I was really looking forward to reading this book. The Vampire Academy series is one of my favorite new series and I was hoping that Mead's first adult series would be just as engaging. I didn't find this series opener as engaging as Vampire Academy was and I thought the characterization was a bit weak. The world that Mead created is interesting though and the main character has to deal with interesting moral issues.
Georgina Kincaid is a succubus. Unfortunately she is a somewhat unwilling succubus; instead of corrupting good souls she tends to feed off of the bottom-dwellers of society, much to the disdain of her demon boss. Georgina likes to live as a human and holds a job at a book store. When immortals in the community start dying after they argue with Georgina, the demon and angel community wants to know how she is involved.
I wanted to love this book, but I really only found it somewhat engaging. Georginia has been alive for centuries yet she still seems to struggle with some basic interaction with humans; which I found a bit unbelievable. She is also an indecisive and weak character. She spent a lot of the book getting distracted and making decisions and then unmaking them. She also spent the majority of the book whining about her succubus nature and then giving into it and then whining that she gave into it. All in all I thought the main character left a lot to be desired. Georgina's bright spot was her sharp wit; which after reading Magic Bites, still wasn't nearly as sharp as Kate Daniel's.
The above being said, some of the side characters were worth meeting. Gerogina's demon boss was interesting and his angelic friend Carter also promises to be an engaging character. The book writer Seth has many dimensions to his character that are just starting to be explored. The world itself is also interesting; Mead's angle on demon/angel politics was engaging and I am interested in learning more.
All in all I was expecting more of an paranormal action book and what I got was a paranormal romance novel. The actions scenes are all but non-existent; in fact Georgina spends some of what could be the most intense action scenes oblivious to the world. There are sections where the book drags quite a bit and not a whole lot happens. Overall though the book was engaging and interesting to read. In fact I have to say that the last three or four chapters in this book really redeemed it and made me decide to read the next book.
I am trying to keep in mind that this was kind of the intro book to the series, so overall I think it was okay. I am interested in what the second book will bring, but still on the fence as to whether or not I will continue reading after that. I really like my paranormal books heavier on the action, than on the romantic side. This book was definitely more of a romance. It has potential to be more of an action type.
I really enjoyed Kate Daniels series more than this one so far. I also enjoyed Mead's Vampire Academy a lot more. Hopefully the next book will be better.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Gregor and the Code of Claw by Suzanne Collins (5/5 stars)
This is the fifth (and so far) final book in the Underland Chronicles. I think it was my favorite book of the series and I think it did a nice job of wrapping up the series in a realistic (if not fairy tale happy ending) type of way.
You enter this book right where you left off in the 4th one. Gregor is returning to the castle with his injured comrades and running to let the Underlanders know they are about to be attacked by rats. Gregor finds out about the Prophecy of Time and ends up heavily engaged in war with the enemy. This story is basically all one long battle between the rats and the humans.
It was a great story. There was a ton of action and some waiting too; as is realistic for a large scale battle. A highlight is when Gregor's sister Lizzie shows up to help break the Code of Claw. Lizzie is great character and it was nice to see her get some page space. Also you learn a lot more about Ripred's past and why he is how he is; I loved this since he is one of my favorite characters in this series.
So, much happens in this book. It is a fun, fast-paced read. With great fight scenes and great lessons. There is a lot of emphasis on the craziness of war; "how do you decide which side is right?" and "does anyone really win in a war?" This series will do a good job of growing with the younger audience it is aimed at. In this book Gregor and Luxa have to deal with tougher questions than they have previously.
I loved this final book and overall think this is a great children's series. I think young adults and adults alike will also enjoy this final book and wish that maybe Collins was going to write a few more books with these wonderful characters.
You enter this book right where you left off in the 4th one. Gregor is returning to the castle with his injured comrades and running to let the Underlanders know they are about to be attacked by rats. Gregor finds out about the Prophecy of Time and ends up heavily engaged in war with the enemy. This story is basically all one long battle between the rats and the humans.
It was a great story. There was a ton of action and some waiting too; as is realistic for a large scale battle. A highlight is when Gregor's sister Lizzie shows up to help break the Code of Claw. Lizzie is great character and it was nice to see her get some page space. Also you learn a lot more about Ripred's past and why he is how he is; I loved this since he is one of my favorite characters in this series.
So, much happens in this book. It is a fun, fast-paced read. With great fight scenes and great lessons. There is a lot of emphasis on the craziness of war; "how do you decide which side is right?" and "does anyone really win in a war?" This series will do a good job of growing with the younger audience it is aimed at. In this book Gregor and Luxa have to deal with tougher questions than they have previously.
I loved this final book and overall think this is a great children's series. I think young adults and adults alike will also enjoy this final book and wish that maybe Collins was going to write a few more books with these wonderful characters.
Gregor and the Marks of Secret by Suzanne Collins (4/5 stars)
This is the fourth book in the Underland Chronicles. It was a great book as things really start to heat up in the Underland.
When one of the bats returns the crown that Luxa left with the Nibblers; Luxa knows the Nibblers must be in big trouble. Gregor is also making regular visits to the Underland to visit his ailing mother; during these visits Gregor trains with Ripred to improve his echolocation and in one visit meets the Bane. The Bane has grown substantially since Gregor saved him and is becoming a creature to match his name. Frustrated with the slowness of the council Luxa convinces Gregor and crew to meet with the Nibblers, but the Nibblers have disappeared and Gregor and Luxa (accompanied by Howard and Boots) are in for another another adventure that leads to a climax in the Underdark that has so long been inevitable.
This was a great book. It ripped along at a very fast pace, was very entertaining, and hard to put down. I just flew through this book. This book is different from the previous books in that the book is not a contained adventure; this book ends in the middle of the action and leads right into book 5. So, I would definitely get book 5 ahead of time to avoid frustration of being stranded in the middle of the story at the end of this book. It is also different from the other books in that there is not a prophecy forcing the story forward.
There is more blood and violence in this book than the other books. As the characters mature, so do the things they are forced to deal with. Luxa and Gregor both grow a lot as characters and begin to accept their responsibilities. You get to see a lot more of Gregor's rager abilities and a lot more of Luxa making the decisions a Queen must make. Ripred and Boots are deeply involved in the story too; these are probably my two favorite characters in this series.
A great addition to the series. Leads you to the climax of these books; very engrossing and fast-paced read. I wasn't thrilled with this series after the first couple books; but the last two books have made reading the series all worth while!
When one of the bats returns the crown that Luxa left with the Nibblers; Luxa knows the Nibblers must be in big trouble. Gregor is also making regular visits to the Underland to visit his ailing mother; during these visits Gregor trains with Ripred to improve his echolocation and in one visit meets the Bane. The Bane has grown substantially since Gregor saved him and is becoming a creature to match his name. Frustrated with the slowness of the council Luxa convinces Gregor and crew to meet with the Nibblers, but the Nibblers have disappeared and Gregor and Luxa (accompanied by Howard and Boots) are in for another another adventure that leads to a climax in the Underdark that has so long been inevitable.
This was a great book. It ripped along at a very fast pace, was very entertaining, and hard to put down. I just flew through this book. This book is different from the previous books in that the book is not a contained adventure; this book ends in the middle of the action and leads right into book 5. So, I would definitely get book 5 ahead of time to avoid frustration of being stranded in the middle of the story at the end of this book. It is also different from the other books in that there is not a prophecy forcing the story forward.
There is more blood and violence in this book than the other books. As the characters mature, so do the things they are forced to deal with. Luxa and Gregor both grow a lot as characters and begin to accept their responsibilities. You get to see a lot more of Gregor's rager abilities and a lot more of Luxa making the decisions a Queen must make. Ripred and Boots are deeply involved in the story too; these are probably my two favorite characters in this series.
A great addition to the series. Leads you to the climax of these books; very engrossing and fast-paced read. I wasn't thrilled with this series after the first couple books; but the last two books have made reading the series all worth while!
Princess Ben by Catherine Murdock (4/5 stars)
This was a cute book and a fast read. I actually listened to it on audio book and the audio book was well done.
Princess Benevolence is not you typical princess; she is not beautiful and she wants nothing to do with being a princess. When her parents are killed on a journey she is left alone with only the dreaded Queen as her teacher and guardian. Every time Ben thinks she reached the lowest low in her life things get worse; that is until she stumbles upon a magic room that leads her into an amazing adventure.
More than anything this book is about growing up. Ben is definitely not a likable character in the beginning on the book. There are a number of times when I think she deserved what the Queen dealt out; Ben is selfish and whiny. I kind of wish that a bit less of the book had been spent developing Ben's unsavory character. About a third of the book deals with Ben as she is forced to take on princess responsibilities that she detests. I would have been happier if Ben's character had been established quicker and we had moved on to more interesting parts of the story sooner.
After the first third or so the story picks up the pace. This story is a coming of age story clear and simple. It is not a complicated story and is an appropriate story for children and young adults; I enjoyed the story too. It was nice to read a good story that spans a large age group.
Although not the most wonderful or intricate story; this story is a cute twist on your classic princess and dragon fairy tales. It is simple and sweet story that doesn't tax your brain but still teaches some important life lessons. It was a fun read as Princess Ben has a dry sense of humor people should enjoy. I also enjoyed how Murdock wove some elements from classic fairy tales we all know and love into the story.
I would recommend this book and I look forward to more books by Murdock. If you like fairy tales and stories about princesses; this is the book for you. This isn't a life-changing story but it is a light and enjoyable read that has a good message in it.
Princess Benevolence is not you typical princess; she is not beautiful and she wants nothing to do with being a princess. When her parents are killed on a journey she is left alone with only the dreaded Queen as her teacher and guardian. Every time Ben thinks she reached the lowest low in her life things get worse; that is until she stumbles upon a magic room that leads her into an amazing adventure.
More than anything this book is about growing up. Ben is definitely not a likable character in the beginning on the book. There are a number of times when I think she deserved what the Queen dealt out; Ben is selfish and whiny. I kind of wish that a bit less of the book had been spent developing Ben's unsavory character. About a third of the book deals with Ben as she is forced to take on princess responsibilities that she detests. I would have been happier if Ben's character had been established quicker and we had moved on to more interesting parts of the story sooner.
After the first third or so the story picks up the pace. This story is a coming of age story clear and simple. It is not a complicated story and is an appropriate story for children and young adults; I enjoyed the story too. It was nice to read a good story that spans a large age group.
Although not the most wonderful or intricate story; this story is a cute twist on your classic princess and dragon fairy tales. It is simple and sweet story that doesn't tax your brain but still teaches some important life lessons. It was a fun read as Princess Ben has a dry sense of humor people should enjoy. I also enjoyed how Murdock wove some elements from classic fairy tales we all know and love into the story.
I would recommend this book and I look forward to more books by Murdock. If you like fairy tales and stories about princesses; this is the book for you. This isn't a life-changing story but it is a light and enjoyable read that has a good message in it.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Swoon by Nina Malkin (1/5 stars)
I got this book through Amazon Vine. I was excited to get it because I actually had this book on my wish list. Boy was I disappointed.
The concept is interesting. Dice has some psychic ability. When her friend Pen falls from a tree and dies for a moment; Pen's body is entered by the spirit of Sinclair (Sin). Sin was wrongly murdered many, many years ago and wants revenge against the town of Swoon (where they all live). Sins presence makes Pen act out and Dice tries to exorcise Sin; instead she ends up giving him a physical body that allows him to wreck havoc in person instead of through Pen.
Okay if the premise sounds interesting, it is. Unfortunately the execution of the story left a lot to be desired. All of the characters come across as stereotypical and flat. The story itself is inconsistent and disjointed; chapters end in the middle of a scene only to have new chapters start in a completely different setting. It leaves wondering if some pages fell out of the book or something. An example of this: a big deal is made about how Dice need to hitchhike to get someone to drive her back to New York city, she meets a psychic there. In the middle of their meeting the chapter ends. In the next chapter Dice is suddenly back in Swoon getting ready for a Halloween party. How did she get back to Swoon? A big deal was made about how she got out of Swoon, so how did she suddenly get back? What happened to her meeting with the psychic? I mean really would it hurt to have some consistency?
I also had a bit of a problem with this being dubbed a young adult novel. Throughout the novel drug use runs rampant. We are talking use of every kind of drug you can think of; it is casual use with no real purpose to the story. The drug use is such that every single character in the book casually uses drugs; it really gives the message that all young teens casually use drugs and I found it kind of disturbing. Which leads to the problem of the casual sexuality in this book too. I am all for liberal sex (big fan of the Anita Blake books here); but when you have young adults having loads of casual sex among themselves, trying to seduce teachers, and descriptions of casual sex between senior citizens...it was all just a bit weird for me. I would have been uncomfortable reading this as a "young adult".
Now let's briefly discuss Sin and Dice's "relationship". There is no relationship. Dice loves Sin (for no reason) and Sin constantly abuses her emotionally and occasionally physically. Still somehow Dice and Sin are supposed to be the ultimate star-crossed couple...ummm no, they are just dysfunctional. I found many of the characters' relationships with each other to be equally disturbing and unhealthy. I also never really got the point of the story.
Some of the above could be excused if the story was fast-paced, engaging, or fun to read. Unfortunately it is none of those. I had a lot of trouble getting through the book; believe it or not all of the sex and drug use was so prevalent it got very boring to read about. The whole time I read this book I was just counting down the pages, hoping that soon I would get to the end of it.
I usually try to find something positive to say about a book; but seriously I did not like this book and I have nothing positive to say about it.
The concept is interesting. Dice has some psychic ability. When her friend Pen falls from a tree and dies for a moment; Pen's body is entered by the spirit of Sinclair (Sin). Sin was wrongly murdered many, many years ago and wants revenge against the town of Swoon (where they all live). Sins presence makes Pen act out and Dice tries to exorcise Sin; instead she ends up giving him a physical body that allows him to wreck havoc in person instead of through Pen.
Okay if the premise sounds interesting, it is. Unfortunately the execution of the story left a lot to be desired. All of the characters come across as stereotypical and flat. The story itself is inconsistent and disjointed; chapters end in the middle of a scene only to have new chapters start in a completely different setting. It leaves wondering if some pages fell out of the book or something. An example of this: a big deal is made about how Dice need to hitchhike to get someone to drive her back to New York city, she meets a psychic there. In the middle of their meeting the chapter ends. In the next chapter Dice is suddenly back in Swoon getting ready for a Halloween party. How did she get back to Swoon? A big deal was made about how she got out of Swoon, so how did she suddenly get back? What happened to her meeting with the psychic? I mean really would it hurt to have some consistency?
I also had a bit of a problem with this being dubbed a young adult novel. Throughout the novel drug use runs rampant. We are talking use of every kind of drug you can think of; it is casual use with no real purpose to the story. The drug use is such that every single character in the book casually uses drugs; it really gives the message that all young teens casually use drugs and I found it kind of disturbing. Which leads to the problem of the casual sexuality in this book too. I am all for liberal sex (big fan of the Anita Blake books here); but when you have young adults having loads of casual sex among themselves, trying to seduce teachers, and descriptions of casual sex between senior citizens...it was all just a bit weird for me. I would have been uncomfortable reading this as a "young adult".
Now let's briefly discuss Sin and Dice's "relationship". There is no relationship. Dice loves Sin (for no reason) and Sin constantly abuses her emotionally and occasionally physically. Still somehow Dice and Sin are supposed to be the ultimate star-crossed couple...ummm no, they are just dysfunctional. I found many of the characters' relationships with each other to be equally disturbing and unhealthy. I also never really got the point of the story.
Some of the above could be excused if the story was fast-paced, engaging, or fun to read. Unfortunately it is none of those. I had a lot of trouble getting through the book; believe it or not all of the sex and drug use was so prevalent it got very boring to read about. The whole time I read this book I was just counting down the pages, hoping that soon I would get to the end of it.
I usually try to find something positive to say about a book; but seriously I did not like this book and I have nothing positive to say about it.
Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods by Suzanne Collins (4/5 stars)
The third book in the Underland Chronicles is one of the better ones so far in this series.
Gregor is called back down to the Underland when a horrible plague breaks out among the Underlanders. Upon arrival in the Underland Gregor finds himself swept up in yet another prophecy; The Prophecy of the Blood. Can Gregor and others find the cure for the plague in time? Or will all of the warmbloods be destroyed?
This was a quick read and a fast-paced novel. I continually find the presence of Boots as the two-year-old Princess of the crawlers (as I have a two year old son, I find that Boots' character is spot on). Gregor grows quite a bit as a character in this novel as do the people he travels with. There is a lot to wrench your heart in this novel and a lot of hope too. All of my favorite characters rejoined and it was nice to see Gregor's mom play a larger role in this book. There is also a ton of action and some great new characters that make an entrance.
I thought this was a really good book in this series. It made me really look forward to the next book in the series. I also think when my son gets a bit older these would be great books for us to read together.
Gregor is called back down to the Underland when a horrible plague breaks out among the Underlanders. Upon arrival in the Underland Gregor finds himself swept up in yet another prophecy; The Prophecy of the Blood. Can Gregor and others find the cure for the plague in time? Or will all of the warmbloods be destroyed?
This was a quick read and a fast-paced novel. I continually find the presence of Boots as the two-year-old Princess of the crawlers (as I have a two year old son, I find that Boots' character is spot on). Gregor grows quite a bit as a character in this novel as do the people he travels with. There is a lot to wrench your heart in this novel and a lot of hope too. All of my favorite characters rejoined and it was nice to see Gregor's mom play a larger role in this book. There is also a ton of action and some great new characters that make an entrance.
I thought this was a really good book in this series. It made me really look forward to the next book in the series. I also think when my son gets a bit older these would be great books for us to read together.
Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand by Carrie Vaughn (3/5 stars)
This is book 5 in the Kitty Norville series. It was definitely not a strong book in this series. The book really spent more time kind of setting up a new story.
In this book Kitty and Ben decide to go to Las Vegas to get married. Only things start to get complicated. Kitty's boss talks her into doing a televised version of her radio show while she's in Vegas and Rick asks Kitty to deliver a note to the Master vampire of Las Vegas. Things begin to fall apart when Kitty finds out about the local Las Vegas pack and stumbles upon new types of magic and a secret that the local vampires have been keeping under wraps.
This was an okay book in the series. I felt like Kitty spent a lot of time running around sticking her nose in where she shouldn't and in general not really accomplishing anything. It was a bit frustrating to watch Kitty not have a clue what she was doing. She even had trouble getting guests for her radio show. In general the pace of this book was a bit frantic and not in a griping and engaging sort of way. There is also a large shortage of action scenes; I think there is one action scene in the whole darn book...maybe two.
None of the characters were really developed any further. A lot of main characters from the previous books are conspicuously absent for most of this book. Even Ben is only actually present for a very brief amount of time. Overall it seemed like the sole purpose of this book was to introduce some new characters and set up some big events for the next book; so let's hope the next book is better.
Which leads me to the positive points of this book; it wasn't a total loss. Balthasar and Odysseus Grant are amazing characters. New and interesting magic elements move throughout the story. The book is a quick and still fun read. It is somewhat engaging. This is an okay book about Kitty; just don't get too excited about it. See it as a necessary read to continue on in the series and hope that the 6th book is awesome.
In this book Kitty and Ben decide to go to Las Vegas to get married. Only things start to get complicated. Kitty's boss talks her into doing a televised version of her radio show while she's in Vegas and Rick asks Kitty to deliver a note to the Master vampire of Las Vegas. Things begin to fall apart when Kitty finds out about the local Las Vegas pack and stumbles upon new types of magic and a secret that the local vampires have been keeping under wraps.
This was an okay book in the series. I felt like Kitty spent a lot of time running around sticking her nose in where she shouldn't and in general not really accomplishing anything. It was a bit frustrating to watch Kitty not have a clue what she was doing. She even had trouble getting guests for her radio show. In general the pace of this book was a bit frantic and not in a griping and engaging sort of way. There is also a large shortage of action scenes; I think there is one action scene in the whole darn book...maybe two.
None of the characters were really developed any further. A lot of main characters from the previous books are conspicuously absent for most of this book. Even Ben is only actually present for a very brief amount of time. Overall it seemed like the sole purpose of this book was to introduce some new characters and set up some big events for the next book; so let's hope the next book is better.
Which leads me to the positive points of this book; it wasn't a total loss. Balthasar and Odysseus Grant are amazing characters. New and interesting magic elements move throughout the story. The book is a quick and still fun read. It is somewhat engaging. This is an okay book about Kitty; just don't get too excited about it. See it as a necessary read to continue on in the series and hope that the 6th book is awesome.
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