Shadow's Seduction by Kresley Cole

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Hardcover: 648 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release date: September 1st, 2015

Series:  Throne of Glass #4

Source: 

Reviewed by: 

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

The queen has returned.

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…

She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.

The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series continues Celaena’s epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

Celaena Sardothien aka Aelin Galathynius has been through a lot, especially for someone so young, but her troubles are far from being over. She met and bonded with her precious Rowan during her oversea quest, but now she's back to Ardalan, on her own and needs to learn to fight without her magic powers once more. Her mission is quite simply, retrieve her cousin Aedion from the execution block, free magic, kill the King and free (or kill if it comes to this) Dorian. Easy peasy!

I loved this series and it's been a very long time since I've read the previous books, and I must say, my lack of memory was my worst enemy when reading this book. All through the novel Maas refers to past events or previous characters and while it 'rings a bell' she didn't provide enough information to really remind me what she was referring too. It was very frustrating to KNOW I should remember something, but not have a clue. Keltain and Elide were to two most frustrating characters for me for that reason, because I had no idea who they were! After searching online I found that Keltain was rich self-serving b*tch from book one (and dear lord did she change!) and Elide was the daughter of a maid who helped protect Aelin as a child. Maas did not provide enough details in Queen of Shadows for me to remember them while reading. Did you have the same problem? It might just be me...

I have really mixed feelings about the installment. I read it pretty fast because it's full of suspense and fairly action-packed, keeping a fast pace despite this book being so long (almost 600 pages!) but some parts of the plot seemed impossible. The whole book Aelin sets out on her own doing god-knows-what and later on surprises us with a certain plot twist and we are suppose to believe she plotted the whole things days / weeks before. It made things interesting, but didn't seem plausible.

On the other hand, we got to know Lysandra really well and she was truly a star for me. I learned to hate her in the previous novels but it turns out it was all an act and she is beyond awesome! I really enjoyed her company and her witty lines. We was a happy surprise! As was Nesryn, a rebel solider with wicked bow skills and she's Chaol's second-in-command.

I wasn't a fan of Manon (a witch) at all, and her chapter bored me at first, but she grew on me has she finally showed a bit of balls toward the end of the book and I am really curious about her future role in the final battle. She is currently fighting on the side of evil, but shows signs of redemption. Who knows where it will lead her!

Overall, I'm still in love with the series and plan to read the fifth installment (Empire of Storms) very soon. The events of Queen of Shadows are game changers and I'm really anxious to know what comes next. If you haven't tried this series, I would recommend starting with the novellas (Would can find them bound in a single book titled The Assassin's Blade or purchase 'em individually for e-readers) has the events taking place in those are crucial.

Happy reading!

Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Hardcover: 371 pages
Publisher: Ace Books
Release date: March 7th 2017

Series:  Mercy Thompson #10

Source: 

Reviewed by: 

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

In the #1 New York Times bestselling Mercy Thompson novels, the coyote shapeshifter has found her voice in the werewolf pack. But when Mercy's bond with the pack and her mate is broken, she'll learn what it truly means to be alone...

Attacked and abducted in her home territory, Mercy finds herself in the clutches of the most powerful vampire in the world, taken as a weapon to use against alpha werewolf Adam and the ruler of the Tri-Cities vampires. In coyote form, Mercy escapes only to find herself without money, without clothing, and alone in the heart of Europe...

Unable to contact Adam and the rest of the pack, Mercy has allies to find and enemies to fight, and she needs to figure out which is which. Ancient powers stir, and Mercy must be her agile best to avoid causing a war between vampires and werewolves, and between werewolves and werewolves. And in the heart of the ancient city of Prague, old ghosts rise...

The Witch Must Burn is the second book of the prequel trilogy to Dorothy Must Die.  It's not necessary to have read Dorothy Must Die or No Place Like Oz in order to enjoy this one, but you can read reviews of them by clicking on the titles.

No Place Like Oz, the first prequel in Dorothy Must Die: Stories, was kind of dark.  Dorothy was the quintessential nasty, angsty teen... to the umpteenth degree!  So it was really refreshing to get into The Witch Must Burn, told from Jellia's point of view.

Jellia is a servant, the head ladies' maid, in Dorothy's castle.  Even though she's just a teen herself, she's still old enough to remember what Oz was like under Ozma.  Right from the beginning of the novella, the reader can sense her depression regarding Dorothy's rule.  She misses Ozma, and worries about her.  She despairs that things could ever improve again.  On top of that, she still has to work for the very mercurial and often mean Dorothy, and keep a big secret.  (You know I never give things away in my reviews!  You'll have to read the book to find out more!)

My heart went out to Jellia!  She's trying so hard to please Dorothy and to shield her subordinates from Dorothy's wrath.  She's not a naively blind follower, though- she knows that Dorothy is in the wrong.  She just doesn't know what to do about it.  Yet.  (*wink wink nudge nudge*)

If you've read Dorothy Must Die, you'll know what needs to be done.  Even if you've read it, though, you'll still be surprised at the path that Jellia takes to get there.  I know I was!  It was heartbreaking in places, but always inspiring, what with Jellia's never-say-die attitude.  There were even a few parts that were almost reminiscent of mad scientist horror tales, so it was a perfect October read for me.

The only small quibble I had was with the reader (I listened to the audiobook of The Witch Must Burn)- she just wasn't my taste.  I can't exactly put my finger on anything in particular that was wrong; I think the accent just wasn't my cup of tea.  It wasn't bad enough to distract me from the story or anything, so there's a good chance that other people will love the narrator.

 

For a while now I have been a fan and regular listener of the Writing Excuses podcast which features, among others, Mary Robinette Kowa.  So, when I saw that she had a new book out recently, it was like an old friend saying "Hey, check out what I just finished' and I had to read it.  No, are not really friends but, I've heard so much of her podcasts and read her work that I feel like I should know her.  Ghost Takers is a period piece set in France during the First World War.  The premise centers around the militaries using paranormally gifted people to help with the war effort.

The setting is one of my favorites.  It is a time that is a  bit simpler yet is rich with historical value.  This book does an excellent job of portraying the period without making enough errors to bring the reader out of the story.   The author avoids the all too often, mistake of bringing modern sensibilities into a period piece.  It may feel like it is easier on the reader but, it takes me out of a story when that is done.

This book also steers clear of the  overly competent main character.  Our main character here is a young woman who not only fits the bill for this special unit, she seems like she belongs in this time and place.  There is the right amount of period correctness mixed with a nice bit of progressiveness to make the character both credible and interesting.  After all, this was a time of great change.

Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal is an adventure set in a period we see too little of.  There is a great deal of violence as well as a bit of mature discussion which lands this book a mild PG13 rating from me.

I read a few books from this series a couple years back and I'm really glad I decided to get back into it. I love a good science fiction novel and the way the author blends romance into her stories is wonderful. The love scenes are pretty erotic and not for the faint of heart but as a whole, the novel isn't just about the romance. There's an actual actual story that involves dangerous situations, multiple characters and many storylines.

The main storyline is about Lauren, a Florida native who was abducted by an evil alien race called the Scourge. It was prophesied by the AllFather, the leader of the Scourge, that she was the future of their dying race. Luckily, she was saved from a grave future of rape and torture by one of her captors, Xairn, whom she falls for romantically. At first, she attributes her feelings to a sort of Stockholm Syndrome but the more time she spends with Xairn, the stronger her feelings become. Xairn promises to keep Lauren safe but his duty doesn't come easily, especially when the AllFather still wants her. Also, Xairn feels he must protect her from himself and his dark sexual urges, so he represses his feelings, which annoys Lauren immensely.

They try to create a life together but Xairn's finds controlling his sexual urges difficult, especially with a very affectionate Lauren. The more Xairn shares about his past, the more Lauren realizes where his fears come from. Xairn's childhood was an abusive one which has shaped him into the cold warrior that he is. When the AllFather threatens someone he loves, the cold warrior facade might be the only thing that saves both of them.

The author made the right choice with Lauren. She could have made her the hapless female that is mentally scared by her abduction but instead Lauren has turned out to be a strong female lead. Xairn might be afraid of hurting her, but at this point, the only thing that could possibly hurt her is leaving. They've gone through so much together, including DNA modification, escaping the AllFather and a horrible market trade on a strange planet. I can't help but cheer for this couple, even if they are the most unlikely pair.

Space travel, psychic abilities, medical advances and alien technology are present in this novel, but the one thing I wish the author could have done is spent more time on is elaborating these aspects. Evangeline Anderson has created a wonderful and strange world and I can't wait to learn more about it and its remarkable inhabitants. Found is a compelling science fiction romance that is leading this series in a great direction.



 

What kind of murder mystery starts out with the full knowledge of the identity of the person who pulls the trigger? The obvious answer is that it has to involve magic of some sort.  This is one of the elements of this gripping tale of love, murder, family and magic by Chrysler Szarlan in the book The Hawley Book of the Dead.

The story begins with the glitz and glam setting of Las Vegas and a husband and wife magic show.  They are enjoying a level of success and fame that allows them to provide a stable life for their three daughters and themselves until fate steps in.  After a tragedy on stage, the remaining members of the family  are left to confront and live with what they learn of their ancestors and the legacy that has been handed them.  I am sure that it would be easy enough to find other stories that could loosely fit that description but, this is one that takes that skeleton and fleshes it out into an entertaining story.  Chrysler Szarlan uses setting and history to great effect and in a way which pulls the reader even further into the narrative.  Whether in the deserts of Nevada or a New England woods we are treated to scenes and scenery that helps build the energy and tension for this book.

We get to learn about the family mainly from the perspective of Revelation Dyer.  It is her thought, feelings and observations that bring this all to life to us for the most part.  The author did do something a bit unusual in shifting from Revelation's first point of view to a third person point of view centering on other characters.  The real surprise is how well it works.  To me, it came across as a clever way to give the intimate details that first person allows while still providing a glimpse into other parts of the story.

The Hawley Book of the Dead by Chrysler Szarlan is an interesting and entertaining book. It breaks a few a the rules and tells a story that will surely play the heart strings of its readers.  There is a bit of language and a small amount of suggestive dialog which earns this one a PG13 in my mind.

 

 

One thing I look forward to when a new book by a new author comes out is the possibility of a new magic system to explore.  In Reliquary by Sarah Fine, we get introduced to one of the more unique systems of magic.  Some are practitioners and some are merely sensitives

This is a story brought to us through the eyes of our main character, Mattie Carver.  She's a young lady who has her life planned to perfection and we all know what happens to well laid plans.  As her plans start go awry, we get to learn more about Mattie, her fiancé Ben and his brother Asa.  These are the characters we get to learn the most about as the adventure unfolds.  There is a lot of self realization for Mattie as she navigates the underworld of magic and tries to learn its rules.  When it comes to her fiancé and his brother and even some of her family members, Mattie is more adept at finding questions rather than answers.

The story itself has a decent flow.  It does suffer from pacing in some spots.  Part of that comes from the action scenes.  The narrative for many of the action scenes are overly verbose.  In an effort to get the details of the scene, we lose the  tempo of the struggles in depth of the description.  Unfortunately, some of the spots where a bit of detail would be welcome wind up a bit thin.

Reliquary by Sarah Fine is a urban fantasy that reads like an adventure/romance novel.  It explores not only the discovery of magic in a mundane world but, the beginning of the adventure of Mattie's self discovery.  This book has much violence (though not gratuitous) very frank discussions of sex and sexuality as well as some grown up language.  This is a definite R rated.

 



 

I'm quite obsessed with this series. Honestly, it isn't great literary fiction but it is fun and entertaining to read when you're looking for a good romance book. Sci-fi romance is a guilty pleasure of mine and this second book of the series definitely delivers.

This book tell the story of Sophia and Sylvan. In this alternate reality, Earth is threatened by the Scourge, and evil alien race. Enter the Kindred, a warrior alien race that have sworn to protect Earth's inhabitants. On one condition: the Kindred females are very rare and so, the Kindred warriors need human brides in order to guarantee the survival of their race. This genetic exchange is mandatory for all unmated human females. For some, it's a dream come true. For Sophia, it's a nightmare.

Sophia has been scared to get close to anyone ever since she was attacked on her prom night. That horrible ordeal has followed her through adulthood, along with her fear of needles and pointy things. The worse possible thing for her would be to be claimed by a Blood Kindred. She probably wouldn't mind the Beast Kindred or the Twin Kindred, but luck has her being attracked to Sylvan, a Blood Kindred. A vampire-like sub-bread of the Kindred, Sylvan feels the urge to bite and bond Sophia to him forever. However, he knows Sophia is very afraid of him and his fangs so their relationship is a complicated one. Even more, Sophia is being hunted by the Scourge for some bizarre reason and Sylvan has sworn to protect her personally. That keeps them in close proximity for flames to burn and attraction to deepen. But still, they fight the bond between themselves, Sophia out of fear, and Sylvan out of honour.

Sylvan is your typical Alpha male hero and you couldn't ask for a better leading man. As for Sophia, she really got under my skin. Quite frankly, she's pathetic. Her fears are founded, but quite honestly, by now you would think she would have out-grown and tried to get over them. In my opinion, she's too weak, too sensitive and too tortured to be considered a good heroine.

This book is quite erotic at times but also has a good storyline. We're almost guaranteed a happily-ever-after but bumps along the way makes you doubt a good ending. If you can get over the tortured and teary-eyed heroine, this is a fantastic sci-fi romance. It has action, and evil antagonist and steamy love scenes. Great for the guilty pleasure shelf, however, not so great for feminism.

I've been hooked to this series, ever since I started reading it about a year ago. Curiously, I haven't read anything else by Eve Langlais, besides this series. I think it's the hot purple aliens that keep me coming back for more. This novella is the seventh in the series, and although it's not my favorite of the series, it was still a fun and enjoyable read.

Eve Langlais took a different approach with this story. Instead of your typical Alien Abduction, like in her past stories, her story actually opens at Romancing The Capital 2016, an actual romance book convention that took place a few weeks ago. The story is written from Brigitte's point of view, a romance reader who has helped Eve Langlais organize the convention. Little does Brigitte know, Eve has been in contact with real purple aliens in order to pawn off some of her readers as suitable mates to the purple mercenaries. I don't think I'm a big fan of this twist. Eve Langlais makes a personal cameo in the the book, along with some other romance writers who probably attended the convention (name dropping?). I find the whole concept a bit strange. I do find it fitting, however, since I personally attended Book Expo America, but there were no purple aliens there (not that I'm aware of), so it's very good timing.

Brigitte has been a huge fan on Eve Langlais' Alien Abduction series too, and when this purple hunk appears at RTC, she thinks it's all part of the show, a paid actor playing a good role. She soon realizes that she and 11 other single females are being abducted for real to be sold off as mates to purple aliens. I wish we could have gotten to know more about Brigitte and her alien, Phyr. The lack in character development makes the story go by fast but lack in detail. Your typical Eve Langlais banter between characters is definitely present, but I wish we could have gotten more of everything.

I wouldn't recommend this series based on this book alone. It's by far my least favorite of the series even though it was a fun and easy read. The characters were fun but lacked substance. The scenes were steamy by lacked emotion. I think, overall, story lacked information and detail. Even the sex scenes seemed rushed. If the author ever publishes an eighth book, I will definitely check it out but hopefully the author will go back to her original form.

How do you get four tales about four women of strength in both the paranormal and the mundane? The easy answer is you bring together such powerhouses in the genre as Ilona Andrews, Yasmine Galehorn, Allyson James and Jeanne C. Stein and let them enthrall you with tales about some of their best known characters.  This seems to have bee the plan for the anthology Hexed.

Even though many of these stories are part of established book series, I will not warn of spoilers since there will be none.  When I chose this title, it was not to test to see if a book series had retained it allure.  Like many of the times I choose a collection of stories, I wanted to sample some unfamiliar characters and writing styles.  I have discovered more than one book series or author this way.

Hexed gave me just what I was looking for.  I was treated to four very unique styles of writing as well as four very different stories even though they all held to the central theme of something or someone being hexed.  I'm not sure if it was by design but, they also featured strong female main characters.  If that was the goal of the book, I'm glad it wasn't obvious.  When it comes down to it, I just want a solid story that entertains.  I could care less about demography if you can bring the character to life on the page.  That is what was done not just once but, four times in this book.

At times it was easy to tell that these stories where part of a greater work.  Even so, I never felt that I was missing out on key relationships or histories.  I'm sure a more intimate understanding would likely make some of the more nuanced details seem significant but, if that was true it didn't get in the way of telling complete stories.

The best compliment I can give to all involved in this book is that I will definitely be checking into some of these book series as a result of reading this anthology.  There is quite a bit of violence and mature subject matter within these four stories so, I have to give this a solid PG13 rating.

How thin is the veil between real and imagined?  How much of reality is real and how much of fantasy is imagined?  These questions are at the core of Kali Ling's struggle in a life dominated by image, story and the competing realities of actual and virtual.

In Arena by Holly Jennings, the real and surreal clash into a vortex around one warrior: Kali Ling.  To paraphrase Mr. Rod Serling: This is an adventure of sight, sound, smell, feel and mind.  The ultimate question being can Kali and her team Defiance make it to the end intact.

Holly Jennings brings us deep into the not too distant future and the world of eSports in a way that is plausible and sometimes disturbing.  The story takes place almost entirely in and around the training facility of team Defiance.  At times this made the place feel either isolating or confining or even protective to the character’s different times.  Most of all, it helps elevate or even create tension and conflict within the story.

When we first meet Kali and her team, they all seem oddly two dimensional.  That does not last very long.  Soon, we are drawn into Kali's world and witness how she handles all the situations that arise from that one event that altered her world forever.  We also get a good view of the effect the event and Kali's changes have on them.  Since the story is written in first person from Kali's perspective, we only get the development in the others from her observations.

Although this book is described as dystopian but, I find that doesn't quite fit.  It does show the problem that society has with eSports and could be seen as allegory to current times sports or entertainment industries.  What we don't see is the downfall of a society, social order or government like we do in most dystopian stories.  I see this as a very well-constructed hard science fiction.

Arena by Holly Jennings is a hard hitting science fiction story that is very forward thinking in many ways.  This book both touches on and tackles some very sensitive subjects in a bold and clear manner.  If it weren't for the language, the violence and mild sex scenes, I would recommend this for teens everywhere.  With those two things in mind, I have to give this an R rating but, suggest parents look into it for teens seventeen and up.

Suzanne Wright brings us into a world where the more animalistic side isn't just considered, often it is obeyed almost without question.  It's a world in which pack means more than family or even self.  For people such as Taryn, Roscoe and Trey, it is a world they each try to control and each trying to stay on top.

I will always be the first to insist that a good entertaining book is not necessarily synonymous with good literature.  In other words, you don't have to follow all the rules in order to touch somebody's mind, spirit or heart with a story.  That said, this book is not my cup of tea.  It's not due to any real flaw in construction of the story or the uses of the characters or setting.  There was one annoying problem with the timeline that had me flipping back and forth between chapters but, that could be easily fixed in a second edition.  The raw elements of the story were intriguing enough to make be buy the book. It was the presentation that bothered me.

I had a similar issue with  Claimed (Brides of the Kindred) by Evangeline Anderson.  Just like in that review I'll start off by saying, I'm no prude when it comes to sex scenes in stories whether on the page or on screen.  Using full details in these scenes can be crucial to story progression or establishing character connections or just  showing us another side of a character.  What bothers is me is when the author chooses to use the crudest of terms to describe what could be the most beautiful of expressions among characters.  I will  say that those terms are not just acceptable but required when used by characters where it's fitting.

In my opinion, Feral Sins faltered when the narrative portions used the vulgar parts of the language that the characters used.  Not only did it blur the lines between narration and dialog or inner monolog, it made the voice of the whole story a bit coarser than necessary.  Had this been written in first person say from Taryn's point of view not only would it make more sense for it to be written this way but, we could have gone deeper (pardon the pun).  I often thought the author was held back slightly because of choosing the third person perspective.

An aspect that made it difficult for me to really enjoy the book was how rough the sex was portrayed in.  This is a group of shapeshifters who take the form and mannerisms of wolves so, it makes sense that a very aggressive submissive/dominance dance be part of their ritual for selecting and interacting with a mate.  If this were a community of elves or a group seen just as peaceful, these types of rough sexual encounters would seem out of place.  Many readers are able to lose themselves in the fantasy of it, I'm just not one of them.

Feral Sins by Suzanne Wright is, in my opinion, hard-core romance.  It is a story of two people locked into a world that is secretive, savage and carnal.  Due to the significant amount of violence and  graphic sex scenes, this book earns a rare X rating from me.

 

I wasn't sure if I should review this book for the blog or not, but honestly, since I got hooked in the first few minutes, I decided it might be worth sharing. For a sci-fi romance, it's highly entertaining and has so many laugh out loud moments. The characters are very enjoyable with their intense chemistry and snappy conversations.

It all begins with Megan about to drown in the open water, who was left there by her boyfriend, planning to kill her for her money. At first, she thought the bright light was heaven calling her, but then she quickly realized that she was being abducted by an alien ship, along with many fish and marine life. Actually, Megan doesn't seem too worried about being abducted. In her place, I guess I wouldn't be either since the only other option would be death. But to her benefit, her open mind and accepting personality, helps her survive something that could have been really traumatic for someone else. I love her initial description of her captor as "Han Solo on crack" and her multiple one-liners.

It wasn't Tren's intention to abduct the "barbaric female" from planet Earth. As an ex-mercenary turned acquisition specialist, his intention was to acquire some of Earth's marine life since the planet's barbarians were killing off some of their species with their destructive ways. At first, he decides to sell her off in the first available auction but her snarky mouth and curvy body makes him want to keep her all for himself.

Their sexual chemistry is definitely palatable. Tren might have purple skin and a few different body parts but he and Megan prove that their species are completely compatible. Both physically and emotionally. It doesn't take time for Tren to sample what Megan has to offer (it's not his fault since she's the one always bringing it up). Apparently all it takes is a few sips of a very potent wine to get things started.

It's only when Megan is abducted by someone else that Tren realizes he truly has some feelings for his barbaric human. Despite their differences, they do fit as a couple. Their intense chemistry and entertaining banter only proves their compatibility. Even though the story is primarily an erotic romance, it still has enough sci-fi elements and a good storyline to satisfy my need for a good story to go along with the rest. Literary wise, it's nothing amazing but overall, the novella length story was so  entertaining, I started reading the second book of the series immediately. Eve Langlais is definitely on to something with her purple aliens because they are definitely sexy and skilled (as warriors and lovers).

Bella is a DRAMARAMA MAMA in this third installment in the Twilight saga!  There's a mysterious string of murders in nearby Seattle, evil vampire Victoria is still after Bella, someone broke into Charlie's house... and all Bella does is agonize over Team Jacob vs Team Edward, and after-graduation plans.  She pushes Jacob away and then wants him back (on her terms)... then pushes him away, then wants him back.  Edward, lucky guy, gets to ride that emotional roller coaster by her side.

I was pretty optimistic about the first two books in this saga.  They were much better than I expected, and I chose Team Jacob.  Eclipse, however, seems to live up to the more negative reviews of the saga.  It's a bummer.  I was so hopeful!

The first 3/4 of the book is Bella's senior year.  She spends the year worrying about how soon she can let Edward make her immortal, and whining about his conditions.  (He is completely unreasonable.  He insists that she seriously consider the fact that she'll no longer be human, and to enjoy her last months as a human.  He also insists that they get married before they sleep before, and before he turns her into a vampire.  And that he gets to buy her a new, more reliable car.  He's obviously insane.)  She also spends time alternating between wanting Jacob to be her best friend, and wanting to never see him again.

If you're really into drama-filled romance, you'll probably enjoy the first half of the book.  Edward continues to be perfect, always-forgiving, and to make grand romantic gestures.  Jacob continues to try to court Bella too.  So she's getting lots of positive attention.

For me, the action really picked up in the last quarter of the book or so.  Things come to a head with the evil vampires in Seattle, and the Cullen family has to make some unusual alliances to fight them off.  The Cullens and Bella work together, using all their extra abilities, to plan a great counter-offensive when they hear that the other vampires are coming to the Forks area.  And then the battle itself!  Exciting!  It's fast-paced and unpredictable.  It had me on the metaphorical edge of my seat until the end.  (Remember, even though the saga is old, I managed to avoid nearly all spoilers.)

Like with the first two books, I listened to Eclipse as an audiobook.  It was good!  Same reader, so same good cadence and clear narration.

P.S. (Still Team Jacob at the end of Eclipse.)

P.P.S. Already began reading Breaking Dawn today.  Gotta see how the story ends!

Honestly, as far as free e-books go, this one is good and steamy! I enjoyed it so much, I immediately purchased the next book of the series. I usually don't like novella length stories because I feel like I get cheated from long character development and back story. In this case, I simply went along for the ride and enjoyed the good paranormal romance that it is.

The hero and dark angel of this story is Apollyon and he is summoned by a witch in modern Paris. This witch, Serenity, inadvertently calls Apollyon to help her get her revenge on her ex, Edward , who cheated on her and broke her heart. Serenity's mother always told her to beware of angels, especially this one who is also known as Abaddon, the Great Destroyer. So when she first sees Apollyon, with his strong armor and majestic wings, she more or less freaks. Eventually, they gain each other's trust and begin to plan Serenity's revenge.

All Serenity wanted was to make Edward jealous. She never planned to fall for her guardian angel, although, with his incredible physique, it's kind of hard not too be attracted. More than lust develops between the two, but Serenity doubts strongly a future with Apollyon is possible, so she hides her true feelings. I loved the interactions between the two main characters. I wish we could have had more development and action, and as a whole, I was a little disappointed with the climax of the story (no pun intended). Actually, there's a lot of romance/love scenes in this story, quite a bit for a book this length. And they're very steamy! They're also very detailed but written in a classy way.

Overall,  I thought Her Dark Angel was a really good paranormal romance short, and I can't wait to meet more angels in the rest of the series. It's ebooks like these that allow you to simply get lost in a good romance with lovable characters. Her Dark Angel was a quick and easy read that was enjoyable despite its short length.

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I'm new to this series, so I was only able to provide you with a review of the first book, but the latest book in the series, was just a released a few short days ago.

Her Sinful Angel, book eight in New York Times best-seller Felicity Heaton’s hot paranormal romance series, Her Angel, was released August 1, 2015 and is now available in ebook and paperback. To celebrate the release, she’s holding a FANTASTIC GIVEAWAY on her website.

Find out how to enter the Her Sinful Angel international giveaway (ends August 9th) and have a shot at winning a $75, $50 or $25 gift certificate on her website, where you can also download a 5 chapter sample of the novel. 

Here's more about Her Sinful Angel:

Cast out of Heaven and now the king of Hell, Lucifer is a powerful fallen angel warrior with a heart as cold as ice and soul as black as the bottomless pit. For millennia, he has ruled his realm with an iron fist as he plots the demise of his ancient enemies. When one of those enemies dumps an unconscious mortal female in the courtyard of his fortress and leaves her there, Lucifer finds himself entranced by the beguiling beauty and tempted beyond all reason. But is the enchanting Nina an innocent pawn in the eternal game or part of a plot against him?

Tynga's Reviews is also hosting a giveaway for a copy of one book of the series. You can already grab book 1 for free at most major retailers so if you get hooked the first book like I did, now is your chance to win a copy of one the other "sinful" angels.

Read an excerpt

Purchase: Amazon

Felicity Heaton is also giving away one (1) ebook from this series to a reader from Tynga's Reviews. Winner gets to choose which book.

Open internationally

Ends August 9, 2015

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About the Author

Felicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.

If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Her Angel series.

Website │ Blog │ Facebook │ Twitter │ Goodreads

Since I've been travelling for the last couple of weeks, I needed a fun and easy read on my kindle and this is the book that I came upon. It was exactly what I was looking for and I'm glad to have met these vampires.

Jack and Sunshine are the main focus of this book and we first meet them in a alley where Jack is waking up and can't remember how he got there. What's more, he can't remember anything about the lovely young woman next to him who is in the midst of becoming a vampire. Since she looks like his late wife, he questions whether he's the one that turned her, but since it's illegal to turn someone into a vampire without their consent and the permission of the Committee, he really wishes he could remember what happened the night before.

Sunshine wakes up in the midst of becoming a vampire with no recollection of how she got there either. As she slowly comes to terms with her new status, she is also learning how to control her vampire powers and how to survive in this new world. Her transition isn't made easy as Jack tries his best to help her but can't seem to find the right way to explain everything. Their instant sexual attraction doesn't make things easy since it makes Jack forget to tell her a few (important) things.

Their burgeoning relationship is fun to read, if not a little bit unrealistic, since everything seems to happen really fast. You don't tell a guy or a girl that you love them after less than one week of meeting them! But for the sake of fiction, if you go along with it, Sunshine and Jack are a fun couple to read about. As they investigate their loss in memory that fateful night, secrets begin to unravel and Sunshine doesn't know if she should trust Jack anymore.

In this book, Stacy McKitrick hasn't reinvented vampires but she has put her own spin on vampire hierarchy. The Committee, the body of vampire that govern vampires and sets up rules, really makes sense. Honestly, their rules are realistic, such as a mortal can not be changed without his or her consent and the mortal needs to be educated prior to the change. What makes this book interesting is the fact Jack actually works for the Committee as a judge of sorts. Not having any recollection of the night Sunshine was turned really bothers him because he has no clue whether he changed her illegally or if he was set up to be punished by his own Committee.

Overall, My Sunny Vampire is a fun and fast read. Honestly, there's nothing exceptional about the book but it did keep me entertained with its fun and steamy scenes. The fun characters really do make this book interesting and if you're in the mood for an amusing paranormal romance, this book might be a good pick.

What could be worst than seeing your soul-mate die in your arms again and again? It's the hand Regin The Radiant was dealt when she fell for mortal Aidan the Fierce. She wasn't quite in love yet, but cared deeply for him, and after a night a weakness, when he claimed her in passion, he died in her arms, killed by a dreadful vampire. He loved her body and soul, and swore he'd come back to her. And he did, only to die in a similar fashion every time. Regin is now determined to stay away from her dear Aidan because she can't handle the pain anymore. This reincarnation of Aidan have very different plans for her though...

Another awesome installment in the Immortals After Dark series! Kresley has never been wrong for me with her adult titles (surprisingly I don't really like her YA), and Dreams of a Dark Warrior was another success. This title was a bit different because the hero is actually a bad guy. And I mean, a REALLY bad guy. He is a leader in an organization bound to destroy all Lorekind, and when he captures Regin, it's not to sweet talk her into bed. He does (or commands) unspeakable things to all paranormals, and Regin was no exception. I liked how believable his journey was, and if I had been in the place of Regin I would've told him too little, too late dude! But I guess that Valkyrie is more forgiving than I lol. I actually pitied him in the end, and he worked really hard to earn redemption, so I must give him credit for that.

Regin was radiant *snickers* no seriously, the girl was really shining through with her spunky personality. I loved that she was determined to do the right thing, even if Aidan (named Chase in this reincarnation) was awful. I loved how she kept her head held high in even the worst situation, and has a fierce desire to protect her loved ones. Her interaction with her roommates was fun and endearing and her respect for her berserk ally was commendable.

The plot all takes place in the same location and it's quite a feat to keep things interesting in such a limited location. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, wondering when Chase would give in and remember Regin, or if she would give up and sacrifice him yet another time. The tension between them was excruciating, and that's without mentioning the unbearable sexual electricity. I was wondering when they would jump each others' bones.

One of the aspect I like about Kresley's book is that the time lines on each novel overlap. This story takes place in the same time frame as Demon From the Dark and Pleasure of a Dark Prince. Since Lothaire played a big role in the novel, I am guessing "Lothaire" - the novel, will overlap some as well. I think it keeps things interesting and it's refreshing because it's different from any other series I've read.

Dreams of a Dark Warrior was a very satisfying read, and if you haven't started this series yet, I must ask you, What are you waiting for???

Azagoth has been Heaven's Starbuck for centuries and he has had enough. He won't 'fuck' anymore unwilling angels, he wants a mate of his own and he wants his potential kids to grow by his side. Quite reasonable right? But how do you go about meeting one's mate when you can't leave Sheoul-Gra? You blackmail Heaven of course! So that's how Lilianna found herself with a bad and a worst choice. She is being punished for a grave offense and was volunteered to be Azagoth's mate, or loose her time-travel abilities (which isn't an option). All of this happens in the first couple of pages and set the table for an amazing read!

I loved how Azagoth went to great extremes to make her welcome and comfortable, even though he has no idea how to go about it. He wants this relationship to work, and gives her time to assimilate everything. He is actually being quite sweet in his own grumpy, almost-evil ways. His struggles were really touching and I LOVED learning more about him. His troubled past, his mistakes, his secrets desires, all are revealed in good times and it was moving.

Lilianna is smart and desperate to make the best of this difficult situation, but she never imagined Azagoth would be that way. I admired her wits and her conscience. She wasn't damning Azagoth without seeing for herself, even though it would've been very easy, and she warms up to him in time.

The best part is the banter and teasing between the two. I loved how Lilianna wanted to annoy him, yet it would have the opposite effect on Azagoth. I loved how she made mistakes and is doing her best to make it up to him.

Really, my only complaint about this novella is exactly that, it's a novella! I really wished it was a full length novel! It's a great novella: there is enough character development and a good storyline, but I loved the characters so much that I wanted more. More details, more twists, just more! I couldn't get enough.

I definitely suggest you read this novella!

The Book of Life is the explosive finale of the All Souls Trilogy. In a way, I'm sad to see this trilogy come to end because I fell in love with Deborah Harkness's writing and her characters. This trilogy remains one of my favorites, not only because of the amazing story but because of the attention to detail, the countless, beautiful settings and the imaginative paranormal world.

After venturing in Elizabethan London and sixteenth century Europe, Matthew and Diana are back in modern day world. Still looking for Ashmole 782, the legendary manuscript that is supposed to hold the answers to life (or so they say), they have new and old enemies to face in order to stay together as a couple. Not only are their marriage and lives at risk, but the twins Diana carries are so improbable, other paranormal creatures are bound to be apprehensive and mistrustful of children conceived between a witch and a vampire. That's one of the wonderful things about Deborah Harnkness's writing. Witches and vampires are nothing new in fiction, yet the way she pushes the boundaries of the paranormal society she created resonates with our own modern day problems. People are so afraid of change and what they don't understand, that their first responses are to reject and dismantle. Diana and Matthew are one of my favorite fictional couples. As a witch and a vampire they've had to endure a lot of apprehension and negativity. Despite being fictitious, they feel real and their story is easy to believe.

As Diana continues to explore her magic and her spell weaving abilities, the paranormal world continues to expand. The author's attention to detail is amazing. Simple things like going into the details about the weaving of a spell and the magical tree that bears odd fruits like keys, not only enthralls me as a reader but makes this world that much more believable, despite its improbability.

 

Family is an important theme throughout the series but even more so in this last book. Harkness didn't reinvent the wheel when is comes to the "modern" family. She shows us that family doesn't need to be simply biological. A family is something that is in perpetual growth, that knows no limits and despite judgement, it's something that should always be what you need it to be. Family is also community, something that you depend on when things get difficult. Above everything else, the author makes us wish for the de Clermont and Bishop family love.

While book two had us travel through history, The Book of Life has us traveling throughout the world. The multiple settings adds depth and wonder to the story. Despite the new settings like New Orleans and New Haven, I'm glad we still got to visit Sept-Tour, Oxford and Madison. Throughout this series, we are also given a taste of magic and supernatural elements, which are definitely dominant in this book, but the science geek in me is thrilled that science was also a major aspect to the story. History and science blends so well together in this trilogy that it should please any academic and educate anyone who is willing to learn.

In my opinion, this trilogy shouldn't be seen as three separate books. It's one big story that should be enjoyed as a whole. There's definitely still lots to tell and I hope that one day the author will elaborate and continue the untold and unfinished stories of these characters. Deborah Harkness's imagination is a rare gift to readers and I'm sure I'll treasure Diana and Matthew's story for a long time.

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