Review - Black Lament (Madeline Black, Book 4) by Christina Henry (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 288 pages
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: October 30, 2012
ISBN: 978-0425256572
Stand Alone or Series: 4th book in the Madeline Black series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the fourth book in the Madeline Black series. It was a solid installment in this series, if not the best one in the series. The fifth book in the series, Black City, is scheduled for a Feb 2013 release.

Madeline Black finds out from Lucifer that she is pregnant with Gabriel's baby. Now she not only has to evade numerous assassination attempts from the Faerie court, she also has to hunt down her father to revenge Gabriel, and keep her unborn child out of Lucifer's hands. All of this while she continues to grieve for Gabriel.

This story was fast-paced and has a lot going on. Definitely more of an urban fantasy than PNR. These are always interesting books because, while they don’t always have a clear story or objective, there is always a lot happening and it’s engaging.

Maddie has embraced her power and isn’t afraid to destroy everything in her path to get to a goal. This book is interesting because she is forced to temper her behavior slightly to allow for her pregnancy. I do enjoy how powerful she has become and how she is always kicking someone’s butt.

My favorite character in this series continues to be Beezle the gargoyle; he just adds so much witty banter and humor to the story. Simon and JB are also running support for Maddie and it was great to have them be part of the story as well.

The other character that features in the story that I was surprised to enjoy is Nathaniel. He is in the story a lot because he is assigned by Lucifer to guard Maddie. He is becoming a more complex character and you couldn’t help but feel a bit bad for him at times.

We delve a lot deeper into the faerie realms in this book and I really enjoyed all the crazy faerie creatures that try to hunt Maddie down. There are some seriously creepy faerie creatures in this book and I loved reading about them.

I do like that they were some big revelations with Maddie’s character; I think this book paved the way for her to really grow and change in future books. She is finally embracing her godlike heritage.

My only complaint is that Maddie is a bit too lucky and powerful and is continually getting out of situations she shouldn't be able to get out of. She tends to blast her way through situations that she could probably talk her way out of. While I enjoy the action scenes; I do feel like Maddie’s overzealousness and crazy luck is a bit over the top.

Overall I really enjoyed this story. Fans of the this series should be happy with this installment. We meet some new and interesting fairy creatures. We also get to see Maddie go through some big changes. Maddie’s continual ability to escape impossible situations unscathed does get a bit old, but I do enjoy the fast pace of the story and all of the interesting characters. I recommend this series to fans of urban fantasy. There are better urban fantasy series out there, but this is still a solid one that I enjoy reading.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

Review - Attack of the Vampire Weenies: And Other Warped and Creepy Tales by David Lubar (3/5 stars)

Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Horror/Humor/Short Stories
Size: 224 pages
Publisher: Starscape
Release Date: April 24, 2012
ISBN: 978-0765363237
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Copy from BEA
Rating: 3/5 stars

I got a copy of this book at Book Expo America in 2011 (yep it’s taken me a while to get to it). This is definitely one of those books aimed at reluctant boy readers in the 8-13 age range. Some of the stories are amusing, but they are all very short and end up being more sketches of ideas than fully realized stories.

There are 30+ stories in this slim 224 page book. So that alone will give you an idea of story length. The stories run a large range of weird and creepy. There’s a story about a boy who gets the ride of his life on an amusement park ride. There’s a story about mutant ants and one about a dragon. There is a parody story that pokes fun at sparkly vampires fans too.

All in all a pretty large range of the strange and creepy here. Many of the stories end with the lead boy dying or being hurt in some gruesome way; so if that bothers you as a parent just a heads up. Also given the frequent death I wouldn’t recommend this for younger kids, I honestly think it might be too intense and scary for them.

The stories are decently written but pretty simple stories with pretty simple sentence structure. This is definitely aimed at reluctant boy readers ages 8 to 14 or so. So if you are a boy in that age range I think you will really relate to and enjoy the stories. In many cases the main protagonist in the story is a boy, so that seems to be the audience Lubar is aiming for.

As an adult reading these stories I thought they were okay. The stories are very short and are basically quick sketches of ideas. Not a lot of character development and world building here; although most of the stories are full of some sort of irony that is darkly humorous. Again though, it is dark humor, I think while middle grade kids will enjoy it, younger kids might take it too literally and be scared.

I am going to keep this book around for my son to read when he’s a few years older (he’s five now). On a side note I got to meet Lubar and talk to him about this book at BEA. He was an incredibly nice guy who warned me right off the bat that these stories would be to intense for younger kids.

Overall an okay book. While I wouldn’t recommend this to adults, I do think boys in the 8-13 year age range will get a kick out of these stories. They are creepy and eerie horror stories filled with irony and dark humor. They poke fun at things boys will get into (like obnoxious older sisters and crazy classmates). If you have a middle grade reader who enjoys humor and horror definitely check this out.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

Review - The Kingmakers (Vampire Empire, Book 3) by Clay and Susan Griffith (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Size: 374 pages
Publisher: Pyr
Release Date: September 4, 2012
ISBN: 978-1616146740
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in the Vampire Empire series
Source: Bought
Rating: 5/5 stars

This is the concluding novel in the Vampire Empire trilogy. It was an excellent end to the series. Lots of wonderful action, some romance, and epic battles. These are some great characters in a truly creative world.

Adele is launching an all out attack on the Northern European vampires. She is set on using her Geomancy to its fullest to save lives and reduce combat time. At her side helping support her cause is Gareth as the Greyfriar. As the war continues Gareth realizes he might make a larger difference by leaving Greyfriar behind and stepping up to claim his birthright.

This book is very well balanced. There is a well thought out and detailed world that is creative and interesting. The characters are likable and easy to engage with. There are lots of excellent military/battle scenes but also lots of tender scenes between Adele and Gareth. This book seamlessly blends steampunk themes with epic fantasy.

Adele and Gareth continue to be very well done characters. Adele is strong and smart and does what she has to for her country. Your heart goes out to her and Gareth and their star-crossed love, especially since with the war moving at a faster pace Adele has to use her Geomancy power more than ever which makes it so that Gareth can’t be near her without being in pain. It was pretty awesome to see Adele finally embrace her Geomancy.

Gareth continues to be a complex and interesting character who is completely and absolutely loyal to Adele. He grew a lot as a character in this story and finally begins to realize that his birthright allows him a lot of power to influence the war between vampires and humans.

The side characters are all very well done. Anhalt is loyal and completely supportive of Adele; he is one of the few who truly understands what she is dealing with. We learn a lot more about Mamoru and some of the decisions he makes feature strongly in the plot as well. Cesare doesn’t have a ton of page space but Flay does, and she has an interesting role to play in things.

This is a long book, but it doesn’t feel like it when you read it. I am not a huge fan of war-based storylines, but this book completely sucked me in. The writing it so well done and so easy to read. Everything is just in perfect balance.

So you want to know if Adele and Gareth get their fairy tale ending? Well I can’t you that without spoiling the book, but let’s just say I think readers will be pleased with how things are left. Things end in a way that I thought was plausible and, while up beat,wasn’t completely fairy tale unrealistic.

Overall an excellent conclusion to this series. I can’t wait to see what the Griffiths come up with next. If you are a fan of epic fantasy check this series out. If you are a fan of steampunk check this series out. It is a very creative and engaging series that balances action, politics, war, and romance incredibly well. Highly recommended.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge
- Steampunk Reading Challenge

Waiting on Wednesday - 11/21/12

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week my Waiting on Wednesday book is

Crimson Frost (Mythos Academy) by Jennifer Estep.

Click on the image to go to Amazon and read more about this book.

Crimson Frost (Mythos Academy) by Jennifer Estep
Release Date: December 24th, 2012

Publisher: K-Teen
Length: 384 pages
ISBN: 978-0758281463


Synopsis from Amazon.com:

Gwen should have known that her first official date with Logan Quinn was destined to end in disaster. She was prepared to get into a swordfight, or be ambushed by Reapers. But getting arrested mid-sip at the local coffee hangout? She didn't see that one coming. Gwen is accused of purposely helping the Reapers free the evil god Loki from his prison - and the person leading the charge against her is Linus Quinn, Logan's dad. The worst part is that pretty much everyone at Mythos Academy thinks she's guilty. If she's going to get out of this mess alive, she'll have to do it herself...

Review - The Demoness of Waking Dreams (Company of Angels, Book 2) by Stephanie Chong (3/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Size: 368 pages
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Release Date: August 28, 2012
ISBN: 978-0778313144
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the Company of Angels series
Source: copy from publisher for review
Rating: 3/5 stars

This is the second book in the Company of Angels series by Chong. I did not read the first book in this series, but each book in the series is supposed to stand well on its own. This was an okay read, but pretty typical paranormal romance fare. I didn’t hate the book, but I was pretty ambivalent about it too. I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Luciana is a dangerous Rogue demoness and has been a demoness for centuries. Brendan is a relatively new Guardian Angel who is tasked with the mission of capturing her. As Luciana invades Brendan’s dreams both of them end up challenging their roles of good and evil.

This is pretty typical pararnormal romance fair. Both Luciana and Brendan have tortured pasts amd are drawn to each other. This pretty much turns into a man chases woman type of storyline. Luciana tries to seduce Brendan but finds that she is one one being seduced in turn. Brendan is trying to redeem Luciana but finds that the darkness in her matches the darkness in himself. Their love is star-crossed and doomed from the start.

The writing is okay; but the conversations between Brandon and Luciana sound a bit awkward at times and don't flow well. Most of the book is easy to read and flows well; it is just character conversations that are awkward. Also there is pretty much no humor in this book at all and it makes for a dry read at times.

I thought the chemistry between Luciana and Brendan was lackluster as well; there is some heat here but not much. I was never able to really care if they managed to make it as a couple. I was never on the edge of my seat desperate to know what would happen. Most of the sex scenes take place in their dreams, and to be honest they are pretty boring and unimaginative scenes.

There isn’t a ton of plot outside of Brendan hunting down Luciana for the Company of Angels. You learn a little about Brendan and Luciana’s past and about the past between the demons and angels...but it’s just enough to hold the story together and not very elaborate.

Overall this definitely wasn’t my favorite paranormal romance read. There are much better series out there. It’s not a horrible book, but I didn’t find it to be all that engaging either. The story is pretty much typical paranormal romance fare; there is some plot here but not much. The story mainly revolves around Brendan hunting down Luciana. I would tentatively recommend if you are a huge paranormal romance fan and enjoy angel/demon love stories. Mostly though I would say look elsewhere for your PNR fix.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

Audiobook Review - Rebel Heart (Dust Lands, Book 2) by Moira Young (3/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic
Size: 432 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release Date: October 30, 2012
ISBN: 978-1442430006
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the Dust Lands series
Source: Audiobook through Audible.com
Rating: 3/5 stars

This is the second book in the Dust Lands series by Young. I absolutely adored Blood Red Road and was so excited to read this book. To be honest this book was a bit of a disappointment. Gone is the fierce Saba from Blood Red Road, she’s been replaced by a whiny emotional wreck of a young woman.

I listened to this on an audiobook. The audiobook was very well done. The narrator does an excellent job of capturing the stark language and slang used throughout the novel.

We hear briefly from Jack a bit in the beginning. The rest of the story is with Saba and her siblings as they journey across the Waste to the west. Saba is seeing shadows that are slowly driving her insane; she seeks help from a spiritual healer in a nearby town. This part of the story was a bit odd and I don’t understand why it was included here...but whatever.

Then when Maeve stumbles into town she brings word from Jack. Saba and crew abandon their quest to go West and turn back to travel to the Storm Belt to meet up with Jack.

Gone are the awesome action scenes and kick-butt Saba from the first book. In her place we have a selfish, wreck of a girl that's a shadow of herself. Saba doesn’t come off as tough but more of an emotional wreck whose world is slowly falling to pieces. Seriously Saba is so overly emotional about everything, sometimes following her mercurial changes in temperament just plain wore me out.

Saba continually makes rash emotional decisions that end up hurting the group. She never seems to learn from her mistakes. I understand that Saba's ability to feel emotions so keenly is special in this stark wasteland; but by the end of the book I wanted to smack her.

For some reason it seems like Saba is defining her whole existence by the men in her life. Her actions are driven by her brother, Jack, and even her enemy the Pathfinder and her emotions about them. It’s so different from the tough and pragmatic Saba in Blood Red Road.

Saba’s brother Lugh is just plain creepy throughout the book; he is controlling and a bit evil. His manipulation of Saba and his possessiveness gave me the creeps.

The best characters in this book are Em, Saba’s younger sister, whose incredible wisdom and cheerfulness add a lot to the bleak story. Also Saba and crew steal a cart from a medicine man named Slim; Slim ends up accompanying them on their journey to the Storm Belt. Slim is an awesome character; he adds some humor and seems to genuinely care about this group of wandering kids.

I still enjoyed the stark language and dusty, dank post-apocalyptic setting. I also enjoyed the glimpses back into the old Wrecker culture that made this horrible bleak world what it was.

Overall didn't like this book as much as the first one. I continue to enjoy the dank dusty world and stark language used to tell this story. I did not enjoy the emotional wrecked and selfish Saba that we deal with in this book. I didn’t understand the why behind the whole first half of the this book and hope that somehow it ties in with the third book and makes sense. Hopefully the final book in the series will be better and make some of the things that happened in the second book more meaningful. I will definitely read the final book in this series just because I did love Blood Red Road so much and I do love this world. Still, this definitely wasn’t a strong continuation of the series.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Dystopia Reading Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

Showcase Sunday and Mailbox Monday - 11/19/12

Hello and welcome to Showcase Sunday. Inspired by Pop Culture Junkie and the Story Siren, the aim of Showcase Sunday is to highlight our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders each week. For more information about how this feature works and how to join in, click here.

Mailbox Monday can be found at: The Printed Page

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

This week I got eight books.  Four were for review.  You can watch the video below to see more info on them.  You can also click on the pics below to go to Amazon for a synopsis.

Hope you all had a great week of reading and got some wonderful books!

For Review

   

Bought

From Library