Captive: A Guard's Tale From Malachi's Perspective by Sarah Fine

Captive is a novella that fits in between Sanctum and Fractured in the Guards of the Shadowlands series by Sarah Fine.  If you haven't started the series yet, you can access reviews by clicking on the titles.

Novellas that fit between books in a series can so easily go one of two ways:  they can help fill in blanks and advance the story, or they can simply be recaps of events from a different character's perspective.  Captive fits in the latter category.  That is NOT to say that it's not worth reading!  Captive is from Malachi's perspective, and anyone who's read Sanctum was probably left (like me) wanting MORE MORE MORE Malachi.  This novella is like an appetizer for that desire; it gives the reader a little more Malachi... just enough to leave me wanting even more!  I haven't yet read Fractured, but I'm even more anxious to after reading Captive.

The novella explores Malachi's thoughts and feelings when Lela is brought into his Guardhouse.  I loved the descriptive language Sarah Fine uses; how Malachi notices even the smallest things about her, like her smell and her strength.  It definitely serves to humanize him, as the smell of the sea on Lela takes him back to vacations that his family would take to the Adriatic, and how protective he is of her, right from the start.  I appreciate how Fine respects her readers' intelligence, and doesn't shove facts in our faces, but through Malachi's thoughts and emotions we also learn a little more about how he came to be where he is, and even more about his fellow Guard, Ana.

I definitely recommend Captive to fans of Sanctum (and I recommend Sanctum if you haven't read it yet)!

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Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Action amp; Adventure, Guards of the Shadowlands, novella, Purchased, Review, Sarah Fine, Skyscape  3 People left their mark

Azagoth by Larissa Ione

Azagoth has been Heaven's Starbuck for centuries and he has had enough. He won't 'fuck' anymore unwilling angels, he wants a mate of his own and he wants his potential kids to grow by his side. Quite reasonable right? But how do you go about meeting one's mate when you can't leave Sheoul-Gra? You blackmail Heaven of course! So that's how Lilianna found herself with a bad and a worst choice. She is being punished for a grave offense and was volunteered to be Azagoth's mate, or loose her time-travel abilities (which isn't an option). All of this happens in the first couple of pages and set the table for an amazing read!

I loved how Azagoth went to great extremes to make her welcome and comfortable, even though he has no idea how to go about it. He wants this relationship to work, and gives her time to assimilate everything. He is actually being quite sweet in his own grumpy, almost-evil ways. His struggles were really touching and I LOVED learning more about him. His troubled past, his mistakes, his secrets desires, all are revealed in good times and it was moving.

Lilianna is smart and desperate to make the best of this difficult situation, but she never imagined Azagoth would be that way. I admired her wits and her conscience. She wasn't damning Azagoth without seeing for herself, even though it would've been very easy, and she warms up to him in time.

The best part is the banter and teasing between the two. I loved how Lilianna wanted to annoy him, yet it would have the opposite effect on Azagoth. I loved how she made mistakes and is doing her best to make it up to him.

Really, my only complaint about this novella is exactly that, it's a novella! I really wished it was a full length novel! It's a great novella: there is enough character development and a good storyline, but I loved the characters so much that I wanted more. More details, more twists, just more! I couldn't get enough.

I definitely suggest you read this novella!

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Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Angel, Demon, Demonica, Evil Eye Concepts, Fantasy, Incorporated, Larissa Ione, Lords of Deliverance, novella, Paranormal, Purchased, Review, Romance  Leave your mark

Hunt by Rachel Vincent

I am a huge fan of the Shifters series by Rachel Vincent, and I was super sad when she announced, a couple of years ago, that Alpha was the last book. Hunt was released as part of the Chicks Kick Butt anthology and even though I bought the book I hadn't come around to read it yet. In October, Rachel announced that she's trying her hand at self publishing!!! She decided to start a spin-off series of the Shifters world, starting with a story about Jace and Abby. To do so, she decided to revamp the original Hunt story a bit, and release it on Amazon. Now that you have the back story... here's my review!

Abby was a fragile little thing in Shifters, due to a big trauma and it was nice to see her stand up for herself in this novella. The story takes place a couple of years later and Abby live on Jace's territory. He is now Alpha of his own area. We don't see much of Jace in this story, but I love this man to death so I'm super thrilled of this new development.

The story arc is really short with only 49 pages but I still had this thrill I loved so much when reading past Shifters books, so I'm sure fans won't be disappointed.

The end is promising a tumultuous relationship between the two protagonists and I can't wait for the first book of the new series, Lion's Share, to release! Rachel talking was about a late December 2014 release and as of now (I'm writing this on December 23rd) there's still no updates.

I don't know how necessary it would be to read the Shifters' books to understand this new series, but really, you SHOULD read the Shifters series anyway, because it's just so damn good. One of my favorite in fact!



 

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Posted by Tynga at 00:06

 novella, Paranormal Romance, Purchased, rachel vincent, Review, Self Published, shapeshifters, Shifters, Urban Fantasy  8 People left their mark

Ante Up by Amanda Carlson

The Sin City Collectors is such a fun series! For those who don't know, it's a series of novellas written and self-published by a bunch of author friends. So far, there are novellas by Amanda Carlson and Kristen Painter, but more authors will join later on. Each novella is set in the same world, and featuring a different pair of main characters.

This time around we meet Diesel, a werewolf who completely looses control on the full moon, and Sofia, a witch hunted by an incubus. Once again a fun installment with great characters! With only 120 pages to build the plot and romance happens pretty quickly, but these two characters already met because they are part of previous novellas so it makes even more sense when the passion unravels.

Diesel was a great alpha male and even though I didn't fall unconditionally in love with him, I liked him just fine. He has an history that scarred him and made him more real and I liked his determination and desire to protect. His affliction also made things interesting. I really, really liked Sofia! I think she's fun, smart and brilliant. I loved how she dealt with Neve (a dhampir from a previous novella) and her attitude issues. She isn't a damsel in distress even though she needed help and I command her for it.

Fun but somewhat predictable, the plot still provided great entertainment. It's hard to build something intricate with such a small number of pages, but the story was well-rounded and the conclusion satisfying.

If I had one small complain it would be the secondary characters name. Diesel's brother is called Luke, and they work with a gargoyle called Jake. Both names were just too similar for a comfortable read, I kept confusing the two of them.

It seems novella #5 will feature Ginger and Luke and I can't wait to read it!

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Posted by Tynga at 01:18

 Adult, Amanda Carlson, Author, novella, Paranormal Romance, Review, Self Published, Sin City Collectors, werewolf, Witch  6 People left their mark

Queen of Hearts by Kristen Painter

Queen of Hearts is the second novella in this multi authors novella series, and unlike what I expected this one is featuring a new set a characters, Claudette and Jason.

I really enjoy this series and the world where it's taking place. It's surprising how authors manages to write such rich stories with so few pages, especially when each story is written by a different author but it works perfectly. Even though Carlson and Painter each have their own flair, the transition between both novellas was really smooth and I can only command them for it.

The plot really was a fun ride with Claudette falling for her target and turning all white knight on him. Of course they fall for each other a bit too quickly, but it can't be helped with a 100ish pages story. They developed a nice chemistry though and I enjoy it. The introduction of grimalkins and gargoyle was a pretty nifty idea!

The conclusion was stressful but once again satisfying and I can't wait to know who will be featured next and which author will write that story!

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Posted by Tynga at 03:00

 Adult, Author, Kristen Painter, novella, Paranormal Romance, Review, Self Published, Sin City Collectors  2 People left their mark

Aces Wild by Amanda Carlson

I really like Amanda's Jessica McClain series so when I discovered this novella I knew I had to read it. Aces Wilds is part of a multi-author series and I don't know how it will play out, but it started strong with this short story and mission accomplished, I'm hooked.

Nevada had to pretty much raise herself because of her absent dad and alcoholic mother and life has been hard for her. She lives a life of violence as a collector of offending paranormals and her life is about to take an abrupt turn. Being paired up for a job is odd, but being paired with Jake is down right ridiculous. They have an history together and it makes for an highly entertaining read. I love how Amanda built this relationship believably with barely over a hundred pages.

Not only the relationship was credible, the characters are magnetic and the plot is addictive. I was hooked to the pages, which is a rare feat for a novella, and I must command miss Carlson.

I really enjoyed the world in which the series is set. The Sin City is colorful and so are the characters. Hints of the next featured heroes were dropped at the end (I satisfying end by the way..) and I can't wait to read the next installment.

I was lucky enough to receive a review copy, but it would've been a well spent 3$. Give it a shot!

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Posted by Tynga at 01:43

 Amanda Carlson, Author, Dhampir, hellhound, novella, Review, Self Published, Sin City Colllectors, Urban Fantasy  1 Person left their mark

Snow White Blood Red by Cameron Jace

Snow White Blood Red by Cameron Jace is the first of several e-novella prequels to The Grimm Diaries. I was hesitating to read this book because I don't read self-published novels.  Despite my hesitation, I decided to go against my gut because this series is so popular and Amazon kept on recommending it to me.  I wasn't overly impressed with this novella, but I was definitely entertained!

My main concern with Snow White Blood Red is the narration because it's extremely inconsistent and a bit too choppy. In just 25 pages, this novella is written in both 1st and 2nd person perspectives, which was too distracting for me as a reader. Both perspectives don't mesh well together and it made Jace's writing style feel extremely awkward and illogical. This novella definitely could have used an editor to make this novel more concise.

I love the idea of The Grimm Diaries, who wouldn't want to read about a vampire Snow White? This novella didn't have much of a plot and it was mostly exposition for Snow White Sorrow. I'm definitely intrigued by the series' concept and I'm curious to see what direction this series will take.

I wasn't a huge fan of Snow White Blood Red, but I'll definitely check out the subsequent installments just because I already purchased them. I'm still questioning whether or not Snow White Blood Red is worth the 99 cents that it costs on the Kindle Store! Snow White Blood Red lacked development, but I have high hopes that this series will redeem itself in book #2.

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Posted by Tynga at 01:00

 Cameron Jace, fairy tale, Fantasy, novella, Novella November, Purchased, Retelling, Review, Self Published, Snow White, The Grimm Diaries, young adult  Leave your mark

Novella November: Origins: The Fire by Debra Driza

Origins: The Fire is one of the best novellas I've read to date. It's short, concise, exhilarating, and absolutely thrilling to read. There is not a second where the plot drags and the whole novella is extremely action-packed and exciting. I do wish it was a bit longer because 15 pages isn't nearly long for me as a reader. I craved more from The Fire because I felt it was so well-written that Driza could have taken it a step further.

This novella does an excellent job of giving the reader of an idea of whether Mila 2.0's first person narration will cut it for them. I definitely like how this novella showed Mila's strong sense of filial piety and courage during the fire. This has definitely resuscitated my need to read Renegade, the sequel to Mila 2.0.  I do wish this novella showed Mila's cyborg abilities, but there's only so much you can show in 15 pages. I definitely would recommend Origins: The Fire to those who would like to begin the Mila 2.0e trilogy.

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Posted by Tynga at 01:15

 Cyborg, Debra Driza, Event, Free, Harper Collins, Katherine Tegen Books, mila 2.0, novella, Novella November, Review, Science Fiction, Science-Fiction, young adult  Leave your mark

Novella November: Into the Dreaming by Karen Marie Moning

I'm a huge fan of Karen Marie Moning's Fever series so I thought I would give her Highlander series a second chance. I read the first book of this series a while back and while I did enjoy it, nothing could compare to her Fever series.  Where her Fever series is dark, complex and frighting, her Highlander series is more on the romantic side, which includes hot highlanders, a fair bit of time travelling and paranormal elements.

INTO THE DREAMING is a light romantic historical novel that features an amnesiac highlander from the tenth century and a current day aspiring author. It's actually quite heavy on the romance and while you don't learn very much about the main characters, for a novella the plot is quite detailed.

An historical paranormal romance is never complete without a devilishly handsome hero and Aedan fits the bill perfectly. He does have a little bit of amnesia (more than a bit, actually) which has made him forget everything about being human, even about love, passion, and sex. The star of the book, Jane, must cure him of his amnesia in order to free Aedan from the Unseelie King and using her "feminine wiles" is the only thing she can think of. Jane is an awesome character and I wish her story could have been longer than a novella. Her amusing banter combined with the incredible passion she shares with Aedan results in a fun a light read, however heavy on the romance.

Karen Marie Moning is best known for her witty characters and her melodramatic humor, and this book doesn't fail in either aspects. I love how her writing style can fit both her romantic historical novels as well as her darker and magical Fever series. The only thing I'm not crazy about, is the price of this novella ($5.99 for the kindle version). It's pretty steep for a novella and I'm not sure everyone would appreciate the story for this price (see Tynga's Soapboxing post for more on this subject). If you purchase the edition with bonus content, you'll get more for your money including deleted scenes from another novel, a failed manuscript proposal and art from the Fever graphic novel. Overall, I'm glad I own the hardcover of this novella with all its bonus content, but mostly because I'm a huge fan of the author. Not everyone will appreciate it, but if you're either a fan of Moning or one of her series, it's worth the price, in my opinion.

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Posted by Tynga at 02:05

 Adult, Faery, Highlander, Karen Marie Moning, novella, Novella November, Paranormal Romance, Purchased, Random House, Review, time travel  Leave your mark

Novella November: The Queen's Army by Marissa Meyer

I think it's safe to say that nearly the entire universe, if not the entire universe, loves Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series. My anxiety over the wait for CRESS is ever increasing, so I knew that I'd be reading this novella without question. And, boy, am I happy I was able to read this. While it's a very quick read, it's full of background information on our beloved Wolf. This book can be read either before or after SCARLET and the small back-story that it reveals to you will make certain events in SCARLET all the more meaningful.

This novel depicts Wolf's transformation from normal boy into a recruit in the Queen's Army. It shows his journey and inability to keep away from fighting, despite the fact that it's something he never supported. It shows how his desire to observe instead of partake in the action made him all the more skilled. But what I loved most about this novella is the dark and gritty irony of it all. Despite everything, Wolf could not avoid the very thing that he never wanted to happen: becoming the bloodthirsty Alpha that allows his animalistic ways to take over. That's right, we discover how Wolf became Alpha, and it's certainly worth a read.

As far as background information goes, we learn why Wolf isn't the most obedient, why he, if anyone, can be swayed by emotions. We learn what exactly caused the huge rift between him and Ran. It's not something I expected, but that's what makes it all the more heartbreaking. We learn why he hesitates when he nearly kills people in SCARLET, just how he got that scar from that unknown stupid mistake. To sum it up nicely, we learn about his journey and why Wolf is the way he is.

In less then twenty pages Meyer has convinced me that I fully understand perhaps one of my favorite mysterious heroes in all of young adult literature. And now that I've got this beautiful little gem under my belt, my anxiety over CRESS has increased ten-fold. With this knowledge of Wolf, I want to see what is explored in his future and Scarlet's future, not to mention Cinder and Captain Thorne's. And, of course, who doesn't want to meet Cress?

I highly recommend this free novella to everyone. Though it is meant to be read before SCARLET, I recommend reading it after SCARLET only because it'll make you love Wolf even more now that you know the experiences that caused him to act the way he did. However, reading it first will have a somewhat similar effect if you can remember everything. Either way, if you are a fan of this series, this is not a novella to be ignored because of the enlightening character back-story that it provides.

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Posted by Tynga at 01:07

 Dystopian, Fantasy, Free, Macmillan, Marissa Meyer, novella, Review, Science Fiction, The Lunar Chronicles, Tor Books, young adult  Leave your mark