Book Review: White Fire by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Title: White Fire
Series: Pendergast #13
Authors: Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (November 12, 2013)
Genre: Thriller

Format Read: Ebook ARC
Length: Novel
Source: NetGalley

Past and present collide in Preston and Child's most thrilling novel ever . . .

WHITE FIRE

Special Agent Pendergast arrives at an exclusive Colorado ski resort to rescue his protégée, Corrie Swanson, from serious trouble with the law. His sudden appearance coincides with the first attack of a murderous arsonist who—with brutal precision--begins burning down multimillion-dollar mansions with the families locked inside. After springing Corrie from jail, Pendergast learns she made a discovery while examining the bones of several miners who were killed 150 years earlier by a rogue grizzly bear. Her finding is so astonishing that it, even more than the arsonist, threatens the resort's very existence.

Drawn deeper into the investigation, Pendergast uncovers a mysterious connection between the dead miners and a fabled, long-lost Sherlock Holmes story—one that might just offer the key to the modern day killings as well.

Now, with the ski resort snowed in and under savage attack—and Corrie's life suddenly in grave danger—Pendergast must solve the enigma of the past before the town of the present goes up in flames.

Teaser: “That’s a really good question. But it’s one o’clock, and I don’t know about you, but I’m so hungry I could eat a couple of miners myself.” [43% Ebook ARC. Although it’s terrible, I had to laugh.]

Review: Bones hold the answers to 150-year old murders of miners and the arsonist currently razing the homes in a Colorado ski resort town in Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s White Fire.

Although I own several Pendergast novels, this one is the first I’ve had the chance to read and works well as a standalone novel. I love Corrie Swanson’s spunkiness and her stubbornness which has a tendency to get her into a lot of trouble. Pendergast comes across as a modern-day Sherlock Holmes with his cold and calculating detective skills with a tiny dash of The Mentalist’s Patrick Jane’s flare. I enjoyed seeing Pendergast’s softer side come out.

As a Sherlock Holmes’ fan, I adored the connection to the case with Oscar Wilde’s retelling the miner’s story to Conan Dolye, who used the premise within his own work. The plot glides easily through the past and present, and I loved the addition of a Sherlock Holmes’ tale within the novel. Although I found who the arsonist was predictable, I did enjoy reading the story to see how everything would play out. The dense writing sometimes slowed the pace down, but I didn’t lose interest in the story or characters.

I would recommend Preston and Child’s White Fire and look forward to reading previous and future Pendergast novels.

Four Bookworms = I really liked it!

Book Review: The Ghosts of Aquinnah by Julie Flanders

Title: The Ghost of Aquinnah
Author: Julie Flanders
Publisher: Ink Smith Publishing (December 5, 2013)
Genre: Paranormal

Format Read: Ebook ARC
Length: Novel
Source: Author

A brilliant flash of light transcends through time.

Another freezes a cloaked figure within a frame of salty mist as waves crash against a rocky shore. Her harrowing expression shadows the beacon to a pinprick.

By the next blaze, she is gone. Only the lighthouse remains.

Hannah’s eyes blink in step with each heartbeat. Images of her deceased parents and Martha’s Vineyard explode like firecrackers inside her mind.

She shakes her head.

For weeks this eerie woman dressed in nineteenth century garb has been haunting my webcam, but tonight she stared into my soul.

Why? ...

Who is she? ...

Casting aside months of research on historic lighthouses, Hannah drives to the coast and boards a ferry.

What is the strange connection she has to this mysterious woman suspended in time?

Hannah finds out.

But, it’s not at all what she expects ...

Hannah unravels a century old murder.

Teaser: It was almost as if he could see her spirit dripping out from her body and collecting in a puddle at her feet. [27% Ebook ARC. Loved this imagery.]

Review: A woman on a mission, Hannah seeks the mysterious woman who haunts a lighthouse in Aquinnah in Julie Flanders’ The Ghosts of Aquinnah.

This novel jumps between current time (2013) and historical Martha’s Vineyard (1884). The mysterious woman Hannah sees upon a webcam one night pulls the reader into the tale of Christopher, a shipwrecked young Irishman, and Stella, a young woman married to a man she doesn’t love. My heart ached for Christopher and Stella and the conflict of their budding feelings of love. At times the parts with Stella reminded me of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening. Josiah, Stella’s husband and the town doctor, played the perfect villain, although one a reader could sympathize with as well.

I wish we saw more of Hannah in 2013 Martha’s Vineyard and New England. The novel veered more on Christopher and Stella’s side, but I felt a connection with Hannah and had hoped to delve deeper into her life and conflicts. Her part of the story almost felt a touch anti-climactic compared to Christopher and Stella’s.

I loved the settings within this novel and how they can be beautiful with the lighthouses, greenery, and ocean waves as well as mysterious and downright creepy with the thick fog and chilly atmosphere. Flanders’ writing captured the world and the timelines of the story.

Touching and tragic, The Ghosts of Aquinnah by Julie Flanders will stick with you.

Four Bookworms = I really liked it!

Book Review: Memento Nora series by Angie Smibert

Title: Memento Nora
Series: Memento Nora #1
Author: Angie Smibert
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children’s Books (April 1, 2011)
Genre: YA Dystopian

Format Read: Ebook
Length: Short Novel
Source: Purchased from Amazon

On an otherwise glossy day, a blast goes off and a body thuds to the ground at Nora's feet. There are terrorist attacks in the city all the time, but Nora can't forget.

In Nora's world you don't have to put up with nightmares. Nora goes with her mother to TFC--a Therapeutic Forgetting Clinic. There, she can describe her horrible memory and take a pill to erase it so she can go on like nothing ever happened. But at TFC a chance encounter with a mysterious guy changes Nora's life. She doesn't take the pill. And when Nora learns the memory her mother has chosen to forget, she realizes that someone needs to remember.

With newfound friends Micah and Winter, Nora makes a comic book of their memories called Memento. Memento is an instant hit, but it sets off a dangerous chain of events. Will Nora, Micah, and Winter be forced to take the Big Pill that will erase their memories forever?

Teaser: I watched him leave. He wasn’t glossy. He wasn’t dreary, either. He was something else.

He was all there. [5% Ebook. Loved these lines and the impact they have on Nora.]

Review: Memories are worth saving in Angie Smibert’s Memento Nora.

Nora is your typical glossy popular girl until she witnesses several events that turn her world upside down. I love how Nora changes throughout the book from popular to almost outcast, and yet it’s for the best. Micah is a great match for Nora as they work together to create their comic book Memento. Winter is unusual, unique, and quite the genius. Although some characters are more forgettable than others, Nora and her friends are all very glossy.

I loved the dystopian worldbuilding within this novel. The quest for shopping is taken to a whole other level. The idea you can go to a clinic and forget your worries and bad memories is both interesting and terrifying. Although this world is dark, it’s not without hope.

I enjoyed Memento Nora by Angie Smibert. It’s definitely a glossy novel.

 Five Bookworms = I loved it!

---

Title: The Forgetting Curve
Series: Momento Nora #2
Author: Angie Smibert
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish (April 1, 2012)
Genre YA Dystopian

Format Read: Ebook
Length: Short Novel
Source: Purchased from Amazon

Aiden Nomura likes to open doors especially using his skills as a hacker to see what's hidden inside. He just keeps pulling until one cracks open, exposing the flaws. It's like a game until it isn't. When a Therapeutic Forgetting Clinic opens in Bern, Switzerland, near Aiden's boarding school, he knows things are changing. Shortly after, bombs go off within quiet, safe Bern. Then Aiden learns that his cousin Winter has had a mental breakdown. He returns to the US immediately. But back home in Hamilton, Winter's mental state isn't the only thing that's different. The city is becoming even stricter, and an underground movement is growing. Aiden slowly cracks open doors in this new world. But behind those doors are things Aiden doesn't want to see, things about his society, his city, even his own family. Aiden may be the only one who can fix things before someone else gets hurt.

Teaser: Do not volunteer for something until you’re sure it doesn’t include manual labor. Book of Velvet. [84% Ebook. So, so true!]

Review: Forgetting isn’t an option in Angie Smibert’s The Forgetting Curve.

I loved the introduction of new characters, such as Aiden Nomura. Velvet’s Book of Velvet sayings were very glossy and had a way of breaking up the tension in this fast-paced novel. Winter, Nora, and Micah are back, although they’re not quite the same after Memento Nora.

The stakes keep getting higher in this novel. Their world is changing, but is it for the better—or worse? As the government tries to keep everyone in their place, a movement is rising to take back their memories—and their lives.

The Forgetting Curve by Angie Smibert won’t let this reader forget how it’s a fantastic book two in the Memento Nora series.

 Five Bookworms = I loved it!

---

Title: The Meme Plague
Series: Memento Nora #3
Author: Angie Smibert
Publisher: Amazon Children’s Publishing (August 13, 2013)

Format Read: Ebook
Length: Short Novel
Source: Purchased from Amazon

In this third and final installment in the Memento Nora series, Micah and Nora piece their memories together as Aiden, Velvet, and Winter continue the work of the MemeCast. The teens all band together to get the word out about the new ID chips - and how the government and TFC are using the chips to manipulate the public remotely.

Teaser: A real piece of the past, she’d called it. I’d always thought the past should stay dead and buried. Or, at a bare minimum, have bigger closets and a pool. [19% Ebook. Bigger closets and a pool is definitely called for.]

Review: TFC can take your cares away, but you’ll find it difficult to come back to who you are in Angie Smibert’s The Meme Plague.

Nora and Micah have a bigger role in this novel than book two. The characters face very difficult decisions as they go against TFC and the government. The upcoming elections don’t ease their problems either. As the group struggles to hold onto who they are, they are facing a world that they might not be able to change.

Although I enjoyed Memento Nora and The Forgetting Curve, I felt this novel had something missing. There was a lack of urgency and underlying pace. Yet the ending was perfect for the series.

Though not my favorite of the series, I recommend The Meme Plague by Angie Smibert as well as the entire Memento Nora series.

 Four Bookworms = I really liked it!

Book Review: Black Hellebore by Nicole Zoltack

Title: Black Hellebore
Series: Heroes of Falledge #1
Author: Nicole Zoltack
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing (October 21, 2013)
Genre: Superhero Romance

Format Read: PDF ARC
Length: Novel
Source: Author

Once a year for the past decade, Nicholas Adams returns to Falledge and leaves a black hellebore on his girlfriend's grave. While departing Falledge, he chases after a man sneaking into the laboratory and dies for his trouble. A witch brings him back to life, but Nicholas soon realizes he's not the same man. Turns out, magic combined with a black hellebore in his pocket changed him into a kind of a super man.

His girlfriend's twin, Julianna Paige, is Falledge's deputy, struggling to solve several murders. Nicholas, and his alter ego the Black Hellebore, helps her, even as she helps him move on and even start to love again.

Unfortunately, Nicholas wasn't the only one changed in the laboratory explosion, and now there's a supervillain bent on destroying Falledge, and killing the Black Hellebore. But falling in love might prove more dangerous than any supervillain.

Teasers: The woman was batty. Julianna smirked. A batty witch. [pg. 111 of 231 of PDF ARC. This made me smirk too.]

“Why do I have a feeling that deals made with witches are no better than deals made with the devil?” [pg. 156 of 231 of PDF ARC. Love this line!]

Review: Nicholas Adams must face his demons as he returns to Falledge in Nicole Zoltack’s Black Hellebore.

Zoltack has created a classic superhero and villain for her novel. Nicholas Adams has the typical tragic and troubled past and a strong moral code as he morphs from man to super-man. The villain also transforms from a disgruntled employee to a creepy and vicious villain who has his eyes set on good ol’ revenge.

Although the basis of the superhero/villain story is familiar, Zoltack has introduced wonderful paranormal and romantic twists to the storyline. My favorite character is Gavina, the witch. She’s a touch batty, but she adds a delightful sense of comedic relief. Julianna Paige is a strong heroine, although her wishy-washy attitude toward Nicholas got a little old toward the end. I would’ve liked to have seen a little more development in Julianna and Nicholas’s relationship and how it grew through the course of the novel.

The novel started out fast-pace and ended the same with a slight slowdown in the middle. Zoltack kept me guessing on how the Black Hellebore would ever defeat the villain, and I thought how he did was ingenious. And that ending gave a hint of what more is to come for the Black Hellebore and Falledge.

Black Hellebore by Nicole Zoltack spins a refreshing superhero tale with its fantastic paranormal elements! I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Four Bookworms = I really liked it!

Book Review: The Dark Knight Rises by Greg Cox

Title: The Dark Knight Rises
Series: The Dark Knight Trilogy
Author: Greg Cox
Publisher: Titan Books (July 24, 2012)
Genre: Superheroes, Fantasy

Format Read: Ebook Novelization of the movie The Dark Knight Rises
Length: Novel
Source: Purchased on Amazon

Every hero has a journey...
Every journey has an end...

Eight years have passed since Batman was last seen in Gotham City. Bruce Wayne's alter ego is hunted by the law, and nothing--it seems--can bring him back. Not even a brazen theft committed by the enigmatic and seductive cat burglar Selina Kyle--inside the walls of Wayne Manor itself.

But then a deadly new threat appears, as if out of nowhere. Bane. Huge, powerful, and terrifyingly methodical, Bane is bent on spreading chaos and death. Commissioner Gordon and the GCPD are unable to stop him and have nowhere to turn. But after so many years, can the Dark Knight once again save Gotham from its gravest threat yet?

The official novelization of the final chapter in Christopher Nolan's epic, The Dark Knight Trilogy.

Teaser: “Place is a little dead,” Jen said as Selina took the envelope.

“It will liven up in a minute, trust me.” [16% Ebook. So, so true!]

Review: Bruce Wayne will don Batman’s cowl one last time in Greg Cox’s The Dark Knight Rises.

This novelization of the movie on the same name completes Christopher Nolen’s Dark Knight trilogy. I read the other two novelizations of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. I must admit I enjoyed them a bit more than this one because they delved deeper than the movies. The Dark Knight Rises went by the movie with very little extra.

The writing was fast-paced yet felt a bit simplistic at times. I loved the introduction of Catwoman—Selina Kyle—to the story as she’s always been a favorite of the Batman universe. Bane is an excellent threat, and I loved how the power of Ra’s al Ghul continues in the storyline from the first movie/book to the last. However, for once, I think I enjoyed the movie a tad more than the book.

If you’re a fan of the trilogy and the movie, then you’ll enjoy The Dark Knight Rises by Greg Cox.

Four Bookworms = I really liked it!

Book Review: A Cruise to Die for by Aaron J. Elkins and Charlotte Elkins

Title: A Cruise to Die for
Author: Aaron J. Elkins and Charlotte Elkins
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (September 3, 2013)
Genre: Mystery

Format: Ebook ARC
Length: Novel
Source: Publisher

This should be the cushiest job Alix London's ever had. Surrounded by art and wealth and the sun-drenched Greek isles, she's aboard a sumptuous mega-yacht with no responsibilities save the occasional lecture to the guests of her temporary employer, Panos Papadakis, one of the world's richest men. But there's a catch: she's there as an undercover operative of FBI special agent Ted Ellesworth, a member of the Bureau's Art Crime Team. They hope Alix can gather the inside information they need to finally put the cagey Papadakis away. Moguls, murders, a forged Manet, and the Albanian mafia all play a role and send this pleasure cruise into murderously dangerous waters. The second Alix London mystery finds the art restorer in a world brimming with idle luxury, spectacular locations, and deadly intrigue, all served up with the style and sophistication with which Charlotte and Aaron Elkins have rewarded mystery fans for the past 30 years.

Teasers: Izzy had a curious way of speaking, halfway between supercilious and self-mocking, that gave much of what she said a wry tinge of irony, as if she were an observer taking in everything she saw, including herself, with tolerant, faintly cynical amusement. [42% Ebook ARC. Love this description of Izzy. It really fits her.]

“I guess he was still steaming over those credit card bills and looking for someplace to get it off his chest because he charged off looking for Donny like a bull hunting for a china shop—hey, I think I just invented a metaphor.” [67% Ebook ARC. What a fun image of a bull hunting for a china shop!]

Review: Step aboard a luxury cruise of a lifetime in Aaron J. Elkins and Charlotte Elkins’ A Cruise to Die for.

The unique and well-written characters made this book. Alix London is a likeable heroine. A bit bumbling in her spy skills, she does have a way to be in the right place at the right time. Ted Ellesworth was a harder read than Alix and quite the undercover agent. The array of the yacht guests were sometimes more interesting than the storyline and were quite fun to read about.

For a mystery, I felt this one was a bit slower in pace than the ones I’m used to reading. I also wished the killer’s reveal was handled differently. However, the clues and red herrings did keep me guessing.

The authors explored the lifestyle of the superrich, and I enjoyed vicariously living in such splendor for a few hours. The art history and archaeology mentioned when they were in Crete fascinated me.

A Cruise to Die for by Aaron J. Elkins and Charlotte Elkins is a whimsical and fun read, and I would enjoy reading more books featuring Alix London.

 

Four Bookworms = I really liked it!

Book Review: A Flock of Ill Omens by Hart Johnson

Title: A Flock of Ill Omens
Series: A Shot in the Light, Part I
Author: Hart Johnson
Published: September 5, 2013
Genre: Science Fiction/Thriller

Format Read: Ebook
Length: Novella
Source: Purchased from Amazon

Deadliest virus in a century, or a social experiment gone awry?

Every year they warned about the flu and more often than not, it amounted to nothing. Sidney Knight, a young freelance reporter had certainly never written on it. But a trip to Lincoln City, Oregon cut short by a beach full of dead seagulls and a panicked warning from her brother the scientist catch her attention. This batch is different. Deadlier. And the vaccine doesn't seem to be helping. It almost looks like it's making it worse...

A Flock of Ill Omens: Part I is the first episode of A Shot in the Light, an Apocalypse Conspiracy Tale about what happens when people play God for fun and profit. There will be approximately ten episodes, each the equivalent of about 100 pages.

Teasers: “Stop! The éclair can’t be beat! I will forever be your cream-filled, flaky goodness ... wait. You did that on purpose.” [17% Kindle. This just had me snickering and craving an éclair.]

“Praying to God is one thing. Spreading him around like butter is using him,” he said. [93% Kindle. So true!]

Review: A prick of a needle may be so much worse than the virus it’s trying to prevent in Hart Johnson’s A Flock of Ill Omens, Part I of A Shot in the Light series.

No one wants the flu, but the cure seems to be killing off more people than it helps. Told from the point of view from several characters, A Flock of Ill Omens examines how each person is touched by the flu or knows someone who has died from it. From a journalist who searches for the truth to a nurse who fears for her job if she doesn’t get the flu shot to a southern bell watching her father’s slow decline to a military man, possibly the last of his company, Johnson brings these characters’ stories to life. I have a feeling their paths will cross as well as the series goes on.

For me, the pace at the beginning felt a little off. I struggled to connect with the characters in that first chapter as they find the dead seagulls on the beach. Maybe I wanted to know more what was going on and wanted a faster jump into the story, I don’t know, but the slow pace didn’t stay that way for long. By chapter two, I was getting into the story and full-speed ahead. Each new development answered a few questions and raised more. I wanted to know what was going on as much as the characters. At the end, I was left craving the next part.

If you haven’t gotten the flu shot yet and plan to, then you might want to hold off on reading this novella until afterwards. Hart Johnson takes governmental conspiracies to the next level in A Flock of Ill Omens. I look forward to reading Part II.

 Four Bookworms = I really liked it!

Book Reviews: Commencement / Hellsbane / Heaven and Hellsbane by Paige Cuccaro

Title: Commencement
Series: Hellsbane #0.5
Author: Paige Cuccaro
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC (September 27, 2012)
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Format Read: Ebook
Length: Novella
Source: Purchased

Hell hath no fury like a woman’s scorn for frat guys…

Emma Jane Hellsbane knows something evil is worming its way through her college campus—she can feel it. Literally. Her freakish ability to feel other people’s emotions as though they were her own has always been monumentally awkward, and it’s easier for her to just pretend it doesn’t exist. But this time her paranormal ability just might help her save lives. 

Emma Jane’s fairly certain that whatever the hateful, egomaniacal, Godlike thing is, it’s set up shop inside her boyfriend, the frat boy/soccer star Justin. And if she doesn’t figure a way to get it out of him soon, Justin’s soul will be the appetizer to the main course—the whole student body. Problem is, the big baddy is granting sinister wishes, and with each one the risks grow higher and the phrase Be careful what you wish for becomes a real-life dire warning. Of course for Emma, what feels like it could be the end is in fact just the beginning… 

 

Teaser: The closest I’d ever felt to normal was watching Lieutenant Troi on Next Generation—only what I experience has always been way more intense. [5% Ebook. Great description of Em’s powers.] 

Review: The paranormal edges its way into Emma Jane Hellsbane’s world in Commencement by Paige Cuccaro.

Emma Jane is sassy, smart, and sarcastic. Her voice in the novella drew me in. I love how Cuccaro used Mihir, a computer genius, to introduce the paranormal world to Emma Jane. Mihir seems so unlikely, but his family’s background makes him the perfect choice. The paranormal world building sets up the Emma’s story for more to come as well as moves the fast-paced plot.

For a novella, the story is to the point, but Commencement by Paige Cuccaro is the perfect teaser for the Hellsbane novels to come.

 

Four Bookworms = I really liked it!

***

Title: Hellsbane

Series: Hellsbane #1

Author: Paige Cuccaro

Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC (November 13, 2012)

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Format Read: Ebook

Length: Novel

Source: Purchased

Emma Jane Hellsbane always knew she was different, but she had no idea she wasn’t even human. Well, at least she’s half-human. She’s half-fallen angel, too, and now dear ol’ dad wants her dead. All the Fallen angels want all their troublesome offspring removed from the mortal coil so she’s trying not to take it personally. Besides, she wants him dead just as much. Her father’s death is the only way she’ll be forgiven for his sin, stop those pesky demons from trying to hack off her head, and have any hope at all of getting back to a normal life as a wicked slick Intuitive Consciousness Explorer.

Of course, first she’ll have to figure out which fallen angel is her father, avoid accidentally seducing her angelic mentor, help an old friend conquer his own fallen sperm donor, and basically save the world from a cataclysmic divine smack down.

No problem. With a last name like Hellsbane, Emma Jane was definitely born for the job. 

 

Teaser: Too soon he leaned back, breaking the warm seal of our lips. I exhaled. My schoolgirl fantasy finally realized. [27% Ebook. A spicy moment from Hellsbane.]

Review: Emma Jane Hellsbane learns who she truly is in Hellsbane by Paige Cuccaro.

Like her name Hellsbane, Emma Jane strives to find who her fallen angel father is, so she can destroy him and regain a normal life. Emma is sarcastic, driven, strong, and intelligent. I just love Emma’s snark. Eli, her magister, is kind, caring, and smokin’ hot. Their temptation for each other boils just under the surface. From demons to angels and the mortals in between, Cuccaro breathes life into the characters.

The fast-paced plot speeds along in this well-written novel. I feel for the characters, especially Emma Jane as her life goes from quirky to horrific. Like her main character, Cuccaro holds back no punches when it comes to the world she’s created.

Paige Cuccaro’s Hellsbane packs a punch into the angel/demon books out there. I highly recommend it!

 

Five Bookworms = I loved it!

***

Title: Heaven and Hellsbane

Series: Hellsbane #2

Author: Paige Cuccaro

Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC (August 27, 2013)

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Format Read: PDF ARC

Length: Novel

Source: Publisher

Emma Jane Hellsbane just unwittingly triggered a whole bunch of nephilim to come into their powers—and this new army has teamed up with Bariel, demon straight from Hell, who’s made it his mission to kill all the magisters on Earth. When they come after Eli, Emma and Officer Dan must work together to save him, but this makes Eli all the more tempted to Fall for Emma. And his fighting his feelings for her means Heaven has taken notice.

Now Emma isn’t just fighting off demons, rogue nephilim and Fallen angels, she’s defending her womanhood to the judgmental Seraphim angels, too, who want to separate Eli from Emma Jane. Can she protect Eli, Officer Dan, and find her rogue father? For Emma Jane, it’s all in a day’s work as Heaven’s ultimate bounty hunter. 

 

Teaser: “Aye, I will, love, but it’ll do him no good if he wastes what strength he has worrying over you.” [Page 88 (94 of 320) PDF ARC. Ah, Liam has such a good point.]

Review: Stuck between “good” and “evil,” Emma Jane Hellsbane must fight for what is right in Heaven and Hellsbane by Paige Cuccaro.

I just love the character Emma Jane Hellsbane. She’s smart, sexy, strong, and very sarcastic. Her snarky voice can have me chuckling one minute and in tears the next. Eli, her strong and handsome angel, wants to do the best by her, even if it isn’t the best thing for both of them. And Officer Dan’s the type of guy people can root for as well. Liam, another illorum, quickly became one of my favorite characters as well in this battle between good and evil.

This novel picks up where Hellsbane left off. The danger is very real—for angels, demons, and us mere mortals. Cuccaro keeps up a fast pace for the storyline. Every turn has a twist and a new surprise. I never knew quite who to trust as the lines are getting muddied between good and evil. I enjoyed how the lines of right and wrong get blurred and the philosophical and moral ponderings add another level to this fun and sexy series. And the romance is smokin’ hot and definitely worth “falling” in love over.

Paige Cuccaro’s Heaven and Hellsbane is an exciting read filled with non-stop action. I can’t wait to read the next one in the series!

 

Five Bookworms = I loved it!

Book Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Bones
Series: The Mortal Instruments #1
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (March 27, 2007)
Genre: YA Fantasy

Format: Ebook/Print
Length: Novel
Source: Purchased

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know ....

Teaser: We grew up in Idris. It’s a beautiful place, and I’ve always regretted that you’ve never seen it: You would love the glossy pines in winter, the dark earth and cold crystal rivers. [79% Ebook. Idris does sound beautiful.]

Review: Clary Fray learns of a world beyond the mundane in Cassandra Clare’s City of Bones.

Clare creates her world within a world starting in New York City. I enjoyed the different paranormal creatures she uses from vampires to werewolves to warlocks. The world building weaves the normal with the extraordinary. The history of the Shadowhunters fascinated me, and I would like to learn more about them.

The plot went about at a steady pace, although at times I thought the writing, although beautiful, was a tad overwritten and could’ve been snappier in places. Readers of Harry Potter will notice some similarities, but City of Bones has its many differences to make it its own story.

I had a hard time connecting with Clary, the main character at first, because she seemed a bit spacey and unfocused on the dangers of the situation she was in, but I did like how her character grew within the story. Jace was all right until toward the end. I liked the snarkier more arrogant version. Simon, the geek and Clary’s BFF, and Magnus Bane, a flamboyant warlock, were by far my favorite characters. I would’ve liked to see more of the villain of the story, Valentine.

Overall, I enjoyed reading City of Bones by Cassandra Clare and would pick up book two.

 

Four Bookworms = I really liked it!

Book Review: Neverlove by Angela Brown

Title: Neverlove
Series: Shadow Jumpers #1
Author: Angela Brown
Published: October 8, 2012
Genre: YA Paranormal

Format Read: Ebook
Length: Novel
Source: Purchased 

For seventeen-year-old Abigail, one rash decision leads to an unexpected chance for redemption. At V'Salicus Academy, a unique institute where she trains to become an agent of heaven, she struggles with the pain of her past, the changes of the present and accepts a loveless future until her path – and heart – crosses with Basil’s.

Basil's off-chance slip of the tongue binds him to a life of servitude to the Devourer, the master of hell. His existence has no upside until a chance meeting with Abigail brings new perspective.

Keeping the truth of their present lives from each other brings disaster when secrets are brought to light and the life of Abigail’s mentor is put on the line.

Can Abigail and Basil save her mentor and salvage their love amid the chaos? Or will they lose it all, destined forever to NEVERLOVE? 

 

Teasers: The moment Basil said it, he laughed aloud. He was desperate. Just not Faust-desperate. At least ... not yet. [10% Ebook. Hehe! I know what he means to be desperate, but just not quite Faust-desperate.]

“Soul weavers,” the voice chuckled, now closer to Basil. “Can’t live with them and can’t die without them.” [15% Ebook. I chuckled too.]

“There’s no crying in hell!” Drakar pounded his fist atop his throne’s armrest, which happened to be a row of heads. “Wait, actually, there is. By the bucket loads,” he correct. [17% Ebook. LOL!]

Handsome had treated her like crap. She couldn’t help wishing the priest looked like an ogre instead of prince charming. [26% Ebook. Loved this image!]

Review: Abigail and Basil’s paths entwine again in a rush toward salvation in Angela Brown’s Neverlove.

Neverlove starts with a gut-wrenching and powerfully written bang. Broken and beaten, Abigail gets a new chance at life when her mother takes her to a special school. Seeking to get out of his overbearing mother’s control, Basil foolishly makes a deal with the devil. I enjoyed Basil much more than Abigail. Her character seems to grow too quickly, despite her intense struggles in the first few chapters. Basil’s character grows more naturally. I particularly enjoyed his interactions with Drakar, the devil, and his training partner, Pam.

The beginning really pulled me in, but the latter half of the middle toward the end sagged a little big. I was skimming here and there to get to the good parts. I liked Abigail and Basil’s budding yet forbidden relationship, but I wished to learn even more about the world they’ve both entered of Cleansers and Harvestors. I also would’ve loved to have seen more of Abigail’s training at V'Salicus Academy, but beyond that, Brown does a wonderful job balancing the horrors with touches of humor and love. 

An emotionally charged novel, Neverlove by Angela Brown is an enjoyable read.

 

Four Bookworms = I really liked it!

Book Review: The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear by M. Pax

Title: The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear
Author: M. Pax
Published: November 12, 2012
Genre: NA Speculative Fiction

Format Read: Ebook
Length: Novel
Source: Purchased

The journey into adulthood is stranger than she expects. Graduation from community college isn’t the magic elixir Hetty Locklear counts on for becoming an adult. Her parents, who work the Renaissance fair circuit, insist she spend part of the summer with them. Hetty doubts pretending to live in the Middle Ages will help her find her way. To make it worse, an entity haunts her at her dead-end job, warning her of a dangerous man she doesn’t know. The ghost leads her to a lover who has a lot of secrets. He pulls her farther into peril and into a strange, hidden world of genetic experimentation. New Adult contemporary fantasy with a contemporary sci-fi twist. Some mature content. 

 

Teasers: She felt better until she became conscious of all the unfulfilling calories she had just mindlessly stuffed into her body. Guilt built up, demanding to be drowned, so she picked up a cinnamon scone. [5% Ebook. I totally get what’s Hetty’s going through here.]

When they left, her stoicism fled, her vision swam, and she felt the last three days washing her hopes for a better adult life down a big cosmic drain. Graduation had been such a let down. [31% Ebook. Graduating college is definitely difficult, especially when you’re at a loss of what will come next.]

Just Hetty’s luck, to get stuck with a ghost who had the afterlife as messed up as she had her present life. “A wayward poltergeist.” She snorted. [41% Ebook. This teaser had me laughing too.]

Did he really want to watch television? What if he didn’t? Worse than that, what if he did? [63% Ebook. Hetty’s questioning herself once again.]

How decadent and adult to be half-dressed with a man holding her, wanting her, and speaking with her mother. “Hi, Mom. Are you in Green Bay?” [66% Ebook. I love Hetty’s awkward moments.] 

Review: Hetty Locklear soon discovers being an adult isn’t as magical as she’d hoped it would be in M. Pax’s The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear.

Hetty Locklear is unlike any character I’ve ever read about. She’s awkward, a tad shy, and a bit lost on what she wants to do with her life, but she’s also a very cool geek, who’s very loyal. Her best friends have so much character and add to the storyline. And the men vying for Hetty’s attention make this novel a fun and sometimes quite steamy read. And having spent many hours role-playing online, I love that Hetty and her friends enjoy that too. It definitely brought back memories of good times.

Sometimes the wordy descriptions had me skimming a bit here and there, and the plot could’ve been a bit tighter. The worldbuilding was fascinating, but I would’ve liked to learned more about it as some of the plot threads had a science fiction feel with a hint of fantasy. I liked how Hetty slowly grows more confident in who she is toward the end as well. As for the ending, it had me on the edge of my seat, and I hope Pax gets around to writing book two, so I can see what happens next.

Overall, The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear by M. Pax is an enjoyable read and sure to bring out the geek in us all.

 

Four Bookworms = I really liked it!

Book Review: The Diabolist by Layton Green

Title: The Diabolist
Series: Dominic Grey #3
Author: Layton Green
Publisher: Thomas and Mercer (June 4, 2013)
Genre: Thriller

Format Read: Ebook ARC
Length: Novel
Source: Publisher

The third book in the Dominic Grey series of thrillers, after The Summoner and The Egyptian. The bizarre murder of a Satanic priest in San Francisco draws Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek, private investigators of cults, to the scene. Witnesses claim a robed figure, seemingly able to appear and disappear at will, set fire to the priest. When the leader of another Satanic cult in Paris dies under similar circumstances, the case only grows stranger and more dangerous. Convinced that a charismatic New Age prophet is behind the murders, the investigators undergo a perilous journey into the world of the occult as they try to penetrate the prophet’s inner circle. From the catacombs of Paris to London’s nefarious East End, from the haunted walls of York to a monastic fortress in the Sicilian wilderness, the case plunges Viktor and Grey into a vortex of black magic, ancient heresies, and the dark corners of their own pasts.

Teasers: Grey’s own shihan had insisted that respect came before all else; no one should learn how to harm another human being before learning how to value one. [4% Ebook ARC. Such a true statement.]

“I imagine God’s a hard guy to figure out,” Grey said. [9% Ebook ARC. Yeah, God probably is. This teaser made me smile and nod.]

“What is there to fear except a life unlived?” [23% Ebook ARC. I love these philosophical teasers.]

“Once something is written it becomes a truth of its own, a self-contained, immutable work presented to the eyes of the reader without inflection, to interpret as you will.” [27% Ebook ARC. Something we who write should remember.]

Lovely men, these pillars of society. [39% Ebook ARC. Read the book and you'll see the lovely sarcasm here.]

An array of potted herbs sat in the windowsills, warding off everything from halitosis to leprechauns. [47% Ebook ARC. This teaser made me chuckle.]

To Grey, anyone who saw the world in black-and-white wasn’t taking a hard enough look. [56% Ebook ARC. Such a true statement!]

He asked for the check, acutely aware that his options were melting away like gelato in the midday sun. [71% Ebook ARC. I just loved the description here.]

Review: The powers of evil may prove too much for Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek in The Diabolist by Layton Green.

The third book in the Dominic Grey series, The Diabolist brings forth a devious yet charismatic villain from Viktor’s past. The storyline weaves an introspective and philosophical look between good and evil. Dominic and Viktor traverse the world in search for clues and have their work cut out for them this time. The reader learns more about Viktor’s past and his on-going quest for truth. Viktor is a character who wants to believe, yet he has trouble to do so, even when he sees things for himself. Dominic struggles to protect his friend while avoiding capture from the organization searching to kill Viktor and him.

The various settings add to this well-written thriller. I enjoyed how Dominic and Viktor traveled between New York, San Francisco, Paris, London, and more. The research involved within this novel paid off, and I love how Green brings to life the occult and fringe religions. Although this book wasn’t as fast-paced and action-packed as the previous two, the threat facing Viktor and Dominic felt very real.

Layton Green’s The Diabolist chills with its devilish villains and introspective plotline. I recommend Green’s Dominic Grey series.

 

Four Bookworms = I really liked it!

Other Books in the Series:

 

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