecting it so when the big finale happened I was taken by surprise to say the least. I have to admit that I was sad to see this end- I really hope that Fiona writes a sequel somewhere down the line since this idea is too good for just one book.
This book gave me the shivers, which is a good thing. It's reminded me of what I used to really love about reading horror, which I hadn't felt in a while. This just creeped me out & that's a good thing. If you love mainstream horror then by all means, read the mainstream stuff- nothing wrong with that. But when you're ready for something good off the beaten path, read this book as well.
I'm not sure what to say about this book. I like it well enough and the audiobook narration is excellent, but there's just something about this series...moreI'm not sure what to say about this book. I like it well enough and the audiobook narration is excellent, but there's just something about this series that keeps me from really getting as excited about it as I otherwise could have been. I admit that part of this might stem from my leeriness over series where the author says that she has no planned end in sight and will write for as long as their publisher will let them. LKH has shown me in the past that this can be detrimental to the series even if the world starts out strong. It doesn't help that the Otherworld/D'Artigo books don't really feel like they're part of the type of series that should go on forever.
But that aside, there just is something about this book that makes me feel rather ambivalent about it. Perhaps it's that this book felt like a novella stretched out to book length at times. Perhaps it's that I can see many of the big plot points coming from a mile away, which isn't helped much by the book's overall story being somewhat common for the PNR genre. Whatever it is, I can't shake the feeling that I could probably walk away from this without really batting an eye. I'm curious enough to follow along for a few more books, but this just isn't gripping me in the way I want it to.
What I do love about the series is that Galenorn is fully willing to challenge the idea that a couple has to be just that- two people. Part of what I loved about Camille is that she is polyamorous and is unapologetic about it. She loves whom she loves and she likes having sex with whomever it is that she chooses. There's no shame in her actions and she refuses to allow people to make her feel ashamed for what comes across as naturally as breathing to her. With Delilah Galenorn does play with the ideas of more conservative romantic values versus the more liberal viewpoints of the fey, but ultimately her characters are unapologetically sexual. What makes this so much better and makes this a series I'd probably recommend is that Galenorn doesn't really make this a huge soapbox issue like some other authors would and do. She doesn't feel the need for the sexual identity of her characters to be the only identity that she focuses on. Delilah and Camille enjoy sex, but they don't let it define them or restrict them. If they do make a choice concerning their sexual lives, they own that decision rather than complain about how they can't control themselves or some other half-arsed excuse. I respect this and this is probably what makes me want to like this series so much: these women have some of the healthiest outlooks on sex that I've seen in the PNR genre and really in the UF genre as well. It's a rather gutsy move on Galenorn's part and she pulls this off well.
I wish that I could enjoy this series more. I suppose I'll continue along for at least another 2-3 more books, as my library has the audiobooks up to about book 8. Some series are late bloomers and perhaps this is one such series. It's enough to make me want to check out some of her other work, but this is one series that I have a feeling that I may sadly end up passing on as a whole.(less)
(I want to disclose that I read the fan translated English version of this via MangaFox.)
This really is a cute series, but I have to say that it's a l...more(I want to disclose that I read the fan translated English version of this via MangaFox.)
This really is a cute series, but I have to say that it's a little too "monster of the day" so far. I love the premise of a dating sim otaku having to win the heart of girls, but this if you're looking for something that will be quickly wrapped up and not be 100+ chapters, this isn't that type of manga.
It does have a better premise than most as far as "umpteen chapters for eternity" mangas tend to go, so I'm going to go ahead and give the other volumes of this series a try. It's pretty cute so far, although I will say that when this gets picked up here in the USA I'll probably decline purchasing these. (Not if, but when since this is a decently written series with a HUGE fanbase both here and in Japan.)(less)
I have to admit that while I was pretty taken with this book and will absolutely buy the next one in the series, it isn't the "grab you from the begin...moreI have to admit that while I was pretty taken with this book and will absolutely buy the next one in the series, it isn't the "grab you from the beginning and never let go" type of read that I was hoping it'd be. What it is though, is a fun read that is worth spending a few afternoons on.
There's been succubi in fiction before, but we don't often see them as the main character or at least as a sympathetic main character. As a result this book ended up being a little more fresh than it might have otherwise been since it does tend to use a lot of the typical tropes you see in fiction. I loved that Georgina had to have sex in order to live and I love that not only did she seem to love the sex she had to have, but that she also didn't love all of the sex she had to have. Being a succubus doesn't mean that you can always choose who you want to sleep with and Mead was perfectly willing to show us that aspect of Georgina's character. (Although mercifully she didn't show us as much as she could have, thankfully.) I also have to say that I was thankful to see that Mead didn't go full-Anita Blake and have Georgina sleeping with everything that swang in her direction. Georgina does have *some* standards.
Georgina's background was also pretty interesting as well and I hope that we get to see more of it as the series progresses. She's got a good origin story and that she's lived through countless years is good fodder for future plot points.
What kept this from being a 4 or 5 star read was that other than Georgina's succubi nature and her killer backstory, there just wasn't a lot here that was original or really stood out from the rest of the urban fantasy regime. It's better written than some of the other books out there and I definitely recommend it and plan on doing so for my customers, but it's not something that I see myself gasping excitedly over as they bring it to the registers. Being overly familiar doesn't make it a bad thing, just something that I might not get as excited over as I would some of the other books out there.
Even so, this is something that has still managed to make it onto my "have to read them all" list. Despite Mead giving us familiar tropes, she has a good style and manages to add enough fresh material to where I'd say that this is a must read for urban fantasy fans. (less)
After having immediately read & adored the first book, I quickly dove into Demonglass. While this book was ultimately a good read, I have to admit...more
After having immediately read & adored the first book, I quickly dove into Demonglass. While this book was ultimately a good read, I have to admit that I felt like it stumbled a bit here & there.
First the good. Like Hex Hall, Demonglass was incredibly fun & easy to immerse myself in. The characters are still endearing & I found that I really did love the dynamics between the characters, especially the chemistry between Sophie & her betrothed. (Since this is spilled in the first chapters I’m not really counting this as a spoiler.) That chemistry is actually one of the stronger elements of the book since Hawkins actually makes it seem realistic enough to where I could actually see Sophie being a little torn between the two guys she feels drawn to.
Unfortunately there are a few places where the book stumbles, one of which is the rushed ending. Too much happens at once & I couldn’t help but wish that it’d been a little better spaced out through the book or that there’d been about 10-20 extra pages to flesh it out. As a result the “big bad” reveal/showdown didn’t have the bang it should have had & I felt a little underwhelmed. This also happened in the last book, so I really hope that Hawkins manages to work this out by the end of the series. I also got the “borrows from/inspired by other books” feeling from this book, although I will say that it doesn’t really interfere with my enjoyment of the book.
Overall this was a decent read & I’ll definitely be reading the next book in the series when it gets released next year. I just hope that it doesn’t fall prey to the rushed ending that the first two books have had & that Hawkins does a better job of pacing herself. (less)
Sometimes first impressions can be deceiving. I know my first impression of this book certainly was. I'll admit that I was expecting something a littl...moreSometimes first impressions can be deceiving. I know my first impression of this book certainly was. I'll admit that I was expecting something a little more mainstream & pat with this book, but what I was expecting wasn't really what I ended up getting.
I was rather pleased with this book. While there were a few hiccups along the line, this is the start of a nice series. (I presume it'll be a series, anyway.) I loved that Jael both was & wasn't the typical YA heroine, all full of angst & googly eyes for her love interest. While part of her does have that, she's more intent on the more pressing matters at hand: her powers & the demons that want to kill her. Speaking of powers, I liked the way they were presented here. Teenaged girls with powers is a very commonly used trope in any genre, but you don't often have it shown as a partnership as it was in this book. It was a nice little twist on everything, one of many twists that are included in this book. My favorite twist had to be the new perspective on demons & the reasons why they're the way they are.
This doesn't mean that the book is without faults. I did enjoy the new little twists on demons & power, but the author's attempts to jump between past & present were just awkwardly done. Skovron does his best to make the transitions as smooth as possible, but I just kept getting thrown out of the narrative. They were well done by themselves, but I just have to emphasize the awkwardness.
Overall this was a decent book & far better than what I was expecting it to be. I really was just expecting either a run of the mill YA read or one of those books where the author tries far too hard to make it "different", but it's neither. Skovron has managed to find that thin line between traditional & untraditional, then embrace it.
It took me a little while to get into this book, I have to admit. Normally this would be the type of book I'd really love & would get into, but fo...moreIt took me a little while to get into this book, I have to admit. Normally this would be the type of book I'd really love & would get into, but for some reason it was just very slow to start off with.
The Good: The premise of the series is pretty intriguing, a post-apocalyptic world where kids go to school in abandoned buildings & demons roam the world, tormenting anyone they come across. Also cool is the idea of a set group of people who are going to fight against these guys. I liked how fast some relationships are formed & I also loved the badness of Master Harper. As far as jerky adult almost-villans go, he's pretty entertaining to read about. His character is over the top but still fun to read about. (Just curious as to why someone like him would be left in charge, but I'll let that pass in the hopes it's explained in future books.)
The Bad: Some parts of the book just felt underdeveloped. We're told this is a post-apocalyptic world but that's about the long & short of what we're told. There's no details as to *how* it got this way or why things are the way they are. I understand that this is just book 1 of a series, but things are way too vague in this first book. I also occasionally got irritated with Riley. I like that she's got guts,but at times she kind of came across as your typical Gritty Heroine. She's not really a Gritty Sue, so don't worry on that aspect, but Riley is pretty much your typical run of the mill heroine. We also get tons & tons of scenes with Riley complaining about this or that, which sort of grated on my nerves after a while, especially since Oliver is so stingy with other story details. Riley might have good reason to complain but did we really need so much of it?
This is a pretty decent book as far as teen UF goes, but I just wish that more was explained & that less time was spent on teen angsting & more was spent on building up the general world in the book.
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