Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Mass Market Paperback, 370 pages, Published January 1st 1998 by Avon, ISBN13: 9780380789016

 

Richard Mayhew is a plain man with a good heart – and an ordinary life that is changed forever on a day he stops to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London sidewalk. From that moment forward he is propelled into a world he never dreamed existed – a dark subculture flourishing in abandoned subway stations and sewer tunnels below the city – a world far stranger and more dangerous than the only one he has ever known…

Review: An enjoyable read!

**Spoiler Alert!** If you plan on reading the book, do not continue reading this review. … Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Richard Mayhew is just your everyday Average Joe who moved to London to procure a number-crunching job. He meets a girl and becomes engaged. Life seems to be great. However, Richard is an absent-minded person. He forgets his keys, loses track of time, etc… On the way to dinner with his fiancee (with a reservation he forgot to confirm), where he was supposed to impress her boss, Richard stops by a rag girl who is exhausted, frightened and hurt. Jessica (who is most definitely a woman who prefers her way or the highway) demands he leave her for someone else to take care of. And when he picks up the girl to take her home, Jessica (her name isn’t Jess) threatens to end their engagement. Richard disregards her statement and takes the girl home to mend. Little did he know how bad life was about to get.

“Door” can open doorways without keys, can open doors where there are none. It was her ability that helped her escape her would-be assassins, Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar, and brought her to London Above. But Richard doesn’t understand her meaning. No worries, reluctantly, he soon will. Her would-be assasssins manage to track her down, but Richard manages to get rid of them. With her face now plastered on Missing posters throughout the neighborhood, Door sends Richard for help and he brings back the Marquis de Carabas. As she leaves, she apologizes. Little does Richard know how deep that apology actually goes. For Richard’s life, as he knows it, is now over. Jessica broke their engagement and refuses to see or talk to him. When he arrives at work, his possessions are removed from his desk. His flat is leased to another couple – while he’s in the tub! Richard is gone. It’s as if he never existed. He can be seen, but is immediately forgotten. Throwing some of his belongings into a duffle bag, he sets off to find Door, wanting answers, wanting his life back. There’s only one way he figures he can find her. Start with the very place she’d sent him before for help.

And help he gets – from unlikely characters. For under London lies London Below, filled with shady characters, talking animals, tunnels, sewers, hidden passageways and a mysterious market that’s never held in the same place twice. A market that provides, but people barter, and not with money. Money means nothing in London Below. For Richard, this isn’t reality. He wants to go home.

Door is on her own quest. She wants to find her family’s muderer. She wants to know why. And only the Angel Islington can help. But after finally finding him, she is sent on a quest to retrieve a certain key, and when she returns, he will tell her all she needs to know. Richard, reluctantly, is along for the ride, for afterwards, the promise is he’ll be sent home and his life will be as it was.

But Door was warned; they have a traitor in their mists. The Hunter is hired to bodyguard her from the assassins who are after her. Richard deals with more than he bargained for. And just when they think they have the story right, how wrong they were.

An enjoyable read, it was an adventure. Places where people have no business being. Strange and shady characters, some you enjoy, some you dispise. A solid mystery that leaves you asking questions until you finally get the answers you seek. For me, it was missing just that little “oomph”, that little “spark” to make the story completely believable. While I could picture a different world of London Below, I couldn’t really picture some of the characters and what they did. I enjoyed the banter with Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar. And I felt, at heart, how Richard came to care for Door. Definitely an entertaining story to read.

Rating:

The Hunger Games (Hunger Games, #1) by Suzanne Collins

Published July 6th 2010 by Scholastic, Inc, Paperback, 374 pages, ISBN13: 9780439023528

 

WINNING MEANS FAME AND FORTUNE.

LOSING MEANS CERTAIN DEATH.

THE HUNGER GAMES HAVE BEGUN…

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on life TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before – and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

**Review:**

**Spoiler Alert!** If you plan on reading the book, you may not want to read my review. … Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

What an incredible book!!!

Collins creates an alternate world where North America is no longer as it stands now. Divided into 13 districts, each has their way of life. Not liking the powers that be, a rebellion had been formed, and squashed, which explains how District 13 no longer exists. Now new rules make just about everyone’s lives absolutely miserable. Poor, starving, people do what they need to stay alive – and pray they don’t get caught.

Katliss Everdeen, 16, is one of those people. After her father had died in the coal mine explosion, she has done what she needed to do to keep her family alive. Her father had taught her well. She hunts, she barters, and does what she can.

And then enter the Hunger Games, created after the rebellion. It was Capitol’s way of keeping the people, the Districts, under their thumbs, a constant reminder that – look what we can do. We can take your children and make them kill each other. Rise against us and it will become infinitely worse for everyone. Children from the ages of 12 to 18 are at risk, male and female alike. Thrown into a situation where it becomes kill or be killed, and be the last person standing – the victor, do whatever is necessary to stay alive. At the age of 12, their name is entered once. At 13, twice. 14, three times, and so on, until their 18th year. After that, no more. Obviously, the older you get, the more at risk you are. A catch to that: say you are poor and starvation is knocking on your door. As an adolescent between the ages of 12 and 18, you can exchange your name for tesserae, which is worth one meager year’s supply of grain and oil for one person. And the entries are accumulative. Your names from the year before, from each tesserae, stays in that ball, until your final year. And this just raises the stakes – your name could be next.

This year, Katliss’s sister, Prim, turned 12, and her name had been entered, but only once. And yet… her name was pulled. Out of desperation and panic, Katliss volunteers herself, to take her sister’s place.

Already nervous, anxious and fearful, her heart sinks to her stomach when the boy’s name is called. Peeta Mellark’s name is pulled from the boys’ ball. The baker’s son, he had risked a beating at the age of twelve and stole to stale loaves of bread and gave them to a starving Katliss. She had never spoken to him, before or since, but she was always grateful for that small act of kindness. And then reality hits – only one victor, one person can win. How is she supposed to be able to kill Peeta, the first person to give her that small act of kindness.

From District 12 to the Capitol, it’s an experience no one will ever receive – unless their name is pulled from that ball. From rich foods to clothes and costumes, from training and judging and scoring, Katliss takes it all in, no matter how much she abhors it, no matter how much it twists her stomach. She has to, for reprecussions would fall on her mother and sister and the rest of her district.

And then the Games begin, and it is all about survival. (I won’t go into details – except to say there are times were you become furious and times where a box of Kleenex is handy.) Strategy comes into play, and some of it leaves Katliss’s mind reeling. It seems the strategy is that Peeta is supposed to be in love with Katliss. Yet, she doesn’t know if it’s real or not. Then an announcement sounds – rules have been changed. The two people from the same district can both be the victors, if they are the last alive. Now Katliss is determined – she won’t have to kill the first person who showed her an act of kindness. They can both live, and both go home.

More twists, fighting, trying to stay alive. And just when they believe they make it, another twist occurs that makes your own stomach drop, your heart rip out, and you may have to put the book down to wipe your tear-filled eyes.

And just when Katliss thought the “star-crossed lovers” strategy was simply that, strategy, it turns out, Peeta wasn’t lying. She doesn’t know what she feels, but she is warned. Play it up, cause both of their lives depend on it.

**An incredible book, one of the best YA novels I’ve ever read. I think it surpasses Twilight!**

The story sucked me right in from the beginning, and quickly became an unputdownable book. If you are a YA fan, this book is a definite must-read and a book for your “keeper” shelf.

Those who know me know I’m not big on YA novels. Because they are written with young adults in mind, the dialogue isn’t quite adult. The scenes aren’t adult. I have a hard time putting myself in that frame of mind to really enjoy it. But I have to admit, this one sucked me right in. While it’s YA, I personally feel that the violence may be a bit much for younger YA. However, my niece is going on 12, and she’s loving it, so what do I know? *shrug*

The violent scenes are just that – violent. But, even though they are quite violent, it’s so well written that you are literally in the characters’ shoes. You feel what they feel; hope, fear, adrenaline, loss, sadness, anger… the author pulls them out of you, no matter your age.

The characters are superb! You get a feel for what their lives are like, what they go through, how they live, what they feel. You become the shadow over their shoulder, watching and hearing everything they do, right there in the story with them.

You root for them, and root hard. Then you hit the end of the book and immediately want to grab the second. So, ladies and gents of all ages, make sure you have Catching Fire on hand. Like me, you’ll regret it if you don’t, LOL!

Rating:

The Gunslinger (Dark Tower, #1) by Stephen King

Published July 1st 1989 by Signet, Paperback, 315 pages, ISBN-13: 9780451160522

This heroic fantasy is set in a world of ominous landscape and macabre menace that is a dark mirror of our own. A spellbinding tale of good versus evil, it features one of Stephen King’s most powerful creations – The Gunslinger, a haunting figure who embodies the qualities of the lone hero through the ages from ancient myth to frontier western legend. His pursuit of The Man in Black, his liaison with the sexually ravenous Alice, his friendship with the kid from Earth called Jake, are part of the drama that is both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike, an alchemy of storytelling sorcery.

Review: Just about as I remembered it when I first read it almost two decades ago…

I can’t really write a review like I usually do, with a small rundown of what happens and then comment on it. The book is confusing, as I remembered it from long ago.

We see some background on Roland, the Gunslinger. We get his coming of age story, which is almost disturbing if not for the fact that his world is on different plane than ours. He is searching for the Dark Tower, compelled to search for it, and is after the Man in Black, the embodiment of evil. He wants answers, and only the Man in Black can give them to him.

Along the way, he meets a lot of people, who I don’t believe were originally evil, but are turned that way, as the Man in Black passed through town before him.

Then he meets Jake, a young boy from our plane, who had been brought over by the Man in Black. I still don’t really understand why Jake was even put in the Gunslinger’s path. What am I missing? If someone knows, please let me know.

And just when Roland catches up with the Man in Black, he has a difficult decision: lose Jake or lose the Man in Black. He chooses to lose Jake. I felt badly for Jake. He didn’t ask to be pushed into traffic and killed. He didn’t ask to be brought over to a different plane of existance. I felt just as confused as the kid. I was left with many questions unanswered. Once I read the Author’s Afterword, I did get a bit of a sense as to what King is up to in this series, and come to realize that a lot of those questions I have are just as much unanswered for him as well. Okay, so now I don’t feel like I’m swimming in the middle of an ocean with no hope in sight.

I will continue with the series, one book per month, along with some of the ladies in the group. I never did finish the series, and I’m determined to get it done.

Rating:

Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, #11) by Jim Butcher

Mass Market Paperback - 560 Pages - Published March 2nd 2010 by Roc (first published April 7th 2009) - ISBN-13: 9780451462817

Turn Coat

(The Dresden Files, #11)

by Jim Butcher

When it comes to the wizard’s White Council, Harry Dresden is thought of as either a black sheep or a sacraficial lamb. And no one holds him in more disdain than Morgan, a veteran Warden with a grudge agaisnt anyone who bends the rules. But now Morgan is in trouble. He’s been accused of cold-blooded murder – a crime with only one final punishment.

He’s on the run, wanting his name cleared, and he needs someone with a knack for backing the underdog. So it’s up to Harry to uncover the traitor within the Council, keep Morgan under wraps, and avoid coming under the scrutiny himself. And a single mistake may cost someone his head.

Like Harry…

**Review: Another excellent novel in the series with quite a bang!

**Spoiler Alert!** Parts of the story is going to be revealed, so if you don’t want to know, don’t read past this point!

Harry answers his door to find Morgan standing there, bloodied and bruised, from head to toe, asking for help, and promptly passing out.

Morgan’s been a thorn in Harry’s side for too many years to count, but Harry being Harry, can’t turn him away, no matter how much he wants nothing better than to close the door on Morgan and pretend like he isn’t even there.

But Harry is Harry, and no matter who knocks on his door, if they’re in trouble, Harry does what he can to help.

Morgan’s being framed. He knows that, down to his core. Morgan has been the Senior Council’s executioner for over 30 years, and is completely loyal to the Wardens and the Senior Council. There’s no way he’d ever willingly murder a member of the Senior Council. But, besides the fact that he’s found, standing over the body with knife in his hand, there is mounting evidence against him. And this bugs Harry. And when something like this bugs Harry, there’s only one thing he can do: find out who did it and find the traitor. But time is against him.

Morgan has managed a spell to keep any of the Wardens from finding him, but a bounty has been placed on his head, and other ‘creatures’ are coming out of the woodwork to find him, making things even harder for Harry. On top of them all, a naagloshii, a very bad shapeshifter with very, very rotten vibes, is also after Morgan. Suddenly, staying alive has become just as important as finding the traitor.

And things get from bad to worse. Harry is attacked again and again. Shagnasty (aka Harry’s name given to naagloshii) somehow has managed to kidnap Thomas, Harry’s White Court vampire brother, and wants to trade Thomas for Morgan. A vampire from the White Court is partly behind the frame-up. Someone is seriously messing with wizards’ heads. And Harry’s sure that there is a group of wizards against the White Council. He’s naming them the “Black Council”, for lack of a better name. How to prove it is the major question.

Suddenly, friends are dying, going missing, and Harry can only do what he does best. Investigate and fight back. The question is: Will he win this time?

**Huge Spoiler Time!!** If you debated going on past the first spoiler alert, you definitely don’t want to read what’s next.

Hell, I knew just as certainly as Harry did, that Morgan had to have been framed. What we don’t know, until close to the end of the book, was that a wizard messed with a lot of young wizards’ heads, including Anastasia Luccio’s. Now that she’s in a younger body, her mind was just as easily manipulated, and that makes it all worse. Without her knowledge, she was the one forced to kill the member of the senior council, and didn’t even realize she did it, even after Morgan found her, took the knife from her and got her out of there before anyone saw. Plus, she was manipulated into getting even closer to Harry, which seriously hurts (emotionally) them both.

By the end of page 515, I was crying. Why? Because Morgan dies. Now, why am I crying, knowing how much of a pain in the ass he was to Harry? Because he had his reasons, and it’s the way he dies that touched me. He dies after saving Harry’s life, after telling him about finding Anastasia in that room, holding the bloody knife. But Morgan was a constant. He was always there, riding Harry’s butt and breathing down his neck. You always expect to see him in some fashion, and to know now that he won’t be popping up anymore really does hurt.

Anastasia, after all of this, shows up to talk to Harry. Obviously, she now knows all that’s been going on. While she does care for Harry, she’d never had gotten involved with him. She’d been manipulated. And that hurts both of them. So now she comes to say she’s sorry, and while Harry understands why she’s saying goodbye, it still hurts.

By the end of page 543, I was balling. Yes, Harry has Thomas back, but Thomas isn’t the Thomas we knew. Shagnasty did a really bad number on him, and really screwed up what Thomas had going. While he may still be Harry’s brother, he’s no longer the brother we knew, the brother Harry knew, and that hurts even more than losing Morgan.

Meanwhile, closer to the beginning of the book, when Harry’s first attacked by Shagnasty, Kirby, one werewolf friend, is killed, and another, Andi, comes close to losing her life.

How much can one person (well, character) take before cracking? So, by the end of the last chapter, I’m weeping, sobbing really, because as much as all of this hurts him, he’s finding a way to move on, to move past all of the loss and hurt he’s suffered. And that alone, makes him a truly amazing person.

Mix all of this with a mystery, with action, with suspense that grips you by the throat… another fabulous book in the series, and I’m anxiously waiting for his next Dresen novel. Jim, you are one hell of an author!!!

Small Favor by Jim Butcher “The Dresden Files” Book #10

Paperback: 560 pages - Publisher: Roc; Reprint edition (March 3, 2009) - Language: English - ISBN-10: 0451462009 - ISBN-13: 978-0451462008

 

Small Favor

by Jim Butcher

“The Dresden Files” Book #10

Wizard Harry Dresden’s life finally seems to be calming down. The White Council’s war with the vampiric Red Court is easing up, no one’s tried to kill him lately, and his eager apprentice is starting to learn real magic. For once, the future looks fairly bright.

But the past casts one hell of a long shadow.

Mab, monarch of the Winter Court of the Sidhe, calls in an old favor from Harry. Just one small favor he can’t refuse – one that will trap Harry Dresden between a nightmarish foe and an equally deadly ally and strain his skills and loyalties to their very limits.

And everything was going so well for once….

Review: You owe me a favor, Harry…

Finally, it seems that life is calming down some for Harry. But you never know when the past will come back to bite you in the ass…

Winter’s Queen Mab seeks out Harry; he owes her two favors, and she’s come to collect on. As Winter’s Emissary, she’s putting Harry in charge of finding Gentleman Johnny Marcone. Seems the man has been kidnapped, and that move is against the Accords. Harry doesn’t want to, but he has no choice.

Summer’s Queen Titania doesn’t like what’s happening and is sending everything she can to stop him.

But that’s not the worst of it. When the Denarians roll into town, Harry knows no good could come of any of this, no matter what side is hitting at him. In an effort to get Marcone back, Harry has asked the Archive to mediate a meeting between Harry and Nicodemus. And Harry walked right into their trap, for it’s the Archive they’re after. Should she be broken and take one of the coins, all hell would literally break loose.

So, now Harry has to find the Archive as well as Marcone, repay the favor, keep from getting killed by Queen Titania’s emissaries, all the while trying to keep his friends alive. Could things get any worse?

**There is no stopping Jim Butcher! One of the best series I’ll continue to read until Harry is no more, and I hope that doesn’t happen for a really, really, really long time.

How can you not like Harry Dresden. He is chivalrous, caring, funny, does whatever he can to keep his butt and those of his friends from getting fried, can be a little slow on the uptake when it comes to women, and is completely selfless. He’ll put himself in harm’s way before standing behind someone else. And when scenes get tense, his quips and one-liners make me laugh sometimes to the point of tears. As a defense mechanism to push back his fear, I love it!

The action scenes are superb and well written; descriptions have you right there in the thick of it, seeing everything around you, without going overboard. All characters are three-dimensional and you care for everyone one of the good guys, all while rooting them on to taking down the bad guys. Oh, and a love interest is starting to bloom for Harry as well, I think. I’m very interested to see where that line goes.

Mr. Butcher, you are one hell of an author and I hope Harry is around for a long, long time. I can’t wait for my daughter to be old enough to read this series!

Rating:

Hope’s Folly by Linnea Sinclair – “Gabriel’s Ghost” series Book #3

Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages - Publisher: Bantam (February 24, 2009) - Language: English - ISBN-10: 0553592181 - ISBN-13: 978-0553592184

 

Hope’s Folly

by Linnea Sinclair

“Gabriel’s Ghost” series Book #3

Admiral Philip Guthrie is in an unprecedented position: on the wrong end of the law, leading a ragtag band of rebels against the oppressive Imperial forces. Or would be if he could get his command ship – the derelict cruiser called Hope’s Folly – functioning. Not much can rattle Philip’s legendary cool – but the woman who helps him foil an assassination attempt on Kirro Station will. She’s the daughter of his best friend and first commander – a man who died while under Philip’s command and whose death is on Philip’s conscience.

Rya Bennton has been in love with Philip Guthrie since she was a girl. But can her childhood fantasies survive an encounter with the hardened man, and newly minted rebel leader, once she learns the truth about her father’s death? Or will her pasion for revenge put not only their hearts but their lives at risk? It’s an impossible mission: A man who feels he can’t love. A woman who believes she’s unlovable. And an enemy who will stop at nothing to crush them both.

Review: A great read, even if a little predictable.

(Bookaholic’s Review Note: Make sure to read Gabriel’s Ghost and Shades of Dark before reading this one. That’s a must!)

Admiral Philip Guthrie finds himself now aboard Hope’s Folly, what was once part of the Imperial fleet. Converted to a fruit carrier, the ship was sold to the Alliance under a few conditions: that the ship retain its name, and the cat, Captain Folly, is to remain onboard.  Now Philip is in command of the ship, and they are trying desperately to get it in working order to fight against the Imperial fleet. Philip, still recuperating from a shattered hip and leg (Shades of Dark), was attacked before getting onboard. It seems the ‘law’ wants him alive. Philip can well imagine why, but he’ll do whatever it takes not to end up in the enemies’ hands.

Rya Bennton had been an Imperial Assassin before her father had been killed. Seeing what is happening to the Empire, she is now on the other side of the law, wanting revenge. Now aboard the Folly, she wants in on the action to bring the Empire down. Philip asks her, if she was ever in the same room with the man who took her father’s life and handed a gun, would she kill him? She answers she would, without a doubt or hesitation. But when Philip hands her his gun, Rya the Rebel is confused. While Philip didn’t actually kill her father, he puts the responsibility on his own shoulders, and Rya won’t shoot him, for she’s been in love with the man since she was a kid, when her father brought Philip home to meet the family.

After the attack on Kirro Station, Rya has put herself in the position of guarding Admiral Guthrie against any more attacks. It seems that, at every turn, their efforts to get the Folly functioning, something happens to set them back. The more Rya looks into it, the more she’s convinced their have a saboteur on their ship. And now she’s determined, not only to keep the man she loves alive, but to find the person who doesn’t want the ship to fly.

**While I liked the book, I sort of found it predictable. Philip believes himself a man who can’t love, and yet, even though he refuses to, his feelings for Rya grow. A strong man, he’s determined to thwart the enemy. It’s his knowledge and determination, his personality and inner struggles that readers will love.

Rya – I loved her. She’s just as strong and determined as Philip. I liked her ‘action first, think later’ attitude, and how she’ll do whatever is necessary.

What bugged me a little was how predictable the romance part of the story was. Woman is in love with the man – man falls in love with the woman – believes it’s his responsability to protect her and is determined to put her out of harms way. Once, just once, I’d love to read the romance part of any book where the male keeps the female with him, no matter what. For once, I want the man to hold her there without the female having to fight to stay there. Just once, I want the male’s chauvinistic pride and arrogant attitude to either take a backseat or not appear at all in a love story. Will I ever get my wish? *eyeroll* I’ll let you know if and when it happens. But then again, I guess most lead male characters have to have a little alpha male attitude. *shrug*

However, besides my romance rant, I loved the action and mystery in the story. The author writes it all so well that it’s as if you’re aboard the ship, watching it all unfold in front of you. Her descriptions put you in the thick of it. I loved the characters’ inner battles. I loved the tension you feel between characters, primary and secondary. Way to go, Ms. Sinclair! Can’t wait for the next installment in the Gabriel’s Ghost universe.

Rating:

Warlord by Angela Knight contains “Jane’s Warlord,” “Warfem,” “The Warlord and the Fem,” and “Baby, You’ve Changed”

Paperback: 410 pages - Publisher: Berkley Trade (September 4, 2007) - Language: English - ISBN-10: 0425217841 - ISBN-13: 978-0425217849

 

Warlord

by Angela Knight

contains “Jane’s Warlord,” “Warfem,” “The Warlord and the Fem,” and “Baby, You’ve Changed”

Together for the first time – the acclaimed novel and novella that turned Knight into “a rising star in the paranormal pantheon” (Midwest Book Review) – plus two never-before-published stories set in an erotically charged workd that “will set your blood on fire and have you begging for mre…” (In The Library Reviews)

In Jane’s Warlord reporter Jane Colby has made a startling discovery about a recent murder. The killer has struck before – hundreds of years in the past. Now’s he’s jumped through time to find his next victim … Jane. Her only hope lies with Baran Arvid – a genetically engineered warrior from hundreds of years in the future sent to capture the predatory time traveler – even if it means using jane as bait. But can they survive the galaxies that come between them – and a madman bent on destroying them?

In Warfem a strange destiny has reunited the seductive Warfem Alina and Baird, the sexually dynamic Warlord who shared his lover’s young fantasies twenty years ago. But in this time apart, a dangerous new spark has been ignited between them. One that has held Alina captive in another’s plot of death and betrayal…

Review: Erotically charged, action, mystery, suspense, together with paranormal sci-fi elements – Knight is one heck of an author!

Jane’s Warlord

As the newspaper reporter at a crime scene, Jane Colby can only imagine how horrible the crime scene must be if the lead detective comes out and “tosses his cookies”. Upon arriving home, she faces a rather large man and what looks like a rather large wolf who broke into her home. But Baran and his partner, Freika, convince her that their there to save her, to protect her, from the murderer. Traveled back in time, Baran and his partner sent to stop the murderer and he needs Jane. Only, Jane isn’t meek. Strong, self-reliant, with a past that haunts her, she wants to fight and to use herself as bait, regardless of her fear. But not only does she accept that he’s from three hundred years into the future, she’s afraid she’s losing her heart to him, and worried about how much she’ll have changed once he goes back, for she’s losing her heart to him..

**Incredible as only Angela Knight can make it. With believable details, you really like Baran and Freika right from the start. What I liked was how Jane stood up to him even knowing that he could overpower her. I loved their banter, especially with Freika. Action was great, love scenes superb that make you squirm in your seat. Excellent plot well carried out. A truly fine story.

Warfem

Warfem Alina is carrying a file for the one she serves. She is to deliver the file, on the promise that her mistress, Rajin, would finally release her from duty and give her back her son. Baird is investigating a case of treason, afraid that his ex-lover, the woman he loved, is knee-deep in it. And while he doesn’t want to believe it, extenuating circumstances forced her to do as her mistress bid. But no more. Alina is tired of the threat Rajin holds over her son and will do whatever is necessary to get her son out of harms way. What Baird doesn’t know is that, even after twenty years, Alina still loves him, had been forced to leave him. Question is, will he understand and believe when the truth stands in front of him in the form of a ten-year-old boy?

**I liked this one. The action was great, the plot well done, even if it was small. I think Ms. Knight could have actually made this one into a novel instead of a novella, adding more to the story. I think my fave part is of the boy taking down the one person who could destroy them all. Perfect ending!

The Warlord and the Fem

Apparently, these last two first appeared on a yahoo group and added them to the book. Truthfully, I think they could have stayed out of the book. I won’t go really into deal, cause there isn’t much to begin with. Baird, a Warlord (not to be confused with Baird from Warfem – this Baird is a different character,) fights to become part of a mercenary group because of Kyna. Kyna is a Warfem, and Baird wasn’t her as his mate. But Kyna refuses, for she remembers spying on an “episode” with her sister and her Warlord, and it freaked her out. She swore to herself she would never be with a Warlord, would never play the submissive to their dominant ways in the bedroom. But Baird is determined. What I liked was that he did his damndest to “court” her, playing chess, talking, taking walks, all in the name of having her as his mate. I think, though, that Kyna could have fought him a little harder in the last scene, and while their lovemaking was great, it was short of spectacular. Could have been better – the whole story could have been.

Baby, You’ve Changed

Did not like – not one bit. There was nothing to it. Warfem Tamir and her ship, the Xe’vit, fight and lose the battle to Captain Gage Deauxville and his ship, the Intrepid. But he’s not after her ship – he’s after her. Years ago, as teens, Tamir had humiliated him, for humans aren’t strong enough to play the dominant, as Warfems need. But now Gage isn’t just merely human anymore, but a vampire, strong enough if not stronger, than Tamir. He intends to take his revenge on her in the way of how Warlord do. What I didn’t like was how. Until she submitted to him, what he was going to do was rape, and that left a sour taste in my mouth. Yes, I know that some have that fantasy, of being taken against their will. This was so not for me. Period. ‘Nough said.

Overall, I really liked the book and recommend it to any sci-fi, paranormal fan.

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Shades of Dark by Linnea Sinclair (‘Gabriel’s Ghost’, Book #2)

Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages - Publisher: Bantam (July 29, 2008) - Language: English - ISBN-10: 0553589652 - ISBN-13: 978-0553589658

 

Shades of Dark

by Linnea Sinclair

‘Gabriel’s Ghost’, Book #2

Award-winning author Linnea Sinclair returns with a vibrant interstellar thriller of romance and adventure.

For two fugitive lovers, space has no haven, no mercy, no light – only…

SHADES OF DARK

Before her court-martial, Captain Chasidah “Chas” Bergren was the pride of the Sixth Fleet. Now she’s a fugitive from the “justice” of corrupt Empire. Along with her lover, the former monk, mercenary, and telepath Gabriel Ross Sullivan, Chaz hoped to leave the past light-years behind – until the news of her brother Thad’s arrest and upcoming execution for treason. It’s a ploy by Sully’s cousin Hayden Burke to force them out of hiding, and it works.

With a killer targeting human females and a renegade gen lab breeding jukor war machines, Chaz and Sully already had their hands full of treachery, betrayal – not to mention each other. Throw in Chaz’s Imperial ex-husband, Admiral Philip Guthrie, and a Kyi-Ragkiril mentor out to seduce Sully, and not just loyalties but lives are at stake. For when Sully makes a fateful choice, changing their relationship forever, Chaz must also choose – between what duty demands and what her heart tells her she must do.

Review: Perfect blend of sci-fi, romance, action, suspicion and suspense – don’t miss this one!

**Spoiler Warning – This review will contain spoilers**

Not long after Chaz and Sully escaped Marker with the help of her brother and her ex-husband, Chaz receives news that her brother, Thad, had been arrested for treason. From there, things quickly escalate from bad to worse. Hayden Burke and First Barrister Darius Tage are in cahoots together, wanting the Empire for themselves, and are planning on taking it any way they know how. They’re sure that Burke is behind the jukor gen labs, and Chaz and Sully intend to shut them down, no matter the cost. With the help of an informant, Del, they find the lab, but the cost is greater than anyone would even begin to believe, for Del is Stolorth, and a Kyi-Radkiril, and has taken Sully on as a student, helping him harness and use his power. But Del is hiding something from both Sully and Chaz, and it’s not good.

And now a war is starting, and no one is sure how it will turn out. Those who don’t swear allegiance to Tage are hunted, some killed. Being hunted is her ex-husband, Admiral Philip Guthrie, and Chaz and Sully save him just in time. And just when we think that everything will finally work out – the gen lab found, the crew out of the way, and Hayden Burke walking aboard to deal with the lab – more betrayal hits too close to home.

The story begins right at the start, when Chaz finds out her brother has been arrested. She he be questioned by a Radkiril, their enemies will learn what Sully truly is, and nothing could be worse for them right now.

I didn’t like Del right from the start, and I was right not to like him. Just when you want a good guy to help, the bad comes along with dark intentions, and that pissed me off. Yes, the story needed him, but I think I’d have liked to see this come about in a different fashion. I’m glad that we got to see more of Philip Guthrie – we needed more between him, Chaz and Sully. Finally, you really understand where Philip and Chaz stand with each other, and while is makes the reader sad that their relationship turned the way it had, it’s understandable, and not unlike those in higher social standing that we’re used to reading.

And now, the ending. Oh, was I mad! With all the action, you’re adrenaline pumps up as you’re following the story. You want so badly that Sully wins against Del, that Chaz and Philip manage to help him, but I felt let down. Sure, Del is beaten, but the price that Chaz and Sully pay is over the top, leaving several questions unanswered; questions that need answers. We understand how it happens and why (from earlier explanations about cultures, customs and such), but it wasn’t fair for that to happen. And what was between Sully and Chaz will never be the same. Then I’m told that there will be a Book #3, Hope’s Folly, but after reading the description, the book is about Philip, not Chaz and Sully. Please, Ms. Sinclair, we need more on Chaz and Sully. It’s not just because I like them very much, but to leave them hanging like that, as well as the reader, isn’t fair.

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Gabriel’s Ghost by Linnea Sinclair (‘Gabriel’s Ghost’ series Book #1)

Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages - Publisher: Bantam (October 25, 2005) - Language: English - ISBN-10: 0553587978 - ISBN-13: 978-0553587975

 

Gabriel’s Ghost

by Linnea Sinclair

‘Gabriel’s Ghost’ series Book #1

This RITA Award-winning novel of romance and adventure tells the electrifying tale of an intrepid pilot who falls from grace – and the otherworldly rogue who is all too ready to catch her.

Captain Chasidah Bergren, a onetime pride of the interstellar Sixth Fleet, is framed for a crime and exiled to a prison planet from which no one escapes – until a seductive ghost from her past shows up to rescue her. Gabriel Sullivan, alpha mercenary and scoundrel, is supposed to be dead. Now he offers her a ticket to freedom – for a price. Someone in the Empire is breeding uncontrollable killing machines, and Gabriel needs Chaz’s hellp before hundreds of innocents die. Their own lives are on the line – but the long-held attraction that heats up betweent hem may be the riskiest part of all…

Review: Incredible Sci-Fi that’ll take you for a ride!

Stripped of her post as Captain for the interstellar Sixth Fleet after being convicted of a crime she didn’t commit, Chasidah “Chaz’ Bergren is sent to Moabar prison planet, with only her Grizni dagger to protect and defend herself.

Just when she defends herself and kills a Taka, she comes face-to-face with Gabriel “Sully” Ross Sullivan, the legendary mercenary and scoundrel, whom she’d met several times before. Chaz is sure Sully loved the chases then. But meeting up with him now is a surprise, considering he’s supposed to be dead. Mind you, the dead man still looks as good as he did then.

Sully has a proposal for Chaz; in return for her help and services for his mission, he’ll get her off of Moabar and help clear her name.

She accepts and wonders if she’ll regret it.

Racing from one station to the next, Chaz learns that someone is breeding “jukors”; uncontrollable monsters. However, Sully has learned of a new gen-lab breeding these monsters, and using Takan females as incubators. Sully is determined to put a stop to it.

The question is: who can they trust? Who’s behind the gen-labs? How high up the chain of command does it go? For recent reports gleamed by inside informants say the lab is on Marker, where the Empire is based.

And all the while trying to determine answers to those questions, Chaz is falling for Sully more and more, even when she refuses to be on that “long list of confused women” that Sully is purported to have left behind in his wake. And despite not wanting to be on that “long list”, Chaz is falling in love with him.

But Sully isn’t everything he plays himself to be. Sully is an Empath, a Telephath, and then Chaz finds out he’s something more. Can she push past those barriers she was taught to put up against someone, something like Sully, or will her decision be lead by her heart?

Oh, did I so enjoy this story!

At first, I worried. I’m not usually one who likes a story narrated in first-person. While I sometimes have a hard time reading stories told that way, this in no way hampered this book. In fact, I think the story being told by Chaz herself adds to the book – I can’t see it as a third-person story.

The action starts immediately and pretty much doesn’t let up, no matter which kind of action, defending one’s self and others or heating up the sheets. As the story grows, so do the characters, coming full circle from start to finish, and is more than satisfying to this reader. Add in mystery with amazing characters, primary and secondary, and you have the makings of an amazing book.

Chaz is a strong woman, more than capable in defending herself, and like Sully, believes the gen-labs needs to be stopped, is willing to do what is necessary to see them stopped. She knows she’d been framed, doesn’t want to believe that someone close to her helped put her there, but she needs to get to the bottom of it, even if she doesn’t like the truth.

Sully is Alpha through and through; strong, brave, forceful, incorrigible, and protects those he loves and cares about with a fierceness that will steal a reader’s breath. But Sully also hurts more than most, for he hides a deep, dark secret, one that he knows very few will accept. Only one person truly knows what he is, and he’s hoping Chaz will be the second, for he truly loves her deeply, and to be rejected by her would surely put an end to the Sully we grow to love.

Incredible from start to finish, the story will suck you in and leave you with a sigh of contentment when finished. I can’t wait to get my hands on Shades of Dark, book #2 in this series. Awesome job, Ms. Sinclair!

Rating:

Kissing Sin by Keri Arthur (‘Riley Jenson Guardian’ series Book #2)

Format: Mass Market Paperbound - ISBN: 055358846X - Published By: Dell

 

Kissing Sin

by Keri Arthur

‘Riley Jenson Guardian’ series Book #2

From Melbourne’s gleaming skyscrapers to its throbbing nightclubs, Riley Jenson’s world is raging with danger and desire. A drop-dead-gorgeous werewolf–with a touch of vamp coursing in her blood–Riley works for an organization created to police the supernatural races. But when she wakes up naked and bruised in a barren alley, she knows only that she must run for her life.

Within moments Riley collides with the sexiest man she’s ever seen: steely, seductive Kade, who is fighting a life-and-death battle of his own. With old lovers and enemies gathering around her, Riley knows she is being pursued by a new kind of criminal. Because in Riley’s blood is a secret that could create the ultimate warrior–if only she can survive her own dangerous desires….

Review: Just as UNPUTDOWNABLE as the first! The first book kicked the story/series in high-gear, and this book added more to the fact! While most of the characters were the same as the first, there were in no way lacking, the scenery the same and again, lacked in no way. And the twists during this one… holy good god! And after the one thing that happened, I balled my head off, right along with Riley, and we both felt the same way. Arthur grips her reader right from the start, and even with the last sentence of the last paragraph of the last chapter, she doesn’t let up. A definite ‘must read’!

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