Twisted Kingdom

Clay Bennett is a powerful DarkRiver sentinel, but he grew up in the slums with his human mother, never knowing his changeling father. As a young boy without the bonds of Pack, he tried to stifle his animal nature. He failed...and committed the most extreme act of violence, killing a man and losing his best friend, Talin, in the bloody aftermath. Everything good in him died the day he was told that she, too, was dead.

Talin McKade barely survived a childhood drenched in bloodshed and terror. Now a new nightmare is stalking her life--the street children she works to protect are disappearing and turning up dead. Determined to keep them safe, she unlocks the darkest secret in her heart and returns to ask the help of the strongest man she knows...

Clay lost Talin once. He will not let her go again, his hunger to possess her, a clawing need born of the leopard within. As they race to save the innocent, Clay and Talin must face the violent truths of their past...or lose everything that ever mattered.

Reason for Reading: I've been bitten by the Nalini Singh bug. Really, I woke up last weekend and had the strangest burning in my stomach. I quickly realized I needed to read some Singh.

The blurb above did a good job of describing what goes on without being spoilerish. And I don't really want to dole out spoilers for the series, I mean, there's a lot of complicated stuff going on with the Psy Council and some mysterious figure called the Ghost. oooohhhhh

My Thoughts: Ok, I need to be brutally honest here. The first half of this book almost had me ripping out my hair. I found Talin and her fear of Clay to be very very frustrating. I just couldn't get past how afraid she was! I just wanted to smack her. Also, I found Clay too...too much - his beast was always ready to pop out and wanted to scream and roar for his mate and blah. It was like we were being told Clay was on the edge to create some drama but I just wasn't feeling it because Talin's fear was so annoying all on its own. Clay's drama was just another annoyance.

Also, Talin comes to Clay to find one of her missing children (she works for an organization called Shine that helps disadvantaged children). Only they actually don't go about finding anyone until well after page 100. Because the first 100 pages is all about Talin's drama.

Can you see now why I was annoyed?

Fortunately, things pick up in the last half of the book. Talin eventually realizes that Clay would never hurt her (duh). Once that happens, my frustration melted away and I got into the story and could not put it down.

But - and there is a but - in all the other past books, there's been a lot of action. Like going after the Psy, actively going after them. In Mine to Possess, the resolution was handed to our characters almost on a silver platter and I wanted some action! That's my only beef with the last half of MtP.

I'm giving Mine to Possess a C+. Even after all the frustration, I still had a big smile on my face when I finished the last page.

As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now a defector, his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins—cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna...

Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted—and had her mind violated—by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep, she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives...

Sometimes I can really kick myself for letting a book languish and collect dust in my TBR Monster for so long. But you know, there's always a right time for something and the stars were in alignment so there you go - I finally got around to reading the 3rd in Nalini Singh's Psy/Changeling Series.

And I do deserve a kick in the butt.

Why? Because I enjoyed it so much!

In Visions of Heat (book 2) there was a Psy serial killer that was targeting young female changelings. Brenna was the only victim to survive, but not without some severe psychological scars. The most damaging I believe was her inability to shift to her wolf form - an intrinsic part of who she is, stolen. Among all her rescuers that day was Judd, a Psy assassin who dropped out of the Net to protect his family.

In the aftermath of the events from Visions of Heat, Brenna has been looking for answers to what happened inside her mind from Judd. Brenna believes that there may be something wrong with her that maybe Sascha didn't pick up during the healing, namely the fact that there's a dead Changeling in the compound and Brenna swore she saw it happen. Which leaves everyone nervous, namely the killer.

So now there's another murderer on the scene and the Psy Council is creating a new version of the PsyNet that resembles a hive-mind (think the Borg) and they're trying to manipulate the wolves and leopards into taking each other out, which puts tension on the truce between the two clans. And right in the middle of all this is one strong-willed Changeling and one cold Psy assassin.

With all the scheming and plotting, I thought I'd get confused. But I didn't. A fact which attests to Ms. Singh's strength in world building. Because even behind the PsyNet, there's the Ghost, a mysterious figure who is keeping the Psy Council from progressing too far with their hive-mind. It all blends together and builds up and the reader is caught right up in it. I can see a big improvement in the writing from Slave to Sensations. Things were much smoother here.

As much as I found the greater complicated picture interesting, the real story for me was Judd and Brenna's relationship. This was the heart of the book and I loved these two characters.

Brenna only survived what she did because she has a will so strong she made herself heal faster than everyone thought possible. And despite her strength and steely determination, everyone is treating her with kid gloves with drives her crazy. Her experience changed her but it also left her vulnerable, and she finds herself seeking comfort from the emotionless Psy, Judd. And Judd, with the abilities he has put together with the training he endured is a block of ice - no emotions, no closeness. But slowly Brenna starts to get through all his shields.

Eventually, he looks forward to seeing her, he becomes protective of her and he doesn't shun her casual touches. Even if it causes him pain to open himself up to Brenna, he does it, he can't help himself. And he knows that with his abilities he can kill her with a thought, so he welcomes that pain - anything to keep Brenna safe from himself.

Caressed by Ice is an excellent read and a great installment to the series - I enjoyed it more than I did VoH. I thoroughly enjoyed it and if you haven't already picked up this series, what are you waiting for?

A solid B+ from me!

Completion Date: June 27, 2007
Pages: 343
Publication Year: 2007 (Signet Eclipse)
Purchased in 2007
Book Two in The Gardella Vampire Chronicles

Reason for Reading: I wanted to find out what happened next, of course.

In Italy, a powerful vampire is amassing the power to control the souls of the dead. Lady Victoria Gardella de Lacy-a vampire slayer for just over a year-races across Europe to stop what could be the most deadly army the Gardellas have ever faced. She is accompanied by Sebastian Vioget, a man as tempting as he is untrustworthy.

But when Victoria discovers that she has been betrayed by one of her most trusted allies, the truth will challenge all her powers as a Venator-and as a woman.

I am so happy that I finally found the time to sit down and read this book! I bought it when it first came out, and then June just got away from me. I finally got my chance, though, so I am happy to report that I read it!

When I read books, one of the most important things for me is how women are portrayed in the novel. I am a girl, and I like to read books where I can either relate, admire, or look up to the female characters. I am not interested in the "too stupid to live" female characters that can be quite common in different forms of literature. I think that in the 21st-century people are passed needing to read about the damsel in distress that is saved by her valiant knight. I know that I am! Lady Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacy is a woman, she may be a venator, but she is a woman first. She has taken on the role of protector and sworn to rid the world of vampires, but she is also battling with wanting the things that normal women in society have. This battle is one of the key themes of the novel.

Going back to how I like to read books with smart female leads, Victoria is put in a position where she is not protected as she normally is, and she still manages to kick vampire butt. This is very important to both her and to me as a reader, because it shows that just because she is a woman living in the nineteenth-century, she is still capable of protecting herself, even without that which makes her a venator. It is also nice that Victoria can be a woman and a vampire slayer because it seems to be common in other parnormal books that the women are all about the vampire slaying and less about being women. There is nothing wrong with being a female, the problem is how they are portrayed.

The other lead role in this book goes to Sebastian Vioget, which I am sure delighted many readers because he got a lot of page space. The other two men from book one did not, as one is dead and I will let you figure out Max on your own by reading the book. I am not sure who I like better, Max or Sebastian. I think they both have interesting characteristics, and that they would both equally be interesting to have lots of page time in the coming books in the series. I am also not sure Victoria really has to pick anyone, she has no intention of ever marrying. Sebastian turns out to be more than meets in the eye in several instances during this book. The reader learns a lot about him and why he found himself running a bar that was for vampires and humans.

A lot of things happen in this book. A great deal of it takes place in Rome, where a new threat is rising to give problems to the mortal race. It is up to Victoria and a few others to save the city, but I think saying too much about that would give away a big aspect of the plot. Colleen also introduces some other men to the mix, but none, for me, are as great as Sebastian and Max. I also highly doubt they will be her lovers in future books, if mentioned all.

Parting Thoughts: It is June 28th today, and I am sad because I have to wait until next year to find out what happens next. Did anyone read the little spoiler for The Bleeding Dusk in the back of the book? I never read them because I am interested in the book as it is, I do not need to be anymore anxious for its release. I think that this series has a good thing going for it, and that this book stands up to, if not surpasses The Rest Falls Away. I highly recommend this book and this series. Another great read, and one of my favourites of the year. To see my other favourites, see my Thursday Thirteen on my other blog.

MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman. Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.

When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed–a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae….

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women–closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book–because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands…

This was one of those books where first person narration was a huge disadvantage to the story because the story slowly unfolded through Mac’s eyes, and Mac was, simply put, too stupid to live. There’s just no other way to say it. She’s described as a 22-year-old blonde from Georgia, who grew up pretty sheltered. Thoroughout the story, there were numerous mentions of how she looked like Barbie; how pretty she was and how much she loved the color pink. I swear I got so tired of reading Mac’s ramblings about nail polish, clothes, shoes and whatever else came into her empty head: ("I’m big on drinking lots of water. Hydrating one’s skin from the inside out is even more important than using a good moisturizer on the surface.") But what was so frustrating about her was that she never knew what was going on and, because she didn’t know, the reader didn’t know, either. Mac was always in way over her head without a clue as to the kind of danger she was in, and she kept making the same mistakes over and over again—more concerned about her outfit and make-up than how she was going to stay alive. Not to mention the fact that she couldn’t see things that were right in front of her. Halfway through the book and she was still trying to deny what she was and it was irritating, especially when proof kept starting her right in the face. All she really did was follow around Jericho, blindly doing whatever he told her to do.

As for Jericho, he was supposed to be a shady, mysterious, character that’s always “in the know” with the dark side of things, such as criminals and whatnot. He was written as an Alpha male but he just came off as a jerk to me and a pretty bland one, too.

Besides the TSTL heroine (and bland hero), my main problem with this book is that it’s so blatantly a series setup; the plot never really gets off the ground and by the end, hardly anything has been resolved. The majority of the plot threads are just left hanging for the next book. I don’t mind if a book is a series starter or apart of a series—if you want to carry some subplots over for the next book, fine—but at least give me a solid story with some real resolution to the main plot by the time I finish the book. I felt like this book was just an intro book without any real substance. Anyone who brought this book in hardcover (raises hand) got ripped off.

In truth, I think Moning’s writing just isn’t for me. I tried one of her Highlander books before and found it mediocre at best, but I decided to try this one anyway because I heard she was doing something different with this series—not so much romance as paranormal suspense coupled with Fae. Also, I didn’t think it’d be fair to judge Moning’s entire works based on one book, but again, I was left wanting.

Final Word:

I found Darkfever’s plot boring; the heroine TSTL, the creatures unimaginative and Jericho a dull, jerk.

So buddy review!!! It's been so long since we last had a buddy review!!

So Ames, tell me why you got this book :D

I kept picking this book up and putting it down, not sure about some of the reviews I had read. But then I read one good review and saw it not too long after at the library. I couldn’t resist anymore! What about you?

Me, well I was seeing Jacob everywhere! In bookstores, at Wal-Mart, at the grocery store! But I held out! I was so proud... I took a look at the cover, read the back blurb and thought it was another book about vampires and I said, No. I've had enough. Then, I read someone's review, I think it was Kristie... and I broke down and bought it. However, it's been sitting in my TBR pile for a few months :P Until I saw it was part of your challenge...

Since time began, there have been Nightwalkers -- the races of the night who live in the shadows of the moonlight. Love with humans is absolutely forbidden, and one man makes certain to uphold this ancient law: Jacob, the Enforcer...

For 700 Years, He Has Resisted Temptation. But Not Tonight...

Jacob knows the excuses his people give when the madness overtakes them and they fall prey to their lust for humans. He’s heard every one and still brought the trespassers to justice. Immune to forbidden desires, uncontrollable hungers, or the curse of the moon, his control is total -- until the moment he sees Isabella on a shadowy New York City street. Saving her life wasn’t in his plans. Nor were the overwhelming feelings she arouses in him. But the moment he holds her in his arms and feels the soft explosion of her body against his, everything changes. Their attraction is undeniable, volatile, and completely against the law. Suddenly everything Jacob has ever believed is inflamed by the heat of desire... Bring on the night.

Genre: paranormal romance, demons, druids, necromancers Series: The Nightwalkers, Book 1 Published by: Kensington/Zebra Paranormal Romance in November 2006

Ok, this book was a pleasant surprise. I thought for sure I was going to hate it when the smart (librarian) heroine slips and falls out of a 5 storey window. I was this close to throwing the book against the wall, but I just had to see what would happen when our heroine, Isabella, follows Jacob into an abandoned warehouse. Then the story got really interesting…and the sex really hot. So yeah, I liked this book.

Well I have to admit that I did enjoy this book a lot too LOL... even with Bella falling from her window. You know, when you told me that she fell off the window, I thought you meant, she jumped out to avoid danger, but not even!!! I liked Jacob and Bella well enough; however, it seems to me that Bella took all the revelations too easily. Not at one moment did she doubt or freak out, which seems a bit unbelievable for me ^^.

That’s true upon reflection. But Isabella did see proof with her own two eyes when she followed Jacob into the warehouse right at the beginning. I enjoyed Isabella’s strength. She was a good heroine, despite falling out a window (which the author does explain).
Well yeah, she does see proof... but some denial would have been expected. I have to admit, I'm getting tired of vampires and so I was pleasantly surprised that they were demons :P I thought it was a great take on demons, very original and new. I liked the powers and the diversity of them...

Me too! I love this world that JF has built. The demon society is interesting and new, and I can’t wait for Gideon’s story, which comes out May 29.

We're so lucky that we don't have to wait too long, LOL! Although the book was enjoyable, there are still some few lose ends in the world building and that annoyed me. 1) What is the punishment? This was never mentionned... at first, I thought it was death, but then too many survived LOL All I know is that it must be embarassing... All right, onto no. 2) what do they do? I mean, it's great that they exist... but besides that? they don't mingle with humans... do they own some business corporate in secret? do they have a mission like the Dark-Hunters? I mean, it seems they're missing a purpose!

Hmm…I think the punishment was different for each demon? It was tailored to punish each demon differently. As for their purpose? I’m not sure about that one either. But what’s our purpose? LOL I don’t mean to get philosophical, but the demons not having a purpose didn’t really bother me.

Ames’ grade: B- (the minus is for the heroine falling out the window, even with an explanation, that’s a no-no)
Nath’s grade: Hmmm, I'd give this 3.75 (B) :P

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavith: 5/5
published by Ingram in November 2006

This is a beautifully written book that reads like the fairy tales of old. The story revolves around Keturah, a girl who wanders off into the forest following a beautiful stag. She soon loses her way and eventually meets the handsome Lord Death that has come for her life. As she is her village's greatest story teller she stalls for time with a tale of true love but she refuses to say how it ends. Instead, she asks for one more day to live and promises he can have her life, and the end of the tale, on the next night.

As she goes about what will probably be her last day alive Keturah comes up with a plan, to find and marry her one true love thus defeating Lord Death. She gets help from her two best friends but things are complicated by the arrival of a king's emissary telling all his majesty will soon be there. As the village prepares for the king's arrival Keturah tries to find a way out of her dilemma, all the while seeing things as she never saw them before.

I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it, especially to anyone that enjoys a beautifully portrayed romance, fairy tale style, if you will. The writing is solid, the tale is engaging and entertaining and the love story is one of the best I've read in a long time. Keturah is an excellent character. She is, at first, a dreamer who wishes to only marry her one true love. Lord Death is cold yet there is something about him which makes Keturah see past what he represents and understand who he is. The way he shows his love for her when he does everything she asks for will make your heart ache wondering how long they will both be playing their games.

This book reminded me somewhat of Neil Gaiman's Stardust and I am sure if you liked that one then you will love Keturah and Lord Death.

A solid 5 out of 5. Absolutely amazing!

I am such a Charlaine Harris/Sookie Stackhouse fangirl. No apologies. I love this series-and I was uber-anxious for All Together Dead's release. And in a shameless plug of my own blog, here is my rundown of the previous books in the Stackhouse series.

Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has her hands full dealing with every sort of undead and paranormal creature imaginable. And after being betrayed by her longtime vampire love, Sookie must not only deal with a new man in her life-the shapeshifter Quinn-but also contend with the long-planned vampire summit.

The summit is a tense situation. The vampire queen of Louisiana is in a precarious position, her power base weakened by hurricane damage to New Orleans. And there are some vamps who would like to finish what nature started. Soon, Sookie must decide what side she'll stand with. And her choice may mean the difference between survival and all-out catastrophe.

All Together Dead features more Sookie hijinks that I've come to love, and I thoroughly enjoyed this latest installment, vampire politics and all.

The series picks up after Definitely Dead, where Sookie thwarted an attempt on the Queen of Louisiana's life (by her own husband) and started dating Quinn, the weretiger. People in Bon Temps have matrimony on their minds (Sookie's brother, Jason, included) and Sookie is getting ready for the vampire summit, where she will be in the Queen's entourage (for her telepathic abilities).

As I mentioned above, ATD is very heavy on the vampire politics. There are those who wish the Queen to be punished for killing her husband (in self-defense, and it was her guard who did it) and the Fellowship of the Sun is not going to let this gathering of vampires rest in peace (pun intended-LOL).

But not to worry, there is plenty of face time for Sookie and Quinn (exactly why do so many know of and fear him?) and Eric manages to tie himself to Sookie, maybe permanently.

And Sookie shines. Her cleverness is always at odds with her naïveté, but Charlaine Harris strikes a great balance between these two characteristics in Sookie's nature. She does what needs to get done, and she's good at prioritizing (for example: after getting caught in Eric's arms by Quinn, Sookie gets into a dangerous situation, but she puts what just happens on hold, and doesn't freak out about it). Also, when disaster strikes (you know it just has to), Sookie doesn't let her feelings get in the way of saving people/vampires.

My only beef? That I waited a whole year for a book that I finished in ONE day. I should have drawn it out, but I was too eager.

Kailana's Review

I had seen the four-in-one book that this was in for quite some time, but had never bought it. The other day, though, after a bad day, I decided I was going to buy myself a book. And, I decided, why not slurge and get 4 books for the price of one. So, I did.

From Amazon:

For some, coming to grips with a challenge means passing another milestone along the road to maturity. For others, it's a matter of life and death. For Findabhair (pronounced "finn-ah-veer") and Gwen, the joint heroines of 0. R. Melling's The Hunter's Moon, however, the challenges come from all directions. Fantasy-loving Findabhair dares to sleep on sacred Irish ground and is stolen by the King of the Fairies. Gwen, her more practical Canadian cousin, sets out to rescue her with the help of a leprechaun in a battered Triumph and a businessman with red hair and freckles. What makes this story sing is the ease with which Melling alternates between fantasy and reality, making her readers, like her characters, "Comfortable with both." Add generous helpings of suspense, romance, humour, and atmosphere you could cut with a knife, and the result is a thoroughly enjoyable yam by an author with impressive command of her material, writing within the tradition of Irish folklore and legend

This is a modern fairy tale. The two girls live in what could very easily be this year, but they have always dreamed of something more. One summer they decide that they are going to trek across Ireland, where Findabhair lives, and track down the portal to the faery world. The two girls set out to find something that they are not sure exists, and along the way find adventures of their own. On a night that they decide to sleep in sacred Irish ground, Findabhair is taken from her cousin, Gwen. Now, for Gwen, it is not about finding the doorway to the faery realm, it is about finding her cousin.

Most of the story is told about Gwen. It is she that sees the things that make up the story. Finn appears from time to time, but it is Gwen that has the most to do in this novel. She makes friends along the way, and the story plays with common ideas that have been represented about the magic folk. Both of the cousins are readable, and not the common damsels in distress that stories normally portray. There is a nice blending of females and males in this book that makes it readable. It could be something that attracts both sexes to it.

When you look at it, it is not a very long piece of work, but a lot happens in a very short time. There is never really a dull moment, as the fairy king is often playing tricks on Gwen, and you never know when it is going to happen next. Once again, I must point out to all the fantasy by-standers, that there is even romance in this book, although I don't think it is necessary, it might attract you to reading this!

I enjoyed this book. Hopefully I will read the next one soon, but I am not so great at reading trilogies and things one right after the other.

4/5





Mailyn's Review

I also enjoyed this book a lot but found that, towards the end, the story tended to stall a bit and stray from the constant fast pace it had up to then. From the very begining I liked the main character of Gwen and her cousin. Like Kailana, I enjoyed that these weren't two TSTL heroines that waited around to be rescued. I especially liked Gwen for this and for her courage to go after her cousin, even when it was clear that she did not want to be rescued.

I can't get into it so as not to give away the ending but I found the last banquet turn a bit into a fantasy movie cliche. Nonetheless the figthing after that was handled pretty well and the ending, although again a bit of a cliche, will leave most people happy.

All in all a nice little read, fast paced and a great heroine make this a 4 out of 5 for me as well.

I can't wait to get into the follow up, The Summer King.





Dance Chica's Review

I originally bought this based on Kailana's recommendation and I'm glad I did. Melling is a great storyteller! I was completely caught up in the world of Faerie. Her descriptions were sweeping and flowing; infused with myth and legend. Sometimes they were a bit much, but overall I enjoyed them. She created a great cast of characters. One of the best parts for me was the heroine. Gwen was a great heroine that grows so much as a character. When we first meet her, she’s the sensible one who follows after her energetic cousin, but as the story progresses, she learns to do things on her own. This leads to her discovering her own strengths and independence. She was resourceful too, and while she did make mistakes, she learned from them. I really liked her fiery personality. There’s romance in this too which I found compelling and the overall story was imaginative. If you like faerie tales with a bit of magic, romance and suspense, you’ll probably like this. Also, if you liked Holly Black’s Tithe, I think you’ll find this enjoyable. Melling’s world is a bit more detailed than Black’s and the language a bit more flowery, but it's still compelling, and I found Melling’s characters more likeable than Black's. There’s a sequel to this out titled, The Summer King. I’m really looking forward to more adventures in Faerie. 4.5 out 5.

War for the Oaks by Emma Bull: 4.5/5
first published in 2001

War for the Oaks is a classic of the urban fantasy genre and for good reason: it's one of the best ever written. From Amazon:

Emma Bull's debut novel, War for the Oaks, placed her in the top tier of urban fantasists and established a new subgenre. Unlike most of the rock & rollin' fantasies that have ripped off Ms. Bull's concept, War for the Oaks is well worth reading. Intelligent and skillfully written, with sharply drawn, sympathetic characters, War for the Oaks is about love and loyalty, life and death, and creativity and sacrifice.

Eddi McCandry has just left her boyfriend and their band when she finds herself running through the Minneapolis night, pursued by a sinister man and a huge, terrifying dog. The two creatures are one and the same: a phouka, a faerie being who has chosen Eddi to be a mortal pawn in the age-old war between the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Eddi isn't interested--but she doesn't have a choice. Now she struggles to build a new life and new band when she might not even survive till the first rehearsal.

The way Mrs. Bull portrays Minneapolis seems all too real even if the place is crawling with Fey. Her writing is solid and at her best when the phouka is trying Eddi's nerves. In fact, the interaction between the characters of Eddi and here friends, fey and mortal, are what ultimately sell the book for me. Sure, the Fey here act just as I like them, cruel and self-serving, but I found myself more immersed in the novel when the two main characters were simply talking rather than when the actual war was taking place. Thankfully there is little figthing and most of the novel is spend with Eddi trying to get used to the idea that she is now caught in the middle of the Fae wars, with her trying to put a band together and having to deal with the ever present, always infuriating phouka. Their banter is witty and I found myself laughing out loud more times than I could count.

On the downside the end does seem kind of soap-opera like and, IMO, doesn't go well with the rest of the novel but everything else fits so well it hardly matters. I guess I was expecting a bit more omph from an actual war and the final "duel" felt a tad too cheesy. Nonetheless I highly recommend this book and I daresay it's a good way for romance lovers to break into the fantasy genre.

If you, like myself, are not an 80's fan don't think that will stop you from loving this book. I simply skipped or skimmed pop culture references [mostly songs] and dressed the characters in my head rather than go by what the book described. If you haven't read it yet I suggest you march down to your local library or your closet Barnes & Nobles and get your hands on this classic now. You won't regret it.

A solid 4.5 out of 5!

When the Twisted Kingdom ladies let me know that we scored an interview with Colleen Gleason, the author of The Rest Falls Away, I just had to read it. It had been languishing in my TBR pile the day I bought it (way back in January). It wasn't forgotten though, because I did include it on my list of 50 books to read by June (in an effort to reduce said TBR pile).

All I can say is...delicious.

In every generation, a Gardella is called to accept the family legacy of vampire slaying, and this time, Victoria Gardella Grantworth is chosen, on the eve of her debut, to carry the stake. But as she moves between the crush of ballrooms and dangerous, moonlit streets, Victoria's heart is torn between London's most eligible bachelor, the Marquess of Rockley, and her enigmatic ally, Sebastian Vioget. And when she comes face to face with the most powerful vampire in history, Victoria must ultimately make the choice between duty and love.

I devoured this book. I just couldn't put it down, which made me late to work. Haha. Kudos, Colleen!

The Rest Falls Away harkens back to the day when vampires were villains. Remember when vampires were seen as evil creatures? And people hunted them? So Victoria Grantworth is one such executioner. And it was really great to read about such a strong heroine. Shh...they're my weakness. She's not infallible mind you, she does fall in love and has some hard decisions to make, especially when executing vampires gets in the way of falling in love. That's some hard stuff to deal with! I love that Colleen handled Victoria's need to have some light and joie de vivre in her life in a way that did not make Victoria look silly. She took her duties as a Venator (vampire killer extraordinaire!) very seriously, but something needed to balance out the evil and the death. And Colleen made this need for balance a way in the which the reader could sympathize with Victoria, not judge her.

The other thing I loved about this book were the men. There's the oh-so-human Phillip, Marquess of Rockley, Max Pesaro, the most highly skilled Venator and Sebastian Vioget, the mysterious stranger whom we can't determine if he's friend or foe. These sexy men all have a role to play in Victoria's life, but the one I'm most interested in is Sebastian. Talk about the dangerous stranger we can't resist. (And Victoria has a real hard time resisting him!)

Colleen Gleason's writing style is also enjoyable. Each chapter title had me cracking up and trying to figure out what it meant. This was an interesting technique in that I had to pause and reconsider what I just read at the end of the chapter. Usually I just go through a novel and the only thing that stays with me is how I feel at the end. Not so with the Rest Falls Away. I was deeply engrossed from start to end.

I can't wait for Rises the Night (which thankfully comes out June 2007-which is barely tolerable *sigh*).

All right, today was supposed to be buddy-review-day; however, we've been quite busy and well, we haven't receive any new guest reviews... So here is one of my reviews instead :P

Atlantis Rising by Alyssa Day: 3.5/5
published by Berkley Sensation in February 2007

Atlantis is an archipel of 7 groups of islands and was swallowed by the seas eleven thousands years ago. Each group of island has a leader and a group of warriors, named the Warriors of Poseidon. Leading all these warriors is the high prince of Atlantis and his own personal guards. The Warriors of Poseidon are not humans, but close. All can control the water elements (rain, mist, oceans, etc.) in addition to their own specific power. Their responsibily is to protect humans against vampires, creatures resulting from the union of Chaos and his daughter, Anubisa, as well as werewolves - who have all come out in the open not too long ago.

The present high prince is Conlan and has been abducted and tortured for more than seven years by Anubisa. He finally escapes and returns to Atlantis, but is too late as Poseidon's Trident - symbol of Atlantis King - is stolen by one of Conlan's subordinate. Conlan decides to go back on Earth to retrieve the Trident and inadvertantly saves a human, Riley Dawson who turns out to be an aknasha - an empath who can feel others' emotions as well as project her own in others' mind and also a power that once upon a time was bestowed to only Atlanteans.

Genre: paranormal romance, warriors, vampires, shapeshifters, mythology
Series: The Warriors of Poseidon, Book #1

Review: It isn't that the book or the story wasn't good; the problem was that the story's been written many times already and Atlantis Rising doesn't hold anything that makes it stand out. Truth to be told, the Warriors of Poseidon reminds me a lot of the Dark-Hunters series by Sherrilyn Kenyon and if you compare the two series (I know, little bit unfair for Ms. Day), well I'd give the edge to Ms. Kenyon.

The Characters - Riley Dawson is a social worker who's just witnessed another murder. She's on her way home when she gets attacked by 3 gang members who intend to rape her. Her assaillants are scared off by Conlan... and then starts the lusty attraction between Conlan. Seriously, I was very neutral about Riley... didn't dislike her, didn't like her. Again, a very generic heroine... What was particularly intriguing was that Riley's ancestors were possibly Atlanteans - she's an aknasha and also has a very particular eye colors, belonging to the Atlantean aristocratic families. As for Conlan... well the big issue with him was whether he lost it or not while being tortured by Anubisa... has the darkness overtake him?

Honestly, I didn't connect with any characters and it was very hard for me to care about any of them. We are introduced to Conlan's personal guards which consist of his brother, Ven, as well as Alaric, the high priest, and the other warriors. I have to say that I seriously had a problem with the names of the charactesr... it seems to me they were just chosen at random, that there was no meaning behind them and that bug me a bit. I mean: Conlan, Alaric, Ven, Alexios, Justice, Christophe, Bastien, Brennan and Denal... you see any logic here? So far, the only other character that might be interesting is Riley's younger sister, Quinn - who's already been matched with Alaric, serious series-baiting here.

The Story & Writing - the writing was good. Nothing that jumped right out of the book and annoyed me. As for the story, well I'd say there wasn't enough world building - I mean, the whole thing is still quite elusive to me. It seems also that the story focused more on the actions (Conlan meeting Riley and going after the Trident) than relationships or world building. It's not a bad thing, but I don't know if it's the right direction to go in a first series book.

The Cover - very waterish, fits the story very well.

Am I keeping this book? For the moment, yes...

Anything else? If you've enjoyed the Dark-Hunter series, you might really enjoyed this one too... unless you're doing an overdose of the genre. Also, Alyssa Day is the pen name of Ms. Alesia Holliday.

All right, today was supposed to be a guest review, but we still haven't received any except for Stephanie's which I already posted. Need I remind you our contest? LOL :) Anyway, as a result, you guys will have to content with a review of mine... which was supposed to be posted on Friday... what can I say? I was a bit busy, reading other books ^^; Anyway, here we go...



I've discovered Margaret Weis through her fabulous Dragonlance Saga co-written with Tracy Hickam (just read their books, you can skip all the rest which are spin-off written by other authors based on her world and characters). It is really an awesome saga - a bit similar to Lord of the Ring. In any case, I think she's a great author... So when I saw Warrior Angel at the bookstore, I didn't hesitate to purchase it, even though I wasn't aware she had this book coming out. You'll find Warrior Angel in the romance section - her first attempt away from fantasy- but I mean, there's angels and demons so it fits this blog :P By the way, just in case you're wondering, Lizz is her daughter.



Warrior Angel by Margaret & Lizz Weis: 1.5/5
published by Avon in February 2007

Dereck de Molay was a knight of the Knight of Templar and was tortured to death by the Inquisition. Angered at God for abandoning him, Dereck refused to ascend to Heaven and instead, became a reputated general Warrior Angel, defending Heaven against Hell. Centuries later, Dereck is given an important mission which requires him to become human again.

Rachel Duncan is a commodities trader with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and loves working at the pit, making trades and money. Everything is going wonderful at the moment and she believes to have met the man of her life, Andreas Zanus. He's rich, romantic and the dream, perfect man every woman dreams about. Her only problems: he's a client and although he's a dream man, she is unsure of her feelings for him. Instead, she's attracted to the new doorman with a very old vocabulary and manners.



Genre: paranormal romance, angels, Hell
Series: none

Review: What can I say about this book that the grade didn't say? Seriously, I was really disappointed by this book. I was expecting something much better, given what I've already read by Ms. Weis Mother. Even the romance in her fantasy saga was better than in this book ^^; I guess she tried too hard to write something "romantic" and so missed her shot.

The Characters - BORING! Really, I dislike Rachel, I thought she was a bit superficial and she didn't know herself either, what she wanted and what she needed. She just went out with Zanus because he was supposedly the dream/perfect man. You get emotions from her, but I thought it was shallow. Dereck is not as bad, but still... I thought he adapted himself too quickly to this new era... remember, he lived centuries ago! and poof, suddenly, he's a doorman in Chicago and doesn't ask too much questions... didn't fly with me. There was lack of developement for the characters and worst, no chemistry between them. I can't really understand why Dereck fell in love with Rachel... There were other characters, most of them superfluous in my opinion, but they don't appear much.

The Story & Writing - the writing style was okay, but the story? Not enough world-building and the plot wasn't interesting. I think that Ms. Weis (mother and daughter) didn't know what to focus about... the romance or the story, and it showed, unfortunately. All in all, you are told facts and things without details or how it happened. When I read a book, it's for the journey, the adventure. But there was none here - the reader wasn't brought along, didn't witness anything. Even the ending... why did Dereck come back?

The Cover - interestingly enough, that's the best part of the book I think ^^;

Am I keeping this book? Don't think so...

Anything else? Really disappointed. Hope that Ms. Weis' next venture in romance goes better. I mean, if she wants to write romance, she doesn't have to change much her writing style. Still write a good adventures with good characters and just emphasizes a little more on the romance... In the worse case, her books will still be shelved in the fantasy section. Better write a good fantasy book than get bad reviews.

I have to say that although I've been reading quite a lot of paranormal romances in the past few years, I've been sticking to the mainstream kinds - or perhaps, I should say, the authors have sticked to the mainstream kinds. However, this is changing and authors are starting to diversify the paranormal beings in their books. As a result, I've been wanting to read Hell's Belle ever since I've heard about it, because the main character is a succubus.



Hell's Belle by Jackie Kessler: 3.75/5
published in January 2007 by Zebra/Kesington Books (Trade paperback format)

Hell on Earth starts here…

Jezebel’s not your average exotic dancer. For one thing, she’s a 4,000-year-old succubus. For another, she’s on the run from Hell (which isn’t easy to do in high heels). Hiding on the mortal coil as a human doesn’t protect her from muggers, lactose intolerance…or having feelings for Paul Hamilton, a man haunted by his past. Demons are closing in, which is enough to make Jezebel shiver in her G-string. But it’s her love for Paul that’s going to have deadly consequences. (Humans, she laments, really should come with instruction manuals.)

I tried writing a synopsis for this book, but figure out that the book's back blurb was doing a better job than I was :P I'll just add this:

Jezebel was unhappy with the changes and new leadership in Hell and decided to pack and leave. As a result, the new Lord of Hell put a bounty on her head, sent his hunters after her to set an example. To escape, Jezebel obtained a human body through witchcraft, borrowed the look, identity, credit cards and amulet, which protects from Evil beings, of Cailtin, the witch who helped her and left Salem for New York. In the train station, she met Paul, a NY cop, and there was this instant connection between them. While adapting to her life, with the help of Paul who wants to help her (he thinks she was abused and forced into prostitution), she finds a job as an exotic dancer which is right up her alley. However, it doesn't take long for friends and ennemies to find her...

Series: Jezebel the Succubus
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Succubus

Review: I like the book and I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, I read the back blurb and wanted to read it for awhile, but that didn't guarantee that I would like the book right? Also, succubus are a bit out of my comfort zone. Another pleasant surprise was the beginning of the book. From reading the black blurb, I thought she was already settled and everything. Instead, we accompany Jezebel on her run and learns about the reasons through flashbacks. All in all, I thought the series had good potential, enjoyed the book which made me want to read more. However, the writing style takes a bit of getting use to and Paul is not developed enough ^^;

The Characters - I like Jezebel and I like how she stood up and decided to take her life in her hands when she was unhappy, even if it put her in danger. She definitively has more depth than you'd think a demon has and she's something :D I'm also happy that she's not entire clueless as how to behave like a human, since as a succubus, she did have to appear human.

Now Paul is yummy :D No wonder Jezebel falls for him so quickly :D He's a cop who has lost his fiancee to a hit-and-run a few years ago. Because he couldn't handle the pressure his soon-to-be-in-laws were putting on him, he moved to New York. There's an instant connection between Jezebel and him and he's determined to pursue it. I have to say, although he's yummy, there was something that bothered me: he was hanging out in a strip-club ^^; Not usually an attractive trait in a hero, but then, at the end it made sense. Also, I liked how he tried to understand and help Jezebel. I know that I did say that he was not developed enough, but I guess that given the fact that Jezebel is the main character, it is understandable that the focus is on her and so, the author did a good job.

Other characters we get to meet are Jezebel's best friend - a fury, Daun - an incubus and also, Jezebel's friend and Lilith - queen of Hell. There's also a few of Jezebel's co-workers, but really, the book mainly focused on Jezebel, which is good :D

The Style & Writing - This is where it started getting tricker. Basically, I didn't have any problem with her writing style, as in how she formulates her sentences, dialogue and so on. What took a bit more of getting used was how Ms. Kessler broke down the book. Basically, Hell's Belle is divided into many parts (I think 6) and each part is given the name of a character. First was Jezebel, than the fury friend, Paul and etc. So the story is told, but in each part, there'll be a flashback of Jezebel and whoever is the character of this part. This wasn't a bad idea, but the problem was the transition between the parts. The transition wasn't always smooth, which results in breaking the flow, and it was a bit confusing at first. So it took a little bit getting used to, but still, I was able to enjoy the book.

The Cover - I think the cover is nice :D I guess there's a leg fetish going on in the cover industry, but I don't mind. I think it's better than a man's torso ^^;

Am I keeping this book? Yep, I am. I'm also going to buy the next one when it comes out :D

Anything else? Well, I wasn't sure I would like to read about a succubus, because of all the sex... I'm the kind of person who likes faithfulness and usually one man-one woman relationship. However, the characterization, setting and story won me over, but I'm still ticked at Jezebel for having sex with Daun, even if he was in the disguise of Paul...

anyway, here is Ms. Jackie Kessler's website.

The Genre

Urban Fantasy, Young Adult, Magic, Faeries

The Plot

From the book:

Welcome to the realm of very scary faeries!
Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother's rock band until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms -- a struggle that could very well mean her death.

Mailyn Says:

The Review

First of all let me start by saying that I was pleasantly impressed by this book but, even before we get into that, let me warn you all: do not be fooled by the title. This book pays homage to the REAL faerie tales, not the watered-down Disney versions of today. If you've ever had the pleasure of reading the true collected works of the Grimm bothers, unabridged mind you, then you know what I am talking about.

Consider the fact that most faerie tales back in the days were used to explain the unexplainable; the things that went bump in the night and those that could bump you off. They were also used to pretty much scare the children into not doing things they weren't supposed to do like, say, wander off in the woods alone.

This is THAT kind of faerie tale. Black isn't afraid to portray the Fae as they were known back when the Grimm’s were around. These are mean, bloodthirsty faeries and they have way too much fun being evil.

My kind of book. Mehehe.

OK, seriously now, you do have good and bad faeries but the bad seem to outnumber the good ones by a mile and then some. Black doesn't squirm when it comes to portraying the evilness that they are capable of and this is always good in setting up a believable adversary for the heroes. After all, wimpy evilness never scared anyone.

Although I did love this book a lot and am now officially obsessed with this series, I do have to admit that Black's writing does tend to reflect what her target audience is: Young Adults. That does not mean that the book is boring or that she doesn't paint her pictures well. It simply means that Black doesn't seem to be as thorough in her language, her prose and the minute details of her every page unlike say Garth Nix and his Abhorsen trilogy, Rowlings and her Harry Potter or Meyers and her Twilight.

To be sure, don't read this expecting another Bella and Edward or you will be sourly disappointed. Kaye is as far from Bella as werewolves are from vampires. Her world is not pretty. Trailer trash is the only way to describe her friends and family. I should know because I had plenty of friends back when I was in high school that were, for lack of better words, white trash. The way they talk, the things they do, I don't know if Black did much research but I'm willing to bet she did. I can almost see some of my friends in the manner these kids interact with adults and with each other. It brought back a lot of memories. But let’s keep with the review, shall we?

The mood of the book is also darker and more somber since, as I explained, Black isn't afraid to "go there". People die in this book. People you wished hadn't die but this keeps you on your toes wondering who is going to make it to the end unharmed. I have read many an urban fantasy and, as this was young adult, didn't expect much in the usually dark department that represents most urban fantasy novels. I am glad to say I was wrong and this fits into the genre perfectly, young adult label be damned.

Another thing I loved in the book were the characters themselves. Kaye is far from being the usual heroine we are all used to. Even in fantasy it's hard to find a heroine that is just so, well, trashy. She dropped out of school, she drinks, she smokes, she comes and goes whenever she wants, and she is all of 16 years old. Of course she is the product of her flighty mother's lifestyle but still, it was also a pleasant surprise not to have a little Miss Perfect, as it would have ruined the urban fantasy aspect

As far as heroes go, Roiben the Black Knight is great. I won't say he is the best I've ever read but he is very, very good. Reminded me somewhat of Daemon and Lucivar of Bishop’s Black Jewels Trilogy. He has suffered much because of the jobs he is forced to do as he is a slave to the evil Queen, which by the way, reminds me a lot of Dorothea the evil bitch Queen in the Black Jewel’s, except I find this crazy Queen scarier.

The Verdict

I say this book begs to be read. true to the Urban Fantasy genre, it’s not afraid to show you the darker side of life and it’s just all around entertaining. You will be hooked from the get go and, indeed, I am on my way to Amazon to order the next book in the series: Valiant.

A solid 4.5 out of 5



Kailana Says:

I am going to try and add on to what Mailyn said without repeating too much, so bear with me. I was drawn to this book from both reviews that I have read and from the fact that it was a fairy tale. I just seem to REALLY enjoy fairy tales. And this was no exception. It takes you no time at all to read, but it is so rewarding while you are doing it. For a young adult book, it was well-written. I agree with Mailyn, she seems to get a bit more childish with her writing than other young adult authors, but it doesn't take away from the book at all.

The first thing I must do is say that I liked Kaye more than Bella from Twilight. Mailyn compares, so I must do so too. I found Bella annoying, Kaye was more hardcore. I have been reading New Moon by Meyer, but have not got into it yet. Black's book draws you in from the very first page! I really enjoyed reading it. Robiben is also an interesting character. I would say this was totally his development stage, I think he will just improve with every novel you read by him. He is just coming into his own in this book, getting the chance to stand on his own two feet, so I think he will be a very interesting character to watch in future novels. I can see the comparisions with Anne Bishop, though.

Anyways, I strongly recommend this book to anyone that doesn't mind fantasy. It is a modern fantasy novel, and it is written very well. I look forward to reading the sequel.

I also give it a 4.5/5.

The Genre

Vampire fiction, fantasy, horror

The Plot

From Amazon:
"Rae Seddon, nicknamed Sunshine, lives a quiet life working at her stepfather's bakery. One night, she goes out to the lake for some peace and quiet. Big mistake. She is set upon by vampires, who take her to an old mansion. They chain her to the wall and leave her with another vampire, who is also chained. But the vampire, Constantine, doesn't try to eat her. Instead, he implores her to tell him stories to keep them both sane. Realizing she will have to save herself, Sunshine calls on the long-forgotten powers her grandmother began to cultivate in her when she was a child. She transforms her pocketknife into a key and unchains herself--and Constantine. Surprised, he agrees to flee with her when she offers to protect him from the sun with magic. They escape back to town, but Constantine knows his enemies won't be far behind, which means that he and Sunshine will have to face them together. A luminous, entrancing novel with an enthralling pair of characters at its heart."

The Review

I really, really liked this book. A lot. LOL. It was refreshing to see a vampire different from the usual cliché. This vamp isn't drop-dead gorgeous but he is impressive nonetheless. He is also not "house-broken" meaning he has a harder time than most vamps found in novels when it comes to dealing with humans. They are still food but he is trying, not to be good, but to not be a monster. However, thankfully, he also doesn't go around crying at the fate that the world has dealt him. The heroine, as heroines are bound to do, will get on your nerves once in a while. Especially at the beginning because, in this world where everyone knows that the things-that-go-bump-in-the-night do exist, she manages to go wandering about near a lake in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. Yes, this is crucial as this is what leads the two main characters to meet but still. My one pet peeve with this is that this book leaves many, many things up in the air. In fact, the ending feels like a setup for the sequel. Except there is none. If you go on the author's site she even declares that she has a hard time when it comes to sequels ergo she doesn't write them. It's a damn shame because the world she built was real interesting and I would have loved to see how Constantine and Sunshine's relationship progressed.

The Verdict

Nonetheless, this is IMO a great read. Yes, it's bogged down at times by the heroine and her tendency to go off on a tangent when she is explaining something to us but skip a few paragraphs and you'll be fine. I loved the way that this vampire was portrayed. It was different and refreshing and I did like the heroine as the story went on as well. I really do wish Mrs. McKinley would write at least a short sequel to this.

As it is, I give it a 4.5 out of 5.

The second from J.R.Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series is a good read but I have to say I'm not too happy with it. In fact, I find myself liking it simply because it's the second in the series and because I love the established characters and I wanted to see more of them. If this were a novel by itself and not part of a series I wouldn't recommend it.

The Genre:
Paranormal, Vampire Romance


The Plot:
To re-cap for those that maybe missed the first book, the Black Dagger Brotherhood is a society of vampire warriors who protect their kind against the Lessening Society. The Society is a group of very evil de-souled humans who are hell bent on destroying every vampire on the face of the earth. The first book focused on the vampire king Wrath. In this book we get to know more about the deadliest of all the Brotherhood warriors Rhage. If we thought Wrath was a complicated vamp with his tortured past and his I-don't-give-a-flying-fuck attitude we are in for a rude awakening once we get to know Rhage. This guy has issues and then some.

For starters Rhage is described as being so unbelievably gorgeous even vamps, which apparently are all very good-looking people, think he is out of this world in that department. His Brotherhood friends refer to him as Hollywood since everyone thinks he has movie star good looks. This from one of his friends pretty much reflects the collective attitude of everyone, vamp or human, who comes across Rhage:

"As Butch stepped into the main room, he got a load of Rhage's ensemble for the night: Black leather trench coat fell from his shoulders to his ankles. Black wife-beater was tucked into leathers. Shitkickers (boots) topped him out at six-eight or so. In the getup, the vampire was flat-out, drop-dead gorgeous. Even to a certified hetero like Butch. The son of a bitch actually bent the laws of physics, he was so attractive. Blond hair was cut short in the back and left longer in the front. Teal-blue eyes were the color of Bahamas seawater. And that face made Brad Pitt look like a candidate for The Swan."

The Swan is a US reality television show that takes some rather very ugly people and transforms them via plastic surgery. You get the idea.

As if all that wasn't enough to attract the ladies and be the envy of every male around, Rhage has a very well deserved reputation as a cross between a sex machine and a love god.

"He was also a sex legend in the vampire world, Hollywood beautiful with the drive to rival a barnful of stallions. Females, vampire and humans alike, would trample their own young to get at him."

However all is not peaches and crème. The fact of the matter is that, a long time ago, Rhage royally pissed of the Scribe Virgin (think of her as the vampire's Goddess) so she decided to curse him as punishment. Damn those pesky gods, you'd think they'd be above this sort of pettiness. Anyways, the curse is that there's a nasty beast inside of Rhage itching to get out and the only way to keep him in check is by working it out through lots and lots of violence or lots and lots of sex.

When the beast does get out all hell breaks lose putting his friends in danger since it can't be controlled. The first time we see the beast let loose was in book 1 when Rhage sees Wrath shot. Since anything from anger to high levels of stress to sexual frustration (if he can't get a woman quick enough) brings out the beast Rhage is damn tired of having to deal with the problem 24/7. All the meaningless sex gets to him since he does it not because he wants to but because he has to. A lot. He really wants to know how it would feel to have a meaningful relationship like Wraths; to have someone actually care for him and not because of what he looks like. The curse is supposed to last 200 years and, at the beginning of the book, he still has 90+ years to go. Payback is a bitch.

We are then introduced to the heroine, Mary, whom I immediately like. She is a shy, sweet plain girl who has leukemia. I felt bad for her and the fact that she suffered so much when she lost her mother to the same disease. Now she is faced with the harsh truth that the leukemia is back and she may be at the end of her line.

Mary volunteers at the local Suicide Prevention Center and it's through here she meets John, a scrawny guy who is mute and loves to call the center to hear Mary's sweet voice. John shows up one night at her house and so does Mary's neighbor, drop dead gorgeous Bella. Bella, being a vampire herself, immediately recognizes that John is a also a vampire who hasn't transitioned yet so she gets in touch with the Brotherhood and they tell her to bring the kid over. She convinces John to go with her under the pretense that she is taking him to meet some martial arts experts since he is into that sort of thing. Mary has to go along because she is the only one that knows sign language and can communicate with John. It's here that she meets Rhage and he is instantly and inexplicably attracted to her.


The Review:
This has possibilities and I dove right in the book, and then somewhere along the 200th page, it started to go downhill for me. First of all let me clarify that I did like the way in which Mary handled things in the beginning. Mary is described as an average looking woman who doesn't really get noticed by men. She doesn't have anything, not hair, not eyes, nothing that stands out to the opposite sex so her reaction to Rhage's sudden interest in her is very believable. In fact, their first date is rather cute.

Mary and Rhage met back at the compound when she brought John in but they had to wipe her memories soon as she left since no human can ever know about vampires. Rhage however was too interested and asks Bella to set them up on a blind date. Mary doesn't like the idea to begin with and when she sees Rhage she likes it even less. She figures that he didn't know she was so plain otherwise there was no way in hell an absolute stunner like him, who by the way has every woman in the dinner panting as soon as he walks in, would even dare be seen in public with her. Then, when he doesn't want to end their date, she figures he is doing charity work since Bella probably told him she has cancer.

This all very well done and very believable, and then Mary starts grating on your last nerve. She takes the whole I’m-not-beautiful-so-he-doesn’t-like-me and the I-don’t-understand-why-he-is-so-obsessed-to-be-with-me routines to another level of exasperation. As I said, in the beginning her reaction is exactly what you’d expect but the fact that she hardly changes her stance until almost the last minute is not. If Rhage were to come off as an ass and be a jerk or whatnot I could understand her reserve but the guy is nothing but nice to her. He even proves just how much he is into her at one point (the time he is stuck at her house during the day) so you’d think she’d lighten up. No such luck. She plays the victim/martyr role to the last possible moment. By this point she knows he is a vamp and knows about he lesser yet she is still stuck into self-pity mode. Which is fine. She has cancer and I totally understand but there’s no excuse for her idiotic behavior towards Rhage. All Rhage asks of her is that she lets him take care of her and that she trust him enough to keep her safe since there are lesser after her.

You’d think she welcome the chance to be with someone, to be protected from the Society, to have someone care for her while she is at her worse but she just keeps doing everything in her power to make him feel bad. She doesn’t do it on purpose but sometimes his feelings are so damn obvious and he’s clearly shown her how he feels and she is still like “huh, what, why are you trying to help me again?” I felt like slapping her from here to eternity. Being naïve is one thing, complete and utter stupidity is another, and I’m not very high on stupidity.

The worse of it is that, the more she pushes him one away or another, the more Rhage tries to accommodate her feelings. Then she keeps changing her mind with the "I want you to touch me and make love to me" one minute and the "I want nothing to do with you ever because I don’t need anyone and I don’t know how you really feel about me" the next. This goes on until almost the very end of the book. Normally I wouldn’t feel bad when a womanizer has the tables turned and, for once, is at the mercy of the woman he loves. I didn’t feel the same way here.

From the get go we KNOW Rhage isn’t a womanizer. He hates the fact that he has to use women for sex because he has no other choice to keep the beast at bay. After all, it’s not everyday that you get to let lose on some lesser therefore the energy needs to be released. He even says at one point that he is sick of being used by women for his body and his looks. He doesn’t kiss the women because he knows they feel nothing for him and the only thing that makes it better is that he picks lose women who will do anyone. Then he wipes the memories clean from them yet he is still feeling horrible. Imagine my disgust when little ol’ Mary starts doing the same.

If she is so damn stuck on the I-want-nothing-to-do-with-you attitude then don’t sleep with the damn guy. Even worse, if the guy is telling you he needs you like a junkie needs some crack and that he can’t think straight ever since he met you then don’t try to tempt him. You said you don’t want him and you say you aren’t sure about his feelings for you well then stay the hell away. At least keep your hands to yourself. The guy is clearly suffering, a point that doesn’t escape her since more than once she feels bad for using or being angry at him for no reason, yet you continue to toy with him. Get your shit together, think it over and then decide where you stand with the guy.

She even makes him feel bad when he has to feed! I mean, the guy is clearly on the up-and-up telling her he has to feed and he wants her to be present so she doesn’t get any wrong ideas about what goes on between him and the female. (vampires can only feed from the opposite sex) Of course the female is one hell of a stunner but she can CLEARLY see how bad Rhage feels about doing this, she can see he is even thinking about not doing it yet she waits until the female pretty much has to order her to take his side so he will feel it’s ok to feed.

What. The. Fuck.

He’s a goddam vampire. He needs to feed! He’s never hesitated to feed you (which he does numerous times since he worries about her health) yet you have to stand there and think about it?!? Could it not have occurred to you that maybe if you told him it was ok and sat with him he wouldn’t feel like he is cheating on you?!?!?

That whole scene had me screaming inside my head. The way it plays out Rhage is feeling like he just slept with about a hundred women in front of her and she isn’t making it any better. Dear Lord. Sad thing is that it doesn’t stop there, or for that matter start since she’s doing crap like this even before. I tried to like her, I truly did and I even figured she would redeem herself since I loved her at the beginning of the book but she doesn’t do it for me. The entire time they are together she makes Rhage feel unworthy and as if he should feel ashamed for his past or whatever. The guy has no frigging choice unless he wants the beast to come out and eat all his friends and then some! Even if by this point she knows nothing of the beast she can still try and trust him since he has only shown his best intentions with her at all times.

I’m sorry but I honestly feel that Mary wasn’t good enough for Rhage. If he would have been some cocky, know it all, womanizing jerk then I would have say it’s good he was the one getting all thrown for a loop. Rhage from the get go is clearly none of those things and I can’t like a heroine who can’t step outside her selfishness long enough to look at the big picture and what the guy is saying. All her back and forth had me screaming for Rhage to get over her and find someone else. The fact that Rhage pretty much blames himself for everything and takes just about all of her stupidity made me scream even more. Sure once or twice he grows some balls and puts her in her place (which is when she realizes she’s being unfair and feels bad) but then they fall back in the same pattern. You’d think she’d remember she felt bad the last time she misjudged him but hey, this girl has no brains.

The Scribe Virgin is another one I’m pissed about. This is one sorry ass uber bitch with a capital B if I’ve ever seen one. The Goddess gets off on throwing her power around and she makes things way too difficult and way more complicated than she has to. You telling me she has all this power to create an entire species, etc yet one little thing and “oh my hands are tied, boo hoo?” Right. That’s a power trip if I ever saw one. I can’t say anything else because I would give a very important part of the story as well as the ending away.




S P O I L E R W A R N I N G
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Then there was the ending. I get the feeling the Scribe Virgin doesn't like men much otherwise she wouldn't be such a bitch; or maybe being a virgin for so long is finally making her snap. Rhage is willing to sacrifice the rest of his days by putting up with the beast knowing Mary won't be there to control it. The Virgin doesn't think this is enough punishment so she tells him that Mary can only be allowed to live if they never see each other again and she is wiped from everyone's memory BUT HIS. On top of that, if they ever see each other she will die. If that wasn't enough for you he asks to at least have a minute to say good bye and she says no way Jose. She is a Goddess with all this supposed power yet she gets more bent out of shape when people don't address her with the "proper" respect than when they are trying to save someone. The bitch needs to get her priorities straight.

Of course I say she is a man hater because apparently all the sacrifices on Rhage's part aren't enough but poor old Mary not being able to have children is too much for the Virgin. She decides that, get this, Mary has sacrificed enough by not being able to have kids so NOW it's ok that she stay with Rhage. Again I say WTF?!?! So let me get this straight, love isn't important. Sacrificing your life and well being for someone isn't important. Unselfish acts guided by the wanting to save the person you love from pain isn't important. That a women can't have children is apparently the only "sacrifice" that's important.

I'm not denying the fact that this is probably traumatizing for most women who would love to have children of their own. What pisses me of is the fact that everything else pales in comparison according to the Virgin. Nothing that Rhage has done up to now, and he has done A LOT, seems to be of any importance. Last time I checked men couldn't have kids so holding that against them is unfair. He has sacrificed a lot and is willing to sacrifice all he DOES have for her. I gotta go with Rhage when he flat out tells her "you really hate me". She doesn't hate you buddy, she despises you.

Oh, and don't even get me started on the punishment she demanded the Brotherhood give Rhage FOR TRYING TO SAVE MARY and the way she coherced poor Zsadist to participate knowing his violent history with this sort of thing. Tell you the truth, I wouldn't be a bit surprise if it turns out that she is related to the Omega. Or that she IS the Omega as well.
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E N D O F S P O I L E R




Suffice it to say it left a bitter taste in my mouth, I wasn’t happy with Mary, the damn Virgin (who btw acts more like a jealous, spurned lover than a virgin) and the ending. Mary didn’t redeem herself in my eyes while everything that Rhage does from the beginning up to the end is all for her. He sacrifices everything, and I mean EVERYTHING yet she has done little to nothing to deserve him. Again, if he would have been a hard ass that would be fine since he would be he one who had to step up but this wasn’t the case. Rhage is a nice guy from the get go. All that “misunderstanding” Mary had going on for the better part of the book was completely unnecessary and aggravating as all hell.

The Verdict:
I’m going to come out and just say it: I give the book a 3 out of 5 only because I think it’s a good read as part of the series. I loved to see everyone and, just as in book 1, all the major characters are deeply involved here. I also really liked Rhage and was glad he got his story. Hell I even liked Bella more than I liked Mary and this book sets up the stage for the next one, which is Bella and Zsadist’s story. As a stand alone, and if it would have been any other characters I don’t care for, I would have thrown this book down the toilet. The love story had some nice parts but overall it just left me feeling like Mary used the guy over and over all while he was just trying to be nice and comforting to her.

Oh. My. God. I frigging LOVE this book!!! I feel like a kid in a damn candy store. Except my candy store has badass leather-clad vampires and they are hotter than a summer day in hell!



The Genre:
Paranormal - Vampire Romance


The Plot:
Set in the present in Caldwell, NY, this is the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. The Black Dagger Brotherhood is, and I quote, "highly trained vampire warriors who protect their species against the Lessening Society". The lessers are basically humans without a soul, literally, whose sole purpose is to wipe out the vamps. Now the kicker is that vampires aren't the bad guys. They are just trying to survive. Their numbers are dwindling and their supposed King doesn't want the job.

Wrath is the last purebred vampire left on Earth and he is, or should be, the vampire king. Since his parents were brutally murdered centuries ago he wants nothing to do with the crown so to speak. Being the leader of the Brotherhood his only drive is to get rid of as many lessers as humanly, or inhumanly, possible. Accepting the crown would put him out of the killing business since, well, you can't have the king go around endangering his life.

One of his closest friends, and he really doesn't have many friends what with his attitude and all, is Darius. As the novel begins we find out that Darius has a half-human daughter who he believes will go through the "transition" and become a full vampire soon. Problem is that his daughter doesn't know he is alive. Since Darius is a vampire he stayed away in order to protect her and so Elizabeth was brought up in foster homes and orphanages. Turning vamp isn't an easy thing. In fact, most don't make it and die. Darius knows that, since Wrath is purebred, he is the only one that could help Beth get through the transition during which Beth will need to feed and Wrath has the strongest blood anywhere. Easier said than done. Wrath really, really doesn't like humans. Not even half humans so he declines the offer. Not less than an hour later an attempt is made on Darius life and up to meet his maker he goes.

Wrath and the Brothers vow to avenge his death but, no sooner do they reach Darius mansion, when his faithful butler hands Wrath a letter. In it Darius asked that, if he was to die, Wrath take care of his daughter. Take about having one hell of a premonition. Wrath is not a happy camper. Like he doesn't have enough to worry about now he has to nurse a half human through the excruciatingly painful transition. Nonetheless the guy is dead and they were close so off he goes to find Beth having no clue who she is or what she looks like.

Beth works in the local newspaper but feels her life is wasting away. She longs for adventure or at least something exciting in her life. She is very beautiful yet she's never had a serious relationship. Hell men haven’t even turned her on very often. Her only friends are Jose and Butch, two detectives who help her out on her assignments, and her cat Boo. You'd think she be excited to get a late night house call from an incredibly gorgeous and sexy stranger clad in black and boy is she. So excited she has sex with the guy.

Now, lest you think our little angel is a hoochie mama, let me say in her defense that Wrath is something you do not turn down. Fact, I don't think you could if you wanted to he's so damn sexy. There's the whole vampire lust thing, which apparently affects all the ladies around even if they are clueless as to what he is. Talk about taking animal magnetism to a whole new level. Let’s take a look at the nightclub scene where Wrath is introduced:

"With a sudden rush, the crowd shifted, people backing into each other. They were making way for someone. Or something. Darius watched the sea of humans split as they steered clear of an imposing, dark shadow that towered over them. The flight response was a good survival reflex. Wrath was six feet, six inches of pure terror dressed in leather. His hair was long and black, falling straight from a widow’s peak. Wraparaound sunglasses hid eyes that no one had ever seen revealed. Shoulders were twice the size of most males’. With a face that was both aristocratic and brutal, he looked like the king he was by birthright and the soldier he’d become by destiny. And that wave of menace rolling ahead of him was one hell of a calling card."

Yikes. So you see, poor Beth is only responding as every other female does when they are near one of the sexy Brotherhood vamps.

This is when the fun begins, as Beth is both terrified and intrigued by Wrath. She can tell a mile away that this guy is a killer, she even figures him to be a drug dealer. In spite of that she is attracted to the man like she’s never been attracted to anyone and there’s also the fact that he tells her he knew her father. Curiosity gets the better of her and she is sucked, no pun intended, into the world of the vampire king.


The Review:
As I said at the beginning I loved this book. In fact, I loved it so much, I’m re-reading it and I usually don’t read a book again until a time has passed. The story works for me on many levels. First there’s the love between Wrath and Beth. It’s not the-hills-are-alive-with-the-sound-of-music type love because that just won’t work here. Wrath is very much against humans, has a lot of issues and isn’t the type to get close to anyone. He may be a sex machine but he has zero clue when it comes to the romance department and Ward does one hell of a good job showing us how he deals with his emotions as well as with the fact that he wants Beth but he knows they shouldn’t be together.

Unlike some heroines Beth doesn’t try to hide the fact that she is inexplicably attracted to this guy she barely knows. However she doesn’t let it get the best of her for the most part and she does put Wrath in his place when she has to. In other words, she’s no slave to sex no matter how much she wants him. I can’t stand those heroines that are so attracted to the hero they can barely string a sentence together and their dignity flies out the window once he’s in the room. Add to this that she is sweet and not some over the top psycho with a Xena warrior complex and she makes the list as one of my favorite heroines. She realizes that she is in trouble and she doesn’t put herself at risk. The girl has a brain and uses it and I say thank god for that.

The rest of the Brotherhood is awesome as well and we are told they will all get their stories. Unlike some books, where the hero is mostly alone and only interacts with the important secondary characters once in a while, the other guys are very active here. I like that since it makes it play out more like one hell of a good action movie. This is necessary in any type of vampire novels, whether romance or otherwise. Vampires are a different species more like animals than humans. They are predators. Also they are almost always hunted by some secret society that hates them for many different reasons. This all makes for action and this book incorporates it very well with the romance. It’s not an out and out action packed book but, unlike some books where you just don’t believe anything will happen, you can really get into the back-story and the underground war the vampires are engaged in. Think Underworld except with a hell of a lot more romance and sex and no lychans.

The bad guys are some of the best villains I’ve come across in the romance genre. Most romance books that have action usually focus so much on the romance that the action and danger doesn’t seem believable or the villains come across as mere caricatures. Not here. Ward did a good job in making these guys evil and their ongoing war with the vampires feels real enough. Mr X., the leader of the lessers, is one mean SOB. As much as I was caught up in the Beth-Wrath romance and the rest of the Brotherhood, I found myself really really wanting to find out about what the hell this guy was up to.


My Personal Pet Peeves:
Much as I loved this book there are three things I’m not too happy with. This has little to nothing to do with the story, the writing or anything else. They are just things that I didn’t care for and, as any good reviewer will do, I have to let you know in case some of you out there think like me. Again I say, these are just personal preferences.

1.The gansta attitude – If you’ve ever heard The Offspring’s “Give it to Me Baby/Pretty Fly for a White Guy” then you should know what I’m talking about. The tricked out Escalade, the way the “brothas” talked to each other, the rap music, well, it just screams wigger to me. In case you don’t know, a wigger is a slang term for a white person who emulates the slang, dress, music, and other aspects of Black culture. Don’t get me wrong, I love all music and I happen to love quite a few rappers but it’s the entire package that throws me off here. If you’ve ever been into vampire movies then you know that leather clad vamps are pretty much synonymous with high tech, adrenalin pumping, fast rock or techno music. Vampires are, for the most part, European and have almost always been associated with the European culture, whether underground or not. This calls into mind industrial rock, heavy metal, techno or any other fast pumping music. Maybe if they were more like 50 Cent and the G Unit and less like Neo or the vamps from Underworld I could have gotten into it. Rap and leather don’t go together for me because rap isn’t fast paced enough. Again, it’s not about not liking rap. I’m sitting here writing this review and I happen to have Luda in the background. I love rap but it and leather clad, high tech vamps go together like Martha Stewart and Busta Rhymes did at the ‘97 MTV Awards. Not pretty. LOL.

2.The dog fight – Again this is one of those things that I personally dislike; nothing to do with the book itself. There are plenty of things to kill in a paranormal, humans as well as other species so I don’t understand why the need to bring in animals. I know it may seem rather trite to some but, unlike murder or rape, people don’t get all hot and bothered when there is animal cruelty in a book or movie, as if this is something normal. Since there are a million and one ways to get violent I don’t see the need in any book or movie for that matter to include animals in this. As I said, in the real world people are outraged when rape or murder occurs yet hardly anyone gives it a second thought when an animal is tortured or inhumanly treated. I really do wish that authors and writers would leave animals out of their stories. Include more people or bring in another species, leave the damn animals out especially in scenes like this.

3.Wrath and the crew's "darkness" – Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED the guys but once you start getting to know them some of that dark allure is lost to me. Maybe it’s the way they joke and tease each other so much or the way they talk. Maybe it’s the way Wrath breaks down and acts like a love struck puppy around Beth. I don’t know but the guys start coming off more like a group of close adolescent friends than ass kicking vampire assassins. No, they don’t ever get whimpy or whiny or act like children. It’s just that I like my heroes’ dark and well, dark doesn’t do jokes or talk slang or stare at his love with puppy eyes. It’s cute and most people love that but like I said, it’s just me.

Regardless of these things I say again that I LOVED the book. I love Wrath and Beth and the rest of the Brotherhood and I honestly couldn’t get enough of them. In fact, I wished the damn book were longer. I just had to point those out because it wouldn’t be an honest review if I didn’t tell you what was on my mind.



The Verdict:
Don’t trip over yourself as you run to your nearest Barnes & Nobles to get your hands on this puppy. Whether you love vampire stories, romance, or enjoy one heck of a good read you need to get this. The book is great; the characters grow on you even though you love most of them from the get go. The story is interesting and keeps you hooked to the last page and you really wish it would be longer than 393 pages. Thank god Ward already came out with the second book in the series, which I will be reviewing soon and the next book comes out in September. This is one series I wish would go on forever. Yeah, it kicks that much ass. I give it a 4.5 out of 5.