Review: Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris

Grave Secret (Harper Connelly #4)
by Charlaine Harris

Lightning-struck sleuth Harper Connelly and her stepbrother Tolliver take a break from looking for the dead to visit the two little girls they both think of as sisters. But, as always happens when they travel to Texas, memories of their horrible childhood resurface.

To make matters worse, Tolliver learns from his older brother that their father is out of jail and trying to reestablish contact with other family members. Tolliver wants no part of the man- but he may not have a choice in the matter.

Soon, family secrets ensnare them both, as Harper finally discovers what happened to her missing sister, Cameron, so many years before.

And what she finds out will change her world forever.

Genre: Adult, Paranormal

Publication Date: Oct 27th 2009

Publisher: Berkley

Format: Mass Market Paperback, 306 pages 

Series: yes

Source: my own copy

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My Review

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this serias as much as I did. I happened upon the first volume and decided to give it a try after SO many Sookie books. I have always been attracted to the paranormal, i.e., mediums, ghosts, the whole thing. I don't necessarily BELIEVE in the people that say they have the power to talk/see/help the dead, but I DO like to read about it and ponder over the possibility.

I quickly warmed up to Harper and to Harris' no-nonsense narration. She's very to-the-point (no wonder how short her books are), and that is always refreshing to me. Sometimes too much description takes over the real plot and makes the reader lose some of the focus that should be on the story, not the surroundings. Not that Harris doesn't manage to make us aware of the places where the story takes place, she does, but she ALSO makes it all much more easy to digest. The same goes for secondary characters' descriptions. I like it very much, but some may not.

Like I said, Harper was a delight. Even when people kept pestering her to do her corpse-searching job right, and then acting in disbelief about the 'legitimacy' of her very accurate results, she would always find the best way to deal with the complainer. In this last book Harper FINALLY had the chance to prove she is capable of taking care of herself, and I was happy to see it happening, as she always came off quite dependant upon her brother-turned-lover, not to mention almost weak. And not just physically weak, but mentally as well, sometimes.

The book managed to close every mystery that was still open (what happened to Harper's sister, what was the deal with her and Tolliver's other siblings, etc) AND still surprised us some things we didn't quite see coming (at least not in MY case. I could not have been more surprised. LOL). I was also suprised with the romance between them, but I quickly got over it.

The series isn't perfect, sure, but there is SOMEthing about it.... I enjoyed it so much that after I was done with the first book, I instantly grabbed the second, and then so on. I ignored my immense TBR list and found time to read the four books, one right after the other, as quickly as possible. And if THAT doesn't tell you something, then I don't know what else to say. ;)

Early Review: The Prophet by Amanda Stevens

The Prophet (Graveyard Queen #3)
by Amanda Stevens

Expected publication: April 24th 2012 by Mira

My name is Amelia Gray.I am the Graveyard Queen, a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. My father passed down four rules to keep me safe and I've broken every last one. A door has opened and evil wants me back.In order to protect myself, I've vowed to return to those rules. But the ghost of a murdered cop needs my help to find his killer. The clues lead me to the dark side of Charleston—where witchcraft, root doctors and black magic still flourish—and back to John Devlin, a haunted police detective I should only love from afar.Now I'm faced with a terrible choice: follow the rules or follow my heart.

Genre: Adult, Paranormal

Publication Date: April 24th 2012

Publisher: Mira

Format: eARC, 352 pages 

Series: yes

Source: Netgalley

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My Review

In this exciting new stallment of the thrilling paranormal series, our Graveyard Queen, Amelia Gray, returns to Charleston, home of her love, John Devlin and all of his ghosts. 

The ghost of Shani, Devlin's daughter continues to follow Amelia around, like she started in the last book, but this time more insistently, begging to be found and to be helped.... but every time Amelia comes even a bit close to finding answers, Mariama's ghost pushes her away. And now Darius, a master of the dark arts and Mariama's cousin, is also in the picture, ready to terrorize  and confuse Amelia.

But his time the ghost Prophet needs her help as well. Robert Fremont, a murdered cop and an old friend of Devlin's, wants Amelia to find his killer. Except that with his memory loss and erratic prophetic powers in the way, the investigation promises to be not only difficult, but very dangerous.

Amelia has broken all of her father's rules. Rules she's been raised with, created to keep her safe from the darkness and evil creatures that walk between worlds. Now she's being followed by something. Something very strong and very dark. And this murder investigation involves much more than she first thought it would. Dark magic, blackmail, betrayal and even more murders threaten to be unveiled...

Surrounded and bothered by ghosts most of the time, Amelia sometimes forget that the living can be just as frightening as the dead... and she's just about to discover that when they work together, things can get very, very ugly.

I can't believe I forgot how mysterious and exciting Amanda Stevens' writing can be! She drives us crazy with curiosity over every small detail that is slowly unearthed throughout the story, tempting us to join in the investigating process, making us writhe with the urge to discover everything that is going on as quickly as possible. Nothing is as simple as we first thought, nobody is completely innocent and everything is somehow interconnected. Really, this author has the gift of writing the best thrillers! With such a thick cloud of mystery over every case, it should become a tiring, even repetitive read, but it's not! It's always powerful, provoking and stimulating tales! She surprises us at every page. With this one you can be sure you'll NEVER guess the ending before you should. And that is such a relief, let me tell you.

It probably sounds a bit like over-gushing, but this series deserve every praise. As soon as we finish one volume we start to think that there's no way the next one will be as good... but then the author comes and hits us over the head with the awesomeness that is her new story. Every single one turns out even better than the next. I have no idea how she does it, but I'm glad her already fantastic writing always manages to improve!

Amelia is such a smart, gifted, independent character. I just love her. And her feelings for Devlin? Gods, they are almost palpable! Their awareness is so strong, their physical link so intense that you almost expect them to slip off the pages. It's almost unsettling, stirring and compelling, all at the same time. I especially like this romance because it didn't just spring up from nowhere. It slowly built up. It was violently ended. It built up again, was denied, tried to be ignored... but they still can't stay away from each other! Even when everything and everyone seems to be against them. Pretty much themselves included, most of the time. That is real, powerful love. Not the instant, fleeting, weak thing that wants to be called real that we get from most books these days.

But, obviously, the book is not all about romance. It is just a part of it, a very important part, sure, but the story is so much more complex than just that. You get horrified over the haunting ghosts and creepy entities and their actions, you get intrigued over the clues and old secrets that are slowly discovered, you get suspicious over new odd characters we are introduced to and very surprised over the actions of old characters you thought you knew. There is never a boring moment with Amelia, that's for sure. That ending was supposed to make us readers feel better, to have some sort of completion... but it only managed to make us even more distressed and desperate to read the next volume! LOL. Way to go, Miss Stevens.

If you like surprises, a romantic and mysterious thriller with a fast pace and very creepy moments, then you'll go insane over this series. I know I did.


* I was lucky enough to receive an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: Immortal Rider by Larissa Ione

 
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Immortal Rider (Lords of Deliverance #2)

by Larissa Ione

Published  November 22nd 2011  by Grand Central Publishing

The signs are everywhere...disastrous world events. Evil rising up, unleashed upon the innocent. The prophecies were there...but no one listened. Until now. The time has come for those who can either usher in Doomsday...or prevent it. They are here. They ride. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Arik Wagner, a soldier with the U.S. Army's paranormal unit, the R-XR, kissed a girl and liked it. And then he went to hell as punishment. Where he's spent weeks being tortured...and plotting revenge.

Limos, Horsewoman of the Apocalypse, isn't your average girl. She's immortal, dangerous, and her fiancé is Satan himself. In a moment of weakness, she gave in to her desire and kissed Arik, triggering her fiancé's wrath - and his claim on her. In order to save Arik, and theworld, Limos must make a dangerous pact with her recently turned evil brother, Pestilence. A deal that might just cost her her soul...and her heart.

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Review:

really liked it!

I bought a copy of the Eternal Rider a couple of months ago and loved it, so when I saw Immortal Rider available on Netgalley, I ran and requested it. I'm so happy they allowed me to review it. Man, I can't possibly stress how much I LOVED this book. 

I can't possibly stress how much I LOVED this book. Except that I can: GO AND READ IT RIGHT NOW!!!

The book starts with Ares and Cara's wedding party (Immortal Rider), in which Arik Wagner is very happy to meet with the attractive Limos, Ares's sister and the third Horsewoman of the Apocalypse, again.

The thing is, Limos was promised by her succubus mother to Satan. Yup, she is to become the Bride of Satan. Needless to say, Limos is trying her best to avoid that outcome. She's been trying her best to not let her Seal break, she doesn't step on Sheoul, the demon realm, or gives her affection to any male...

That is, until Arik goes and kiss her. Demons then surge from underneath and drag him down to hell, and the last thing he hears is Limos screaming: "Don't say my name!", because if the male who incites jealousy (in this case: kiss) utters her name while in agony, then The Dark Lord can have her.

Limos was one of the strongest heroines I ever read about. I loved reading about her kick-assing and her relationship with her brothers. The author really makes us feel what she feels, how she fights her emotions (especially guilt), and I thought that the scales in her back that can pend to 'bad' or 'good' were a very nice touch to the story. Very creative. Her chastity belt was a huge LOL, too. ;)  Innocent-looking pearls that can chop fingers off. Priceless

Arik was such a cutie! He was so sweet with Limos. In the book we see a bit about his horrible father and difficult past, not to mention how much he suffered in the hands of demons. The guy had some serious balls to stand up to the other Horsemen to protect his wife when the sh*t started to hit the fan. 

I loved the story, how things started to fall into place so perfectly just as I was starting to pull my hair out with worry. LOL. Larissa Ione really knows how to get us excited, nervous, sad and mad in just a handful of pages. The action scenes are so good! Man, she's brilliant.

I can't wait to read the next book, Lethal Rider!!! Thanatos is SO hot! *-* We see a lot more about him in this book, and, oh, boy. Just... oh, boy. I didn't care much for Regan, but the fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse already has my heart.

Oh, I can't believe I'm writing this, but Satan should have made an appearance. I would like to actually have seen him in the book, not just mentions of him. LOL. Things would have been a LOT more interesting. Just saying. ;P

*I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Friday Reads - The Sterkarm Series by Susan Price

The Sterkarm Handshake

 

by Susan Price

"Beware of shaking hands with a Sterkarm!" goes the folk saying. Why the warning? The members of this wild 16th-century Scottish clan are left-handed, and while they smile and offer the right hand, the left wields a dagger.
When a 21st-century mega-corporation opens a Time Tube to the 16th century, the stiff-backed CEO finds his plans for exploiting the mineral and tourism possibilities of the ancient English-Scottish border frustrated by the Sterkarms--raiding parties of men he regards as primitive animals.

On the other side of the Time Tube, anthropologist Andrea Mitchell has been sent to live with the Sterkarms to be the corporation's informant and translator. There she is surprised to find herself admired for her generous curves and accepted warmly by the volatile and affectionate--but intermittently murderous--clansmen. When her lover, Per, is grievously wounded on a raid, she persuades Old Toorkild, the chief, to allow his handsome and adored son to be transported to the 21st century for healing. But when Per awakes in a world four centuries ahead of his own, his terror and suspicions of treachery bring down a wild collision between heartless technology and a ferocious people skilled in passionate defense of their life and lands.

Winner of the Guardian Fiction Prize in England, Susan Price's The Sterkarm Handshake--a richly textured love story, a vivid and sometimes humorous portrayal of confrontation between cultures, and a thumping good page-turner--should find enthusiastic fans among teen-fantasy and time-travel buffs. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell

 

A Sterkarm Kiss

by Susan Price
Andrea Mitchell returns to the past, only it's not exactly the past she visited in The Sterkarm Handshake (HarperCollins, 2000). Her nasty ex-boss at FUP asks once again for her translating services, and Andrea agrees to go back through the Time Tube to the 16th century–against her better judgment–hoping she will be reunited with her lover, Per.

Andrea departs and learns that she's been sent to a wholly different dimension, in which the people she lovingly remembers exist but do not recognize her. Instead of buying the loyalty of the Sterkarms, the company she works for initiates a violent overthrow by pitting them against their enemy clan, the Grannams. When an ill-fated wedding draws to its inevitable conclusion, the company's plans are set in motion, and Andrea must unravel them.

Though Price re-explains the setup from book one, familiarity with that novel gives this one greater emotional resonance. The plot moves quickly, and there's as much or more violence than in the previous book. The idea of a past that's actually a part of another dimension gets a bit confusing (16-A, 16-B), but it effectively comes together in a cliff-hanger ending.

The impersonal, inhuman violence of the 21st-siders is subtly, effectively juxtaposed with the brutality and anger of the 16th-siders. Andrea again faces an impossible but emotionally engaging situation: choosing between her murderous 16th-century lover and her destructive 21st-side counterparts.

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Since it's Black Friday today, I've prepared a double book recommendation. ;)

I highly recommend these books to anyone who enjoys time travel, science fiction, fantasy, Scotland and romance! These are real page-turners, but unfortunately they're not very popular. Probably because they were not mainstream. Such a pity. The only way to find them is in used books' stores, but they're completely worth it. My copies are old library ones, and I treasure them immensely. *-*.

I'd give them 5674323 stars if I could. 5 are just not enough.

The alternate-universe 16th century, the Sterkarms (all such rich, complex and well-written characters!), the interesting 'time tube', the references to the old cultures and languages, the issue of greedy 21st century people wanting to exploit the land of the 'less developed' and naïve medieval Sterkarms, the 'forbidden romance', all of it joins in to make a GREAT book! I mean, no wonder the first volume won the 1999 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize!

These books are labeled as YA by some, but I really don't see why. To me they are adult reads, with real issues mixed in with fantasy.

I absolutely fell in love with Andrea and Per, and they also broke my heart.

As soon as I was done with The Sterkarm Handshake, I ran and got myself a copy of A Sterkarm Kiss. And, seriously, so should you. These are gems, master pieces. No, Susan Price didn't pay me anything to say this, I'm just being honest. LOL

Too bad she never came around to writing the third part... :((

Aaaand....

Undead and Unfinished by MaryJanice Davidson - Review

Undead and Unfinished
(Undead #9)
by MaryJanice Davidson

Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor returns in the ninth novel in the New York Times bestselling series.

Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor is having a tough time getting through the Book of the Dead-until the Devil strikes a bargain. She offers Betsy a chance to finish the cursed (literally!) thing, and finally discover all its mysteries. There's just one catch...

Betsy and her half-sister Laura have to go to Hell long enough for Laura to embrace her dark heritage (after a rebellious youth of charity work) and finally make nice with her mother, aka Lucifer. That means interacting with their family's past. In doing so, they're impacting the future in ways they never anticipated. Of course that's what Mother wanted all along. Damn her.

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My Review:

I have been a big, big, BIG fan of Miss MaryJanice Davidson for years now, but my first thought when I started reading this volume was: "What was she on and where can I get some?".

Truthfully, this book was full of craziness. Not that any of the previous ones were what you'd call 'normal' (one of the reasons I love her writing so much), but this one was especially odd. LOL.

Other reviewers may have called it bad or simply garbage, screaming to anyone who would listen that they had given up on the author because of this volume... but I ended up liking it. All insanity and daughter of the Devil plus Vampire Queen time-travelling aside. No, wait, that was actually very interesting. LOL

Also, it was so very cute and romantic to see how Betsy acted with Sinclair in his past, to see how some unexplained things (involving Nostro, Tina's past, and the creepy Book of the Dead) suddenly became so obvious and clear.

But what absolutely freaked me out was the visit to the future. Really. I don't know what I can say without spoilers, but the latest book in the series is already out, so maybe... no. I won't tell. My only words for it are: THAT WAS FREAKING DEMENTED!

This book series started as light, humorous, paranormal chic lit, but it's evolving into something else entirely. I'm not sure I like where it's going, but I won't abandon the characters I love so much after all those volumes.

Oh, and the title tells it all. UNFINISHED. It makes you want to run and get the next volume ASAP. Or just drop the series entirely. Depends on who's reading.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson - Review

The Girl of Fire and Thorns
(Fire and Thorns #1)
by Rae Carson

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

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My Review:

I have to be honest. I really liked the summary, but even after reading so many great reviews, I still wasn't sure I would enjoy this book. I don't normally go for science fiction, but with a chubby heroine, I just HAD to give it a try. LOL. And I'm glad I did!

It was So, SO good! Really... unbelievably good. And somewhat sad. I loved to see how much the characters grew! Elisa was a great surprise, she became so strong and independent! It actually influenced me quite a bit. (read here: diet). Our dear main character goes from naïve chubby teenager princess to powerful respectful queen in a matter of months.

Elisa was God-chosen to carry the Godstone, a rock glued to her belly-button, that warms up everytime she prays and gets cold when danger is close. Oh, and as it's supposed to be very powerful, everybody wants to rip it off of her(but it only comes loose after the carrier is dead, so....). The concept of the Godstones was a bit difficult to grasp at first, but as you read, it becomes less and less of a mystery. The repetitive mentions of religion and God can be tiring, but I overlooked it and payed attention to the story itself.

The desert scenes were very well descripted, it was very interesting to read about how they survived sandstorms, with very little water and even less food (rat soup, anyone?), having to walk ALL day under the scorching heat of the sun, and sleeping in tiny tents with empty stomachs. Great way to lose weight and toughen up, huh, Elisa?

I really fell for some of the secondary characters, like the King's personal guard, Hector, and the cute kidnapper, Humberto, but what I really wanted was to slap Alejandro, the King, profusely. I actually came to really like some of supporting characters, but then the author started to kill them, and that was disappointing to say the least... but I'm sure it had to happen so the story could go where she intended it to go.

If you expect deep romantic interactions (like I always find myself doing), I wouldn't recommend this book to you. But if you also like adventure, drama and survival stories, go for it!!

Can't wait for the next one!!! I can't wait to see more of Hector! *-* Congratulations, Rae Carson, you are terrific!

Mona Lisa Eclipsing - Review

Mona Lisa Eclipsing

(Monère: Children of the Moon #5)

by Sunny

From the time she was an orphan, Mona Lisa knew she was different. As a Mixed-Blood daughter of the Monère, she rules her domain in the Louisiana Bayou. But she’s about to become the hunted as her mind begins playing tricks, and no one is who they seem.

Roberto Carderas, a dangerous drug lord of mixed Monère heritage, arrives in Cozumel to eliminate a rival. But the jaguar-shifter has encountered a much more valuable prize on the island: Mona Lisa, the first female Monère he’s ever met—and one especially vulnerable in that she has lost her memory. Now, with all knowledge of her real life as stripped away as her defenses, Mona Lisa can be manipulated into believing…anything.

Convinced that Roberto is her kind and sensual protector, Mona Lisa thwarts all attempts at her rescue—including those made by her desperate lover Dante. As Roberto’s devious scheme gets underway, Dante can only hope that the touch of his warm flesh will reignite total recall in the body and mind of the woman he loves. But escape for both of them could be as forever elusive as Mona Lisa’s past.

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My Review:




After a 2-year wait for the next book in the series (during which I almost died from anxiety and despair from thinking maybe Sunny had given up on Mona Lisa and intended on continuing only with Lucinda's books), Mona Lisa Eclipsing came to me like a blow in the head.


I was happy and apprehensive to know that Dante would return... then I started reading.


At the beginning the book made me writhe with impatience over the difficulty of finding Dante and then having to go through Mona Lisa's (very painful) memory loss. We were introduced to new characters, such as jaguar-shifter/Mixed Blood/drug dealer, Roberto, and other new enemies, such as the wild Monère controlled by Mona Sierra.


The sex scenes were very few, if compared to the previous books, proving that Sunny tried her best to make up for lost time with real innovations in the story. And that she did.
Mona Lisa had the incentive of the Mother Queen to spread out the knowledge of the Monère race to humans, after a televised accident with a rogue male warrior. With the help of press and the apparent "understanding" of the autorities, she accomplished it.


Now we can only patiently wait for the next volumes to see the actual response of the other Queens, Mixed Bloods and Rogues around the world, (which promises to be so very interesting, not to mention challenging), and hope that our brilliant and beloved author Sunny doesn't make us suffer so much (again) while we do so.