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Monday, September 21, 2009We interupt this hiatus for a very special review:Back before I put my blog on hiatus I received an E-Arc from one of my favorite writers with the promise to post a review on my blog. In my haste, I forgot my promise, but always one to make good on my word- without further ado: Shadowlight: A Novel of the Kyndred by Lynn Viehl  Seamlessly transitioning into the next arch of her Darkyn universe, Lynn Viehl starts off her Novels of the Kyndred series with a sharp, sexy entry that focuses on genetically altered children known as the Kyndred. Unbeknownst to the Darkyn- templar knights cum vampires, introduced in her first seven book series- twenty odd years ago, a shadow group experimented with children who are neither human, nor Kyn (vampire). Orphans nobody wanted, the children are secretly adopted out and few of them are aware of what they truly are because their powers are only fully activated after they die.Shadowlight centers around Jessa Bellemy and a mysterious man we later discover is a prototype of the Kyndred- a creature far older than the Darkyn themselves. Gaven Matthias has made it his business to collect and protect the Kyndred ever since he awoke from a deep freeze he labored under for thousands of years. When Jonah Genaro, ceo of GenHance, a leading biotech company, targets Jessa, Matthias snatches her before his arch nemesis can capture her first. Jessa has no clue who she is anymore, let alone what she is. She only knows that ever since a tragic accident, she has a special gift that frightens her- one that enables her to read the dark shadows of a human soul. When a gorgeous man rescues her from an apparent attack, having only herself to trust for so long, she's wary of the enigmatic stranger. Because she doesn't know who to trust, she's determined to escape him- and the odd attraction she feels toward him. So she focuses on getting away from the underground fortress she's imprisoned in, while topside her world is turned upside down by the man who would stop at nothing to get his hands on her- and her gift. When she finally realizes that Matthias is who he says he is, and that her very life is threatened by GenHance, they two team up- along with the motley crew of Kyndred Matthias has collected to aid him. But first they must stop a misogynist monster- and a former employee of GenHance- who blames Jessa for his recent troubles. Meanwhile Jonah Genaro quietly works behind the scenes to advance his own designs- one that started two thousand years ago at the end of the Roman Empire and I suspect will not end till the Kyndred come into their own. Viehl takes the best elements of her Darkyn novels, pares them down, and spins her world into a whole new direction. Smart and darkly sensual, Shadowlight begins Viehls's new series with action, suspense and a dash of mystery and moves the Kyndred closer to the paranormal romance genre and a tad farther from the Urban Fantasy that marked the Darkyn series. (A smart move, because her sexy tortured heroes cry out for a happily-ever-after every time!) Her way of hooking a reader with tantalizing peeks into the ancient world and tying them to modern menaces is what sets her novels apart and makes them stand out from the rest of the pack. I simply couldn't put Shadowlight down once I started! 4.5 out of 5 from me! Shadowlight is available October 6th, 2009. ...back to your regularly scheduled hiatus... Labels: Authors, Book Reviews, PNR/UF Luv  
Tuesday, September 01, 2009Goodbye For AwhileI've been blogging since 2005 and decided it's time for a break- maybe a permanent one. I'd like to burn some bridges and tell some people once and for all what I really think of you but I'm tried and don't need the added bitterness in my life. For those I've followed and who have followed me- you've been my joy in blogging life and I'll probably pop by your blogs from time to time! TTFN!
Monday, August 31, 2009Book Review: Wolf Unbound Wolf Unbound by Lauren DaneI was excited to read this book as Dane's other books have had some really great reviews and this one being a werewolf paranormal seemed like a natural fit. Unfortunately I couldn't get into it. First- I thought this book was the first in a series- it's not. Lots of references to previous plots and I believe the main plot, outside these two coming together, was already established in the previous novels. Second- Lots of D/s- though nothing overly extreme, which generally is okay with me, what I didn't buy was the fact that the hero was supposed to be more- or equally- alpha to the heroine who's job is pack "enforcer" or protector. He was not. I know alpha and it wasn't him. The gist of the story is that Tegan meets Ben soon after she decides its time to get out in the dating scene after mourning the loss of her mate for 4 yrs. The meet in a D/s club and instantly form a connection. Outside the club Ben works with Tegan's brothers as a human cop consulting with the local werewolf pack. They quickly discover there is more than just a simple attraction- that they are indeed destined to be mates. The stress of just getting to know each other, compounded by a mating that will link them forever and the fact that their work worlds are colliding almost tears them apart. But they manage it. I can't tell you what happened with the mafiosa/type head of a werewolf pack who is making his move to consolidate the packs under his leadership and frankly I could care less. I felt no real connection to Tegan and Ben much less any connection they were supposed to have to each other outside the bedroom and the mating link. And AGAIN with "un" title? yeesh. DNF. Labels: Book Reviews
Thursday, August 27, 2009Book Review: The Darkest Whisper The Darkest Whisper by Gena ShowalterShowalter’s Lords of the Underworld series is about a group of former guardians to the Gods who ages ago opened Pandora’s box and unleashed hell. Unfortunately, as payment for their deeds ,they were each assigned a demon from the box to inhabit them to keep the chaos unleashed in check. After all this time the Lords of learned to live with their misdeed, however noble their thinking might have been at the time. It’s not easy to keep their own personal demons in check, but they’re dealing. In The Darkest Whisper we get Sabin's story, the keeper of Doubt. Living with constant thoughts of doubt and despair- not only about himself but projected on others, Sabin keeps the worst of his demon’s effects for the battlefield, where he spends the majority of time to keep those around him safe. When the Lords are sent to a pyramid in Egypt to uncover an artifact that will destroy the box that once held their demons, he encounters something even more dangerous to him then his demon- the love of his life. Gwendolyn the Timid is an immortal Harpie, but she’s never learned to control the dark creature that lives inside her. When a group of fierce warriors rescue her from imprisonment, she’s helplessly drawn to the leader. But she’s so afraid of the Harpie inside her she’s sure she cannot trust herself to be around him. Fate, it would seem, has other ideas. They eventually join forces to battle a group of humans who want nothing more than the destruction of the Lords and as Sabin teaches her to accept the part of herself that frightens her the most they draw even closer in a dangerous passion that neither can deny. However, all is not completely what it seems with Gwendolyn and a dark secret may eventually destroy the burgeoning love arising between them. I gobbled this book up in one sitting. The Darkest Whisper is the kind of paranormal romance that keeps me coming back to this genre over and over. Full of angst and steamy passion as well as mythic story telling, this one is my favorite Lord of the Underworld book so far! Sabin is so surprised by the feelings he has by Gwen he puts up little fight. Sure he knows he should stay away- for her own good- but the protective instinct she awakened in him keeps him by her side. He’s fierce in his love and I just loved him. Although Gwen initially comes off as a scared little rabbit, it all changes when she meets Sabin. He makes her want to defeat her own demons and as she learns to trust him, she learns to trust herself. Her complete love for Sabin makes their love story a joy to read. Showalter did an excellent job of keeping these too on a tense sexual wire without having them fight each other to create it. Yeah, they were unsure about the love they felt, but mostly because the dark parts of themselves were so destructive. It was a great hook and I’m glad she found it! I have to mention too that I loved that Showalter included a little peek at each of the previous Lords (as well as their mates!). Anya was completely endearing in this book, more so then in her own, and she totally came off like one of Kresley's Cole's Valkyries- a group of women I just love reading about! More so than any other book in this series, this story encompassed all the Lords and it made for a richer read! 4.5 out of 5 from me! This is paranormal romance at its very best! PS Someone is coming to the Lords' world and I sense one such Lord is gonna finally find the one creature in the world who can show him what it’s like to feel love- even though everyone else thinks she’s nuckin’ futs! I cannot WAIT for THAT story!! PSS- With coupons and gift cards in hand, I picked up The Darkest Whisper last night (and finished it last night too!) along with these: Wolf Unbound by Lauren Dane One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost At Grave’s End by Jeaniene Frost Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews Dark Hunger by Rita Herron Tiger Eye by Marjorie M. Liu Demon Bound by Meljean Brook I'm a lucky duck! Labels: Book Reviews, PNR/UF Luv
Monday, August 24, 2009Top 10 TV Couples MemeCan you believe I missed the fact the Book Smuggler's tagged me on this meme!?! Well, better late than never I always say! My List of TV's Top 10 Couples:  10. Rose & The Doctor- Although I came to love Tennet’s Doctor Who with any companion- Rose and The Doctor saying goodbye broke my heart.  9. Captain Jack Harkness & Gwen Cooper- Sure they both have other partners in Torchwood- a BBC Doctor Who spinoff- and I actually like who they were both paired with- but in my heart, this is the couple I’m "shipping" for!  8. Daphne & Niles- Okay, I agree, Niles’s sexuality is more than questionable, but no one wanted these two to get together more than I- and wonder of wonders, I still adored Frasier AFTER they did!  7. Josh & Donna- loved, loved, LOVED these two together- even before they were together! I srsly need to get The West Wing on DVD because I miss seeing them interact.  6. Wesley & Fred- ::le sigh:: These two. These two- They never truly got together on the vamp-with-a-soul show Angel, till it was almost all over. And technically it was all over for Fred by the time they finally admitted their love for each other. Every time I see the episode where she dies in Wesley’s arms begging for more time with him, I bawl. Every. Time.  5. Buffy & Spike- Whedon knows how to make couples I 'ship for. But no couple more than Buffy and the once evil, but still a uber-sexy bad boy, Spike. Talk about heat. ::fanning self::  4. Sam & Dean Winchester- I know they’re brothers, but really, can you blame me? Sammie & Dean from the CW’s Supernatural have more chemistry than any other tv couple out there right now. And sexy? grrrrrrrrrrrr  3. Bones & Seeley Booth- I loved Boreanaz as Angel, I love him as Booth even more and let me tell you- his pairing with Tempe far outstrips his coupling with Buffy. Bones and Seeley are MFEO. (Bones)  2. Scully & Mulder- No couple generated more heat without even touching each other than The X-Files' Scully and Mulder- and they didn’t do it with pathetic longing glances ala Twilight the movie. No, they did it with how the preferred each other. Unfortunately when the writers and producers finally did put these two together it stunk up the room, but the tension till we got there makes this tv couple one of the very best.   1. Ross & Rachel (Monica & Chandler)- R & R was the couple we knew were destined to be together- “She’s his lobster!”- and no one loved the "Friends" ride more than I, but Monica & Chandler’s pairing- though not quite as emotional- was so very fun to watch as well! (I cried like a baby when Honorable Mention:  Jack, Kate & Sawyer- I wanted to put Lost’s famous love triangle on the list because, well, because they should be- but since they technically aren’t “a couple” they’ll get an honorable mention. For the longest time I’ve been a J/ate shipper- but I got so pissed with BOTH of them in the last couple seasons, I’m no longer vested in their pairing. However, I’m still not sold on Sawyer and Kate. I’m thinking perhaps a triple is in order with these three because without the sum total of the three it’s just not the same. Am I wrong? Now you go do it because I'd love to see some more! Create a list of your top 10 all-time favorite television couples, tag five other bloggers, and pass it on. Labels: Blog Things, LOST, Memes, The Joss is a god here ..., TV
 Desire Untamed by Pamela Palmer (Feral Warriors Book 1)Lyon is a member of a shapeshifting race living right under the humans' noses. In their world, one woman- The Radiant One- reigns supreme. When the current Radiant One dies the new one is “awakened” and it is Lyon’s job to find her. Only he’s having a difficult time of it this go around. When he finally locates her, he’s dismayed to find she knows nothing of who she truly is. But time is of the essence because an ancient enemy is resurfacing and the Therians- a race of animal shape-shifters- need their ability to shift back. Though the new Radiant One has just suffered a great loss, he forces her back to the Therian compound to commence with the ceremony needed to reinvigorate them. Kara Maccalister is sure the wild man who broke into her mother’s house is a nutcase, but when they are attacked by creatures usually relegated to nightmare’s she’s willing to listen. Lost and confused after the loss of her mother she agrees to join him and his kind only to find herself embroiled in a strange subculture she never knew existed and in war against an evil that threatens her very existence. Not only must Kara and Lyon fight for their lives but also the strangely compelling attraction to each other neither of them want much less understand. I'm not sure how long the author has been writing but this book shows its immaturity- at least in the Paranormal Romance realm. The shapeshifting world the author is playing in is an easy hook for me, but there is much to be desired in the way Palmer pulled it together. Feeling scattered and just plain silly at times, Desire Untamed certainly doesn’t rank very highly in the annals of paranormal romance for me. In DU, the sex is borderline erotica- usually a good thing for me- but the characters felt flat and underdeveloped in the author’s need to explain the mechanics of her world, so much of the steam factor fizzled. As with the unoriginal “un” title- hello? Can we not come up with something new now?- the book felt like a copycat version of many other pnr’s out there rather than the addition it is meant to be. Still, I’m all about the shape shifters and at no time did I want to give up on the book- plus she piqued my interest in the rest of the group- so I am gonna pick up the next in the series when I head out to Barnes and Noble this week and see if it’s any better. 2.8 out of 5 from me. Labels: Book Reviews, PNR/UF Luv
Saturday, August 22, 2009Book Review: Midnight Rising Midnight Rising (The Midnight Breed, Book 4) by Lara Adrian In the first book of Adrian's Midnight Breed series, Kiss of Midnight, the seemingly happily mated couple, Rio & Eva, meet a tragic ending. Eva betrays Rio and the rest of his brothers in arms, bringing about her own death and leaving Rio severely scarred- emotionally and physically. A short time later, where Midnight Rising picks up, Rio is tired of his miserable existence. At the end of a dangerous mission in the mountains of Prague, the Warriors discover an ancient, empty crypt which once hibernated a malevolent originator of their species. Rio volunteers to stay behind and blow away the evidence. Only the rest of the warriors don't know he means to blow himself up too. Weeks after they leave Rio alone with the purpose of destroying the evidence, both he and the crypt are still intact, but he's ready to do the deed that very night. Until an intrepid reporter stumbles upon the lair and snaps some pictures before escaping. Weak from starvation and madness, Rio pulls it together enough to go after the girl. Disgusted to find she's a reporter ready to tell all, he captures her only to realize she's already sent the photos off to not only her editor but also some family and friends. Taking her with him to a safe haven in Germany, she fights him tooth and nail yet something about this fierce, beautiful young woman draws him out of his pain. But when he discovers she's part of a rare group of women who have the exact genetic makeup to effectively mate with the half alien/half human Vampires known as the Breeds, things get even more difficult between them. The last thing Rio wants is to be connected to another woman, and he means to leave this one behind- to get back to dying. Dylan cannot believe the world she's stumbled into, but part of her realizes what the scarred, tortured man before her is saying is true. She agrees to join him on a journey back to his home in the United States to clear up the mess she inadvertently made when she sent her pictures to her editor. In the end, she has o choice, for not only is Rio's world threatening her family and her very existence, but something about Rio makes her want to see him whole again. I was surprised Adrian came up with Rio's story so early on in the series. At the end of Kiss of Midnight he was utterly wrecked by Eva's betrayal. Rio starts off the novel suicidal and ready to give up, but before the climax even hits, he's telling Dylan he loves her and he's can't live without her?! Not that I read paranormal romance for it's basis on reality :-) - but this fantastical improbability is the very reason I had issues with Midnight Rising. Still, I liked Dylan a lot. She was feisty and not easily swayed, and she was ready to give up the love she had for Rio in order to be with her ailing mother. She had alotta heart and I adore that in a heroine. I also really liked Rio, considering his unlikely speedy recovery. A capacity to forgive and love again, so deeply-so quickly, is an admirable thing- if a bit far-fetched, in my jaded eyes. And, believe me, this one is all about the easy happily ever after- despite the blood sucking Vampire/Alien aspect. The Alien/Breed progenitor bad guy aspect and the thriller plots it gives to this set of books is certainly enticing too, So, given the whole, I did enjoy this novel. 4 out of 5 from me. Labels: Book Reviews, PNR/UF Luv
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