MobileRead Book Challenges discussion
2011 Individual Challenges
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MrsJoseph's Challenge
Oh I definitely read you there. His tale is emotionally exhausting. However, to be honest, I think that's one of things that really made me a fan of this book. He had me fully invested in the main character such that I felt the pain and loss he suffers quite acutely.Regards
Caleb
I agree with that! I really feel Kvothe's pain...but I also want to pop him a time or two for stupidity. :-) Kvothe's character is well fleshed out and so I almost feel as if I know him...so listening to his story hurts in a way.
Moon Called
- Urban FantasyRating: 4/5 stars
Moon Called is a great introduction to a series! Mercedes (Mercy) Thompson is a skinwalker – she can turn into a coyote - because she is descended from a long line of Native American shamans. Mercy owns a small repair garage and fixes primarily older forigen cars.
Into her shop walks Mac – a young man recently turned into a werewolf. She takes him under her wing (and eventually introducing him to the sexy Alpha werewolf who lives behind her), not knowing that behind Mac is a lot of trouble.
That’s about as much as I can say about the plot without spoiling it.
I really enjoyed this book. It’s a very quick read and the characters are very likeable. Mercy is great and I loved Adam (the sexy Alpha werewolf next door).
Sheepfarmer's Daughter
- Epic FantasyRating: 4/5 stars
Sheepfarmer's Daughter is book 1 of
. Paksenarrion is the daughter of a sheepfarmer. Her father plans to marry her off to a local pig farmer but Paks has other ideas. She dreams of being a valiant soldier on a trusty warhorse. She and her father fight, then she runs off and joins Duke Phelin's mercenary army.
Once Paks joins the army she learns much of what it really means to be a soldier. She is often tired and hurt - and several of her friends die. Paks also learns she is a good soldier and quickly rises within the ranks. In the midst of this learning phase in her life Paks learns about St. Gird from a friend, Canna.
St. Gird is the saint of a certain type of solider - the ones who become paladins (which is what Paks dreams of). These paladins fight for good and have a bit of magic.
At first Paks doesn't like the idea of St. Gird but when she and two of her friends - Canna and Saben - have to save their army from the Honeycat (a ruthless torturing army leader that worships evil gods), she begins to realize that St. Gird might like the idea of her.
I really like this book. Paks is a great character (a little bit of a Mary Sue but still a great character) and the book has a pretty fast pace. The army that Paks joins is an army of mostly foot - so the author describes the world the way a traveling foot soldier would see it. The world is a blur of dusty roads broken up by villages and cities. This does not take away from the story at all. To me it enhances the story because the reader is seeing through Paks eyes (and as a solider her eyes are always to the front).
Ravenous
(Book 1 of The Horde Wars) – PNR Rating 3/5 stars
Ravenous is the story of Cady and Obsidian (Sid). Cady is a human blessed with physic powers, super human speed and super human strength. Her family was killed in a Daemon Horde (a race of evil, ugly monsters that feed off of humans) attack on her home when she was a teenager. For 15 years she has fought the Daemon Horde in secret, trying to keep her small home town safe from destruction.
Obsidian is a Shikar warrior. The Shikar is race of humanoids that live near the Earth’s core – in a slightly different dimension. The Shikar police the world gates to keep the daemon horde off of the face of the Earth.
Cady and Obsidian meet when Obsidian is sent by his leader to convince Cady to join with the Shikar to fight the Daemon Horde.
I’ve read this book and it’s sequels before but read it again for a group read. I enjoy the characters – Cady is tough and spunky but not bitchy – but I’d forgotten how much of a dick Obsidian was at the beginning of the book. In the normal course of things I never have a problem with instant attraction – it’s the foundation that PNRs are built on – but I hated how quickly Cady & Obsidian fell into bed together after the way he treated her when they first met. He was a total asshat but he barely apologized (even when he knew he was wrong) before they were having sex.
There are a few eyeball rolling moments (of course) but there’s not a PNR I’ve read yet that doesn’t have any, lol. A solid 3/5 stars – it could have been higher if the relationship between Cady & Obsidian had been a little more developed.
Wanton Fire
(Book 2 of the Horde Wars) - PNRRating: 2/5 stars
Wanton Fire is the story of Cinder and Steffy. Steffy is a human DJ who is precognitive and she hears music in her head (nothing more is explained of this). Cinder is a Shikar warrior of the Incinerator caste (this means he can burn anything by touch and he can shoot fireballs from his fingertips). The Shikar is race of humanoids that live near the Earth’s core – in a slightly different dimension. The Shikar police the world gates to keep the Daemon Horde (a race of evil, ugly monsters that feed off of humans) off of the face of the Earth.
The Daemon Horde is getting stronger, faster, and more intelligent. They are developing new powers and getting closer to over-running the Earth.
Steffy and Cinder meet by chance in a club. Cinder is there with his team on a mission, Steffy works there. She realizes something is strange about Cinder and so (like a dumb ass) she follows him. She follows him right into a Daemon Horde fight. Cinder and his team save her but the Daemon Horde has seen her with them. Cinder stays with her to keep her safe.
There are a lot of things that happen in this book that I don’t really remember rolling my eyes at the first time…but this time I spent most of the read with my eyes rolling into the back of my head. I must have forced myself to forget this mess to enjoy the book. I really liked the beginning (with the exception that Steffy can be rather stupid) and the first sex scene is hot!
I’m starting to hate re-reads, lol.
I do appreciate the fact that Steffy and Cinder’s relationship had more time to develop than the relationship in the previous book (2 weeks vs. 2 days). The things that got me this time were different:
1 – Cinder radiates heat, lots of heat. So much heat that he incinerates his clothes and burns the bed sheets. So much heat that Steffy can “feel its heat burning inside of her, almost to the point of pain”…so how on God’s green earth can he wear a latex condom??! Wouldn’t it just melt inside of her?
(view spoiler)
A solid 2/5 – the relationship had a little more depth but the grossness of certain scenes killed the re-read for me.
Blood Bound
Mercedes Thompson Book 2 - Urban FantasyRating: 4/5 stars
I am SO loving this series (book 1 was Moon Called) . I can't quite put my finger on what makes this series so kick-ass but it is. Mercy Thompson is a great character...and I love how she makes so much SENSE. She (like most women) tries to make sure that the things she does have some type of rational behind them. I also love the fact that she gets things done with little drama and fuss. She just handles it, no excuses.
The Ship Who Searched
- Sci-FiRating: 4/5 stars
This is one of my favorite books in the Brain & Brawn (brainship) series.
Please bare with me, I've read this book so many times it is hard to review.
Tia is a 7 year old genius when she is struck by a mysterious virus that completely killed her body's nervous system. She became paralyzed from the neck down, needing 100% life support. She was going to end up spending the rest of her life in a sterile hospital room somewhere. Because of her maturity and genius she is accepted into the brainship program. This program will place her physical body inside a titanium shell, connect her brain to electronic synapses, and teach her how to fly. Tia is to become a brainship - a person whose physical body is an interstellar spaceship. She will also get a brawn - Alex - a person trained to work with her as her physical presence as well as constant companion.
Tia & Alex have numerous adventures in this book - but main focus for both Tia & Alex is locating the virus that almost destroyed her entire life.
The Ship Who Searched is a great book! The characters are well formed and the adventures are interesting. The pace is quick and engrossing. There's not too much more to say without spoiling the plot(s).
Speed Dating
- Contemporay RomanceRating: 3.5/5 stars
Kendall Clarke is an actuary, she’s engaged to a co-worker and she is 20 minutes away from winning the most prestigious award at her company. Her scumbag fiancé shows up at her hotel room to tell her that he’s been cheating on her with a fellow co-worker – who’s now pregnant- for several months. He’s breaking the engagement and he’s sitting with his new fiancé.
Kendall is shocked, embarrassed, and hurt. In her anxiety she manages to lock herself out of her hotel room, dressed only in an expensive slip. By chance she sees a man walking out of his room just as her bosses are walking around the corner. She slips into the room just in time.
Dylan Hargreave is a famous NASCAR driver who is in the middle of a losing streak and has an ex-wife – Ashley - who believes that they are meant to get back together. Ashley has invited Dylan to wedding #4 and he asks one of his buddies’s to hire an actress for him to take to his wedding. When he walks into his hotel and sees a half naked woman he assumes that it is his date. Kendall is feeling crazy so she goes along with him to the wedding. This starts a long relationship between Kendall and Dylan that lasts for several weeks, as Dylan kisses Kendall right before every race as his good luck charm.
I really enjoyed this book! I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. The story is well written, the characters have clear reasons for their actions, and the relationship is well developed. It’s certainly a page turner – I finished it in one night!
My biggest issue with this book is Dylan’s actions. He claims that he wants Ashley to leave him alone. In fact, he claims that the major reason he spends so much time with Kendall is to deter Ashley and her reconciliation plans – but every single time Ashley wants him to do something, he does it. Dylan goes to her wedding; he drags Kendall on several double dates with Ashley and her new husband; he makes time to go to children’s hospitals because Ashley wants him to.
I was sick to death of Ashley rather quickly and felt that if Dylan wanted to get rid of Ashley he would have grown a pair of balls and told her “No” for once. I realized that she was used as plot movement but she was over-used.
All in all, this was a good book and I really enjoyed the relationship between Kendall and Dylan, the story felt very believable and rather touching. I enjoyed watching the characters grow – especially Kendall – throughout the book. I can’t this is my favorite book but I would have no issue recommending this book to contemporary romance lovers. Solid 3.5/5
Making A Scene
- Contemporary Romance, AdultRating: 3/5 stars
From the outside Pamela (Pam) Flynn has it all. She’s the author of a well-known series of police detective books - Tanaka & Shields - which could be in the works for a movie and she has a younger grad school live-in boyfriend who cooks and cleans. But that’s on the outside. Pam’s editor and agent are both pushing her to push Tanaka & Shields relationship from full of sexual tension to a real relationship (in order to get that movie deal) – which means writing sex scenes. Pam can’t write sex scenes – or anything else for that matter – after she walked in on her boy toy and her oldest friend having wild, hot, kinky sex in her bed. Roark Carmelli is a hunk who owns a local coffee shop, Serious Joe. Pam meets Roark while still dealing with the shock and trauma of betrayal. They quickly start dating.
This was a quick, fun read. The book is rather well written and well edited. I enjoyed the majority of it and I only had one major gripe: Pam spends a lot of time in the beginning of the novel fantasizing about Roark and I’m not a huge fan of daydream segments. They always pull me out of the book and force me to re-read the entire segment to make sure that something didn’t happen that I missed. I also have to admit that it feels more like a novella than a full book. The relationship between Roark and Pam developed rather quickly and there are some storylines that were not completed.
My favorite part of the book was the part when the ex-boyfriend gets his (well deserved) comeuppance.
Midnight Riot
UK title: Rivers of London - Urban FantasyRating: 4/5 stars
Midnight Riot is a great new book! Peter Grant is a young probationary (rookie) police constable with the London Metropolitan Police Department. He’s on schedule to be assigned to hard desk labor when a man is killed by decapitation. Peter and a fellow officer are stationed at the murder site to keep it secure when he is approached by a ghost who has seen the murder take place. This interaction brings him to the attention to the Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale and Peter is subsequently assigned to Met Police’s version of the X-Flies. The crime witnessed by the ghost turns out to be the first in a long string of horrific deaths that Peter and Chief Nightingale investigate - and Peter is introduced to a world of magic, gods, and spirits that he’d thought were only children’s tales.
I really, really enjoyed Midnight Riot. The primary character’s voice (Peter Grant) was fresh and new – he grabbed my attention within the first few paragraphs and never let it go. The author’s take on the magic system was very original – as a dedicated fantasy reader I appreciate that – and I loved the fact that Peter is a mixed race young man. It’s unusual to have a minority or mixed race person as a primary character. I also enjoyed the fact that there was a strong cast of secondary characters that all felt well fleshed out.
The story starts off very simply but quickly turns complicated. There are twists and turns that I did not expect but I thoroughly enjoyed. The deaths that occur are brutal and violent but the author does not dwell on the actions in a way as to make them gratuitous; they feel very necessary to the plot and they are not described in a way as to turn a reader’s stomach. Peter Grant’s character is engaging and his sense of deprecating humor runs through the entire book. The only issue I had with Peter was (view spoiler)
I had very few issues with this book. The only things that bothered me was a lack of a map – US and other readers not familiar with London will have a bit of a problem following certain scenes that are geographically based – and some of the London English vs. American English slang and abbreviations. Most of the slang is not explained (which required some googling). These were rather minor problems that did not impede my enjoyment of the book at all.
This is a VERY solid first book! I’ve already purchased the follow up novel, Moon Over Soho, and I will more than likely pick up a copy of the third book when it is released.
Guardians of the West
- Book 1 of the Malloreon - Epic FantasyRating: 3/5 stars
It turns out that Garion's (now Belgarion) quest to save the universe didn't end with the death of the dark god Torak as everyone thought. There's another part to the prophesy - and it involves kidnapping Belgarion & Ce'Nedra's son! The chase to save Geran begins.
King of the Murgos
- Book 2 of the Malloreon - Epic FantasyRating: 3/5 stars
The group learns who kidnapped Geran and learn secrets about the new Murgo King. They make it to the secret Dal city and learn more about their tasks.
The Magician's Nephew
- Young AdultRating: 3/5 stars
I enjoy this book but it isn't one of my favorites of the series. It's still a good book however!
Demon Lord of Karanda
- Book 3 of the Malloreon - Epic FantasyRating: 3/5 stars
The chase for Zandramas is on.
Sorceress of Darshiva
- Book 4 of the Malloreon - Epic FantasyRating: 3/5 stars
The group picks up 'Zakath and Cyrandis as well as the chase for Zandramas is still on.
The Seeress of Kell
- Book 5 of the Malloreon - Epic FantasyRating: 3/5 stars
The end of Belgarion's tasks have arrived! The conclusion to an epic sized adventure (before you add in the prequels
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and the backstory with
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Backstage Pass
– Sinners on Tour Book 1 - Adult Contemporary RomanceRating: 2/5 stars
Brian “Master” Sinclair is a guitarist with the world famous Sinners rock bank. While nursing his freshly broken heart with liquid libations (getting drunk) in a hotel bar with his fellow band mates Myrna Evans, Human Sexuality Psychologist, happens to see him. Myrna is in town to speak at a conference. She stops to speak to the group, one thing leads to another, Brian and Myrna start having sex. Later Myrna gets a grant to travel with the band while interviewing the band’s groupies. *eye roll*
The way Myrna’s personality changed from lecturing professor to band groupie was jarring, making it hard for me to sympathize with her. I liked Brian a lot but felt annoyed by him at the same time. The sex was hot but it was often interrupted by Myrna’s angst over her own sexuality. Myrna was abused by her ex-husband and she still hears his abusive words in her mind. It was rather awkward to have Myrna and Brian engaging in hot sweaty monkey sex and then it switch to Myrna calling herself a whore and then back again to hot sex. There was a lot of heavy handed foreshadowing and a lot of WTF moments.
Grave Peril
- The Harry Dresden Files book 3 - Urban FantasyRating: 3/5 stars
I have to admit that I never finished reading book 2: Fool Moon (stopping at about 38%) so I missed a few things.
Something is stirring up trouble in the Nevernever. Ghosts are being tortured – which is making them angry (and thus more powerful). This ghost torture is allowing more angry ghosts than ever to get loose to attack and kill innocents. Harry is in a race to find out what is stirring up the ghosts before it’s too late.
This is not really a review as I have my issues. I both enjoyed and disliked this book - and here are the reasons why:
I really like Harry - he's an endearing character. I love the way he wants to do right by everyone.
I also noticed that while in the first two books Harry got into trouble by not giving enough information to people – this time everyone had the necessary information to help out Harry (and Michael) and no one gave it to him. Unlike the rest of the people in Harry’s life who got angry at him for not informing them – Harry doesn’t get upset at all. He seems to take it all in stride.
This book had a lot more action than the last books and spent less time showing Harry getting into trouble (with his friends). It does show Harry getting into trouble with everyone else. The lack of fighting with friends was a great improvement to the storyline (to me).
Dislikes - I dislike Michael's character, he's a little too "righteous" to me. I get tired of his disapproval of Harry when it’s Harry who is saving everyone’s life. There’s also the fact that either Harry makes Michael look like a prig or Michael makes Harry look like a bit of a whiner.
I dislike Susan. A lot. I really dislike Susan and her desire to use Harry for a story and her career rather than just paying attention to what Harry says. No matter how many different ways Harry says “this information could kill you and/or me” she just kept right at it. I guess she felt she was safe…till she wasn’t. I felt no sadness for HER that she was (view spoiler)
I hated the fact that Harry suddenly was in love with Susan - I don't think she deserved him. She was always upset that he was out "saving the world" instead of hanging out with her (unless she could get a story out of it). I felt that if you date a hero, get used to it. You knew who he was before you started dating him.
I'm starting to be annoyed by Harry's chivalrous issues and at how he's slowly selling himself - piece by piece - to the highest bad guy bidder to get ways to help other people. If Michael is able to do things without selling his soul, why not Harry? And why isn’t God helping Harry out? Maybe those are things that are addressed in later novels. And why wouldn’t God do something about (view spoiler)
The rating dropped from 4 stars to 3 because of the Susan issues – I felt that Butcher was trying to get me to feel badly for Susan at the ending. I just couldn’t.
The Black Company
– Epic Fantasy (gritty military)Book 1 of The Chronicles of The Black Company, Books of the North
Rating: 3/5 stars
The Black Company is a hard book to summarize, so here I borrowed the blurb from GR:
Some feel the Lady, newly risen from centuries in thrall, stands between humankind and evil. Some feel she is evil itself. The hardbitten men of the Black Company take their pay and do what they must, burying their doubts with their dead. Until the prophesy: The White Rose has been reborn, somewhere, to embody good once more. There must be a way for the Black Company to find her....
The Black Company – an elite mercenary company – is narrated by Croaker, the Company annalist and only fully trained doctor. The book starts with the Company in a contract with a country named Beryl. The country is going to hell in a handbasket due to the weakness of the country’s leader. In order to get themselves out of Beryl and what is turning into a desperate situation, the Black Company takes a commission with a new person who shows up to threaten the leader of Beryl: Soulcatcher. The deal made with Soulcatcher flings the Black Company into a major war of domination under the leadership of The Lady, an old evil recently returned to power. It seems that Soulcatcher is a part of a group called “the Taken,” “Taken,” or “The Ten who were Taken.” Taken is a word used to describe a horrendous process that takes an enemy and makes them over into loyal minion. The Ten who were Taken were a group of magician Kings and Queens that dared to try to stand in the way of the evil empire of the Lady and her husband the Dominator.
The book was a rather slow read for me – there is a lot that happens but there is little to no information given to the reader. Since Croaker is the company annalist the book reads more like the entries in someone’s diary (or Annals). The reader doesn’t know what Croaker doesn’t know and there is NO information dump taking place here – at all. The writing style felt clunky and unwieldy. There was a lot that I didn’t understand and I felt some type of confusion throughout the majority of the book. I’m not sure if it is because Croaker didn’t understand, Croaker felt it was common knowledge, or that it was the sparse writing. I also had a sense of separation between me (as the reader) and the action of the book. Normally I have a big issue with personal violence – I typically can’t deal with rape, torture, extreme gross/gore-ness – but the action in this story is so remote that I never felt the need to stop reading due to personal discomfort. Boredom or confused frustration maybe but never discomfort. I really liked a lot of the names that were used in the book (especially for the Taken), however. Soulcatcher, the Hanged Man, Shapeshifter, Whisper, Journey, the Limper, etc. Those were pretty cool. I didn’t like it when the names were abbreviated to things like “Shifter” and “Catcher.” It was annoying.
Note: While I do feel that the writing was clunky and unwieldy it does not mean that the writing was bad. It was pretty dang decent, just uncomfortable.
I didn’t understand why the Black Company was willing to work for the Lady. It seemed that they were in the process of helping to usher in a new era of evil. While I get the whole “we’re mercenaries and fighting is what we do” thing, I can’t understand why any normal thinking person would be willing to assist in the creation of an evil empire. It didn’t make sense, even mercenaries have a code of honor (and if not honor, a sense of self-preservation). There is a short story of The Black Company that I read prior to this book named Tides Elba from the book Swords & Dark Magic: The New Sword and Sorcery. This story was set sometime after The Black Company but prior to any novels written after the coming of the White Rose. In the story the Black Company had to find a woman named Tides Elba for The Lady. In the story they knew they were delivering an innocent, pretty young woman to a horrible fate but really didn’t seem to care. “Waste of good girl flesh” was the only lament for the girl’s fate.
Maybe it’s just me. I expect my protagonists to have a basic moral code and a willingness to do the right thing in tough situations. That’s kind of where Croaker got on my nerves. He spends at least 1/3 of the book writing romances and drawing pictures of the Lady – as if she isn’t evil – and then the rest of the time saying how much she scared him. And he felt no remorse that (view spoiler) I did appreciate what he did at the end of the book, however.
Love the "spoiler in a spoiler" - I didn't even know spoiler tags could be nested like that! :)
Christa wrote: "Love the "spoiler in a spoiler" - I didn't even know spoiler tags could be nested like that! :)"Thanks :-) I got it from playing around with people in threads. One of our members hates spoilers so we use a ton of spoiler tags.
The Redemption of Althalus
- FantasyRating: 3/5 stars
This was a re-read for me. I have no idea why I've read this book so much (several times) - every time I get annoyed by it.
So, to recap - go back through my thread and read the parts about the David Eddings series the Belgariad (total of 5 books). That's this - but in 1 book and with some slight modifications.
Dragon Bound
– Paranormal Romance (PNR)Rating: 5/5 stars
Blurb: Half-human and half-wyr, Pia Giovanni spent her life keeping a low profile among the wyrkind and avoiding the continuing conflict between them and their dark Fae enemies. But after being blackmailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful-and passionate-of the Elder races.
Pia is a young half-wyr (were) who had been trained by her deceased mother to always stay aloof from others and to run and hide. Due to a combination of loneliness and slacking off on her mother’s teachings, Pia made the mistake of telling an ex-boyfriend of some of her abilities – that no door is locked to her. The ex-boyfriend later blackmailed her into stealing something from Dragos Cuelebre – the only known dragon in the world as well as the richest, most powerful and ruthless businessman and wyr alive. Dragos immediately goes on a search for his thief, not knowing that she would turn his life upside down.
What can I say? I love a good romance with a strong, dangerous hero. In Dragon Bound, Thea Harrison really delivered! I don’t give a lot of 5 star ratings but this book deserves it.
I loved the dynamics of Pia and Dragos’ relationship. Pia has a great sense of humor and she stands up for herself – she is *gasp* not TSTL! I love it! She doesn’t take Dragos’ aggressively over-protective male instincts lying down. She makes sure that her voice is heard. I also loved the fact that Pia’s mother required her to learn to take care of herself; she’s no damsel in distress looking for someone to come save her. I also loved Dragos’ aggressively over-protective male instincts (well, I did say I loved a strong dangerous hero, right?). Dragos knew the moment he met her that he was going to keep her and that was that. Dragos also had a caring side that he wasn’t too familiar with but he was willing to learn to deal with in order to keep Pia happy. While Pia is a very accessible character from the beginning of the novel, Dragos’ character starts off as rather aloof and over-bearing. He stays overbearing throughout the novel but the reader can clearly see him try (and as every woman knows, trying is the most important part) to become someone more gracious and loving.
The action in this book – which is all started by Pia stealing from Dragos – is quick and exciting. The reader gets a lot of experiences piled one on top of the other but it’s clear that the frenzy of activity was a chain of events started by Pia herself. The movement felt good and at no time did I feel the urge to stop and roll my eyes. There are a few twists and turns in the book but they never felt like deus ex machine.
It’s really hard to sum up how much I loved this book. I’m obviously gushing because I used the word “love” six times, lol! It is, hands down, one of the best PNRs I’ve read in years!
Note: I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this book free through the Goodreads First Reads program.
I really really enjoyed it. It's a pretty typical PNR but its not at the same time. I can understand being leery of most PNRs - I read them and I'm pretty leery, too. :-) I'd heard a lot of good about this book (which made me nervous) but when I finally read it, I was pretty happy with it. I had a lot of fun reading it.
I don't know about playing more than $10/US for it, though. It's good but $10? As fast as you read you'll finish it in one night...
Monster Hunter Vendetta
– Urban Fantasy (UF) Monster Hunter International, Book 2
Rating: 4/5 stars
”Them monsters ain’t gonna to kill themselves! You a Monster Hunter, or not?”
-Monster Hunter Vendetta
WOW! Larry Correia has done it again! Monster Hunter International (MHI) was a great book – and Monster Hunter Vendetta (MHV) is pretty darn great, too.
Monster Hunter Vendetta (MHV) starts off with a bang and I spent the rest of the time trying to catch my breath. The action hits brutally hard and it’s almost non-stop from beginning to end. This series would make a GREAT action movie!
MHV starts off when MHI left off. The nuclear bomb that the federal government sent to kill off the last group of world killers accidently entered a rift between this world and a dark universe ruled by a dread lord. The bomb exploded and hurt the dread lord in some minor way and now it wants revenge. The Church of the Temporary Mortal Condition – demon worshippers – plot to capture Owen Z. Pitt and offer him to the dread lord in order to gain power. The hunters become the hunted…it’s a good thing that Monster Hunters always come locked and loaded.
I consumed this book! I picked it on one night and was finished by the next day. I literally could not put it down. I love serious action in my UF books and this one delivers it in spades.
Owen Pitt is a great main character. He’s everything that most “heroes” are not: not too attractive, not the smartest, and not the quickest – but he’s never going down without a fight and it gets worse when he’s mad. Federal Agent Franks plays a more pivotal role in MHV and he’s starting to grow on me. I love the way that Franks is hated by almost everyone but he’s always the one who shows up and kicks ass when an ass needs to be kicked. Other Monster Hunters have parts in this book as well as Owen’s family. We learn more about how Owen learned to be such a hard hitting Monster Hunter and what the future might entail – in between killing zombies, werewolves and any other monster that would dare to jump in the mix.
One of the best parts of this series is the way each action and bit of information ties into each other. The books could read decently as stand alones but the real puzzle stretches out over all of the books. Even with this, the books do not end on cliffhangers. Each books centers around and finishes one major plot line.
All in all, this is a great series that doesn’t disappoint. I can’t wait for the next book – Monster Hunter Alpha – to come out!
I decided to give myself a little challenge. I went through a group of my free books and pulled three that have similar themes and read and compare them. I picked romances with a baby theme and chose The Bride's Baby, Baby Bonanza, and A Very Special Delivery. The Bride's Baby
- Contemporary RomanceRating: 3/5 stars
Sylvie Smith, wedding planner extraordinaire, is talked into planning the wedding of her old school friend Candy to billionaire Tom McFarlane. Three days before the wedding Candy runs off with Sylvie’s employee. After meeting, Tom and Sylvie have sex and Sylvie ends up pregnant.
I really enjoyed the characters in this book. Sylvie and Tom were both nice people who were easy to like. The problem I had with this book is that the whole book is based around a series of misunderstandings. After Sylvie realizes that she’s pregnant, she writes Tom a letter in which she tells him if he never wants anything to do with them he doesn’t have to respond. Tom runs away for six months. During the time he is away he sees a picture of pregnant Sylvie with her ex and assumes it’s his baby. When Tom finally gets back in the country, Sylvie is doing a magazine spread for a wedding fair that Tom assumes is for her own wedding.
All of these silly problems could be taken care of with one frank conversation that doesn’t take place till the end of the book. Four stars for the characters, two stars for plot lines equals 3 stars (but it would have been 2 ½ if I had access to half stars.
Baby Bonanza
– Contemporary RomanceRating: 3/5 stars
Jenna Baker has had a slight crush on her cruise ship tycoon boss Nick Falco for a while now. The only problem is that he has a “no-hands on employees” policy. When Nick sees her one day and thinks she is a passenger, she doesn’t correct him. They spend a magical week together before he finds out – at which time he breaks up with her and fires her. She finds out she is pregnant and has twins. Jenna tries to contact him. She gets no response so she books passage on his cruise ship to tell him.
This one was a little silly to be honest. It’s a decent book with good writing but something rang false with me. If Nick lives on the ship how does he not recognize his own employee? The resolution came easily for them and I was a little bored by the end.
A Very Special Delivery
– Contemporary Christian RomanceRating: 1/5
Ethan Hunter shows up one stormy, snowy evening at Molly McCreight’s secluded door. He’s on a mission to deliver life saving medication to Molly’s neighbor but the roads are getting treacherous. He wants to leave his baby daughter with Molly till he gets back. Molly is terrified of babies since her sister’s infant son died from SIDS while in her care.
I realize that the point of Christian books are to remind us how God helps and loves us – but this was the saddest romance I’ve read in a long time. Both the hero and the heroine go through some serious emotional turmoil. The relationship between Molly and her family was just horrible. The story of Nick’s child’s mother is very sad as well. By the end I just wanted the book to be over.
Each of these books had very different styles. I can say that I enjoyed The Bride’s Baby the best out of the three. The characters were stronger and the story felt “fuller,” if that makes any sense. The other two books were very forgettable.
I'm glad you loved it, too! I adore Pia and Dragos, too. I can't wait for the next one! Jane at the Dear Author blog has already read book 2 and she's not giving too many hints other than it's good.
Loosheesh wrote: Arrgh, don't you just hate her? LOL :-D"Loosheesh wrote: "Question: have you read any of the Blood Dagger Brotherhood books? I always thought I would start with them when I decided to try out PNRs but never got around. I've read 2 of the author's books (w..."
I have read several of the BDB series. Honest opinion. The first couple are good...then it gets repetive, very repetive. I stopped somewhere after book 3 (it was either 4 or 5) but some people swear by them.
Santana's Heat
– PNRRating: 1.5/5 stars
Sanata’s Heat was very disappointing. It started so promising and then just exploded from there. I didn’t care about the characters. I started reading this last night and realized that I really didn’t like Santana too much. Her character was completely inconsistent. One minute she’s a strong woman who can take care of herself after being on her own (and homeless) for 10 years, having killed at least one person. The next minute she’s running away because someone slipped her an anonymous note or some woman wants to claim her man. Really? Seriously? The BDSM elements rang horribly false and seemed only to be thrown in so that the author could get this book put in that sub-genre.
I figured everything out waaaay too early and there seemed to be more than a little deus ex machina going on.
It’s hard for me to rate this because I was so disappointed. My gut reaction says “1 star” but the writing itself wasn’t that bad. Grammar was decent and there weren’t any noticeable typos. I guess 1.5 stars?
Insatiable
– Contemporary Romance, EroticaRating: 3/5 stars
Rachel and Shawn have been best friends their entire lives. Their parents are best friends and they grew up together. Shawn has been in love with Rachel for years but she thinks of him only as a friend. She announces that she is going to NY to meet up with her first boyfriend and Shawn follows her – determined to hash out their relationship. Rachel feels that they don’t have a relationship other than friendship because their parents and everyone they know are constantly saying how great they were together.
Normally I love the “friends to lovers” trope. I think that they’re great and really enjoy them. This one, not so much. Well, I take that back, I hated Rachel! Hated her! Shawn pins his heart on his sleeve for her on numerous occasions and gets slapped in the face with her “family wants this so I don’t” issue time and time again. They kiss, she runs. They have hot sweaty monkey sex, she runs. (rinse and repeat) The BS angst Rachel has gets real old real fast and I read the rest of the book thinking she didn’t deserve him. Very few women would be willing to toss away a guy who’s handsome, talented, intelligent, tall, rich, gives great orgasms and is heads over heels in love with her simply because her parents would approve of the relationship.
I thought Shawn was great but a horrible martyr. I think he should have walked away from Rachel years ago and I felt he got the short end of the stick. And the ending??! I hated the ending.
4 stars for the “friends to lovers” trope
4 stars for Shawn
2 stars for annoying Rachel
3.3 stars
Loosheesh wrote: "Loosheesh wrote: "I'll give them a go and see how far I can reach in the series"I read and liked Dark Lover but decided not to continue; from reading the descriptions for the other books, they se..."
I felt the same way. It's good for a one off but the whole series isn't my cup of tea.
MrsJoseph wrote:
"4 stars for the “friends to lovers” trope
4 stars for Shawn
2 stars for annoying Rachel "
You forgot to rate the steamy bits!! :D
"4 stars for the “friends to lovers” trope
4 stars for Shawn
2 stars for annoying Rachel "
You forgot to rate the steamy bits!! :D
lol! I thought about it - but Rachel would get all angsty and that would kill it for me.
I didn't count this one as it was only 161 pages but I thought I'd post the review:The Spider Prince
– Romance/fantasy, EroticaRating: 3/5 stars
Blurb:
Amani Bantish has been passed over five times for marriage. She fears she has no hope for a husband until finally, the Spider Prince accepts her as his bride. Not for love, but to bear him an heir.
Two years ago, Ziyad Bihar lost his first wife, Karis, and their unborn son under the hooves of a raider’s horse. No one else could possibly compare to the woman he’d once loved, therefore his new bride will not be his princess.
But Ziyad cannot deny that the more he gets to know Amani, the more he fantasizes about his minx of a wife. Yet his loyalty to Karis pulls him deeper into his despair. When Amani’s life is threatened by the very man responsible for Karis’s death, Ziyad realizes he must fight for the woman he loves, or risk losing it all again.
I have mixed feelings about this book. The first half of the book was beautiful. The writing was poignant and sad but powerful. I found myself crying for the couple’s plight. Ziyad felt he was betraying his first wife’s memory and Amari only wanted him to love her. The pacing was great and I really felt both sides of the struggle – though I really thought that Ziyad was (more than) a bit of an asshat. The way he treated Amari was rather disgraceful but the author does a good job of making sure that the reader doesn’t completely dislike Ziyad. It’s clear to the reader that Ziyad had not really let go of his first wife but he had no real idea how much he was hurting Amari.
Just as we start getting to what I think should have been the climax of the book – it felt as if a different writer takes over. I felt as if the author had a list of things she wanted to do so she dumped a bunch of unnecessary things in the pot. Suddenly the pace picks up dramatically, the tone changes and the story rushes off in a different direction.
(view spoiler)
4 stars for the first half
2 stars for the second half
3 stars
Kushiel's Dart
- Epic FantasyBook 1 of the Kushiel's Legacy trilogy
Blurb:
The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good....and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt. Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. Sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with very a special mission....and the first one to recognize who and what she is: one pricked by Kushiel's dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one.
Phèdre is trained equally in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber, but, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Almost as talented a spy as she is courtesan, Phèdre stumbles upon a plot that threatens the very foundations of her homeland. Treachery sets her on her path; love and honor goad her further. And in the doing, it will take her to the edge of despair....and beyond.
Hateful friend, loving enemy, beloved assassin; they can all wear the same glittering mask in this world, and Phèdre will get but one chance to save all that she holds dear. Set in a world of cunning poets, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess, this is a novel of grandeur, luxuriance, sacrifice, betrayal, and deeply laid conspiracies. Not since Dune has there been an epic on the scale of Kushiel's Dart, a massive tale about the violent death of an old age, and the birth of a new.
There is no real way I can rate this book. I’ve read it a million times and I love it each time. It really is one of those books that you either love or hate. All I can say is Love as thou wilt.
MrsJoseph wrote: "Hateful friend, loving enemy, beloved assassin..."
Because of your previous post, I read that as:
Hateful friend, loving enemy, beloved asshat...
Just thought I'd share that. :D
Because of your previous post, I read that as:
Hateful friend, loving enemy, beloved asshat...
Just thought I'd share that. :D
lol!!! Now I'm going to see that everytime now, lol.
MrsJoseph wrote: "lol!!! Now I'm going to see that everytime now, lol."
LOL!! And you'll be thinking of me (or cussing at me) every time! :D
LOL!! And you'll be thinking of me (or cussing at me) every time! :D
:D We shall see...
How about this one?
MrsJoseph wrote: "How about this one?"
Perfect!! LOL!!
Perfect!! LOL!!
I saw you put Night Huntress on your tbr list. I can't wait to see what you think of them!
Everyone has been telling me that they are great books! I'm excited.
The Duke's Ballad
- High FantasySequel to
Rating: 4/5 stars
Blurb:
The Duke's Ballad is the tale of Aisling, a young witch from a family gifted with a magical power that she must protect from her brother, Kirion, who wields magic unlike the rest of the family's. He gains power only by a terrible means: by killing others who wield magic. Years ago, Aisling fled her native Kars when Kirion, working for the Duke of Kars, tried to kill her. Since Aisling's departure, Kirion has tightened his insidious hold on Duke Shastro. The malevolent sorcerer's dark influence works through Shastro to cast a deadly pall over all of Kars. A fatal chain of events is triggered when Kirion pitches the people of Kars into a war with a neighboring clan.Aisling recruits her younger brother Keelan and returns in disguise, determined to undermine Kirion's power and unseat his evil pawn from the throne. Accompanied also by a catlike telepathic beast, Aisling becomes part of Shastro's court. But even as she begins to learn the ways of court power, a brutally cold winter besieges the land, testing the endurance of the people of Kars, who have little cheer in that darkest season. As Kars and its people contend with Kirion's depredations, the warring clan's raids, and the devastating winter, Aisling and Keelan must somehow, through guile, persistence and ingenuity, find a way to avoid the attention of their dangerous older brother, and save the people from his murderous sorcery. Only if they can survive Kirion's terrible power can they deliver the dukedom into the peace and prosperity it once knew.
A wonderful book in Andre Norton’s Witch World series!
I really love this book and I’ve read it several times. When it comes to an old favorite, I find it hard to write reviews. I consider this book one of what I call my “Comfort Reads.” There are few words to describe the feelings I have when reading this book. I can say that I usually read this book several times a year and I’ve loved every reading.
A Gentleman's Honor
- Historical RomanceBook 2 of The Bastion Club
Rating: 4/5 stars
Blurb:
The Season has yet to begin, and the second member of the Bastion Club, tall, handsome Anthony Blake, Viscount Torrington, is already a target for every matchmaking mama in London. None of their flighty daughters can fix his interest, but a certain lady does...
Alicia is living a deception. Desperation has caused the determined but penniless lady to boldly launch her ravishing younger sister into the ton and have her make a spectacular match. By masquerading as the widowed "Mrs. Carrington" Alicia can act as the perfect chaperone…but fashionable ladies are not accused of murder...
When Tony Blake discovers Alicia standing over a dead body in his godmother’s garden, every instinct tells him she is innocent. His connections allow him to take control of the investigation, his social prominence provides her public support, but it is more than honor that compels him to protect her and to do everything in his seductive power to make her his.
I've read this book so many times I'm not sure I can give a good review.
Alicia and her sister Adrianna have hatched a plot to save the family. With both of their parents dead, two small brothers to care for and no real money, Alicia and her sister really need at least one of them to get married to a gentleman of standing. Their plot is simple: Alicia - as the oldest - will pretend to be the family's head as a widow and Adrianna - who is simply stunning - will land the husband.
They didn't plan that someone would try to accuse Alicia of murder.
Into this situation walks Anthony Blake, Viscount Torrington. Anthony immediately realizes that Alicia is the woman he has always wanted to marry. But first he must help protect Alicia’s family from a murderer and a murder accusation.
This is a cute romance. I enjoyed the not quite suspense of the murder and the slow building of Anthony and Alicia’s relationship. Neither the hero nor the heroine were cookie cutter characters and I love the set down that Alicia gives Tony toward the end.
It was rather annoying at times that Alicia has to rely so heavily on Anthony…but this is a historical…
Assassin's Apprentice
– Epic FantasyBook 1 of the Farseer Trilogy
Rating: 4/5 stars
Blurb:
Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father's gruff stableman. He is treated like an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz's blood runs the magic Skill--and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family. As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom.
This is another book I am having a hard time reviewing. There is a lot I like about this book. Fitz is a very engrossing character and the magical skills that he has are extremely interesting. Hobb seems to focus mainly on character development in this book. The book revolves around Fitz and his growth (both physically and as a person) and it is not very action based. There is action in the book but the majority of it is so remote that the reader barely notices it (with some exceptions). I found myself in tears rather often at Fitz’s plight.
I did learn something while reading this book:
Unlike all other surnames with the prefix "Fitz", Fitzpatrick is the only name of strictly Gaelic origin. When the Normans conquered England in 1066, they eventually migrated to Ireland. Hence, the prefix "Fitz" is a corruption of the French word "fils", meaning son. In time, "Fitz" came to mean "bastard son", as the Normans were regarded with great disdain by the local Gaels. A noteworthy "Fitz" name of true Norman origin is "Fitzroy" which derives from the French "fils de roi", meaning bastard son of the king."
Some spoiler related concerns I had:
(view spoiler)
Ciara's Song: A Chronicle of the Witch World
– Epic Fantasyprequel to:
Rating: 4/5 stars
Wonderful book! One of the things that I love the most about this book is that it is the story of regular life and regular people (for a fantasy, that is). This isn't a story that settles the fate of the world. This is a story that tells about the strength that is within the common, the importance of family ties, and love.
Satisfaction Guaranteed
– Contemporary Romance, adultRating: 2/5 Stars
Sela and Rome are childhood sweethearts who meet up again after 10 years at a high school reunion.
Wow. I'm not sure what to think or how to rate this.
The writing starts off decent and proceeds to pretty good. The plot starts pretty good, I love rekindled romances. The problem to me seems to be the relationship itself. At first the story starts as lovers reunited and it was pretty good. (view spoiler) Fast forward 10 years and they still have the hots for each other? I’m sure.
Because of this...I could not get down with the relationship. Not that the actions couldn't have happened just that the depth of the anger/hurt feelings seems that they would be too large for the two to "just hook up" at a reunion.
Then the author tosses in some (view spoiler)
When I think about this review, I feel like I should go and make this a 1/5.
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I found this to be a terrific novel. Right up there with the best that I've read.
Regards
Caleb"
I'm really enjoying The Name of the Wind but I have to pause with it a lot. The author is a fan of emotional tension and I'm not. I'm at the point where he runs into Deena again - for some reason I feel very stressed about this section so I'm taking a break. I learned my lesson with Rothfuss a few chapters back where I cried for several chapters straight. :-)