Early Book Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Author: Julie Kagawa
Series: Blood Of Eden #1
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 5 cups
Blurb: (from Goodreads)

In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked--and given the ultimate choice. Die...or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend--a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what--and who--is worth dying for.

This book blew me away. It really did. It was one of those books that keep you so focused on the story, that you don't even feel the need to move. You start reading and the sun is up in the sky and after about an hour, you lift your head up and realize it's dark outside and you check the watch and you realize hours and hours have past since you started reading. It's one of those books that make you want to read each and every sentence and really pay attention to what you're reading.

I loved Allie. She was a very complex character. What I loved about her was that you could see two different sides in her. She could be both fearless and scared, tough as nails and tender, she could mourn the loss of a friend and choose to kill another vampire just to save her human friends. I liked that about her. It made her look multidimensional. Of course, she has her bad moments, she makes some not so smart decisions, but everyone does. The fact that she's not perfect makes her even more like-able in my opinion.

I also loved the world presented in this book. It was my very first dystopian book and it made me ask myself why I waited so long to try this genre. It was amazing. I liked the fact that vampires weren't as indestructible as they normally are represented. They were just as powerless as the humans when it came to those zombie-vampire creatures.

Another thing that I liked was the fact that the author didn't take the easy, predictable way out. There were moments where I expected certain characters to do or say a certain thing and I was 100% sure they'd do it. And when those things didn't happen, it was so refreshing. It was amazing how each and every time I expected something to happen, those things didn't. Each page of this book was full or surprises and I loved that.

The book has it all: horror, action, suspense, romance, a little drama. Of course, I'm hoping we get to see Allie's vampire dad, Kanin, again.

I really can't wait for the next book to come out. I will probably reread this book soon, because I need to return to that world. And until I get my hands on the second book, what am I to do?

Recommended: If you like vampires, YA, fantasy, paranormal, horror, you name it, this book is for you. I do believe this is one of the books you HAVE to read.

Book Review: The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake by Mary Parker

Author: Mary Parker
Series: The Kahl'Nar Saga, 1
My Rating: 5 cups
Source: review copy offered by the author
Blurb (from Goodreads):

I'm a normal teenager. I have a normal teenage life with normal teenage problems. The summer is my heaven. I live with my mom during the summer months. We stay in her tiny condo in Jacksonville, Florida. My parents split up when I was little. I'm not sure why. My mom never talks about it. Whatever it was, it was bad enough to make my mom pack me up in the middle of the night when I was four years old and run to my Gran's condo. My mom got the condo after Gran died. From that time on all I had known my entire life was beach life. Until four years ago. Until my uncle found me.

This is one of those books that remind me why I fell in love with reading. This is the type of book that won't allow you to put it down, unless you've arrived at the very last page of it, the book that will keep you on the edge of your chair and at the end, leave you thirsty for more.

When I started reading this book, I really didn't know what to expect. I know, I know, you've heard that phrase before and it might seem a little overused, but I really wasn't expecting this, the awesome new world I found in its pages. What I found was a world so complex and so wonderfully built, that I really don't have the right words to describe it. You have mystery, you have lots of fantasy, suspense, a little bit of horror even, a little thread of romance, a hint of sadness and some very funny moments.

What I loved about this book is that it's so unique. I think it's hard to find something this unique and fresh without thinking "Ok, I've read that before". I loved that I didn't feel that about The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake.

As you can probably imagine, this book is about a young girl named Leeowyn and how she struggles to adapt to the changes in her life. She's living with her mother and one night her uncle comes on their doorstep and tells her that her father is dead.

What I loved about Leeowyn is that she's not the typical teenage heroine. She's not a rebel, but she's not a girly girl either. She's not rude, but she speaks her mind. She can be tough as nails and she also has moments of tenderness. I loved that she was different and that made her seem so real and complex, full of character.

The story is fast paced. There isn't a moment where you want to skip any pages, because each of them hold something interesting. And I loved that at times the action changed between past and present, between dreams, visions and reality. And there's a major cliffhanger at the end of the book that has left me dying to know more.

I do hope the second book will be out soon, because I want to know what happens next with Leeowyn and her friends.

I definitely recommend this book to any fantasy fan, adult or teenager, it doesn't matter. If you love fantasy books, you'll certainly love this one.

Book Review: Hotel Transylvania by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Author: Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Series: Saint-Germain #1

My Rating: 5 cups

Blurb: (from Goodreads):

France 1743 (Sun King era). Le Comte de Saint-Germain - cultured, well-traveled, articulate, elegant, learned, honorable, an alchemist, and a man of many secrets - he is a mystery to the court of Louis XV. For Madelaine de Montalia, making her debut in society, he is as fascinating as he is enigmatic, an admiration he returns. But others are interested in her as well. The dark folly of her father's youth exposes her to danger that only someone of Saint-Germain's vast experience can comprehend or repulse.
In this first book of the Saint-Germain cycle, Saint-Germain establishes himself as the compassionate hero whose adventures span continents and millennia.

This is one of the books that have a real special meaning for me. First of all, it was the first vampire book I read after Anne Rice's that I loved. Second of all, it was a book recommended to me by a girl from college (the same one who introduced me to Sookie Stackhouse and Eric Northman). There's another reason, but I'm going to tell you about it a bit later.

If you haven't yet read this book (and the series), you shouldn't wait any longer. I think this is one of the best horror books I've read. Saint-Germain is one sexy vampire. I was actually disappointed by the fact that he can't have sex, but the author makes up for it. He's dark, sexy, mysterious, compelling. I can't think of a flaw this vampire has (besides being impotent, of course).

Madelaine is a sweet, innocent young woman that becomes a target for the villain, Saint Sebastien. She also catches the eye of our sexy vampire. Saint-Germain falls for her, though he tries hard to hide his true nature from her. He ultimately decides to risk exposure to save her from the bad guy and his friends and followers.

I loved the difference between what is believed to be evil (the vampire) and what really is evil (the Satan worshipers). I really wasn't that surprised by the ending, but it still made me hold my breath a few times.

The thing I loved about this book were the letters. I loved how every chapter started with a letter. It was something very new, a glimpse "behind the scene", small subplots that developed at the same time as our main story.

I have the second book in this wonderful series, The Palace, but I'm pondering about reading it. The reason for that is that you can read these books in two ways: either in the order in which they were published, of chronologically. I decided to wait a little while and buy the entire series and then decide how I'm going to read it.

Remember there was a third reason this book was special to me? Well, this is going to sound weird a little. I first read this book 5 years ago, during my first semester in college. I think it was either November or December. I remember it was a work day and it was about...7 or 8 pm. Anyway, there was a blackout for about an hour, no electricity whatsoever. This book gets creepier if you read it surrounded by candles and with classical music as a soundtrack.

Anyway, I loved this book and I can't wait to read the entire series.

Book Review: The Iron Maiden by Resa Nelson

Author: Resa Nelson

Series: The Dragonslayer #2

My Rating: 5 cups
Source: review copy provided by the author

Blurb: (from Amazon):

Astrid is reluctant to travel the winter route beyond the Northlands, even though it’s her duty. She’d rather stay home in her village, surrounded by friends and neighbors. Ignoring the bonds of tradition, she decides to spend the cold winter months in the warmth of her blacksmithing shop. Why should she leave the comfort of her cottage to serve and protect foreigners who might raid and harm her native Northlands?Everything changes when a traveling merchant steals Starlight, the first dragonslayer’s sword Astrid forged and her last link to her sweetheart DiStephan. Having no time to alert her friends, Astrid races in pursuit of the merchant, determined to reclaim Starlight as her own and return home in time for dinner. Instead, her quest leads her to new lands, unexpected friendships with foreigners, and a harrowing encounter with the damage done by the followers of a new god that considers women as nothing more than servants to men. All the while, she must be ready to face any dragon traveling the winter route.In Book 2 of the Dragonslayer series, Astrid must learn that deciding who she is isn’t a decision she can make just once. Instead, it’s a decision she must make every day.

This is the second book in the Dragonslayer series and I loved it even more than the first installment. The first  thing I loved about it was that, while there are certain moments when you are remembered about the things that happened in the first book, they aren't too big or too many. I was very happy with that.

I loved the fact that in this book Astrid was more mature and I felt like she was more aware of her actions and their consequences. I also liked that she made friends on her journey and that she took her role at protecting the people around them seriously, even if it  wasn't just against dragons and lizards.

One thing that is different in this book, we have more than just one point of view and I loved that. I liked the subplots. I loved Margreet and her story and I was very sad of how it ended. I liked the friendship that Astrid and Margreet had.

One thing that I think was amazing, was the way the author created the background of this book. The reader learns more about women's role in the society, about the old religions and about the new one, about the way in which priests would abuse their power, these little details made the world built in this series seem real and I loved that.

And can I just say how much I love the cover? The design is amazing and I'm trying to imagine how it would look made of silver *sigh*

I'm very curious what will happen next in the story.

My Rating:

Book Review: The Dragonslayer's Sword by Resa Nelson

Author: Resa Nelson
Series: The Dragonslayer #1
My Rating: 5 cups
Source: review copy provided by the author
Blurb (from Goodreads):

For Astrid, a blacksmith who makes swords for dragonslayers, the emergence of a strange gemstone from her body sets in motion a chain of events that threaten to destroy her life. Her happiness is shattered when her lover-the dragonslayer-disappears without a trace, and the life that she knows and loves implodes without warning. Astrid lives in a world of shapeshifters whose thoughts have the power to change not only themselves but others. Everything Astrid knows to be true is called into question when she learns the truth about her past and the mysterious family from which she was separated as a child. Reality turns inside out as Astrid gradually learns the truth about the people she loves as well as those she disdains. With the fate of dragons, ghosts, and slaves in foreign lands resting on her shoulders, Astrid faces the challenge of deciding who she is and how she will stand up inside her own skin. Will she withdraw and hide from the world that has disappointed her so much...or will she rise to lead others to freedom and peace?

I just finished reading The Dragonslayer's Sword and I have to say I'm very tempted to go back and read it again.

I'm going to be honest here. I was completely out of my comfort zone with this book. First of all, I don't think I've read a lot of books with medieval themes. So I didn't really knew what to expect. Also, I know nothing about blacksmiths. I was pleasantly surprised by the way Ms. Nelson managed to combine the fantasy details with the historical details. Another thing I loved was how the author described the process of sword making and how she made it sound somewhat easy. Of course, I know it's not easy, but it didn't sound like something  impossible to learn.

I also loved the new take on shapeshifters and dragons. It was refreshing, because it's so unlike any other fantasy novel I've read, it's different and new. I liked that a lot, because I didn't feel like I knew what the dragons or shapeshifters would be like.

In this book we watch the heroine, Astrid, grow up and become an amazing woman. Despite her childhood, she manages to move on with the help of DiStephan, the dragonslayer, and her best friend, Mauri. Most of the book is told from her perspective, but at the end, we get to see some of the scenes told from the perspectives of other characters and I liked that.

I have to say, one of the things I loved most about this book was the balance in it. The descriptions weren't too big or too short for me, the action scenes were great and the dialogues were well written and they had the perfect length. The book also fast-paced and I loved that. There wasn't a moment when I felt that the story was in one scene or place more than it should.

The only thing I was hoping was to be inside other character's perspective a little more. There is one scene with Astrid and some other blacksmiths when Astrid realized how she was truly seen by those men and it makes her more confident in herself and in who she is, so I think it would've helped her more to see things from another angle.

I think this was a great start for a series and I'm very curious what happens next, in The Iron Maiden

My Rating: