Friday, September 23, 2011

Follow Friday



Welcome to Follow Friday hosted this week by Parajunkee and Alison!
The main idea behind FF is just to go see a bunch of new blogs you may never have seen before, and follow the ones you like (and they’ll follow you back!) It’s a total win/win, so take a peek around and follow me!

This week’s question is:

Q: Do you have a favorite series that you read over and over again? Tell us a bit about it and why you keep on revisiting it?




The series I read over and over again and then some is Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series. There are a few reasons for that. One, because I really love these books. Who couldn't? They have everything: romance, funny moments, vampires, weres, ancient gods and myths and so much more fun elements. The second reason is that I need to refresh my memory. Sometimes, I confuse characters (oops, sorry!) or I forget if something happened or not. The myths and characters are numerous in this series, so it's bound to happen at some point, but it's not bothering me. Another reason would be the sarcastic comments some of the characters make. I love a good sarcasm now and then, and in this series it's like another language. I totally love that. I could probably think of some other reasons, but these three are the main ones.

Another series I'm currently re-reading is Harry Potter. The reason is that, even if it doesn't feel the same way as it felt when I first read these books, it's the book I grew up with. I remember getting grounded for staying really late one night (I think it was about...2 in the morning or something) and reading with a flashlight, under the covers. Before you ask, yes, it was a school night. And the waiting for a new book, trying to figure out who's going to die at the end of the book and who's going to live, waiting for hours to buy the newest book and refusing to do homework before finishing it. It's never going to be the same, but I can't help but reread this one.

What's your favorite series to re-read?

Thursday, September 22, 2011

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.


It was ok photo Image11.png

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine

My WoW this week is The Guardian by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

Blurb (From Goodreads):


Dream-Hunter Lydia has been charged with the most sacred and dangerous of missions: To descend into the Nether Realm and find the missing god of dreams before he betrays the secrets that could kill her and her kind. What she never expects is to be taken prisoner by the Realm’s most vicious guardian…
Seth’s time is running out. If he can’t hand over the entrance to Olympus, his own life and those of his people will be forfeit. No matter the torture, Seth hasn’t been able to break the god in his custody. Then there’s the beautiful Dream-Hunter Lydia: She isn’t just guarding the gates of Olympus—she’s holding back one of the world’s darkest powers. If she fails, an ancient curse will haunt the earth once more and no one will be safe. But evil is always seductive...

I can't wait for this book. I'm rereading the Dark Hunter series while waiting for this new book, maybe the time will seem like it's flying faster. I'm so ready for November! What are you waiting for?

Book Review: Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione



Author: Larissa Ione
Series: Demonica
Rating: 5 Cups
Blurb (from Amazon):


"In a place where ecstasy can cost you your life . . . 

She's a demon-slayer who hungers for sensual pleasure-but fears it will always be denied her. Until Tayla Mancuso lands in a hospital run by demons in disguise, and the head doctor, Eidolon, makes her body burn with unslakable desire. But to prove her ultimate loyalty to her peers, she must betray the surgeon who saved her life.

Two lovers will dare to risk all.

Eidolon cannot resist this fiery, dangerous woman who fills him with both rage and passion. Not only is she his avowed enemy, but she could very well be the hunter who has been preying upon his people. Torn between his need for the truth and his quest to find his perfect mate before a horrific transformation claims him forever, Eidolon will dare the unthinkable-and let Tayla possess him, body and soul . . .
"




It seems that demons are becoming the new vampires. And that's not bad. They're new, fresh and intriguing. Let's face it, who can resist a sexy demon? And if he's a doctor, like Eidolon, then his sexy meter has gone up in flames. 

I've read other books about demons, but it's always a nice surprise to see how an author manages to go around the general idea that demons are only bad and have no soul and make them into a lovable character. Eidolon is one of those characters. The older brother, Eidolon is also the most cerebral, or so I perceived him. He's the co-founder of the Underworld General Hospital and one of the doctors. Inside that hospital you'll find all kinds of creatures who you wouldn't exactly expect: vampires, werewolves, incubi, demons, even humans. I think that the idea of putting all these creature who are sometimes enemies is brilliant. Makes me like the series even more. But back to Eidolon.


Eidolon loves his brothers so much, he's willing to sacrifice himself in order to keep them from getting hurt or from dying. He's also loyal to the oath he took, to always care for the creatures who come into his hospital. Even an enemy. So when one of his nurses bring a demon slayer into the hospital, Tayla, he treats her like she's just another patient. He didn't exactly liked her job description, but he didn't hurt her and he didn't let others hurt her while she was in his hospital. 


Tayla is one of those people who sees only black and white. If humans can be good and bad, demons are only bad. The same goes for vampires, werewolves and all the other non-human creatures. I can't exactly blame her for that belief. She saw her mother getting raped and killed by a demon, who she later found out was the worst kind of demon. So when the Aegi, a human organization dedicated to killing all the creatures that go bump in the night, offer her an opportunity to avenge her mother and to protect the other humans to never go through the same situation as her, Tayla accepts it. So when she wakes up in a demon hospital, she's more than just furious. Especially when she realizes she's very attracted to her demon doctor, Eidolon.


I loved the universe in this series. It's unique and fresh. Even though he might seem soft, I don't think another character would've been better for a series opener than Eidolon. I still have two books left in this series, but I hope in the near future we'll get another book in this series. I'm not really ready to let go of this universe. 


My Rating:
Rocked my world photo Image9.png

WWW Wednesdays



WWW Wednesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently reading:


The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks


Recently read:

Metrophilias by Brendan Connell



Going to read:


Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione


Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Book Review: Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon





Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Series: Dark Hunters
Rating: 4 cups
Blurb (from Amazon):




"Harm no human…
A hired gunslinger, William Jessup Brady lived his life with one foot in the grave. He believed that every life had a price. Until the day when he finally found a reason to live. In one single act of brutal betrayal, he lost everything, including his life. Brought back by a Greek goddess to be one of her Dark-Hunters, he gave his immortal soul for vengeance and swore he’d spend eternity protecting the humans he’d once considered prey.
Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of vampires and raised on one belief—Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both their people and mankind, and they must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters and training for the day when she meeting the man who killed her family: Jess Brady.
A gun in the hand is worth two in the holster…
Jess has been charged with finding and terminating the creature who’s assassinating Dark-Hunters. The last thing he expects to find is a human face behind the killings, but when that face bears a striking resemblance to the one who murdered him centuries ago, he knows something evil is going on. He also knows he’s not the one who killed her parents. But Abigail refuses to believe the truth and is determined to see him dead once and for all.
Brought together by an angry god and chased by ancient enemies out to kill them both, they must find a way to overcome their mutual hatred or watch as one of the darkest of powers rises and kills both the races they’ve sworn to protect."



I was going crazy without another Dark Hunter book. I craved a new book in this series. I can't say it's my favorite in the series (I'm saving that space for Acheron's book and for Savitar's, whenever his book will be released) but I like the new angle, the new direction this book takes. 

I loved Jess, the gunslinger. I liked the idea of him being the bad boy of his time, the man that makes every other people shake in fear, even if he was bad for a good reason. I adored his relationship with his Squire. Reminded me a little of Kyrian and Nick. 

I liked the new pantheon. I also like the fact that Kenyon is mixing the Dark Hunter universe with the whole Apocalypse and the 2012 myths and I can't wait to see how the story develops later in The Guardian and in Time Untime. 

Abigail's character was also fresh. I don't think there was another character who hated the Hunters so much and who, ironically, ended up in love with one. Yes, Stryker does hate the Dark Hunters, but he didn't marry one, thank God! 

I think this is one of the few series I've read that even after twenty books can keep things fresh and appealing. Or at least that's how I feel. I do believe that Sherrilyn Kenyon is doing an amazing job with this series and I can't wait to see what happens next. Maybe we'll see more of Savitar in the near future?

I loved it photo Image10.png
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...