Book Birthdays: New Titles This Week (4)

, by KT


I keep a google calendar of all the books releasing each week that are on my radar. With all of the many books I am excited about it is so easy to lose track of when things come out. Since I'm already doing this research for myself, I thought you guys might like it if I shared.


Breathe by Sarah Crossan
Breathe #1

Inhale. Exhale. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe . . .

The world is dead.
The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen-rich air.

ALINA
has been stealing for a long time. She’s a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she’s never been caught before. If she’s careful, it’ll be easy. If she’s careful.

QUINN
should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it’s also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn’t every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her.

BEA
wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they’d planned a trip together, the two of them, and she’d hoped he’d discover her out here, not another girl.

And as they walk into the Outlands with two days’ worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?


Amazon     The Book Depository

Death and the Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones
Darklight #1

Darynda Jones, author of The New York Times bestselling series that began with First Grave on the Right, brings us Death and the Girl Next Door, a thrilling Young Adult novel garnering high praise and early buzz from major authors

Ten years ago, Lorelei's parents disappeared without a trace.  Raised by her grandparents and leaning on the support of her best friends, Lorelei is finally beginning to accept the fact that her parents are never coming home.  For Lorelei, life goes on.

High school is not quite as painful as she thinks it will be, and things are as normal as they can be.  Until the day the school's designated loner, Cameron Lusk, begins to stalk her, turning up where she least expects it,  standing outside her house in the dark, night after night.  Things get even more complicated when a new guy—terrifying, tough, sexy Jared Kovach—comes to school.  Cameron and Jared instantly despise each other and Lorelei seems to be the reason for their animosity.  What does Jared know about her parents?  Why does Cameron tell Jared he can't have Lorelei?  And what will any of them do when Death comes knocking for real?  Thrilling, sassy, sexy, and inventive, Darynda Jones's first foray into the world of teens will leave readers eager for the next installment.


Amazon     The Book Depository

Death's Rival by Faith Hunter
Jane Yellorock #5

Jane Yellowrock is a shapeshifting skinwalker you don’t want to cross—especially if you’re one of the undead…

For a vampire killer like Jane, having Leo Pellisier as a boss took some getting used to. But now, someone is out to take his place as Master Vampire of the city of New Orleans, and is not afraid to go through Jane to do it. After an attack that’s tantamount to …a war declaration, Leo knows his rival is both powerful and vicious, but Leo’s not about to run scared. After all, he has Jane.

But then, a plague strikes, one that takes down vampires and makes their masters easy prey. Now, to uncover the identity of the vamp who wants Leo’s territory, and to find the cause of the vamp-plague, Jane will have to go to extremes…and maybe even to war.

Amazon    The Book Depository

Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi
Shatter Me #1.5

Perfect for the fans of Shatter Me who are desperately awaiting the release of Unravel Me, this novella-length digital original will bridge the gap between these two novels from the perspective of the villain we all love to hate, Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

In Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of. . .

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me, Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

Amazon    

Fury's Kiss by Karen Chance
Dorina Basarab #3

Dorina Basarab is a dhampir—half-human, half-vampire. Subject to uncontrollable rages, most dhampirs live very short, very violent lives. But so far, Dory has managed to maintain her sanity by unleashing her anger on those demons and vampires who deserve killing...

Dory is used to fighting hard and nasty. So when she wakes up in a strange scientific lab with a strange man standing over her, her first instinct is to take his head off. Luckily, the man is actually the master vampire Louis-Cesare, so he’s not an easy kill.

It turns out that Dory had been working with a Vampire Senate task force on the smuggling of magical items and weaponry out of Faerie when she was captured and brought to the lab. But when Louis-Cesare rescues her, she has no memory of what happened to her.

To find out what was done to her—and who is behind it—Dory will have to face off with fallen angels, the maddest of mad scientists, and a new breed of vampires that are far worse than undead…


Amazon    The Book Depository

Ironskin by Tina Connolly
Ironskin #1

Jane Eliot wears an iron mask.

It’s the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain—the ironskin.

When a carefully worded listing appears for a governess to assist with a "delicate situation"—a child born during the Great War—Jane is certain the child is fey-cursed, and that she can help.

Teaching the unruly Dorie to suppress her curse is hard enough; she certainly didn’t expect to fall for the girl’s father, the enigmatic artist Edward Rochart. But her blossoming crush is stifled by her own scars, and by his parade of women. Ugly women, who enter his closed studio...and come out as beautiful as the fey.

Jane knows Rochart cannot love her, just as she knows that she must wear iron for the rest of her life. But what if neither of these things is true? Step by step Jane unlocks the secrets of her new life—and discovers just how far she will go to become whole again.

Amazon    
The Book Depository

Mortal Ties by Eileen Wilks
World of the Lupi #9

FBI agent Lily Yu is living at Nokolai Clanhome with her fiancé, lupi Rule Turner, when an intruder penetrates their territory, stealing the prototype of a magical device the clan hopes will be worth a fortune--if a few bugs can be worked out . . .

But the prototype can be dangerously erratic, discharging a bizarre form of mind magic—and it looks like the thief wants it for that very side effect. Worse, whoever stole the device didn't learn about it by accident. There's a Nokolai traitor in their midst. Lily and Rule have to find the traitor, the thief, and the prototype. One job proves easy when the thief calls them--and his identity rocks Rule's world.

As they race to recover their missing property, they find Robert Friar's sticky footprints all over the place. Robert Friar―killer, madman, and acolyte of the Old One the Lupi are at war with―an Old One whose power is almost as vast as her ambition to rock the entire world . . .

Amazon
    
The Book Depository

Phantom Shadows by Dianne Duvall
Immortal Guardians #3

Dr. Melanie Lipton is no stranger to the supernatural.  She knows immortals better than they know themselves, right down to their stubborn little genes.  So although a handsome rogue immortal seems suspicious to her colleagues, Sebastien Newcombe intrigues Melanie.  His history is checkered, his scars are impressive, and his ideas are daring.  But it's not his ideas that have Melanie fighting off surges of desire . . .

Bastien is used to being the bad guy.  In fact, he can't remember the last time he had an ally he could trust.  But Melanie is different - and under her calm, professional exterior he senses a passion beyond anything in his centuries of experience.  Giving in to temptation is out of the question - he can't put her in danger.  But she isn't asking him . . .

Amazon         The Book Depository

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole
Arcana Chronicles #1

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole introduces The Arcana Chronicles, post-apocalyptic tales filled with riveting action, the dark mysticism of Tarot cards, and breathtaking romance.She could save the world—or destroy it.

Sixteen year old Evangeline “Evie” Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they’re still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can’t do either alone.

With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can’t totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?

As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it’s not always clear who is on which side….

Amazon    
  
The Book Depository

Through to You by Emily Hainsworth

Camden Pike has been grief-stricken since his girlfriend, Viv, died. Viv was the last good thing in his life: helping him rebuild his identity after a career-ending football injury, picking up the pieces when his home life shattered, and healing his pain long after the meds wore off. And now, he'd give anything for one more glimpse of her. But when Cam makes a visit to the site of Viv's deadly car accident, he sees some kind of apparition. And it isn't Viv.

The apparition's name is Nina, and she's not a ghost. She's a girl from a parallel world, and in this world, Viv is still alive. Cam can't believe his wildest dreams have come true. All he can focus on is getting his girlfriend back, no matter the cost. But things are different in this other world: Viv and Cam have both made very different choices, things between them have changed in unexpected ways, and Viv isn't the same girl he remembers. Nina is keeping some dangerous secrets, too, and the window between the worlds is shrinking every day. As Cam comes to terms with who this Viv has become and the part Nina played in his parallel story, he's forced to choose--stay with Viv or let her go--before the window closes between them once and for all.



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Fangs, Fur, & Fey Giveaway Hop

, by KT

Check out the rest of the stops at I Am a Reader, Not a Writer



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Book Blogger Confessions (9)

, by KT


This meme is hosted by Midnyte Reader and Karen from For What It's Worth on the first and third Monday of each month.


This week's question:

Blogger Envy: Do you have a bad case of blogger envy? Do you covet thy neighbor bloggers book hauls/follower numbers/blog design? How do you tamp down the green eyed monster?


Not usually, I more have the attitude of being happy and supportive of my bloggy friends. Sure there are times where I have a wistful sigh wishing I had gotten a certain book, but then I just take a step back and look at all the books that I do get and just be thankful for that. That being said I just love it when I see a blogger getting something they really wanted or getting quoted in a book *coughs Smash coughs* I know I get crazy excited when I'm quoted so it's great to see it happen for others too.

I do have some envy when I see a blogger getting a new and awesome design. I'd love to rehaul my website, but there's also a good bit of worry involved too, so I just chicken out. Also, there's a money issue there so since I think my design is pretty decent on its own I just let it. I guess I would say that I'm more jealous of their courage to take the plunge than anything.

There is one book that has caused a major case of Blogger envy, and that's Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi. When everyone came back from ALA with copies, I was insanely jealous. I would love to get my hands on that book, but alas it just isn't meant to be and I'll be waiting until release day impatiently.


 

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It's Monday What Are You Reading (115)

, by KT


It's Monday! What Are You Reading, is 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.






Reviews for the past week:



Alchemystic by Anton Strout (Release Day Review)
Through to You by Emily Hainsworth (Early Review)
Phantom Shadows by Diane Duvall (Early Review)

Alchemystic was a fun start to a new series with refreshing premise & gargoyles. I can't wait until more books are released.

Through to You was different than what I normally read, but I really enjoyed it. The emotions in this book are so real and bare boned it's amazing.

I absolutely love the Immortal Guardians series, and Phantom Shadows was another great installment. So very yummy!

Kirsten's Book of the Week:


Doubletake by Rob Thurman (Review)

Other Posts:

Book Birthdays featured 8 new releases on my radar

Shadow Rising by Yasmine Galenorn was featured for Waiting on Wednesday


Upcoming List:

Into the Woods by Kim Harrison (Early Review)
Romeo Redeemed by Stacey Jay (Early Review)
Angel's Ink by Jocelynn Drake (Early Review)

Kirsten Reviews: Bared Blade by Kelly McCullough



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Early Review: Phantom Shadows by Dianne Duvall

, by KT

Phantom Shadows by Diane Duvall 
Immortal Guardians #3

Dr. Melanie Lipton is no stranger to the supernatural. She knows immortals better than they know themselves, right down to their stubborn little genes. So although a handsome rogue immortal seems suspicious to her colleagues, Sebastien Newcombe intrigues Melanie. His history is checkered, his scars are impressive, and his ideas are daring. But it’s not his ideas that have Melanie fighting off surges of desire . . .

Bastien is used to being the bad guy. In fact, he can’t remember the last time he had an ally he could trust. But Melanie is different – and under her calm, professional exterior he senses a passion beyond anything in his centuries of experience. Giving in to temptation is out of the question – he can’t put her in danger. But she isn’t asking him . . .


To everyone but Dr. Melanie Lipton, Bastien Newcombe is a no good traitor that they would like to see dead and buried. Granted, with a past full of nasty things and an extremely poor attitude, Bastien hasn't exactly given the rest of the Immortals any reason to forgive and forget. But to Melanie he is so much more than that and she holds a fierce desire towards him. Content to live his life as the bad guy, Bastien hasn't done anything to discourage the negative attitudes towards him. So when Melanie starts to make her desires known, he is at a loss for how to handle it other than to fight her tooth and nail despite his own desires. But she isn't some weak little kitten, and she's set him in her sights, leaving no room for escape. What is a man to do when the woman he cares for won't take no for an answer even when it's for her own good?

I was very excited when I found out Phantom Shadows would feature Bastien. I've always had a soft spot for a tortured hero, especially ones that everyone else seems to despise. Perhaps that is because I know that deep down below the outward anger they show the world is a vulnerability that simply endears them to me. It also is really nice to see a role reversal from the normal situation in Urban Fantasies where the guy is the one doing the chasing. In Phantom Shadows it is Melanie that is relentless in her pursuit of Bastien, not letting him shy away thinking he doesn't deserve her. She seriously would not allow no for an answer. Don't get me wrong it wasn't like he didn't have a strong attraction to her from the start, it is more that he had an extreme hesitance to allow her close for fear of tarnishing her reputation. Luckily Melanie was able to see right through his facade to the man below.

The thing I enjoy the most about this series is the way the ongoing threats to the immortals are handled. Each book comes with some sort of resolution to the current in their face threat, keeping things fresh and exciting. But in addition to that resolution there also is more than enough left over for the next installment to hold my interest. In all honesty it can become a little tedious when there is a 100% new threat in each installment in a paranormal romance series. I just feel those types of books aren't as enjoyable since there already is such a large adjustment with the change in couple focus. Adding in a completely new villain each time just is a little too much for my tastes as it makes the "learning curve" even longer. So, again I really love the way these books are set up to have a continual threat that ties all of the books together. It made it so much easier to pick up the book and dive right in without any confusion even though I hadn't read the previous installment for quite some time.

With each new installment in the Immortal Guardians series I only fall more in love with the world and the amazing cast of characters. I just love how each new couple introduced only adds to the overall family feel of the Immortals, and I especially look forward to some of my favorites getting their own happily ever after. Well as much as they can while still battling down their latest foes that is. It is for that reason and many more that the next book in this series will be going on my most anticipated list. There isn't a release date set yet, but I can assure you I'll be stalking Dianne's website for the announcement. So in the end, Phantom Shadows is a must read for fans of the series, and for those who haven't read the first two installments, I have to ask what are you waiting for? Full of romance, danger, and a heck of a cast of characters, these books cannot possibly disappoint!

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:






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Previous Books:
  1. Darkness Dawns
  2. Night Reigns


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Kirsten Reviews: Doubletake by Rob Thurman

, by KT

Doubletake by Rob Thurman
Cal Leandros #7



Half-human/half-monster Cal Leandros knows that family is a pain. But now that pain belongs to his half-brother, Niko. Niko's shady father is in town, and he needs a big favor. Even worse is the reunion being held by the devious Puck race-including the Leandros' friend, Robin- featuring a lottery that no Puck wants to win.

As Cal tries to keep both Niko and Robin from paying the ultimate price for their kin, a horrific reminder from Cal's own past arrives to remind him that blood is thicker than water-and that's why it's so much more fun to spill.




Rob Thurman continues the ‘Cal Leandros’ series with the seventh installment, entitled ‘Doubletake,’ which finds the series’ titular character dealing with an absentee father - that of his half-brother Niko, and a meeting of the pucks, yes, all of them. There’s a lot of hijinks afoot and a lottery, but not the kind that any puck would want to win. Robin Goodfellow is back, and he’s not all that happy about his involvement in any of this family’s business. But then, these three never are thrilled to see family, not when they bring so much trouble.

Cal is saddled with trying to keep Niko and Robin’s relatives from causing even more trouble than usual when his own past shows up, and in a typically unpleasant way.

The trick with any long-running series is resolving certain plot elements, while at the same time ensuring that more obstacles are pushed into the protagonist’s path.

In ‘Doubletake,’ the bond between Cal and Niko is one of the most important aspects of the story, and the theme of family is clearly the focus of the book. The stakes are raised when Cal’s humanity, the one thing that prevented him from being unbalanced and the danger that people have assumed he truly is, no longer keeps him in check.

Niko, for all his issues, loves Cal, and often serves as his conscience, and the only moral compass that Cal will listen to in times of trouble. Thurman is aware how much rests on these two brothers, and the story pays equal attention to their fraternal bond as well as the action and danger in which they invariably find themselves.

Some aspects of the book aren’t as strong - the Robin storyline, and the presence of certain characters fell short when compared to Niko and Cal’s bond being tested and their history expanded. However, the book is strong overall, although this story doesn’t hold up as a standalone, so new readers are advised to start at the beginning of the series to catch all the references.

The lesson of ‘Doubletake,’ and the entire series is that blood doesn’t always decide who a person is, but the people that one calls ‘family’ matter most of all.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:






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Previous Books:
  1. Nightlife
  2. Moonshine
  3. Madhouse
  4. Deathwish
  5. Roadkill
  6. Blackout


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Early Review: Through to You by Emily Hainsworth

, by KT

Through to You by Emily Hainsworth 
 
Camden Pike has been grief-stricken since his girlfriend, Viv, died. Viv was the last good thing in his life: helping him rebuild his identity after a career-ending football injury, picking up the pieces when his home life shattered, and healing his pain long after the meds wore off. And now, he’d give anything for one more glimpse of her. But when Cam makes a visit to the site of Viv’s deadly car accident, he sees some kind of apparition. And it isn’t Viv.

The apparition’s name is Nina, and she’s not a ghost. She’s a girl from a parallel world, and in this world, Viv is still alive. Cam can’t believe his wildest dreams have come true. All he can focus on is getting his girlfriend back, no matter the cost. But things are different in this other world: Viv and Cam have both made very different choices, things between them have changed in unexpected ways, and Viv isn’t the same girl he remembers. Nina is keeping some dangerous secrets, too, and the window between the worlds is shrinking every day. As Cam comes to terms with who this Viv has become and the part Nina played in his parallel story, he’s forced to choose—stay with Viv or let her go—before the window closes between them once and for all. 

It's been two months since Viv died and Camden Pike is no closer to dealing with the wreck he became when he lost her. She was everything to him, his rock in the world when he lost everything else that mattered. Then one night while visiting the memorial he sees an apparition of a girl in a green haze. At first he thinks he's losing it and the image is Viv's ghost conjured by his grief. But he's wrong, the apparition is actually Nina, a girl from a parallel world, one where Viv is still alive. Yet when he travels through the haze he finds things to be very different on the other side as the counterparts have made very different choices, leaving him with countless questions. Just who exactly is Nina and why is she so secretive. Why is Viv so different, and can his love for her overlook all of the startling differences? With the window of haze growing smaller each day, Cam only has a limited time to decide what he really wants before his second chance slips away forever.

I absolutely adored Cam. Everything about him felt so real, with all his emotions becoming my own as I was reading. The sheer amount of grief he is suffering in the beginning of the book is quite staggering and my heart bled for him. Not only does he feel the pain of losing the person who meant the absolute most in the world to him, but he also is dealing with a world of guilt as he blames himself for the accident. In all honesty it is almost a miracle that he was able to function as well as he did. Sure he shut everyone out, but he still was able to at least go through the motions of his life. Yet when he see's Nina's apparition he "wakes" up with a vengeance as he questions his own sanity even as his animosity towards someone else comes to the forefront. It was so heart breaking to see him struggle so hard as even though I knew he wasn't crazy, he didn't and that made it all the harder to bear.

In the opposite spectrum of emotions, his joy and relief upon meeting the parallel world's Liv is breath taking, yet again changing the emotional flavor of the novel. But even more impressive than the direct emotions experienced was the slow but steady personal growth as Cam slowly started to heal and find himself again. As he went from the extreme loss to hope, he still manages to keep his head rather level considering the rather extraordinary circumstances. I just wanted to shout out my encouragement when he didn't just accept things at face value, but made rather rational decisions. I'm not sure many of us would actually have the strength to do that in the face of getting such a profound second chance with a lost love.

I really enjoyed the simplistic style of the writing for this book. Everything was bare bones, with no real lengthy descriptions. I just felt like the raw and open nature of the writing really fit the story, especially as Cam was reeling in his grief as he wasn't going to be poetic in that state. That open nature did leave things a little obvious as the book progressed, making some of the plot twists predictable to me as a result. However, that didn't lessen the impact of them one bit as it was the emotion, not the actual events that made this book what it was. Several times throughout reading Through to You my heart felt like it had been ripped out of my chest as it bled for Cam and his suffering. This is such an emotionally impactive book that it is a beautiful yet staggering thing to experience. Anyone who has ever experienced love or loss should absolutely read this book!

(Received a copy from the publisher via Edelweiss)

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Waiting on Wednesday (114)

, 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:

Shadow Rising - Sisters of the Otherworld #12
by Yasmine Galenorn
Publication Date: October 30th, 2012
Pre-Order:

 

We're the D'Artigo sisters: sexy, savvy ex-operatives from the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. Being half human, half-Fae means our powers go haywire at all the wrong times. My sister Camille is a wicked-good witch, with three gorgeous husbands. My sister Delilah is a two-faced werecat and a Death Maiden. And me? I'm Menolly, a jian-tu turned vampire, and I'm dating a sexy werepuma and the godfather of vampires. Unfortunately, life is about to get very, very nasty...

Nerissa and I can't decide on what we want to do for our promise ceremony and we're bickering like an old married couple. My sisters and I head to Otherworld for a meeting with Queen Asteria, where we discover that Shadow Wing has dispatched Telazhar to reignite the Scorching Wars. And as soon as we return back home, we find Gulakah, the Lord of Ghosts, waging a battle to control the magical beings over Earthside. Caught between two terrible enemies in a battle spanning two worlds, we can only hope we're in time to stop all-out annihilation.


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Release Day Review: Alchemystic by Anton Strout

, by KT

Alchemystic by Anton Strout 
The Spellman Chronicles #1

AN OLD FRIEND OF THE FAMILY… Alexandra Belarus is a struggling artist living in New York City, even though her family is rich in real estate, including a towering Gothic Gramercy Park building built by her great-great-grandfather. But the truth of her bloodline is revealed when she is attacked on the street and saved by an inhumanly powerful winged figure. A figure who knows the Belarus name…

Lexi’s great-great-grandfather was a Spellmason—an artisan who could work magic on stone. But in his day, dark forces conspired against him and his, so he left a spell of protection on his family. Now that Lexi is in danger, the spell has awoken her ancestor’s most trusted and fearsome creation: a gargoyle named Stanis.
< Lexi and Stanis are equally surprised to find themselves bound to each other. But as they learn to work together, they realize that only united can they save the city they both love… 

Unlike the rest of her real estate mogul family, Lexi Belarus is much more whimsical, preferring to surround herself in art like her great-great grandfather rather than focus on money. But everything changes when she is attacked and saved by a creature beyond imagination. Turns up dear old Grandad was involved in a lot more than just sculpture and real estate as he used alchemy and his Spellmason powers to create a gargoyle named Stanis out of stone to protect his family and legacy over the ages. Lexi quickly realizes that she has a bit of that same Spellmason power herself, albeit very rough and untrained, it still makes her an even bigger target for those who would seek to bring her family down. With time quickly running out on the protections placed upon her family home, she'll have to learn to master her abilities fast before even Stanis's protection isn't enough.

Lexi's voice in Alchemystic felt very fresh and unique. Although her talking about being a non-violent person at the beginning of the book was rather amusing to me as early on, it became very apparent that she has a rather nasty temper. Aside from that she's a fun and quirky girl who has a penchant for getting herself into trouble more often than not, but luckily she has fiercely loyal friends and her gargoyle protector to get her out of her messes relatively unscathed. In fact, the whole dynamic between the team really sucked me right into the book. Rory is like the sidekick friend everyone needs to have as she is spunky and fun, but also isn't afraid to speak her mind, especailly when she thinks Lexi is headed in the wrong direction. Also she can majorly kick butt, which honestly makes her rather awesome in my book. I even loved how Marshall's uber geekness in his role playing games wound up saving them more often than not. I mean the guy lives and breathes the stuff, but he also finds a way to apply that fantasy world into real life application when it matters most.

Now onto the gargoyle. Honestly, this was the number one factor that drew me to wanting to read this book. I'm still crazy in love with the Urban Fantasy genre, with the vamps, witches, fey, and weres galore, but I have to admit it is always refreshing to read about other types of creatures for a change of pace. I loved Stanis as he was very calm and steady throughout, being much like the stone he is made out of. Of course that does start to change as Lexi seeks to restore him to his full power, and bit by bit he gains a little more humanity. Don't get me wrong, he still is very strong and steady, there is just more emotion behind him rather than simple practicality. I cannot wait to see more of him in future books!

The magic behind Alchemystic was incredibly intriguing. It did take a while for any real answers to happen, but I never felt frustrated with the pace, as just enough was revealed to keep me moving along happily. That being said, I have a feeling the surface has only been scratched, and there will be so much more involved as Lexi learns more about her heritage and abilities. The only thing I could possibly complain about in Alchemystic was the complete lack of romance, which isn't really a complaint, but more of a stylistic preference. I will say that the intrigue of the story and the action kept me more than entertained, so I didn't miss the lack all that much in the end. All in all, Alchemystic was a very solid start to a new series, that will definitely be on my radar for future releases.

(Recevied a copy from the publisher)

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