Bad Blood (House of Comarre #3) - Leaves a bad taste in your mouth
I’m getting a little worried that I’m falling out of love with this series. I think the first book was well crafted and intriguing. The second book lost a little steam for me because I did’t enjoy the introduction of a love triangle and there were too many characters to keep up with. It also had a cliffhanger which I normally hate, but I didn’t mind it because there was only a month long wait for the next book as opposed to 6 months to over a year like for other series. Well, this one has a cliffhanger too—it turns out the House of Comarre series is not a trilogy! I was slightly mislead due to the release schedule of the first three books, but I don’t fault the author. I just wasn’t paying close enough attention.
The murder rate has spiked in Paradise City as faux Comarre are turning up dead. The Kubai Mata are on top of it, trying to get these grizzly attacks under control. Crysabelle, still healing from her injuries in the prior novel, presses on with her mission and goal to locate long lost family. She goes to New Orleans with Mal to obtain the Ring of Sorrows which is the necessary leverage she will need. Of course, nothing is simple. There’s also the little issue of Samhain, where the mortal world will merge with other worlds filled with all kinds of demons and creepy crawlies. However will they get out of this one?
The third book has a good blend of action and plot, but there are even more characters added to the storyline. Most urban fantasy books don’t take this approach and while unique, I realize that I’m not a fan of multiple POVs and side stories. I feel like I’m reading a supernatural soap opera. I think one could argue that the cover should include more characters because Crysabelle doesn’t get most of the focus anymore. I would have preferred more Crys and Mal screen time and development. One positive is that the triangle is resolved, but I’m left wondering why it was introduced in the first place. To end so quickly means it was wasted page space where there could have been other developments.
If you’ve read the other two books then I do recommend you read this one so that you can see the story progress, but don’t expect much because individual plot lines are spread thin thanks to a 400 page limit for this borderline epic fantasy. Honestly, the book felt even shorter than that. I really liked the potential of the first book, but the series isn’t really turning out how I’d hoped. Unless I hear that it rebounds, I think I might pass on the 4th book.
Parting is such sweet sorrow! But we have a winner…
Okay, as you can see I had a good little cry and now I’m ready to part with an old friend (at least that’s what any Hollows book feels like to me). But it’s okay! I know it’s going to a great home and it will be loved, cherished, and cared for…and hopefully read super fast so that said new owner can chat with me stat about all of the awesome!!
And the winner is: Diva! Enjoy it! I’ll be sending you an email and tweet shortly.
Thanks guys for joining up on my blog and twitter. I will post a review of the book a few weeks before it comes out, but you can check my Goodreads account if you can’t wait for a few juicy details (aka spoilers) and my general musings. I wish you all could have won it, but when the book is released in February I am going to do another giveaway for a copy of the hardcover. And since everybody was so excited about this, I will totally do this again for EVER AFTER (Book 11′s title), and…*sniff* *sniff* Book 12 when it aaaall ends.
You guys know that you can always reach me here or on Twitter. And if any of you guys are on Goodreads, feel free to friend me or PM me about anything. I always love hearing from my Hollows peeps! You guys are the best!
Favorite Rachel Morgan Book - Okay, I got sick of tallying, so here’s your chance to vote
Hi Peeps! Since I got a ton of responses regarding everyone’s favorite Hollows book for my giveaway, instead of tallying up I figured I should just add a poll. So vote away!
Bloodshot - Tons of fun and tons of funny
Sometimes you really need a light Urban Fantasy series that checks all of the usual drama and headaches at the door. When you’re in the mood for that then you should check out the Cheshire Red Reports by Cherie Priest. Bloodshot (Book 1) introduces us to vampire Raylene, a very independent, efficient, and hilariously neurotic professional thief.
Her skills catch the attention of Ian Stott, a fellow vampire who needs her help. He hires Raylene to locate top secret files about an experimental program that caused him to go blind. This requires her to travel throughout the country, eventually landing in Atlanta where the fun really begins. It turns out Raylene is a potential target for this program as well, so she must evade this organization as well as the Feds who want to take her down. This of course makes her job a little more difficult.
She ends up meeting a peculiar drag queen named Adrian. There’s definitely more to this character than meets the eye and he ends up partnering with Raylene. It turns out he’s an Ex-Navy SEAL and he’s searching for his sister, who he believes was also a part of the experiment. I can tell you right now that I totally loved this character, even more than Ian. I never thought I’d see the day when I’d say one of my favorite characters is an Ex-Navy SEAL who moonlights as a drag queen, but there it is. Normally humans are boring, but I enjoyed his chemistry with Raylene even more than Ian.
There are other supporting characters as well that I liked, including a kid brother and sister team who live with Raylene. They are orphans but they’re pretty crafty at times, making them useful to Ray. They’re also at the center of a number of hilarious lines.
There’s a great mix of action, comedy and mystery that makes this a fairly quick read. Raylene’s not the typical self-loathing and emo vamp (like many that have begun to saturate the genre), making this series a breath of fresh air. I actually ended up reading the second book first, but I enjoyed that one so much that I went back to see how it all began. Based on the structure of the story, it seems as if the books in this series can work well enough as a standalone.
Overall I recommend this book if you keep in mind that it’s not to be taken that seriously. Sometimes you don’t need that for a good read.
(A Perfect Blood - Advanced Reading Copy) Okay, here it goes! I’m doing my first giveaway and it’s BIG!
Calling all Hollows fans! Want a coveted copy of this bad boy? Well, you certainly won’t get it before I’ve read it, muhaha. Even still, I’m willing to part with it for the good of the fandom. What you’re in for is a chance to win an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of “A Perfect Blood” (The Hollows, Book 10) by Kim Harrison. The official copy isn’t due out until February 21, 2012, but here is your chance to read it early. I’ve been wanting to do a giveaway on my blog for a while now, so I figured what better way to kick it off than to use my favorite series?
Anyway, with the books coming into the home stretch, I’m sure we’re all getting ancy to know what will happen next. I’m in a giving mood this holiday season and let’s hope Ms. Harrison is too, adding more yummy Trent and Al—I’m sure they’d look great in Santa hats…and ONLY Santa hats. So you want this ARC? All you have to do is:
- Sign up on the right to follow my blog and Twitter. Current followers can just say so and I will automatically add an entry for you. If you only sign up for the blog I will count your entry once, but if you follow me on Twitter too you’ll get a bonus entry, doubling your chances.
- Comment on this post which one (or both) you signed up for. Also, please name your favorite Hollows book and tell me why. Series discussion among posters is welcome, but please keep it friendly. Beware of spoilers. [UPDATE]: You can vote here as well.
- Wait it out until I announce the winner. One lucky person will be randomly selected. Feel free to read a few reviews while you’re hanging around ~_^.
The giveaway will last until Monday, December 26th, 9 p.m. EST. I would have ended it before Christmas, but USPS will be closed on Monday to honor the federal holiday, so I will not be able to send the book until Tuesday. Make sure the email address you use when you post matches the address you signed up with so that I can contact you and confirm your entry. I will mail the book to the winner on Tuesday, December 27th. I am willing to send it practically anywhere around the world. If you are under 18, I would need to mail it to your parent or legal guardian.
If you’re a Goodreads friend, I apologize ahead of time for the reminder posts you’ll probably see in your updates. It won’t last forever, promise!
Good luck, guys! It was by a stroke of luck myself that I came across this at all. I wish I had enough for all of the hardcore Hollows fans…
Any questions, just ask!
Flesh and Blood - Book 1 was better, but I sort of expected that
Crysabelle and the gang are back without much of a wait in this second installment of the House of Comarre series by Kristen Painter. The storyline for Flesh and Blood continues from book 1, so this entry does not work well as a standalone.
Crysabelle hasn’t seen Malkolm for months since her mother’s funeral, making for pretty crazy tension when they reunite. He still needs her help to rid him of his curse, so that is a large plot point of the book.
There are a lot of things happening, so the author often switches back and forth between multiple POVs. I didn’t mind it so much in the first book because it was primarily Crysabelle, Mal, and Tatiana. Now we add more of Dominic (her mother’s former lover), Doc (shapeshifter friend) and Creek (new badass human vampire slayer from the Kubai Mata). That just names a few, but the point is clear. This made the book cluttered at times which kind of hindered my enjoyment.
Another new aspect that almost had me contemplating taking a break was the love triangle. It is so awkward and out of nowhere. Creek as a character is fine, but I just don’t understand the need to inject the love-interest angle with him. No, it does not make the story more appealing because the author ends up busy focusing on romance angles for two guys instead of using that time to keep the plot interesting. I am hoping soooo badly that this gets resolved in the next book.
Tatiana is a grade A beotch and is completely unrelatable, regardless of anything that’s happened in her past. This makes her a bit more one-dimensional than I was hoping for. I tend to enjoy complex villains, especially if we have to sit through her POV. However, she’s not the only bad guy in town as a we’re introduced to two new surprise adversaries that I imagine will get a lot more face time in the next book. You think things are bad now…just wait.
While I had more gripes here than in book 1, I do enjoy the action along with the Crys/Mal screen time. I also enjoyed Mal coming out of his shell a little more. He’s definitely a fighter and I liked seeing that aggressive side come out on something other than a poor helpless victim.
This book ends with a cliffhanger, which wasn’t at all surprising since the 3rd book was slated to come out soon after. This is specifically why I waited until it was released so that I can read them both together.
So overall, I give this book a 3.5 because I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first book, but it is still worth a read. I expected this because book 3 follows soon after, signaling that a lot of issues would remain unresolved.
The Shadow Reader - I definitely plan to keep up with this one
Sandy Williams creates and nice array of characters in this new series. We’re taken into the world of McKenzie Lewis, a college student trying to live a normal life and finally earn her degree. Unfortunately, that is proving impossible due to her rare gift. While human, she has the ability to see and track fae-otherworldly beings from the Realm. Her gift has made her an asset for 10 years in a civil war between the species, while also alienating her from her family.
Kyol, a fae and sword master to the king, has been a close companion to her, protecting her while she helps them locate enemy rebels. But that all changes when she ends up kidnapped by the enemy…or are they?
A great deal of the book is spent with McKenzie trying to escape from the rebels, however as she learns about their ways it appears that she may not have been playing for the right side.
I quite enjoyed this book for a first installment. We’re introduced to two potential love-interests: Kyol, her companion for the past 10 years, and Aren, leader of the rebels. A lot of time is spent on this subject and normally I don’t enjoy love triangles, but I found myself okay with this one, especially because she does make a decision by the end. Since this is only the first book I don’t think it’s over, but I am hopeful that there won’t be too much back and forth that plagues so many other series. I’d rather have more focus on plot, action, and interesting dialogue than to have her indecisive for a million and one silly reasons.
The book is in first person present which has been a growing trend these days. If you don’t read this style often it may be a bit of an adjustment, but I’ve grown used to it so it no longer bothers me. I almost didn’t even notice.
I think it would have liked a bit more description of the Realm. Some series are fantastic and immersing you in other worlds (Wayfinder, a duology I recently read with a similar style is a good example), but here I felt like it was more character focused.
There’s a good balance of action and downtime which is great for the pace and keeps the story from becoming too boring or too overbearing. I just know I don’t envy McKenzie for all of the things that happen to her.
I definitely recommend this, but since the series is just beginning you may be like me and wish for it to have a few books under its belt first. Ongoing series tend to have cliffhangers and those usually drive me nuts when I get invested enough in a series, but I just couldn’t resist picking this one up since so many seemed to be enjoying it. Maybe you will too.
The Child Thief - Depressing as hell at times, but it’s one of my favorite books ever!
Are you a fan of Peter Pan? Great! Are you a fan of the horror genre? Even better. Just expect a bit of a twist on this classic fairy tale, infusing horror-both traditional and psychological-that you’ll find chilling and fairly thought-provoking.
In Brom’s “The Child Thief” we meet Peter, whose mission is to recruit as many kids (Devils) as possible, bringing them to Avalon (a warped version of Never Never Land) to help defeat his pirate adversaries, save his ailing queen, and restore Avalon to the once beautiful place that it was. Of course, Peter doesn’t choose just any children. The book kicks off making it very obvious that he connects with those who have been abused and battered. He saves them, wanting to give them a better life. But is it really better? Where do Peter’s priorities and loyalties really lie? To his Devils, or to his queen?
These question are challenged through Peter’s newest recruit. While we meet a number of children, the second protagonist of this series would be Nick. He’s living in the mean streets of NYC when Peter finds him under attack by a group of thugs who routinely terrorize him and threaten to hurt his drugged out mom. Peter helps do away with them and coaxes Nick to join him for this “better life”. Little did he mention the whole part about that pesky little war going on. Unfortunately for Peter, Nick is not a blind follower. Unfortunately for Nick, all of Peter’s Devils are. How does Nick plan to deal with this?
This book is absolutely not for children. The amount of gore, death, abuse, and torture (which both the adults and children are subjected to) I imagine is even disturbing for many adults. But I for one love the dark and vivid world Brom creates. It just takes everything we knew about the Peter Pan tale and turns it upside down making it familiar, but far removed from everything we thought we knew. The lesson is clear: don’t be tempted by forbidden fruit. No matter how bad things are in your life, switching it for another life may not necessarily be for the better…and there’s no going back.
This book certainly makes you question who is the real villain. I loved that this book gives you the perspective of all sides, the Devils as well as the Pirates and other adversaries. I’ve always said that most of the time, many conflicts would be fixed by a little thing called “communication.” If you really think about it, you will question how necessary this war was at all. Also, expect a lot of dissension among the ranks on all sides, keeping the plot fairly unpredictable. Aside from Peter, the characters themselves aren’t quite as dynamic, but I think that providing different perspectives helps make them more than one-dimensional fodder.
I highly recommend this book as long as you’re prepared for the rough undertones and subject matter. No, this is not the Disney adaptation. It’s not Fox’s either (which was my personal favorite growing up). But I like seeing this tale told.
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