R.I.P. Leonard Nimoy

Tags

Leonard Nimoy, Spock, Star Trek

Many of you will have already heard of the passing of this iconic actor. For someone who first attained fame playing an alien who battled with expressing emotion, Leonard Nimoy and Spock taught us a lot of what humanity truly means. In recent years the venerable actor expressed his thoughts via social media. Here is one of his last tweets:

” A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory.”

Cursed By Fire ~ Jacqueline Frank 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

 I received this e-ARC from NetGalley and Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review.

Centuries ago Dethan and his three brothers were considered great warriors. Then they angered the gods by seeking out the “fountain of immortality”. Now cursed for eternity, each brother is being punished in a uniquely painful way. Dethan’ s punishment is to eternally burn in Xaxis’ hell. He’s offered a reprieve from his torment when Weysa, the Goddess of Conflict offers him a deal. He will have conditional freedom if he agrees to conquer cities in her name, bringing her new followers, which will help her in winning a war between the gods. Dethan, seeing the opportunity to free not only himself, but his younger brothers, acquiesces. Coming across a city ruled by a weak, ineffectual king, and his corrupt advisor, Dethan knows that this will be his first conquest. Then he meets Selinda, the beautiful but scarred daughter of the king who wishes to help her people but is basically being held prisoner by the advisor who is also her fiance. Dethan finds himself drawn to Selinda and her plight, and while his original plan was focused on saving himself and his brothers, it now grows to include Selinda as well. 

Being a long-time fan of Jacqueline Frank’s I have to say that her strengths lie in her incredibly descriptive worldbuilding and the complexity of her characters. While Cursed By Fire begins somewhat similarly like her previous books, it soon goes in an entirely original direction. The gods and goddesses in this book are capricious and cruel much like the Greek and Roman gods, but in a perverse way, that makes them all the more interesting. I absolutely loved Dethan! You would think centuries of being burned alive over and over would have scarred him inwardly if not physically, but no. He’s retained the honor, loyalty and dignity he always had. Selinda I was a little more ambivalent about. I liked her, but I felt she was a little too “damsel in distress” at times. Then again, until Dethan enters the picture, she’s basically alone in her fight to save her people from the corruption being perpetrated by her father and her fiance.  I did feel the king and her fiance were too much like the villains in other books, but it wasn’t enough to detract from the story. The romance between Dethan and Selinda is hot and steamy and I loved how their relationship developed.  This book obviously focuses on Dethan but the promise is there that each of the brothers will be equally fascinating. The next book, “Cursed By Ice”, is coming out in March and will tell Garreth’s story.

My Harry Potter Re-read

Tags

Favorite Series, Gail Carson Levine, Harry Potter, Inspirational Quotes About Reading

As I near the end of my gazillionth re-read of one of my favorite series, I had to share this quote by one of my favorite authors, Gail Carson Levine.

Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School) ~ by Jen Calonita – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Fantasy, Fractured Fairy Tales, Juvenile Fiction

 This review is for an e-Arc which will be published on March 3, 2015. It was provided to me by NetGalley and Sourcebooks Jabberwocky in exchange for an honest review.

Twelve-year-old Gilly Cobbler lives in a boot with her parents and five younger siblings. Despite her father having created Cinderella’ s glass slippers the family is destitute. Gilly has taken to petty theft in order to help support her family, much to her parents dismay. When she is caught for the third time, she’s sent to the Fairy Tale Reform School. Founded and run by Flora, Cinderella’ s formerly wicked stepmother, it’s mission is to abolish evil from the kingdom of Enchantasia, and “turn wicked delinquents and former villains into future heroes.” Gilly soon has a new worry to add to those she has about her family. There’s a mysterious plot underfoot at the school which could result in dire consequences for the kingdom. With instructors that include former villains such as Red Riding Hood’s Wolf, the Evil Queen, and the Sea Witch, things get complicated very quickly. It’s up to Gilly and her new friends to discover who the true villains are, before Enchantasia is put in mortal peril.

I love fractured fairy tales when they’re done well, and I’m happy to say Flunked is one of them. Gilly is a great heroine despite her sticky fingers. She’s strong-willed and sassy, yet she’s an extremely loyal friend, and one that is willing to look further than a person’s past. Enchantasia itself is intriguing. You’d think that a kingdom ruled by Cinderella, Snow White, and Rose (Sleeping Beauty), would be a picture perfect place to live. Alas! Not so. Poverty and corruption are rampant and the three princesses are not always the hands-on rulers they should be. The concept of the reform school I found to be quite clever and it’s messages regarding friendship and forgiveness are clear without being cloying. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys unique versions of fairytales. I’m looking forward to the further adventures of Miss Gilly Cobbler.

The Third Twin ~ by CJ Omololu – 2.5 Stars

Tags

Adoption, Mysteries, Thrillers, Twins, YA Fiction

 I received this e-Arc from NetGalley and Delacorte in exchange for an honest review.

Adopted twins Alexa and Ava created an imaginary third sister when they were children to blame things on. At seventeen, they now take turns masquerading as”Alicia” in order to date cute boys who they don’t otherwise consider suitable dating material. Now one of the boys has turned up dead. Lexi wants to immediately stop the game, but Ava insists that as long as they follow the rules they established, everything will work out. When a second boy is murdered, DNA evidence and surveillance videos point to one suspect, Alicia. On the run from police, Lexi has to discover the truth before another boy is killed. To her horror she is faced with the possibility that either Ava is a killer, or Alicia actually exists.

After reading the summary, if you’re thinking this sounds like Pretty Little Liars, you’d be right on the money. I actually kept picturing the twins as the actress Lucy Hale who plays Aria in ABC Family’s PLLs. (Please don’t ask me how I know this!) I’m going to get the negatives out of the way. The twins, who basically won the adoption lottery when they were left on the doorstep of an extremely successful man, are snobs. For example, one of the guys that they deem “unsuitable” is because he plays in a band. Really? They’re also a bit ditzy. Despite Lexi being a candidate for Stanford, they lie to the police to cover-up a fake identity, while looming over them is the bigger threat of being arrested for murder. That’s just one of many implausible things that happen throughout the course of the book. But, despite the flaws, the story kept my attention, and although I thought I had figured out the basic premise behind the identity of the killer, the author managed to surprise me. I think teens in the 14 – 15 year range would enjoy this thriller. Anyone older I think will find The Third Twin to be a little too light on plot and character development.

Inked ~ by Eric Smith – 3.5 Stars

Tags

Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, YA Fiction

 This ebook was provided to me by NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA in exchange for an honest review.

Eighteen year old Caenum lives in a world where tattoos are not simply an act of rebellion. They are moving art inscribed on your body which will tell you exactly where your place in Society will be. Since Caenum wishes to forge his own destiny, he plans on fleeing his village of Frosthaven, leaving his grandmother, his best friend Dreya, and everything he’s ever known behind. As so often happens, circumstances intervene and he is unable to make his escape. Things go from bad to worse when Caenum has an altercation with Kenzi, the young Scribe who is supposed to Ink him. From there, a chain of events unfold which send Caenum, Dreya, and Kenzi on the run from the corrupt government known as the Citadel. As they desperately seek the Sanctuary, a secret town where Conduits, or magic users are supposedly safe, the trio discover the origin of Ink and the Citadel’ s true intentions toward those who are gifted with magic.

I found Inked to be a highly imaginative YA novel that was quite unlike anything I’ve read recently. The descriptions of the moving tattoos are beautifully written and I found myself reluctantly wanting one even though the drawbacks were made abundantly clear. The Conduits powers are also fascinating and reminded me of the X-Men. The characters of Caenum, Dreya, and Kenzi were okay, but I felt could have been expanded upon. Kenzi began as a bit obnoxious, but when his unknown magic was released by his own Inking, he became much more sympathetic. Caenum I actually found a bit boring at the beginning, but his personality developed as the book progressed. Their friendship I found came on a little too quickly after the altercation they had. The romance between Caenum and Dreya which grew from their friendship, evolved slowly which was a nice switch from the “love at first sight” that is prevalent in many novels. The worldbuilding is quite good, although I would have like to have seen a little more backstory as to how the Citadel and Ink came into being. In this world not everything is as it seems and the Sanctuary may not necessarily keep you safe. Our trio is betrayed more than a few times, yet people who you think are villains actually turn out to be saviors. What is obvious is that a war is coming between the Citadel and the Conduits and this is what drives the story all the way to it’s exciting conclusion. It’s unclear as to whether or not this is the first book in what will be a series or trilogy, but I hope there will be more. The book is definitely for Young Adults, but I think it will appeal to many adults who like YA Fiction. 

The Eterna Files ~ Leanna Renee Hieber – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Alternate History, Immortality, Paranormal Fiction, Victorian History

 I received this ebook from NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review.

Harold Spire of the Metropolitan Police reluctantly accepts a new position when Queen Victoria personally asks him to head Special Branch Division Omega. This clandestine group specializes in investigating the paranormal and their first assignment is to track down the Eterna Compound which purportedly grants immortality. Harold finds this increasingly difficult and dangerous as he discovers his group are not the only ones after the elusive formula. Thankfully he has the brilliant Miss Rose Everhart and her eclectic friends to assist. Meanwhile, there’s an American contingent also keen on finding the Compound. Led by Clara Templeton, who helped start the project after the assassination of President Lincoln, they once had the Compound in their hands, but it disappeared, leaving only the dead bodies of the researchers behind. Clara, who possesses paranormal abilities of her own is desperate to find the formula before the Brits. Finally, there’s a third group who seeks the cure in order to use it for more nefarious reasons. And so the race begins!

I always look forward to a new book by Leanna Renee Hieber, and The Eterna Files did not disappoint. I would definitely say this is as much a character driven novel as a plot driven one. They all have very strong personalities and it’s fascinating to see them interact. I did find the personalities of Rose and Clara to be a little too similar, but as this is only the first book in a new trilogy, or series, I’m looking forward to the further development of their characters. One of the things I’ve always liked about Leannas’s writing is her quirky characters, and this is no different. There’s a little romance, but it’s definitely not the pivotal part of the book. Instead, it focuses mainly on the set-up of the two groups, and of course the mystery of the Eterna Compound itself. Set in 1882, the book goes back and forth between England and America, but I never found this to be distracting. Each group is equally intriguing, and I can’t wait for all the players to finally meet, which will hopefully happen in the next book. The only disappointment was the rather abrupt ending. It wasn’t really a cliffhanger, but it ended so quickly I felt a little nonplussed. Otherwise I’m very excited about this new series and I would not hesitate to recommend this to fans of the paranormal.

Fifty Shades of Grey ~ by E. L. James

Tags

Erotica, Fifty Shades of Gray, Movie adaptations

 * If you’re a fan of Ms James, please don’t read any further as I don’t wish to offend anyone. *

Anastasia is a 21 year old virgin who is finishing up her senior year in college, at the end of which she hopes to get a job at a publishing house. As a favor to her best friend she takes over her assignment of interviewing 27 year old wealthy entrepreneur, Christian Grey. Despite a rather strange and uncomfortable meeting, the two develop an attraction for each other. The problem is for Ana, there is a lot more to the enigmatic Christian than meets the eye and their relationship does not progress smoothly. The question is: can these two make the compromises that are necessary to make this relationship work?

I first reviewed Fifty Shades of Grey for the blog of the library where I worked, when it was first published in 2012. After that, I intended to banish it from my mind, and pretend I never heard of it. So why, you may be asking, am I revisiting it now? Well, with the movie coming out for Valentine’s Day, I recently forced myself to re-read it thinking that maybe I was wrong. Perhaps I was just in the wrong mood when I read it three years ago and was overly harsh. I’m sorry to say, it did nothing to change my mind. No, I’m sticking with my assessment that this is one of the most poorly written, over-hyped books I’ve ever had the misfortune to read. It has nothing to do BDSM or Erotica, as I’ve read other books with these themes and have enjoyed them. My dislike is aimed at the juvenile repetitive writing and overwhelmingly grating characters. For anyone who isn’t familiar with the story behind the trilogy, this originally began as “Twilight” fan fiction. I don’t really get this as it doesn’t remotely resemble Stephenie Meyers books, unless you count that the characters are even more annoying than Bella and Edward. The only positive thing I can say about the book is that it has a lovely cover, and it does move fairly quickly. The latter is due mainly to the fact that about halfway through the book much of it turns into a series of emails between Ana and Christian, thus taking up much of the pages. The plot is boring and predictable, and you can see the “cliffhanger”ending coming a mile a way. The characters are equally dreadful. Ana is incredibly immature, even for her young age. She could give lessons in moaning, whining, vacillating, and being self-centered to Bella, and that’s really saying something. Christian is an emotionally bereft narcissist, and despite his wealth and good looks had me astonished that anyone would be attracted to him. He also has this whole creepy stalker vibe going on. His description as the so-called “Dominant” just isn’t believable. We’re supposed to buy into the fact that he has this incredibly strong, magnetic, and domineering personality, yet he’s completely undone by fairly mundane things like Ana wearing his underwear. Seriously? For a book being billed as erotica, there just isn’t much passion going on between these two. I actually found myself yawning through some of the supposedly steamier scenes. What really drove me crazy though is Ms James’ rather limited and repetitive vocabulary. Words and phrases I NEVER want to hear again:

· “Holy” anything 

· “Oh My”

· “Jeez”

· “Laters Baby”

· “Inner Goddess”

· “My subconscious”

There are probably others that I’ve blocked out. At the rate Ana kept referring to the last two on the list, I was becoming convinced that she was suffering from Multiple Personality Disorder! These words/phrases appeared on practically every single page! What happened to the editor for this book? I honestly cannot think of anyone I could recommend this to. Who knows. Maybe the movie will be better.  In the meantime, for anyone who is new to this genre, Fifty Shades of Grey is not the end all and be all of erotic literature. There are so many better authors out there such as: Emma Holly, Sylvia Day, Shayla Black, and Sophie Morgan, just to name a few. Embrace your inner goddess and try some of these!

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The Last American Vampire ~ by Seth Grahame-Smith – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Genre Mash-Ups, Historical Fiction, Vampires

 This ebook was provided to me by NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Grieving after the death of his friend and protege, Abraham Lincoln, vampire Henry Sturges is contacted by Adam, the leader of the good vampires. This group wishes to co-exist peacefully with humans. It seems as though a mysterious villain known only as Grander, has been killing every vampire emissary that has been sent to Europe. Henry, who has been feeling nostalgic for his homeland, agrees to track down Grander, and as he does, he also takes the reader on a journey through his life. 

First, I have to admit I’ve been a huge fan of Grahame-Smith’s ever since his Pride and Prejudice, and Zombies helped kick off the whole genre mash-up craze. While some of his books haven’t quite panned out, I’m happy to say I absolutely loved The Last American Vampire. The book is a sequel to Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, but it’s fine as a standalone. I actually preferred this to it’s predecessor. And how awesome is that cover? So, as Henry reminisces about his very long life, we’re taken on a kind of Jack Kerouac road trip beginning with Henry’s turning at the Roanoke colony. From there, we meet such luminaries as Mark Twain, Bram Stoker, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Jack the Ripper, Nikolas Tesla, and Rasputin, among many others. To help put the historical passages in context, there are numerous footnotes as well as accompanying photographs. While these can be a little distracting, you don’t have to read all of them. The mystery itself is intriguing, especially when you discover who Grander really is. It’s a huge plot twist and one that took me completely by surprise. If you like historical fiction with a little tongue-in-cheek humor, and you’re not overly squeamish, I highly recommend The Last American Vampire.

The Great Zoo of China ~ by Matthew Reilly – 2.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Adventure, China, Dragons

 This review is for an ebook provided to me by NetGalley and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review. 

A group of Americans, including a Senator, a famous news reporter, and a prominent herpetologist, are invited by the Chinese government to take a tour of their one of a kind zoo before it’s grand opening. Imagine their   surprise when they discover the main attraction is dragons! Of course the protective systems in place, fail and it’s anyone’s guess as to who will make out alive.

Oh gosh. Where do I start? Okay, obviously this is similar to Jurassic Park. Matthew Reilly says in his afterward that The Great Zoo of China was inspired by Michael Crichton’ s masterpiece. I’ll leave it to you as to whether or not this is an homage or just a total ripoff. I’m going to get the negatives out of the way first. Like the scientists in Jurassic Park, their Chinese counterparts have played with the DNA of dinosaurs. In this case they’ve been able to bring to life what they call Archosaurs, which are like Pterodactyls, only nastier. One official even references the occurrences at Jurassic Park.  All I could think was: “Why are you doing this? Have you learned nothing?” Of course they control their 232 dragons using some extremely cruel methods. No surprise that the dragons grow to resent their captors and plot revenge.  I kind of felt like this:

Unfortunately the group of American visitors are caught in the middle between vengeful dragons and the Chinese government who will do anything to cover-up this unfolding disaster. Now to the characters. They were pretty much one dimensional. You had your dyed in the wool corrupt Chinese whose sole concern is out-doing the United States, and your heroic Americans, led by the respected herpetologist CJ Cameron, who is making a comeback in her field after she was hideously injured while rescuing a child from a crocodile. I’ve got to tell you, if you ever find yourself battling dragons, you want this woman on your team! She can battle multiple dragons, scale mountains, dispatch villains, and leap over tall buildings in a single bound! Oops, sorry. That last one was Superman. Still, you get the general idea. She’s just a little too kick-ass. But this brings me to what I liked about the book. It was nice seeing such a strong female character even if she is a bit cartoonish. Plus CJ develops a bond with one of the nicer dragons (yes, there’s a group of those), which is kind of sweet. The action begins on the first page so it’s a pretty quick read. The descriptions of the dragons are beautiful, and you find yourself admiring them even as you’re cringing at the myriad of gruesome ways they choose to dispatch their victims. So at the end of the book I was left with this picture and quote from Harry Potter: “Marvelous creatures, dragons.” ~ Mad Eye Moody/Barry Crouch Jr.

In reference to dragons and The Great Zoo of China? Marvelous? Not so much.