A Book Obsession..

Dead Iron (Early Review)

, by KT

Dead Iron by Devon Monk

Age of Steam #1

Welcome to a new America that is built on blood, sweat, and gears...

In steam age America, men, monsters, machines, and magic battle for the same scrap of earth and sky. In this chaos, bounty hunter Cedar Hunt rides, cursed by lycanthropy and carrying the guilt of his brother's death. Then he's offered hope that his brother may yet survive. All he has to do is find the Holder: a powerful device created by mad devisers-and now in the hands of an ancient Strange who was banished to walk this Earth.

In a land shaped by magic, steam, and iron, where the only things a man can count on are his guns, gears, and grit, Cedar will have to depend on all three if he's going to save his brother and reclaim his soul once and for all...

Cedar was cursed long ago with lycanthropy. Whenever he changes, he is sent into a murderous rage that leaves a path of death and destruction behind him. When he wakes up to the carnage, he has no memory of what happened the night before. On his first change he killed his brother and has lived with that horror ever since. Many years later, a new hope has arisen, and his brother may still live. Cedar must accept a task to find the Holder, a device that could destroy everything. He just has to figure a way to get it away from a tremendously powerful strange that is dead set on revenge against those who banished him. Time is running out, and only one will be left standing in the end.

There is a whole lot going on in this book. So much that it took me a good while to really get into the story. Dead Iron is told in third person, and rotates perspectives. The rotation in itself wasn't the problem, but that as soon as you started to understand something, the focus would shift to someone else. Looking back, this actually was the best thing for the book as it allowed you to become attached to all the characters rather than just a select few. So once I got past my initial frustration, I was able to enjoy the book a whole lot more.

While there wasn't really a romantic element in Dead Iron the stage seems to be set for a potential in the next. Considering everything that was happening in this book, making this believable was no small task, yet the author made it progress seamlessly. In addition to the "seeds" sown for the potential love interests, there also were several kernels given about different characters. This leaves a whole lot of potential for growth in the series, and I find myself impatient to find out the secrets that are hidden.

This was my first foray into Steampunk, and I'll admit I wasn't really sure what to expect. The world the book is set in is very fascinating, as well as completely different from anything I have read in the past. I think my lack of familiarity with the genre and the world's uniqueness had a lot to do with my slow "learning curve." I have a feeling that I will enjoy the next book even more now that I have fully grasped the rules and overall concept. The characters were really substantial and I couldn't help wanting to root for them to succeed despite the odds against them. I have always loved Devon Monk's other series, The Allie Beckstrom books, and now I am happy to say Ms. Monk is definitely not a one hit wonder. So if you are a fan of Steampunk, or even a plain old fantasy lover, Dead Iron would be a great addition to your shelves.

(Received from the Publisher)

Rating:

Pre-order at Amazon:
Dead Iron: The Age of Steam (Cedar Hunt)

Challenge Categories:
Outdo Yourself
Horror and Urban Fantasy
Shifter

Grave Dance (Early Review)

, by KT

Grave Dance by Kalayna Price

Alex Craft #2

After a month spent recovering from a vicious fight with a sorcerer, Alex is read to get back to solving murders by raising the dead. Wither her love life in turmoil, thanks to the disapearance of Fae Investigation Bureau agent Falin Andrews and a shocking "L"-word confession from Death himself, Alex is eager for the distractions of work. But her new case turns out to be a deadly challenge.

The police hire Alex to consul on a particularly strange investigation in the nature preserve south of Nekros City. The strange part: There are no corpses-- only fragments of them. A serial killer is potentially on the loose, and Alex has no way to raise a shade without a body, so she will have to rely on the magic of others to find leads. But as she begins investigating, a creature born of the darkest magic comes after her. It is obvious that someone very powerful wants to make sure the only thing she fins is a dead end-- her own.

Alex has spent plenty of time recovering from the outcome of the showdown at the end of Grave Witch, and is more than ready to get back out there. She really needs the distraction from her messy love life and throws herself head first into her latest case. Problem is that there will be no easy solve on this one. They are only finding pieces of bodies, no where near enough to raise a shade. Her investigations put her front and center and she becomes the prime target. Someone wants her dead in a bad way and it will take everything she has to pull out of this mess alive, let alone in one piece.

In the aftermath of the Blood Moon in the last book, Alex has noticed some major changes in herself. Her fae heritage is making itself well know and is definitely complicating things. She has developed new abilities as well as some difficulty controlling her old ones. It is almost as if that showdown unlocked a door to her potential. The downside to that is she now has to deal with the implications of being fae without growing up knowing the "rules." Her new found sensitivity to iron as well as an inability to lie are all part of her growing pains. The lying in particular is going to be a very rough one as it will take time to learn to twist her words around in order to tell the truth yet mislead. That being said I have a feeling that once she comes into her own she will be more powerful than most of the fae put together. She just seems to be able to harness so much raw power as well as break down glamour whereas other fae cannot. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of her journey and hope she is able to stay true to herself.

Alex's love life could not possibly be more complicated. One of the side effects of the changes she is going through is that her body temperature has drastically lowered, to the point where most men cannot stand to touch her skin. In fact only two men can handle her "chill," but of course things aren't easy as she can't seem to really have either one of them. Death made the shocking love confession at the end of the last book yet for some reason he seems to be forbidden from doing anything about that. Falin on the other hand seems to care as well, but he disappeared right after the blood moon. Even if he shows back up, he is the winter queen's lover, so that puts a wrench in things as well. Typically love triangles only frustrate me, and while Grave Dance does do a little of that, I also feel that Kalayna Price did a really great job of keeping a good balance. I honestly don't know who I would pick as they both seem to genuinely care but are kept away by something/someone else by force. I can only hope that in time once Alex is ready to make a decision, she will be strong enough to claim the one she wants and won't suffer further heartbreak.

I really enjoyed Grave Dance, especially the new shift into all things fae. I've always loved books that center around the fae, but have found some of them to be a little overwhelming at times due to all the rules and hidden agendas. Kalayna Price did a fantastic job at keeping things detailed enough to feel realistic without ever once stepping over into the realm if too much information. I really felt like I was learning the rules of being fae right alongside Alex. I have greatly enjoyed all of Ms. Price's books, but Grave Dance has ratcheted her up into my top list of authors on "auto buy." If you haven't checked out the previous Alex book, Grave Witch, or her other series, The Haven books, you just don't know what you are missing. I know I eagerly anticipate her next release and hope to see many more in the future.

(Received from Publisher)

Rating:

Pre-order from Amazon:
Grave Dance: An Alex Craft Novel

Challenge Categories:
Outdo Yourself
Horror and Urban Fantasy

Waiting on Wednesday (48)

, by KT

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

My pick this week:

Night Veil - Indigo Court #2

by Yasmine Galenorn

Publication Date: July 5th 2011

Amazon Pre-Order: Night Veil (Indigo Court)

Eons ago, vampires tried to turn the Dark Fae in order to harness their magic, only to create a demonic enemy more powerful than they could have imagined. Quietly amassing their strength for centuries, the Vampiric Fae-led by the merciless Myst, Queen of the Indigo Court-are determined to enslave the world. Only one witch stands in her way...

Cicely Waters grew up believing she was simply one of the magic-born-a witch who can control the wind-but when she returned home to New Forest, Washington, she discovered she was also one of the shifting Fae. Now she must perfect her gift. For Myst, Queen of the Indigo Court, has captured Grieve, the Fae prince who holds Cicely's heart. To save both her beloved Grieve and her friend Kaylin-whose demon is waking-Cicely must journey deep into the heart of the Indigo Court. But even as Cicely gathers strength, old alliances are breaking faith.

And new allies, like the hedonistic vampire Lannan Altos, promise to take Cicely down a far darker path than she's ever travelled before.

Hunt the Moon

, by KT

Hunt the Moon by Karen Chance

Cassandra Palmer #5

Cassandra Palmer recently defeated a god, which you'd think would buy a girl a little time off. But it doesn't work that way when your job description is Pythia-the world's chief clairvoyant. Cassie is busier than ever, trying to learn about her power, preparing for her upcoming coronation, and figuring out her relationship with the enigmatic sexy master vampire, Mircea.

But someone doesn't want Cassie to become Pythia, and is willing to go to any lengths to make sure the coronation ceremony never happens- including attacking her mother before Cassie is even born.

In the previous book, Cassie did the impossible by defeating a god bent on destroying everyone. Yet no one seems to want to give her the respect she deserves. In fact, the opposite is true in that almost everyone is trying to find a way to kill her. She spends her days dodging assassination attempts as well as trying to get a handle on her abilities as Pythia. Meanwhile things are confusing as ever when it comes to Mircea and what really is between them. Things take a turn for the worse when one of those assassination attempts it close to home as they try to take her mother out before Cassie is even born. She'll need a whole lot more than luck to make it out of this mess alive.

The triangle between Cassie, Pritkin, and Mircea became much more prevalent in these books. What makes the situation different is that Cassie doesn't quite realize her real feelings for Pritkin, so you don't have the typical angst issues found in most triangles. I am honestly not sure who I am rooting for at this point as both men are good for her in their own way. The chemistry between Mircea and Cassie is incredible and he has always been the only one to give her any stability in her entire life. However, when you take a step back and look at things he technically trapped her into the relationship. Mircea is used to getting his way, and life with him would be a constant battle of wills despite her love for him. He will do something that will turn me off of him, but then turn around and show some vulnerability in the next moment that draws me right back in. Pritkin on the other hand comes with his own mess of troubles due to his heritage and nature. I'm not even sure a relationship could even be possible between them, but if they could make it work it would be more than worth it in the end. Pritkin is so fiercely loyal and never tries to undermine her authority. It is completely obvious just how much he cares even if he doesn't feel he deserves her. She has a hard road of choices ahead of her with no easy answer, and I cannot wait to see where things go.

Hunt the Moon was in many ways a book about character growth as it was plot progression. There were countless revelations about different character's histories, giving us a good incite into how those events shaped then. Also by revealing those personal bits to Cassie, she was able to open up her heart to them even more. Cassie herself learns some pretty interesting things about her own heritage, but you will just have to read Hunt the Moon to find out what those revelations were.

Cassie sure takes a lot of lickings but always seems to find a way to keep on ticking. The odds against her are incredible and a lessor person would have long crumbed under the pressure. You would think that after five books the constant threats would start to feel a little stale, but that definitely is not the case in Hunt the Moon. Karen Chance does a phenomenal job at keeping the books both fresh and action packed. Each new book shows new revelations and only sucks me in further. Fans of the series cannot possibly be disappointed in this latest installment, and I am already looking to the next book. Hopefully the wait won't be two long as I cannot a it for my next Pritkin and Mircea fix. Major kudos to Ms. Chance!

Rating:

Buy now at Amazon:
Hunt the Moon: A Cassie Palmer Novel

Challenge Categories:
Outdo Yourself
Horror and Urban Fantasy
Vampire

It's Monday! What are you reading (48)

, by KT

It's Monday! What Are You Reading, hosted by Book Journey, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Here's what I read this past week:

On the Edge by Ilona Andrews (Review)
XVI by Julia Karr (Review)
Mercy Thompson: Moon Called Vol 1 (Review)

I absolutely love Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniels series, so I knew I would have to try out her Edge books. She has such a great sense of humor and snark that comes across so well in her books. I'm happy to say I enjoyed On the Edge as well. It is an interesting world with magic and plenty of rules to go along with it. Love the tough as nails heroine who gets softened up a little bit by the hero in the end, but still remains her own person.

XVI was a horrific look into a society that preys on young girls. At sixteen they become prime targets for sex and if anything goes wrong (rape, death, etc) the media plays it off as just another "sexteen." It really was horrifying and made me so angry while reading it. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book!

My Upcoming List:

Hunt the Moon by Karen Chance
Grave Dance by Kalayna Price (Early Review)
Dead Iron by Devon Monk (Early Review)

Moon Called Volume 1

, by KT

Mercy Thompson: Moon Called Volume 1

Patricia Briggs, David Lawrence, & Amelia Woo

Five Mercy Thompson novels have topped the New York Times best-seller list, and her premiere graphic novel did the same. Now Patricia Briggs' heroic shape-shifter returns to comics! Mercy Thompson inhabits two worlds without truly belonging to either. To the human inhabitants of the Tri-Cities she's an oddity, a female mechanic operating her own garage. To the town's darker residents, werewolves, vampires, and fae, she's a walker, a last-of-her-kind magical being with the power to become a coyote. Mercy warily straddles the fine line dividing our everyday world from that darker dimension... 'till a boy, mauled by vicious werewolves and forever changed by the attack and on the run from those who committed the crime, appears at her door. Now her two worlds are about to collide! Outnumbered and out-muscled, can Mercy possibly save the boy... or even herself?

This was a very accurate retelling of the first Mercy Thompson book, at the bare bottom minimum. I haven't read a whole lot of graphic novels, but out of the ones that I have I would say this one was done pretty well in comparison. I will say that while it was nice to see our favorite characters brought to life, I couldn't help buy feel that it was lacking something. It just didn't have that "rich" and full feeling that reading the actual books gave me. I do think that it is a really nice graphic novel to be read in addition to the real books, but in the end it pales in comparison to the original. Aside from Sam and Adam, I think the characters images were portrayed well. The guy's images just didn't fit what I had in my mind at all. If you like graphic novels, then this would be a perfect start into the series, otherwise I would say stick to the original books. In then end it was a decent read, but nothing overly spectacular like I have come to expect in the Mercy Series.

(Received from Netgalley)

Rating:

Buy now at Amazon:
Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson: Moon Called Volume 1 TP

XVI

, by KT

XVI by Julia Karr

Nina Oberon's life is pretty normal: she hangs out with her best friend, Sandy, and their crew, goes to school, plays with her little sister, Dee. But Nina is 15. And like all girls she'll receive a Governing Council-ordered tattoo on her 16th birthday. XVI. Those three letters will be branded on her wrist, announcing to all the world—even the most predatory of men—that she is ready for sex. Considered easy prey by some, portrayed by the Media as sluts who ask for attacks, becoming a "sex-teen" is Nina's worst fear. That is, until right before her birthday, when Nina's mom is brutally attacked. With her dying breaths, she reveals to Nina a shocking truth about her past—one that destroys everything Nina thought she knew. Now, alone but for her sister, Nina must try to discover who she really is, all the while staying one step ahead of her mother's killer.

Nina is different than most girls her age. Instead of looking forward to being 16 and being branded as ready for sex to all the men, she is terrified. She never bought the media's habit of shoving sexual readiness down young girl's throats. Her mother has always been right by her side doing everything she can, and sacrificing all to ensure that Nina doesn't end up like many sixteen years, dead in a gutter with no one caring one bit. However, that all changes when her mother is attacked and just before she dies, she tells Nina something that will change her life forever. Nina knows she must find answers and find away to keep her and her little sister safe as her sixteenth birthday is right around the corner, and then she will be fair game.

This book is a very dark dystopian that will make your skin crawl. The men ogle the young girls and sometimes only the lack of the sixteen brand on their arms saves them. Sixteen is now sex-teen, and once girls reach this age they are fair game. In fact the men can pretty much do whatever they want, and get away with it because the media and controlling government has made it known that all girls are "dying" for sexual attention. There is no concept of rape to the authorities, the girls always want it, and if she is injured or even killed in the process, it's just shrugged off and accepted as another sex-crazed teen gone bad. There were so many times I was literally sick to my stomach while reading this book, it was that horrific. The girls are taught to objectify themselves and the media ensures these girls will always be "primed and ready" by the time they turn 16.

This book issue's affected me more so than any other dystopian book I have read. Yes, in many other dystopians there is plenty of oppression and even terrible deaths for those that rebel. However, being, a female and a mother, who also remembers what it was like to be sixteen and the concept of this book is just utterly horrific. Sixteen is such a vulnerable age. To be basically whored out from that point on, well I just can't imagine how the women are able to function as they grow up. I guess that is the point, screw them up while they are young and they won't have the ability to rebel later. It is never really said, but I have a feeling the majority of the top officials must be men, or at least heartless women, as no one in their right mind would ever bring such a system about.

Putting aside how drastically this book effected me, it did drag a little. I also had a hard time relating to the characters, as they just did not suck me into their lives, nor did they make me feel any real emotions. Yes, I felt bad for them and their situations, but when things happened to them, I just didn't feel invested enough for it to really hit me that hard. I do think the series has a lot of potential, and I did start to have more of an attachment to the characters as the book went on. I just wish that connection would have been established sooner as I would have been a little more impacted by the events in the book. All in all it was a good read, definitely something you do not want to miss if you are a fan of dystopian novels.

Rating:

Buy now at Amazon:
XVI

Challenge Categories:
Outdo Yourself
YA
New Author

Waiting on Wednesday (47)

, by KT

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

My pick this week:

Grave Dance - Alex Craft #2

by Kalayna Price

Publication Date: July 5th 2011

Amazon Pre-Order: Grave Dance: An Alex Craft Novel

After a month of down time, Grave Witch Alex Craft is ready to get back to solving murders by raising the dead. With her love life in turmoil, Alex is eager for the distractions of work. But when her new case forces her to overuse her magic, it might be the last mystery the Grave Witch ever gets to solve...

On the Edge

, by KT

On the Edge by Ilona Andrews

The Edge #1

The Broken is a place where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is nothing more than a fairy tale.

The Weird is a realm where blueblood aristocrats rule and the strength of your magic can change your destiny.

Rose Drayton lives on the Edge, the place between both worlds. A perilous existence indeed, made even more so by a flood of magic-hungry creatures bent on absolute destruction.

Rose has had a very rough life. Her mother is dead and her father has run off leaving her to take care of her two little brothers when she was only 18. Add in a mistake of over showing her power one day, and she started being targeted to become a "broodmare" for powerful children, with the men doing anything they could to get their hands on her, even kidnapping. So, it comes as no surprise when a mysterious Blueblood shows up insisting on marriage that she is having nothing to do with the idea. The man may be attractive, but she knows he is more than he seems, and is not to be trusted. Since she can't beat him outright, she agrees to a bargain of sorts, with the gravest of things at stakes; her freedom.

Sometimes the world descriptions in first book of a series can completely consume the stage, leaving little room for the characters and the plot. Also, sometimes the reverse is true where the world is not substantial enough to be a good foundation. This book is the perfect example of just the right amount of world building. Everything is very thoroughly fleshed out, but you never once feel overwhelmed or bogged down by too much information. The Characters are full of depth and you can't help but feel for them, especially the two boys. The are so innocent, yet strong, mostly due to sacrifices Rose has made in her determination for them to have some stability. The bond between them is incredibly strong, and made the book all the more enjoyable for it.

The interactions between Rose and Declan vary from downright hostile, to humorous, to being loaded with sexual tension. I really enjoyed their confrontations, and loved them both as characters. I was very glad to see that they didn't fall right into bed, as that wouldn't have fit with Rose's personality at all. She's had a very hard life, and by some miracle hasn't turned bitter from it. But she's no fool when it comes to men and their idea of her. Considering her past, it's actually a miracle she doesn't just fry any man that comes near her to a crisp. When you take everything into account, the progression was very realistic, and nothing seemed forced, so I really felt the connection between them.

I would place this book somewhere between an urban fantasy and a paranormal romance. Yes, a lot of the plot is about Rose and Declan, but there is a very substantial plot that is slowly unraveled throughout, making this a very balanced book. I'm a big fan of the author's other series (The Kate Daniel Series), so I had high expectations for this book, and I'm very glad to say that I wasn't disappointed. I loved this book every bit as much as the Kate Daniels books, and I cannot wait to dive into the next one, Bayou Moon.

Rating:

Buy now at Amazon:
On the Edge (The Edge, Book 1)

Challenge Categories:
Outdo Yourself
Paranormal Romance

It's Monday! What are you reading (47)

, by KT

Captivate by Carrie Jones (Review)
Entice by Carrie Jones (Review)
Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz (Early Review)

The Need Series by Carrie Jones is a very captivating set of books. I love the Pixies aspect of them, and they kind of remind me of the nastier side of the fae. These books have made me do something that I never do, change my chosen "side" in a love triangle. I'm the type of person who picks one love interest from the very start and that is who it stays until the bitter end no matter what. So these books really caught me off guard, which really isn't a bad thing. It's always good to shake things up from time to time.

I also read a debut novel called Spellbound. It deals with reincarnation and soul mates. It was a pretty good read, with a few flaws, but definitely still worth checking out. I know I'll be watching out for more books from this author in the future.

My Upcoming List:

On the Edge by Ilona Andrews
XVI by Julia Karr
Feast by Merrie Destefano (Early Review)