Spooktacular Sunday: A review of Forever

Anna here~ As part of our new YA/Children's segment we are featuring Jenny's review of Forever, Book 3 in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, by Maggie Shiefvater. Now don't throw things at me but I have never read these books, although they have been on my wishlist for quite some time now. What catches my attention about these books is the simple, yet beautiful cover art that quite honestly stands out from everything else out there. The color palette and folk art appearance is unique in a sea of black YA covers, and the lack of cover models make it easier to simply imagine what the characters might look like. I'm fairly new to the YA scene and up until now I have just been adding titles to my shopping list, browsing the shelves when I can. Since I've heard nothing but positive comments about the series I think it might be time to bump them to the top of my list.

You can find out more information about this and other books by Maggie Stievvater with a visit to her lovely website. One click is all it takes. What are you waiting for?

Jenny's guest review:

Grace and Sam are meant to be together. But the life of being a werewolf is keeping them apart. Sam (who is now cured of being a wolf) is trying to find Grace after losing her to the woods as her wolf self, and every time Grace turns back to human she is trying to get back to him.  When she finally does they are thrilled to be back together again because they know they do not have much time together. Then, they find out that their friend Isabel’s father is trying to help kill all the wolves in the area. An unlikely support turns up to help them lead the wolves to safety. But will they get there in time? And will they find the cure that Cole is sure exists so that they can stay human and together all the time?

 

This is the thrilling conclusion to a fantastic series. I loved the way that Stiefvater conveys her characters and makes you want to keep reading and you want the story to never end at the same time.  Grace and  Sam’s love story is a beautiful one that shows that even in hard times the commitment they have stays strong. This book is perfect for high school readers and above and will get you hooked. I do suggest you read the first two books in the series before this one so you know the history behind this story.  

 

Other books in the series:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*This book was purchased for personal use  by Jenny Osborne and reviewed for Bite Club and her personal blog, Jenny and Tara's Book blog.

Review: Three Wishes by Jenny Schwartz

Book Description:

She is the Bringer of Death

Cali, a djinni, has sworn to twist the wishes of humans so they die by their own greed and evil. Her latest master is arms dealer David Saqr, a man Cali believes deserves the fate she has in store for him. But this time she finds herself up against Andrew, David’s guardian angel.

He is a Protector of Life

Andrew believes David can yet find redemption. He fights Cali for the man’s life, even as he tries to persuade her to give in to the sizzling attraction between them. He shows Cali another side of David, and invites her to trust again, to hope. But centuries of being enslaved have hardened Cali’s heart—it’s going to take all of Andrew’s love to convince her to open it and let him in.

Review:

I read and reviewed the first book awhile back, and was super bummed to note that I had somehow missed the second. How does that happen anyways? Well, when I saw Three Wishes was available I jumped at the chance to add it to my Kindle library, and then devoured the book in one sitting.

Three Wishes makes you look at guardian angels in a slightly different way. I've read about warriors that are tough enough to tackle the most evil villains, and I've read about the angst and guilt ridden ones as well, but I have never really stopped to think about how lonely their lives might be. How difficult it would be to constantly watch over others and never really live for yourself. How empty your soul would be never feeling love, passion, joy, and even anger and hate. We (humans) take our emotions and freedoms for granted, something Cali and Andrew don't, because both are limited by curses and duty. This is partly what makes them so uniquely suited for each other...they are from extreme opposite ends of the scale. He protects free will and she is cursed to never have her own. She feels so much and he is gradually losing that ability. When they meet the attraction is instantaneous and they know it is so much more than lust.

This is a quick and compelling read and I enjoyed the ending quite a bit. I can't spoil anything but I will hint that the romance isn't limited to the main characters alone. I just love happy endings!

For more information about Jenny Schwartz and the Out of the Bottle series, visit the author's website and blog.


*Reviewed by Anna Dougherty
*I got this book from NetGalley for review purposes.

Review: After Midnight by Lynn Veihl

Description:

Ever since the death of their parents, Catlyn Youngblood and her two older brothers have shared a nomadic existence, always moving from place to place. When they at last settle for good in the sleepy backwoods town of Lost Lake, Florida, Cat thinks she might finally have a normal life.

While riding her horse late one night, Cat meets an enigmatic boy named Jesse Raven. Even more strange than her overpowering attraction to him is Jesse's apparent aversion to daylight. Only under the cover of darkness can they meet. As Cat and Jesse's bond grows stronger, Cat discovers an incredible secret about the Ravens' and her own family's pasts—a secret that could destroy their love. Their families, knowing the truth, conspire to keep them apart. But Cat and Jesse will risk everything to be together . . . including death.

Jenny's Review:

Catlyn is tired of starting over. She has moved with her brothers many times and has been in 14 different schools. Finally her brother and guardian, Patrick "Trick", has decided that they will stay in Lost Lake, Florida. Cat really wants to be homeschooled but her brother says no way, so together, her and her other brother, Grayson, head off for their first day of school. The first few days are not great for Cat as she seems to have made an enemy of the most popular cheerleader at school.

Then she sneaks out at night to ride her horse and meets Jesse Raven, who she can't seem to get out of her mind. She knows there is something different about Jesse and just can't seem to figure out what it is. Hint: He can only go out at night and the sunlight burns him. Meanwhile, Cat finds out that her brothers have been keeping secrets from her about who her family really is and these secrets might keep her and Jesse apart. While all these things are happening to Cat at home, she is also feeling the stress of being an outcast at school. The enemy of the cheerleader and the attention of the football star really starts to get to her, especially when she finds out that her brother is dating the cheerleader.

Many events lead up to a surprising twist at the end of the book, which was great. I really liked the book for the many surprises. At first I thought it was going to be a typical girl meets vampire and falls in love, like many other books out right now. Not a bad thing because I like those books too. But at the end, Viehl created more depth because she tossed in a few twists that I really didn't see coming and really enjoyed, *possible spoiler* like Patrick having the ability to change and erase people's minds. It will be interesting to see what other adventures Viehl creates for Cat and Jesse, and to see if their bond really will hold up against what appears to be many people keeping them apart.


*This book was sent via the publisher for review purposes.
*Reviewed by Jenny O.

Review: No Mercy by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Book Description: 

Live fast, fight hard and if you have to die then take as many of your enemies with you as you can. That is the Amazon credo and it was one Samia lived and died by. Now in contemporary New Orleans, the immortal Amazon warrior is about to learn that there’s a worse evil coming to slaughter mankind than she’s ever faced before.

Shapeshifter Dev Peltier has stood guard at the front of Sanctuary for almost two hundred years and in that time, he’s seen it all. Or so he thought. Now their enemies have discovered a new source of power- one that makes a mockery of anything faced to date.

The war is on and Dev and Sam are guarding ground zero. But in order to win, they will have to break the most cardinal of all rules and pray it doesn’t unravel the universe as we know it.


Review with minimal spoilers: 

This was another superb effort from Sherrilyn Kenyon and any fears that the Dark Hunter universe might be played out have proven groundless. Every new installment continues to keep me guessing and I wouldn't have it any other way. Yeah, I know, they usually end up in some sort of eternally-ever-after, but I never know how they will end up together. Some struggle more with the concept of falling in love, some fight the past or internal demons, and others simply fight. In the DH world it is all about the journey. As per the norm, for every question answered several more pop up, and since Nick shows up quite a bit that means the reader is given many new and exciting plot twists to ponder.


Dev has always been a favorite secondary character, as are most of the Peltier clan. Their sense of family and loyalty dominates their personalities, although each has a defined individuality. All the bears are fierce, strong, dominating, and Dev is no exception. I love his smartass mouth and oddly enough, his optimistic disposition. You would think that after all the heartache and loss that Dev has witnessed that he might be jaded but he is a glass half full kind of guy. He even tells Sam that things can always get better. Even in the worst of circumstances he finds humor.

Sam is part of the machiskyli, the Dogs of War, a tough as nails group that has been tasked to train and protect Nick. She possesses the rare talent of psychometry, the ability to feel the memories and emotions of others. Her talent is so strong that Ash has to make her clothes and shoes special and she usually wears gloves so that she doesn't accidentally touch something. In fact, Sam's psychometry is so strong that she rarely eats because she gets memories from the animals. Of course, Dev is like a dead zone for her so she relishes being able to freely touch and to some degree Dev can shield her.


I thought Dev and Sam were given a brilliant story and I loved every minute of them together. The inclusion of favorite characters like Ash, Nick, and Stryker made the story even better. Since I am committed to having very few spoilers in my reviews (it's killing me to keep quiet about some stuff) I will just say that the DH universe is going to get more complicated before it gets better.


*Want to know more about the Dark Hunters? Sherrilyn Kenyon has a fantastic and very involved website that lists information for all her books, characters and everything else you can think of. Check it out!


*This book was sent by Get Red PR  for review purposes.
*Reviewed by Anna Dougherty for Bite Club

Review: Bonded by Blood by Laurie London

Book Description:

Movie location scout Mackenzie Foster-Shaw has always known that she’s cursed to die young. No one can protect her from the evil that has stalked her family for generations—vampires who crave her rare blood type. Until one afternoon in a wooded cemetery, she encounters an impossibly sexy stranger, a man she must trust with her life.

For Dominic, a man haunted by loss, Mackenzie satisfies a primal hunger that torments him—and the bond they share goes beyond heat, beyond love. She alone can supply the strength he needs to claim his revenge. But in doing so, he could destroy her…

Review:

I usually try not to gush when I do reviews but lately I've been blessed to have read some really great books and Bonded by Blood is one of those books. The connection between characters is both beautiful and passionate without being mushy. Dom has such a force behind his personality. On one hand he is decisive and strong, not hesitating to take out an enemy or kill when necessary. On the other hand he takes things slowly, with kindness and patience, not wanting to spook Mackenzie away (like the scene with Mackenzie's mother in the nursing home) and he has issues from his past that he continues to struggle with. All these traits demonstrate exactly what he is capable of. He is powerful, hot, confident, dangerous when needed and sexy as sin. And, hello, he cooks too! I might make him my new fake vampire boyfriend. 


Mackenzie took longer for me to like but once her past was revealed I felt that she became more dimensional and a good match for Dom. She has a level head and cares a great deal about her family. I like that little streak of daring, like agreeing to pose for a nude painting or removing her panties because they showed through her dress, and found her passion for art to be contagious. Mackenzie is a smart woman and accepts the world of vampires without much difficulty. 


Another aspect of Bonded by Blood that I enjoyed and appreciated was that we bypassed some of the usual hemming and hawing that can ruin a good romance. It's not like they jumped in with both feet or anything, and they each had reservations, but they seemed to fall away once that spark between them was ignited. Both characters were amazingly open to the possibilities whiuch kept the story moving along. 


*slightly spoilerish part of my review*


The plot had some interesting twists and turns, along with some intersections of storyline that I wasn't expecting. Alfonso is Dom's estranged brother and his appearance towards the end made me crazy for more. I want to read his story so bad I can taste it. His relationship to Lily positively radiates sex, lust, and some intense feelings that need to be resolved. A book is always a success for me when I can relate to the characters, and when the secondary ones snag my attention it makes it all the better. Embraced by Blood is already going on my pre-order list for sure!



For more about the Sweetblood series, visit Laurie at her website. She also has a blog and I found it to be interesting as well as candid. Take a minute and stop by.

The next book in the Sweetblood series, Embraced by Blood, will be out in July!! I absolutely cannot wait!!! Maybe I'll start celebrating Christmas in July:)

A couple of days ago Laurie shared her inspiration for Dom with the VampChix:

Yep, new vampire boyfriend:)

*Reviewed by Anna Dougherty for Bite Club
*This was obtained from NetGalley for review purposes.

Review: Skinners Vampire Uprising by Marcus Pelegrimas

Book Description:

A legendary Skinner has passed. Among the articles he left behind are runes, potions, and powerful weapons to aid in the ongoing war against the unspeakable creatures that prowl the shadows outside normal human consciousness. But there is something else: the remains of a terrifying beast no other Skinner has ever encountered. And it isn't dead.

Skinners, partners, lovers, Cole Warnecki and Paige Strobel are well armed with the tools the late Jonah Lancroft provided. But even his best weapons may not be enough to defeat the monstrosity they now face. A new terror has risen up to infect them both with its virulent malevolence, even as Paige confronts the secrets of her astonishing past. The purest evil walks the world again—the First Deceiver, humankind's darkest nightmare, the self-proclaimed King of the Full Bloods.

Review: 

Ours is not a world of subtlety. The common man will see what we fight just as they will undoubtedly bear witness to the war we wage. Skinners are human, which means we cannot control all that is seen or whispered about while we go about our tasks. We are mortal, which means we have no time to waste in educating the masses on what it is that stalks them.


The uninitiated, either through choice or necessity, are ignorant.
Too sheltered to know. 
Too stubborn to learn.
That is how they must remain. - Lancroft's journal, written in 1851

There is absolutely nothing subtle about this book. The reader is thrust into a dark, gritty world from the minute the first page is turned, and that pace doesn't let up until the final word on the final page. Even then you might find yourself thinking back to the Skinners, or Paige, or Cole. I know I did. Without any spoilers I can only say that the book ends with a cliffhanger and I am seriously impatient for the next book. However, if you are unfamiliar with this series you might start out feeling a bit lost as events seem to pick up right where they left off and it does take awhile to settle into the particulars.

I'm not sure that I'd agree with the front cover quote that essentially says that Twilight fans will like this series. I mean, they could, but the books are total opposites in almost every way that counts. Paige would eat Bella for breakfast, Cole would kick Edward's ass without breaking a sweat, and romantic angst isn't exactly a Skinners theme. But that's just my opinion.

Fans of urban fantasy will love this book. I'd say the closest comparison would maybe be the Dark Days series from Jocelynn Drake, which I also love. The Skinners world is dark, full of terrifying evil, and to say it is a dangerous place would be an understatement. The main characters are strong and capable, ready to tackle anything that comes their way, although I predict that Paige and Cole will soon be facing some tough choices.

Book 5, The Breaking, can't come soon enough for me. I think the date is June 2011.

*Reviewed by Anna Dougherty for Bite Club
*This book was given to me by the publishers for review purposes.

Guest review with Yolanda Sfetsos- Zombie: An Anthology of the Undead

ZOMBIE: An Anthology of the Undead

Let me start with this: I'm a huge zombie fan. I love all-things zombie. So, as soon as I saw the cover for this book online, I knew it was a book that I desperately wanted to read. Don't you just love that creepy, cool, and gross cover? It certainly captures the essence of this wonderful collection of stories.

LAZARUS by John Connolly is a zombie short of biblical proportions. It's a quick, well-written, and totally engrossing tale that I found to be a nice nibble-bite introduction for this very cool anthology.

WHAT MAISIE KNEW by David Liss: Wow, what an amazingly haunting story! This is the tale of a man who keeps a secret reanimate stashed away. Sounds pretty simple, right? Well, it's not. But it is a page-turner. I hung on every word and didn't want it to end. But when I got to the end, OMG... what an amazing way to end it. I should've seen it coming. The hints were there--amongst all that gross, intense awesomeness.

I LOVED it! Utterly brilliant.

COPPER by Stephen R. Bissette is a fragmented story told through the eyes of a very confused man. As the story progresses, he reveals enough for the reader to put the story together. But what actually happens isn't something I expected.

IN THE DUST by Tim Lebbon: Here's another amazing story. Toby, Jamie and Bindy are trapped inside their town. High fences keep them inside their dying town as the military and scientists keep an eye on them, to make sure they can keep the plague contained, as well as figure out how it started. Of course, they hate being trapped inside. After all, they haven't done anything wrong.

What I loved the most about this story--asides from the excellent writing and storytelling--was that their entrapment ends up being their salvation. Another brilliant tale!

LIFE SENTENCE by Kelley Armstrong is an awesome addition! I love Kelley's Otherworld series, and it was great to see that this story is set in the same world. I love how she does that. Anyway, this story's about a very powerful but sick man who is trying to cheat death and will do whatever it takes to do it. Another story with twists, turns, and an ending that satisfied my wicked side.

DELICE by Holly Newstein: Happens to be another delightful tale. I knew there had to be a voodoo zombi in this anthology and this one didn't disappoint. It's a revenge story. Even if that revenge is taken by someone else, but on behalf of tortured slaves.

THE WIND CRIES MARY by Brian Keene is a short and wonderful story with a twist ending. I enjoyed how quick, yet sharp it was. It captured the emotion of a powerful love that defied death. Great story.

FAMILY BUSINESS by Jonathan Maberry is an outstanding, well-written, and very sad story about a young boy and his older brother. A brother who people say is a killer in a world where zombies live outside the fences surrounding the town. When it's time for Benny to find his own job, he finds he has no other option but to go out with his brother to learn the business, and finds out the truth. A truth that leads to a very sad ending. This story made me cry. I loved it!

THE ZOMBIE WHO FELL FROM THE SKY by M.B. Homler: A hilarious tale that weaves an intricate tale where everything that happens is connected. Of course, you don't realise that at the beginning, but by the time you're reading the last word you just can't help but stare at the page in amazement. A story that starts with a zombie falling from the sky and getting stuck on the town's spire turns into one loser's struggle to survive with a chihuahua by his side. I did a lot of LOLing with this one.

MY DOLLY by Derek Nikitas. I don't know what to say about this one. I enjoyed the writing and couldn't wait to see where it was going... but in the end, I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. It was pretty average, to be honest.

SECOND WIND by Mike Carey: Oh, I loved this one! Nick's tale was an awesome adventure, and a totally different look at the zombie genre. Who would think to become a zombie by choice? And go through everything he does. I loved that in the end, he might be totally alone, but manages to hold onto some of his humanity.

CLOSURE, LTD by Max Brooks: I don't know if it's because I haven't read any stories in the World War Z world, but I just couldn't get into this one. The writing style kept jolting me out of the story. :/ Maybe the novel's better. I don't know.

AMONG US by Aimee Bender isn't really a story, but a collection of observations, really. I didn't enjoy this one. I'm glad it was short, because I was getting ready to skip ahead. :(

GHOST TRAP by Rick Hautala is a very interesting tale about a man who thinks he's helping to rescue someone he finds beneath the water, but actually turns into a nightmare. A nightmare that the residents of this town were positive had been buried beneath the water years ago. I particularly enjoyed that a zombie outbreak had already happened in the past, and had been cleaned up. Awesomely gruesome ending.

THE STORM DOOR by Tad Williams is another one that made it onto my favourite list. Instantly. I got caught up in the story as soon as I started it. What an amazing tale Tad manages to weave with this character, which I was hoping we'd get to read more stories about. But, um, I don't think so... not after what happens. Still, brilliant!

KIDS AND THEIR TOYS by James A. Moore: This is another excellent story. It's actually quite horrific. It's gross, and I found myself feeling sorry for the poor zombie that this group of boys find and decide to torture. And the ending, I'm still thinking about it. Poor Jack. :(

SHOOTING POOL by Joe R. Lansdale: Uh, next story.

WEAPONIZED by David Wellington is a story set in the near future, when the army has found a new solution to save lives and money on the frontline. A journalist initially sent to investigate one thing, winds up stumbling on these new soldiers--zombies. I'm usually not a fan of war stories, but I really enjoyed this one!

TWITTERING FROM THE CIRCUS OF THE DEAD by Joe Hill: While I enjoyed the uniqueness of this... story. Can I really call it a story? lol. I think it's great in a way that all of us who love to spend time on Twitter can appreciate. It was a fun, quick read.

Zombie: An Anthology of the Undead offers a fantastic mix of zombie stories that will satisfy any zombie lover. I think this is one of the best anthologies I've ever read, simply because I absolutely LOVED so many of the stories. There were only a handful that didn't satisfy my zombie itch, but that didn't matter because the other fourteen did! And that's an amazing accomplishment.

I think Christopher Golden did a great job at selecting and editing this gem of a book. This one's a definite keeper. I know I'll be picking it up again to re-read a bunch of these stories. :)

Zombie: An Anthology of the Undead, March 2010, ISBN 978-074-995293-8, Piatkus Fiction Paperback

Yolanda Sfetsos is a writer who loves reading and writing about the supernatural. She also loves to read, and collects books. Feel free to visit her website: www.yolandasfetsos.com

 

Guest review with Yolanda Sfetsos: The Dead Tossed Waves

THE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES 

Last year, I read and absolutely loved The Forest of Hands & Teeth, so when I found out there would be another story set in this world, I was very excited. I've been waiting almost a year to read this, so you can imagine how awesome it was when I got started and absolutely lost myself in Gabry's bleak world.

Gabry lives in the seaside town of Vista with her mother. They live inside the lighthouse and patrol the beach, ready to deal with the dead bodies of the Mudo that continually wash up bloated and ready to infect. Her life has always been filled with security and safety, but the night she ventures past the town's Barrier and into the abandoned amusement park with her friends, her world comes crashing down around her.

The night she shares her first kiss with the boy she likes and finds out that he feels the same way about her was supposed to be a memorable one, not end in horror. But that's exactly what happens when a Breaker appears out of nowhere and starts to attack, infecting as many teenagers as it can.

After Gabry runs, leaving everyone else behind and lying about being there with them, her life is changed forever. Some of the teenagers are infected, others are imprisoned by the Militia, and the boy she likes--Catcher--is missing. The night she sneaks back into the ruins to find out the truth about what happened to him is also the night she meets the mysterious Elias.

The emotional rollercoaster ride that Gabry goes through in this book is amazing. Her life is once again turned upside down when her mother reveals a truth she's been keeping from her. But the secrets of her origins don't stop there. And when she's forced to run from the relative safety of Vista, she finds herself in the same paths that Mary travelled in the Forest, but heading the other way.

This book is as beautiful as the first. As shocking and sad, yet wonderfully vivid. This dead world is frightening but Carrie Ryan is able to deliver such a beauty with her tormented characters that I was consumed by every word. Gabry was a tortured soul who often did selfless things that wound up coming out the opposite way. I also enjoyed learning more about the Mudo/Unconsecrated situation, and how there is so much more to the world--like the Dark City, Soulers, and Recruiters, and why Mary's village had no idea there were other humans out there.

The Dead-Tossed Waves is every bit as brilliant as The Forest of Hands & Teeth, yet stands on it's own as a horrifyingly, haunting tale of survival in a dead world. I loved every minute of it and only have one question now: when's the next out going to be released?

The Dead-Tossed Waves, April 2010, ISBN 978-057-509090-3, Gollancz Paperback

Yolanda Sfetsos is a writer who loves reading and writing about the supernatural. She also loves to read, and collects books. Feel free to visit her website: www.yolandasfetsos.com