Review - Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione

Eternal Rider is the first installment in Larissa Ione's new Lords of Deliverance series.  Immortal Rider, the second novel, is already slated for release in December 2011.

Blurb from back cover:

They are here. They ride. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

His name is Ares, and the fate of mankind rests on his powerful shoulders. If he falls to the forces of evil, the world falls too. As one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, he is far stronger than any mortal, but even he cannot fight his destiny forever. Not when his own brother plots against him.

Yet there is one last hope. Gifted in a way other humans can't-or won't-understand, Cara Thornhart is the key to both this Horseman's safety and his doom. But involving Cara will prove treacherous, even beyond the maddening, dangerous desire that seizes them the moment they meet. For staving off eternal darkness could have a staggering cost: Cara's life.

It is no secret that I adore Larissa Ione's Demonica series.  I have a particular fondness for a certain demon named Shade ;p.  Needless to say, I was super excited when I heard she was starting a new venture based on the four horsemen of the apocalypse, Lords of Deliverance.  I snagged it right when pre-orders went up and I was definitely not disappointed.

I LOVED this novel!  The characters are fantastic, she beautifully captured the emotional struggle within each horseman/woman and Cara.  We even get to hang out with some of the characters from the Demonica series that readers already have a bond with.  A special moment occurs for Kynan and Gem; I won't give it away but it made me smile!  Ione does a great job making her characters entertaining by displaying a sharp wit and dark sense of humor.

Lords of Deliverance is set within the same world as the Demonica series.  Much of the same rules apply and many of the same species are involved as well.  Fear not, if you have not read her other series, Ione has set up the Lords as a stand alone so no prior background is necessary.  Honestly though, if you enjoy either series, it is well worth your time to immerse yourself in the other.

Action jumped off each page; I raced through this novel and there was no lag to be found.  Cara is an interesting character and I hope to see more of her, while staving off the apocalypse in future installments to the series.  Limos, the horsewoman known as Famine, is featured in Ione's next novel Immortal Rider.  December can't get here fast enough!

Rating: 5/5

~Helena

Book By Its Cover - When Blood Calls

J. K. Beck's When Blood Calls is today's book by its cover review.


Synopsis:

Sara Constantine is one of the country's most tenacious prosecuting attorneys - and she's just secured a well-earned promotion. At first she's thrilled. Then she finds out her new job involves prosecuting vampires and werewolves. And nothing prepares Sara for the shock she receives when she meets the first defendant she'll be trying to put away: Lucius Dragos, the sexy stranger with whom she recently shared an explosive night of ecstasy.


When Lucius Dragos kisses the beautiful woman sitting next to him at the bar, he's only hoping to blend into the crowd and avoid the perceptive gaze of the man he's following...and planning to kill. But what starts as a simple kiss to secure his cover ignites into a fierce hunger that leads to an all-consuming passion. Charged with murder, Luke knows Sara will do whatever it takes to see him locked away - unless he can convince her that he's not the monster she thinks he is. And that might mean making the greatest sacrifice a vampire can make.


Helena's Thoughts:

This cover looks like a mishmash of Voldemort from Harry Potter mixed with Lord of the Rings (the precious!), hiding behind a nice hunk of man.  The fog, moonlight, and red glowing ring clad fist give off an air of mystery and foreboding.  What exactly would Blood say to you if it called you on the phone?

Now tell us your first impressions of this novel based solely on the cover.  Would you be drawn to pick it up?  Does it make you want to open the pages and devour it?  If you have already read When Blood Calls, tell us about it!

Review - Sarah Palin: Vampire Hunter by Dan McGirt

Take a trip into the wonderful world of vampire/twilight plus political snark in Dan McGirt's novella Sarah Palin: Vampire Hunter.

Blurb from site:

"Sarah Palin vs. Vampires! Vampire hunter Palin and her team visit Twinkle, Oregon a tiny town with a big vampire problem. For teenage Stella and her undead boyfriend Edmund (not to mention werewolf Jake) life--and unlife--will never be the same! A madcap mix of humor, horror, and wild guns-blazing vampire-fighting action!"

McGirt intended this story to be completely tongue-in-cheek sarcasm dripping goodness. Palin hunts Twilight-esque vampires in order to protect the American public in their natural habitat...Walmart. Oh yes, get your 'walmart feet' comments ready lol. Of course no Twilight parody would be complete without the werewolves, so they show up too. Even the infamous plumber from the presidential campaigns has a part and a woman that is...Tonya Harding, I believe? The political commentary of Palin and her "renegade" speak are front and center. The ending wasn't all I had hoped for; however, it was worth a few laughs. This story is not meant to be an in-depth, well-written, piece of prize winning fiction; it is a black humor snarkfest. As long as you go in with the right expectations, you will not be greatly disappointed. Bottom line, at a price of about 2 dollars, you really can't go wrong.

Rating: 2.5/5

~Helena

Review - The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group by Catherine Jinks

The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group is Catherine Jinks' newest young adult novel set to hit US shelves April 4th.

Blurb from her site:

"When Tobias Richard Vandevelde wakes up in a hospital with no memory of the night before, his horrified mother tells him that he was found unconscious. At Featherdale Wildlife Park. In a dingo pen. He assumes that his two best friends are somehow responsible, until the mysterious Reuben turns up, claiming that Toby has a rare and dangerous “condition.” Next thing he knows, Toby finds himself involved with a strange bunch of sickly insomniacs who seem convinced that he needs their help. It’s not until he’s kidnapped and imprisoned that he starts to believe them—and to understand what being a paranormal monster really means."

I really enjoyed this novel.  Catherine Jinks is a new author to me; however, she is well known for her Genius series (Evil Genius, Genius Squad, and The Genus Wars).  She has also written a vampire novel: The Reformed Vampire Support Group; one I will be quick to look into adding to my TBR pile.

Toby is a very strong and likeable character.  Once Toby is faced with the possibility of being a werewolf; he enters a full fledged stage of denial.  His friends help him cope with this new turn of events by engaging in chuckle worthy antics aimed at discrediting Reuben's claims.  Reuben is persistant and hell bent on forcing Toby to accept his new plight and take responsibility for his new condition.  Toby and his mother are of course resistant...until Toby is kidnapped.

The action is full speed, pedal to the metal.  The motivations of the kidnappers are frighteningly plausible.  I was working through escape plans and possiblities right along with Toby, Reuben, and the crew.  I even found myself with a decent sized crush on Reuben...not quite sure if the author intended for him to appeal to readers this way...but heck, I am not complaining.  I'd like to see Jink's write a paranormal romance with characters as strong and emotionally scarred as Reuben. ;p

I found Toby's mother to be a tad irritating; but her resistance to the plot situations are very believable and true to character.  The world building is adequate; the reader gets a sense of all surroundings without being bogged down in extra details.  This allowed the action and character development to take center stage and shine.

If you are looking for the traditional, werewolf transformations and killing sprees then this novel is not for you.  Jinks shows us the human side of the werewolf; the underlying electricity that bristles right below the mask of humanity, the constant struggle of worrying that you may hurt your loved ones if you get out of control.

I am trying hard to avoid spilling any plot points.  Let me just say, I would definitely recommend this to fans of young adult paranormal action thrillers. There are a couple plot twists and turns you just may not see coming; until they creep up on you!

Rating: 4/5

~Helena

Book By Its Cover - Paranormalcy

Today's Book By Its Cover is Kiersten White's YA debut Paranormalcy.

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Evie's job is bagging and tagging paranormals. Possessing the strange ability to see through their glamours, she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. But when someone--or something--starts taking out the vamps, werewolves, and other odd beasties she's worked hard to help become productive members of society, she's got to figure it out before they all disappear and the world becomes utterly normal.

Normal is so overrated.


Lily's Thoughts:

I think the cover is lovely; the darkened sky, the cattails bowing in the wind. Even so, I can't get over the creepy similarity the model bears to Scarlett Johansson. Seriously. It can't just be me seeing this, right? I imagine this is what a young, paranormal Scarlett Johansson would look like...if, you know, someone stole her soul leaving her dead eyed and hollow.

*Shudder*


Helena's Thoughts:

I love the cattails blowing in the wind and the stormy sky background. The girl is just a little weird. What is with the completely vacant stare? And her dress looks exactly like my dog's Halloween costume. Yes I dress up my animals and yes she has been a pretty in pink princess complete with hat and train for years. :) I agree with the statement that normal is overrated. I don't quite get why the girl is so glamorous looking if she works with a secret paranormal agency. I would expect more of a black leather tough exterior...maybe that was the whole idea though, to drive home that things are not always what they seem. The story sounds pretty neat but typical of the genre. I am really not sold on the cover but it does have its cool points.

Chomping at the Bit: 2011 style

Here are just a handful of upcoming releases for the new year!  I can't wait to get my eyes into these!

Flip This Zombie, the second part of Jesse Petersen's Living with the Dead Series is set to release on January 3rd.  Better get those slaying shoes on!








Larissa Ione is coming out with the first installment in her Lords of Deliverance series: Eternal Rider on March 29th.  I adore her Demonica series so I have high hopes for her future novels!

 
Charlaine Harris is at it again!  Her eleventh book of the Southern Vampire Series, Dead Reckoning, is slated to hit shelves on May 3rd.  I am excited to see what mayhem Sookie will be stuck in next.









Karen Marie Moning will be wrapping up her five part Fever Series on January 18th with Shadowfever.  I am currently reading the fourth novel, Dreamfever.  Spectacular is what immediately comes to mind!










And of course, JR Ward is coming out with another Black Dagger Brotherhood novel: Payne's story, Lover Unleashed, on March 29th.






What novels are you aching to sink your teeth into?

~Helena

Review - The Frenzy by Francesca Lia Block

Francesca Lia Block's novel 'The Frenzy' features a green-eyed redhead who has a secret even she does not fully comprehend.   Olivia is a werewolf with all the issues of a normal teen taken to the extreme.  The town and family that Olivia grows up in is extremely close minded.  As a result, she feels compelled to hide her interracial relationship, her best friend's sexual orientation, and obviously her "little" moon induced hair problem.  

Block has the beginnings of a wonderful idea; however, the execution fell a tad short.  The character development is sub par.  I had a hard time relating to any of the characters; so much so, that even in the face of complete tragedy I did not feel for those involved.  Simply put, this story is way too short.  Block wove a very detailed action packed plot with many powerful messages; however, those are all lost when connection with characters doesn't occur.  Many times, we are told how the characters have to hide who they are because of the town's ideals; however, there are not many times where we are shown how the town reacts in situations.  The same goes for the characters, we are told through Olivia's words how the people look, how they think, etc but we are never really shown it through enough character and scene interactions.

The premise behind Olivia's curse is a novel one and definitely refreshing.  The way all the characters intertwine is also neat; however, I feel like this story is more of an outline lacking complete detail and fleshing out.  I missed dialogue and more explanations of actions.  I was left feeling like the woods and the other werewolves were never really explained completely.  Most characters only had one side, and presenting more viewpoints would have helped the storyline and character connections.

Sadly I feel that Block missed the boat on this story.  I have heard good things about her other novels, so I suggest picking one of those up instead.  Great outline and plot sequence, just lacks important details.

Rating: 2/5

~Helena

Book By Its Cover - Sin Undone

Today's book by its cover review is Sin Undone by Larissa Ione.


Synopsis:

HER TOUCH IS DEADLY

As the only female Seminus demon ever born, master assassin Sinead Donnelly is used to being treated like an outcast. She spent decades enslaved, and now vows she'll die before she'll relinquish her freedom again. Then Sin's innate ability to kill her enemies goes awry: She creates a lethal new werewolf virus that sparks a firestorm of panic and violence.

HIS HUNGER CAN'T BE DENIED

Half-werewolf, half-vampire Conall Dearghul is charged with bringing in Sin to face punishment for the plague. And she's no stranger: He's bound to her by blood, and the one sexual encounter they shared has left him hungering for her raw sensuality. Worse, Sin is the underworld's most wanted and Con soon learns he's the only one who can help her . . . and that saving her life might mean sacrificing his own.

Helena's Thoughts:

I love Ione's Demonica series.  As the only known female Seminus demon, Sin's story is bound to pack a punch.  The cover is fairly simple and formula-istic (by now, you know I make up words to suit my thoughts ;p).  Tribal tattoos are bold and of typical placement for this breed of demon.  Black leather is present like every urban fantasy/paranormal romance.  However, the caduceus is completely unique to this series.  Below is a close up...I love the story and ingenuity behind it.  Definitely excited to start reading TODAY! :D

Lily's Thoughts:
 (Hurry back turdface!  I am lonely without you!)

Book By Its Cover - As Lie the Dead

Today's book by its cover review, Kelly Meding's As Lie the Dead, released June 27th.

Synopsis:

Evangeline Stone, a rogue bounty hunter, never asked for a world divided between darkness and light . . .

. . . or the power to die and live again in someone else’s borrowed body. After a murder plot meant to take her out leaves an entire race of shapeshifters nearly extinct, Evy is gnawed by guilt. So when one of the few survivors of the slaughter enlists her aid, she feels duty-bound to help—even though protecting a frail, pregnant shifter is the last thing Evy needs, especially with the world going to hell around her.

Amid weres, Halfies, gremlins, vamps—and increasingly outgunned humans—a war for supremacy is brewing. With shifters demanding justice, her superiors desperate to control her, and an assassin on her trail, Evy discovers a horrifying conspiracy. And she may be the only person in the world who can stop it—unless, of course, her own side gets her first.


Lily's Thoughts:

(Lily is on her honeymoon this week!)

Helena's Thoughts:

Ahhh!  It is Indiana Jones!

Well I mean the similarity is just too good to pass up lol.  Love the winged thing in its aggressive pose.  The falling sky effect is quite nice as well.  Are they in a tomb or is that an ancient greece/rome backdrop?  Oh holy crap, another cover just caught me off guard...winged thing is crouched on a CAR.  Here I thought it was a craggy bluff with moonlight or a flare or something glaring off it.  Ok really neat, just won some more points in my book :D.  Glowing knife point is a tad much, but goes with the general atmosphere.  Sounds like an interesting read, had me at gremlin actually :)  I am always up for new supernatural experiences!

Young Adult Friday

Welcome to another Young Adult Friday. Check out these YA paranormal titles, whether you're an adult or a teen.

Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Quincie Morris has never felt more alone. Her parents are dead, and her hybrid-werewolf first love is threatening to embark on a rite of passage that will separate them forever. Then, as she and her uncle are about to unveil their hot vampire-themed restaurant, a brutal murder leaves them scrambling for a chef.

Can Quincie transform their new hire into a culinary Dark Lord before opening night? Can he wow the crowd in his fake fangs, cheap cape, and red contact lenses — or is there more to this earnest face than meets the eye? As human and preternatural forces clash, a deadly love triangle forms, and the line between predator and prey begins to blur. Who's playing whom? And how long can Quincie play along before she loses everything?

~*~*~*~~*~*~*~

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

~Lily

Waiting No Longer Sucks

Season 3 of HBO's hit series True Blood premieres tonight at 9 pm EST!!!!!!!!

If you have yet to check out the mini-episodes and promo posters definitely take a trip here.

Here are two Season 3 promo videos to stoke the fires of anticipation (I can not wait for the WERES!):

And a Season 2 recap for those of you that haven't had the DVDs on repeat since they hit shelves May 25th ;p

~Helena

Book By Its Cover - Blood Song

Cat Adams' new release Blood Song is today's book by its cover review.


Synopsis:

Bodyguard Celia Graves has definitely accepted her share of weird assignments, both human and supernatural. But her newest job takes the cake. Guarding a Prince from terrorists and religious fundamentalists is hard enough, but it seems like the entire supernatural world is after this guy too. When she is betrayed by those she is employed to help, and everything goes horribly wrong, Celia wakes to find herself transformed.

Neither human nor vampire, Celia has become an Abomination—something that should not exist—and now both human and supernatural alike want her dead. With the help of a few loyal friends—a sexy mage, a powerful werewolf, and a psychic cop—Celia does her best to stay alive. On the run from her enemies, Celia must try to discover who is behind her transformation …before it’s too late.

Helena's Thoughts:

Love this cover! The eye color is piercing and animalistic. The gaze...wow, she is going to either rip you to shreds or completely ravage you. Love how her hair sweeps in. When I first saw this cover, I expected green/blue eyes and black hair...but this combo of brown and gold really works in a non-cliche kind of way. Font has a vintage edge to me. Title is fairly standard for the genre. Summary and cast of characters sounds highly intriguing. Definitely a novel worth looking into further.

Lily's Thoughts:

This cover strikes me as eerie and menacing. Yes, the woman pictured is obviously lovely, but I don't think anyone would mistake her as timid or passive. Her energy almost jumps off the cover. But it isn't repulsive, instead it kind of draws you in, perhaps against your better judgment.

This cover definitely makes me want to know more about the book.

Almost Out of the Coffin

Season 3 of True Blood is almost upon us.  Seems like June 13th can't get here soon enough.

This teaser clip makes my blood sing!

~Helena

Book By Its Cover - No Werewolves Allowed

Today's book by its cover review was released last Tuesday, but it had a cover too good to pass up. It is No Werewolves Allowed by Cheyenne McCray.

Synopsis:

As a half-human, half-Drow private eye, Nyx is the go-to girl for tracking Demons in the night. So when several of New York City’s Werewolves go missing, Alpha Werewolf Dmitri Beketov hires Nyx for the job. But this time, she must leave the dark alleys and bright lights behind…

Nyx’s sixth sense tells her that life in the slow lane is a lot deadlier than it appears. Though she usually prefers to work solo, with this case she’s going to need all the help she can get. Enter Detective Adam Boyd: he’s watching her back, but is this human too sexy for his—and her—own good? Meanwhile, a powerful, malevolent force is exterminating paranorms and “unworthy” humans alike…and Nyx, still trying to get a foothold in her new surroundings, finds herself facing danger at every turn.

Lily's Thoughts:

Considering the werewolf vs vampire war going on in the previous post, I couldn't resist a werewolf themed cover. I've heard that purple is supposed to be the most appealing cover color. I don't know if that's true or not, but it certainly works for this cover. Nothing horribly new or original here, but it works. I do like how the light from above seems to give the cover model the illusion of wings. I also like the urban skyline beneath the her torso, giving it a gritty feel.

Well rendered cover for what looks to be an interesting read. I give it a thumbs up!


Helena's Thoughts:

[Helena is...still missing? I'm actually not quite sure... I am contemplating photoshopping her picture onto the back of a milk carton]

How fitting to put the lactose intolerant girl on a milk carton...lol. I am back for the mean time. I actually start an internship in Texas for six weeks this summer!!!! Can you pick up my excitement shower burst of light? Can't wait to palpate the inside of a cow...lol...or not. ;p

Anyways, cover time! I love the color...so I guess this purple being the new power color is a real thing. She glows, she is pretty and looks very formidable with her outfit/sword hilt. I personally would not want to meet her in a dark alley. The font is also very appealing to me. I would definitely read this.

Werewolf Bootlegger for the WIN!

Where to even begin? So, Moira Rogers has not one, but two new books coming out very shortly. One features a vampire lumberjack, the other a werewolf bootlegger. And Moira (or rather the two wonderful women who are Moira, Bree & Donna) want to know which of the two has the most potential for awesome. Is it the vampire lumberjack or the werewolf bootlegger?

The answer is easy, of course. It's the Werewolf Bootlegger.

Now I love vamps, it's kind of a prerequisite to work on this blog. And lumberjacks are just hot, really. The combination of vampire and lumberjack is a formidable one, but if there is one combination that can blow the vampire lumberjack straight out of the treetops, it's a werewolf bootlegger.

I mean come on! Vamps are sexy, but they're also whiter than chalk, cold and undead. Bring on the werewolves! They're the whole package wrapped in a beyond-mortal body that still has a beating heart. Every now and then a girl wants something warm blooded, ya know? And I can handle a little extra hair when the trade off is a pulse and an erotic animalistic streak.

Now, let's look at the chosen professions. Lumberjacks are cool and all, I mean you have to respect the hardworking blue collar professions. But where's the excitement? Where's the danger? No, losing a finger in a tragic ax accident doesn't count. That's not the sexy kind of danger I find appealing and, to my knowledge, vamps aren't part earthworm. What's cut off does not regenerate. Ew.

Now bootlegging, that's far more interesting. I've got a thing for anti-hero bad boys, and here we have a werewolf flaunting governmental regulations to get the people what they want. He's a rebel, a freedom fighter, an underground activist. It's like the alcoholic version of Robin Hood with tommy guns instead of bows and arrows. Besides, one of the hottest things about lumberjacks is the thought of them coming home hot and sweaty and ready to go after a day hard at work. Vampires don't sweat, which is a bonus on the olfactory front, but defeats the purpose of the fantasy. Really, you're just going to have a tired, cold guy in flannel coming home from a hard day of labor. Would the strenuous work even add muscle mass? Do vamps have muscle mass? And are they really going to be keyed up for other activities after a day of playing in the treetops? If so, there may be other, more disturbing issues at work (Cough dendrophilia cough). Yeah, the fantasy's dead. When the Were gets home from delivering bootleg booze to speakeasys and gentlemen's clubs, however, you know what's going to be on his mind. Rawr.

Speaking of flannel, this isn't the early '90s grunge scene. Would you rather have your man in a nasty flannel shirt and worn out jeans smelling of wood chips and possibly carrying the remnants of poison oak, or a sharp, gangster-style pinstripe suit with a hip flask?

Finally, I leave you with two words as my closing argument, take them as you will:

Doggy style

I'd be a werewolf bootlegger's moll any day!

This post is a part of Moira Rogers’ Creature Feature Kindle Throwdown Contest. By leaving a (meaningful) comment, you will be entered to win a Kindle from Amazon.com, or an alternate grand prize of $275 to spend at an online book retailer. For a full list of rules and more ways to win, visit the contest page.


~**EDIT**~

If you need any help making up your mind, check out these awesome posts. Seriously, they had me laughing out loud.

Werewolf Bootlegger: click here
Vampire Lumberjack: click here


~Lily

Recommendsday Review - Dead in the Family

Today's recommendsday review is a bit different than the other reviews we've done here at Vamps R Us. Instead of Helena or I taking the lead to review a book one of us has read, we're both going to talk about Charlaine Harris's latest, Dead in the Family. And the format of this review is different, it's a conversation Helena and I had via text message that pretty much summarized our opinions, so we decided to post it here. Because of the candid nature of that convo, there's one other major change in this review:

***SPOILER ALERTS***

If you don't want to know what happens in Dead in the Family, do not read any further. You have been warned.

Synopsis:

Sookie Stackhouse has finally settled into a relationship with the Viking vampire Eric, and her errant brother Jason seems to have his life in order, too. But all the other people in Sookie’s life – Eric himself, her former lover Bill, her friend and boss Sam – are having family problems.

Eric’s maker shows up with Eric’s ‘brother’ in tow, the ailing Bill can only be healed by a blood sibling, and Sam’s brother’s marriage is about to take place . . . or will it? The furor raised by the coming out of the two-natured has yet to settle; some people are just not ready to sit down to dinner with a man who turns into a dog. And Sookie herself is still recovering from her last ordeal. She’s definitely improving, physically and mentally, but she’s always going to have some dark moments now. The werewolves tell her that there have been strange and ominous passers-by in the Stackhouse woods; now Sookie is about to come face-to-face with one of her more distant relatives...

Prelude to convo - I finished Dead in the Family before Helena (thanks to my not having vet school finals), and expressed to her my overall disappointment with the novel. This is where the conversation picks up:

Helena Sparrow: (May 18 – 10:10am) I didn’t think Sookie was horrible. I don’t like how bitter and dark she is tho, like u said. And though there was action and the typical dead bodies to ID kind of thing, I felt like there was no real point to the bigger picture for all of it. I miss light bubbly Sookie.

HS: (10:11) Definitely was not Harris’ quality work I loved.

HS: (10:12) Oh well. I guess all good things must end. Hope JR Ward doesn’t downspiral too, that would really suck.

Lily Ghates: (10:26) I’m hoping Harris can bring it back around. Time will tell.

HS: (10:28) Yeah the series def can’t be ended on that book. Too many open unanswered things. The ease of lifting the spell at the end was utter BS tho.

HS: (10:29) I mean seriously

LG: (10:29) Oh, I know. And nothing resolved with Victor! I truly thought this book was pointless. You want to review it for the blog?

HS: (10:32) Sure. I can write up some stuff tonight and add to the cover reviews. I think with Harris we pretty much have the same opinion lol. Waited a year for nothing really sadly. At least we have True Blood.

LG: (10:34) Yeah, my opinion is the same as yours. I don’t mind spending the time on this one if it's leading to something spectacular, but otherwise it wasn’t worth the effort.

HS: (10:35) True. Hope that something comes out soon lol. Before I forget who Dermot is again.

LG: (10:36) Lol, my first thought was “who?”, but I remember now

HS: (10:40) They all kiss and then go to bed together. It's weird. And I'm glad Pam isn’t dead dead. I was worried for a bit

LG: (10:41) I know! That would have killed it for me, really. She’s the comic relief. And now that Eric has become a pussy, she’s the last real-but-likeable vampire.

HS: (10:46) Seriously, but he should be less pansy now that his maker is gone. Maybe he can have a rebirthing so to speak lol

LG: (10:50) I hope so, cause that was getting irritating. As was the Romanov kid. And where the hell did Claudine’s baby daddy come from? Not enough build up, too little resolution.

HS: (10:52) I know. I was hoping the fairy was some crazy relation to Jason or Dermot with the way that Russian kid was so drawn to Jason. But whatever. Pointless.

HS: (10:53) I don’t think we even met that crazy guy before. And putting Sookie in a human jail is a weird form of revenge for killing family. I mean, I would have just shanked a bitch myself.

LG: (10:54) Any of the other fairies would have too. Out of character & bad. Unimpressed.

HS: (10:58) Or why didn’t he kill Hunter when he saw Hunter at the park. Honestly that would have been most appropriate. Guess Harris got sick of killing kids.

LG: (11:02) I know. Fae aren’t paternal, he could have killed Sookie & Hunter for being half bloods. Ridiculous. An excuse to have Sookie play with Hunter.

HS: (11:04) Harris isn’t playing by her own rules, that’s what really has me upset. Like, stupid Weres didn’t even get mad enough for my liking

LG: (11:05) I feel you. And them trusting Sookie, a onesy, with a sacred pack duty? Not going to happen. She would have been in far more danger than she was

LG: (11:06) lol, maybe we can just make our text convo the review :-p

And so we did, because hey, we'd already vented our frustration about wasting time with a book we both felt went nowhere, so why throw more time after it for a review. I love Harris, I think she's remarkably talented, and I adore the first 6 books in the Sookie series. The last few Sookie books, however, have been disappointing. I'm still hoping Harris can bring it back around. Time will tell.

Rating: 3/5

Young Adult Friday

This Friday, we're going to introduce a random feature we're calling Young Adult Friday. In it, we're going to introduce a few young adult (YA) paranormal novels that are every bit as satisfying for adults as they are teens.


The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.

~*~*~*~~*~*~*~

Fallen by Lauren Kate

There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

~Lily

Book By Its Cover - Dead in the Family

We're trying something new here at Vamps R Us, a weekly feature we're calling "Book By Its Cover Tuesdays", where we'll discuss a new paranormal release based solely on it's cover and what, if anything, we know about the series or author. We're interested in your opinion as well, so feel free to chime in.

The first book we'll be judging by its cover is new release Dead in the Family, the 10th installment of the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampires series by Charlaine Harris.

Synopsis:

After enduring torture and the loss of loved ones during the brief but deadly Faery War, Sookie Stackhouse is hurt and she's angry. Just about the only bright spot in her life is the love she thinks she feels for vampire Eric Northman. But he's under scrutiny by the new Vampire King because of their relationship. And as the political implications of the Shifters coming out are beginning to be felt, Sookie's connection to the Shreveport pack draws her into the debate. Worst of all, though the door to Faery has been closed, there are still some Fae on the human side-and one of them is angry at Sookie. Very, very angry...

Lily's Thoughts:

I've read the other books in the Sookie Stackhouse series, so I really have to work to distance myself from what I know of the series to judge fully on the cover alone. I like the series and I'm excited for this latest installment. That said, I love this cover. Since True Blood hit the airwaves, many of the original Sookie covers have been changed to tie the books in more closely with the show. While I'm a big fan of the show, I prefer the original book covers (featured to the right) over the True Blood promo tie-ins and the covers that bare stylized versions of Anna Paquin's face.

I like the cartoon quality of the covers, the depiction of Sookie in all her blond, innocent beauty, and the pale exteriors of the vampires. By using cartoon drawings, I think the original covers emphasize a specific piece of the story, a scene of importance, rather than simply conjuring an image of the actors playing the roles in the series. In so doing, I think these original covers are more likely to stroke the imagination and tempt readers into visualizing the scenes for themselves, rather than just forcing subconscious images of the True Blood cast through the hoops created by the narrative.

As for the Dead in the Family cover, I like the bold use of colors, the blues, greens and reds. I also like the symbolism of the rose, complete with thorns, and how it's separating Sookie and Eric even as they reach for each other. These two are going to have issues in the upcoming book, and this cover depicts that well. Overall, I give the cover a 5 out of 5. Excellent cover for what I'm hoping is an excellent book.

Helena's Thoughts:

Wow, pretty is my first thought lol. As I have already posted earlier, I am way excited for this release and I am along with Lily no stranger to this series by any means. I did realize earlier today that they are all running together though. Not in a bad way, I just can no longer separate individual novels out of the bigger picture anymore. At least Harris does a great job keeping the story flowing haha.

Team Eric is wonderfully represented on the cover. I agree with Lily, I do adore the cartoon covers. I think it lends a level of playfulness and lightheartedness to the content contained within. The rose looks like it will be sparkly! Hopefully the only part of the cover that will be, I prefer my blood suckers non glitterized. I find it interesting that two stems intertwine and culminate in the rose...maybe symbolic of the joining of two characters despite the "fang-ups" so to speak in their individual histories. I do hope so!

Gorgeous, simple, symbolic, perfect representation of the series...the designer of the cover makes another homerun. Can't wait to brave the thorns and delve into this one. 5/5 rating!

Review - City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones is the first in the Mortal Instruments trilogy, a young adult urban fantasy series by Cassandra Clare. The storyline centers on Clary, a teenage girl that has been sheltered by her mother from an alternative world her whole life, that of the Shadowhunters. Shadowhunters are the policing force of the "extra-mortal" realm, they hunt down and slay demons effectively keeping the order. One night while out at a club with her best friend Simon, she sees something no one else does, well actually four somethings: enter the three Shadowhunters Isabelle, Alec, and Jace and the demon boy they are luring into a backroom. Clary is in hot pursuit and slips into the backroom only to see the hunters at work, dispatching the demon then disappearing as swiftly as they appeared.

Jace is intrigued with Clary and brings her to the Instititue, secret Shadowhunter abode, after she is brutally attacked by a demon and her mother goes missing. So starts Clary's descent into the world her mother worked so hard to conceal from her. Clary is on a mission to save her mother and discover the part of herself that she has always been sequestered from.

City of Bones has immense potential. The Shadowhunter lore is slowly uncovered piece by piece but never really cemented together. The reader does not get a cohesive view, maybe meant to help the reader bond with Clary, I am not sure. Character development is fairly static, from the minor to major characters including Clary herself. I had a very hard time empathizing with any of them simplying because they did not seem to have more than one distinct emotion associated with each. Isabelle is self absorbed, Jace is arrogant, Alec is pathetic honestly and all three are insanely prejudiced against Downworlders (werewolves, vampires, "half breeds") and mundies (humans). The constant superiority complex gets old really fast. Clary has more depth than the others, but her constant forgetting of her best friend Simon is insulting and does not make me quick to befriend her myself.

The world building is pretty and very well done. The action and battle scenes were engrossing. I had no problem falling right into the scene. I would have liked to hear less about the sun on Jace's hair/eyes/whatever though. The constant obsession she has with him is a bit unsettling.

Many fans of the Twilight series have become fans of the Mortal Instruments as well. Stephanie Myers is even quoted on the cover of City of Bones:

"The Mortal Instruments series is a story world that I love to live in. Beautiful!"

Is it just me or does that quote seem really awkwardly written?

After all the critical negativity I have written above, I must say that the last fifty pages are amazing. The storyline comes together nicely, the clash of emotion between the major characters is palpable, and the action is gut wrenching. If only the entire book had this much heart and soul, I would have given it rave reviews.

Would I have read it if I knew this ahead of time? Probably, the last scene really is worth it but the whole book is really needed to build up to it. Would I read more in the series? Maybe, I borrowed this from a friend and might borrow the others, but would I put money into it? Probably not.

Rating: 3/5

~Helena

Beware the Wereguineas!

The folks from Take 180 Entertainment (hello Juice Box!) are back with another spoof of the Twilight films, this time New Moon.

I adore Devon Kelly! That's all there is to it.

~Lily