Dale Ibitz's Blog, page 5

Book Review: A Demon Made Me Do It, by Penelope King

A Demon Made Me Do It
Penelope King


Initial Thoughts: A unique twist to a love triangle that was way cool.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars!Summary:
Half human, half demon Liora Greyson just wants to survive her final year of high school unscathed, her dark secret intact. But the walls she's carefully constructed to keep people out crack wide open once she meets the sexy and mysterious Kieron Ambrose, and he lights her cold world on fire.

But it turns out Kieron has a few dark secrets of his own. Secrets that will either save or destroy her.

My Thoughts:Okay, the writing was super, the plot was super, the pacing was super, the voice was super. This was a super read!
The great part about this book is that Liora's human and demon halves really want nothing to do with the other. They despise each other. When one's awake, the other sleeps. And they piss each other off to the extent that they really try to stay asleep while the other one's awake, because what the other one does grosses out the other half. Twisted, right? Right! And so awesome!
Seriously, there were times when one half or the other would really put the screws to the other, and I'd be like, come on, give the girl a break. But that's good, because it means I was invested in the character(s).
Liora's demon half, Lucky, has a best friend named Bones. Oh, boy, I'd love to meet Bones in real life. Is there any cover art for this stud muffin? Too bad he's an incubus in search of nubile virgins every night, otherwise he'd be the yummy stuff boyfriends are made of. But who wants to share? Not Lucky.
Kiernon is cool. I wasn't as attached to him as I was to the other characters. Maybe it was because I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. I was never quite sure if he'd be good in the end, or bad. In the end it was interesting... but almost disappointing. I wanted more... I don't know .... BANG. I'm not explaining myself well, but read the book and form your own opinions.
The only real issue I had was with setting. I got a little confused. The writing led me to think the setting was approaching winter, gray, leaf-less trees and kind of cold. But then they'd drive an hour into the mountains, and they'd be fishing and having picnics and I think flowers were mentioned. Huh? I didn't get it. 
Other than that, excellent. Definitely put this on your 'to be read' pile.

Cover Reveal and Giveaway! Hidden Magic, by Melanie Crouse

Releases on January 24, 2014When Jenny has the opportunity to spend the summer with her sister, a small slice of freedom is all she's really hoping for. Instead she finds something else altogether: electricity. That's what Jenny feels when she looks at Arram. She knows he's drawn to her too, but the mage-in-training does his best to hide it. Stung, Jenny turns to Arram's former best friend, Jack. But Arram and Jack's rivalry is much darker than Jenny suspects, and so are Jack's intentions. Soon she's caught in a mystery of old murder, ancient prophecies, and magic hidden where no one has thought to look. When Jenny uncovers a secret magic, she is offered two choices. Arram wants to keep her safe. Jack wants to show her the easy way out. Whatever Jenny decides, her life will irrevocably change. Either way, freedom may be the one thing Jenny can never have.
Giveawaya Rafflecopter giveaway
About Melanie CrouseMelanie Crouse lives in the gorgeous state of Maine with her (usually) delightful family. Look for her next novel Hidden Magic, coming soon. For more information, see facebook.com/MelanieCrouse.author.    

Book Review: Lash, by L.G. Castillo

Lash
L.G. Castillo

Initial Thoughts: Pretty frickin' dang yummy!

My Rating: 4.5 Stars!!!!Summary:
Decades after being banished from Heaven for saving a life he shouldn’t have, Lash is given a chance to redeem himself. His mission: protect Naomi Duran, a young woman who has lost faith in herself. The assignment proves to be anything but simple when his superiors, the Archangels, withhold key information about Naomi and refuse to restore Lash’s powers. When an unexpected source reveals centuries-old secrets, his trust is shaken to the core, and he begins to doubt those whom he had once considered to be his greatest allies.

Determined to avoid anything that would risk his chances of returning to Heaven, Lash struggles with the greatest obstacle of all—his growing feelings for Naomi. But when her life is threatened by an unknown source, Lash questions the wisdom of the Archangels and his ability to keep her safe.

Soon, Lash will have to choose where to place his faith—in the home he has fought so hard to regain or in the forbidden love he can’t bear to lose.

My Thoughts:Loved it.
That's really all I need to say, right?
Nah! I guess I have to back up my statement with some facts.
The story opens with Lash being devilishly angelic. Ya know, cuz he's an angel who doesn't like to follow the rules. But you don't hate him for thinking he knows better than his superiors, because he does the right thing for the wrong reason. And when he does the right thing for the wrong reason, well, hell kinda breaks loose.
Oops.
I loved Lash, because he's a good bad boy (and me likes the bad boys, oh so much). And I loved Naomi, the spunky, ain't-takin'-no-shit-from-no-one gal. I loved Lash's best friend Jeremy (um, yeah, let's see a book with him in the lead, okay?) Gabrielle, not so much. Didn't like her. I love when books don't always show angels as purely angelic, like Gabrielle. Some people might not like seeing angels in a poor light - I kinda do, because it makes things seem more real that even good guys (or girls) can be dicks. 
All good all the time is all boring, in my opinion.
Anyhoo, the plot moves nicely, the pacing is nice. While you do sort of know what's happening behind the scenes and how it's all going to play out in the end, it was nice to see all the puzzle pieces fall into place and the true story unfold. I felt so bad for Raphael when his back-story unfolded (I didn't expect that). 
All in all, this is going onto my faves list, and it's a keeper!

Book Review: Charade, by Cambria Hebert

Charade
Cambria Hebert

Initial Thoughts: Started slow, ended well. :)

My Rating: 3 StarsSummary:
Dying at the hands of a psycho was a shock. Having my life returned to me by an angel was incredible. Being named a Supernatural Treasure and being given Sam as my guard was pretty darn awesome. Acquiring a debt for it all - well, I should have seen it coming. Now here we are, fighting demons from hell, caring for a boy that I just don't trust and traveling to faraway places to return a treasure to its rightful place. Nothing is as it seems. Everyone wears a mask, everyone puts on a charade. It's up to us to separate the truth from the lies and reality from fiction. A hard task when my new reality involves fallen angels, witches and dragons...and did I mention hell? Anchoring me down through it all is Sam. Sam who must face tragedies of his own and is put to the test again and again. If we fail in our task, life as we know it - life as you know it - will end. Forever.

My Thoughts:As with the first book one, this 2nd book is still simply sweet. For folks who love stories with super-sweet romance, this book is for you. A lot of innocent kissing and hand-holding. You know those couples in high school that can't live for a moment without the other or they're just going "to die!"... ? That's Heven and Sam. 
Again, straight-forward plot, no real surprises except for maybe one. Sam's brother, Logan, just plain creeps me out. And yes, that's a good thing! I like to have some kind of reaction when I'm reading. :)  Oh, and mom's boyfriend? Not good, not good at all, though expected. He was written too creepy to be good news.
Some things didn't make sense for me, like why Cole wouldn't let Heven tell Kimber about him. If Kimber was his girlfriend, that wouldn't be a secret you'd keep, especially when seeing how upset it made her. To me, this was an plot-ploy to move the chess pieces into place.
Loved the Hell parts, as usual!  And not everyone is saved at the end... now *that* is a good thing! Of course, not for the characters... just for us dark readers who like edgy-unexpected.

2013 Rewind!

Okay, pretties, it's the 2013 rewind, when I look at the books I read in 2013 and pick my faves. I don't think I read as much as I wanted to, 33 books, but I read more than I did in 2012. I call that a good year! I also read a couple of books that I'm not counting, since I haven't reviewed them (with an exception, but I'll get to that later), but they'll go in the 2014 bucket.

Let's go! Did one of your favorites make my list??

Covers
I picked my favorite covers...which was hard to limit myself!

Hottest

Yeah, don't think I have to say anything here...the cover speaks for itself.












Creepiest

Hooded, dangerous-looking guy in black-and-white. Love it!












Eye-catching


Love that blue color...it's eye-catching.











Best of...everything


Everything about this cover draws me in: the colors, the layout, the light, the shadows.











Adult Fantasy - Indie
In this category, indie includes not only self-published authors, but those authors published by small press publishers. There are some rockin' books in this category, so never, ever sell an indie book short just because it's indie. There's a lot of untapped talent out there.

#3
Crux , by Julie Reece


Loved the characters, loved the pace, loved the Viking mythology thrown in, which is new and refreshing. Moved forward at a good pace. Couple of sub plots that I'm not sure were needed. Couple loose ends, which I'd like to have seen tied up at the end. Couple of surprises, but some things were predicable (hard to fool us savvy reads *all* the time, ya know).






#2
Slow Boat to Purgatory , by Vernon Baker


An incredibly well-written fantasy. There is a story within a story within a story, which was quite well crafted. I read the back page, about the author, and it's his first book. The fact that this is his first book is just plain wow-some.








And at #1...
Dead of Eve , by Pam Godwin


The story is gritty and real, devastatingly sad yet profoundly happy. You love the characters; Evie is strong and tough and loving and kinda bad-ass. You can't help but love the 3 men who come into her life, her 3 guardians. Each one serves a clear-cut purpose, and it all ties together in the end. They are there to help guide her through her trials and tribulations, help her become the woman she needs to be...for all of humanity.







Young Adult Fantasy - Traditional
What this category really comes down to for me is memorable characters and/or outrageous imagination.

#3
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor

Karou is a great character, vivid, real, like-able. The author weaves in such a creative, imaginative world right alongside our own. You can feel, hear and see things seeping from the pages. And there's Akiva. Mm mm mm. Beautiful angel, in all the right ways except his personality. He's hard and cold and distant and absolutely yum. It's wonderful to see that exterior begin to crack as he clashes with Karou. The ending is epic. A twisted betrayal that unfurls like the sails of a boat as the wind picks up. The story follows a strong undercurrent of secrets and lies of a past that isn't what it seemed, and that comes back to haunt both Karou and Akiva. It's an ending that will have your mouth dropping open.




#2Under the Never Sky, Veronica Rossi

A YA dystopian novel that really rocks the boat. You have fear, violence, secrets, betrayals and uber sexy guys. A perfect setting for a perfect (energy) storm. The start of this book is creepy. The guys are creepy, and you can just feel the tension under their daring foray into the off-limits dome, you just know something is up with these guys and it ain't gonna be pretty. It wasn't. It was scary. I was scared for Aria, our main character. The plot moves forward *most* of the time, with enough twists to give you whiplash. I like me some twists. I like to say, "Dude, didn't see that coming!" There's a couple of nice moments just like that in this book.





And at #1...
Enclave , by Ann Aguirre

Where to start? How about the beginning. The book starts off with the dramatic living situation of the people living 'down under' (and that's down under the earth...not Australia). It's dark. It's dank. It's crowded. No one lives past 25. There are strict rules. No loving, no learning (except what's absolutely needed), no real living. Just doing your job that you've been assigned, listening to the elders, and not breaking the rules. Of course, *someone* has to break the rules! A must-read for any dystopian fan.







Young Adult Fantasy - Indie Young Adult fantasy indie writers really shine, and they are well-deserved.

#3
Don't Fear the Reape r, by Michelle Muto

I loved the tension and interaction between the characters. I thought the pacing was excellent. Keely's motivation throughout was clear, and she pretty much stuck to her guns. I'm a little disappointed that we didn't learn of Daniel's past...why he is what he is and what his motivations were. And was the ending a tad predictable? Perhaps a little. There were one or 2 things that did catch me by surprise, and all the little trails wound around the story and tied together in the end.







#2
Obsidian, by Jennifer L. Armentrout


Loved the characters, loved the writing, loved the friction between Katy and Daemon, loved the story! The voice in the book just pulls you in. Katy is a nice character, a good girl who's also spunky and alive and doesn't take any lip...she also doesn't like being told what to do. My kind of girl! The only thing keeping this book from being #1, were the Twilighty moments. There were quite a few.







And at #1...

Breed of Innocence , by Lanie Jordan

Jade is 16 and sassy and sarcastic and strong. She's endearing in the nobody-loves-me kind of way, and oh my gosh, funny as hell. I rarely chuckle out loud when reading, but found myself doing that here and there. Sometimes I'd go back and re-read something just for the thrill of re-reading it again, it was that good. The author's writing style had that sumthin-sumthin that just appealed to me right from the start. I gobbled every word, sentence, paragraph, page.







Adult General - Indie
This general category is a pot-luck, filled with contemporary, mystery, suspense, thriller, horror. I don't read enough in each of these genres to expand on each one separately. And despite that, only one book made the list in this category.

And at #1...
Dirty Business, by Tracy Sharp

I love this sassy, cussing, slightly damaged main character, Leah. She's not perfect, has faults, and does things she knows she's not supposed to. But what's redeeming is that she knows she's slightly damaged and does things she's not supposed to and tries to fix herself. The characters are well-developed and three-dimensional. Even the sub-characters have, well, character.









Young Adult General - Traditional
I don't read a whole lot in this category, but what I read, I liked! Golly, I should read more in this genre.

And at #1...

Game (The sequel to I Hunt Killers), by Barry Lyga


Okay, so I fell in love with this author and Jasper in book one, and the love just continues to grow. The character continues his internal battles of what he is or isn't or might be or might not be. He's so afraid of triggering the "thing" that will turn him into his dad, that he doesn't allow himself to be a normal kid. What if that one thing is the trigger that will make him snap? How can he be sure? What I didn't like? The ending. I mean really. There are so many loose ends that I just want the next book NOW. You got short hairs? You won't after this ending, cuz you'll be hanging by them!

Book Review: Masquerade, by Cambria Hebert

Masquerade
Cambria Hebert


Initial Thoughts: Simple and Sweet

My Rating: 3 StarsSynopsis:
I'm disfigured. Scarred. Ugly.
When I look in the mirror, I see a stranger. When I look over my shoulder, no one's there…
Yet I feel watched. Hunted. Afraid.
And then he tells me I’m beautiful.
He tells me I’m safe.
I believe him.
Until someone tries to kill me.
Secrets abound, danger is near, and still… my heart desires a boy with whiskey-colored eyes and far too many secrets.
Secrets that could cost me my life.
To stay alive I have to look deep, beneath the masks everyone wears, to find the truth.
To find myself.
My Thoughts:The synopsis is tantalizing, yes? I agree! It made me want to pick up this book and read it. Which I did. Obviously.
The story is simply sweet. The romance is sweet. The plot is not complex. There are no red herrings. There are no dead end trails. It's just a straight-forward read, where you know who the good guys are and who the bad guys are.
There were, however, 2 surprises. I'm not going to reveal them, cuz that wouldn't be fair, but as I was reading, 2 thoughts began to emerge in my head.
1. I was worried that I was reading another werewolf shifter story (of which I'm not a fan)...it's not! 2. I was worried that it was one of those hit-the-bible-over-your-head-cuz-I'm-gonna-preach-to-you stories...it's not!
Actually, the "demon" in this story is one I've never read about, so I was very intrigued and a little fascinated, I have to admit. I don't mind shifter stories where the shifting goes into monster form...I like monsters. Dark. Creepy. Dangerous. Those are my kind of shifters. This demon fits the bill. I would read more of this kind of bad guy.
What didn't quite pull me in were the characters. I liked them, but I wasn't swooning or falling in love or drooling. I like to do all 3 when I'm reading. When I analyzed my lack of swooni-ness (ok, if I make up a word, I get to make up the spelling, right?) I think it's because there isn't a lot of visceral description. I didn't feel what the characters were feeling, because I was told what the characters were feeling.
There was a lot of redundancy in the writing, some repetition, which slowed the pace for me.
This is a read for those who like sweet romance, but not necessarily dark paranormal.  

Saturday Smiles!

I was supposed to write a book review, and didn't. Instead, I saw someone post these pictures on FB, and I laughed *out loud*....so thought I'd share these instead of working!

Enjoy!

Book Review: Ruined City, by A.F. Stewart

Ruined City
A.F. Stewart

Initial Thoughts: Surprisingly good!

My Rating: 4 StarsSummary:
In the Northern Pass stands the city of Elowen, the glittering guardian between the Empire of Aloquis and the Kingdoms of Immra. It exists proud and prosperous, never dreaming its dark past was coming to call...

On a bright winter’s day a stranger arrives in Elowen, bearing a secret. From this man a dark blight of ruin descends over the great city and this day becomes known as Winter’s Bane.
The day the world changed for the people of Elowen.
The day their existence turned into a recurring nightmare.

Read of the aftermath of revenge through the eyes of a shopkeeper, a child, ghosts, a blacksmith, a guardsman, an innkeeper, and even a King.

Twelve Stories, One Evil.
My Thoughts:Okay, I didn't say initially "surprisingly good" because I thought the story was going to suck, or because I've never liked anything written by this author, but because (a) it's a pretty short story, and (b) I thought it was 12 separate even shorter stories.
I traditionally don't like short stories, and I picked this up even though I thought it was an anthology because a Goodreads group I'm in was reading it. So I thought, what the heck, it couldn't hoit!
What surprised me is, despite the above, I really liked it. The twelve stories were interwoven into one cohesive story that spanned decades. It's the same story, just told from different points of view. It did get a little glitchy at times spanning different time periods, and the adjustment at times was a bit rocky, but overall I didn't have a problem figuring out and following the timeline. 
Each POV is told in first person. While that may seem awkward and questionable, for me it worked because you spend so little time with each character, the first person POV gives you better insight into their thoughts and feelings. I liked being able to get into each character's head for our short visits.
If you're looking for a quick, engaging fantasy, give this one a try.

Today is the cover reveal of The Enlightening (Mackenzie ...

Today is the cover reveal of The Enlightening (Mackenzie Duncan Series #2) by Adrianne James.

Title: The Enlightening

Series: Mackenzie Duncan Series #2

Author: Adrianne James

Genre: NA Paranormal

Release Date: December 6,2013

Add to your Want to Read list on Goodreads

Mackenzie Duncan found out that pack life wasn’t for her. Now she is running for the second time in the six months since she was bitten and turned into a Werewolf. But this time, she isn’t alone. This time, she has Geoff and Liam with her, two very hot Werewolves vying for her heart. But her companions aren't her focus. The only thing she can focus on is getting far from her old pack and their murderous ways. Only, she doesn’t just want to run. She wants to warn every pack she can that their lives are in danger too. No one should be turned against their will like she was and no other pack should have to surrender to the ideas of a centuries old, power hungry woman. Not only does Mackenzie have to deal with her crazy ex-pack leader sending people out to kill her, she has to keep both men at arm’s length (and that proves to be much more difficult than she thought), but she finds out more about her own life and heritage than she ever thought imaginable. And suddenly, everything makes sense...

Giveaway

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About Adrianne James

Growing up, Adrianne couldn't get her hands on enough books to satisfy her need for the make believe. If she finished a novel and didn't have a new one ready and waiting for her, she began to create her own tales of magic and wonder. Now, as an adult, books still make up majority of her free time, and now her tales get written down to be shared with the world.

During the day, Adrianne uses her camera to capture life's stories for clients of all ages and at night, after her two children are tucked in bed; she devotes herself to her written work. Adrianne is living the life she always wanted, surrounded by art and beauty, the written word and a loving family. As a young adult and new adult author, Adrianne James has plans to bring stories of growing characters, a little romance, and perhaps a little magic and mythology down the line for her readers to enjoy.

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Release Day! Guardians (Book 6: The Shoma), by Lola StVil

Purchase on AmazonIn order to reunite the Council and save both our world and theirs, the Guardians need to assemble three missing pieces of an ancient relic called The Shoma. But their search is derailed by their love lives and entanglements. Surrounded by evil and under the threat of annihilation our lives depend on this one team. But with all the sex, scandal and secrets, who has time to save the world?
About Lola StVil Lola was seven when she first came to this country from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She attended Columbia College in Chicago, where her main focus was creative writing. In addition to plays, she also writes screenplays and short stories.She has been commissioned to write for ABC, CBS and Princeton University. She won the NAACP award for her play "The Bones of Lesser Men". In addition to being nominated for LA Weekly awards. Her work has also received positive reviews from The LA Times, Variety and LA Weekly.
Website Facebook TwitterGuardians Series Book 1: The Girl The prophecy says I will fall in love with team leader and Angel, Marcus Cane. The prophecy also says that our love will cause his mission to fail and end the world. Whatever. This human is not worried. Why? Because I do not intend to fall in love with Marcus. The truth is I hate him. I hate his warm brown eyes with flecks of gold, his chiseled face and broad shoulders. I hate how over protective he is just because a few thousand demons are after me. In fact, I couldn't care less about Marcus or his perfect telekinetic girlfriend. And when I see him holding her, I don’t die a little inside… Add to Your Goodreads Shelf | Purchase on Amazon  Book 2: The Fallout Just because she has wings, doesn’t mean she’s an Angel…It's front page news on every Angel gossip rag:“Marcus & Ameana: Gone The Way Of “Brad & Jennifer.”So, Who Is The “Angelina?” Emmy Baxter—a mere mortal!” Ameana tries to avoid her ex and his new love by focusing on the other evil out to destroy the team. But soon her pain turns to fury. And before the end…a girl plots revenge, a leader is on the edge and an Angel falls. Add to Your Goodreads Shelf | Purchase on Amazon   Book 3: The Turn There. Will. Be. Blood. After the Council hands down a severe punishment, A Guardian declares war on the Angel world.Before the end Lives will be lost Love will be tested And blood WILL flow... Add to Your Goodreads Shelf | Purchase on Amazon    
Book 4: The TriplexThe team finds the locaton of the Triplex, but in order to destroy it and save the world, a horrific decision must be made. Can Marcus do what he needs to do in order to complete the mission? Or will his heart get in the way...Add to Your Goodreads Shelf | Purchase on Amazon        
Book 5, Part 1: The Quo WARNING: This book contains a scene in chapter 20 that is for mature audiences only. Readers can skip this chapter without missing any info vital to the plot.A team divided. A leader in turmoil. A love tested. Now, it's the heroes who need saving Add to Your Goodreads Shelf | Purchase on Amazon   Book 5, Part 2: The Lyris The end of the world is not coming; it's here An impossible decision... A massive war... A Guardian silenced forever... (Please note chapters 29 & 30 are for mature audiences) Purchase on Amazon  
Short Stories (THIS BOOK HAS SPOILERS, SO IT IS BEST READ AFTER BOOK 1 (The Girl)) Please note this is a book of short stories about the Guardians and their lives before the mission. This book is 20k words long and has nine short stories including *Julian's Core *Rio's secret crush *Julian & Femi's first meeting *The days & nights of Tony-Tone and more...
Add to Your Goodreads Shelf | Purchase on Amazon
Short Stories From Book 5Can't get enough "Guardians?"Read these short stories AFTER reading book 5 part 2 and find out:Why Marcus made the decision he did at the end of book 5.2How Jay and Miku hooked up for the first timeand where Mouse came from!Purchase on Amazon