The first in the Celtic Wolves series, a new series by a new author. Sophie ran away from Dylan and his world on the night he transformed into a werewolf to show her why she must give up her old life. It's been 16 years and he has been searching for her and their child ever since but now she has called him of her volition because something is wrong with their son. As Sophie makes the decision to take Joshua to his father, she knows that it will be one of the hardest things in her life. As a human, she was treated horribly by Dylan's pack but she will do whatever it takes to keep her son safe as she has been doing for the last 16 years. What she was unprepared for was the awakening of all those old feelings being near Dylan again would stir up and the fact that Dylan had just arranged for a meeting with other pack leaders in preparation for the possibility of going to war against the Guardians, the ancient leaders of their race who were created by their goddess to protect her son, Taliesin, but who have become brutal despots wanting to kill or enslave all of their kind that are not pure enough. Dylan broke away centuries ago to protect his brother who was born wolf and was unable to change to human for hundreds of years and for his sister who has power but cannot change her skin. Now a banner of the Guardians has been left on his land and he will do whatever he must to protect his people and most especially his mate and child.
This mythology is taking more from the Celtic side of things which is what made me pick it up in the first place. I love the fact that this is not a typical lust at first sight book where the guy sees the girl and decides she's the one without their knowing the first thing about each other. Those books annoy the freaking heck out of me and the odds are high that this would have gotten thrown at a wall if it had been. Instead, we see the aftermath of bad relationship decisions and are there as Sophie and Dylan figure out how to actually communicate and have a true relationship together.
I was really looking forward to following their story but as I've now started the second book, it's following the pattern of throwing a new pair together every book. It remains to be seen if the stories are worth it or if they are going to turn into "Me Tarzan, you Jane, let's f***". I'm hoping not as the world has potential.
Page count: 293p/9,018p ytd/223,952p lifetime
Saturday, April 11, 2015
41:120 Shifting Shadows by Patricia Briggs
A collection of stories set in the Mercy Thompson universe. There is only one Mercy story in the collection, four of the stories are new and six are previously published. Of those that have been published before, I'd read half of them so I felt like the collection was well worth the price but your opinion may vary on that. I'm just going to do a run-down on the new material here.
Silver ~ The story of how Bran and Samuel became werewolves and Samuel's previous association with the fae, Arina. This is not a happy story and I'm pretty sure it could be triggery for victims of abuse so read with caution. The best part was the deeper insight into Bran.
Roses in Winter ~ Kara is the youngest person ever to survive a werewolf attack and the subsequent transformation but she is still unable to control her wolf and by Bran's laws she must be put down but Bran doesn't want to do it and is looking for a way around his own laws. Kara stumbles into Asil's greenhouse and the two strike up the unlikeliest of friendships. Asil is old and waiting to die but Kara is young and in need of help and she touches something within him. Between him and Bran, maybe they can find a way to help her find her control. A sweet tale and gripping.
Redemption ~ Some back story and a bit more insight on Ben. I found this one a bit choppy and unfulfilling.
Hollow ~ A new Mercy tale. Mercy ends up being called in to deal with a haunting but the case ends up being far from simple. It has everything we've come to expect from a Mercy tale although a bit more Adam would have been nice although he does come in at the end. Unfortunately, it's just making me miss them more and more and wish longingly for their next book.
In all, I enjoyed the collection and diving back into that universe.
Page count: 450p/8,725p ytd/223,659p lifetime
Silver ~ The story of how Bran and Samuel became werewolves and Samuel's previous association with the fae, Arina. This is not a happy story and I'm pretty sure it could be triggery for victims of abuse so read with caution. The best part was the deeper insight into Bran.
Roses in Winter ~ Kara is the youngest person ever to survive a werewolf attack and the subsequent transformation but she is still unable to control her wolf and by Bran's laws she must be put down but Bran doesn't want to do it and is looking for a way around his own laws. Kara stumbles into Asil's greenhouse and the two strike up the unlikeliest of friendships. Asil is old and waiting to die but Kara is young and in need of help and she touches something within him. Between him and Bran, maybe they can find a way to help her find her control. A sweet tale and gripping.
Redemption ~ Some back story and a bit more insight on Ben. I found this one a bit choppy and unfulfilling.
Hollow ~ A new Mercy tale. Mercy ends up being called in to deal with a haunting but the case ends up being far from simple. It has everything we've come to expect from a Mercy tale although a bit more Adam would have been nice although he does come in at the end. Unfortunately, it's just making me miss them more and more and wish longingly for their next book.
In all, I enjoyed the collection and diving back into that universe.
Page count: 450p/8,725p ytd/223,659p lifetime
40:120 Black Water by Faith Hunter
A collection of three short stories set in the world of Jane Yellowrock and a preview of Broken Soul.
Black Water - takes place between Blood Trade and Black Arts. Jane and her team took out a group of shapeshifters but one of them had a brother in prison and he is not taking kindly to the murder of his sister. He has escaped and is looking for Jane to take some revenge and is just fine going through other people to do so.
Snafu - takes place before the series starts and chronicles Jane's 'interview' for her first PI job after leaving the Christian children's home she had been in for several years. It also introduces Nomad who is apparently someone that we are going to hear more about in the future.
Off the Grid - takes place just before Broken Soul and introduces us to the character of Nell, a woman who has had a hard life and meets Jane at the door with a shotgun when Jane comes to ask for her help. She is going to be staring in her own series later this year.
I really enjoyed the stories but I think they are best read if you have at least read up until Broken Soul. I don't remember much of Blood Trade but there was just enough in the short story to jog the memory enough to not feel lost. It's always nice to get more of Jane's back story like we did with Snafu and I'm definitely very interested in Nell and where she is going. I haven't read Broken Soul yet and now there is Dark Heir as well so I'm definitely behind and need to fix that.
Page count: 113p/8,275p ytd/223,209p lifetime
Black Water - takes place between Blood Trade and Black Arts. Jane and her team took out a group of shapeshifters but one of them had a brother in prison and he is not taking kindly to the murder of his sister. He has escaped and is looking for Jane to take some revenge and is just fine going through other people to do so.
Snafu - takes place before the series starts and chronicles Jane's 'interview' for her first PI job after leaving the Christian children's home she had been in for several years. It also introduces Nomad who is apparently someone that we are going to hear more about in the future.
Off the Grid - takes place just before Broken Soul and introduces us to the character of Nell, a woman who has had a hard life and meets Jane at the door with a shotgun when Jane comes to ask for her help. She is going to be staring in her own series later this year.
I really enjoyed the stories but I think they are best read if you have at least read up until Broken Soul. I don't remember much of Blood Trade but there was just enough in the short story to jog the memory enough to not feel lost. It's always nice to get more of Jane's back story like we did with Snafu and I'm definitely very interested in Nell and where she is going. I haven't read Broken Soul yet and now there is Dark Heir as well so I'm definitely behind and need to fix that.
Page count: 113p/8,275p ytd/223,209p lifetime
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
39:120 Black Widow by Jennifer Estep
Elemental Assassin Book 12. Madeline Monroe has finally decided it's time to take Gin out but not in a frontal assault kind of way like her mother tried. Madeline is more about wrecking havoc and using the 'law' of Ashland to get Gin and her friends out of her way and that was her biggest mistake. Going after Gin directly is one thing and she can take that but going after her friends, their businesses, and then the Pork Pit?! Yeah, that is taking things several steps too far and Gin is about to rain all over Madeline's parade.
A good installment in the series. It started out a touch slow but ramped up quickly and didn't stop. Less repetition of the interior monologue variety this time although it was till present, just not annoyingly so. Nice use of flashbacks as foreshadowing without hitting you over the head too heavily with the portent. I'm really hoping that the Monroe saga is over now and we can move in a new direction. The preview chapter for the next book was hilarious and watching Gin trying to be the big, bad yet diplomatic crime boss may end up being her hardest challenge ever (and hilarious to read).
Page count: 357p/8,162p ytd/223,096p lifetime
A good installment in the series. It started out a touch slow but ramped up quickly and didn't stop. Less repetition of the interior monologue variety this time although it was till present, just not annoyingly so. Nice use of flashbacks as foreshadowing without hitting you over the head too heavily with the portent. I'm really hoping that the Monroe saga is over now and we can move in a new direction. The preview chapter for the next book was hilarious and watching Gin trying to be the big, bad yet diplomatic crime boss may end up being her hardest challenge ever (and hilarious to read).
Page count: 357p/8,162p ytd/223,096p lifetime
Friday, April 3, 2015
38:120 Low Midnight by Carrie Vaughn
The 13th book in the Kitty Norville series, the second to the last and the first to be told from Cormac's point of view. Kitty feels that the secret to defeating Roman may lie in the Book of Shadows they got from Amy Scanlon before she brought the mountain down on top of herself and the cult that was trying to kill Kitty in an effort to power a spell to defeat Roman. Cormac and his ghostly hitchhiker feel that Amy's aunt may hold the clue to deciphering it and he goes on a fact finding mission. To prove himself worthy, her aunt sets him a challenge that will require much of Amelia's expertise and help and sees him falling back into a world he thought he had left behind.
Cormac has always been one of my favorite characters (and apparently I am not alone) and it was fascinating to get such an intimate look inside his head and his internal interactions with Amelia and how they are managing to co-exist. I'm hoping that although this series will be wrapping up with Kitty Saves the World later this year that Ms. Vaughn will still throw short stories and novellas from that universe our way occasionally and I really hope that some of them will have Cormac leading again.
Page count: 309p/7,805p ytd/222,739p lifetime
Cormac has always been one of my favorite characters (and apparently I am not alone) and it was fascinating to get such an intimate look inside his head and his internal interactions with Amelia and how they are managing to co-exist. I'm hoping that although this series will be wrapping up with Kitty Saves the World later this year that Ms. Vaughn will still throw short stories and novellas from that universe our way occasionally and I really hope that some of them will have Cormac leading again.
Page count: 309p/7,805p ytd/222,739p lifetime
Thursday, April 2, 2015
37:120 Bury Me In Satin by Seanan McGuire
Things are settling down for Jonathan and Fran as they watch their little Alice growing up. One day Jonathan's father, Alexander, is asked to check in on Mary Dunlavy's father who hasn't been to work in a week. Since Mary babysits Alice for Fran and Jonathan, Alex asks Fran to go over there. She finds much more than she ever expected when the tray of cookies she hands to Mary slips through her ghostly hands and it's revealed that she has been dead for years. She became a ghost to care for her father but now he won't wake up and she is lost. Fran and Enid work together to bring peace for her and her father.
I was wondering when Mary's nature was going to be revealed to the Healy's and was surprised they hadn't picked up on it sooner. This story still doesn't really explain why they didn't but it was a nice resolution for Mary.
Page count: 30p/7,496p ytd/222,430p lifetime
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
36:120 An Age of Voyages by Mary E. Weisner-Hanks
Middle-school history detailing the impact of trade and seafaring on civilizations around the world from 1350CE-1600CE. I found that this one, unlike many in the series, focused more on the impact on Europe from trade. There was one chapter on China, one on Africa mostly discussing how slavery impacted Europe, and then one on Central and South America that talked about how Spain benefited from what they got there. Very little was discussed on how those things hurt the natives and what the long term impact was on them which I found disheartening. Otherwise, it was pretty standard and a bit duller than the previous ones but still better than many textbooks covering this topic.
Page count: 189p/7,466p ytd/222,400p lifetime
Page count: 189p/7,466p ytd/222,400p lifetime
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