Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Fandom Mashups [11]




Fandom Mashups is a feature hosted by Lunar Rainbows Reviews. There's a different scenario each week, and you choose a "dream team" of five characters from five different fandoms whom you think are best suited for the situation.

WEREWOLVES! You've stumbled across an actual pack of werewolves. Unsure if they're friendly or deadly, you decide to investigate. Who you gonna call - to check it out with you?

1) Mercy Thompson - Mercy Thompson Series

Mercy the mechanic that shifts into a coyote would be the perfect person to help wrangle werewolves. I know it may not seem like it makes sense, but she wrangled herself an Alpha for a mate so she can get them in line. She also won her right to be his mate through challenges from other pack members. She has a way of knowing what their body language is saying, but isn't strictly tied to their rules.

2) Kate Daniels - Kate Daniels Series

Kate is much the same as above in the sense of wrangling an Alpha (while not a werewolf, still a shapeshifter). She also had to win challenges from other shifters in order to prove her rank. Believe me, she's got this.

3) Rachel Morgan - The Hollows

Rachel is well-versed with handling all supernatural creatures. As a witch, she still somehow managed to become an Alpha in a pack (in order to get cheaper insurance) and she's had to fight challenges in order to keep that right as well. Seems like a bit of a trend between these badass heroines.

4) Scarlet Benoit - The Lunar Chronicles

Just another girl that's capable of catching her an Alpha and becoming an Alpha herself. And she has the added juice of getting an alien wolf.

5) Lysandra - Throne of Glass

It's a girl's week apparently! Lysandra from the Throne of Glass series can handle any shifter thrown her way. I don't want to spoil too much here, but this girl can put the smack down on anyone that gets out of hand.

Who would be on your dream team this week?

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Review: Mad Zombie Party (White Rabbit Chronicles #4) by Gena Showalter


Published: September 29, 2015 by Harlequin Teen
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Fantasy, Horror
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Goodreads Summary

The battle rages on.

Ali Bell and Cole Holland’s crew of zombie slayers thought they’d won the war against Anima Industries, the evil company responsible for capturing and experimenting on zombies in an effort to discover the secret to immortality. In the last epic clash, the slayers lost many of their crew and closest friends. But Frosty, the ice man himself, has not recovered from one casualty in particular—the love of his life, Kat Parker.

On the path to self-annihilation, Frosty receives a message from beyond—Kat’s spirit returns, insisting he partner with rogue slayer Camilla Marks. Frosty will do anything for Kat. Except that. Camilla is the one who betrayed them all, leading to Kat’s death.

But when Anima rises from the grave to become a force the slayers may not have the strength to overcome, Frosty, Camilla and all the slayers will have to work together to survive. And one broken slayer will learn that sometimes, the line between hate and attraction is blurred…and the road to redemption isn’t through revenge, but letting go of the past and grabbing hold of the future.


"The color drains from her cheeks, but she raises her chin. A defense mechanism. Good. Words can be weapons. Mine are arrows, and they just struck their intended target."


*please be aware of spoilers from previous books

The Good


As a huge fan of The White Rabbit Chronicles, I couldn't pass this one up. It's a spin-off, told from alternating POV's of Frosty and Milla. Since Milla is part of the reason that Kat, my absolute favorite character from the series, is dead...let's just say that I didn't go into this as the biggest fan of her's.

My absolute favorite part of this story is the fact that all the old characters that I love are still here. Including Kat, since she's a witness now. Witnesses are like angel ghosts that can visit and send messages and help from beyond.

It was a lot like reading one of the others. There is a big bad that they are up against along with some zombies. Different powers make themselves known and the plot ramps up when some of their regular powers no longer work. It was great to see the groups working together to get the situation solved. Showalter hasn't been afraid of killing off characters, and I love that the action has that kind of significance.

There were some new developments in Mad Zombie Party, so even though it was a spin-off, this ended up being a better conclusion for the series as a whole. We got more information that I enjoyed having to wrap things up with these characters.

The Bad


The only bad spot in this book is that Ali's character is quite sassy and fun, as well as able to make fun of herself in her own thoughts. While it was interesting to get in Frosty's and Milla's mind, I missed the character that I had gotten so close to with the rest of the stories.

The Romance


Since Milla was instrumental in the circumstances that resulted in Kat's death, Frosty and most of the others understandably hated her. Showalter had a difficult job of showing us not only her vulnerable side, but also why she should be forgiven. It was a fine dance to make the romance that blossomed between Milla and Frosty believable, but she did a wonderful job with it.

Conclusion


If you are a fan of The White Rabbit Chronicles, you should absolutely pick this up. Of course, I would not read it unless you have read the series because I don't really think it'd work as a stand-alone. I enjoyed the time with characters that I've come to love, and appreciated getting to see things wrap up here for the whole series. 

Excerpts

"Is this an intervention?" I take one of two empty seats and signal the waitress for a coffee. I'm going to need it. "No, but it probably should be," Ali says. "You look like dog crap that's baked in the sun a little too long." Her mouth has always lacked any type of filter, a problem exacerbated by her refusal to lie about anything. Two qualities guaranteed to turn every conversation into a battlefield. But that's okay. Give me blunt truth over charming flattery any day.

This is no one's fault but my own, and I won't make the same mistakes. I won't. And I'm not helpless. I can do everything in my power to create a better future. Starting now, with Frosty. I would forever hate anyone who hurt River, just as Frosty will forever hate the  people who hurt Kat. I can't ever make up such a loss to him, but I can damn sure try. And I will.

Girls. Can't live with them-the end. I mean, seriously. There are two ways to argue with them, saying yes and saying no, and neither way works.

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Sunday Cover Scramble [164]



Let's have some fun! I am going to post covers on here every Sunday that are scrambled up graphically, making it hard to tell what cover it is. I would like your guesses on what cover you think I've posted. I won't answer you until I'm posting the next one to let you know if you are right, allowing others to guess as well. Some will be hard, and others may be easy. Let me know in the comments if you'd like some more hints and I'll offer some more if no one guesses it correctly.


I am pulling covers off the Most Popular Page on Goodreads.




Thursday, April 21, 2016

Harry Potter Moment of the Week [103]


This is a meme hosted by Uncorked Thoughts and Lunar Rainbows.The idea is to share a favorite moment, magical item, character, spell, quote, object from the books, films or J.K.Rowling herself! Click the links to the blogs to see how to join up &  upcoming topics.


Favorite DADA Spell



That is without a doubt the patronus. I love how Harry was adamant about getting the spell down and Lupin really was such a great help here. Harry needed to be able to face the dementors, and determinedly set to learning the patronus charm. What's so amazing about it though is that form that comes out to shield against the dementors. It's like their version of the spirit animal that embodies the wizard's happiest thoughts. I also love that they are capable of changing as drastic changes happen in the wizard's life to cause a shift. I'd like to think mine would be a penguin or a butterfly, but I guess they don't really know until it happens. It would've been fun to see one of Dumbledore's Army guess what they thought their's would be and watch as it appeared as either that animal or a different one

What is your favorite?

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Review: Owl and the Japanese Circus (The Adventures of Owl #1) by Kristi Charish


Published: January 13, 2015 by Simon & Schuster Canada
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format: paper back
Source: won - Lunar Rainbows - Thanks Kristi and Micheline!
Goodreads Summary

Ex-archaeology grad student turned international antiquities thief, Alix—better known now as Owl—has one rule. No supernatural jobs. Ever. Until she crosses paths with Mr. Kurosawa, a red dragon who owns and runs the Japanese Circus Casino in Las Vegas. He insists Owl retrieve an artifact stolen three thousand years ago, and makes her an offer she can’t refuse: he’ll get rid of a pack of vampires that want her dead. A dragon is about the only entity on the planet that can deliver on Owl’s vampire problem – and let’s face it, dragons are known to eat the odd thief.

Owl retraces the steps of Mr. Kurosawa’s ancient thief from Japan to Bali with the help of her best friend, Nadya, and an attractive mercenary. As it turns out though, finding the scroll is the least of her worries. When she figures out one of Mr. Kurosawa’s trusted advisors is orchestrating a plan to use a weapon powerful enough to wipe out a city, things go to hell in a hand basket fast…and Owl has to pick sides.





“I have a strict policy. No magic, no monsters, no supernatural clients. Ever.”


The Good


I was very pleasantly surprised by this gem. Alix, or Owl, is a purveyor of antiquities and as such gets on the bad side of a bunch of people. She happened across some vampires in a previous job and has to go on the run. Enter the dragon that whisks her away for a job and the story starts. Again I say, dragon. He's mostly in a human form, but that doesn't make him any less scary. Since Owl has sworn off having anything to do with the supernatural, she's not thrilled to find herself thrown smack dab in the middle of it for the rest of the story.

I was drawn to Owl. She's absolutely flawed. She's judgmental and sees what she wants to see. She's got a lot of walls built up and I'm not sure that she truly trusts anyone. Her friends in this story were some of my favorites. Nadya was both the quintessential best friend, yet she had no trouble standing up for herself when Owl is in the wrong. Rynn was charming and patient and most often the voice of reason. Captain is Owl's vampire hunting cat. Yes, he's incredibly intelligent, and yes, he is obsessed with eating vampires. He was quite fun.

My ABSOLUTE favorite thing about the story though was all the supernatural critters Charish gave us, and this is only the first one! There were vampires and incubus as well as lesser known creatures like naga. But the kicker was that there were some I hadn't heard of before, which was amazing! I loved the take on these creatures that Charish provides as well as this fresh look at magical beings I hadn't heard of yet.

The setting is a lot of fun as well. Owl jumps all over the place from her Winnebago in the beginning to a Las Vegas casino and many points around the globe like Bali and Tokyo.

The Bad


My main gripe is something that others will probably quite love. Owl is an online gamer and one of the characters in the books is someone she knows strictly through that gaming. Therefore, this gave the reader a way to meet this character. However, the game was brought into the story quite often and I became bored with these parts.

The Romance


Like I said, Owl is not the most trusting, so dating would require her to take down quite a few of those walls. She does get rather close to Rynn which was fun, he's a character that I love, but this will be a hard relationship with quite a few ups and downs. I'm interested to see where this goes.

Conclusion


Owl and the Japanese Circus is a fantastic start to this series. It's got fun, adventure, great characters, supernaturals galore, and a vampire killing cat. I will definitely be continuing with the series. Recommended.





Sunday, April 17, 2016

Sunday Cover Scramble [163]



Let's have some fun! I am going to post covers on here every Sunday that are scrambled up graphically, making it hard to tell what cover it is. I would like your guesses on what cover you think I've posted. I won't answer you until I'm posting the next one to let you know if you are right, allowing others to guess as well. Some will be hard, and others may be easy. Let me know in the comments if you'd like some more hints and I'll offer some more if no one guesses it correctly.


I am pulling covers off the Most Popular Page on Goodreads.





Saturday, April 16, 2016

Review: Embraced (The Eternal Balance #2) by Jus Accardo


Published: November 16, 2015 by Entagled (Embrace)
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: ebook
Source: sent for honest review
Goodreads Summary

A new adult romance from Entangled's Embrace imprint...

To gain a chance at heaven, they'll need to embrace hell…

Descended from Cain, the world's first murderer, Jax Flynn is destined to spend his life making others suffer. To shield the world from horrific chaos, he was forced to sacrifice the one and only thing he loved. Samantha Merrick.

Sam is special. She doesn't know how--or why--and she hasn't had any luck finding out. But there's a bright side to her life. She finally has Jax back. Sort of. They're living life on a strict look but don't touch policy, but with the explosive chemistry between them, keeping their hands to themselves is getting harder every day.

Unfortunately, keeping their libidos in check isn't Jax and Sam's biggest problem. When an enemy from the past resurfaces with an ultimatum--complete a simple task or Sam dies--they're backed into a corner. The goal? Kill a demon called Malphi. The problem? Jax's demon, Azirak, has no intention of letting that happen…


The Good


I love how Accardo doesn't let things be easy for Jax and Sammy. It's almost as if blow after blow comes for them. They think they have a solution to a problem, then WHAM new issue with that. It's serious business they are up against too. You know, the whole death and destruction of the world, hell on earth, I can't touch the person I love problems going on here. Throughout reading, I became attached to these characters. I just want to see them succeed and for them to be thrown a bone. The demon in Jax as well has a name and is in fact a complete separate entity. I love how different Jax and Azi are from each other, but I also really enjoy how they explore their similarities. Sammy is that tough chick that stands up for herself, but she also sees the good in people.

The Bad


It got a bit repetitive in a few places. Meaning, someone's after Sam, Jax snarls and fights, they get free, someone gets Sam again. I loved the action so don't get me wrong, but some of the same conflict for the characters kept popping up.


The Romance


Man, that ending. These two love each other a lot. They also want to rip each other's clothes off and make like bunnies. However, they are not able to be together. I don't mean there are rules against it so they can sneak around, I mean they aren't able to. I'm wondering how the next one will resolve the problem the two face.


Conclusion


Embraced stays pretty fast paced. There is a lot of action and a true need to see the characters make it through everything. I hope to see some romance resolution in the next one. Recommended.


Thursday, April 14, 2016

Harry Potter Moment of the Week [103]


This is a meme hosted by Uncorked Thoughts and Lunar Rainbows.The idea is to share a favorite moment, magical item, character, spell, quote, object from the books, films or J.K.Rowling herself! Click the links to the blogs to see how to join up &  upcoming topics.

Would you rather practice magic with Harry or Dumbledore?



via GIPHY


Do you remember that moment when Ron, Hermione, and Harry are all talking about how Dumbledore wants to have extra lessons in the 6th book? How incredibly excited they were and how they were going over all the advanced magic that Dumbledore may want to teach to Harry? I would feel exactly the same way in that moment. His disappointment over diving into memories at first is something that I felt right along with him. While I enjoyed those trips into the pensieve, I would've loved seeing some tutoring of magic from Dumbledore. I'd also have to ask him about that birth mark.

Who would you choose?

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

I am Sleepless: Sim 299 by Johan Twiss


Published: October 28th 2015 by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Genre: Science Fiction
Format: ebook
Source: provided for honest review
Goodreads Summary


The planet Ethos is at war with a mysterious enemy known as the Splicers. Their only successful defense is the Prime Initiative. All newborns with the compatible genetic code are taken from their families and injected with the Prime Stimulus. Each child that survives the stimulus develops an extraordinary ability and is conscripted into the military for training.

After turning twelve, Aidan is moved to the upper-class at the Mount Fegorio training complex. His special gifts allow him unprecedented success in the virtual training simulations, advancing him further than any prime cadet in history. No one knows what lies after sim 299, not even Director Tuskin, the ruthless and reclusive ruler of their planet. But something, or someone, has been guiding Aidan there. If he can pass the final tests, he may discover the key to ending the Splicer War.

 I am Sleepless: Sim 299 by Johan Twiss

Buy I am Sleepless: Sim 299 by Johan Twiss today at Amazon

“ Anyways,” Palomas continued. “I’m off to my room. Good night, losers. I love you guys.” 

Aidan smiled. Since his first memories formed of them learning to communicate as one-year primes, Palomas had signed the same thing to their coterie family every night, Good night, losers. I love you. 

“Love you too, sis,” replied Fig and Aidan in unison.


The Good

Well it has a strong enders game feel to it. They are kids picked because they are special. They are training to fight an alien race that is coming for them. But it's different in that the enemy seem's to be an actual threat. They also train via computer simulation and all the kids participate in a simulation on their free time. But instead of just being extremely smart the kids all have special abilities Depending on how the stimulus effects them. So far i really like all the characters that have been introduced. You get a good feel for how the program effects everyone from the kids to the family that is left behind.

The Bad

I don't have any complaints.

The Romance

No real romance with the main character as of yet. Though there is some interesting heat between support characters.


Conclusion

I'm in, give me book two already. If you enjoyed enders game in particular or just Sci-fi in general you'll want to check this book out. It has some great character development so far and does a great job getting me invested in their future. The action is fun, the abilities are fresh and exciting and the pace never felt like it was dragging a long. I'm definitely a fan boy of the series so far.




Excerpts

“Relax, Fig,” Aidan said between breaths. “This is what we’ve trained for since we were kids. Now we have a chance to test our skills against other cadets. Plus, we have an advantage.”
“We do?”
“Yeah. I just stepped in bearcat dung.”
“What? Gross. How is smelling like you haven’t showered in a month an advantage? We’re so dead. Dead I tell you. Dead. Dead. Dead.”


"You’re up, Fig." Fig adjusted his sweaty hands on the controls of his suit.
They turned a lighter shade of blue as he squeezed the controls. "You are the man. You can do this. Breathe," he whispered to himself.
"Fig! Go now you little blue midget!" Palomas tapped impatiently.


Zana’s blue face turned three shades paler. “Okay, that looked really painful. Did you hear how he screamed?”
“Zana. He’s a lug. He can’t scream,” Dixon said, trying to hide his own fear.
“I know that. But imagine if he could scream.



“Yes and no. You’ve met your challenge well this day and you are now allowed to return home, but you must return in three weeks to complete your quest. All three of you must return, or there will be grave consequences.” Aidan, Dixon and Zana eyed one another. A simulation couldn’t threaten them in the real world, could it?

Buy I am Sleepless: Sim 299 by Johan Twiss today at Amazon

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Sunday Cover Scramble [163]



Let's have some fun! I am going to post covers on here every Sunday that are scrambled up graphically, making it hard to tell what cover it is. I would like your guesses on what cover you think I've posted. I won't answer you until I'm posting the next one to let you know if you are right, allowing others to guess as well. Some will be hard, and others may be easy. Let me know in the comments if you'd like some more hints and I'll offer some more if no one guesses it correctly.


I am pulling covers off the Most Popular Page on Goodreads.






Saturday, April 9, 2016

Review: Ruined (The Eternal Balance #1) by Jus Accardo


Published: December 30, 2013 by Entagled (Embrace)
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Goodreads Summary

A new adult novel from Entangled's Embrace imprint...

Hell is looking for a way to break loose…

Jax lost the genetic lottery. Descended from Cain, the world's first murderer, he's plagued by a curse that demands violence in exchange for his happiness. He left everything behind, including the girl he loved, but thriving on the pain of others is lonely… And it's killing him.

After a series of heartbreaking losses, Samantha put rubber to pavement and headed for college as fast as her clunker could carry her. But she can't outrun her problems. When an attack at school drives her back home, she's thrown into the path of a past—and a guy—she's been trying to forget.

Sam strains Jax's control over his darkness, but running isn't an option this time. Someone—or, something—followed her home from school: a ruthless monster with a twisted plan centuries in the making. Forced together to survive, and fighting an attraction that could destroy them both, Jax and Sam must stop a killer bent on revenge.


"I on the other hand was rotten fruit. The deformed apple that fell to the ground too early and had gotten picked at by animals. I was all the bad habits and diseased bits from the drain of the Flynn family genetic tub."


The Good


So, what if you were born cursed? What if because someone in your ancestry forever ago committed a sin you are now forced to share your body with a demon? That's where our main character, Jax, finds himself. He's sidled with a demon riding shotgun in his head all because of that first murder ever committed by Jax's ancestor Cain. While Jax may be a caring and good person, the actions that his demon demands of him most certainly aren't. Jax's demon craves violence and sends him images of the destruction it wishes to see Jax cause.

This story is told between alternating POV's of Jax and Sam. Sammy is the girl next door, literally and figuratively. They have very different voices and it's nice to get the change of pace so I enjoy this POV setup for Ruined. The plot line is one that I haven't seen before and I thought the take on Cain's descendants was very unique. The setting and world-building feel like we're just at the tip of the iceberg on more interesting things that could come, but I wasn't left confused. All the information lined up and made sense to me. Accardo did an excellent job with showing the demon's penchant for destruction without making me shake my head or want to throw up. There was a darkness from Jax and the demon that hung over every interaction that ramped up the intensity.

The Bad


Though the romance was great, it sometimes caused the rest of the story to take a backseat. I would've liked to have seen a little less romance and some more action thrown in.

The Romance


These two are beyond spicy and want each other something fierce. Whether they are a good fit remains to be seen. I will say that Sam has a soft spot for Jax and doesn't feel like he's all bad where Jax wants to keep Sam safe, especially from himself. There's a lot of conflict to work out before this relationship will work, but I hope we see something good come out of it.

Conclusion


This is the second book by Accardo that I've read and I've enjoyed them both. The characters in Ruined drew me in and I was very interested in the story concept and world. I like the flare of romance and the flashes of darkness that hung over everything, and I'm looking forward to seeing more out of this series. Recommended.




Excerpts

I knew that look. Horror and disgust mixed with fear. It was the expression everyone in this damn town wore when staring me down. Just another reason to get this shit over and done with and leave this place in the dust forever. I was like a plague to these people. The Antichrist and hitler rolled into one horrible package.

"Stalking me? Really?" As if I didn't have enough of that crap going on already He shrugged and held the door open wide. "We were talking. I figured we could walk and talk." "We weren't talking, Jax. You were talking - I'm convinced it's because you love the sound of your own voice. I was trying to walk away."

I might have been able to use my cell as a flashlight, but that was gone, too. Probably at the bottom of the river with the fish. It made calling for a ride impossible. That left no other choice but to walk. Through the woods. At night. After being pushed from a cliff to my death. I was having a really shitty week.

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Harry Potter Moment of the Week [102]


This is a meme hosted by Uncorked Thoughts and Lunar Rainbows.The idea is to share a favorite moment, magical item, character, spell, quote, object from the books, films or J.K.Rowling herself! Click the links to the blogs to see how to join up &  upcoming topics.

Rename the books from Voldemort's POV


More Serious:

Voldemort and the Immortality Plan
Voldemort and the Memory
Voldemort and His Follower Returns
Voldemort and the Reawakening
Voldemort and the Prophecy
Voldemort and an Enemy's Demise
Voldemort and the Elder Wand

A Little More Fun:

Voldemort and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Back of a Head
Voldemort and Reminiscing on His Youth as a Tool
Voldemort and the Cowardly Rat
Voldemort and He Can Touch Harry Now
Voldemort and His Death Eaters Mess Up Everything
Voldemort and Free At Last, Free At Last
Voldemort and Learning the Importance of Making Sure Your Enemy is Dead 

Who would you name them?

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Shards of Reality (Seams in Reality #4) by Alex Siegel


Published: Published June 26th 2015
Genre: Sci-Fi, Magic
Format: ebook
Source: provided for honest review
Goodreads Summary


Lies, betrayals, and massacres have ruined the fragile peace between normal people and the community of sorcerers. Now the FBI is watching. Even the President of the United States is fearful and suspicious. If the sorcerers make a single mistake, they will be permanently imprisoned for the sake of "public safety." They are surrounded by enemies and can only rely on each other for protection.

The apprentices, Andrew and Charley, must build a path to peace, but they have a formidable adversary. Frank Webster, the former director of the Bureau of Physical Investigation, wants to see sorcery banished. He uses torture and murder to achieve his objectives. The conflict can only end in total victory for one side or the other in the climax of the Seams in Reality series.

The other three books in the Seams in Reality Series are SEAMS IN REALITY, CRACKS IN REALITY, and BREAKS IN REALITY. Interested readers might also try APOCALYPSE CULT, the first book in the Gray Spear Society Series. That book is permanently free.

 Shards of Reality (Seams in Reality #4) by Alex Siegel

Buy Shards of Reality (Seams in Reality #4) by Alex Siegel today at Amazon

"And now you want me to betray that trust." 

"You make it sound dishonorable. This is a matter of national security." 

"Whenever somebody tells me that," Tungsten said, "bad decisions usually follow. You should calm down. Blake and Phillip are dead. The immediate danger has passed. It sounds like you're the one stirring up trouble now."


The Good

Andrew and charlie are back and now have to deal with the fall out from book 3. The former BPI director has turned into a total tool trying to have all sorcerer's locked up as his paranoia knows no bounds. I love when the villian is believeable and worthy of my disdain. The sorcerer's are trying to decide between skipping to another country or trying to work it out with the goverment. I honestly would love to see them skip town and see them in a new enviroment. Also it's interesting to see the sorcerer's try and decide what's moral and what isn't as far as using their powers.

The Bad

Ever read one of those books that has a good ending it's just not the one you would have chosen? This would fall in that category for me.

The Romance

Andrew and Charlie are still in love and flirting with danger. Will they rush their relationship a bit to fast and if so will that change who they are?


Conclusion

Overall I loved the series and the last book did it justice. I would have liked a different ending but I can live with this one. All things considered I would recommend this series to anyone looking for a different take on a sorcerer tale.




Excerpts

"The old rules are gone." "The difference between right and wrong is still perfectly clear. Any type of mind-control is forbidden. So is using illusions to swindle and cheat people."




"Do you think he's performing experiments on our missing people?" Tonya said.
"It's very possible. It wouldn't be the first time sorcerers were used as lab rats."




Tonya nodded. "That's generally how it happens. The sorcerer turns a sprite into a deceased lover or parent out of grief. Of course, it's not a stable relationship. Inevitably, the sorcerer has a moment of weakness, and the banshee starts feeding on him."
"What happens when the sorcerer goes to sleep?" 

Buy Shards of Reality (Seams in Reality #4) by Alex Siegel today at Amazon

Monday, April 4, 2016

Sunday Cover Scramble [162]



Let's have some fun! I am going to post covers on here every Sunday that are scrambled up graphically, making it hard to tell what cover it is. I would like your guesses on what cover you think I've posted. I won't answer you until I'm posting the next one to let you know if you are right, allowing others to guess as well. Some will be hard, and others may be easy. Let me know in the comments if you'd like some more hints and I'll offer some more if no one guesses it correctly.


I am pulling covers off the Most Popular Page on Goodreads.








Friday, April 1, 2016

Review: Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
Publisher: September 19th, 2006 by Vintage Books
Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Horror
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Goodreads Summary:

Meet Dexter Morgan, a polite wolf in sheep's clothing. He's handsome and charming, but something in his past has made him abide by a different set of rules. He's a serial killer whose one golden rule makes him immensely likeable: he only kills bad people. And his job as a blood splatter expert for the Miami police department puts him in the perfect position to identify his victims. But when a series of brutal murders bearing a striking similarity to his own style start turning up, Dexter is caught between being flattered and being frightened -- of himself or some other fiend.


I have been away from this review thing for a while.  Between work, school, moving, and remodeling a house I just haven't had time to do much else.   However, I am back :) 
I have had this series sitting on my bookshelves a while.   I fell in love with the show and started buying the books.   However, I have never read them until now.   We recently went back and watched all 8 seasons of the show and it inspired me to finally read the books.  So be expecting reviews on all the sequels in this series.  Cause who don't love a good serial killer story, right?

“I'm a very neat monster." ~Dexter Morgan”  


Dexter Morgan comes across as your average everyday middle America kind of guy.   However, it is all a clever rouse, a character created by Dexter and his foster father Harry to hide his "Dark Passenger."  Yes, he is a serial killer, but instead of blindly killing, he lives by a code.  He only kills people who do unthinkably bad things that were never brought to justice.   He is a master at his craft, or so he thought.   Recently a string of murders start popping up around Miami.  They are expertly done.  They are neat, clean, and Dexter is fascinated by this.   Does he have a superior rival, or is this the making of a wonderful partnership?

“Life's only obligation, after all, was to be interesting.”-Dexter Morgan


This book and the first season had a lot of similarities and a lot of differences.   So if you have seen the show you will be vaguely familiar with the basic story line.   But it is essentially a totally different story and outcome.    In the book you get a deeper look into Dexter's mind.   This Dexter is darker and a true sociopath, unlike it's counterpart in the show.   I like the darker Dexter.  He is also more comical to me.  It is a darker sense of humor, but coming from the girl that loves horror movies and books about serial killers that is my kind of humor.   I actually really loved some of the directions the book went.   At one point Dexter was unsure of his sanity.   Could he be blacking out and be the very killer they are trying to hunt?   In comparison to the show you always knew the killer was out there.  In the book, you are not sure if the killer is someone else or Dexter.   The characters from the first season are in this book.  So there are a lot of familiar faces as well.  But don't get attached to the characters you may have loved in the show.  One thing that I loved was that the show decided to kill off different people.  So the book's deaths were a surprise to me.   Doakes is probably one of my favorite supporting characters in the show, just because he makes me laugh.   So when reading about his character, I could see and hear him which made my reading experience even that much more entertaining.   And even though Dexter's personality is way darker I still heard Michael Hall's voice narrating Dexter's thoughts in the book :)

“I did not like this feeling of having feelings.”-Dexter Morgan


Ok, so being a huge fan of the show (I have watched it thru a few times).  I had a preconceived notion of who the characters were.  In the book a lot of them fell flat.   They aren't really well developed.   It may just be that it is the first book and character development hasn't had time to prosper yet.   But I would have liked a little more attention toward making the characters a little more 3 dimensional.   Also I felt the ending was a little rushed.   There was no real build up.   It was like we are looking for this guy and here he is kind of situation.   Was it bad?  No, not necessarily, but I think it would have had a deeper impact if the build up was a little more intense.

 “It’s like, everything really is two ways, the way we all pretend it is and the way it really is”-Dexter Morgan


Overall, I really enjoyed the book.  I was a little iffy at first.  I thought this is an instance where the show is actually better than the book.  The jury is still out on my overall opinion on that.  But as I read on the book really grew on me.   I love Dexter and the uniqueness of how he views the world.   There were many comical moments which is always great when you have such a dark book and story.   I am hoping that as the series progress the characters become a little more fleshed out. I am excited to see where this story line takes the characters I already know and love.   Worth the read for sure!

 “Weren't we all crazy in our sleep? What was sleep, after all, but the process by which we dumped our insanity into a dark subconscious pit and came out on the other side ready to eat cereal instead of our neighbor's children?”-Dexter Morgan