A Cursed Embrace: A Weird Girls Novel #2

3 stars only because I’m not in any way a fan of demons in my stories. They’re just too one-dimensional/single-minded for me to find them interesting, but they make good adversaries, I guess.

This book is quite a bit darker (see demons, above) than the first book, but it kept me riveted because of the characters. The sisters are that perfect dynamic – each with their own very unique personality and gift and their wolves, the same (I think Koda is my favorite). I can’t say I really much cared for the ending although, way to stop my heart re; Shayna!!! VERY well done! Although I knew a conflict was coming, the author has set it up in a way that if feels like a happy ending of some kind is inevitable, and that’s what will keep me reading. In the meantime, I’m loving Misha – his name, his looks, his attitude – and I’m looking forward to seeing how the dynamic between Celia and Misha plays out.

Thankfully, the next book will be out in just 7 months or so, and I’m looking forward to reading it.

Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between (Rhiannon’s Law, #1)

I liked the book quite a bit – it held my attention until I was able to finish it. I won’t claim it has any really original angle to it, but it does what it does well. I genuinely like Disco/Gabriel, and Paine. Rhiannon was ok – I rather wish the author hadn’t taken the clichéd route in terms of her past. Her past is the worst kind of horrid, but keeping her a naive virgin?? When there’s nothing else a bit naive about her? Seemed a very very forced plot device to me.

I liked the plot although the motivation behind the crimes wasn’t explored at all – I felt like the villain could have been hinting at his capabilities/motivation a bit throughout the story, but instead everything was just explained at the end. Oh well. It’s absence didn’t make the story less enjoyable, but it’s presence could have made it more so.

I have to admit, I’ll not read the second one, as futuristic/dystopian settings are less than interesting to me.

Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, Book 2)

Blood Bound
by Patricia Briggs
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780441014736
Series: Mercy Thompson #2
Publication Date: January 30, 2007
Pages: 292
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Ace

Mercy has friends in low places—and in dark ones. And now she owes one of them a favor. Since she can shapeshift at will, she agrees to act as some extra muscle when her vampire friend Stefan goes to deliver a message to another of his kind. But this new vampire is hardly ordinary—and neither is the demon inside of him.

When the undead and the werewolves sent to find him don’t return, the local vampire queen turns to Mercy for help. A coyote is no match for a demon, but Mercy is determined to get her friends back—including the two werewolves circling around her heart.

A tad darker than the books I usually enjoy, Blood Bound sort of rides that edge of what I enjoy reading and what I’d rather put down and move on from. Though as I start to read more and more books similar to Mercy Thompson, it’s not easy to keep saying that. But, I really enjoyed it, in spite of it’s slightly darker intensity. Most of that can be contributed to my ‘bonding’ with the characters in the first book, so I found myself really wanting to know what was going to happen to all of them this time around.

I’m one who thinks you can never have too much humor, and there was enough throughout the dialog to keep things from becoming positively moribund.

The plot line is definitely dark stuff and the author gets big kudo’s from me for giving Mercy faith and using it as a strength, without becoming evangelical about it. She strikes a nice balance – Mercy is never, ever, preachy or superior, but she doesn’t hesitate to use that faith as a tool in her arsenal. Well done.

The climax was intense but I didn’t find it overly done and it didn’t drag out either. Following the sometimes labyrinthine vampire politics took some concentration, which at times I didn’t always have (especially when I’m picking the book up after a long day at work), but it added a level of intrigue that kept the plot from being too obvious.

I had my doubts about a were-based series – they aren’t my favorite paranormal species, but I’m really liking Adam and Warren and Bran. I’m looking forward to picking up the third book.

Spell Bound (A Hex Hall Novel #3)

Loved this trilogy. The characters were fabulous – witty, interesting and likeable. The dialoge in this book and the others reminded me lot of the first few seasons of Buffy. Great snark. Even the ‘nemesis’ Edodie is a character you like and cheer on.

The over arcing plot of the trilogy was interesting, the ultimate villains not being the obvious foes. I won’t say the story arc was obvious – it wasn’t – but it wasn’t shocking to me either. But then, I’m a generation removed from the demographic for these books.

I genuinely enjoyed reading these books – I didn’t want to put them down until I was finished and the climax of this one left me feeling a bit misty eyed. I’ll definitely be checking out some of Ms. Hawkins’ other work.

Demonglass (A Hex Hall Novel #2)

A great read. I’ve found that just about every trilogy has a bit of a sophomore slump in the second book, but I enjoyed this one a lot. Fast paced, lots of action and such great characters! And such wonderful snark! Witty dialog can redeem a so-so book, but when you have a great story and witty dialog, it’s a joy to read and I didn’t want to put it down.

Luckily, my impulse book buying habits had me buying both this book and the third one at the same time. It’s not a major cliffhanger, but it’s not a small one, and I was thrilled that I could close this book and immediately pick up the third and keep on reading.

A Witch’s Handbook of Kisses and Curses

I loved Molly Harper’s Nice Girl’s series – the characters were people I wanted for friends. If I could live in one of the fictional universe’s in my books, Half Moon Hallow would rank in my top 5 list – IF I could work at Specialty books.

So having said all that, of course I loved this book. While Jane and Andrea aren’t center stage, they are a major part of the book and plot – as is Dick. Nola isn’t quite as left of center as these loveable members of HMH, but she plays a great straight-man to many of their antics.

I’m a sucker for treasure hunts, so the plot of this book appealed to me: searching for four objects necessary for the continuation of her family’s magic. Ms. Harper tried to keep each artefact search a little bit different, nothing too clichéd. I loved the scene at Jane’s parents house – very funny.

Overall, a great addition to the Half Moon Hollow Universe. I hope Ms. Harper continue’s to spin her tales in that little town in Kentucky for some time to come.

Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1)

Moon Called
by Patricia Briggs
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780441013814
Series: Mercy Thompson #1
Publication Date: January 31, 2006
Pages: 288
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Ace

Mercy Thompson is a shapeshifter, and while she was raised by werewolves, she can never be one of them, especially after the pack ran her off for having a forbidden love affair. So she’s turned her talent for fixing cars into a business and now runs a one-woman mechanic shop in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State.

But Mercy’s two worlds are colliding. A half-starved teenage boy arrives at her shop looking for work, only to reveal that he’s a newly changed werewolf—on the run and desperately trying to control his animal instincts. Mercy asks her neighbor Adam Hauptman, the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, for assistance.

But Mercy’s act of kindness has unexpected consequences that leave her no choice but to seek help from those she once considered family—the werewolves who abandoned her…

This one started out slow for me, although reliable friends recommended it to me so I wan’t too worried I wouldn’t love it.

The story really kicked in for me once they hit Montana and I was hooked from there. I like Mercy – she’s got enough humour about her to keep the whole thing from feeling too dark. Adam is exactly what Adam should be! Zee is fun and Stephan is, again, what he should be. So a great cast of characters you can get involved with.

The plot itself was delightfully labyrinthian – not so complex you couldn’t follow it, but complex enough to keep you guessing right up until the very end, when even the bad guys were somewhat sympathetic.

I’m not yet ready to add this series to my top 5 list, but I’ll definitely be reading the next book as soon as possible.

Hex Hall (Hex Hall Series #1)

It’s a bit hard to rate this book, or review it, as it’s definitely not a book for my demographic. BUT, this is a book I would have loved loved loved as a ‘Young-adult’ and as it is, I found it to be a very fun read as a not-so-young-adult. I love Sophie’s wit and humor and the students around her are all interesting and far from bland. The plot was excellent and I didn’t find it at all predictable – I loved the ending. Not so much loving the Archer twist… Part of a trilogy, I’m looking forward to seeing how the story develops.

Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School Book the First)

A fabulous adventure! The names of the characters in this book alone are worth the read!

Ms. Carriger has a beautiful way of immediately putting you into the book – it was so easy to ‘see’ the story as I read the pages of the book – even the incredibly complicated layout of the school was visible to some degree in my minds eye.

The Parasol Protectorate character crossovers made getting to know this new world easier and more entertaining as well. I’m very intrigued by Mr. Niall too. Just a wonderful, fantastical adventure of a read all around. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys some paranormal steampunk.

Death, Doom, and Detention (Darklight #2)

Death, Doom, and Detention
by Darynda Jones
Rating: ★★★★½
isbn: 9780312625214
Series: Darklight #2
Publication Date: March 5, 2013
Pages: 306
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

After a week of reading books that disappointingly read like paper-pulp Xanax, Death Doom and Detention was just the breath of fresh, fast-paced air with kick-ass dialogue I needed. An excellent story with really great characters you can get behind. And thank you thank you thank you Ms. Jones for having two breath-taking male leads and no love triangle!! I can cheer both of them on!

Seriously, there wasn’t anything I didn’t like about this book – nothing. I picked it up and did not put it down again until I’d read not only the last page (ok, a little tiny bit of boo and hiss here) but the sneak peak at the next book in October. I was reading this book outside and seriously, it was so good, I did not move even after the rain started (it wasn’t a lot of rain, and I shielded the book, of course!). Thank you for not making me wait a year until the next one.

I know this is YA, but it’s a great story/series. I can’t help but try to mesh events in this series with those in the Charley Davidson/Adult series. Different, I know, but still fun to imagine. 🙂