Friday, January 30, 2015

On the Edge by Ilona Andrews

On the Edge (The Edge, #1)On the Edge by Ilona Andrews

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



☆☆☆


No spoilers and colorful language abound!


I have something to admit. I have been refusing to read this book based on it's cover. I know I know, I mean look at all their covers... I know they still contain magic but this one, I just couldn't get past. Then all my friends started reading it and decided I'd take the jump too.

Then I loved it. I mean seriously, LOVED IT. A cat boy and another who raised his crazy dead grandpa who eats dog brains all before page five? A place called the Weird and the Broken?


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YES.

Then we got to Declan and I hated him. Deeply.


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In fact, it made me not want to read this anymore. I hated Rose's reaction to him, I hate how arrogant he was. None of it was working for me anymore. Upon the urging of very trusted friends, I kept going. I'm so glad I did.


Right now, I'm just happy. It's the kind of happy when you discover a new series to love. It cannot be compared to anything else. Most of the time as a reviewer, you slosh through a lot of ..um..shit. Then you escape back into your favorites and participate in epic rereads to remind yourself why you even liked to read in the first place. Maybe you get tossed a new release of something you've been waiting on for ages and it's glorious but those are few and far between. But
Excuse me. I need to go stock up on tea and snacks. I HAVE READING TO DO.




Monday, January 26, 2015

Room With a View: Hot Down Under (Flesh, #2.5) by Kylie Scott

Room With a View: Hot Down Under (Flesh, #2.5)Room With a View: Hot Down Under by Kylie Scott

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


☆ ☆ ☆

No spoilers and colorful language abound!

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Truth be told I really enjoy this author and the Flesh series but this was just too damn short. Her books are not particularly long, but 32 pages is hardly enough! Smut in a post apocalyptic zombie infested world?

Fuck yes.









The Boss by Abigail Barnette

The Boss (The Boss, #1)The Boss by Abigail Barnette

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


☆☆☆

No spoilers and colorful language abound! P.S. this is free on Amazon!


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I was not expecting to like this. I was wrong.

Just because I'm not into D/s smexy stuff, doesn't mean I don't find it entertaining to read about. One must broaden their horizons and junk. In fact, I'd go as far as to say this is what FSoG should have been, it was down right empowering to read about a women taking control what and how she wanted it. Now, if you like your smut chock full of emotionally crippled men with a penchant for stalking, a knack for all kinds of abuse and a complete lack of communication skills, this is not the book for you!

I believe this is the "right time right place" kind of book. I don't know about you, but I have to be in the right frame of mind to read smut/romance books. Aside from the bit of cheese in the bginning and the fairly predictable ending, this was a home run! It's well written, and the rose colored glasses by which everyone lives isn't overwhelming. I don't know when I'll reach for the 2nd installment, but I'm sure it won't be too long from now. Enjoy!









Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Burned (Fever, #7) by Karen Marie Moning

Burned (Fever, #7)Burned by Karen Marie Moning

My rating: 1 of 5 stars




Spoilers marked and colorful language abound!

I wasn't sure how to write this review. So much of what I want to talk about is a complete spoiler, and I wouldn't do that to you guys. I could rip this book apart plot point by plot point, it's held together with shoe string and gum, but that would be too easy. I'm going to get to the heart of why I think it was so fucking awful instead.

Monday, January 19, 2015

Iced (Fever, #6) by Karen Marie Moning



☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

No spoilers and colorful language abound!



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There is nothing extraordinary about Iced, as is true about many new novels, creating the foundations for new characters. It features a mostly irrelevant plot tailor made to showcase these people we are supposed to fall in love with or grow to hate with a deep and powerful loathing. The tricky situation here is this is not an entirely new novel, rather a continuation of a long standing, multi-layered, extremely loved universe that has been masterfully created by KMM. The readers were introduced to the disjointed blubbering monologue that is Dani in the Fever series. Nearly everyone I've read or spoken with went into Iced with an active dislike of Dani "Mega" O'Malley but in true zombie fashion, we followed the scent of blood. With nothing more, other than hope for a mention of more Mac and Barrons, and even the die hard "never gonna happen" fans decided to pick up Iced. Here you find myself and Cory who decided to enter into this journey hand in hand, what we are willing to do in the name of love, sigh. Although we have entirely different feelings on this book, I think her review is fantastic!


     There is a truly magnificent moment that only a few readers are blessed with, and most don't know it has happened until they near the end of a book. This slow sickly anxiety creeps in and you know the experience is soon to be over and you may have to wait years for the next installment. You whiz through a series, lulled by an author's magic, weaving you in a precious little cocoon, where you truly shut off and allow it to take you away. A space where these characters are real, the emotions you experience while reading are tragically tangible, you are at the whim of the pages.  I believe this is what is commonly referred to as becoming a fangirl. It's a term used in jest most often but I believe it's a uniquely special journey where you lose bits of yourself and get to live another life. I am a KMM Fangirl.

 photo 89438742569315524_8J0LviUv_c_zpse74ea3d6.jpgI have to admit I was pleasantly surprised how comfortable I found Dani's inner voice to be and was practically rejoicing that it wasn't what we had experienced in the Fever books. When I said there is nothing extraordinary about Iced it's the truth, however there is one very large exception, one I never could have anticipated. As I mulled my way through Iced, slowly at first and then voraciously, I found myself floating along with all her emotions, her interactions, her rage, her self-perseverance, her self-denial, I was completely woven up all that is Dani. I finished this book the same day I started it, and immediately (as in went to my kindle screen and found the beginning) started to read it again. The second time around is when it all clicked, I felt as though I was reading a characterized version of my 14 year old self. You know those absurd cartoons where they take something identifying to you personally and blow it up to absurd proportions? Yeah... that. Single mother? Check. Messed up childhood? Check. Incapable of even conceptualizing any kind of intimate relationship? Check. Completely and totally self reliant? Check.  Lack the emotional maturity to understand why you know things? Check. Incredibly observant? Check. Desperately searching for some sense of stability? Check. It goes on and on down the list.


Fuuuuuck.

You think you know yourself and them BAM!
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No wonder I like her, right? I'm vain as hell.



I'll just have to dig around in my brain another time and suss out what the hell all of this means, but right now what it means is I have a never ending soft spot for Dani and unwavering faith in KMM. I know she's building something spectacular, and I trust her implicitly. On that note let's talk about this damn book.


aaaaaand that's about where I blank out. I can't talk about the things I don't like in this book because it's all murky and confusing. I can't talk about the things I do like for that very reason, but I guess I can mumble my way though this.

 photo lolbrary-what-you-doin-lolbrary-stahp-288307_zpsdfa206d2.jpgFirst of fucking all KMM better fix this shit with Christian. He is a MacKeltar and I am a huge fan of that entire series, he needs a happy ending like all the rest of them. Find a woman, fall in love, do the bonding, find out she's a virgin, have lots of kids. Out all off the men circling Dani he is far and away the highest on the rapey scale. Not in an excusable way either just straight up thinking about raping her or in more friendly verbiage "take her". I don't care if he is turning into a demon or the 4th Unseelie Prince, or whatever-the-fuck, I DON'T CARE! Christian you need to fucking stop it.


Dancer needs to own up to whatever skeletons he's got in his closet because it's chock full and pretending to be Mr. Normal is getting on my damn nerves.

 Ryodan is... well... frankly he's an asshole, but so are all of the 9 so that's not hard to accept. It's how he tries to cage her to keep her safe that enrages me, he tries to teach her lessons on how to treat him and how to act and it makes me sick. Dani made a reference in her head about not being a dog made to heal and just wish so much she would have fought harder against him. I felt a little like a ping pong ball through out this book being ricocheted back and forth between "this is creepy she's 14" and "ok ok, but it's more than that" and to be honest I think this entire book is mostly made up of grey area.

After my reread I marinated on Ryodan's motives for awhile and came up with the conclusion that a being as old as he is, he's never seen anything like her and she might be the only thing that could ever give him what he wants. In the mean time he is, in the only way he knows how,  trying to keep her safe and be there for her. In fact it's the exact same thing Barrons did with Mac, making her move in, training her, working with her, claiming ownership of her all in the name of "protecting his interests" which we all know is a pile of lies. If you think Barrons didn't want her from the second she stumbled her ass into BB&B you are delusional. Their methods for maintaining the upper hand were considerably different, Barrons was withholding and manipulative, Ryo was more aggressive and violent. Doesn't change the fact that it was the Same. Exact. Motive, to claim and protect what they felt to be theirs. I can't really articulate how I feel about Ryodan specifically other than I'm forcing myself to stay neutral, for now. There are times that I'm disgusted by him, but on some level, I get it.

The innocence Dani shows every time she miscalculates the mens reaction to her makes me smile. It's the only bit of innocence she allows to show because she is simply unaware that she is wrong. It may be the only bit of her childhood that has remained in tact and I was happy to see KMM keep that thread throughout the entire book. Dani is so jaded and filled with teenage arrogance with some seriously deep trust issues, I couldn't help but root for her. All I can say is I cannot wait to see who she becomes in the coming books, I too think she will be one hell of a woman.

This wait for Burned has been horrible, I'm trying not to get my hopes ups for January considering how many times it's been pushed back. But I think January is definitely happening!




Wednesday, January 14, 2015

The Boss by Abigail Barnette

The Boss (The Boss, #1)The Boss by Abigail Barnette

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


☆☆☆

No spoilers and colorful language abound! P.S. this is free on Amazon!


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I was not expecting to like this. I was wrong.

Just because I'm not into D/s smexy stuff, doesn't mean I don't find it entertaining to read about. One must broaden their horizons and junk. In fact, I'd go as far as to say this is what FSoG should have been, it was down right empowering to read about a women taking control what and how she wanted it. Now, if you like your smut chock full of emotionally crippled men with a penchant for stalking, a knack for all kinds of abuse and a complete lack of communication skills, this is not the book for you!

I believe this is the "right time right place" kind of book. I don't know about you, but I have to be in the right frame of mind to read smut/romance books. Aside from the bit of cheese in the bginning and the fairly predictable ending, this was a home run! It's well written, and the rose colored glasses by which everyone lives isn't overwhelming. I don't know when I'll reach for the 2nd installment, but I'm sure it won't be too long from now. Enjoy!









Friday, January 9, 2015

Crossing of Wires: Golden Son and Petite Ame

I've mentioned before that I'm a toy maker, and every once in a blue moon I will share something that I'm working on. Mostly however, I keep my two lives separate, at least publicly. My mind is an entirely different story. I cannot tell you how many times I have been influenced by my reading life, something about a character sticks with me and it manifests into something.

In this instance, it was Sevro and Evey from Pierce Brown's Red Rising Trilogy.

He may be tiny, but he is fierce. 




I haven't finished Evey yet, but she's nearly done! I'll update the blog with her pictures soon.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

The Darkest Part of the ForestThe Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


☆☆☆☆☆

No spoilers and colorful language abound! I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Normally I wouldn't review an ARC this early, but honestly, I cannot help myself.

**I am reflagging this because I reviewed it entirely too early. It comes out on January 13th! Also, do you ever go back and read a review and say, "what the fuck was I even trying to say" ? Then feel an overwhelming urge to rewrite the entire thing? Yeah, so a little of that too.**


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     I stood in line at BEA a good 40 minutes before the drop time, anxiously counting all the people in front of me, clinging to a desperate hope that there would be enough copies. There was some shoving, some light elbow nudging, a glazed over fog in the faces of the fans, all uniting in a singular objective: getting an ARC of this book. It was all worth it.

Confession time you guys, I am a Holly Black newbie, and with that comes all the glorious musings of a blogger who just discovered their new favorite author. The Darkest Part of the Forest hooked me from page one. I am a fan for life.


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Ben and Hazel Evans live in the town of Fairfold, where the line between human reality and the otherness of Faery blur, a town with a glass coffin housing a beautiful horned boy in eternal sleep. Mortals have long been enamored with the Fae, equal parts enchanting and dangerous but the townsfolk have an odd symbiotic relationship with the them. Locals  stay out of the woods on a full moon, they turn their socks inside out and stuff their pockets with iron and oatmeal, and in return the Fae leave them be. The tourists on the other hand are free game, that is until an 11 year old girl who fancies herself a knight, starts to fight back.

Hazel and Ben were raised by artists, forgetful parents who valued all-nighters with oil paints over dinner and a bath for their kids. They were wildly imaginative children, a knight and a balladeer, they were each others caretakers, until one day too many secrets piled up between them. Their imagined prince, the horned boy wakes from his sleep and they must finally say all the things they have been hiding from each other in order to protect him.

That's about all I'm going to say on the plot, this is a very character driven novel and I won't spoil you!

Holly Black's writing is both profoundly understated and eloquent beyond measure. The way she can pack a single sentence with tremendous emotion left me speechless and craving more. The world building of Fairfold was perfectly executed, "info dumping" transformed into gorgeous prose, I was enraptured from the very first page.




Something else really struck a chord with me and should be noted, in this story we have a young male gay character who is out, and not a single aspect of this is trivialized by some ignorant stereo type. Ben speaks of love and insecurity, he speaks of family and self evaluates, he is a wonderfully realized character with a rich sense of humanity. All too often "the gay guy" is coined as some cartoony mishmash of the exaggerated, a trite plot point rather than a complex and compelling character. Holly Black masterfully normalized his sexuality in a way I feel should be embraced by all.



The Darkest Part of the Forest is dazzlingly good with fanciful highs and dark lows. At the heart remains the love of a brother and sister united once more as a knight and balladeer. Nothing short of spectacular it transcends it's genre and hold it's rightful place with the best of the best!







Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Darkness Falls (Reveler, #1) by Erin Kellison

Darkness Falls (Reveler, #1)Darkness Falls by Erin Kellison

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


☆☆

No spoilers and colorful language abound! I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


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Hm. I've got nothing. Was it bad? No. Was it good? Not even close. It just happened, and as I've begun typing this, I've already started to forget everything. Just another medicore book that will fade into the watery memories of books long dismissed.

Here is the skinny, Jordan and Maisie are sisters and they go to this newly legalized collective dreaming shindig. Guess who breaks all the barriers and is the fucking best at this? Yep. Jordan. The big sister. Little sister of course was up to no good, and was generally shallow. Oh I bet you know what's going to happen next! Did you guess that the one guy out there to scope out any potential talents spotted Jordan? You did, didn't you? Que longing, lust, electricity, over protectiveness, and a little bit of fear.

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Magic Mourns (Kate Daniels, #3.5) by Ilona Andrews

Magic Mourns (Kate Daniels, #3.5)Magic Mourns by Ilona Andrews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

No spoilers and colorful language abound!

There are a lot of thing about Andrea that I dislike, a lot of things. However, at the same time I super love her, like, a lot. Even more so, I enjoy her falling for that delicious trouble maker.

There are so many aspects of the Kate Daniels world to love, every detail fully realized and working in harmony with the intricate universe created by Andrews. One that always floats around in the favorites is the interesting dynamics of the shape shifters. I think it's safe to say that getting that deeper look with Gun Metal Magic was the reason I loved that book as much as I did, so getting a little extra taste of it here was fantastic. I have said this a million times, and perhaps I'll never stop saying it, I want to curl up in this little world and make a home for myself.