Book Review: Ironskin by Tina Connolly

Author: Tina Connolly

Series: Ironskin #1
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: October 2nd 2012
My Rating:  3 cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Jane Eliot wears an iron mask. 

It’s the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain—the ironskin. 

When a carefully worded listing appears for a governess to assist with a "delicate situation"—a child born during the Great War—Jane is certain the child is fey-cursed, and that she can help. 

Teaching the unruly Dorie to suppress her curse is hard enough; she certainly didn’t expect to fall for the girl’s father, the enigmatic artist Edward Rochart. But her blossoming crush is stifled by her own scars, and by his parade of women. Ugly women, who enter his closed studio...and come out as beautiful as the fey. 

Jane knows Rochart cannot love her, just as she knows that she must wear iron for the rest of her life. But what if neither of these things is true? Step by step Jane unlocks the secrets of her new life—and discovers just how far  she will go to become whole again.

As you all probably know, I'm a girl that's easily impressed by a pretty cover. Don't know why, I just love a cover that catches my eye and makes me want to read the book without even checking the blurb. So it shouldn't surprise you that the moment I saw the cover for Ironskin I wanted to read that book right away.  There was someone that pointed out the fact that the cover model looks like Natalie Portman. I can see the resemblance, can you?

Anyway, back to the book. The first thing I noticed was that in Ironskin fey are bad, evil creatures. I liked that. It is certainly fresh and untouched territory. Or at least it is for me. Of course, I read fey and my mind processes fairies. Bad fairies sound interesting. Bad fey attracted to anything beautiful are even more interesting. I enjoyed reading about that, but I wanted to know more. Where do the fey come from? Why are they evil and how did they get in touch with humans? I wanted to know their history and their reasons for being bad. Yes, we get some details in the end, but I felt like it wasn't enough.

The pacing was a little bit too slow for my taste. Now, I know a lot of people said that Ironskin is sort of a retelling of Jane Eyre. I might have told you that I hate classic literature, so I didn't read Jane Eyre. Sorry to disappoint. I'm used to fast pacing books. Yes, I might enjoy some slow motion from time to time, but I kind of felt that the supernatural theme of Ironskin, the fey, needed a more faster pacing.

The characters were interesting. I can see why Jane would be attracted to Mr. Rochart, what with her being an outcast because of her curse and all that. There were moments where both pissed me off a little bit, but I can't mention them or else I'd be giving away spoilers. And I hate spoilers.

I wanted to like this book more, I really did. It wasn't that bad, you know, the kind of bad that makes you want to put this book in the DNF pile. But I can't say that I fell off my chair I liked it so much. It was a good read, but I felt it could've been better.

 

Book Review: Casual by Oksana Robski

  

Author: Oksana Robski
Original Title: Casual
Country: Russia
Rating: 3 cups

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Based on the author's own experiences, Casual tells the story of a wealthy young woman whose husband is mysteriously gunned down outside their Moscow apartment. Determined to avenge his murder while maintaining her lavish lifestyle, she must navigate through a treacherous labyrinth of high society and low company.
From running her own business to negotiating with hit men, the resilient widow becomes intimately involved in the corrupt and dangerous underbelly of the Russian business world. At once an entrepreneur and socialite, she and her equally rich and beautiful friends attend Moscow's wildest parties, spend thousands on plastic surgery, and stop at nothing to snag rich husbands.
A sensational bestseller in its native Russia, Casual exposes the secret lives of the country's new elite. In a world of double-crossinggangsters, torrid affairs, and truly desperate housewives, startling excess is often accompanied by violence, heartbreak, and betrayal.

I bought this book about three years ago, during a wonderful, big book fair. I loved the cover (not the one above, though, that one seems cold and impersonal for a chick lit). This is the cover my edition has:

Pretty, right? Anyway, I wanted to try something new, since every chick lit book I've read until then was either set in the UK or written by a British/English author. So the idea of a Russian chick lit appealed to me, big time.  

This book reminded me of Desperate Housewives, only in Russia. You have funny moments, tragic moments, some tears, plots and schemes and money. Lots and lots of money. The heroine of this book is very witty, sarcastic, sometimes almost snarky. Her and her friends are rich and they aren't afraid of showing that. The author takes you from spas to exclusive restaurants and clubs, where the rich people in Moscow have fun, drink, gossip and flirt. 

I liked the feel of reality this book had. It truly made me believe that about half of the things that happened in the book might happen in real life, which is really rare in a book. And the little intrigues, the every day life experiences, like running into an ex, or your lover and his wife and realizing he's not going to leave her for you,  or finding out your late husband's mistress is pregnant, being threatened by the mob, all those subplots made this a very interesting read. 

At times though, some of the characters blended together, probably because some of them had very similar names.

All in all, this was an interesting book. If you're a fan of chick lit, then you should give this book a try.

My Rating:

Book Review: The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury

Author: Raymond Khoury

Blurb (from Goodreads):

In a hail of fire and flashing sword, as the burning city of Acre falls from the hands of the West in 1291, The Last Templar opens with a young Templar knight, his mentor, and a handful of others escaping to the sea carrying a mysterious chest entrusted to them by the Order's dying Grand Master. The ship vanishes without a trace.
In present day Manhattan, four masked horsemen dressed as Templar Knights emerge from Central Park and ride up the Fifth Avenue steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art during the blacktie opening of a Treasures of the Vatican exhibit. Storming through the crowds, the horsemen brutally attack anyone standing between them and their prize. Attending the gala, archaeologist Tess Chaykin watches in silent terror as the leader of the horsemen hones in on one piece in particular, a strange geared device. He utters a few cryptic Latin words as he takes hold of it with reverence before leading the horsemen out and disappearing into the night.
In the aftermath, an FBI investigation is led by anti-terrorist specialist Sean Reilly. Soon, he and Tess are drawn into the dark, hidden history of the crusading Knights, plunging them into a deadly game of cat and mouse with ruthless killers as they race across three continents to recover the lost secret of the Templars
.

This book has been sitting on my shelf for about a year after I bought it before I finally got to read it. Being the history nerd that I am, I saw the title and I couldn't resist buying it. I kept putting it off because I was afraid this was going to be another hit and miss for me, like other books on this subject were.

I can't say I didn't like the book, because I'd be lying. There were some great parts that this book had, like the flashbacks from the past. I love it when an author manages to combine the present actions with past scenes and Raymond Khoury did that very well in my opinion. And the historical details were very well introduced in the book, though I feel that at times the history lesson was too much. The suspense, the not knowing what artifact is the one being searched was good. It wasn't about what it was, but more of to whom it belonged in the first place. Who was the first person who had that artifact, before the templars got hold of it.  I think that was an interesting question to answer.

The plot isn't new, it's not something you haven't yet read. It's very well told, but it's not new. The characters surprised me though, and not in a good way. It might be a stereotype, but aren't detectives supposed to be...well, detectives? I mean, Sean Rilley wasn't the detective he came across, he wasn't intuitive, he didn't manage to get inside the criminal's mind, he lacked that certain something that I believe detectives should have. Not to mention the fact that Tess manages to somehow become the boss in this little adventure. Tess would've been a perfect detective. And it's not because she has the historical knowledge to back her up, it's because she has the traits that Sean doesn't. Then there's the romance that develops between them that feels so premature to me and a bit unprofessional. I mean, they could feel attracted to each other and explore those feelings after the investigation is completed.

I think this is a book the readers of The da Vinci Code would enjoy.

Book Review: American Vampire by Jennifer Armintrout

Author: Jennifer Armintrout

Blurb (from Goodreads):

"HE'S THE GOOD KIND OF VAMPIRE. SORT OF.
Buried in the Heartland is a town that no one enters or leaves. Graf McDonald somehow becomes its first visitor in more than five years…and he was only looking for a good party. Unfortunately, Penance, Ohio, is not that place. And after having been isolated for so long, they do not like strangers at all.
Jessa's the only one to even remotely trust him, and she's desperate for the kind of protection that only a vampire like Graf can provide. Supplies are low, the locals are ornery for a sacrifice and there's a monster more powerful than Graf lurking in the woods. New men are hard to come by in this lonesome town, and this handsome stranger might be Jessa's only hope for salvation.
Even if she has to die first…"

This is the first Jennifer Armintrout book I've read and I think it's a good book to start with. It has romance, adventure, mystery, suspense and, dare I say, a little coming of age theme. I do believe it's the first novel with that combination that I've read.

Graf isn't your typical hero. Yes, he's a vampire and he loves vintage cars and leather, but he's not what I'd call a hero. He's not very mature, on the contrary, he acts like a thirteen year old all the time. He has that "mine is bigger than yours" attitude. But, as the story progresses, you can see him maturing. He stops acting like being a vampire makes him king of the world and starts thinking of others before himself. I do believe he was very unfortunate to end up stuck in Penance, but I also think he deserved it. Even the town's name says it: he had some sins he needed to atone for and grow up at the same time. The Graf at the beginning of the story wouldn't have put himself between the angry townsmen and Jessa and he wouldn't have saved her life.

Jessa is one of those women who don't accept their age and can't let go of the past. On the night 'It' appeared, she lost her family, leaving her all alone in a town that didn't have anything to offer her. Her ex-boyfriend married her best friend, though he couldn't let go of their "high school sweetheart" relationship. I don't think Jessa likes that kind of life, but she clearly isn't making any move to change it. Maybe she's waiting for a sign or maybe she believes everything that happened is her fault. She is a little bitchy at times and that kind of annoyed me at some point. But she too grows up as the story is told and she manages to let go of the past.

The book was funny. I laughed at some parts and the snarky remarks between Jessa and Graf made me smile a lot. Some parts of the book were a bit too much for my tastes, but the book kept me in its grasp from start to finish. I will definitely try other novels by Ms. Armintrout.

Book Review: A Werewolf in Manhattan by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Author: Vicki Lewis Thompson
Blurb (Goodreads):

"Emma Gavin writes about werewolves, but that doesn't mean she believes in them-not until a pack of real-life New York weres decide to investigate the striking accuracy of her "fiction".

When Aidan Wallace, son and heir of the pack leader, tries to sniff out Emma's potential informant, he discovers something even more dangerous- an undeniable attraction to her."

My Opinion:



A werewolf in Manhattan is the first book of the series Wild About You by Vicki Lewis Thompson. I think it's pretty good for a start. Like with all the other series I've read, I was left with a lot of questions and way too few answers. I hope some of those questions will find their answers in the next book in the series.

I liked Emma. She's the girl next door. Maybe a little plain Jane. An ordinary girl with a talent at writing. But she's also witty, very curious, a loyal friend and daughter. I think her character was sort of fresh. Not the sex bomb I'd expected, which was really refreshing. I would've liked her to accept the whole "werewolves are real" part a little bit harder, but that's another story.

Aidan is... Well, he's a werewolf first. A very sexy one. A cursed werewolf, given his genetic little problem. He's the oldest son, which means that he has to take a werewolf female as a mate, not a human one, and become leader of the pack. I like that he stands up to his father in order to protect Emma. I really liked that.

One of the things that I didn't like was, as I said before, the quick acceptance of the werewolf concept. I wished Emma was a little bit skeptical. I know that she was forced to believe in this world, but I don't know. I was expecting something else.

The second thing that I didn't like was the quick ending. This isn't my first Vicki Lewis Thompson book, so I'm used to her writing style. But I felt this ending was a bit too rushed. I would've liked a scene with Emma and Aidan's father alone. See how they interact and how Emma convinced his dad she's trustworthy.

All in all, I liked the book. It could've been better though. I'm anxiously waiting for the second book in the series. Maybe we'll get to see more of Aidan's sexy brothers :P

Book review - Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips

Blurb (from Goodreads):


 "Being a Greek god is not all it once was. Yes, the twelve gods of Olympus are alive and well in the twenty-first century, but they are crammed together in a London townhouse—and none too happy about it. And they've had to get day jobs: Artemis as a dog-walker, Apollo as a TV psychic, Aphrodite as a phone sex operator, Dionysus as a DJ.

Even more disturbingly, their powers are waning, and even turning mortals into trees—a favorite pastime of Apollo's—is sapping their vital reserves of strength.

Soon, what begins as a minor squabble between Aphrodite and Apollo escalates into an epic battle of wills. Two perplexed humans, Alice and Neil, who are caught in the crossfire, must fear not only for their own lives, but for the survival of humankind. Nothing less than a true act of heroism is needed—but can these two decidedly ordinary people replicate the feats of the mythical heroes and save the world?"

I love ancient myths and religions. I love reading about it, the originals and the modern versions of them. So when I went at a book store about 6 months ago and saw Gods Behaving Badly I as very curious about it and I bought it.

The book was interesting. It's about how the ancient Greek gods are struggling to survive and keep the planet from disappearing in nowadays London.


In the middle of all the problems that the gods have stumbles Alice, their cleaner. Alice is not a people person. She's very shy and introverted, hence her job. She's in love with Neil but she's scared of revealing her feelings for him. Alice is quite smart, she won various awards playing Scrabble. But when it comes to social skills, she lacks most of them, if not entirely.

Neil isn't what I might call a hero. He's just your average man, a so-called beta. He's afraid of scaring Alice if he tells her he's in love with her, but he tries to act like her friend and helps her when she needs him. At the end of the book though, I realized that he might actually be a hero, an unusual way. Somewhat like an unpolished diamond. He just needs a little push and Artemis gives it.

The book is funny, easy to read. But it's not what I expected. I kept wishing for Alice to overcome her shyness or for Neil to grab the girl he loves and make her his.

I liked how the gods were depicted. It's different from what I expected but in a good way. My...you could call it obsession with a certain series has colored the view I had about the Greek gods. So when I saw how arrogant Apollo was, how unable was Athena to make herself understood, or how offended Artemis was when something sexual was going on around her it was a good surprise. Also, I think it was a good interpretation, because if you would be a god, you'd definitely be arrogant and act like the world was yours.

All in all, it was a fun read and entertaining.

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