Tynga's reviews

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Random Act of Kindness: March Edition

Want to learn more about RAK? Visit the Book Soulmates blog!

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Unfortunately, I did not receive any RAK this month, but I did offer three.

** This month I decided to offer a custom button design ( 20$ value) to the first person offering me a RAK! On top of sending someone a book, of course ^^ Will you be the lucky one?**

My March wish list!

Winterblaze by Kristen Callihan
Pulse by Patrick Carman
Wraith by Phaedra Weldon
Thirteen – Kelley Armstrong
Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick (HC pls)
Fury’s Kiss by Karen Chance
Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
Shifter's Wolf: Masques + Wolfsbane by Patricia Briggs

If you wish to offer me one of those books, all you have to do is email me at Tyngauf AT gmail .com and I will give you my mailing addy. I moved this fall so make sure you don’t use my old addy if you’ve sent me something in the past :)

Thank you!

Posted by Tynga at 07:38

RAK 4 People left their mark

Daring You To Read… A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

I’ve recently become obsessed with A GAME OF THRONES by George R.R. Martin from the series A Song of Ice and Fire. Not only is the book amazing, but I think the HBO TV series is even more noteworthy. Since the third season will premiere on TV soon (March 31st), I thought it would be a great time to dare you to read this great fantasy book.

The storyline might be a little bit everywhere because of the amount of characters, but that’s to be expected with epic fantasy books. The characters are amazing and I think the combination of all of them really makes this book what it is.

If you’re new to epic fantasy novels this is something you cannot pass over. It might be frustratingly long but it’s definitively worth it. While it is a fantasy series, the paranormal aspects aren’t too present. While there are a few paranormal/magical elements, they don’t overpower the story and I think that’s what makes it so great. The series really is about the characters and I’m glad the TV show found so many great actors to portray them.

Please note that the story is quite dark and mature at times. While I believe anyone who can read a 800+ pages book (or more depending on the edition) is mature enough for this story, please be careful while watching the TV series around children. I mean, it is HBO… Their reputation speaks for itself…

Have your read A Game of Thrones? Have you seen the TV show? If so, let me know what you think!

Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Read an excerpt

Here is the trailer for Season 1:

The rest of the series:

Daring You To Read is a weekly feature here on Tynga’s Reviews where we dare you to read some of our favorite older releases (at least 6 months old). All the books/series we choose to feature are titles we adored and think you should give them a shot! We think it’s a super awesome way to discover that special book who might have slipped off your radar!

You’ve already read the book? Let’s us know what you thought!
You are accepting the dare? We’d love to know!
Have a dare of your own? Leave a comment ^^

Posted by Unknown at 06:20

Daring You to Read, Fantasy, George R.R. Martin, Random House 4 People left their mark

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

A new look for the blog design winner!

I am done designing the winner’s blog and I thought you would like to see :)

Here are before and after screenshot. You can visit Tayte’s blog by clicking the ‘after’ shot!

After:

Before:

Make sure you drop her a line and let her know what you think of her new look :)

Posted by Tynga at 21:55

design 6 People left their mark

Book Depository is doing it again! 10% Discount on everything!

Finally! I’ve been waiting for months far another 10% discount by Book Depository to pre-order some books and guess what? It’s time!

That’s right, Book Depository is having another amazing sale! You can get 10% off of your entire order, on top of their already discounted price, and still have their free worldwide shipping & no taxes! I mean how awesome is that?

To get the discount code, all you have to do is FILL THIS FORM and I’ll email you one :)

Don’t forget to look at my last bargain books post for some amazing discounts :)

Terms & Conditions:

You will receive one 10% voucher for referring friends and then additional vouchers for those who buy, only one voucher can be received for introductions in the first instance.

Once a referred friend has bought from us we will send you a 10% voucher that can be used against your next purchase on bookdepository.co.uk or bookdepository.com. Simply follow the instructions on the email and click on the link in the email, the page it takes you to will have your discount code on it. If you don't go via this route, you will not see a redemption box in the basket.

Only one voucher may be redeemed per purchase, per person.

Offer expires Friday 15th March 2013 and all vouchers will expire noon GMT on this day.

Vouchers are non transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash.

Customers can refer as many friends as they like during the period, we will however monitor for unusually high use.

Vouchers cannot be retrospectively applied.

The Book Depository Limited retains the right to end this promotion without notice.

Emails will not be retained other than for the processing of the offer.

Posted by Tynga at 13:41

Deals 4 People left their mark

A Conspiracy of Alchemists by Liesel Schwarz

A Conspiracy of Alchemists by Liesel Schwarz

Book stats:
Reading Level: YA appropriate
Genre: Steampunk
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Del Rey
Release date: March 5, 2013

Series:The Chronicles of Light and Shadow #1

Source: NetGalley

Reviewed by: Tynga

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

LEAVE IT TO CHANCE. Eleanor “Elle” Chance, that is—the intrepid heroine of this edgy new series that transforms elements of urban fantasy, historical adventure, and paranormal romance into pure storytelling gold.

In a Golden Age where spark reactors power the airways, and creatures of Light and Shadow walk openly among us, a deadly game of Alchemists and Warlocks has begun.

When an unusual cargo drags airship-pilot Elle Chance into the affairs of the mysterious Mr. Marsh, she must confront her destiny and do everything in her power to stop the Alchemists from unleashing a magical apocalypse.

Eleanor has never quite fit in Society. She refuses to be a lady and insist on piloting an airship, to her aunt’s dismay. Her passion for flying isn’t the only thing setting her apart though. She has an hidden destiny, and it’ll be revealed in due time by mysterious – and handsome- Lord Greychester. A routine flight from Paris to England will change her life, for better or worst, and she will have to be strong if she wants to survive what’s to come.

I truly liked A Conspiracy of Alchemists, but I would lie if I said I was hooked from the beginning. In fact, I almost stopped reading altogether. See, I love books set in the early 1900s and enjoy steampunk elements, but those very elements were so monopolizing that it impaired my enjoyment of the other elements. The machines were minutely described, as well as their functioning, especially at the beginning of the novel, and while it probably appeals to fan of the genre, it was just too much for me. Thankfully, as the story progressed, the plot and characters were foregrounded, though the spark technology was still present. I really started to enjoy myself at about 25% of the book, and I’m glad I did because I was ready to give up and it would’ve been my loss!

Liesel Schwarz created a very unique open world for her readers. Paranormal creatures the likes of werewolves, fairies, alchemists, vampires and warlocks are out of the closest and the plot is centered around the last three, fighting for control over what little magic there is left in the world. All those paranormal creatures are said to be of Shadow and as Light (science) gains power, Shadow looses ground. As interesting as the concept is, it took me a lot of time to figure it out and I wish Liesel laid down the rules earlier in the novel. Even though both Vampires/Alchemist and Warlock are all Shadow, the former are mostly bad guys and the later the good guys. I particularly like the symbol system warlock used to find one another. It was a great idea!

Lord Greychester a.k.a Mr. Marsh was my favourite character hands down. He is fabulous, but more precisely he is a man of honour even though he has to deceive Elle for what he thinks is the greater good. He also has this graceful way of speech, with an easy smile and a great sense of humour. There is a great magnetism around him and if I were a fictional character, I know I’d be all over him lol Elle was an highly likeable character. I appreciated her guts and her determination. Being a little less pig-headed would make things so much easier for her but I liked that she was genuine. We were also blessed with a great range of secondary characters and while I liked some, there are some I trusted only as far as I could throw ‘em, which made for a great mix. Elle will be deceived by more than one man, and I have to confess I didn’t see the betrayals coming.

With a slow build-up, the plot didn’t hook me from the beginning, but by the middle of the book I could barely peel my eyes off my kindle. The end is worthy of a big Hollywood production, I could totally picture the huge explosions with flames and smoke. The epilogue totally stunned me and I’m really curious about all the behind the scene stuff miss Schwarz hid from us.

I don’t think I’ll buy a copy for keep, but I truly enjoyed this novel and strongly suggest it to Steampunk fans. I’m convinced A Conspiracy of Alchemists will rock your world! Schwarz obviously did a lot of research while writing her book and I think it paid off.

Read an excerpt

Posted by Tynga at 01:49

Liesel Schwarz, Random House, Review, steampunk 5 People left their mark

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

"When I'm not writing..." with Beth Fantaskey + giveaway!

This week, we are hosting the lovely Beth Fantaskey. You've seen her name on the blog before because both Lili and Stéphanie have discussed her books. Keep reading to see what Beth does when she's not busy writing!

As recently as maybe three years ago, I was the World’s Worst Cook. That is no exaggeration. I was TRULY TERRIBLE. The kind of person who couldn’t even boil an egg. (They would always come out strangely gummy on the outside, with rock-hard yolks.)
The problem was, I am also a mother, with three children who insist upon eating, usually several times a day. And they demand decent food. Food that doesn’t taste burnt, or raw, or like somebody accidentally used salt when the recipe called for sugar – which has actually happened in my house.

Clearly, something had to change. And one day, mulling it over, I realized that the problem wasn’t necessarily my skills, but rather my attitude.

I had always told myself that I hated cooking – probably dating back to my horrific days in middle school home economics, where I ruined a vanilla pudding by adding the cornstarch wrong, so it clumped up in disgusting balls. My teacher made me eat it, anyhow. Have you ever chewed cornstarch? It’s not pleasant.

But one day, in my forties, I thought, “What if I decided I LIKE cooking? What if I look at it not as a chore, but as a creative outlet, and a way of showing my family that I love them enough to NOT rely on Lean Cuisine every day?”

I swear, from that moment on, I found my inner Iron Chef. Apparently, years of watching Paula Deen, Emeril and Bobby Flay on Food Network while I ate hideous microwave meals had left me with this incredible body of untapped knowledge, which suddenly came pouring out.

I’d be standing at the stove, cooking chicken, and all of the sudden I’d think, “I should deglaze the pan with white wine.” Or, “Some chanterelle mushrooms would be nice with this.” Sometimes I’d actually look around the kitchen, like, “Who said that?” Only to realize that it was ME. My inner voice.

These days, I consider cooking a hobby. I squealed with delight this Christmas when I unwrapped my new immersion blender. And I really look forward to the moment, at the end of most work days, when I shut down my computer, put on my fuzzy, old slippers, and head to the kitchen to start creating. (Trust me, my kids are happier, too.)

I guess it’s a lesson in not only the power of changing one’s attitude, but that the poor, often maligned TV can sometimes teach us something, too. Thank you, Paula Deen!

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Thanks for stopping by, Beth, and sharing a bit of your non-writing life! I'm jealous of your cooking skills because I'm terrible at it. :)

For more information about Beth and her books, check out her website or follow her on Facebook.

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Learn more about Jessica's books:

The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .
Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.
Stephanie's thoughts
Read an excerpt
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

When Jessica Packwood found out she was a Romanian vampire princess, she had the shock of her teenage life. Turns out that was the easy part. Now, married to Prince Lucius Vladescu, she has to claim her throne and convince a vampire nation she’s fit to be their queen. But Jess can’t even order a decent meal from her castle’s Romanian staff, let alone deal with devious undead subjects who would love to see her fail.
And when Lucius is accused of murdering a vampire Elder and imprisoned without the blood he needs, Jessica finds herself alone, fighting for both their survivals. Desperate to clear her husband’s name and win his release, Jess enlists the help of her best friend Mindy Stankowicz and Lucius’s mysterious Italian cousin, Raniero Lovatu. But both of them are keeping some dark secrets. Can Jess figure out who to trust – and how to rise to power – before she loses everything, including the vampire she loves?
Full of romance, mystery, and danger, the highly anticipated sequel to Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side shows that sometimes a princess has to earn her “happily ever after” – with a sharpened stake in hand.
Lili's thoughts
Read an excerpt
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents’ rules—especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father’s office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, she’s tempted to peek inside, as the contents might be the key to a lucrative chemistry scholarship.
To improve her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen’s sanity. Maybe his life. But Jill’s accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and compels her to risk everything—even Tristen’s love—just for the thrill of being . . . bad.
Read an excerpt
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

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Beth is graciously offering one (1) paperback copy of JESSICA RULES THE DARK SIDE!

U.S. only

Giveaway ends Monday, March 11, 2013

To enter the giveaway, obey the Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Do you guys have suggestions for who you’d like to see featured on the blog? If so, you can make your suggestions on this page. No guarantees that your favorite authors will be able to participate but we’ll try!

Authors, would you like to visit and share with us? Please email me at jennblogs (at) gmail (dot) com and we’ll set it up!

Posted by jenn at 06:00

Beth Fantaskey, giveaway, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, When I'm not writing 15 People left their mark

Monday, February 25, 2013

Winner of a blog design!

The winner of my blog design giveaway was picked yesterday!

It’s Tayte from Reading in Paradise!

I already emailed her and will start working on her blog this week. I’ll make sure to show you the result when I am done :)

If it wasn’t your lucky day, you can still hire me to do your design :)

Posted by Tynga at 10:09

design, winners 1 Person left their mark

Pros and Cons by Jenna Black

Pros and Cons by Jenna Black

Book stats:
Reading level: Adult
E-book: 82 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Publisher: Pocket Star
Release date: February 25, 2013

Series: Nikki Glass #2.5

Source: Review copy from publisher

Reviewed by: Jenn

Purchase: Amazon

An original eNovella in the acclaimed Nikki Glass urban fantasy series, taking place between the events of the novels Deadly Descendant and Rogue Descendant.
As a living descendant of Artemis the Huntress, private investigator Nikki Glass knows how to track someone down—but this time, her latest case leads to unexpected revelations of lies and betrayal...

Coming in at 82 pages, PROS AND CONS is a nice, quick story to tide you over until the release of ROGUE DESCENDANT, the third book in the Nikki Glass series. It doesn't have much to do with the overall series story but it does reference events from DARK DESCENDANT so you may not want to read PROS AND CONS if you're not caught up.

In this e-novella, Nikki gets back to her pre-Liberi roots, working a case as a private eye. She decides to take a case no other P.I. will touch when she tackles Heather Fellowes' problem: tracking down a man she met in a bar with only his first name to go by. Being a Nikki Glass story, it's not a straightforward situation but Nikki does a great job of realizing there's more going on and this leads us on a short but satisfying adventure. I really enjoyed being back in Nikki's world and this case proved to be a welcome diversion from the bigger problems on Nikki's plate, for both me and Nikki.

With such a short story it's hard to find a lot to say but I'm confident fans of the series will enjoy this snippet into Nikki's life. We get to see her in her former glory, though parts of her new life do seep in. It may be possible to read this without being familiar with the series but I wouldn't encourage it since there are allusions to the two preceding novels and to series mythology that isn't explained in great detail. You'd be much better off starting with DARK DESCENDANT and working your way forward from there if you're interested in sampling the Nikki Glass series.

PROS AND CONS has done an excellent job of whetting my appetite for the next novel-length instalment in Nikki's story. You'll find me at the bookstore on April 30, getting my copy of ROGUE DESCENDANT!

Read an excerpt

Posted by jenn at 06:03

Gods, Jenna Black, Review, Simon Schuster Leave your mark

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Cargon: Duty and Sacrifice by Kimberly Gould

Cargon: Duty and Sacrifice by Kimberly Gould

Book Stats:

Reading level: Young Adult
eBook: 186 pages
Genre: Dystopian
Publisher: Martin Sisters Publishing
Release date: January 16, 2013

Series: Cargon #2

Reviewed by: Stéphanie

Source: eBook from the author

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

In a post-apocalyptic world, Eve has discovered power of more than one nature. In Honour and Privilege, Eve became heir to the throne.

In Duty and Sacrifice, she explores and defines the power of the elite. At the same time, electricity is being harnessed for the first time in centuries, providing the first glimpse into the ancient people who left the world as it exists.

The horror of this revelation could shake their society as much or more than a servant becoming monarch.

Even though I didn’t enjoy this second book as much as the first book, I thought it was quite good, coming from a very small publisher. This series is a very unique dystopian and futuristic world where society has reverted back into historical times where nothing electronic works and much of the knowledge of our modern world has been forever lost.

At the beginning, the book lacked a bit in terms of plot, but it got better as the story progressed. In the small sovereign state of Fontive, Cargon is a board game that is used to determine the fitness of the leaders of the state, or the Elite as they are called in this series. Challenges are common among the Elite in order to gain a higher title, or in some cases, in order to gain someone’s hand in marriage. Although the actual game wasn’t played many times in DUTY AND SACRIFICE, it did play a role in comparing Fontive to other sovereign states. For example, one of Fontive’s neighbors, Augustia has a completely different way of determining rulers. Titles are only gained through birth but since birthrate is on the rise in that state, there are too many Elite member and not enough titles. And too many Elite for the amount of commoners, thus creating some tensions between the two groups.

The main character, Eve, is exactly the character that we saw at the end of book one: innocent in so many ways, yet intelligent enough to be a good Second to the High One of Fontive. As an ex-servant, her unique point of view allows her to think outside the box, and she’s the one that first to suggest democracy as a way of resolving the problems in Augustia. However, some Elite of Augustia resist her “new” idea, which inevitably leads to an assassination. I love how the author introduces the idea of democracy as if it’s something that’s unheard of, as if it’s something that’s completely new.

I can’t forget to mention Eve’s two suitors, Adam and Louis. Adam, in my opinion, is the perfect guy for any girl in Eve’s position. I’ve liked him throughout the series and I think he’s the one that’s best suited for Eve. As for Louis, I had him pegged as a condescending and vile boy who would never be good enough for Eve. However, since Louis won Eve’s hand in marriage in a Cargon game against Adam, Eve was more or less forced to marry him in book 1. However, somewhere between book 1 and 2, something extraordinary happened and Louis had a change of personality and became a tolerable match. Despite all the nice things he’s done for Eve, I still don’t trust him. For some reason, the odd love triangle works in this setting and I can’t wait so see the result in the following book.

You can’t judge a book by its cover, and the books in the Cargon series are good examples. Personally, I’m not a fan of the the cover of DUTY AND SACRIFICE because it doesn’t have that attractiveness of current YA bestsellers. When I first saw the cover, I didn’t really understand what the image on the bottom represented. However, as I read the book, I finally realized what it was: it’s a magnetic field and the science nerd in me was then thrilled that I actually made the connection. I’m sure many readers won’t be as thrilled as me about this small fact but that just goes to prove how much of a nerd I am. Scientific discoveries are being made throughout the book, which includes creating electricity with magnets, but as Eve learns more and more about the “past” through the experiments, she becomes more and more reluctant to encourage the discovery of electric power because of it’s dangerous possibilities.

CARGON: DUTY AND SACRIFICE is an intelligent sequel that keeps you interested with political turmoil and scientific revelations. As a science nerd, I have very little interest in politics but we all know how much one is linked to the other. One of the only problems I had with the book was the actual descriptions of the science experiments. It was difficult to follow what the characters were doing, but I more or less got the main idea of the scenes. Those that have read book 1 will be satisfied with CARGON: DUTY AND SACRIFICE but will be left with an unfinished story since things get really interesting at the end of the book.

Posted by Unknown at 07:32

Dystopian, Kimberly Gould, Martin Sisters Publishing 1 Person left their mark

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Stacking the Shelves [44]

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Guidelines:

Create your own Stacking The Shelves post. You can use my official graphic or your own, but please link back to Tynga’s Reviews so more people can join the fun!

You can set your post any way you want, simple book list, covers, pictures, vlog, sky is the limit!

I am posting Stacking The Shelves on Saturdays, but feel free to post yours any day that fits you.

Visit Tynga’s Reviews on Saturday and add your link so others can visit you!

Visit other participants link to find out what they added to their shelves!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!

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For Review:

Sinner’s Heart by Zoe Archer
Predatory – Anthology
The Chosen by Theresa Meyers
As Twilight Falls by Amanda Ashley
Wolf With Benefits by Shelly Laurenston
Delusion by Laura L. Sullivan
The Wrap-Up List by Steven Arntson

Bought:

The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead
Eden En Enfer by Gena Showalter

Won:

In A Fix by Linda Grimes

I would also like to invite you to check my blog design giveaway! It ends soon :)

What did you add to your shelves this week?

Posted by Tynga at 06:08

Stacking The Shelves 49 People left their mark

Friday, February 22, 2013

Alpha & Omega: L’origine by Patricia Briggs

Alpha & Omega: L’origine by Patricia Briggs

Book Stats:
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher : MILADY
Language: French
Release date: 18 mars 2011

Series: Alpha & Omega 0,5

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Tynga

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

In Cry Wolf, New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs started a new urban fantasy series set in the world of Mercy Thompson -- but with rules of its own. Now, read "Alpha and Omega," the novella that inspired the new series, and see how it all began...Anna Latham never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack... and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the Chicago pack, she's learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. But when she discovers wrongdoing in her pack, she has to go above her Alpha's head to ask for help. Charles Cornick is the son -- and enforcer -- of the leader of the North American werewolves. Now his father has sent him to Chicago to clean up a problem there. Charles never expected to find Anna, a rare Omega wolf -- and he certainly never expected to recognize her as his mate...

Anna has been ill treated like no other for the past 3 years, starting with her changing into a werewolf against her will. Trusting anyone – especially a male – is completely out of question, but when young men go missing and the authorities notices, Anna has no choice but to seek help. Charles has been sent to re-establish order in Anna’s pack, little did he know that it would turn his world upside down.

Alpha and Omega is a shot story originally published in On The Prowl anthology and takes place before Cry Wolf, book #1 of the Alpha and Omega series. Imagine my dismay when I read Cry Wolf without having read its prequel… And so I backtracked and read this story, and thank goodness, everything makes a lot more sense now!

Alpha & Omega introduced Anna and Charles the two main characters in the series, as they meet. Anna has been abused and even though she’s scared of her own shadow, she’s not broken. This strength really charms Charles the stone-cold lone wolf and he is done for the moment he meets her.

I love this series (I already read books 1 & 2) and I really appreciated witnessing their shaky beginning as a couple. It’s a really short novel, so I can’t say much without spilling the beans but even though the main plot line is about righting a wrong, the book is really centered around the romance and Anna’s abilities as an Omega – a wolf that doesn’t really have a place in wolf hierarchy. She comes off as submissive, but not even an alpha has power over her and her very presence calms everyone down.

Patricia Briggs is amongst my favourite authors and I urge you to read both the Mercy Thompson series and the Alpha and Omega series (both of which are set in the same world). For your own sake though, make sure you read this prequel before you read Cry Wolf because you’ll be as confused as I was if you don’t!

Read an excerpt

Posted by Tynga at 06:32

Patricia Briggs, Penguin, Review, werewolf 13 People left their mark

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Daring You To Read… Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione

I dared you the read Eternal Rider in the past, but I never dared you to read the original series, Demonica. And so this week, I am daring you to read Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione. This novel was her debut, but it doesn’t read like a first novel at all!

In this world, humanity doesn’t know about demons, but they have a somewhat flourishing life on the edge of the human world and the Aegis are very happy to try and kill them all. Pleasure Unbound is an action-packed paranormal romance, but fear not, the steam is also on the menu! Passion emanates from the pages in waves and sensuality is a whole part of the story, mostly because of Eidolon’s nature. It naturally flows with the story, enhancing the relationship between our two heroes.

I haven’t read the following books yet, (so many books, so little time) but I urge you to get your hands on this series. I mean who doesn’t like a sexy demon striving to be good?

Read my Review | Read an excerpt

In a place where ecstasy can cost you your life...

Tayla Mancuso is a demon-slayer who hungers for sensual pleasure-but fears it will always be denied her. Until Tayla Mancuso lands in a hospital run by demons in disguise, and the head doctor, Eidolon, makes her body burn with unslakable desire. But to prove her ultimate loyalty to her peers, she must betray the surgeon who saved her life.

Two lovers will dare to risk all.

Eidolon cannot resist this fiery, dangerous woman who fills him with both rage and passion. Not only is she his avowed enemy, but she could very well be the hunter who has been preying upon his people. Torn between his need for the truth and his quest to find his perfect mate before a horrific transformation claims him forever, Eidolon will dare the unthinkable-and let Tayla possess him, body and soul...

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Also in the series:

Desire Unchained (Demonica,... Passion Unleashed (Demonica... Ecstasy Unveiled (Demonica,... Sin Undone (Demonica, #5)

You’ve already read the book? Let’s us know what you thought!
You are accepting the dare? We’d love to know!
Have a dare of your own? Leave a comment ^^