A Book Obsession..

Waiting on Wednesday (67)

, 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:

Lightbringer

by K.D. McEntire

Publication Date: November 15th, 2011

Amazon Pre-Order: Lightbringer

The Never is a place of greys, a world a breath beyond our own, layered just past the memories of yesterday and the fleeting present moment. It is here, in this dismal limbo, that ghosts such as Piotr, Lily, and Elle must sort out an existence, both protecting the children called Lost and themselves from the walking darkness that is the army of rotting Walkers.

Caught between her duty to her calling as the Lightbringer and her concern for her new ghostly friends, Wendy must walk the line between the two worlds, aiding Piotr in his fight against the Walkers as well as searching out the wandering soul of the one who means the most to her. Time, however, is running out and in the end... who will she choose?

November R.A.K.

, by KT

I love this! ;)

I received Sweet Venom from Amanda at Letters Inside Out

I also received Desires of the Dead from Jenn at Waiting on Sunday to Drown

I Sent:

The Ghost and the Goth to Gabbit at Book Breather

And now for November:

Here are the rules:

COMPLETE RULES RE-CAP:
Please read carefully & follow all rules! Thank you!

Please sign-up each month that you can participate (and by participate, we mean give as well as receive).
Show off your participation by grabbing our RAK button (code is in the right sidebar).
Create a wish list (on Amazon, Goodreads, or your blog etc) and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month.
If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger directly for their information.
Once you receive a RAK, send us an our new email to [rakbybooksoulmates @ gmail . com] so that we can update the Google Doc. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU SEND EMAILS TO THIS ADDRESS!
E-book participation is limited to files being gifted directly to a person from the e-book store. Amazon's Kindle Store is set up to allow this, as well as the Kobo store and we believe Barnes & Noble with Nook as well.
At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K by making a "RAK Wrap-Up" post. This post should include who you SENT gifts to as well who you RECEIVED gifts from :)

OPEN TO EVERYONE including all our International brethren!

Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!

Easy peezy!!

Links you will need:

Sign up for November [HERE]
See who else is participating [HERE]
If you have any questions regarding RAK, please contact us via the following: rakbybooksoulmates @ gmail . com Good luck to all the giveaway participants and thanks for joining and passing on the kindness!

You guys ROCK!!

Here is my wishlist :)

Now I'm off to finds some wonderful bloggers to spoil ;)

I, Robot: To Protect (ARC Review)

, by KT

I, Robot: To Protect by Mickey Zucker Reichert

I, Robot Prequel Trilogy #1

First in an all-new trilogy inspired by Isaac Asimov's legendary science fiction collection I, Robot.

2035: Susan Calvin is beginning her residency at a Manhattan teaching hospital, where a select group of patients is receiving the latest in diagnostic advancements: tiny nanobots, injected into the spinal fluid, that can unlock and map the human mind.

Soon, Susan begins to notice an ominous chain of events surrounding the patients. When she tries to alert her superiors, she is ignored by those who want to keep the project far from any scrutiny for the sake of their own agenda. But what no one knows is that the very technology to which they have given life is now under the control of those who seek to spread only death...

Dr. Susan Calvin has just graduated from medical school and is starting her residency. Her skills quickly get noticed and she gets selected to help out a pair of researchers with some ground breaking diagnostic technology. Microscopic robots are injected into the spinal column of mentally ill paitents to try and find a cause for their diseases. However, things take a turn for the worse when strange things start happening with the patients. Of course the researchers want everything to be hush hush, but when innocent lives are on the line, Susan is torn over what to do. She'll have to step up quickly or the cost may just be more than she ever could have imagined.

Prior to reading, I, Robot: To Protect, my knowledge of the world behind the story was limited to what I remembered from the movie. I realize that most movies are not completely accurate to the original books they are based on (some don't even come close). However, putting that aside, I definitely had some assumptions about Susan Calvin's characte based on what I saw in the movie. I had expected her to be aloof and somewhat secluded in nature, but this book paints a much different picture. Perhaps that is because this is a prequel and she hasn't been hardened yetby whatever is coming to face her. Granted, the woman is incredibly smart, and that can put some people off as her thinking process is just a little different than most.

The most interesting thing about I, Robot: To Protect, is that it is every bit as much a medical story as it is Sci-fi. You can really tell the author has a medical background as the diagnosises and hospital settings seem very realistic. However, don't let this put you off as everything is presented very well, without once becoming overwhelming from too much medical jargan. To be honest it kind of puts me in mind of the process of elimination for a diagnosis, seen on the TV show, House MD without the crazy head doctor.

As a teenager I loved anything Sci-fi, especially books, but as time went on I moved on to different genres. (Though I will admit to still watching a few good Sci-fi movies here and there.) I, Robot: To Protect was the perfect segway back into my original reading choices as things weren't too far stretched from our own world. While the genre may not be my first pick anymore, books like this will always hold a special place to me. I'm going to recommend this to anyone who likes a book with a good process of deduction, and a very believable world, even if it is a fantasy. I know I will be eagerly anticipating the next installment of this trilogy, as I cannot wait to see what happens next.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Buy a copy from Amazon:
I, Robot: To Protect

Challenge Categories:

It's Monday! What are you reading (67)

, 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:

Bite Club by Rachel Caine (Review)
Last Breath by Rachel Caine (Early Review)
Death Magic by Eileen Wilks (Early Review)
Magic on the Line by Devon Monk (Early Review)

I love the Morganville Vampires, and I have to say that Last Breath was incredible, probably the best installment yet. (I had some issues with Bite Club, but that is all forgotten now.)

Death Magic by Eileen Wilks just didn't live up to the previous books in the series. I'm still holding out hope for the future, because the series is really great.

Finally, Magic on the Line was a really great read. The series is winding down, and I'm really going to miss these great characters.

My Upcoming List:

I, Robot: To Protect by Mickey Zucker Reichert
Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
The Pledge by Kimberly Derting (Early Review)
Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh (Early Review)

Magic on the Line (Early Review)

, by KT

Magic on the Line by Devon Monk

Allie Beckstrom #7

Allison Beckstrom has willingly paid the price of pain to use magic, and has obeyed the rules of the Authority, the clandestine organization that makes-and enforces-all magic policy. But when the Authority's new boss, Bartholomew Wray, refuses to believe that the sudden rash of deaths in Portland might be caused by magic, Allie must choose to follow the Authority's rules, or turn against the very people for whom she's risked her life.

To stop the plague of dark magic spreading through the city, all that she values will be on the line: her magic, her memories, her life. Now, as dead magic users rise to feed upon the innocent and the people closest to her begin to fall, Allie is about to run out of options.

Allie has played the good little soldier as best she could despite not ever really knowing who to trust in the all controlling Authority. She and a few others have formed a tight bond that has proven unbreakable in the past. However, if the new leader of the Authority has his way, they all will be mindless and incapable of using any magic. So, it comes really at no surprise when he simply ignores the plague of magical deaths sweeping across the city. She, and those closest to her will have to lay everything on the line to try and protect the innocent people of the city, because no one else will.

I should have known things wouldn't be any easier even though Allie and the gang now know who was behind all the chaos in the past. In Magic on the Line there is a serious case of jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. The new leader of the Authority doesn't believe a word they say and is determined to clean up their "mess". Never mind that none of it was their fault, they are just in his way, as he proves when he removes them all one by one in exchange for his own flunkies. The joke is on him however, as I just don't see him lasting long in direct opposition to Allie and her friends. Of course she'll play nice at first, but it won't take long for her to snap, and she's proven time and time again that you really don't want to mess with her. So, while there wasn't a whole lot of butt kicking action in Magic on the Line, I have a feeling Allie will more than make up for that as her frustrations boil over, and the reader will just be along for the ride in the next book.

Magic on the Line opened up a whole new depth to the world behind the series. Prior to this point, I, like Allie, had thought the Authority was a small organization with only a few select members in any given city. Boy, how wrong were we both! Sufice it to say that it is much, much larger, with reaches that are quite staggering. Typically, by this point in a series, you wouldn't expect such a surprise based on the world end of things. By throwing this game changer in there, and pulling it off well, Devon Monk proves yet again just how talented of an author she really is.

Magic on the line is the seventh installment in a nine book series, so things are on their final stretch now. I'm going to be really sad to say goodbye, but I'll be honest that I am also incredibly eager to get my hands on the next two installments. Things really ended in a major mess at the end of this book, and I can only imagine the wild ride that must be in store to try and set things right. The implications of where things are heading have the potential to impact an incredible amount. To be honest, I'm not quite sure how much longer the Authority will be able to stay hidden in secret. I'm very excited about this possibility because nothing could make Allie (or me) happier than to see them crumble. I guess we will just have to wait and see. *crosses fingers* So, all in all, Magic on the Line was a fantastic read that will grab you from the very start and not let go, making it yet another installment that proves this fantastic series won't be losing steam before its time.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Pre-order from Amazon:
Magic on the Line: An Allie Beckstrom Novel

Other Reviews:

Previous Books:

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Death Magic (Early Review)

, by KT

Death Magic by Eileen Wilks

World of the Lupi #8

DEATH MAGIC opens with Special Agent Lily Yu in Washington, D.C. with her fiancé--lupi prince Rule Turner—to testify before a Senate subcommittee about her role in the magical collapse of a mountain last month. She is not there to tell them about the strange legacy she carries from that event—or about the arcane bond between her and Rule--or what her boss in Unit Twleve of the FBI’s Magical Crimes Division is really up to. She sure won’t tell them that the lupi are at war with an Old One who wants to remake humanity in her own image.

Lily is managing the conflict between her duty as an officer of the law and the need for secrecy pretty well . . . until the rabidly anti-magic senator who chairs that committee is murdered. The line between right and wrong, always so clear to her, becomes hopelessly blurred as events catapult them all towards disaster, and prophecies of a cataclysmic end to the country she loves and serves--and to the entire race of lupi--seem well on their way to being fulfilled.

Lily has been able to walk the fine line between her duty as a cop and to her lupi obligations pretty well for the most part. Until now. After a zealot senator is murdered, and her boss becomes the prime suspect, she's no longer able to see things as black and white. Her eyes are opened up to all the many shades of gray, and all the trouble that comes from that. No longer can she easily choose right from wrong as everything she has ever known is now in question. She has some hard decisions ahead that she must make quickly as much more than she realizes relies on her decision, as the fate of the world is truly in the balance.

Death Magic didn't quite live up to the previous installments. Don't get me wrong, it was still quite enjoyable, but not to the extent the past few books have been. Things really seemed to drag, especially in the middle, to the point where I kept getting easily distracted by other things rather than being completely engrossed. To be honest I'm not really sure why Death Magic couldn't hold my attention. Perhaps it was because, while the danger was there it was only in an abstract sense. There was talk of a prediction of a cataclysmic event in the near future that would crumble the government and end in militant control. So while everyone was scrambling to prevent this from happening, there never was a clear sense of what they had to do to prevent it. This just didn't make the danger feel real enough, so I just wasn't able to become fully vested in their endeavors this time around.

In the past the books in this series have been every bit as much about romance between the different couples as it was the overall plot and series arc. However, in Death Magic there was hardly any focus on romance at, which I really missed. Yes, Lily and Rule were front and center this time around, but the attention really wasn't on them as a couple, but more on everything else. Perhaps it isn't even the romance per se that I was missing, but the emotion that comes with it. Rule and Lily are both characters that keep themselves very closed off, except with each other. So by not having them really interacting a lot in private, we missed out on a good deal of emotion, which could be another reason I felt so detached this time around. That being said, there was one emotion that came across plain and clear from Rule, anger. For a good portion of this book I had thought he would spontaneously combust, but at least he was able to learn something from that anger in the end, making for some very good character growth.

While I cannot say that Death Magic was my favorite installment of the series, I'm still glad I read it. Several pressing issues from previous books have been dealt with, as well as countless more developments for the future. The war is only going to get uglier from here with losses on both sides. Here's hoping it will be the other side that gets hit worst in the end. I'll be looking forward to the next book to see where things are heading.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Pre-order from Amazon:
Death Magic (Lupi)

Other Reviews:

Previous Books:

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Last Breath (Early Review)

, by KT

Last Breath by Rachel Caine

Morganville Vampires #11

With her boss preoccupied researching the Founder Houses in Morganville, student Claire Danvers is left to her own devices when she learns that three vampires have vanished without a trace. She soon discovers that the last person seen with one of the missing vampires is someone new to town-a mysterious individual named Magnus. After an uneasy encounter with Morganville's latest resident, Claire is certain Magnus isn't merely human. But is he a vampire-or something else entirely?

Things never get a chance to calm down in Morganville as it seems like one crisis after another arises. The last few installments have proved that. However, now vampires are going missing, and it doesn't seem like the "rebels" are to blame this time. His very being permeates evil and he's been the last one seem with some of the missing. Yet it seems as if Claire is the only one who can see him. With the town's vampires acting quite strange, she may be the their only hope, but at what cost?

There was a slight change in the way this book was narrated from previous installments. In Bite Club there were times when we would get a direct view into Shane's head and that really helped the reader get a better idea of the whole picture. In Last Breath, Rachel Caine took that idea one step further and added in a few chapters with perspectives other than Claires. Amelie, Shane, Michael and Eve all get a little time showing their side of things. I particularly liked getting into Amelie's head as it shows a lot of her inner struggle. She's always going to do what she thinks is best for her people, no matter the cost. However, that look into her head showed how much of a struggle it was for her to make those sacrifices and hard choices. She really isn't quite the cold creature she seems to be.

After the slight let down of the last installment, I had high hopes for redemption in Last Breath. I got what I asked for and then some as Last Breath completely blew my socks off. Things started off somewhat sedately, and built so steadily until the pressure almost snuck up on me as it boiled over. It is a wonder that I have any fingernails left after that nail biting read that kept me on the edge of my seat. You would think after reading the past ten installments, there wouldn't be much room for surprise, but Last Breath was one big shocker after another. One of the biggest being the answer to a long standing question: Why would vampires build their town in the middle of a desert when the sun is so deadly to them? This complex addition to the world building was pulled off brilliantly, adding a horrific twist to things that I never could have seen coming.

While the nonstop action was heart pounding, the utter depth of raw emotion was what really cemented this as the very best of the series. The highs are so high that you feel like you are soaring right along with the characters. As for the lows, well lets just say devastation has never been more aptly portrayed. Anger, fear, loss, betrayal, jealousy, love, and desperation, all play huge roles in Last Breath. But the one emotion that stands above it all is hope, and nothing is stronger than that. To be able to feel such hope after everything that happens in this book is nothing short of amazing, and it made Last Breath a truly phenomenal read. I highly recommend setting aside a solid block of time to read this book, as once started, it will be impossible to set down. You won't want to miss this utterly captivating book that will leave you breathless in the end. Bravo!

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Pre-order from Amazon:
Last Breath: The Morganville Vampires

Other Reviews:

Previous Books

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Want to Meet Rachel?

To celebrate the release of LAST BREATH, the 11th book in the New York Times bestselling Morganville Vampires series, Rachel Caine is throwing a “Welcome to Morganville Bash” in a city near you!

Readers who purchase books at the store will be eligible to win free raffle bags filled with notebooks, pencils, vampire swag, books and other cool Penguin gear goodies!

There will also be free goodies for everyone who attends.

Come to the bookstore, meet RACHEL CAINE, have your books signed, and participate in a raffle drawing to receive cool prizes!

Wednesday, November 2nd
MURDER BY THE BOOK
2342 Bissonett Street
Houston, TX 77005
6:30 PM

Thursday, November 3rd
BARNES & NOBLE #2662
Oakview Mall
3333 Oakview Drive
Omaha, NE 68144
7 PM
*w/ Chloe Neill

Saturday, November 5th
VEGAS VALLEY BOOK FESTIVAL
Historic Fifth Street School
401 S. 4th St
Las Vegas, NV 89101
ALL DAY

Sunday, November 6th
BARNES & NOBLE #2614
Roseville
2100 North Snelling Ave

Roseville, MN 55113
2 PM
*w/ Chloe Neill and Andrea Cremer

Monday, November 7th
BARNES & NOBLE #2808
5275 Harvery Street
Muskegon, MI 49444
7 PM

Tuesday, November 8th
BARNES & NOBLE #2086
301 Main Street
Exton, PA 19341
6 PM

Wednesday, November 9th
BARNES & NOBLE #2908
3454 Erie Boulevard East
Dewitt, NY 13214
7 PM

Saturday, November 12th
BARNES & NOBLE #2344
861 NE Mall Blvd
Hurst, TX 76053
3 PM

Waiting on Wednesday (66)

, 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:

Shatter Me - Shatter Me #1

by Tahereh Mafi

Publication Date: November 15th, 2011

Amazon Pre-Order: Shatter Me

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

Bite Club

, by KT

Bite Club by Rachel Caine

Morganville Vampires #10

After discovering that vampires populate her town, college student Claire Danvers knows that the undead just want to live their lives. But someone else wants them to get ready to rumble.

There's a new extreme sport getting picked up on the Internet: bare- knuckle fights pitting captured vampires against each other-or humans. Tracking the remote signal leads Claire- accompanied by her friends and frenemies-to discover that what started as an online brawl will soon threaten everyone in Morganville...

Even vampires make mistakes. This is a lesson everyone in Morganville learns hard in this latest installment. Past decisions come back to bite them all in the rear end, as issues that should have been resolved have not been. Someone has started a new extreme fighting ring, pitting humans against vampires in the ultimate bloody showdown. Things hit closer to home than Claire could have ever realized when Shane starts slipping through her fingers and becomes the latest target. She'll have to convince him to get out before it's too late, or not even her status with the founder will be able to save him.

I cannot count the number of times I wanted to reach into this book and strangle Shane. I had always thought he and Claire made a really great couple as they seemed to balance each other out. In Ghost Town due to some crazy circumstances, he forgot who she was, and while that almost broke my heart, it didn't make me want to lose my faith in them. However, In Bite Club, while not all of Shane's actions are under his control, he still makes some really horrible choices that could ruin things permanently. I would find it a whole lot easier to forgive and forget if we weren't shown the scenes from his perspective at times. These sections showed him being aware of his actions and yet continuing to make those horrible choices. It really is going to take a whole lot for me to have faith in him again, yet I still hope he can somehow redeem himself in future books.

I was more than a little annoyed at how slow on the uptake everyone was in this book. I do realize the reader was given more information than the characters were, but it still took much too long for everyone to realize something was seriously wrong with Shane. Then, it took even longer to put everything together and realize that it was so much bigger than just the problems with him. A lot of the events in this book could have been easily prevented if the vampires were even just slightly less arrogant. At this point the only one other than Michael that is worth even remotely trusting at all is Myrnin, and that is saying a whole lot, as you are putting your life in his hands anytime you get near him. You really have to be careful around that fun, but seriously crazy vampire.

I couldn't help but to be a little disappointed with this latest installment in the Morganvile Vampires series. Don't get me wrong, the writing was still superb, and the pacing was great. However I was so frustrated at all of the characters that I just couldn't get into it as much as I have in the previous books. With the mess that Shane is in, and the rest of the gang's cluelessness, as well as the vampire's general arrogance and I found myself more frustrated then the enthralled I normally am while reading books in this series. That being said, the book is still pretty good, and fans won't want to miss it as some pretty big revelations and decisions are made that have me very much looking forward to the next installment.
Rating:

Buy now at Amazon:
Bite Club (Morganville Vampires, Book 10)

Other Reviews

Previous Books

Challenge Categories:
Outdo Yourself
YA
Vampire

It's Monday! What are you reading (66)

, by KT

The Shadow Reader by Sandy Williams (Early Review)
Courting Darkness by Yasmine Galenorn (Early Review)
The Doomsday Vault by Steven Harper (Early Review)
Drink Deep by Chloe Neill (Early Review)

The Shadow Reader was a great debut that involves the Fae. I love reading about the Fae. They are so tricky :)

Courting Darkness was another great installment in the Sisters of the Otherworld series. It is quite dark, but there also is light and character growth.

The Doomsday Vault is definitely for you if you're a steampunk fan. I'm still wetting my toes in the genre, but it was a fun read.

Finally, Drink Deep. I was so desperate to get my hands on this book, and I'm so glad it was everything I could have hoped for. You'll just have to read it to find out why ;)

My Upcoming List:

Bite Club by Rachel Caine
Last Breath by Rachel Caine (Early Review)
Death Magic by Eileen Wilks (Early Review)
Magic on the Line by Devon Monk (Early Review)