My Book Haul/In My Mailbox

The Story Siren hosts a weekly meme where bloggers can share what goodies they've purchased/received this week. If you get a chance head over to The Story Siren and check out what everyone is up to!

Huntress - Malinda Lo

Publisher: Atom Books

Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn't shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people's survival hangs in the balance. To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet their two destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever...

I've read so many positive reviews of Malinda Lo's work that I really wanted to try it and lo, and behold, the great book gods managed to arrange for me to win a copy from Atom books. I seem to be in a great run when it comes winning giveaways at the moment so I'm going to pay it forward with a special giveaway on Tuesday...

Fairy Bad Day - Amanda Ashby
Publisher: Speak

While most students at Burtonwood Academy get to kill demons and goblins, fifteen-year-old Emma gets to rid the world of little annoying fairies with glittery wings and a hipster fashion sense. She was destined to be a dragon slayer, but cute and charming Curtis stole her spot. Then she sees a giant killer fairy - and it's invisible to everyone but her! If Emma has any chance of stopping this evil fairy, she's going to need help. Unfortunately, the only person who can help is Curtis. And now, not only has he stolen her dragon-slayer spot, but maybe her heart as well! Why does she think it's going to be a fairy bad day?

I won this froom Lesley at My Keeper Shelf as part of the Midsummer Hop - so excited as this looks like a lot of fun. I plan to take this on holiday with me in a couple of weeks as it looks like a perfect beach read!

Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her...until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment, but after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is far more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel. For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

I know a lot of people really love this series. I've been a little reluctant to try it as I was disappointed with Fallen and this has a similar storyline. However, when it came up as a swap on readit-swapit, I thought it's worth a try! :)

What The Night Knows - Dean Koontz
Publisher: UK - Harper

Billy Lucas confesses to a shocking crime. He's only fourteen years old but he's a sadistic killer and proud of it. He's in the secure wing of the state hospital but … he seems too wise for his age, not crazy, too knowing. About the nature of evil, and whether it lives on beyond death. Too knowing about other crimes that took place before he was born …
Other murders from twenty years ago surface in the mind of Detective John Calvino as he interviews young Billy Lucas. Calvino carries away a signed confession … and a sense of great danger. That night he feels that somehow Billy has come home with him, to his family.
Over the next weeks, this haunted feeling does not go away. It only gets worse. Then another killing spree happens, just as and when John Calvino dreaded it would. Billy is safely locked away, but not the ghost, if the ghost exists, that links these murders with past crimes, and with John Calvino. Anything could happen, and surely will … again.

Dean Koontz is one of my automatic purchases - I may not read it for a while but I do always get round to it eventual when I feel like a comfortable new read. :)

So what did you get this week?

On My Wishlist #46

This is a meme from Book Chick City. There are so many books out there that I want to read that this is the only way I can keep track. Today I'm looking for a little demon action...

Hell's Belles - Jackie Kessler

Publisher: Zebra

Once upon a time, Jezebel was a powerful succubus, capable of seducing men and sucking out their souls. But that was before Hell put a bounty on her head. Now her only chance to escape a fate far worse than death is to live as a mortal, losing herself in a sea of unfamiliar humanity, in a place where sinners walk hand-in-hand with saints - a place like Belle's strip club in New York City.Working as an exotic dancer is a piece of cake for a former demon who once specialized in sex. Taking money from men? Please. It's like leading lawyers to the Lake of Fire. Plus the lingerie is great. But she hadn't counted on meeting sexy Paul Hamilton, a man haunted by his past. Good-bye, succubus; hello, love struck. Learning all about how complicated - and pleasurable - love can be, Jezebel thinks she's turned her back on Hell.But Hell hasn't stopped looking for her. The secrets Jezebel holds are the most dangerous of all, the kind every demon in the Underworld would do their worst to protect. Demons are closing in, which is enough to make Jezebel shiver in her G-string. But it's her love for Paul that's going to have deadly consequences...

This looks like a lot of fun - and who doesn't like Succubus?

Succubus Revealed - Richelle Mead

Publisher: Bantam (September 2011)

Georgina Kincaid has had an eternity to figure out the opposite sex, but sometimes they still surprise her. Take Seth Mortensen. The man has risked his soul to become Georgina's boyfriend. Still, with Lucifer for a boss, Georgina can't just hang up her killer heels and settle down to domestic bliss. In fact, she's being forced to transfer operations...to Las Vegas. The City of Sin is a dream gig for a succubus, but Georgina's allies are suspicious. Why are the powers-that-be so eager to get her away from Seattle—-and from Seth? Georgina is one of Hell's most valuable assets, but if there's any way out of the succubus business she plans to take it--no matter how much roadkill she leaves behind. She just hopes the casualties won’t include the one man she’s risking everything for...

The Georgina Kincaid series was the first one I read from Richelle Mead and I absolutely love it! I can't believe that this is the last one, so I'm hoping for a happy ending ending for Georgina and Seth...please... :-)

Blood Rites (House of Comarre) - Kristen Painter

Publisher: Orbit (September 2011)

Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle's body bears the telltale marks of a comarre - a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility and control their hungers. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the darkness of the mortal world ...and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks. Chrysabelle's secrets, though, are about to put her life - and those around her - in even greater jeopardy. She possesses a powerful ring, the key to unlocking an ancient prophecy destined to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. A chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen threatens to reign unless she and Malkolm can stop the noble vampire behind the merciless plot.

The cover is gorgeous and the plot is intriguing - I can't wait for this to come out!

So what are you wishing for this week?

Early Review: Lost Voices

Lost Voices

-          Sarah Porter

Publisher: Harcourt Books

Ecopy courtesy of netgalley & Harcourt Books

Fourteen-year-old Luce has had a tough life, but she reaches the depths of despair when she is assaulted and left on the cliffs outside of her grim, gray Alaskan fishing village. She expects to die when she tumbles into the icy waves below, but instead undergoes an astonishing transformation and becomes a mermaid. A tribe of mermaids finds Luce and welcomes her in—all of them, like her, lost girls who surrendered their humanity in the darkest moments of their lives. Luce is thrilled with her new life until she discovers the catch: the mermaids feel an uncontrollable desire to drown seafarers, using their enchanted voices to lure ships into the rocks. Luce's own remarkable singing talent makes her important to the tribe—she may even have a shot at becoming their queen. However, her struggle to retain her humanity puts her at odds with her new friends. Will Luce be pressured into committing mass murder?

 I’ve been really torn about Lost Voices. It is beautifully written with the descriptions of the sea and the mermaids voices mesmerising. The language was simple but elegant and I managed to read the story quickly. I also liked the unique twist on mermaids who are similar to Sirens, luring sailors to death with their song. They are also all the girls that were beaten, abused and unloved, who had nowhere else to go. I thought that was a great twist and I really felt for them, at least initially.

However, I struggled to connect to the main character, Luce. She had had a hard life and was without hope, yet there was some spark of defiance in her that I admired in the beginning. Yet, when she became a mermaid I found my sympathy for her draining away. She knew that drowning people was wrong, but she never stopped it. The other mermaids never seemed to have the same conscience so I can forgive them, but Luce carried on DESPITE feeling bad about it. She never expressed her qualms – just swam off alone occasionally. This really annoyed me as the spark in her in the beginning implied that she was more human. Overall mermaids are like any group of teenage girls and while I didn’t really connect to them, I did understand how they could act that with all they had been through.

I loved the idea of mermaids here and am curious at how the rest of the trilogy plays out, but I need more of a connection to the main character. However, the writing was enjoyable and story different from the usual supernatural Romeo and Juliet style story – that made a refreshing change!

Recommended for fans of Lauren Kate and Mean Girls. 6 out of 10

Throwback Thursday #14 - One Foot In The Grave

This is a great feature that Melissa at My World...in words and pictures has been doing for a while and I wanted to jump on board! There are plenty of books out there I desperately want...

But what about all those wonderful books that are ALREADY on my shelves?

 

One Foot In the Grave - Jeaniene Frost

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She's still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind. Being around him awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline kick of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head—wanted: dead or half-alive—means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard she tries to keep things professional between them, she'll find that desire lasts forever . . . and that Bones won't let her get away again.

I read Halfway to the Grave last year and enjoyed it so I asked for the next two books in the series for Christmas. One of my friends took pity on me and got On Foot In the Grave and At Grave's End for me. And yet...both books are sitting on my shelves still unread six months later! And I've heard there's some very hot action in this book between Bones and Cat! Why haven't I read it yet? Anyone? :-s

Early Review: Hard Spell

Hard Spell (Occult Crimes Unit 1)

-       Justin Gustainis

Publisher: Angry Robot – released on 7^th July 2011 in UK, 26^th July 2011 in US

E-Copy courtesy of netgalley and Angry Robot

Meet Stan Markowski of the Scranton PD’s Occult Crimes Unit
“Like the rest of America, Scranton’s got an uneasy ‘live and let unlive’ relationship with the supernatural. But when a vamp puts the bite on an unwilling victim, or some witch casts the wrong kind of spell, that’s when they call me. My name’s Markowski. I carry a badge. Also, a crucifix, some wooden stakes, a big vial of holy water, and a 9mm Beretta loaded with silver bullets.”

Our hero, Stan is a detective with the local Occult Crimes Unit in a world where the supernatural is out and proud – and has been since the WWII. Stan is just getting used to his new partner when a series of vampire murders and a stolen grimmoire suggest that something big is up...

This is hard-boiled urban fantasy with all the fun of the noir detectives. In fact it’s so hard boiled you could probably chop it up, put it in a sandwich with some cress and it would be just as tasty. It’s told firmly from the point of view of the police complete with procedural waiting times, local politics and other annoying hold ups the police have to deal with. Stan is a tough cop. He has his prejudices and his reasons for them. As this focuses heavily on his work life, it takes a while before the reader is shown his softer side, but it’s worth the wait to see the cracks in his armour.

The mystery is intriguing and the action fast paced and exciting. The plot cracks along barely pausing for a smart remark as the stakes are raised. I found this a great addition to the UF scene with all the characters intriguing. The slight twist of supernatural on the usual buddy cop story gives both genres a little twist (like a slice of lime in your coke!) and I’m looking forward to more from the Occult Crimes Unit.

Recommended for fans of the Dresden files and Mike Carey. 8.5 out of 10.

Please check out this cool trailer...

EVENT: Out Of This World

I don’t get out much. At least not for book related events – I’ve been too nervous to go to a conference or fair so far. I keep thinking I’ll be one of those people creeping round the edges too nervous to talk to anyone! But I decided to work by way up to the big events starting with this the Out Of This World exhibition at the British Library.  Luckily I do have a couple of friends who also like books who I persuaded to come with me – well, one friend who likes books and another I could sweet talk into keeping us company! J

Me in 1950s horror mode - a nightmare of a spaceship crashing into a library!



Manuscript



The subtitle of Out of This World is Science Fiction But Not As You Know It and basically it looks at all the big questions that Science Fiction has asked over the years and how these writers have inspired and led science fact, entertainment and philosophy. As such there were plenty of original documents and first editions of some of the most influential stories and books over the last 200 years – some are beautifully illustrated manuscript and even more exciting for book geeks – manuscripts with authors notes and edits in!

There are various areas of the display looking at Alien Worlds, Future Worlds, Parallel Worlds, Virtual Worlds, End of the World and Perfect World which cover such wide ranging authors from HG Wells. Arthur C Clarke, Connie Willis, China Mieville and so many others! I also admit I might have added quite a few books to my wishlist looking around – there are a number of classics that I have never read but I should have! 



The Doctor was visiting as well...



In addition there are interactive session where you can talk to a computer that is learning to act human (although try asking ‘Elizabeth’ a political question or about the Olympics and she tends to get a little confused or say she’ll ask her mummy!). There’s also a crystal ball quiz, a life-size replicator of Doctor Who’s Tardis (He’s at lunch sadly) and plenty of musical options where you  can listen to any number of songs about aliens or time travel (I did end up with The Carpenters Calling Occupants of Interplanetary... stuck in my head!).



The exhibition isn’t too crowded and nicely laid out so that you can follow the official flow or just move to whatever catches you attention. I was a little bit of a butterfly flittering to which ever area caught my attention, but really enjoyed the variety and different views of the future as imagined over the years. I thought the whole exhibition was interesting and am considering a return visit to see if I missed anything!

The exhibition is free and open until 25^th September. Go have a look! J

Watch out - the lobsters are coming!

Secrets of the Demon Review

Secrets of the Demon

-          Diana Rowland

Publisher: Bantam

Homicide detective Kara Gillian has a special talent: she can sense the "arcane" in our world, and there's quite a bit of it, even in Beaulac, Louisiana. She's also a summoner of demons, and works on a task force that deals with supernatural crimes. Her partners are attractive and smart FBI agents, but they're not summoners, and they're not telling Kara why they are on this special force with her. To make things worse, Kara has pledged herself to one of the most powerful of demons-a Demon Lord-who helped save her partner's life, but now expects things in return. Meanwhile, she's trying to solve a string of murders that are somehow tied together by money, sex, rock music and...mud. But how can she concentrate on the case when she's not even sure who-or what-her partners are?

Kara can summon demons or rather beings from another plane of existence with a different moral priority that we call demons and can ask them for help and knowledge. She uses this rare ability to help her solve serious crimes which have a supernatural element to them. This time around it looks like a golem is interested in an up and coming pop star and Kara and her FBI partners have to hunt the summoner behind the man-made construct.

This is the third adventure and if like me you’ve following the adventures from the start, it’s a joy to return to the world. The characters are familiar and a lot more is revealed about some prominent characters. Compared to the lonely, introverted, work obsessed girl we met in the first book, Kara has started to open and let people into her life. I particular liked the friendship she has crime scene officer, Jill which reminds me of a number of my own female friends – lots of banter and support available! The two FBI task force agents Ryan and Zack are given a new twist which adds to the growing arc of the series and folds nicely into the stand alone investigation.

What makes this series different is Kara doesn’t have any powers that can help her in the everyday world – yes, she can summon demons but it can only be done under certain conditions and is no use if you’re suddenly confronted by a threat in the street. As such she has to rely on brains, street smarts and her gun to get out of tricky situations and her arcane abilities to provide insight into the case. There is a definitely relation to a police procedural here with the case less personal this time around, but the overriding arc is developed further with some questions answered and more posed. The police work is shown as actually work with plenty of research and paperwork needed to help solve the case - but there is plenty of action and hints of romance to keep most UF fans happy.  

This is one of the most underrated UF series out there – well written with great characters and an exciting plot. If you like CSI crossed with the supernatural please give this series a go!

Recommended for fans of Ann Aguirre and Laura Bickles. 8 out of 10