Stacking the Shelves (31)

, by Kt Clapsadl


Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

So I've become really bad at keeping up with these posts on a biweekly basis, so I've decided to just do them monthly on the last Saturday of each month. So without further ado, here is our October 2013 Stacking the Shelves:

For Review:



Thank you Berkley, K-Teen, & Orbit Tor!!

From Netgalley:



Thank you Ace, Grand Central, & Signet!!


From Edelweiss: 


Thank you HarperTeen & Harper Voyager!!


Won


Thank you Little Brown!!


Bought:




Review: Stonecast by Anton Strout

, by Kt Clapsadl

Stonecast by Anton Strout
Spellmason Chronicles #2

The adventures of a girl and her gargoyle continue in the second installment of this “thrilling, funny and eerie” fantasy series. —Romantic Times on Alchemystic

No Stone Unturned...

Alexandra Belarus was an artist stuck working in her New York family’s business…until she discovered her true legacy—a deep and ancient magic. Lexi became the last practicing Spellmason, with the power to breathe life into stone. And as her powers awoke, so did her family’s most faithful protector: a gargoyle named Stanis. But when a centuries-old evil threatened her family and her city, Stanis sacrificed himself to save everything Lexi held dear.

With Stanis gone, Lexi’s efforts to master Spellmasonry—even with the help of her dedicated friends—are faltering. Hidden forces both watch her and threaten her, and she finds herself suddenly under the mysterious wing of a secret religious society determined to keep magic hidden from the world.

But the question of Stanis’s fate haunts her—and as the storm around her grows, so does the fear that she won’t be able to save him in her turn.

STONECAST is a rather tough nut for me to review as I feel overly disappointed. I had largely been anticipating this release as the first book in the series sucked me in with its uniqueness. I wanted to know more about this fascinating world, and to see what would happen next after the way things ended before. However, I had a suspicion when things opened up in this book six months later with no real progression that the almost too slow pace from the last book (as far as answers go) would be even worse. And I was right. In fact, things just seemed so all over the place that it was hard to follow anything, let alone try and navigate the complexity of the spellmason and alchemy aspects.

One of the strongest points of the previous installments was the cast of characters and their dynamics, which unfortunately just wasn't the same this time around, specifically the one between Lexi and Rory/Marshall/Stanis. By this trio not really being quite so prominent this time around, a lot of the awesome witty repartee seen before was lost. Instead, Caleb was brought in. And if you've read my review of ALCHEMYSTIC, you'll know that I was lamenting the last of romance just a bit. Now, I could kick myself for ever making that statement as I think the romance in STONECAST was one of the biggest derailing factors. This isn't a spoiler as it's revealed early on, but Caleb is Stanis's torturer, and while Lexi doesn't know this fact, it's nearly impossible for the reader to connect with him due to that knowledge. I'm honestly at a loss for what to say or think about this as I could not stand his character one bit, and that more than anything kept me rather disconnected from the book.

As I think back to my experience while reading STONECAST, I'm honestly not sure why I continued to push through the book. Perhaps it was due to the left over spark of affection for the characters and my desire to know how the story played out. But even as I kept waiting for things to turn around, they never did. I'm not quite sure how it happened, but this series seems to have completely derailed, which really is a shame as I saw so much potential in the first installment. That being said, I may still continue on with the series, especially if it winds up being a trilogy, but I'll more than likely read more than a few reviews first to gauge things going in.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:





Order Links:



Other Reviews:
     That's What I'm Talking About
     All Things Urban Fantasy
     The Irresponsible Reader

Previous Books:
     1. Alchemystic

Waiting on Wednesday (174)

, by Kt Clapsadl



Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights an upcoming release we are greatly anticipating.

Our pick this week:


Cursed by Destiny - Weird Girls #3
by Cecy Robson
Publication Date: January 7th, 2014
Pre-Order:



Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other 20-something girls—with one tiny exception: they're products of a backfired curse that has given each of them unique powers that make them, well, weird…...

Celia’s a girl in trouble. Her heart is bound to Aric, but he is a pureblood were who must deny her or risk condemning his species to extinction. And that’s just her love life. She’s also been called to take down a group of demon terrorists looking to overthrow the paranormal world. (No pressure.)

In order to bring them down, Celia must ally herself to Misha, the master vampire who has made no secret of his desire for her. And if that weren’t enough misfortune for one girl, a clairvoyant’s prediction could destroy Celia and Aric’s love for good. The only way to protect the world from unbridled supernatural terrorism is for Celia to bind herself to her destined mate. And that doesn’t appear to be Aric….

Review: Dragos Takes a Holiday by Thea Harrison

, by Kt Clapsadl

Dragos Takes a Holiday by Thea Harrison
Elder Races # 6.5

The Bermuda Triangle. Pirates. The Peanut. What could possibly go wrong?

Dragos Cuelebre needs a vacation. So does Pia, his mate. When the First Family of the Wyr head to Bermuda for some much needed R&R, it's no ordinary undertaking - and no ordinary weekend in the sun. Between hunting for ancient treasure buried beneath the waves and keeping track of their son, Liam—a.k.a. Peanut, whose Wyr abilities are manifesting far ahead of schedule—it’s a miracle that Pia and Dragos can get any time together.

They're determined to make the most of each moment, no matter who tries to get in their way.

And did we mention pirates?

For fans of DRAGON BOUND and LORD’S FALL, passion, playfulness, and adventure abound in this Elder Races novella.

I've always found out-take novellas like this to be a bit bittesweet. On one hand it is really great to have these little extras with characters I've grown to love, but then at the same time their short format makes me nostalgic for the original stories, or at least something a bit longer so I can spend more time with them. Of course, that's what re-reads are for. This story was the perfect interlude to tie me over until the next book espeically since I had just finished up a re-read of the series via audiobook. It shows a great interlude with Pia and Dragos, plus the little peanut, but also has a great storyline, making it so much more than just "wish fulfillment fluff." Seriously, if you enjoy the Elder Races world as much as I have, you'll not want to miss one!

(Received a copy from the author via Netgalley)

Rating:






Order Links:



Other Reviews:
     All Things Urban Fantasy
     Paranormal Haven
     Badass Book Reviews

Previous Books:
     1. Dragon Bound
     2. Storm's Heart
     3. Serpent's Kiss
     4. Oracle's Moon
     5. Lord's Fall
     6. Kinked


Covet November Releases $0.99 Sale & Giveaways

, by Kt Clapsadl


Covets have all the sexiness, emotion, and happily ever after that readers have come to expect and love from Entangled. They are firmly grounded in the contemporary world, but each novel brings in supernatural twists, breaking the contemporary and paranormal rules, alike. To find out more about their titles, chat with authors, participate in special events, and to find out what books you’ll be coveting next, visit the Entangled website, follow them on Twitter, LIKE their Facebook page, and join the Book Club.


Today I'm happy to be featuring Covet's November releases which is very exciting because in celebration of these three great new books, they are on sale for just $0.99 for the first week of release only. So they are perfect to download and read over the long holiday weekend between all the hussle and bussle for a nice little break.

Also, make sure to hop on twitter tonight, 11/25 at 8PM to join in the #CovetBash. The authors of these fabulous books will be joining in the fun, and there will be lot's of chances to win prizes, including a grand prize giveaway of Covet's entire backlist to one lucky winner! Details here.


Parts & Wreck by Mark Henry

Wade Crowson, a brutish and brooding playboy and veteran vivisectionist for the Parts Department, runs into more than he bargained for in new partner, Lucid Montgomery, a quirky beauty with a bizarre secret and a string of psychiatric diagnoses she tries hard to keep hidden. Loving Luce will stamp a demonic target on her back and thrust Wade into a frenzied whirlwind of hilarious misunderstandings and, quite possibly, a stripping gig for emptynesters. Can they withstand the savagery of an exorcism (with or without the split pea soup) and come out alive and …in love?



Operation Saving Daniel by Nina Croft

At eighteen, Melissa seduced her best friend Julia's brother only to run away shortly after. While Daniel was her fairytale prince, Lissa didn’t believe in happy ever afters.

Ten years and a near death experience later, Lissa is ready for a husband and family. But a cry for help from Julia puts that dream on hold. Daniel is acting weird and he’s about to marry his long term girlfriend—AKA The Evil One. Someone needs to save him.

Daniel has never stopped loving Lissa. Ten years ago when he gave her a little freedom, he always intended that one day they would be together. Right up until the moment he was bitten by a werewolf. Now, Daniel has to hide what he is. He won’t risk anyone else, especially the woman he loves.

But Lissa is back. Their attraction is stronger than ever and Lissa is nothing if not tenacious.




The Awakening: Britton by Abby Niles
The Awakening #3

"I would lick that man up one side and down the other."

Half-shifter and lead SPAC agent, Val Calhoun, has listened to women gush over the Don Juan of the precinct for the last four years. Yeah, Detective Britton Townsend is hot and has stunning blue eyes, but that foul mouth he saves only for her? What a waste of good looks. And no way does Val want that mouth anywhere near hers.

When the shifter community is threatened, Val is assigned to the case…and fails. So the High Council turns to the rogue shifter they'd sentenced to twenty years as a human--that same obnoxiously sexy Detective Townsend. And sends the two arch-enemies deep into the North Carolina Mountains-—together, and alone.

Being stuck in a tiny honeymoon cabin with Miss Castration and only one bed is definitely not Britton's idea of a good time. But the High Council doesn’t take no for an answer. After his shifter abilities are restored, Brit is once again susceptible to the dreaded, irreversible bonding instinct, the Drall. Thankfully, all he’s ever felt for Val is intense loathing, no reason to worry. Right? All he has to do is solve this case pronto, and he can go back to his footloose Casanova ways. That is, if they don’t kill each other first. Or worse...fall in love.



Missed the first book in the Awakening series? While these books stand alone, it can be fun to go back and see how the other couple got together. And in celebration of book #3's release, book one, The Awakening: Aidan is on sale for just $0.99 as well, so grab it while you can!


The Awakening: Aidan by Abby Niles
The Awakening #1

Is the gift of eternal love a blessing or a curse? After years of counseling grieving shifters, psychiatrist and half-shifter, Dr. Jaylin Avgar has become jaded on shifter mating. She wants to marry a human and forget about the love for eternity crap. Then she meets Aidan O’Connell, an infuriatingly laid back shifter who represents everything she doesn’t want. Yet, the more he pursues her, the more she craves a future with him. Only one thing stands in her way: death. Can she overcome her fear of losing Aidan to the one guarantee in life? Millionaire consultant, Aidan O’Connell knows he’ll one day meet a woman who’ll awaken an unrelenting mating instinct. Unfortunately, that woman is Jaylin, who has no qualms about telling him that he and his so-called eternity can shove it. When she pushes him away, he takes a drastic step so she can no longer escape. The close proximity throws the instinct into overdrive. Can he control the need engrained in him until he’s certain she will reciprocate the bond, or will a moment of weakness doom him to hell on earth?



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