Saturday, January 18, 2014

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn


3 stars


There is the good and there is the bad.

This book really could be worse. If you are not one for Victorian, old age settings, and reading about a woman struggling in the woes of discovering herself and dealing with the loss of her late husband then exit stage left.

If you have patience for a heroine who is a little slow but you can see has promise, then it's time to meet Lady Julia Gray. Recent widow for about a chapter before a convenient time skip, she is approached by Nicholas Brisbane.

 He is a detective and is absolutely delectable.



 He shows up at her doorstep claiming that her husband was receiving threatening notes before his death and that Sir Edward Gray's passing may not have been as innocent as it seemed. At first she rudely turns him away, but a year later she discovers evidence that she cannot ignore, and must ask Brisbane for his help.

I must say it's pretty obvious who the culprit is, though I certainly didn't guess all the secrets Edward and the criminal had hidden away. At times I would really grow frustrated with Julia and how dimwitted she seemed at times or how she could be so easily sidetracked. Her family The Marches, highly interested me as they are known for their eccentricity and wild ways, and I saw growing promise as Julia began to cross lines, rebel, and live up to her wild March origins.

Despite Julia's lackings, she does have a kind heart as seen in her unusual household: she has taken in her younger brother for he and their father quarrel, an outcast gypsy for her laundress, an ex-prostitute for her personal maid, and much more.

 Brisbane was an absolute delight to read about as well, for he is a mystery within himself with his unusual origins, his knack for a mystery, his "gift" or "talent" as you will see, his unique acquaintances, and just his all out brutal frankness. I did mention he was delicious, yes?

His chemistry with Julia is at first rocky, but slowly progressed into, if I had to describe it, grudging interest. Nothing has come to fruit quite yet, but I have my hopes high and fingers crossed!


My review for Silent in the Sanctuary.


Fortune's Pawn by Rachel Bach

5 stars


I loved it to the point of raving, and I hated it to the point of throwing it across the room. 
Which just means it was that good.



You've got Devi Morris, spunky, kickass mercenary, who is talented and impressive and will do anything to avoid the future prospect of being stuck in a desk job. Put her on a ship that is known for attracting deadly trouble and you've got yourself an action packed 330 pages.

I honestly did not know what to expect when I started this one but it was really interesting! On this journey, you'll discover unusual creatures, zombie aliens, deadly secrets, and unique and powerful human beings.
  
Devi alone is a clever and dryly humorous heroine who owns some seriously tricked out, high quality armor that she loves so tenderly, that we too develop feelings for the hunk of metal. Have I mentioned how attached she is to her weapons?

Life on the ship is made interesting even during the tamer parts of the story, due to the motley crew the captain has rigged up. Who would have thought the navigator would be a bird, or the doctor a race of alien that usually eats humans? 

Each character is well described and unique in their own way. You tend to grow attached to them all, really. There is plenty of action for the thrill seekers and even some romance which was tastefully written and not a plot sucker.

Alas, it was the romance that left me throwing the book down in frustration and anger in the end, but I am still eager for our upcoming sequel. You can follow my review for that here.
 




There isn't a moment to be bored with this one, and everyone loves a little space travel with a kickass heroine!

Friday, January 3, 2014

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

3 stars


Loved the cover, its really eye catching and entrancing.

A fun action packed book that leaves you longing for the next change...

I've got to say I've been on a badass heroine streak and love it. With this story I was not disappointed with our heroine Kali; an average teenager every other day. But when she isn't simply human, she is a bloodthirsty hunter, seeking to sink her knives into supernatural baddies!

Her life takes an even bigger turn for the interesting when she sees the mark of the Chupacabra on a popular girl at school and has decided to save her no matter the cost.
Though Kali isn't exactly social, she warms up to most of the characters we're introduced to, and its quite a variety. Through Kali's eyes, the world of the usual bump-in-the-night creature genre is given a unique twist. Especially so when readers learn of a company with evil intention involving Kali, humans, creatures, and a certain somebody else.



It's what makes this book so fun, since things aren't what they seem! I really appreciated that while our popular girl did fit the usual bill of teenage snot, once Kali got past the facde there was someone truly lovable underneath. I did feel a little confused after some mysteries were revealed for example what exactly Kali was before things began to change was left...cloudy. Also a certain character death left me with a big angry question mark above my head. I felt the death was random and highly unnecessary, plus the ending felt slightly vague. 



These were my only complaints since the book was otherwise so good, I could not put it down. Great for a light, action read!