A Book Obsession..

Who Do, Voodoo?

, by KT

Who Do, Voodoo? by Rochelle Staab

When Liz Cooper's friend Robin Bloom finds an unusual tarot card tacked to her front door, Liz writes it off as a prank. Robin refuses to ignore the omen-- her late husband drew the same card, the Three of Swords, in a reading the night before he was killed in a car accident. As more cards and darker threats appear, Liz realizes someone very dangerous is upping the ante...

Liz turns to her brother's ex-college roommate, occult expert Nick Garfield. As Nick leads her into the voodoo community to locate the origin of the deck, she can't ignore their attraction to each other. Then, a woman is found murdered and Robin becomes the prime suspect. Determined to clear her friend, Liz teams with Nick to unravel otherwordly secrets and seek help from beyond- or risk being outwitted by a cunning killer...

Liz has never bought into the mystical woowoo stuff, so when someone starts sending tarot cards to her best friend's front door she just thinks some punk kids must be up to some pranks. However, Robin isn't so sure are the same cards her husband drew the night before he died. Then threats start showing up with the cards and they know things are more serious than a mere prank. So, Liz enlists the help of her brother's old college roommate, Nick. He just happens to be an occult expert. In the middle of their investigation, Robin becomes the number one suspect in a murder case. Time is not on their side as they rush to find the real killer before Robin loses everything.

To be honest Voodoo elements have never really topped the top of my must read lists as it seemed like a bunch of confusing hocus pocus to me. However, in Who Do, Voodoo things are presented in almost layman's terms, making things a whole lot easier to follow. I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that Liz was completely new to all of it herself, so there were no presumptions already formed to skew things. I really enjoyed seeing Liz's journey from complete disbelief to a resigned acceptance, and finally to almost fully trusting in the unknown. I think part of her will always be a little skeptical, but at least she seemed to open up a little in the end.

While the majority of this book is more on the serious side, there is some humor as well. Specifically in the form of Liz's mother. Trust me this woman is a quack. When talking to Liz about her brother she feels she must remind Liz that he is her brother AND his name is Dave. Seriously, she says "your brother, Dave" each and every time. Plus she has this obsession with reuniting Liz with her cheating, alcoholic ex. I can't count the number of times Liz would "accidentally" hang up on her mother or delete messages before they even start. That woman is one can of worms that must be tread carefully around.

While Who Do, Voodoo was slightly outside of my normal genre choice, I still found myself being completely captivated by the story. There was just the right mix of paranormal, mystery and romance to make a perfectly blended story that I just couldn't put down. To be honest I am surprised that this is a debut novel as it read as smoothly as some of the more seasoned author's works. I am eager to see what happens next in this fantastic series, and I'll definitely be on the look out for Rochelle Staub's future works. You definitely won't want to miss this intriguing mystery with a little paranormal thrown in.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Buy now from Amazon:
Who Do, Voodoo? (A Mind for Murder Mystery)

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Waiting on Wednesday (68)

, 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:

Legend - Legend #1

by Marie Lu

Publication Date: November 29th, 2011

Amazon Pre-Order: Lightbringer

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

Crave

, by KT

Crave by Melissa Darnell

The Clann #1

Savannah Colbert has never known why she's so hated by the kids of the Clann. Nor can she deny her instinct to get close to Clann golden boy Tristan Coleman. Especially when she recovers from a strange illness and the attraction becomes nearly irresistible. It's as if he's a magnet, pulling her gaze, her thoughts, even her dreams. Her family has warned her to have nothing to do with him, or any members of the Clann. But when Tristan is suddenly everywhere she goes, Savannah fears she's destined to fail.

For years, Tristan has been forbidden to even speak to Savannah Colbert. Then Savannah disappears from school for a week and comes back…different, and suddenly he can't stay away. Boys seem intoxicated just from looking at her. His own family becomes stricter than ever. And Tristan has to fight his own urge to protect her, to be near her no matter the consequences….

Savannah used to be best friends with the kids of the Clann until one day she became suddenly off limits. They torment her relentlessly and take every opportunity to make her life miserable. Even worse was that she feels this incredibly strong pull towards Tristan, her ex-best friend and clann member. Still, she was able to manage until she gets a mysterious illness that sets off some strange changes in her and her life gets turned upside down. Tristan on the other hand, never knew why he was forbidden from speaking to Savannah all those years ago. He also has a strange pull towards her, that only gets stronger each day ever since her strange illness. Now he's having to ward off other crazy boys that seem to stalk her every move, because he can't stand the thought of anyone else near her. Yet if anyone finds out what he has been up to, the consequences will me more than he can ever have imagined, but even that can't seem to keep him away.

While the beginning of Crave was a bit slow, once things got started, I was completely sucked in. I really noticed the change in my enjoyment of the book once the supernatural parts started to be revealed. To be honest, I had thought this was going to be about werewolves or other shapeshifters. For some reason "Clann" made me thing shifters, but that will teach me to not have prior assumptions as it was actually about vampires and witches, so that was a nice surprise. Also, I liked the twist from the norm in this genre in that the vampire was actually the girl rather than the boy. This role reversal was really refreshing as it was nice to see the girl be the "dangerous" one for a change. Anything that can shake up the norm is a good thing in my book.

Now, on to the romance. At one point in the book I was really worried about a love triangle, but luckily it didn't take form. Now I'm not fully against triangles, but I just don't think one would have worked here, so I was very glad it didn't happen. Putting that aside, there were times when I was a little annoyed at the interactions (or lack there of) between Savannah and Tristan. Thanks to the dual first person narrative, we got to see exactly how the other one felt about the other. Unfortunately there were just so many misunderstandings and obstacles between them to manage any easy progress. To be honest, I had this nagging fear that the relationship will be completely doomed before it even really started, and I don't feel any better now that the book is over. In fact, I feel even worse about their long run chances, but that doesn't mean I won't be rooting for them every step of the way. There is just something incredibly satisfying about a forbidden romance defying all the odds. Just don't get near me if things go wrong for good, as I'll be a sobbing mess. I've never been able to handle heartbreak well in my books, and the hurt will fester for a very long time.

On a slightly side note, I would have loved to have gone to this high school! (Well without the supernatural elements that is.) I just really liked how things were set up in that you could choose your P.E. class, and whatever activity/sport you chose was all you did. I stunk at sports, so I would have loved the option to pick dance or marching band instead. But anyway, I found the portrayal of high school to be very accurate with the mostly separation of different groups, and the bullying as well. Sometimes things seem a little unrealistic in stories from a high school setting, but Crave hit the head on the nail, making for a fun, yet believable read. To be honest I prefer the books I read to be this way. I love paranormal elements, in fact that is pretty much all I read, but they must keep the world believable, or I lose interest very fast. Crave definitely gets my stamp of approval here.

(Received a copy from Netgalley)

Rating:

Buy now from Amazon:
Crave (Harlequin Teen)

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It's Monday! What are you reading (68)

, 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:

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

While I, Robot: To Protect is more sci-fi than I typically read, I actually enjoyed it a lot. It really surprised me, and I look forward to the next installment.

Beautiful Chaos is the thirds installment in the Caster Chronicles. The ending is shocking, but the book was fantastic. This series just keeps getting better and better, which is no small feat considering how great each book is.

The Pledge while predicable was still a very entertaining read. The world behind it is quite horrifying, and I can't wait to see where things lead next.

Lord of the Abyss was the final installment in a multi-author series. I enjoyed it and was very happy to finally see the resolution of the overall series arc. I hope these authors team up again.

My Upcoming List:

Crave by Melissa Darnell
Who Do, Voodoo? by Rochelle Staab
If I Die by Rachel Vincent
Tricks of the Trade by Laura Anne Gilman (Early Review)

Lord of the Abyss (Early Review)

, by KT

Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh

Royal House of Shadows #4

Once upon a time…the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs…and time is running out.…

As the dark Lord who condemns souls to damnation in the Abyss, Micah is nothing but a feared monster wrapped in impenetrable black armor. He has no idea he is the last heir of Elden, its last hope. Only one woman knows—the daughter of his enemy.

Liliana is nothing like her father, the Blood Sorcerer who’d cursed Micah. She sees past Micah’s armor to the prince inside. A prince whose sinful touch she craves. But first she has to brave his dark, dangerous lair and help him remember. Because they only have till midnight to save Elden.

Time is running out for the Heirs of Elden, and all four must unite to save the kingdom before it is too late. Liliana has always hated her father, the Blood Sorcerer, for all the evil he has done. So when she see that the youngest heir, Micah, will not return in the final battle, and the rest will fail as a result, she knows she must find him and help him to remember his past. Only problem is that he is now the Dark Lord at the gateway to the Abyss, an incredibly feared monster. She will have to awaken him to his past and try to shield her heart from his seductive charms, for once he knows her true identity she knows she may just lose him forever.

Micah is quite different than his siblings, which made this book have a completely different feel than the others. He was so much younger than the rest of them when the Blood Sorcerer took over, and because of a spell, he lost all his memories. However, what made things truly different was the fact that he never really grew up, his circumstances made him quite childlike in certain aspects, complete with "temper tantrums." At first this really worried me as I couldn't see how he could possibly prove to be a viable love interest based on his behavior. However, as time went on, Liliana changed him and slowly started to awaken his lost memories. He massively matured over the course of the book, but I have a feeling he will always keep somewhat of the playful side when it comes to her.

Liliana was also quite unique compared to the previous characters, in that instead of being outside the conflict, and then drawn in; she was always center to it, being the Blood Sorcerer's daughter. She carries so much guilt and self-loathing even though none of her father's deeds are in any way her fault. For her entire life, he had been trying to break her and turn her evil like him, yet she never once cracked, despite all the torture. She does however, see herself as a vile ugly creature that no one could love, which makes things quite difficult when Micah started to care for her. She has a hard time believing he could possibly want her, so that stands as quite a road block. Of course those are the types of things that make a relationship so much stronger once over come, as things easily gained are simple to take for granted.

I did have a small frustration with Lord of the Abyss as the final confrontation felt rather anti-climatic to me. After the build up of three and a half books to reach that point, I had thought things would have been a little bit more involved to reach the final outcome. To be honest, I felt more danger and threat in all the previous events than I did at the end. That being said, everything else leading up to, as well as following the final showdown were quite good, so I can't really fault the book overall. Lord of the Abyss was a good final installment to the Royal House of Shadows series, tying up everything laid in place in the previous books, as well as showing the much awaited sibling reunital. If you enjoyed the previous books, you won't want to miss this!

(Received a copy from Netgalley)

Rating:

Pre-order from Amazon:
Lord of the Abyss (Harlequin Nocturne)

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The Pledge (Early Review)

, by KT

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

The Pledge #1

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

Charlie has a secret that she must keep at all costs. She can understand any language, which normally wouldn't be a problem, but there is no equality in her world. The people are strictly separated into classes with a language barrier for each one. To violate the laws of language means an immediate death. She's lived her entire life on edge, and can only let go in the underground clubs where a person's class is of less importance. Her careful existence is completely shaken up when she meets the mysterious Max who speaks a completely new language to her. She instantly has an inexplicable attraction to him, but she must be very careful or her secret may just reveal itself, costing her more than she could ever have imagined.

The world behind The Pledge, while horrific, was also quite fascinating. By making languages a class separator, control over the people is quite complete, especially considering the extreme consequences of not lowering you head when a higher class speaks. We are talking public execution with the onlookers cheering at your death. In fact the fear of the queen is so great that parents will sacrifice their own children by naming them as traitors without even blinking. This harsh reality makes it extremely important for Charlie to hide her secret understanding of all the languages. I cannot imagine how difficult her life must have been growing up and trying to hide the fact that she understands everyone, no matter their class. She cannot show even the slightest hint of understanding no matter the foul things that are said about her. Her will power is remarkable, but then again she didn't have much of a choice as it was either that or death.

To be honest, I wasn't really feeling the romance too much at first in The Pledge. I wouldn't say that I didn't care for it, just that I was more indifferent than anything. I think the world and Charlie's plight had me more enthralled than the attraction to Max did. There was just too much unknown about him other than him speaking a strange language. As time went on and secrets were revealed, I started to appreciate him more, and the determination on both sides. I can't really say much, because those revelations would be pretty big spoilers, but suffice it to say, Max impressed me in the end.

The outcome of The Pledge was quite predictable, almost from the very start, but surprisingly that didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book. It was just as much fun to watch everything unfold while trying to figure where everyone's loyalties lie. There also was some interesting surprises along the way that added to the overall story as well. The Pledge could have easily been a stand alone novel, but just enough was hinted at in the epilogue, to make me eager for more, but grateful for the lack of a cliffhanger. Still, I look forward to getting my hands on the next installment in this trilogy. The Pledge was a pretty impressive read set in a haunting world that you won't want to miss.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Pre-order from Amazon:
The Pledge

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Beautiful Chaos

, by KT

Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Caster Chronicles #3

Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena's Claiming. Even Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals is affected - and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What - or who - will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He's being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn't by Lena - and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself - forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn't know why, and most days he's too afraid to ask.

Sometimes there isn't just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there's no going back. And this time there won't be a happy ending.

Strange things have been happening in Gatlin since Ethan met Lena, but he still wouldn't change any of it as long as he has her at his side. Of course that just might change as it now seems like the apocalypse is upon them with sweltering heat waves, killer storms, and swarms of insects are ravaging the little town. It would seem the caster's problems are now slipping into the mortal world as the consequences of Lena's claiming come to light. Things are really broken this time, and it will take a momentous sacrifice to set things right. Meanwhile, Ethan is dealing with his own mess as he has haunting dreams centered around himself this time rather than Lena, and with each one he loses a little more of himself. With no happy end in sight, there is little time left to set things right or everything will come crumbling down in the end.

The description of there being no happy ending this time really scared me at first, but to be honest I have been waiting for the other shoe to drop for some time now. All of the events from the previous books were bound to have serious consequences, as there were some majorly game changing events. I knew at some point things would finally catch up to them, but to be honest I never would have seen this coming. Of course the story centers around a new song, this time around being Eighteen Moons, and each verse is its own prediction of things to come. However, unlike the previous songs, this one only points to doom rather than any chance at a happy solution.

My favorite thing about this series has been the characters, and that still holds true now. Their emotions are so real be they happiness or suffering. Even though this installment mostly consisted of the darker side of things, there were moments of levity to help balance things out, mostly coming from Linkubus. Even though most of the focus was on Ethan, and by association, Lena; Link and Ridley's troubled paths were front and center as well. Link is still trying to come to terms with his transformation as well as his love for the very troubled Ridley. Ridley is also going though a lot as she's supposed to be mortal now, but some pretty mysterious things have been happening around her. To be honest, she comes off as more selfish than anything to me, but again, the emotions are so real, that a part of me will still feel for her. I just wish she would stop messing with Link's mind, as he has enough to deal with on his own.

Several times throughout reading Beautiful Chaos I literally had to put the book down and walk away for a little while. The tension was so high that I found myself rushing through reading it just to find out what happens next that I wasn't fully appreciating it. Each installment in this series is even better than the last (an amazing feat considering just how good these books are), and truly deserve to be savored. I had to take periodic breathers to calm myself down enough to be able to read without rushing. Even so, I still devoured the book in less than a day. I'm sure I'll be re-reading it sometime in the near future to see everything I missed in my haste. Beautiful Chaos truly lives up to its name sake as it is a beautifully written book that is full of chaos and utterly raw emotion that will leave you reeling in the end and desperate for the next installment.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Buy now from Amazon:
Beautiful Chaos (Beautiful Creatures, Book 3)

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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: