Blog Tour: Book Review & Giveaway: The Redeemers by Kate Morgan

Hi everybody!  I am so happy to be a part of the blog tour for the book, The Redeemers by Kate Morgan.  I want to send a huge thank you to the author as well as Me, Myself and i for putting this together and allowing me to take part in it!  Ya'll Rock! 

ABOUT THE BOOK

THE REDEEMERS
Author: Kate Morgan
Publisher:  Dark Recesses Press

SYNOPSIS:

Long after the Great War life flourished again, in no small part due to The Redeemers' help and guidance. It was a simple life, but a good one. Annie's world made sense...until one fateful day when everything of value is ripped from her.
With nothing left to lose, Annie embarks upon a quest for the dark, disturbing truth of why - never imagining how deep the trail leads.Find it :

Kindle | Goodreads |


My Thoughts:

The Redeemers was a very exciting read.  I love books that can take different interpretations of a religion and turn it into a mystery and thriller.  It also helps to throw in some cult like tendencies in there to keep things turned up a notch.  Kate Morgan does this and more with The Redeemers and keeps us on the edge of our seat the entire time.  
The setting in the story had me imagining the medieval times but it is actually set in the future.  I don't think this is a mistake on the author's part; actually I feel this is a creative way to show us how much civilization has lost through the Great War.  Every thing has returned to this simpler time in life and technology is nonexistent.  It is almost like an alternate universe, perhaps?  
The main character, Annie, has to deal with such physical and emotional turmoil, it is hard for us, as the reader, not to feel her pain intensely.  The graphic writing of the torture she endures just in the first few chapters is very vivid and intense.  It appeals to all of our five senses, making sure we grasp the situation just as Annie tries to understand it.  
Even after the physical torture is over, the mental torture continues throughout the book.  A lot of it is by Annie herself because she has such a hard time of trusting people.  Can you blame her?  Absolutely not.   But not being able to relax and trust anyone can do a lot of harm to someone already hurt.  
The world building was excellent.  I felt like I was transported to each village Annie goes into and felt like I could just reach out and interact with the scenery.  And when Annie sees all the old books, my heart jumps for joy.  It was hard to contain my excitement for her as she was able to ponder over each one.  The descriptions are right on target and I loved to watch as Annie learned more about what each Page meant to others.  

The plot was so original!  It takes an interesting concept and adds this cult like thriller to it as well as mystery and a feeling of "Who can I trust" ideas to it.  I really did love The Redeemers!  It was creepy, eerie, and just left you with this huge cliffhanger at the end that had me screaming for the next book asap!  

I think if you enjoy any of the things I described above, you should definitely give The Redeemers a try.  It was overpowering to my emotions to be in the dark through the book alongside Annie.  We learn as she learns and it becomes that much more sinister to us too.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kate Morgan is a darn good cook. She grows her own veggies, knits stuffed monsters, and watches lots of Hammer Horror.

Connect with her at:

Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter |

GIVEAWAY

3 Winners will each get a handmade Redeemer amigurumi!
Ships In US Only. By Entering you are agreeing to the terms and conditions in the Raffecopter Form. 

You may be asking yourself, "What is an amigurumi?"  Well here is a pic of the adorableness!

Isn't that so cute?  I love it and it takes a lot of craftiness to make, so a huge shout out to our author, Kate Morgan, for that!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Book Review: Rebel Spring: A Falling Kingdoms Novel: By Morgan Rhodes

Title: Rebel Spring
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Series: Falling Kingdoms book 2
Publisher: Razorbill
Date of Publication: Dec. 3, 2013
Source: bought, hardcover, 416 pages
Rating: YA Fantasy


From Goodreads:

Love, power, and magic collide with war in the second book of the Falling Kingdoms series
Auranos has fallen and the three kingdoms—Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia—are now united as one country called Mytica. But still, magic beckons, and with it the chance to rule not just Mytica, but the world...
When the evil King Gaius announces that a road is to be built into the Forbidden Mountains, formally linking all of Mytica together, he sets off a chain of events that will forever change the face of this land, forcing Cleo the dethroned princess, Magnus the reluctant heir, Lucia the haunted sorceress, and Jonas the desperate rebel to take steps they never could have imagined.

 My Thoughts:
Love doesn't even encompass the emotion and feelings that spring forth when this series, Falling Kingdoms, crosses my mind.
Just gazing at the cover of the second novel, Rebel Spring, I get this tingling sensation all over my body.  It's just so hard not to get caught up in this book because there is so much going on in it.  But the story isn't crowded at all; on the contrary, every move made in this story is a tactical one.  It is another step in the seeming direction of the overall thrilling plot arc.
No matter how tiny each detail is, it is another scene that contributes to the entire story line.  That is FANTASTIC writing! There is no filler, no excess.  Everything in this story has a purpose and a reason for it.
This is superb writing that supersedes just one genre.  Of course there is young adult fantasy, but then there is romance, and a lot of thriller vibe going on.
Actually the romance seems to take a backseat to all the power struggles that seem to be taking place.  I think I would compare it to these reality shows, The Real Housewives franchise.  The royalty in Rebel Spring could put all of those people to shame.  These power struggles are deceitful, intense and downright evil.
And let's just say, I definitely would not want to be a servant in the Danora household.  Servants do not seem to last long here.

Rebel Spring really dives deeper into the lore of the Watchers and Kindred as we learn more about Luica's power and the golden hawks peering down.  I love how Morgan Rhodes writes these complex and difficult characters, who may be good inside but have to show a completely different personality to literally survive in this world where danger comes from the ones closest to them.
I'm in awe of how she writes characters that would usually be classified as weak but she gives them ethereal strength to them.
Princess Cleo is one of these characters.  Her enemies always underestimate her, seeing her as a weak and spoiled princess.  That is their undoing.  I love that she gets to prove these people wrong constantly.
Jonas is another character that makes me smile whenever he "walks" into a chapter.  But I am also a slight fan of Prince Magnus-so you can see that I am torn between sides.  And I think that is exactly what Rhodes wants us to be.  She wants to make it hard for us to pick one character and be completely on their side because each one has good and bad traits, just like in real life.
Another series I could compare to Falling Kingdoms is The Walking Dead.  Okay, wait, here me out first.  I know there isn't any undead in Mythica; but let's say loss prevention isn't important in either series.  You cannot get attached to any one character because chances are they aren't going to last long....in either series.  It seems Rhodes likes to torture us with killing off characters I didn't like losing.  No one is safe.  (And that  is how they are similar)
So yeah, there were a few deaths that left me saying, out loud, "What the hell just happened?"
But even with that, I wouldn't change a thing about Rebel Spring because every single situation, good or bad, plays into the bigger picture. And the conclusion of this story is going to be epic.  I can feel it in my bones.
This is one of those stories that I wish there was a rating for a million hearts, a million stars, just a million of anything.  But it has already captured my own beating heart and holds it in its magic forever; 5 hearts will just have to suffice.
But a slight plea, if you may:  Please don't destroy my heart too terribly as the story progresses further.

Get your Copy at: 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

Connect with Morgan Rhodes at:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter |

ARC Book Review: Pale Wolf by Tim McGregor ( Bad Wolf Chronicles # 2)

Title: Pale Wolf
Author: Tim McGregor
Series: Bad Wolf Chronicles # 2
Publisher/Date of Publication: Perdido Pub/ Dec. 17,  2012
Source:  received from author for my honest opinion of it.
Links to Buy: Amazon | 

Book Synopsis:

A cop on a mission. A woman running from her fate. Both on a collision course with evil.

In the pulse-pounding sequel to BAD WOLF, the nightmare that ripped open two lives slips from the darkness to once again stalk the streets of Portland.

Three months after his partner mysteriously vanished, detective John Gallagher is haunted by his encounter with something that should not exist. With no clues as to her disappearance, detective Lara Mendes is presumed dead but Gallagher refuses to give up the search. Like a man possessed, he pushes himself to the brink to find his missing partner.

At a downtown firing range, 17-year old Amy Gallagher is taught how to fire a gun by her father. She goes along for his sake but Amy is increasingly troubled by her father’s instability. His nightmares, paranoia and obsession with locating his missing partner are clear signs of post traumatic stress but her pleas for him to seek help fall on deaf ears. Chafing under his strict rules, Amy struggles to save her dad before he pushes himself over the edge.

Two hundred miles away, a woman with a terrible secret hides in the vastness of the Oregon wilderness, desperate to outrun her fate. Banished into self-imposed exile with a worsening condition, ex-detective Lara Mendes has exhausted any hope for a cure to her cursed existence. With no options left, her last chance for peace may be to take her own life.

Stalking her through the pines is a primordial nightmare plucked straight from a Grimm’s fairytale. It wants Lara Mendes and will stop at nothing to get her.

The only question that remains is who will get to her first, and what will Lara do when they come?

My Thoughts:

Well when I got this book it was an ARC so I am still sticking with that, even though it took me so long to read it.  
And remember this is book 2 so if you are interested in this story you need to pick up Bad Wolf first.  Click here for my review of Bad Wolf.

Alright so I am going to let you know that I am a huge werewolf fan!  I love all kinds too:  

• the sweet loving "Team Jacob" wolves
• those wolves that are fierce but can be gentle as well
• the wolves that  will rip everything in front of them to shreds 

The werewolves in Pale Wolf are not for the faint of heart.  They are powerful gruesome beasts that bring back the wolves primarily remind you of the old eighties and nineties movies, like The Howling or American Wolf in London.  

I am absolutely enthralled in Tim McGregor's writing.  He has this unique and amazing ability to create this eerie story that really makes you want to keep the lights on at night.  This man has a natural talent to be a storyteller!

And even in the midst of all the terror, all the killings, and the fear McGregor shows us a human side to even the basest monsters.  Hope.  Love.  Sacrifice.  

There were parts in the story that I wasn't happy with but I understood why it was written that way.    It was the right thing to do but hey, I still didn't like it!  

The characters in Pale Wolf are strong, especially Lara and Amy, and complex because we see so much more to them than what we expect them to be.  

The plot goes hard ( sorry been listening to a lot of rap music lately) and it will keep you hooked the minute you pick up the book.  I started this like Sunday and I finished it just now.  I literally had a very hard time putting it down.  But I am like that with all of his books.  

McGregor doesn't do this lovey dovey happy ending stuff; instead he does the harsh tragic reality and yet he still keeps me coming back every time he comes out with a new book.  

I truly love this author who can bring gore, horror, cop drama, mystery, suspense, and one of my favorite supernatural creatures, werewolves, together to create this powerful novel that will keep you wound up to the very end.  

Five hearts all the way!

Connect with Tim McGregor:

Tim McGregor is a Toronto-based writer working in film, television and print. His film credits include the apocalyptic thriller Final Storm, starring Lauren Holly and Luke Perry, the horror-comedy Bitten, starring Jason "Jay" Mewes and Ultimate Killing Machine, an action thriller featuring Michael Madsen. A former comic book artist and DIY publisher, Tim began working in film after attending The Canadian Film Centre, a film institute and training center founded by Norman Jewison.

| Goodreads | Blog | Amazon Page |

Book Review: Lest the Dew Rust Them by Michael Drakich

Title: Lest the Dew Rust Them
Author: Michael Drakich
Publisher: Self
Date of Publication: Feb. 22, 2013
Genre: Crime drama
Source: received from author for honest review
Buying links: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Smashwords|

Book Synopsis:

Terrorism in America has a new game…decapitations!
Homeland Security Director Robert Grimmson faces the task of catching five men in New York City. They call themselves the Sword Masters with a single minded plan of terror through decapitations.
Barely has the task begun when a new arrival at JFK is a man importing thousands of swords! Alexander Suten-Mdjai is a trainer in the deadly art of swordsmanship and Robert cannot help but believe there is a connection between him and the Sword Masters.
As he goes about the task, each step in his search is made more difficult through the interference of politicians, the media and his own government.Robert’s examination constantly draws him back to Alexander who regales him with a tale of swordsmanship from his lineage featuring events of mankind’s bloody past and often oddly having a connection to the case before him.With the clock ticking as New York collapses into a deep panic, he must catch the Sword Masters before it is too late!

My Thoughts:
The title was an interesting one and very unique, whereas the cover photo didn't inspire me to want to reach for it.  However much emphasis I do put on the cover illustrations, I will read a book even if I am not a fan of the illustrations. 
I am glad I did.  

Lest the Dew Rust Them is an interesting mix of crime drama, mystery, historical fiction, and (probably just to me) political satire.  

Many of the characters tended to get on my nerves for their blatant racial profiling that they were capable of doing; whereas some of the characters were just idiotic in their lives.  My favorite character in the whole book was without a doubt, Alexander Suten - Mdjai for many reasons.  
He is a honorable person.  Even as he is being suspected for some very heinous crimes all  because of a title, he is helpful and polite throughout it all. 
Another reason I respected him so much is because of his knowledge and talent.  He is a hell of a storyteller and I enjoyed hearing about the history of each blade he owned.  Personally, these were my favorite parts in the story;the accounts of the blades and his ancestors' use of them. 
Because of this section, the supernatural fan in me was hoping for some type of reincarnation like plot thread, but alas there was none. But again, that is just me.  

There are other characters in the story that play some major parts in the story, like the Homeland Security director, as well as the antagonists too, but they really didn't capture my attention like Alexander  Suten-Mdjai did.  

I will mention that I had high hopes for the antagonists being pretty worthy opponents but towards the middle and end I was just disappointed in their ways.  It seemed like they really didn't have any idea what they were doing, although, that could have been the deliberate doing of the author.  I  did wish that we weren't informed of the criminals so early in the book.  It would have been more mysterious if we may have had to guess at their identities first.  

The plot was a creative one as well as the choice of weapons interesting.  Also the manner in which many of the victims were destroyed was also entertaining for a crime drama.   
There was a strong message going throughout the story that shows us how civilization will slowly break down when people get scared.  Accusations, racial slurs, and bigotry become more commonplace as people lose their securities and feel like they are being boxed in by something they can't control and can't understand.  I felt like Mr. Drakich really understood this and made it an important part in his book for people to grasp.

I wasn't wholly impressed with this story but at the same time I did find parts that were interesting enough that kept me turning the pages and finishing the book.  The criminals as well as the police caused me to see it more of a satire in many ways.  I would have enjoyed the Sword Masters to be a little more adept at the mission they were trying to accomplish and I was a little disappointed in police's ability to find them.  

But all in all, the story was an okay read and I am going to give it four  hearts because even though there were areas that I disliked; I found myself being drawn into the story,turning page after page, until I was already at the end.  And I was not expecting it to end the way it did, so yay for twists!
[Though in this case I am not really in love with it; I did think it merited a four heart{or stars} rating for the implications shown when the society gets scared]

About The Author:
Michael Drakich
No awards, no accolades, no writing degrees or diplomas, only a deep rooted love of reading and writing.

If you buy a copy of any of my works, please, visit again to provide a comment or a review.

Thank you


Connect with Michael Drakich
Goodreads | Amazon | 

Book Review: Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Title: Ten
Author: Gretchen McNeil
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Date of Publication: September 18, 2012
Format: hardcover, 294 pages
Source: Bought
Get your copy:  Barnes & Noble / Amazon

And their doom comes swiftly.
It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives-an exclusive house party on Henry Island.  Best friends, Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there(which involves T.J., the school's most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze, and fun-filled luxury.
But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a                  sinister message: Vengeance is Mine.
Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world.  No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn't scheduled to return for two days.  As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die?  Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?
-Goodreads Summary

My feelings:

Well we all know how much I do love my covers, right?  This is a creepy cover indeed.  It makes me think of that mini-series called Harper's Island where it was a big wedding party that pretty much had a killer running around.  Well this has a very similar approach except this is teenagers instead of adults.  
Our main protagonist, Meg, is more or less forced to be there because her "best friend" wants to go.  Meg is charismatic; everyone seems to like her right off and she gets along with most everyone there.  
Everyone else you root for but aren't sure if they will make it-but some you are secretly hoping they get the ax; so to speak.  One person I couldn't stand at all was Meg's bff, Minnie.  UGH! This girl just ticked me off to no end!  She has no concept of friendship because she basically looks at Meg as her slave more than anything else.  
All of the other characters were decent.  T.J. was a pretty cool dude.  He wasn't portrayed as the typical football jock and I actually liked him even more for it. 
The secondary characters felt just like that-secondary characters.  We get a little background on them, but a few came after the fact.  It was hard to get attached to anyone because you didn't know who would be taken out quickly or not.

You are pretty much thrust into the whole creepy factor right away.  This I totally loved!  The videotape was such a nice added "scare the hell outta you" feature.  I did feel, though, people were too hesitant to believe what was happening.  A lot of folks kept second guessing themselves until it was too late. 
I liked all the small details that Ms. McNeil added to keep the scare factor in the story going.  One scene involving the neighbor's house had me pretty freaked out.  
There were times that I had figured out a few parts of the plot early on but I never guessed who the killer was until the very end.  I wasn't even going in that direction at all!  
And of course throughout all this chaotic killing frenzy and terrible storm, there is a small romantic factor playing within the other plot lines.  
My biggest pet peeve with this book was Meg's unfailing way to second guess herself.  I felt like she was very astute, sitting in the background studying everything and everyone else, and I just didn't like the way she didn't have enough confidence to believe in herself.  

Other than that, I really liked Ten!  Fans of movies like Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Urban Legend will get much delight in this creepy entertaining thriller.  

Review: The Jazz Cage by Ray Chen Smith

Title: The Jazz Cage
Author: Ray Chen Smith
Publisher: Self
Date of Publication: June 12, 1012
Format: Kindle, 337 pages
Source: received from author for honest review


Goodreads Summary:


Prohibition-era mobsters collide with Underground Railroad abolitionists in The Jazz Cage.

It is 1924—sixty years after the South’s victory in the Civil War.

Frank McCluey, bounty hunter for the mob, is sent to help out a wealthy Virginian bootlegger. Frank’s job: track down two female slaves who’ve run away from the millionaire.

But the mob has made a bad choice. Instead of capturing the women, Frank decides to help them escape to Canada, his mission now aided by the pint-sized but steel-willed runaway Della and the outlawed Underground Railroad.

Soon Della and Frank become the target of slave catchers, cops, gangsters, and most chilling of all, a Confederate agent nicknamed the Hound for his ability to always sniff out and kill his prey


My feelings:


This is by no means a science fiction or fantasy novel but I did feel like The Jazz Cage had a definite "alternate universe" feel to it. I mean, come on the SOUTH wins the Civil War!!! Anyone who knows their history can definitely see this as a very bad thing...but it does make for an interesting concept for a mystery/crime thriller.   I see the time period-the twenties-very important because that still wasn't too far from the Civil War and people are still seeing the ramifications of allowing the South to win.  It is still a charged up time with not only slavery still running rampant but you also have the American gangsters trying to control things in the North.  This is just a very emotional time any which way you look at it.  
I love a good crime thriller and always enjoy historical novels.  This one delivers on both, even if the historical side is more of a "what if" concept.  I had a hard time putting this novel down.  It flows through with enough action to keep you hanging on but there is also a powerful insight into human nature, both good and bad, that will keep you questioning till the end.  
Our heroines, Della and Cece, are on an escape for their lives and for their very souls too.  Della is a strong woman but is always questioning herself and others in her mind.  Cece is very troubled with so much turmoil running through her, she sometimes to reverts back to a simpler time in her life; when she was a child.  Both of these women learn more about themselves as they fight for their freedom. 
Frank is our bounty hunter for the mob.  Frank is a criminal but he is so much more too.  Frank holds true the adage "honor among thieves."  He is good at what he does but he is also a good human being too.  He finds himself caring for these two women who have more in common with him than he realizes.  
These three make an unlikely group but they end up learning from  each other and more importantly, understanding how to trust each other.  
You can't help but get drawn into the drama surrounding everyone.  I know I caught myself holding my breath a couple of times, just knowing Della and Cece were going to get caught.  
I am glad that our author, Smith, shows us that racism and bigotry wasn't just in the South but was still high in the North as well.  One of the scenes that shows this is when Della goes into the hotel in New York to use the phone.  After using it the hotel clerk approaches her and questions why Della is there.  After checking with Della's "employer" she tells Della:

"...remember that officially, you people are welcome here, but unofficially, most of our clientele aren't as enlightened as we are.  So I think it best if you come in here to use the phones again, come in through the back with the other help." -67% Kindle

From just this scene it shows us that there is still a prevalent racist attitude even among the free states.  

There are many different bad guys in this novel, but you find yourself realizing there are different degrees of bad too.  The Hound is by far the worst and most evil, especially since he could say he is just doing his job.  

I did, however, have a hard time wrapping my mind around all the different government agencies, partly because I still found myself thinking about the real history instead of the story's history.  There were times I felt like America was split into two different countries because there were border patrols between the two sides: North and South.  But they were still under the same country and law.  It just got confusing to me and I am not sure if I was looking at it in the right way but this still didn't take away from the story.  

All in all, there are many surprises throughout the book and at times I actually felt my mouth drop open when someone I really liked gets killed.  I was definitely not expecting that.  And I was none too happy for it either.  

I had to give The Jazz Cage four hearts!  

You can get The Jazz Cage here:
  

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: Obsidian and Blood: The Collected Acatl Novels by Aliette de Bodard

Title: Obsidian and Blood: The Collected       Acatl Novels
Author: Aliette De Bodard
Publisher: Angry Robot
Publishing Date: June 26, 2012
Format: print, ebook
Source: received from Netgalley for my honest review

ISBN:  9780857662378

Summary:
This is an omnibus that holds the Obsidian and Blood trilogy, as well as 3 short stories available on the E book version.  These are the titles included in the trilogy as well as their summaries from Net Galley:

Servant of the Underworld
 Year One-Knife, Tenochtitlan – the capital of the Aztecs. The end of the world is kept at bay only by the magic of human sacrifice. A priestess disappears from an empty room drenched in blood. Acatl, high priest, must find her, or break the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead.


Harbinger of the Storm
The year is Two House and the Mexica Empire teeters on the brink of destruction, lying vulnerable to the flesh-eating star-demons – and to the return of their creator, a malevolent goddess only held in check by the Protector God’s power. The council is convening to choose a new emperor, but when a councilman is found dead, only Acatl, High Priest of the Dead, can solve the mystery.


Master of the House of Darts
 The year is Three Rabbit, and the storm is coming… The coronation war for the new Emperor has just ended in a failure, the armies retreating with a mere forty prisoners of war – not near enough sacrifices to ensure the favor of the gods. When one of those prisoners of war dies of a magical illness, Acatl, High Priest for the Dead, is summoned to investigate.




My Feelings:

Bodard creates a beautifully crafted world within the Aztec Empire.  We are transported back in time to a time that is already mystical to us.  But with the creativity that Bodard weaves within the history of the Aztecs, we are the lucky few to walk among gods, goddesses, magical entities, and our narrator, Acatl, as we delve deeper into this rich civilization.

I was immensely drawn to this book just by the cover alone.  It is amazingly dark, eerie, and mystical.  Acatl, standing in the moonlight, shadowed like a savior in the night.  

But then when I read the summary of the stories, I was floored.  I haven't read many stories that go into the Aztec Empire so deeply and then combining  the magic of the priests, the gods and goddesses they worshiped as well as intertwining the beasts of our imaginations into the story; this was brilliant! 

Our narrator and protagonist, Acatl, High Priest for the Dead, is a very complex character.  He is honest, simple, and enjoys being in the shadows, instead of at the forefront of the politics involved around him.  He is also the one that tends to have the option of solving the crimes associated with death.  

There were times, though, I thought Acatl acted more naive than a High Priest should be.  I wanted to shout at him: "Man it is right in front of you!!"  But I understood his confusion added to the story to tie everything in together.  

There are other characters that we are introduced to that come to hinder Acatl and others that are there merely to help him, whether he realizes it or not.  

Besides Acatl, I had two other favorites suprisingly.

Mihmatini, Acatl's sister, plays a huge part in these stories and she is gutsy, fiery, and a woman definitely ahead of her time.  She is a strong female character that could teach many of these men a thing or two about saving the world.

Nezahual-tzin, the Revered Speaker of Texcoco, similar to a king of an neighboring town, and also an agent of the God of the Feathered Serpent.  He is proud, powerful, and smarter than anyone thinks.  I know he is in it for his own means, but he proves to be more of an ally.  Also, he is a ladies man and I think I fell for his charms as well.

These stories are dark and mixed with plenty of sacrifices.  There is blood and gore in some areas, but only added to the stories showing the reader how these people worshiped and lived in a place that was heavily shaded with magic.  

Surprisingly, many of the problems that Acatl and the others have to deal with  can still be found in our systems today.  Murder, betrayal, love, and even political upstarts run common in both worlds.  

I enjoyed these stories very much and I noticed as I read the momentum of doom would build as my heartbeat would race in time with our characters trying to save the world from evil.  

I have to give this omnibus 5 hearts!

ARC: Alone by Robert J. Crane

Alone Book 1 in The Girl in the Box series

Robert J. Crane

Available on : Kindle, Nook

Book Synopsis: 

Sienna Nealon was a 17 year old girl who had been held prisoner in her own house by her mother for twelve years. Then one day her mother vanished, and Sienna woke up to find two strange men in her home.  On the run, unsure of who to turn to and discovering she possesses mysterious powers, Sienna finds herself pursued by a shadowy agency known as the Directorate and hunted by a vicious, bloodthirsty psychopath named Wolfe, each of which is determined to capture her for their own purposes...

The author sent this to me as an ARC and I was super excited to start reading this!

I was so thoroughly impressed by this book I had such a hard time putting it down.  I started it two nights ago, and finished it last night around two in the morning.  I knew I should sleep but my brain would not let me until I had knew Sienna would be okay.  

This is a very compelling, gritty, and dark thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat(or pillow) the entire time.  Sienna, our heroine, is smart (of course she is she is homeschooled after all :) )

and very tough.  I do believe she could give Chuck Norris a run for his money.  

Most young women who wake up to find two strange men in their house, would cry and then run to hide somewhere.  Not Sienna.  She calmly gets up, finds her a weapon, and proceeds to beat the crap out of them.  

She always has a snarky comment to throw to anyone conversing with her.  I would like to say this is her defense mechanism.  It's hard to let someone get close when she was taught all her life not to trust anyone, especially the outside world. 

This novel was very descriptive as far as the brutality that Sienna has to face against the crazy being called Wolfe.  I was so enthralled with the intensity Crane writes the fight scenes, especially when Wolfe is among them.  You could just feel the pain, physical and emotionally, that Sienna is put through.  

Sienna has this hard outer shell around her, and she is tough, but I feel like deep inside she is a scared little girl who isn't sure where she belongs or if she does at all.  She is trying to find herself all the while trying to stay alive and keep her sanity.  

There is so many emotions going on through this story, I literally cried at one point for all the pain this young woman had to go through; yet she is still faced with more.  

There are still a lot of unanswered questions left mainly being where did Sienna's mother vanish to? Why did she disappear?  

I know we will get the answers to these questions in the next book and more of a thrill ride where Sienna kicks ass and smarts off all the time.  

I would recommend this book to anyone 16 and over, because of some of the very descriptive bloody scenes.  It is a great read and you will definitely get your money worth!

If you would like to purchase Alone for Kindle click here
Do you want to know about other books Crane has written? Click here to visit his website.  
If you have a Nook and would like to order Alone you can find it here