Dale Ibitz's Blog, page 8
June 14, 2013
Friday Funnies!
It's Friday! Let's have some fun.
I don't want to brag or make anyone jealous or anything .. but... I can still fit into my earrings I wore in high school. Just saying.
I don't want to brag or make anyone jealous or anything .. but... I can still fit into my earrings I wore in high school. Just saying.
June 12, 2013
Author Feature: Phillip W. Simpson
Author Feature: Phillip W. Simpson
Today's author feature is Phillip W. Simpson, author of children's fiction and non-fiction.
Currently, Phillip is a full-time elementary (primary) school teacher, a full-time writer, a full-time husband and a full-time father. Before becoming a writer, he tried several other career options. He joined the army for a bit, gained a Masters in Archaeology, owned a comic shop, became obsessed with martial arts and oriental weapons and turned down a job at the British museum.
Phillip's latest book, Apocalypse, is the third and final book in the Rapture series. Okay, listen, I read the first book Rapture, have the 2nd, Tribulation, in my TBR pile, am excited over the release of the 3rd book, and I can tell you this is a great YA fantasy. You can read my review of Rapture
Summary (from Goodreads):The seven years of the Tribulation are almost over. The Apocalypse- the final battle between good and evil - is almost upon us and with it, the end of the world as we know it.
For the last seven years, the half-demon Samael has battled his inner demons as well as the very real demons that inhabit the desolate, ash-shrouded Earth. Betrayed by Heaven and Hell, cursed by the surviving humans that he strives to protect, separated from all those he loves – Sam’s existence is filled with death and despair.
Now he must make a choice. Continue to fight for those he swore to protect or leave them to their fate and join his father in Hell. The Apocalypse is coming and it isn’t going to wait for Sam to make up his mind.
Grabbing a copy of of each book in this series, and Phillip's other works, is easy!
http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=phillip+w.+simpson
June 7, 2013
Friday Funnies!
Okay, this one is for those of us with plus years behind us.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN GUILTY OF LOOKING AT OTHERS YOUR OWN AGE AND THINKING,“SURELY I CAN'T LOOK THAT OLD.”
WELL, YOU'LL LOVE THIS ONE:
MY NAME IS ALICE , AND I WAS SITTING IN THE WAITING ROOM FOR MY FIRST APPOINTMENT WITH A NEW DENTIST.
I NOTICED HIS DDS DIPLOMA ON THE WALL, WHICH BORE HIS FULL NAME. SUDDENLY, I REMEMBERED A TALL, HANDSOME, DARK-HAIRED BOY WITH THE SAME NAME HAD BEEN IN MY HIGH SCHOOL CLASS SOME 30-ODD YEARS AGO.
COULD HE BE THE SAME GUY THAT I HAD A SECRET CRUSH ON, WAY BACK THEN?
UPON SEEING HIM, HOWEVER, I QUICKLY DISCARDED ANY SUCH THOUGHT.
THIS BALDING, GRAY-HAIRED MAN WITH THE DEEPLY LINED FACE WAS WAY TOO OLD TO HAVE BEEN MY CLASSMATE.
AFTER HE EXAMINED MY TEETH, I ASKED HIM IF HE HAD ATTENDED MORGAN PARK HIGH SCHOOL.
”YES. YES, I DID. I'M A MUSTANG,” HE GLEAMED WITH PRIDE.
“WHEN DID YOU GRADUATE?” I ASKED.
HE ANSWERED, “IN 1975. WHY DO YOU ASK?”
“YOU WERE IN MY CLASS!” I EXCLAIMED.
HE LOOKED AT ME CLOSELY.
THEN, THAT UGLY,
OLD,
BALD,
WRINKLED FACED,
FAT-ASSED,
GRAY-HAIRED,
DECREPIT
SON-OF-A-BITCH
ASKED,
”WHAT DID YOU TEACH?”
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN GUILTY OF LOOKING AT OTHERS YOUR OWN AGE AND THINKING,“SURELY I CAN'T LOOK THAT OLD.”WELL, YOU'LL LOVE THIS ONE:
MY NAME IS ALICE , AND I WAS SITTING IN THE WAITING ROOM FOR MY FIRST APPOINTMENT WITH A NEW DENTIST.
I NOTICED HIS DDS DIPLOMA ON THE WALL, WHICH BORE HIS FULL NAME. SUDDENLY, I REMEMBERED A TALL, HANDSOME, DARK-HAIRED BOY WITH THE SAME NAME HAD BEEN IN MY HIGH SCHOOL CLASS SOME 30-ODD YEARS AGO.
COULD HE BE THE SAME GUY THAT I HAD A SECRET CRUSH ON, WAY BACK THEN?
UPON SEEING HIM, HOWEVER, I QUICKLY DISCARDED ANY SUCH THOUGHT.
THIS BALDING, GRAY-HAIRED MAN WITH THE DEEPLY LINED FACE WAS WAY TOO OLD TO HAVE BEEN MY CLASSMATE.
AFTER HE EXAMINED MY TEETH, I ASKED HIM IF HE HAD ATTENDED MORGAN PARK HIGH SCHOOL.
”YES. YES, I DID. I'M A MUSTANG,” HE GLEAMED WITH PRIDE.
“WHEN DID YOU GRADUATE?” I ASKED.
HE ANSWERED, “IN 1975. WHY DO YOU ASK?”
“YOU WERE IN MY CLASS!” I EXCLAIMED.
HE LOOKED AT ME CLOSELY.
THEN, THAT UGLY,
OLD,
BALD,
WRINKLED FACED,
FAT-ASSED,
GRAY-HAIRED,
DECREPIT
SON-OF-A-BITCH
ASKED,
”WHAT DID YOU TEACH?”
June 3, 2013
Book Review: The Last Keeper, by Michelle Birbeck
The Last Keeper
Michelle Birbeck
Initial Thoughts: Good, just not riveting until the end.
My Rating: 3 StarsSummary (from Goodreads):
Serenity Cardea's race has been hunted to near extinction. She's a Keeper, with the ability to influence others, including those immortal beings who want dominance over the world. Ray Synclair is a history professor in training with a passion for times past. Fascinated by Serenity, he has no idea that the world is filled with immortals, most of whom want him dead. Because the only way to kill a Keeper is to kill their partner...
My Thoughts:The concept here is a good one, a Keeper is one who keeps balance in the supernatural world. There are many curves and turns and twists that keep the plot interesting. The problem is that those curves and turns and twists don't appear until the last 1/3 of the story.
While I understand the importance of developing the relationship between Serenity and Ray, it just went on forever with nothing happening. It was so mundane that it would be easy for the reader to lose interest. If you keep chugging, however, there is pay-off in the end.
I didn't feel the chemistry between Serenity and Ray that I would have liked. If there had been more, I don't know, it going on, the first 2/3s of the story wouldn't have been so mundane, but there really wasn't any spice. It was all very calm, cool, and collected. It's a nice story, but not one that would keep me up at night reading.
I'm hoping the 2nd book in the series starts out with a bang, now that we got all that history out of the way.
Michelle Birbeck
Initial Thoughts: Good, just not riveting until the end.
My Rating: 3 StarsSummary (from Goodreads):Serenity Cardea's race has been hunted to near extinction. She's a Keeper, with the ability to influence others, including those immortal beings who want dominance over the world. Ray Synclair is a history professor in training with a passion for times past. Fascinated by Serenity, he has no idea that the world is filled with immortals, most of whom want him dead. Because the only way to kill a Keeper is to kill their partner...
My Thoughts:The concept here is a good one, a Keeper is one who keeps balance in the supernatural world. There are many curves and turns and twists that keep the plot interesting. The problem is that those curves and turns and twists don't appear until the last 1/3 of the story.
While I understand the importance of developing the relationship between Serenity and Ray, it just went on forever with nothing happening. It was so mundane that it would be easy for the reader to lose interest. If you keep chugging, however, there is pay-off in the end.
I didn't feel the chemistry between Serenity and Ray that I would have liked. If there had been more, I don't know, it going on, the first 2/3s of the story wouldn't have been so mundane, but there really wasn't any spice. It was all very calm, cool, and collected. It's a nice story, but not one that would keep me up at night reading.
I'm hoping the 2nd book in the series starts out with a bang, now that we got all that history out of the way.
June 2, 2013
Give Away! The Kindrily Series, by Karen Amanda Hooper
Here's a chance at a give away of the The Kindrily Series, by Karen Amanda Hooper.
Win an eBook copy of Grasping at Eternity (Kindrily #1) and an eBook copy of Taking Back Forever (Kindrily #2) written by Karen Amanda Hooper.
*This is an international Giveaway*
Just go here to enter:Kindrily Giveaway
Win an eBook copy of Grasping at Eternity (Kindrily #1) and an eBook copy of Taking Back Forever (Kindrily #2) written by Karen Amanda Hooper.
*This is an international Giveaway*
Just go here to enter:Kindrily Giveaway
May 29, 2013
Book Review: Halo, by Alexandra Adornetto
Halo
Alexandra Adornetto
Initial Thoughts: Okay. I was really excited about reading this book, but it didn't connect with me.
My Rating: 3 Stars
Summary (from Goodreads):
Three angels – Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, the youngest and most human – are sent by Heaven to bring good to a world falling under the influence of darkness. They work hard to conceal their luminous glow, superhuman powers, and, most dangerous of all, their wings, all the while avoiding all human attachments.
Then Bethany meets Xavier Woods, and neither of them is able to resist the attraction between them. Gabriel and Ivy do everything in their power to intervene, but the bond between Xavier and Bethany seems too strong.
The angel’s mission is urgent, and dark forces are threatening. Will love ruin Bethany or save her?
My thoughts:
First, let me say this is one of the most beautiful covers I have ever seen. This is the kind of cover that screams, "Read Me Now!" So I did.
I could have waited.
Part of my issue, I think, was I was so revved to read this book. I'm totally down with the angels, there's just something so damn appealing about their sexy other-worldliness. And I do like the characters in this book...I just thought the plot was rather loose.
I can give you a few examples.
1. Their mission is urgent...but what is it exactly? They don't seem to do anything. Bethany goes to school, Gabriel teaches at school, and Ivy does a lot of volunteering for the community. They set good examples. Yeah? So? People do those things on a daily basis. Not sure what's so urgent about that in the angel world.
2. Demons can sense angels, but angels can't sense demons? And then, when they meet a demon, they can't act on it without talking to the bosses first? Meanwhile the demon is doing his demon thing, and all hell breaks loose. Hello! Urgent mission here! Give these people the tools they need to work, man! (And might I add, Gabriel is a warrior...let the dude loose to kick some demon ass without saying "Mother may I" first. Jeesh.)
3. Again, we have an urgent mission, yet the bosses decide to send a very immature, young, near-human angel. That made no sense.
I'm sorry, but much of the plot lines felt contrived in order to put Bethany and Xavier together, and allow the demon to pull his demon strings without being stopped before he could cause his damage. And I won't spoil it by telling you who the demon is (though it's obvious when you're reading the book...no question there)...and he was probably the better-drawn characters.
I would like to see a book about Gabriel (tall, strong, silent, who wouldn't want to read that?) Unchained. Gabriel Unchained. Yes. That's it. Now that would be fun reading!
So, characters: check
Cover: check, check.
Plot: Just eh for me.
Alexandra Adornetto
Initial Thoughts: Okay. I was really excited about reading this book, but it didn't connect with me.
My Rating: 3 StarsSummary (from Goodreads):
Three angels – Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, the youngest and most human – are sent by Heaven to bring good to a world falling under the influence of darkness. They work hard to conceal their luminous glow, superhuman powers, and, most dangerous of all, their wings, all the while avoiding all human attachments.
Then Bethany meets Xavier Woods, and neither of them is able to resist the attraction between them. Gabriel and Ivy do everything in their power to intervene, but the bond between Xavier and Bethany seems too strong.
The angel’s mission is urgent, and dark forces are threatening. Will love ruin Bethany or save her?
My thoughts:
First, let me say this is one of the most beautiful covers I have ever seen. This is the kind of cover that screams, "Read Me Now!" So I did.
I could have waited.
Part of my issue, I think, was I was so revved to read this book. I'm totally down with the angels, there's just something so damn appealing about their sexy other-worldliness. And I do like the characters in this book...I just thought the plot was rather loose.
I can give you a few examples.
1. Their mission is urgent...but what is it exactly? They don't seem to do anything. Bethany goes to school, Gabriel teaches at school, and Ivy does a lot of volunteering for the community. They set good examples. Yeah? So? People do those things on a daily basis. Not sure what's so urgent about that in the angel world.
2. Demons can sense angels, but angels can't sense demons? And then, when they meet a demon, they can't act on it without talking to the bosses first? Meanwhile the demon is doing his demon thing, and all hell breaks loose. Hello! Urgent mission here! Give these people the tools they need to work, man! (And might I add, Gabriel is a warrior...let the dude loose to kick some demon ass without saying "Mother may I" first. Jeesh.)
3. Again, we have an urgent mission, yet the bosses decide to send a very immature, young, near-human angel. That made no sense.
I'm sorry, but much of the plot lines felt contrived in order to put Bethany and Xavier together, and allow the demon to pull his demon strings without being stopped before he could cause his damage. And I won't spoil it by telling you who the demon is (though it's obvious when you're reading the book...no question there)...and he was probably the better-drawn characters.
I would like to see a book about Gabriel (tall, strong, silent, who wouldn't want to read that?) Unchained. Gabriel Unchained. Yes. That's it. Now that would be fun reading!
So, characters: check
Cover: check, check.
Plot: Just eh for me.
May 24, 2013
Friday Fun! (I'm not that old...yet)
How's This For Nostalgia?
All the girls had ugly gym uniforms? And wore tennis shoes not $200 Nike's!
It took three minutes for the TV to warm up?
Nobody owned a purebred dog?
When a quarter was a decent allowance?
You'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny?
Your Mom wore nylons that came in two pieces?
You got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, without asking, all for free, every time? And you didn't pay for air? And, you got trading stamps to boot?
Laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels hidden inside the box?
It was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your parents?
They threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed... and they did it!
When a 57 Chevy was everyone's dream car...to cruise, peel out, lay rubber or watch submarine races, and people went steady?
No one ever asked where the car keys were because they were always in the car, in the ignition, and the doors were never locked?
Lying on your back in the grass with your friends... and saying things like, 'That cloud looks like a... '?
Playing baseball with no adults to help kids with the rules of the game?
Stuff from the store came without safety caps and hermetic seals because no one had yet tried to poison a perfect stranger...
And with all our progress, don't you just wish, just once, you could slip back in time and savor the slower pace, and share it with the children of today.
When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited the student at home?
Basically we were in fear for our lives, but it wasn't because of drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! But we survived because their love was greater than the threat.
And our summers were filled with bike rides, Hula Hoops, and visits to the pool, and eating Kool-Aid powder with sugar.
Didn't that feel good, just to go back and say, 'Yeah, I remember that'?
I am sharing this with you today because it ended with a Double Dog Dare to pass it on... To remember what a Double Dog Dare is, read on... And remember that the perfect age is somewhere between old enough to know better and too young to care.
Send this on to someone who can still remember Howdy Doody and The Peanut Gallery, the Lone Ranger, The Shadow Knows, Nellie Bell , Roy and Dale, Trigger and Buttermilk.
How Many Of These Do You Remember?
Candy cigarettes...
Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside...
Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles...
Coffee shops with Table Side Jukeboxes...
Blackjack, Clove and Teaberry chewing gum...
Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers...
Newsreels before the movie...
Telephone numbers with a word prefix...( Yukon 2-601). Party lines...
Peashooters...
Hi-Fi's & 45 RPM records...
78 RPM records...
Green Stamps...
Mimeograph paper...
The Fort Apache Play Set...
Do You Remember a Time When Decisions were made by going...
'eeny-meeny-miney-moe'?
Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, 'Do Over!'?
'Race issue' meant arguing about who ran the fastest?
Catching The Fireflies Could Happily Occupy An Entire Evening?
It wasn't odd to have two or three 'Best
Friends'...
Having a Weapon in School meant being caught with a Slingshot?
Saturday morning cartoons weren't 30-minute commercials for action figures?
'Oly-oly-oxen-free' made perfect sense?
Spinning around, getting dizzy, and falling down was cause for giggles?
The Worst Embarrassment was being picked last for a team?
War was a card game?
Baseball cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle?
Taking drugs meant orange flavored chewable aspirin?
Water balloons were the ultimate weapon?
If you can remember most or all of these, Then You Have Lived!!!!!!!
All the girls had ugly gym uniforms? And wore tennis shoes not $200 Nike's!
It took three minutes for the TV to warm up?
Nobody owned a purebred dog?
When a quarter was a decent allowance?
You'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny?
Your Mom wore nylons that came in two pieces?
You got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, without asking, all for free, every time? And you didn't pay for air? And, you got trading stamps to boot?
Laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels hidden inside the box?
It was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your parents?
They threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed... and they did it!
When a 57 Chevy was everyone's dream car...to cruise, peel out, lay rubber or watch submarine races, and people went steady?
No one ever asked where the car keys were because they were always in the car, in the ignition, and the doors were never locked?
Lying on your back in the grass with your friends... and saying things like, 'That cloud looks like a... '?
Playing baseball with no adults to help kids with the rules of the game?
Stuff from the store came without safety caps and hermetic seals because no one had yet tried to poison a perfect stranger...
And with all our progress, don't you just wish, just once, you could slip back in time and savor the slower pace, and share it with the children of today.
When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited the student at home?
Basically we were in fear for our lives, but it wasn't because of drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! But we survived because their love was greater than the threat.
And our summers were filled with bike rides, Hula Hoops, and visits to the pool, and eating Kool-Aid powder with sugar.
Didn't that feel good, just to go back and say, 'Yeah, I remember that'?
I am sharing this with you today because it ended with a Double Dog Dare to pass it on... To remember what a Double Dog Dare is, read on... And remember that the perfect age is somewhere between old enough to know better and too young to care.
Send this on to someone who can still remember Howdy Doody and The Peanut Gallery, the Lone Ranger, The Shadow Knows, Nellie Bell , Roy and Dale, Trigger and Buttermilk.
How Many Of These Do You Remember?
Candy cigarettes...
Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside...
Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles...
Coffee shops with Table Side Jukeboxes...
Blackjack, Clove and Teaberry chewing gum...
Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers...
Newsreels before the movie...
Telephone numbers with a word prefix...( Yukon 2-601). Party lines...
Peashooters...
Hi-Fi's & 45 RPM records...
78 RPM records...
Green Stamps...
Mimeograph paper...
The Fort Apache Play Set...
Do You Remember a Time When Decisions were made by going...
'eeny-meeny-miney-moe'?
Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, 'Do Over!'?
'Race issue' meant arguing about who ran the fastest?
Catching The Fireflies Could Happily Occupy An Entire Evening?
It wasn't odd to have two or three 'Best
Friends'...
Having a Weapon in School meant being caught with a Slingshot?
Saturday morning cartoons weren't 30-minute commercials for action figures?
'Oly-oly-oxen-free' made perfect sense?
Spinning around, getting dizzy, and falling down was cause for giggles?
The Worst Embarrassment was being picked last for a team?
War was a card game?
Baseball cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle?
Taking drugs meant orange flavored chewable aspirin?
Water balloons were the ultimate weapon?
If you can remember most or all of these, Then You Have Lived!!!!!!!
May 20, 2013
Book Review: Dead of Eve, by Pam Godwin
Dead of Eve
Pam Godwin
Initial Thoughts: Riveting, horrifying, and chilling!
My Rating: 4.5 Stars!!!
Summary (from Good reads):
A virus devastates humanity. Few men survive. The rest are monsters. The women are dead, except Evie. Through a quirk in her genetics, she survives. When her physiology begins to evolve, she must come to terms with what she is and accept her role in finding a cure.
The mutated hunt her. The men brutalize her…except three. Cryptic warrior, contrite lover, caring enemy; they are fiercely protective of the last living woman, but divided in their own agendas. Can they come together to protect the only hope for humanity?
Evie must survive.
Content advisory: Guns. Gore. Sex.
My thoughts:Okay, take a minute to think about this: There is only one woman left on earth. One. Woman. Seriously. Take a minute and think about it.
Done?
Okay, now every thought that ran through your head about what life would be like for this one sole-surviving woman, is in this book. If you're a woman, the thought is chilling. You should have chills running down your arms right about now.
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.
I have to say, I wasn't down with the whole aphid/bug thing. Ew, ick and gross. I'm going to throw a little girly thought out there but, could the plague have not been so, I don't know, yuck? LOL
Highly recommend this read.
Pam Godwin
Initial Thoughts: Riveting, horrifying, and chilling!
My Rating: 4.5 Stars!!!Summary (from Good reads):
A virus devastates humanity. Few men survive. The rest are monsters. The women are dead, except Evie. Through a quirk in her genetics, she survives. When her physiology begins to evolve, she must come to terms with what she is and accept her role in finding a cure.
The mutated hunt her. The men brutalize her…except three. Cryptic warrior, contrite lover, caring enemy; they are fiercely protective of the last living woman, but divided in their own agendas. Can they come together to protect the only hope for humanity?
Evie must survive.
Content advisory: Guns. Gore. Sex.
My thoughts:Okay, take a minute to think about this: There is only one woman left on earth. One. Woman. Seriously. Take a minute and think about it.
Done?
Okay, now every thought that ran through your head about what life would be like for this one sole-surviving woman, is in this book. If you're a woman, the thought is chilling. You should have chills running down your arms right about now.
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.
I have to say, I wasn't down with the whole aphid/bug thing. Ew, ick and gross. I'm going to throw a little girly thought out there but, could the plague have not been so, I don't know, yuck? LOL
Highly recommend this read.
May 15, 2013
Book Review: Obsidian, by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Obsidian
Jennifer L. Armentrout
Initial Thoughts: Kept tabling the read because the cover didn't grab me, but I'm sorry I did. Loved it!
My Rating: 4 StarsSummary (from Goodreads):
Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.
The hot alien living next door marks me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.
If I don't kill him first, that is.
My thoughts: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!
Daemon is hot, and a dick, while at the same time there's just something nice about him. Like he's a nice guy in dick's clothing. He's a really great character, and the back-and-forth between him and Katy just leaves you wanting more, more, more.
So what pulled down the rating for me? Well, there were a couple of Twilighty moments. I mean, you hear the old saying that there are no new stories, right? But there were enough similarities that every now and then I'd say to myself, "Humh, this is sounding a little like Twilight." But, no offense to Stephanie, this is much better written.
Definitely recommend this to YA fantasy readers. One of the best I've read this year.
Jennifer L. Armentrout
Initial Thoughts: Kept tabling the read because the cover didn't grab me, but I'm sorry I did. Loved it!
My Rating: 4 StarsSummary (from Goodreads):Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.
The hot alien living next door marks me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.
If I don't kill him first, that is.
My thoughts: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!
Daemon is hot, and a dick, while at the same time there's just something nice about him. Like he's a nice guy in dick's clothing. He's a really great character, and the back-and-forth between him and Katy just leaves you wanting more, more, more.
So what pulled down the rating for me? Well, there were a couple of Twilighty moments. I mean, you hear the old saying that there are no new stories, right? But there were enough similarities that every now and then I'd say to myself, "Humh, this is sounding a little like Twilight." But, no offense to Stephanie, this is much better written.
Definitely recommend this to YA fantasy readers. One of the best I've read this year.
May 13, 2013
Book Review: Grave Mercy, by Robin LaFevers
Grave Mercy
Robin LaFevers
Initial Thoughts: Clever, well-written, loved it.
My Rating: 4 starsSummary (from Goodreads):
Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.
Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?
My thoughts:This is a world that the author animatedly brings to life, with vibrant characters, a detailed world, and a solid plot-line. Ismae is a strong character, not prone to trust easily (and with good reason), and has no issue seeing the fall of man (again, with good reason). This is a world where women are property--animate objects with no rights--and Ismae is given the opportunity to take control of her life. She also learns to control her life, and never uses death as a weapon or to avenge the wrongs done to her.
The plot is full of royal intrigue and deception and betrayal and lust for power. And while Ismae believes the convent's every word is gospel, there is a man, Duvall, who makes her question those in authority. He makes her question the direction of her life. And once again, Ismae takes control of her own life.
It's a good thing.
What the novel lacked, for me, was some kind of spark. It's weird, as much as I loved the concept and the writing and the story, there are others I like more. While I felt Ismae's drive for control and change, and I didn't quite feel her desire for Duvall. And I knew all along who the betrayer to the royal family was.
Despite this, I would highly recommend.
Robin LaFevers
Initial Thoughts: Clever, well-written, loved it.
My Rating: 4 starsSummary (from Goodreads):Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.
Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?
My thoughts:This is a world that the author animatedly brings to life, with vibrant characters, a detailed world, and a solid plot-line. Ismae is a strong character, not prone to trust easily (and with good reason), and has no issue seeing the fall of man (again, with good reason). This is a world where women are property--animate objects with no rights--and Ismae is given the opportunity to take control of her life. She also learns to control her life, and never uses death as a weapon or to avenge the wrongs done to her.
The plot is full of royal intrigue and deception and betrayal and lust for power. And while Ismae believes the convent's every word is gospel, there is a man, Duvall, who makes her question those in authority. He makes her question the direction of her life. And once again, Ismae takes control of her own life.
It's a good thing.
What the novel lacked, for me, was some kind of spark. It's weird, as much as I loved the concept and the writing and the story, there are others I like more. While I felt Ismae's drive for control and change, and I didn't quite feel her desire for Duvall. And I knew all along who the betrayer to the royal family was.
Despite this, I would highly recommend.
