Archive for June 2011
Karma & Melodies by Katie Salidas
Short. Sexy. Sweet. This novella is not bad at all. The vampire lore focuses mainly on the drug like influences vampire blood can have on a human. Don't expect a lot of detail into the intricacies of being a vampire, I would say this is a romance with a supernatural slant as opposed to a fantasy book with romance. I
MetaGame by Sam Landstrom
Life is a game, literally. Winners earn immortality, while losers are condemned to aging and death. D_Light, a gifted player, knows this all too well and he’s willing to do anything to win—even kill. It is no wonder then that when given the chance to enter a MetaGame—an exclusive, high-stakes, anything goes contest—he’s quick to jump at the opportunity. The MetaGame starts out well enough for D_Light, the first quest being to hunt down a dangerous fugitive, but through his own ambition, the tables turn and D_Light finds himself the renegade. Now, D_Light pits himself against his world to find the truth behind “The Game” and must decide between winning it and saving what’s left of his humanity. This book blends emerging political and cultural trends, such as gaming culture, globalization, and the ever-increasing hegemony of corporations, with technological trends, such as genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. Oh, and if that is not enough, there's even some romance!
I don't read sci-fi books often, but the synopsis intrigued me. I dropped a star because for me the book gradually lost it's ... sparkle, and by the end I was wondering where the finish line was. It started strong but at times during the middle I was lost. It may have been easier to follow if I had connected to the main character, D_Light, more than I did.
Gabriel’s Mate (Scanguards Vampires) by Tina Folsom
I, Witch by Erin Munday
Meagan is hallucinating a gorgeous guy in her shower and at work. While entertaining, she can’t control it. If he’s not just some random daydream, but is a real person sending her visions; then who is he? And why is he doing this? And how does he know her name? She also must find a way to handle being a witch serving a powerful goddess, whose agenda doesn’t coincide with Meagan’s...
Oh! A rare find. I was bored, not sure what to read next, and so I opened this up, and by god, I must have a "pick a good book randomly" compass because this was so great! Another amazing read hidden under a mediocre cover. So, Megan (lead protag) is quirky, cute and real. Now, I see that many may not quite get this book, as the main character speaks as she thinks and thinks as she speaks. Again, you have to find your own way through the puzzles and clues that are in the prose, and in the characters actions. No hand holding here!
Cursed (The Lazarus Series) by C. J. Baker
Keeping this review short and sweet. Bloody hell, this book is good. The cover makes it look like a standard paranormal romance, but it's so much more. There is enough violence and mystery to not make the romance icky. There is a solid and engaging story here that goes beyond a simple bump of pelvises. The cover is misleading, the work inside is amazing.
Unicorn Bait by S.A. Hunter
Aw. Seriously. Aw. This was such a cute book I could just cuddle it. The lead male is a feared warlord who reminded me of Darth Vader (that is how I pictured him in my head, full face mask, billowing cape, and all). Grumpy and mean, his name is Tavik, and he decides Lady Naomi is to be his wife. So he brands her with his symbol declaring her well and truly conquered. Naturally, he falls for her and as you learn more about him you see he’s really just a big old softie inside who needs his face to be fixed.
Save My Soul by Zoe Winters
That is one sexy cover! There is something about an oversized white shirt that is hot.
I was able to grab this free from iBooks and was ... surprised. I haven’t read a book by Ms Winters before, and was afraid. I've heard of her (of course) by reputation, and I didn’t want to spoil it by reading a book and not liking it. Well I liked it. I didn't love it, but it was not a disappointment (phew). I guess what was missing for me was actual conflict. Every situation felt overly contrived until the end of the book. Coupled with the fact I didn’t like Anna all that much I lost the "Ooooh, I'm falling into a new story," feeling quite quickly. When I got to the end it made sense why I didn’t like her.
Shimmerspell by Kimberly Spencer
Stay (A Callie Rose Novel) by C.C. Jackson
In a word, I would describe Stay as cute. How do I feel about it overall? Ambivalent. I finished this book about a month ago and it has taken me a while to figure out exactly what I wanted to say, because I kept changing my mind.
Let’s start with The Love Interest. When reading a book there is a tipping point from when you are sitting on a fence, considering backing a love interest, to when you’ve fallen flat on your face. Hard. I backed Team Brokk from the beginning, because of the way he treated Callie in the caves. But then I was made to feel guilty for doing so because Kailen seemed like an angel after Brokk started to act like a jackass. Arrogance was not in Brokk’s described characteristics therefore his mean behaviour was jackass-ism rather than his normal arrogance. So I adjusted and backed team Kailen only for it to flip again and for Kailen to be the bad guy and for Brokk to be the one who we should really like. I did not like the bounce of this emotional yo-yo. There is a difference between making a lead character’s intentions mysterious and making them bi-polar. There were no clues to me to warn me not to get a vested interest in Kailen.
Sunrise at Sunset (Sunset Vampire) by Jaz Primo
Caleb has finally matured into a rather striking young man, and believe me, I like what I see. I’ll readily admit that there are issues for us to confront and overcome, though a sense of mutual commitment isn’t one of them. I’m feeling hopeful for our future together, in fact. But an adversary from my past has returned to haunt me, and she’s trying to get back at me through Caleb. That was her first...and last...mistake. I’ll protect my Caleb at all costs, and I’ll make her regret the day she was born.
So, I suppose that I’m not just a vampire. I’m about to become someone’s worst nightmare!