Book Review: The Immortal Circus by A.R. Kahler

Title: The Immortal Circus
Author: A.R. Kahler
Publisher: 47North
Date of Publication: Dec. 4, 2012
Source: bought, Kindle, 236 pages
Genre: Fantasy, New Adult, Romance, Paranormal
Fall In Love with Your Own:  Amazon | 



Goodreads Summary:

Murdered contortionists aren’t exactly what Vivienne signed up for when she ran away to join the circus. But like most things under the big top, nothing is what it seems. With a past she can't quite remember, Vivienne finds that running away forever might not be as appealing as it once sounded—especially not when she realizes the devilishly attractive ringleader Mab is the Faerie Queen of legend…and that she and the rest of the troupe are locked in an age-old rivalry between the otherworldly Courts.Aided by her friends Kingston—a feisty stage magician whose magic is quickly stealing her heart—and his smart-ass assistant Melody, Vivienne finds herself racing against the clock to discover the culprit behind a series of deaths that should be impossible. However, the answer she seeks might reveal more about her own bloody past—and future—than she bargains for.
The show's just beginning.

Step right up…

My Thoughts:
This is a fast paced, sexy as hell, romantic supernatural mystery that combines so many magical elements it creates this thrill ride that you hope will never end!

Wouldn't it be wonderful if the circuses we grew up on had this type of allure to them?  Magicians that capture our minds with spells, while the fey like performers capture our eyes with their graceful moves.  Oh what a wonderful world indeed that would be!

Lucky for us, Mr. Kahler created a world with these very powerful beings who can transform everything around us with just a blink of the eyelid.   From the very first page, we are thrust right into the dark world of the Cirques de Immortales where a performer has been murdered.  Right away, we get a glimpse of the dangerous side to this profound group of circus performers.  
It is told from Vivienne's standpoint, so we are kept in the dark, only learning things as she learns them.  There are a few times we are privy to certain conversations between other characters that help us see a little bit more into everyone's parts that they are destined to play.
I liked Vivienne for the most part.  There were times she seemed a little naive concerning the background info on the other members of the circus, but in her defense she had a lot on her plate so I guess that could be understandable.  
Besides our main character, the others are an interesting lot too.  Kingston is a heartthrob indeed!  Every time I hear his name, I imagine this tall gorgeous man wearing a top hat (magicians have to have  their top hats) and an overcoat with no shirt open.  Oh goodness me!
I, personally, love our leader of the Immortal Circus, Mab of the Winter Court.  She is sexy incarnate.  She is dark, deceptive, and yet I feel drawn to her like a magnet.  Mab has this pull which is probably why everyone found their way to her; she knew their weakness and this is how she is able to get the "contracts" from them.  

The plot threads in the story are addictive.  Everyone knows that The Winter Court despises the Summer Court and yet things are not as they seem.  I wouldn't label Mab as good in the book; but I could not give the Summer Court Fey this title either.  Both courts are devious and only interested in their own means.    After reading the book, though, I found it hard to root for the Summer court.  The winter court had some very amazing creatures helping them, even though they could have been terrifying, it still was enjoyable to see them working together helping the circus.  

There is so much more to come in these books I am going to be biting my nails waiting on the next book to come out.  Mab has many dark secrets up her sleeves and I am terrified for what Vivienne  has to play in the future of the Immortal Circus.  

I highly suggest you come to the circus, where your inhibitions can be released as you experience a magically induced sensual journey into one of the most secretive and dark fantasies to come to the pages of a book.  

I wholeheartedly give The Immortal Circus five hearts!  

Connect with A.R. Kahler:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | 

Book Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater {Book 1 in Wolves of Mercy Falls}

Title: Shiver
Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls book 1
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Date of Publication: August 1, 2009
Source: borrowed from Leigh Ann at Silver Wings Reviews
Format: hardcover, 392 pages
Get your copy: Amazon/ Barnes and Noble

Goodreads Summary:
Grace and Sam share a kinship so close they could be lovers or siblings. But they also share a problem. When the temperature slips towards freezing, Sam reverts to his wolf identity and must retreat into the woods to protect his pack. He worries that eventually his human side will fade away and he will be left howling alone at the lonely moon. A stirring supernatural teen romance



My Feelings:

So this is one of those books that left me gasping for air from the way the story was crafted so breathlessly.  Ms. Stiefvater is a true storyteller in every sense of the word.  
I first fell in love with this book on the cover alone a while back.  I love how we are gazing into the forest, through the brambles and wispy branches, to find a solitary wolf staring back at us.  I love love love the blue tints and it automatically makes me think of winter.  And of course, the only other color is the spot of red which looks closely similar to a drop of blood.  

Alright, I know you guys are telling me to get on with it but I just really loved this cover as well as the others in the series.  
The theme is a well known element: werewolf, but Stiefvater takes this and puts a very unique twist on it creating something completely different and very compelling.  
Our wolves in this story are more dependent upon the seasons and temperatures than the moon.  

Ms. Stiefvater crafts a wonderful tale full of emotion that just spills out everywhere.  And then we have poetry...ahh poetry.  I love poetry and I love how much research she did to find poems that fit Sam and Grace so well.  You can really tell that our author went all the way out with the research on wolves as far as pack structure.  I just cannot get enough of the whole "Alpha-beta-omega" tier that goes with these pristine creatures.
Shiver is a slow paced novel that doesn't rush into anything. It takes its time but that is the beauty in the story.  When I was reading it, I didn't want to rush through the story (even though I only took 2 days reading it) but instead I wanted to enjoy each and every descriptive scene.  I have never been a fan of snow and winter but after reading this novel, I wanted to go wander in a snow filled forest just to hear the crunch of the packed snow under my feet!  

The characters in Shiver are complex in every sense of the word. Sam is so hurt, so fragile and yet I can't help but feeling he is more than what he seems.  I love the fact that Sam doesn't take anything for granted.  He looks at life in a very special sweet way that will make you appreciate the simple things that surround us.  
His HEA, Grace, is the opposite of Sam but his perfect match too.  I guess it is true that opposites attract because these two seem like they were meant for each other.  She is the realist in the relationship and operates on the facts that are presented to her.   This makes it even more interesting for us to see how she processes the fact that Sam is the wolf that saved her so long ago too.  She feels connected to the pack of wolves that live in the woods behind her home.  My most favorite trait of Grace?  Her loyalty to those she cares about.  She will be loyal to the very end, even if it is a losing battle.  

I really liked the other characters in this book too.  I loved Beck, even though I wasn't sure how to feel about him through some of his more questionable acts.
I really enjoyed getting to know the other pack members through Sam's memories.  That made me feel even worse for Sam.  Bless his heart!
  Grace's friends are okay but I couldn't really feel any kind of relation to them.
Her parents actually just ticked me off!  As a mom myself, I felt like her parents were just out of everything.  I am not sure if this lack of parenting is a foreshadowing of events coming up or more of an explanation as to why Grace becomes such a strong female at a very young age.  
The antagonists will definitely surprise you.  Sometimes the ones that start out as "the bad guy" will make you stand up and applaud.  

Was there parts that I felt were a little to emo-isque even for me?  Yeah there was times I thought Sam did wallow in self pity but after you figure out what he went through; hey I can understand why he has so much doubt.  

All in all, Shiver brought a lot of emotion out of me and there were times I couldn't help but cry and gasp at the situations these troubled characters have to go through in their life.  Yeah there is parts that tend to drag a little but the climax is so strong my heart still flutters thinking about it.  

I gave Shiver four hearts!

ARC Review: Blade Song by J.C. Daniels

Title: Blade Song


Author: J.C. Daniels


Publisher/Date of Publication: Shiloh Walker, Inc./ Aug.1, 2012


Source: received from net galley as ARC 



Website: http://jcdanielsblog.wordpress.com/

*this is an Adult paranormal romance. If you are under 18, just skip on by this review please.  


Author's Blurb:

Kit Colbana—half breed, assassin, thief, jack of all trades—has a new job: track down the missing ward of one of the local alpha shapeshifters. It should be a piece of cake.

So why is she so nervous? It probably has something to do with the insanity that happens when you deal with shifters—especially sexy ones who come bearing promises of easy jobs and easier money.

Or maybe it’s all the other missing kids that Kit discovers while working the case, or the way her gut keeps screaming she’s gotten in over her head. Or maybe it’s because if she fails—she’s dead.

If she can stay just one step ahead, she should be okay. Maybe she’ll even live long to collect her fee…

My Feelings:

So ya'll know I do like a good cover.  Can't help it I know it is wrong but...there it is.  This cover had me with mixed feelings.  The model kinda put me in the mind of Brittany Spears in the video Hit Me Baby One More Time.  She looks so innocent and naive, like she couldn't possibly hurt a fly.  And then you see the big ass sword she has in her hands there.  I personally am a huge fan of swords and daggers.  I even collect some from time to time so I can appreciate the beautiful piece of artwork there.  

Oh and in the background I see a pretty handsome chest back there too.  Is this just my imagination or is that a man I see?  

So I liked the cover but I didn't love it.  

The book is however a different story.  From the first minute I read the blurb I fell in love with this girl!  

Kit Colbana is one tough kick ass heroine.  She has a smart ass mouth(reminds me of...me) and always has a great comeback to anyone daring enough to challenge her.

She has a seriously troubled past but was able to rise up from it and survive.  Kit could definitely rock the Survivor song by Destiny's Child.  Kit isn't quite human but she is something that is very original to me; she is an aniera.  Apparently they are descendants of Amazonians.  And Kit is every bit the warrior, even though you don't technically get to read a lot about her fighting in action, you can pick up on a lot of it.  Besides being able to wield a weapon powerfully she does have a few handy tricks too.  

Then to top things off, she has this sexy shifter that has put him as her bodyguard through the case she is working on.  Damon (or as Kit calls him "Demon") definitely causes Kit  trouble in every way of the word.  But he also shows a gentler side when he gets done being a jerk.  

This is an adult paranormal romance but it is so much more than that.  It is a paranormal thriller too.  While there are some definite steamy scenes, sex isn't all over the place.  It is placed in meaningful places instead thrown in every couple of pages.  I really enjoyed the flirting and sexual tension between the two more than the actual sex scene.  

If there was one thing that I didn't like about the book was how things were repeated often, not including the mantra Kit repeats to calm herself.  No, I am talking about how her sword was her mother's throughout the book.  I didn't forget the first time and the second time that I was told that but we hear it more and more.  

Other than that I freaking loved this story!  It has a little of everything in it for all of you: vampires, shifters, witches and even warrior witches.  The witches were pretty darn awesome too.  

Oh and the bad guy?  You will be shocked to say the least.  

I am already counting the days until the next book, Night Blade, comes out...

I gave it 5 hearts!

Get your copy of The Blade Song here:


Amazon/ Barnes and Noble

ARC Review: Otherkin by Nina Berry

Title: Otherkin Book 1
Series: Otherkin 
Author: Nina Berry
Publisher/Date of Publication:Kensington (Kteen) July 31, 2012
Source: ebook from Net Galley




Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Desdemona Gray doesn't even bother with crushes on cute boys now that she's forced to wear a hard plastic back brace all day.  What guy would want to literally have to knock on a girl to be let in?  So she squashes down every impossible desire until an uber-awkward brush with a boy brings out all her frustration and she changes...into a tiger.  In that bewildering moment, she is captured by Ximon, the leader of a fanatical group hell-bent on wiping out the five remaining tribes of shape-shifters, known as the otherkin. 

With help from a handsome, mysterious fellow captive named Caleb, she escapes and goes on the run, finding allies and learning the truth behind the legends of wizards and were-creatures.  Then Ximon goes too far, and Dez must tap into all her buried desires to find her inner tiger and save herself, her new friends, and the boy she loves.

My Feelings:

Okay so everyone knows I love covers and if they are very special I just have to comment on them.  And this cover is pretty darn amazing, huh?

I love the tiger in the background, as it seems that the tiger is a part of the girl, patiently awaiting for her.  The girl herself looks like a tiger with the red hair, hidden in the grass, getting ready to pounce.  I love this cover!  

But with that being said, this cover is more provocative than what I think a young adult novel would be.  This cover is definitely pushing the limits on this one for just being a young adult novel.

This story just jumps into the action.  We find Dez, our heroine, very upset because a boy she likes touched her back brace.  She becomes extremely angry, ripping off the brace, and then she suddenly shifts into a tiger.  

Could you imagine what Dez was going through?  She never knew she was any different than the other kids but she just bam! shifts into a tiger!  The action really picks up from there and Dez is kidnapped by a religious order intent on the destruction of shifters.  

We get just enough of the background to have some idea of what is going on, but we are kept in the dark just as Dez is.  This is interesting because we find out things the same as Dez does which makes you feel like you are going through this roller coaster ride with her.  That endeared her to me.  

Another thing I loved about Dez is she isn't perfect.  She has to wear a back brace to keep her spine straight and this makes her so much more likable.  It made her more real to me.  

And Dez does grow as a character, even though I think she has a pretty good head on her shoulder to start with, realizing and coming to term with what she is.  

Caleb is different.  I liked him but I didn't fall in love with him.  But he is loyal  to those who deserve it.  

We meet a lot of characters in this story and I have to admit I really did like the teen shifters.  I really liked November, London and Arnaldo.  I think you will too but I don't want to give away their animal forms.  

Another thing I liked about this book was how we got a look into their actions and minds while they were in their animal forms.  These teens at the camp have to shift a lot to get used to it and do obstacle courses while in form.  I just really liked how they communicated without human voices with each other.  

Overall, Otherkin is a shifter story that has a little bit of romance in it but doesn't over do it with too much lovey dovey stuff.  I liked the plot, but I would have liked a little more understanding on more of what the shadows were and how they reacted.  I am hoping we get more of this in book 2.  

I gave Otherkin 4 hearts!

Review: The Essence of My Being by Jean Price

The Essence of My Being

Jean Price

Published:October 27, 2011

Digital format: Kindle

The cover drew me to this book before I even knew what it was about.  The rendering of Kya, the young female lead of the story, is gorgeous.  And of course, everyone knows how much I am insanely in love with elves.  So I had to give this story a try.  The author was kind enough to send me a copy of her book to read in an exchange for a honest review of it.  

Kya is a young woman turning 18 with so much to look forward to, except she didn't realize her coming of age included finding out she was of Elven blood.  It is actually very funny how she discovers this secret.  She notices her ears in the mirror as she is in the bathroom, and sees that they are pointed at the top.  I laughed at loud at her discovery and could imagine how I would be if finding this out.  I would probably be doing a lot more cursing, but Kya handled it very well.  

Kya goes on an adventure with her cousin as well as a handsome young Elf that is to die for, in search of what truly happened to her parents.  Along the way, she comes to realize that being an Elf is far different than what she thought, and wakes up some new powers she has, Kya learns what responsibility truly is.  

For me this seemed like a coming of age novel but with a creative paranormal twist to it.   I believe many young girls would benefit from reading this story because it does have a strong intelligent female heroine in it, that puts her family first.  

Also, the protectiveness her cousin Seth has for her is so endearing.  I actually fell in love with Seth before we are even introduced to the love interest in the story.  

I did feel though, that the love blossoming between Carsen and Kya happened way too fast.  It felt rushed, especially when Kya just met him at the beginning of the book.  I would have liked that to be a little more slower, but it doesn't take away from the book at all.  

In this story Price shows us that, in a world where werewolves and vampires are the norm for romance, Elves can be fun, exciting, and even a little dangerous as she takes readers on a thrill ride with Kya determining her place in this newfound magical world.  

This story is a great story for young ladies, because it shows us many different ways to love,  for our parents, our friends, our soul mates, but most importantly, for ourselves.  

I will definitely be looking forward to more and hopefully a sequel from Jean Price.  

If you think 

The Essence Of My Being is what you would like to read then click it and discover it on Amazon for Kindle.