A novella set in the Elemental Assassin universe. Silvio takes his job as Gin's assistant much more seriously than his boss does but even he is finally starting to see the light in trying to start up a new relationship so on the day of Gin's holiday party, he decides to take the plunge and go out for coffee with the handsome man that has been hanging around the Pork Pit. However, while they are out he realizes that there are giants lurking around almost every corner and since he works for the Underworld's boss, he can only assume they are after him. Now to find a way out of the trouble without ruining his date...
Nice to see a bit more about Silvio and I'm enjoying the side stories with the male members of the group.
Page count: 100p/26,318p ytd/275,475p lifetime
Showing posts with label Estep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Estep. Show all posts
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 3rd Quarter 2016
My usual disclaimer:
Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow. I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading). Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.
So while the last couple of quarters were fairly light in the new releases department, I still haven't managed to get caught up and this quarter is chock-full of stuff that I want to read the second I have it in my hands. Considering many come out on top of each other, I'm thinking that sleep is just overrated.
There are a lot more short stories starting to come out in many of my favorite series for ereaders which I think is wonderful. It allows for more backstory, side stories, and general bits and pieces that don't fit well into the main books but are nice for long time readers of the series. Unwanted by Jennifer Estep is one such side story which follows Finn after the events in Bitter Bite which have him feeling very much unwanted.
Release Date - July 18
Imprudence by Gail Carriger is the second book in the Custard Protocol series which follows Rue, the daughter of Alexis and Lord Maccon from the Parasol Protectorate series. I have not started this series yet since I'm so behind on things but I did just start the Finishing School series and will go into this one after so maybe I'll be ready to read it by the time it comes out.
Release Date - July 19
August is super filled with fabulous new releases and starts off with three right off the bat. Flight from Mayhem by Yasmine Galenorn is the second book in the Fly by Night series with Shimmer the blue dragon and Alex the vampire. It is set in the world of her popular Otherworld series and this one sees Chase coming to the Fly by Night detectives to help solve the mystery of older fae being brutally murdered after having their bank accounts drained.
Release Date - August 2
We also get Blood of the Earth by Faith Hunter is the start of a new series, Soulwood, which takes place in the Jane Yellowrock series but follows Nell after she is found by Jane who recommends her to PsyLED who sends Rick to talk to her. Nell has been a pretty mysterious figure in the Yellowrock series and I'm really hoping we get to learn more about her and the relationships between her and all the team members.
Release Date - August 2
And the first release date ends with Full of Briars by Seanan McGuire which is a short story in the October Daye series but this time narrated by Quentin, her squire. His parents have come to meet the new Queen of the Mists and take him home. Unfortunately, he doesn't want to go and Toby doesn't want him to either.
Release Date- August 2
Betrayals by Kelley Armstrong comes out just a week later so no time to catch my breath. Ricky is being fingered in a series of street children murders and now Olivia needs Gabriel's help to prove his innocence. Doing this means that their futures are being even more intertwined but will it be in the relationship of their choosing or that of the forces trying to win a war that they are at the center of?
Release Date - August 9
Then we have the sequel to Court of Fives, Poisoned Blade by Kate Elliot coming out. I read Court of Fives for book club and while it's YA I found myself very invested in the characters and can't wait to see how things progress. Jessamy is doing well as a Challenger which is good since her winnings are what is supporting her mother and sisters while they are in hiding. Unfortunately, an attack on her traveling party looks to be putting her more squarely in the war that Lord Karkillios is in and now running the Fives may no longer be enough.
Release Date - August 16
The month wraps up with Unraveled by Jennifer Estep. In the aftermath of Biter Bite, Gin is trying hard to find out who is behind the mysterious Circle and how to disrupt that organization that tore apart Finn's mother and who was likely behind Mab's killing of Gin's family as well. Unfortunately the trail has gone cold so when Finn finds out about an inheritance, they figure they might as well all get out of town for a vacation but trouble is never far behind Gin.
Release Date - August 30
September has fewer books coming out but they are all ones I've been chomping at the bit to get my hands on. It starts with Once Broken Faith by Seanan McGuire. Toby's diplomatic mission to the Court of Silences did not go nearly as planned however she did return with the cure for elfshot but also a whole lot of political headaches for everyone involved. Now there is a convocation of rulers hosted by her Queen of the Mists with the High Kind and Queen in attendance. Of course, nothing is ever simple in Toby's life so it's not long before a dead body hits the floor and Toby needs to find the killer to protect those she loves.
Release Date - September 6
I get a few weeks to catch up before the release of Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews. Kate and Curran are finally planning the wedding but before they can say "I do", Roland has kidnapped Siamin and is draining him for his magic and the dire warnings are coming fast and furious from the witches. I can't wait to see how Kate gets around all this because darn it, I want to see them get their HEA!
Release Date - September 20
Next up is Feedback by Mira Grant. This is a parallel novel to Feed but we are following a different group of reporters trying to get their foot in the door. Considering how much I love this universe, I'm really jazzed about this book and am just hoping that I can get behind these characters nearly as much as I ended up loving Shuan and Georgia.
Release Date - September 27
The quarter ends with Shadow Silence by Yasmine Galenorn, the sequel to Whisper Hollow. Kellis's best Peggin has been cursed since escaping the watery embrace of the Lady of the Lake but curing her will reveal many secrets that certain people want to remain buried.
Release Date - September 27
Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow. I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading). Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.
So while the last couple of quarters were fairly light in the new releases department, I still haven't managed to get caught up and this quarter is chock-full of stuff that I want to read the second I have it in my hands. Considering many come out on top of each other, I'm thinking that sleep is just overrated.
There are a lot more short stories starting to come out in many of my favorite series for ereaders which I think is wonderful. It allows for more backstory, side stories, and general bits and pieces that don't fit well into the main books but are nice for long time readers of the series. Unwanted by Jennifer Estep is one such side story which follows Finn after the events in Bitter Bite which have him feeling very much unwanted.
Release Date - July 18
Imprudence by Gail Carriger is the second book in the Custard Protocol series which follows Rue, the daughter of Alexis and Lord Maccon from the Parasol Protectorate series. I have not started this series yet since I'm so behind on things but I did just start the Finishing School series and will go into this one after so maybe I'll be ready to read it by the time it comes out.
Release Date - July 19
August is super filled with fabulous new releases and starts off with three right off the bat. Flight from Mayhem by Yasmine Galenorn is the second book in the Fly by Night series with Shimmer the blue dragon and Alex the vampire. It is set in the world of her popular Otherworld series and this one sees Chase coming to the Fly by Night detectives to help solve the mystery of older fae being brutally murdered after having their bank accounts drained.
Release Date - August 2
We also get Blood of the Earth by Faith Hunter is the start of a new series, Soulwood, which takes place in the Jane Yellowrock series but follows Nell after she is found by Jane who recommends her to PsyLED who sends Rick to talk to her. Nell has been a pretty mysterious figure in the Yellowrock series and I'm really hoping we get to learn more about her and the relationships between her and all the team members.
Release Date - August 2
And the first release date ends with Full of Briars by Seanan McGuire which is a short story in the October Daye series but this time narrated by Quentin, her squire. His parents have come to meet the new Queen of the Mists and take him home. Unfortunately, he doesn't want to go and Toby doesn't want him to either.
Release Date- August 2
Betrayals by Kelley Armstrong comes out just a week later so no time to catch my breath. Ricky is being fingered in a series of street children murders and now Olivia needs Gabriel's help to prove his innocence. Doing this means that their futures are being even more intertwined but will it be in the relationship of their choosing or that of the forces trying to win a war that they are at the center of?
Release Date - August 9
Then we have the sequel to Court of Fives, Poisoned Blade by Kate Elliot coming out. I read Court of Fives for book club and while it's YA I found myself very invested in the characters and can't wait to see how things progress. Jessamy is doing well as a Challenger which is good since her winnings are what is supporting her mother and sisters while they are in hiding. Unfortunately, an attack on her traveling party looks to be putting her more squarely in the war that Lord Karkillios is in and now running the Fives may no longer be enough.
Release Date - August 16
The month wraps up with Unraveled by Jennifer Estep. In the aftermath of Biter Bite, Gin is trying hard to find out who is behind the mysterious Circle and how to disrupt that organization that tore apart Finn's mother and who was likely behind Mab's killing of Gin's family as well. Unfortunately the trail has gone cold so when Finn finds out about an inheritance, they figure they might as well all get out of town for a vacation but trouble is never far behind Gin.
Release Date - August 30
September has fewer books coming out but they are all ones I've been chomping at the bit to get my hands on. It starts with Once Broken Faith by Seanan McGuire. Toby's diplomatic mission to the Court of Silences did not go nearly as planned however she did return with the cure for elfshot but also a whole lot of political headaches for everyone involved. Now there is a convocation of rulers hosted by her Queen of the Mists with the High Kind and Queen in attendance. Of course, nothing is ever simple in Toby's life so it's not long before a dead body hits the floor and Toby needs to find the killer to protect those she loves.
Release Date - September 6
I get a few weeks to catch up before the release of Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews. Kate and Curran are finally planning the wedding but before they can say "I do", Roland has kidnapped Siamin and is draining him for his magic and the dire warnings are coming fast and furious from the witches. I can't wait to see how Kate gets around all this because darn it, I want to see them get their HEA!
Release Date - September 20
Next up is Feedback by Mira Grant. This is a parallel novel to Feed but we are following a different group of reporters trying to get their foot in the door. Considering how much I love this universe, I'm really jazzed about this book and am just hoping that I can get behind these characters nearly as much as I ended up loving Shuan and Georgia.
Release Date - September 27
The quarter ends with Shadow Silence by Yasmine Galenorn, the sequel to Whisper Hollow. Kellis's best Peggin has been cursed since escaping the watery embrace of the Lady of the Lake but curing her will reveal many secrets that certain people want to remain buried.
Release Date - September 27
Friday, December 18, 2015
New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 1st Quarter 2016
My usual disclaimer:
Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow. I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading). Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.
Still running behind in a few series but less than earlier this year. Two in high school English this year is definitely cramping my reading time. Next semester gets even more fun by adding in American Government. *breathe* I can do this! Honestly, I'm looking forward to the three weeks of Winter Break as a time to finish Don Quixote for English 12 and then do some reading of my own. The extra time between new releases I want for myself has helped but this next quarter ramps things back up again. Time to get reading!
I get a few weeks into the new year before releases start coming out but then it's fast and furious starting with Otherworld Secrets by Kelley Armstong. I'm a total sucker for her Otherworld works and can't wait for this one. We get new stories about Cassandra, Savannah, and Adam plus a new novella (please be about Clay and Elena!). This is the second of three books of short stories and novellas that will come out for the Otherworld fans.
Release Date: Jan 26
Just a few days later, Driven by Kelley Armstrong is due out from Subterranean Press. Davis Cain is part of a pack of mutts that are being hunted down and killed but when he comes to the Pack for help, Elena can't turn him away. Besides, she has Malcolm Danvers in the Pack now so she might as well make some use of him. Really hoping that decision doesn't come back to bite her in the butt.
Release Date: Jan 31
February kicks off with three releases on the same day in series that I'm very excited about. First is Blood in Her Veins by Faith Hunter. Jane Yellowrock is always an amazing read. This is a collection of 19 stories in Jane's universe, some previously published and some brand-new just for this anthology.
Release Date: Feb 2
Next is Darkness Raging by Yasmine Galenorn. The next book in her Otherworld series, this one told from Menolly's pov. It sounds like the war with demons is really heating up and we are finally getting back to dealing with that. On the eve of war, Menolly's wife Nerrisa is captured by the demons who are demanding the spirit seals in exchange for her life. Menolly will do anything to keep Nerissa safe and I have a feeling a pissed off Menolly is not what the demons are going to want to see coming.
Release Date: Feb 2
It also looks like Grave Visions by Kalayna Price will be coming out at long last. The last installment in this series was back in 2012 and fans have been chomping on the bit for this one. Alex is a grave witch and now that she has been outed as part Fae, she must choose a side in Faerie to come in on. Now she has to try and figure out how to make the best of this situation.
Release Date: Feb 2
A few weeks break and then Bitter Bite by Jennifer Estep comes out. A long lost relative of Finn's has come into town and Finn turns from Gin's steady right-hand man to a starry-eyed doe. Gin doesn't trust the interloper (big surprise) but Finn will hear none of it. All she can do is stand-by and be ready to end this in a deadly fashion if anyone tries to hurt her brother.
Release Date: Feb 23
The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home by Catherynne Valente is the 5th book in the series and I'm ashamed to say I haven't gotten past the first book yet. The first one was amazing and I'm looking forward to them but just trying to find the time to read them has been difficult. Hopefully this coming year!
Release Date: Mar 1
The quarter's new releases ends for me with Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs, the new Mercy Thompson book. Mercy and Adam have been tasked to go deal with a troll but they also find a fire-touched human boy stolen by the fae many years ago. They are determined to protect him but doing so means defying everyone.
Release Date: Mar 8
So some really good reads by many of my favorite authors coming out to start my new year off right in terms of things to read. Now to find more time to read!
Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow. I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading). Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.
Still running behind in a few series but less than earlier this year. Two in high school English this year is definitely cramping my reading time. Next semester gets even more fun by adding in American Government. *breathe* I can do this! Honestly, I'm looking forward to the three weeks of Winter Break as a time to finish Don Quixote for English 12 and then do some reading of my own. The extra time between new releases I want for myself has helped but this next quarter ramps things back up again. Time to get reading!
I get a few weeks into the new year before releases start coming out but then it's fast and furious starting with Otherworld Secrets by Kelley Armstong. I'm a total sucker for her Otherworld works and can't wait for this one. We get new stories about Cassandra, Savannah, and Adam plus a new novella (please be about Clay and Elena!). This is the second of three books of short stories and novellas that will come out for the Otherworld fans.
Release Date: Jan 26
Just a few days later, Driven by Kelley Armstrong is due out from Subterranean Press. Davis Cain is part of a pack of mutts that are being hunted down and killed but when he comes to the Pack for help, Elena can't turn him away. Besides, she has Malcolm Danvers in the Pack now so she might as well make some use of him. Really hoping that decision doesn't come back to bite her in the butt.
Release Date: Jan 31
February kicks off with three releases on the same day in series that I'm very excited about. First is Blood in Her Veins by Faith Hunter. Jane Yellowrock is always an amazing read. This is a collection of 19 stories in Jane's universe, some previously published and some brand-new just for this anthology.
Release Date: Feb 2
Next is Darkness Raging by Yasmine Galenorn. The next book in her Otherworld series, this one told from Menolly's pov. It sounds like the war with demons is really heating up and we are finally getting back to dealing with that. On the eve of war, Menolly's wife Nerrisa is captured by the demons who are demanding the spirit seals in exchange for her life. Menolly will do anything to keep Nerissa safe and I have a feeling a pissed off Menolly is not what the demons are going to want to see coming.
Release Date: Feb 2
It also looks like Grave Visions by Kalayna Price will be coming out at long last. The last installment in this series was back in 2012 and fans have been chomping on the bit for this one. Alex is a grave witch and now that she has been outed as part Fae, she must choose a side in Faerie to come in on. Now she has to try and figure out how to make the best of this situation.
Release Date: Feb 2
A few weeks break and then Bitter Bite by Jennifer Estep comes out. A long lost relative of Finn's has come into town and Finn turns from Gin's steady right-hand man to a starry-eyed doe. Gin doesn't trust the interloper (big surprise) but Finn will hear none of it. All she can do is stand-by and be ready to end this in a deadly fashion if anyone tries to hurt her brother.
Release Date: Feb 23
The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home by Catherynne Valente is the 5th book in the series and I'm ashamed to say I haven't gotten past the first book yet. The first one was amazing and I'm looking forward to them but just trying to find the time to read them has been difficult. Hopefully this coming year!
Release Date: Mar 1
The quarter's new releases ends for me with Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs, the new Mercy Thompson book. Mercy and Adam have been tasked to go deal with a troll but they also find a fire-touched human boy stolen by the fae many years ago. They are determined to protect him but doing so means defying everyone.
Release Date: Mar 8
So some really good reads by many of my favorite authors coming out to start my new year off right in terms of things to read. Now to find more time to read!
Saturday, August 1, 2015
83:120 Spider's Trap by Jennifer Estep
The 13th book in the Elemental Assassin series. Gin is in the worst possible place she could ever imagine, the big boss of Ashland which means not only is everyone still gunning for her but now she has to listen to their problems and come up with solutions as well. Sitting in meetings listening to them is a bigger torture than anything she has ever experienced before so she was almost happy when she spotted the average man who seemed to have brought a bomb on board the River Queen. Now she has the mystery of who wants her dead this time and why were they so willing to take out innocent bystanders with a bomb there?
Less repetitive inner monologuing in this one which was nice but I felt that some of the ways she remembered the information seemed a bit contrived when their were easier plot devices that were shown but then abandoned to go with dream sequences instead. Also, the end fight sequence where again it was luck and not her skill or magic that saved her again felt very contrived. Other than that, I thought it was a good book and changed up the usual cliched plots. The premise being laid out for the next installment also looks really intriguing and I'm excited to see where it goes.
Less repetitive inner monologuing in this one which was nice but I felt that some of the ways she remembered the information seemed a bit contrived when their were easier plot devices that were shown but then abandoned to go with dream sequences instead. Also, the end fight sequence where again it was luck and not her skill or magic that saved her again felt very contrived. Other than that, I thought it was a good book and changed up the usual cliched plots. The premise being laid out for the next installment also looks really intriguing and I'm excited to see where it goes.
Page count: 384p/21,606p ytd/236,540p lifetime
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 3rd Quarter 2015
My usual disclaimer:
Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow. I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading). Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.
Well, school is finally out so I'm working hard to get caught up on a bunch of my personal reading. The fact that I didn't add a ton this last quarter is going to help but oh boy, that is so not the case with this next quarter. Apparently everyone was aiming for summer releases this year...
Flight From Death by Yasmine Galenorn kicks off the big 3rd quarter. This is the start of her new Fly by Night series featuring Shimmer, a blue dragon, and the detective agency she works for run by Alex Radcliffe, a vampire. Set in the world of Ms. Galenorn's Otherworld series, we have already been introduced to the characters in the short novella, Flight From Hell with the help of the D'Artigo sisters. I love that world and am definitely interested in seeing it from a different perspective.
Release Date: July 7
The following week sees two new books by authors not usually on my list. Armada by Ernest Cline is his second book but after his Ready, Player, One which was fabulous, I'm very interested to see if he can pull it off again. Zack seems to be a typical, every day nerd (so my kinda person) and even though he knows that the stuff he reads about and watches on TV isn't real, a part of him can't help but wish it were. And then one day, it is...
Release Date: July 14
And speaking of second books, Go Set a Watchmen by Harper Lee has been a long time coming. A sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird but written before it, it will be interesting to see what her original take on her characters was before she was asked to change it around completely.
Release Date: July 14
To finish off July, there is Spider's Trap by Jennifer Estep. Gin took out Mab's daughter in the previous book and has now set herself up to take up the mantle of Head Crime Boss for the town. Of course, this means that everyone will be gunning for her even more than ever but now she has to actually try and keep the bad guys in line with something more than her knives.
Release Date: July 28
August starts off big with a double header. First up, Kitty Saves the World by Carrie Vaughn. This is it, the end of the series and it looks like Kitty is going out with a bang. With the information that Cormac was able to dig up in Low Midnight, Kitty and her friends are going to make their play but Dux Bellorum is already ahead of them and they are outgunned and outnumbered at every turn. With all the friends Kitty has made over the years, can she bring them together to save the world?
Release Date: August 4
On the same day, Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews also comes out. Kate and Curran are working to set up their lives away from The Pack now although they both know it will take time to completely separate themselves. However, when one of Kate's friends from the Merc Guild goes missing, it turns out that the ancient enemy is rising.
Release Date: August 4
Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong is the only other book on my list coming out in August. We left Olivia with her ex-fiance stalking her at the behest of her enemies, those who most likely framed her parents for murder and Olivia herself trapped in her own head in so many ways. Now her visions are becoming more frequent and she must learn to interpret them and find a way to strike a balance in her mind.
Release Date: August 18
September starts off with another crazy double header. A Red-Rose Chain by Seanan McGuire is the start of the story that everything up until now has been getting Toby ready for and that probably doesn't bode well for her.
Release Date: September 1
Kim Harrison also kicks off a new series with The Drafter. I'm not 100% sold on this one yet but I'll definitely be doing some more research. Details are still kind of spotty but I really enjoyed her other work so odds are good I'll give it a chance. Minority Report meets Bourne Identity could be interesting...
Release Date: September 1
Next up is a new collection of short stories in Led Astray by Kelley Armstrong. The collection is to include stories from the Otherworld, Cainsville, Darkest Powers, and Age of Legends series. I'm very interested in reading the stuff from Otherworld and Cainsville and I figure it will give me a chance to see what the other two series are like since to date, the blurbs haven't gripped me enough to actually delve into them.
Release Date: September 8
Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs is the third book the Miss Peregrine Home for Peculiar Children series. Unfortunately I'm a book behind so all I can tell from the synopsis I'm seeing is that there is danger everywhere for these children and their caregiver, Miss Peregrine. Hoping I can get caught up before it comes out.
Release Date: September 22
And the final book for this quarter is Autumn Moon by Jan DeLima. Elen was made outcast because of her powers and lack of ability to shift to a wolf. Now her powers and her kind heart have caused her to save her friends and use the energy she gained from that to change Cormack from the man in a wolf's body he has always been into a full shapeshifter. Now Cormack finds himself wanting more from Elen than just her friendship but wants to be able to present himself as a full-man rather than one who is still learning the basics like a baby. Before he can do that however, Pendaran has kidnapped Elen to force her to use her magic to aid him and his cause.
Release Date: September 29
So yeah, a LOT of new releases coming out in the next couple of months. I'm thankful that in all but one case, they are either stand-alones, starting a new series, or I'm caught up in the series already. Still, lots and lots of reading to be getting done and I still haven't even gotten caught up in Elfquest before events in the Final Quest so I can read those as they come out. That is definitely something I need to find time to change this summer.
Happy Reading!
Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow. I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading). Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.
Well, school is finally out so I'm working hard to get caught up on a bunch of my personal reading. The fact that I didn't add a ton this last quarter is going to help but oh boy, that is so not the case with this next quarter. Apparently everyone was aiming for summer releases this year...
Flight From Death by Yasmine Galenorn kicks off the big 3rd quarter. This is the start of her new Fly by Night series featuring Shimmer, a blue dragon, and the detective agency she works for run by Alex Radcliffe, a vampire. Set in the world of Ms. Galenorn's Otherworld series, we have already been introduced to the characters in the short novella, Flight From Hell with the help of the D'Artigo sisters. I love that world and am definitely interested in seeing it from a different perspective.
Release Date: July 7
The following week sees two new books by authors not usually on my list. Armada by Ernest Cline is his second book but after his Ready, Player, One which was fabulous, I'm very interested to see if he can pull it off again. Zack seems to be a typical, every day nerd (so my kinda person) and even though he knows that the stuff he reads about and watches on TV isn't real, a part of him can't help but wish it were. And then one day, it is...
Release Date: July 14
And speaking of second books, Go Set a Watchmen by Harper Lee has been a long time coming. A sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird but written before it, it will be interesting to see what her original take on her characters was before she was asked to change it around completely.
Release Date: July 14
To finish off July, there is Spider's Trap by Jennifer Estep. Gin took out Mab's daughter in the previous book and has now set herself up to take up the mantle of Head Crime Boss for the town. Of course, this means that everyone will be gunning for her even more than ever but now she has to actually try and keep the bad guys in line with something more than her knives.
Release Date: July 28
August starts off big with a double header. First up, Kitty Saves the World by Carrie Vaughn. This is it, the end of the series and it looks like Kitty is going out with a bang. With the information that Cormac was able to dig up in Low Midnight, Kitty and her friends are going to make their play but Dux Bellorum is already ahead of them and they are outgunned and outnumbered at every turn. With all the friends Kitty has made over the years, can she bring them together to save the world?
Release Date: August 4
On the same day, Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews also comes out. Kate and Curran are working to set up their lives away from The Pack now although they both know it will take time to completely separate themselves. However, when one of Kate's friends from the Merc Guild goes missing, it turns out that the ancient enemy is rising.
Release Date: August 4
Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong is the only other book on my list coming out in August. We left Olivia with her ex-fiance stalking her at the behest of her enemies, those who most likely framed her parents for murder and Olivia herself trapped in her own head in so many ways. Now her visions are becoming more frequent and she must learn to interpret them and find a way to strike a balance in her mind.
Release Date: August 18
September starts off with another crazy double header. A Red-Rose Chain by Seanan McGuire is the start of the story that everything up until now has been getting Toby ready for and that probably doesn't bode well for her.
Release Date: September 1
Kim Harrison also kicks off a new series with The Drafter. I'm not 100% sold on this one yet but I'll definitely be doing some more research. Details are still kind of spotty but I really enjoyed her other work so odds are good I'll give it a chance. Minority Report meets Bourne Identity could be interesting...
Release Date: September 1
Next up is a new collection of short stories in Led Astray by Kelley Armstrong. The collection is to include stories from the Otherworld, Cainsville, Darkest Powers, and Age of Legends series. I'm very interested in reading the stuff from Otherworld and Cainsville and I figure it will give me a chance to see what the other two series are like since to date, the blurbs haven't gripped me enough to actually delve into them.
Release Date: September 8
Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs is the third book the Miss Peregrine Home for Peculiar Children series. Unfortunately I'm a book behind so all I can tell from the synopsis I'm seeing is that there is danger everywhere for these children and their caregiver, Miss Peregrine. Hoping I can get caught up before it comes out.
Release Date: September 22
And the final book for this quarter is Autumn Moon by Jan DeLima. Elen was made outcast because of her powers and lack of ability to shift to a wolf. Now her powers and her kind heart have caused her to save her friends and use the energy she gained from that to change Cormack from the man in a wolf's body he has always been into a full shapeshifter. Now Cormack finds himself wanting more from Elen than just her friendship but wants to be able to present himself as a full-man rather than one who is still learning the basics like a baby. Before he can do that however, Pendaran has kidnapped Elen to force her to use her magic to aid him and his cause.
Release Date: September 29
So yeah, a LOT of new releases coming out in the next couple of months. I'm thankful that in all but one case, they are either stand-alones, starting a new series, or I'm caught up in the series already. Still, lots and lots of reading to be getting done and I still haven't even gotten caught up in Elfquest before events in the Final Quest so I can read those as they come out. That is definitely something I need to find time to change this summer.
Happy Reading!
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
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
82:120 Poison Promise by Jennifer Estep
The eleventh book in the Elemental Assassin series. Gin keeps waiting for things to settle down but that has yet to happen. This time however, it's not so much the would-be killers coming after her but that the drug dealers are messing with one of her staff and she happened to be a witness to it and of course, Gin was not going to let that stand. Now she is going up against the King of Southtown, Beauregard Benson, who is not only a vampire but also an air elemental and dealing the newest drug, Burn. But more than him, it seems like there is someone behind the scenes pulling the strings and that could be prove to be the most deadly of all.
A good installment of the story. Lots of action, some actual character growth, a bit of backstory we hadn't heard to death and that actually showed a bit more of how her character came to be, and the best of all the constant internal monogloging was a bare fraction of it's usual which meant the book was mostly plot and not just filler! It was such a wonderful change of pace and I hope it continues as I do like the world and the characters but that always bugged me.
Page count: 400p/20,924p ytd/201,962p lifetime
A good installment of the story. Lots of action, some actual character growth, a bit of backstory we hadn't heard to death and that actually showed a bit more of how her character came to be, and the best of all the constant internal monogloging was a bare fraction of it's usual which meant the book was mostly plot and not just filler! It was such a wonderful change of pace and I hope it continues as I do like the world and the characters but that always bugged me.
Page count: 400p/20,924p ytd/201,962p lifetime
Friday, July 4, 2014
77:120 Nightingale by Jennifer Estep
The 4th book in the Bigtime series. Abby Appleby is the premier event planner in Bigtime and she prides herself on being prepared for any contingency during those events but what she wasn't prepared for was seeing Talon going head-to-head with Bandit in the alley on her way home from an event. She manages to save Talon but his eyesight has been compromised and he was shot but since she can't take him to the hospital since it would endanger everyone there, she takes him home to nurse him back to health. It's just the sort of thing she is perfectly capable of but she doesn't count on falling in love with the superhero while he's there. She figures he is a millionaire and not someone who would ever be interested in a mere event planner like her so before he is fully healed, she drops him off where he'll be found but before he can figure out who she really is. All he really knows when he wakes up is that he was nursed back to health by his "Nightingale" who sings with a beautiful voice and loves music and he desperately wants to find her but no one seems to have the faintest idea who she might be. When Abby figures out who Talon really is and that he is looking for her, will she come clean?
Basic romance story but again we have a lot of repetitive, and many times destructive, inner monologuing. I got the series cheaply so I finished it but I don't think I'll be racing to the bookstore to buy more in the series should they ever come out. The world is interesting and fun but I'm not a fan of her way of dealing with the romances in this world. I will say I did get a little chuckle out of the characters here ordering food all the way from "The Pork Pit in Ashland" which is a nod to her Elemental Assassin series.
Page count: 292p/19,050p ytd/200,088p lifetime
Basic romance story but again we have a lot of repetitive, and many times destructive, inner monologuing. I got the series cheaply so I finished it but I don't think I'll be racing to the bookstore to buy more in the series should they ever come out. The world is interesting and fun but I'm not a fan of her way of dealing with the romances in this world. I will say I did get a little chuckle out of the characters here ordering food all the way from "The Pork Pit in Ashland" which is a nod to her Elemental Assassin series.
Page count: 292p/19,050p ytd/200,088p lifetime
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
76:120 A Karma Girl Christmas by Jennifer Estep
As the newest superhero member of the Fearless Five, Karma Girl has been selected to guard the Christmas toys and gifts that will be given out on Christmas morning to the needy children of Bigtime. Although an ubervillain has never before messed with these gifts, this year the Mintalator and Caveman Stan have decided they are tired of a being a D-list villains and are going to nab them and sell them on eBay to fund their retirement. Can Karma Girl possibly defeat both of them by herself with only her psychic superpower to help her?
It was nice seeing how Karma Girl is actually fitting in as a superhero and member of the Fearless Five as she hasn't been a big character since the first book in the series. I also liked how with it being a short story, there wasn't the repetitive inner-monologue which irritates me so. Just a nice sweet story.
Page count: 91p/18,758p ytd/199,796p lifetime
It was nice seeing how Karma Girl is actually fitting in as a superhero and member of the Fearless Five as she hasn't been a big character since the first book in the series. I also liked how with it being a short story, there wasn't the repetitive inner-monologue which irritates me so. Just a nice sweet story.
Page count: 91p/18,758p ytd/199,796p lifetime
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
75:120 Jinx by Jennifer Estep
The 3rd book in the Bigtime series. Bella Belluci is staunchly anti-superhero/ubervillian despite having her own version of a superpower where she can influence 'luck' although unfortunately for her, it's usually bad luck finding it's way to her although it's never serious. Having patched up her grandfather, father, and brother who has all moonlighted as Johnny Angel, waited up to make sure they returned home safely, and getting the phone call telling her of her father's demise after he messed with a couple of ubervillians, she is over all of them. Of course, it just goes to figure that she ends up in the middle of a battle between Debonair and Hangman over the largest sapphire in town. Next thing she knows, she is back at Debonair's Lair of Seduction and despite her most practical and reasoned self, she is falling for the masked man. She knows it can never work, that she can't live with that kind of uncertainty in her life, but she every time she tries to break it off something, her 'luck' maybe, thrusts them back together again. Can she overlook his extracurricular activities to have a happily ever after?
Again, these books are basically fluff and just a nice, easy way to pass some time while at the kids' activities and again, I have issues with the constant repetitive inner monologues and these were worse because all she does is berate herself about her figure/weight/eating. Seriously?! Because women don't do that crap to themselves enough, let's make sure that we can't escape it even in books that are full of fluff. I'm glad she found someone who appreciated her the way she is but considering in the drawing on the cover, she is a size 4, maybe, that's not really any improvement. She is also constantly berating her lack of artistic skill as 'just a hobby'. Please, I get that it's common place for women to think like this but we need to think better of ourselves and I don't think making characters this way is healthy especially in something that it supposed to be light and fun.
Page count: 324p/18,667p ytd/199,705p lifetime
Again, these books are basically fluff and just a nice, easy way to pass some time while at the kids' activities and again, I have issues with the constant repetitive inner monologues and these were worse because all she does is berate herself about her figure/weight/eating. Seriously?! Because women don't do that crap to themselves enough, let's make sure that we can't escape it even in books that are full of fluff. I'm glad she found someone who appreciated her the way she is but considering in the drawing on the cover, she is a size 4, maybe, that's not really any improvement. She is also constantly berating her lack of artistic skill as 'just a hobby'. Please, I get that it's common place for women to think like this but we need to think better of ourselves and I don't think making characters this way is healthy especially in something that it supposed to be light and fun.
Page count: 324p/18,667p ytd/199,705p lifetime
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
67:120 Hot Mama by Jennifer Estep
The 2nd book in the Bigtime series. The wedding between Carmen (aka Karma Girl) and Sam (aka Striker) is interrupted by the newest ubervillians in Bigtime but Fiona (aka Fiera) and the rest of the Fearless Five tells them to go ahead on their honeymoon anyway. Fiona needs a break from the happy newlyweds as even after a year she still mourns the loss of her fiance, Typhoon. Now she is not only trying to stop the new ubervillians but after meeting sexy Johnny Bulluci, she is willing to find time to enter the dating scene again. Can she manage to keep her secret superhero identity secret from the man she is coming to love? And what happens to them if she can't?
These are just pure bubblegum and I get that but at the same time, I kind of wish Ms. Estep would have done something different with the names so things weren't so blazingly obvious because that means that everyone in Bigtime is dumb as dirt to not figure out who these people all are. Unfortunately, this one also saw the long inner-monologues with huge amounts of repetition. I get a little bit of that at the beginning in case someone is new to the series but seriously, I'm pretty sure Fiona told us about her incredible metabolism that meant she constantly needed to eat large quantities of food over 20xs. That is just lazy writing and has been my consistent problem with Ms. Estep's books. Her worlds are fun and well constructed and I was hoping the repetitive inner monologues were limited to her Elemental Assassin series but apparently that is just her writing style. I'll finish the series knowing that and I'm invested in the Elemental Assassin series and I will continue to hope that she will eventually tone that down but I will definitely not be picking up any of her other works because of it.
Page count: 356p/16,582p ytd/197,620p lifetime
These are just pure bubblegum and I get that but at the same time, I kind of wish Ms. Estep would have done something different with the names so things weren't so blazingly obvious because that means that everyone in Bigtime is dumb as dirt to not figure out who these people all are. Unfortunately, this one also saw the long inner-monologues with huge amounts of repetition. I get a little bit of that at the beginning in case someone is new to the series but seriously, I'm pretty sure Fiona told us about her incredible metabolism that meant she constantly needed to eat large quantities of food over 20xs. That is just lazy writing and has been my consistent problem with Ms. Estep's books. Her worlds are fun and well constructed and I was hoping the repetitive inner monologues were limited to her Elemental Assassin series but apparently that is just her writing style. I'll finish the series knowing that and I'm invested in the Elemental Assassin series and I will continue to hope that she will eventually tone that down but I will definitely not be picking up any of her other works because of it.
Page count: 356p/16,582p ytd/197,620p lifetime
Sunday, May 25, 2014
60:120 Karma Girl by Jennifer Estep
Carmen Cole has dedicated the last several years of her life to unmasking the superheros and ubervillians that have cropped up all over the country when at last, she is hired by one of Bigtime's major newspaper to do the same for their superhero team, Fearless Five. After unmasking the first of the FF, Tornado, who then goes on to commit suicide Carmen loses her passion for her task and is relegated to the society fashion pages until the night that she is kidnapped by the ubervillians of the town and threatened with dire things if she doesn't unmask Striker, the leader of the Fearless Five, within 30 days. Now she must try to unmask those that hate her above all others which becomes extremely ironic when Striker starts following her around and protecting her. What other choice does she have if she wants to survive?
This story is cheese central with the majority of secret identities screamed at you from miles away and no real major plot twists. This is a bubblegum book, no two ways about it, but it's a fun campy read perfect for when you just want to stop dealing with everything else getting thrown at you and escape. The one surprising thing for me is that while there is some inner-monologing it is not nearly as repetitive as what we get in the Elemental Assassin series which says this author can write with less of that. Oh, how I wish she would figure that out soon because that is my biggest beef with that series.
Page count: 360p/15,019p ytd/196,057p lifetime
This story is cheese central with the majority of secret identities screamed at you from miles away and no real major plot twists. This is a bubblegum book, no two ways about it, but it's a fun campy read perfect for when you just want to stop dealing with everything else getting thrown at you and escape. The one surprising thing for me is that while there is some inner-monologing it is not nearly as repetitive as what we get in the Elemental Assassin series which says this author can write with less of that. Oh, how I wish she would figure that out soon because that is my biggest beef with that series.
Page count: 360p/15,019p ytd/196,057p lifetime
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