A Book Obsession..

I've decided to make my Bargain Book and Kindle Deal finds a weekly feature here at A Book Obsession.. If you guys are anything like me, your book addiction can easily get out of hand, so any sales/deals are a huge help. If you like any of the deals below, I would appreciate if you use the affiliate links below. All earning support the giveaways here on the blog. :)

(Prices accurate as of 3/27)

Bargain New Paperbacks/Hardcovers:

Kindle Deals: If you find one of these kindle deals that has expired, please let me know in the comments. Thanks!

$0.99

$1.99

$2.24-$2.99 $3.49-$3.99 $4.00-$5.99

Waiting on Wednesday (141)

, 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:

Fall of Night - Morganville Vampires #14

by Rachel Caine

Publication Date: May 7th, 2013

Pre-Order:

Thanks to its unique combination of human and vampire residents, Morganville, Texas, is a small college town with big-time problems. When student Claire Danvers gets the chance to experience life on the outside, she takes it. But Morganville isn’t the only town with vampire trouble...

Claire never thought she’d leave Morganville, but when she gets accepted into the graduate program at MIT, she can’t pass up the opportunity. Saying good-bye to her friends is bittersweet, especially since things are still raw and unsettled between Claire and her boyfriend, Shane.

Her new life at MIT is scary and exciting, but Morganville is never really far from Claire’s mind. Enrolled in a special advanced study program with Professor Irene Anderson, a former Morganville native, Claire is able to work on her machine, which is designed to cancel the mental abilities of vampires.

But when she begins testing her machine on live subjects, things quickly spiral out of control, and Claire starts to wonder whether leaving Morganville was the last mistake she’ll ever make...

Early Review: The Stone Demon by Karen Mahoney

, by KT

The Stone Demon by Karen Mahoney

Iron Witch #3

After being tricked into opening the doorway to the Demon Realm by Aliette, the Wood Queen, Donna Underwood is faced with a terrible ultimatum from the newly released demon hordes. They demand that the alchemists deliver the Philosopher's Stone, or their reaper storm will plunge the world into a devastating modern-day Dark Age.

Donna is sent to London, England, where she must complete her alchemist's training and learn how to recreate the Stone. But time is running out. Between facing the vengeful demon king, Demian, and collecting the Stone's elements, Donna realizes she must give her own life in order to succeed. And this time, even braving death may not be enough to save the world.

After the shocking blow of the previous installment, Donna Underworld was left scrambling to find a way to close the doorway that allowed the demons to escape their realm. But then the Demon King issues an ultimatum, deliver the Philosopher's Stone or humanity will perish in two days time. Problem is that no one remembers how to fully create the stone. Faced with an impossible task, Donna will have to use every bit of strength and ingenuity she has, or humanity is doomed, and every one she loves along with it.

The pacing and path of THE STONE DEMON's plot was rather frustrating for me. The beginning was terribly slow and everything seems to be in limbo. I get that those down times are a part of life, but I just felt like it took up too much of the book, especially when you consider just how rushed the last 1/3 of the book is. I think that rushed ending is what frustrated me more than anything. All this time was spent setting up the idea that the war coming would have all but impossible odds to surmount. So when it was finally time to start tackling the quest to stop the war, I had been expecting to be dazzled by the way Donna overcomes her obstacles. To put it mildly, I wasn't. At all. Each new task, supposedly harder than the last, well the solution just happens to fall right into her lap and it was instantly onto the next. I just felt it really cheapened the victory a little more each time since it was just too easy. I just think more time could have been spent on the latter part of the book instead of the buildup, because as it stands, there was a whole lot of unfulfilled feelings.

THE STONE DEMON had several conflictions, or things that didn't quite jive for me. The romance for one, felt token at best. I mean Donna and Xan barely got any time together, and their relationship was supposed to be strained due to Xan's secrecy. But the secrets and the reason for them were never fully revealed. I just feel that if there is an issue, it needs to be addressed at some point in the book, otherwise I'm left wondering what was the point. Another confliction was the timeline of the Demon King's demands. If he legitimately wanted an item, than it makes no sense to have his odd be insurmountable. And if he wanted her to actually fail, then why bother setting the demands in the first place? Finally, there also was a continuity issue involving something in the epilogue. It was implied that Donna had a plan for how to bring down the demons due to something she read. But throughout the book, that was obviously not the case as she was winging everything. Granted, I did read an ARC copy, so perhaps some of these issues won't be in the final copy.

I have to say that I've felt really left down by the last two books in this trilogy. I loved THE IRON WITCH, so it was rather disappointing that things didn't pan out. I'm just going to chalk this one up to a loss, but I'll still be checking out more of Karen Mahoney's work in the future.

(Received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley)

Rating:

Pre-order:

Other Reviews:

Previous Books:

The Iron Witch
The Wood Queen

Book Birthdays: New Titles This Week (30)

, 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.

Releasing 2/4 - 2/10

A Matter of Blood by Sarah Pinborough
The Forgotten Gods #1

In a world steeped in darkness, a new breed of evil has fallen…

London’s ruined economy has pushed everyone to the breaking point, and even the police rely on bribes and deals with criminals to survive. Detective Inspector Cass Jones struggles to keep integrity in the police force, but now, two gory cases will test his mettle. A gang hit goes wrong, leaving two schoolboys dead, and a serial killer calling himself the Man of Flies leaves a message on his victims saying “nothing is sacred.”

Then Cass’ brother murders his own family before committing suicide. Cass doesn’t believe his gentle brother did it. Yet when evidence emerges suggesting someone killed all three of them, a prime suspect is found—Cass himself.

Common links emerge in all three cases, but while Cass is finding more questions than answers, the Man of Flies continues to kill...

Amazon The Book Depository

Blood Trade by Faith Hunter
Jane Yellowrock #6

Jane Yellowrock is a shape-shifting skinwalker who’s always up for a fight—even if it means putting her life on the line...

The Master of Natchez, Mississippi has a nasty problem on his hands. Rogue vampires—those who follow the Naturaleza and believe that humans should be nothing more than prey to be hunted—are terrorizing his city. Luckily, he knows the perfect skinwalker to call in to take back the streets.

But what he doesn’t tell Jane is that there’s something different about these vamps. Something that makes them harder to kill—even for a pro like Jane. Now, her simple job has turned into a fight to stay alive…and to protect the desperately ill child left in her care.

Amazon The Book Depository

Iron Kin by M.J. Scott
The Half-Light City #3

Imagine a city divided. Fae and human mages on one side, vampire Blood Lords and shape-shifting Beast Kind on the other. Between these supernatural forces stands a peace treaty that threatens to shatter at the slightest provocation….

I was raised to do the right thing. But to my family that means staying safe behind the walls of human society. To be a respectable metalmage and never put myself at risk. But the treaty is faltering. And if it fails, nothing is safe. To help save the city and everyone I care about, I will use whatever means I can to ensure the negotiations to renew the treaty are successful—even if that means forging an alliance with a man who is the very opposite of the right thing….

Fen is trouble. Wild. He would rather bind himself in iron and drink himself into oblivion than learn to master the visions that come to him. Those visions might just hold the key to peace, and it seems that my power might hold the key to his control—if I can keep it around him….

Amazon The Book Depository

Rise by Anna Carey
Eve #3

How far will you go when you have nothing left to lose?

When she lost her soul mate, Caleb, Eve felt like her world had ended. Trapped in the palace, forced to play the part of the happy, patriotic princess of The New America—and the blushing bride of her father's top adviser—Eve's whole life is a lie. The only thing that keeps her going is Caleb's memory, and the revolution he started.

Now, Eve is taking over where Caleb left off. With the help of Moss, an undercover subversive in the King's court, she plots to take down The New America, beginning with the capital, the City of Sand. Will Eve be able to bring about a new, free world when she's called upon to perform the ultimate act of rebellion—killing her father?

In Rise, Eve must choose who to leave behind, who to save, and who to fight as Anna Carey's epic tale of romance and sacrifice in the chilling dystopia of The New America comes to a stunning conclusion.

Amazon The Book Depository

Rising Darkness by Thea Harrison
Game of Shadows #1

USA Today bestselling author Thea Harrison begins an all-new, darkly romantic paranormal saga, in which the fate of existence itself lies in the balance—and the key to victory may rest in the hands of two eternal lovers…

In the hospital ER where she works, Mary is used to chaos. But lately, every aspect of her life seems adrift. She’s feeling disconnected from herself. Voices appear in her head. And the vivid, disturbing dreams she’s had all her life are becoming more intense. Then she meets Michael. He’s handsome, enigmatic and knows more than he can say. In his company, she slowly remembers the truth about herself…

Thousands of years ago, there were eight of them. The one called the Deceiver came to destroy the world, and the other seven followed to stop him. Reincarnated over and over, they carry on—and Mary finds herself drawn into the battle once again. And the more she learns, the more she realizes that Michael will go to any lengths to destroy the Deceiver.

Then she remembers who killed her during her last life, nine hundred years ago…Michael.

Amazon The Book Depository

The Rising by Kelley Armstrong
Darkness Rising #3

Things are getting desperate for Maya and her friends. Hunted by the powerful St. Clouds and now a rival Cabal as well, they're quickly running out of places to hide. And with the whole world thinking they died in a helicopter crash, it's not like they can just go to the authorities for help.

All they have is the name and number of someone who might be able to give them a few answers. Answers to why they're so valuable, and why their supernatural powers are getting more and more out of control.

But Maya is unprepared for the truths that await her. And now, like it or not, she'll have to face down some demons from her past if she ever hopes to move on with her life. Because Maya can't keep running forever.

Old secrets are revealed and unexpected characters make a surprising return in this stunning conclusion to Kelley Armstrong's New York Times bestselling Darkness Rising trilogy.

Amazon The Book Depository

The Stone Demon by Karen Mahoney
The Iron Witch #3

After being tricked into opening the doorway to the Demon Realm by Aliette, the Wood Queen, Donna Underwood is faced with a terrible ultimatum from the newly released demon hordes. They demand that the alchemists deliver the Philosopher's Stone, or their reaper storm will plunge the world into a devastating modern-day Dark Age.

Donna is sent to London, England, where she must complete her alchemist's training and learn how to recreate the Stone. But time is running out. Between facing the vengeful demon king, Demian, and collecting the Stone's elements, Donna realizes she must give her own life in order to succeed. And this time, even braving death may not be enough to save the world.

Amazon The Book Depository

Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland

The Goddess Test meets Dexter in an edgy, compelling debut about one teen’s quest for revenge… no matter how far it takes her.

Cory Graff is not alone in her head. Bound to a deal of desperation made when she was a child, Cory’s mind houses the Furies—the hawk and the serpent—lingering always, waiting for her to satisfy their bloodlust. After escaping the asylum where she was trapped for years, Cory knows how to keep the Furies quiet. By day, she lives a normal life, but by night, she tracks down targets the Furies send her way. And she brings down Justice upon them.

Cory’s perfected her system of survival, but when she meets a mysterious boy named Niko at her new school, she can’t figure out how she feels about him. For the first time, the Furies are quiet in her head around a guy. But does this mean that Cory’s finally found someone who she can trust, or are there greater factors at work? As Cory’s mind becomes a battlefield, with the Furies fighting for control, Cory will have to put everything on the line to hold on to what she’s worked so hard to build.

Amazon The Book Depository

It's Monday What Are You Reading (141)

, 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:

Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs (Early Review)

"FROST BURNED brings everything that made this series so spectacular right back to the forefront. You simply cannot go wrong with a Mercy Thompson book."

Deadly Sting by Jennifer Estep (Early Review)

"When it comes down to it, for a book to be really good, the revelations have to be as strong as the mystery itself, otherwise I'm just left wondering what was the point. And TAKEN unfortunately is one of those cases."

Kirsten's Book of the Week:

Vampire Miami by Phil Tucker (Review)

"If the vampires of popular culture have been tamed, then Tucker’s undead are a reminder that it takes intelligence, and sometimes sheer dumb luck to come out ahead of the bloodsuckers."

Other Posts:

Book Birthdays featured 8 new releases for this week.

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa was featured for Waiting on Wednesday

This week's Bargain Books & Kindle Deals

Let's Talk about family approval for our blogging time!

Upcoming List:

The Stone Demon by Karen Mahoney (Early Review)
With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent (Early Review)

Kirsten Reviews: TBD