Shadow's Seduction by Kresley Cole

Shadow's Seduction by Kresley Cole

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Paperback : 248 pages
Publisher: Valkyrie Press
Release date: February 27th, 2017
Series: The Dacians #2 & Immortals After Dark #17

Source: 

Reviewed by: 

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

In this scorching Immortals After Dark/Dacian novel, #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole brings together a wicked vampire prince used to getting everything he desires and a demon warrior who always felt like an outcast.

A NIGHT OF DEBAUCHERY . . .
Prince Mirceo Daciano and his new friend, Caspion the Tracker, comb the streets of Dacia, drunkenly seeking out pleasures of the flesh. In what should have been a typical night, they coax a bevy of nymphs to bed. To impress their females, the demon and the vampire kiss on a dare.

CHANGES THEM FOREVER . . .
Once they finally break away from their soul-searing kiss, they find themselves alone--and shaken. Had they imagined their explosive chemistry? Obstacles--ranging from a death sentence to exile in a war-torn dimension--threaten to destroy their lives . . . and the vulnerable promise in that one kiss.

HOW LONG CAN THEY RESIST THE FIRE THAT BLAZES BETWEEN THEM?
Even if Mirceo accepts Caspion as his fated mate, the seductive vampire still must convince the stubborn demon that their bond is forever. And any royal Dacian union must receive the blessing of King Lothaire, an unpredictable and savage killer. . . .

Mirceo is the youngest male royal in the Dacia family and has always counted on his charms to get him whatever he wanted and when he meets Caspion, a self-destructive depressed demon, he finally finds a run for his money. They are suchs opposite and despite that, they become great friends. And yet, Mirceo wants more. Will he succeed?

Shadow's Seduction sit somewhere between a short story and a full length novel and I wish it were actually a full novel. I understand though, with the book being m&m, that Kresley Cole decided to make it a short non-mandatory story within the overall Immortals After Dark story arc. Not everyone is willing to read male to male romance and I have to admit it was a first for me. I've never been incline to pick up such book before but since I love this series so much I decided to give it a shot. Did I enjoy it? yes. Will I pick up more books from this genre? Probably not, unless it's part of a series I already love.

The reason why I wish it were a full length novel is because I felt things were rushed at time. The shory started VERY abruptly with Caspion and Mirceo being at the same brothel and all of a sudden, totally randomly, Mirceo is entranced by Caspion and decided he wanted to have him (Mirceo is bi, but Caspion is straight). It really felt completely out of blue because of the lack on context, and background story. You literally jump right into that scene and it's how everything starts. You then fast forward to how they eventually became good friends but you don't witness it, and I honestly wish we did. Eventually it gets better and we live events right by their sides, and Cole is usually really good at getting you engrossed in a story and I think the shortness of this novella is what limited Cole in developing those events.

I really loved their stories though with how eccentric Mirceo is, how volatile his actions are but how dedicated he is to Caspion and how determined he is to prove him he can be the man he needs. Whereas Caspion is living in total denial of his growing feelings for Mirceo. He does not what to be gay (or bi) and exiles himself for hundreds or years hoping it'll go away. He grows hard, stubborn and hateful and at some point Mirceo's good mood rubs on him and everything changes. Their life-altering courtship was really great and I wish we got to see more of them when they finally committed to each other.

Reading this novella I thought the next book would be about Bettina because of events taking place and I was really surprise to see the story is about two completely different characters. Hopefully we will find out what happens to her (or maybe we already did in a past novel and I forgot??).

In conclusion, I really enjoyed this story and I would recommend it. If you are homophobic then this might not be the book for you. There are graphic scenes of sex between two male in this novel.

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by Tynga at Friday, April 28, 2017

 demons, Immortals After Dark, Kresley Cole, Mamp;M, Paranormal Romance, Purchased, Review, Romance, Valkyrie Press, vampires  Leave your mark

✎

The Demonists by Thomas E. Sniegoski

On All Hallows Eve, when the boundary between this world and The Otherworld, John Fogg , his wife Theodora Knight and their team of paranormal investigators and TV crew investigate a haunted house.  The only problem was there were no ghosts.  They only found a strange container that would change their world forever.

The Demonists by Thomas E. Sniegoski is a book that is root world of demonology.  There are other paranormal aspects but, the subject of demons is really at its heart.  The book takes us on a journey mainly with John Fogg and the steps he takes to deal with what happened on that fateful Halloween night.  We go through his struggles and fights and the war he wages on that which upended his life.

The story itself moved along well.  It takes the reader event to event with all the exposition it offers in between the action.  It' does not feel  overly predictable or contrived   The problem I had was, the scenery.  Now, this may be a personal preference but, I believe certain types of stories require sufficient description.  In this case, I think it would have done much to contrast the demonic from the mundane worlds with a better description of the latter.  We get some very good ideas of the way demons appear as well as some of the more grotesque scenes.  What we don't get is memorable descriptions of the nicer scenes or even  characters.  This was a missed opportunity for contrast.  Bright colors, beautiful people or inspiring vistas could have create a defining line between worlds.  There wasn't even enough confusing grays to create or enhance conflict.

There is some very good exposition for John Fogg and we get an idea for many of his motivations.  He and his wife Theodora get the most development throughout the story though  we get some resolution for FBI Agent Brenna Isabel.  Most other characters seem a little like set pieces.  There are two exceptions that I believe will show up in any sequels.  Even with the growth these characters show, I still had trouble really connecting with them.  Of course, that could be from some of the uninspiring descriptions.

Overall,  The Demonists by Thomas Sniegoski is a tale with promise that can be realized in future books.  The violence and language get very graphic making me lean toward rating it R.

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by Tynga at Wednesday, March 02, 2016

 Dark Fantasy, demons, halloween, horror, Penguin Publishing Group, Review, Thomas E. Sniegoski, Urban  Leave your mark

✎

The Wicked Awakening of Anne Merchant by Joanna Wiebe

Warning! The Wicked Awakening of Anne Merchant is the second book in the V Trilogy.  The first book has a plot twist that will probably be revealed below, so please visit my review of The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant instead if you haven't started the series!

If I were to use one word to describe this book, it'd be "dark."  Wow, this book takes things to a whole new level of dark!  But now that we know that all the students are dead and that the faculty are devils and demons from hell, that really shouldn't surprise us, should it?  Anne is back on Wormwood Island after her escape attempt, and is back in the running for the Big V.  Whereas in the first book, Anne discovers secrets about Cania Christy and her fellow students; in this book she discovers secrets about herself that could change her life forever.

So, as I mentioned:  dark.  This is not a feel-good book.  Even the "good" characters feel somewhat tainted, when seen through the lens of the Cania Christy atmosphere.  For example, one of Anne's friends is pretty eternally optimistic, but the other girls (and even Anne, to some extent) really look down on her for her lack of competitiveness.  Even the literal atmosphere, the setting, is dark:  the bulk of the story takes place over winter and early spring, and the island is described as being damp, foggy, overcast, cold, windy, snowy, rainy.   If I remember correctly, it's raining for the first three chapters or so.

But let's look on the bright side:  girl has gained some major confidence!  At the beginning of The Unseemly Education, Anne is so very low on confidence.  You can imagine her walking around a little hunched over and very quiet.  Now, Anne is taking control!  She is not going to let some demons decide her and her father's fates!  And that, my friends, takes a lot of confidence.  In this book, Anne discovers a strength within her that will help her as she plots to overthrow the status quo.  No more singular Valedictorian each year!  Anne wants every student to win the grand prize, and she'll stop at nothing to give it to them.  She shows herself over and over to be selfless and confident (even if sometimes she seems to be almost self-destructive in her pursuits).

Another bright side:  romance!  If you're looking for some truly angsty teenage romance, this is the book for you.  The "will they won't they" is drawn out to it's very limit, but not beyond.  This sub-plot definitely kept me coming back, to find out how the relationship between Anne and Ben would (or would not) continue to grow.  The poor pair; they just want what every teen couple wants:  some dates, some kisses, maybe some love notes back and forth.  Instead, they often have to table the relationship to deal with the Big V competition or demons.  And the threat of not winning the Big V is always hanging overhead.

Speaking of romance, though, there is a slight advisory with this YA book:  there are some questionable sexual situations, so I'd only probably hand this book to older teens.  No spoilers, but there's sexual come-ons from an older man to a younger girl, and some physical descriptions that would make some teens blush.

Just like The Unseemly Education, The Wicked Awakening ends on quite the cliffhanger!  This is not a bridge book; it does have it's own plot that wraps up nicely, but then a twist!  And guess what?  The third book, The Twisted Deliverance of Anne Merchant, won't be released in America (where I am) until 2017.  :( :( :(  So if anyone in Canada (where the author is) wants a new best friend, you can totally hook me up with a copy of the third book when it's released there in January 2016.  :)

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by Tynga at Thursday, September 10, 2015

 BenBella, boarding school, demons, Gifted, Joanna Wiebe, Love amp; Romance, Noir, Psychological Thriller, Review, The V Trilogy, vivification, young adult  4 People left their mark

✎

The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

The Book of Life is the explosive finale of the All Souls Trilogy. In a way, I'm sad to see this trilogy come to end because I fell in love with Deborah Harkness's writing and her characters. This trilogy remains one of my favorites, not only because of the amazing story but because of the attention to detail, the countless, beautiful settings and the imaginative paranormal world.

After venturing in Elizabethan London and sixteenth century Europe, Matthew and Diana are back in modern day world. Still looking for Ashmole 782, the legendary manuscript that is supposed to hold the answers to life (or so they say), they have new and old enemies to face in order to stay together as a couple. Not only are their marriage and lives at risk, but the twins Diana carries are so improbable, other paranormal creatures are bound to be apprehensive and mistrustful of children conceived between a witch and a vampire. That's one of the wonderful things about Deborah Harnkness's writing. Witches and vampires are nothing new in fiction, yet the way she pushes the boundaries of the paranormal society she created resonates with our own modern day problems. People are so afraid of change and what they don't understand, that their first responses are to reject and dismantle. Diana and Matthew are one of my favorite fictional couples. As a witch and a vampire they've had to endure a lot of apprehension and negativity. Despite being fictitious, they feel real and their story is easy to believe.

As Diana continues to explore her magic and her spell weaving abilities, the paranormal world continues to expand. The author's attention to detail is amazing. Simple things like going into the details about the weaving of a spell and the magical tree that bears odd fruits like keys, not only enthralls me as a reader but makes this world that much more believable, despite its improbability.

 

Family is an important theme throughout the series but even more so in this last book. Harkness didn't reinvent the wheel when is comes to the "modern" family. She shows us that family doesn't need to be simply biological. A family is something that is in perpetual growth, that knows no limits and despite judgement, it's something that should always be what you need it to be. Family is also community, something that you depend on when things get difficult. Above everything else, the author makes us wish for the de Clermont and Bishop family love.

While book two had us travel through history, The Book of Life has us traveling throughout the world. The multiple settings adds depth and wonder to the story. Despite the new settings like New Orleans and New Haven, I'm glad we still got to visit Sept-Tour, Oxford and Madison. Throughout this series, we are also given a taste of magic and supernatural elements, which are definitely dominant in this book, but the science geek in me is thrilled that science was also a major aspect to the story. History and science blends so well together in this trilogy that it should please any academic and educate anyone who is willing to learn.

In my opinion, this trilogy shouldn't be seen as three separate books. It's one big story that should be enjoyed as a whole. There's definitely still lots to tell and I hope that one day the author will elaborate and continue the untold and unfinished stories of these characters. Deborah Harkness's imagination is a rare gift to readers and I'm sure I'll treasure Diana and Matthew's story for a long time.

Read an excerpt and browse extras

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by Tynga at Monday, May 25, 2015

 All Souls Trilogy, Deborah Harkness, demons, Historical, Magic, Paranormal, Penguin, Purchased, Review, Romance, vampires, Viking, witches  2 People left their mark

✎

Oracle of Philadelphia by Elizabeth Corrigan

This book was such a lovely surprise!  I've only read a few other urban fantasy novels.  Guess what?  I think I can say now that I am most certainly an urban fantasy fan!  I couldn't put Oracle of Philadelphia down!   

Some things I loved about the book:

1. The characters and their depth.  I want to be friends with Carrie and Bedlam!  Mostly Carrie, because I think Bedlam could feel like a bit much after hanging out for awhile, but I think he'd be a ton of fun in small doses.  See what I mean about character depth?  Just one book into the series and I can tell that Bedlam could possibly be tiring, but I'm still drawn to his magnetic "lets everyone have fun together always" personality.  And Carrie:  so, so, so caring!  She even cares for/looks after Bedlam.  For millenia.  Carrie feels very "real" to me.  She's not perfect.  Even though she's lives thousands (millions?) of years, she still makes the occasional mistake.  She still thinks with her heart and not with her head sometimes.


2. The writing.  It was most excellent.  Rich.  Does that make sense to ya'll?  The writing in Oracle was like a fantastic lavender creme brulee.  (For comparison, I'd say my own writing on this blog is about on par with Cheez Doodles.)  Ms. Corrigan used the word phonemes for pete's sake!  I love vocab-building books.  I'm totally trying to work "phoneme" into ordinary conversation right now.  It's also got this fantastic balance going between hilarity with Bedlam and seriousness in trying to save Sebastian.  Just as the book starts to feel really heavy, Bedlam swoops in to top his waffles with chopped jalapenos.


3. The humanity of Gabriel, Michael, and Bedlam.  I'm a Christian, so I'm sorta familiar with the angels and demons and all that, but not too familiar.  I too always imagined angels to be these vaguely human beings with wings who glowed.  Much loftier than you or I.  In Oracle the angels stop by the diner to say hi and help do some dishes.  Mind. Blown.


4. The Biblical backstories.  I loved these!  Every time Ms. Corrigan introduced a new character, she let Carrie reminisce on how they met.  Some of these were downright hilarious; some touched the heart.  Remember: it's all fiction and it's all for fun, so you're definitely not going to find these narratives in Biblical texts.  Did anyone else read Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore?  Bedlam and Biff could have been best friends.


5. The character list at the beginning of the book.  Ms. Corrigan lists all the angels & demons & their main attributes & where they are in social standing.  Most helpful.  I looked at Raising Chaos (the sequel), and the chart is there too.  Excellent.

Some things I didn't particularly care for about the book, but which will not at all impede me continuing to read and enjoy the series:

1. The demons' demonosity (just made that word up) is really downplayed a lot.  I'm struggling with how to word this; how to say this.  I just expected them to be a lot more evil.  Like, I actually liked Bedlam for the most part.  And that made me feel just a little squeevy inside.


2. The bit in the second half of the book where Carrie goes a-questing.  I don't want to give anything away in the book because I really do think ya'll should go read it.  It's really good.  But there's a point where Carrie goes on a quest to help someone and it just gets a little bit predictable/repetitious.   Just a tiny bit.  I dealt with it by just continuing to read because it's a good book and I was hooked.  So you see, not really terribly bad, but still.  I could have done with just a little bit less quest.

So that's my take on Oracle of Philadelphia by Elizabeth Corrigan.  I devoured the book in just two days (impressive, considering I work full time)!

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by Tynga at Thursday, April 23, 2015

 angels, demons, Earthbound Angels, Elizabeth Corrigan, Paranormal, Publisher, Red Adept, Review, urban fantasty, Urban Fantasy  1 Person left their mark

✎

Revenant by Larissa Ione

What would you do if it turned out you were not the person you thought you were for the last 5,000 years? Of course none of us will ever know, with our short life-spawn and all, but Revenant now has to deal with a whole new set of memories, a completely new nature, and he doesn't quite know what do it with it all. There's one thing he knows though, he would do almost anything to have the sexy Blaspheme in his bed.

Revenant, 'officially' the last book in the Demonica & the Lords of Deliverance series, proved to be a very satisfying read. Larissa Ione always delivers sexy, addictive and full of action reads and this title is no exception.

I haven't been particularly fond of Revenant in the past books, but I have always been curious. I must say, you can now enroll me on the Revenant-fan-girls wagon. He is dark, sexy, without an once of remorse, but he has principles. Or should I say he has one principle? You can wreck havoc all you want, but don't break the rules and don't lie. It's kind of funny that he won't blink an eye when killing someone, but don't you dare throw garbage on the floor if it's against the rules. I thought it was quite endearing, and makes total sense when you get to know his past. I really enjoyed discovering his personality, and I must confessed a pitied him at times. It must be really hard to deal with his situation, but he did it with his head held high.

Blaspheme was just as great. I really liked her spunk and how she could argument with the best of them even though she was sometimes scared shitless inside. She was resourceful, compassionate and determinate.  I loved that despite her half-demon side she was driven to do the right thing and would sacrifice her own well-being to protect others.

I really liked the story and how all the characters we love made an appearance. Blaspheme and Revenant faced some very difficult situations and I enjoyed witnessing them thread carefully and try to reach the best possible outcome. All the loose ends are wrapped-up nicely and I was very satisfied - and surprised- with how everything ended.

Even though Revenant is officially the end of the series, Larissa hints at something more in this novel, and provides a link to find out more about what's to come. The LINK is suppose to work in December 2014. I can't wait to see what it will reveal!

The Demonica and the Lords of the Underworld series are simply awesome, and I would strongly suggest paranormal romance lovers to read it. I joined late in the game and I have no regrets! Give me more!

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by Tynga at Friday, November 28, 2014

 angels, demons, Grand Central Publishing, Hachette, Larissa Ione, Lords of Deliverance, Netgalley, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Review, Romance  2 People left their mark

✎

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

City of Heavenly Fire, the final book in the Mortal Instruments series, really delivers!  It's chock full of action and adventure during the great war between Sebastian and the Shadowhunters (with the Downworlders who have joined the Council) and romance between the various main characters.  Overarchingly, this is a classic good vs. evil battle, with characters working together loyally and bravely to take down Sebastian, the monsters he's created, and the demons he's recruited.  The fight will take Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, Alec, and Magnus to a place where almost no one has dared to go before, to accomplish what "can't" (in the eyes of the Council) be done.

Even if the good vs. evil plot is a classic, there are more than enough twists and turns in City of Heavenly Fire to keep readers engaged.  Every time it seemed like Clary and friends had reached a place where they could sleep for a few hours or catch a bite... there was another upheaval in the plan!  The reader also gets to "travel" with the group; they begin in NYC but over the course of the novel they travel to Alicante and another place that I can't tell you about because it's a plot point.  ;)  I was reading the book in the southeastern US, having never traveled to NYC, and I was dazzled at the descriptions of the Big Apple and the big city of Alicante.

During their travels and battles and triumphs, Jace & Clary, Simon & Isabelle, and Alec & Magnus manage to find time to thoroughly hash out, explore, and grow their romantic relationships.  I love the depth and complexity of these relationships.  They are much deeper than what you would imagine your usual teenage romance to be.  In their own ways, each pairing is a star-crossed, Romeo & Juliet-type love affair.  Jace is a born & bred Shadowhunter, Valentine's son, and Clary is new to the Shadowhunter world.  Simon is new to the Downworld, and is a vampire, while Isabelle is a born & bred Shadowhunter, raised to believe that Downworlders are somehow "less" than Shadowhunters.  Same with Alec (Shadowhunter) and Magnus (warlock), with the added tension of being a same-sex couple in a society that is only beginning to recognize and accept that.  And although this book will be found in your library or bookstore YA section, there were a few scenes that could cause a blush!  Cassandra Clare has done a fantastic job of building up the relationships in these books, with a comfortable, realistic pace.

The plot of the book overall moves at a very good pace.  There weren't any moments that felt "bogged down" or sluggish, and the conclusion felt just right, about 1/3 of the book, for the series finale.  There was a great mixture of dialogue and demon butt-kicking!  I love how all the guys (Jace, Simon, Magnus) have this dry sense of humor!  I also enjoyed reading how each characters' individual strengths played out and contributed to the outcome.

In fact, the only thing that caused this book to lose one star in the rating (from me) was the narration.  I listened to the audio version, narrated by Jason Dohring and Sophie Turner, and I just didn't connect with Jason.  To me, it was just a little flat when mixed in with Sophie's vibrant dictation.  Also, Sophie was narrating Clary's parts (of course) and Jason was covering Jace... but Sophie has a British accent (Clary is from NYC) and Jason is American (from listening to previous audio versions of Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices books, I'd given Jace a British accent).  I absolutely loved Molly Quinn's narration of the fifth book, City of Lost Souls, and was a little disappointed to find that she hadn't been brought on for the sixth book.  But the book itself is fantastic; I never considered discontinuing listening, because I had to know what happened next!

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by Tynga at Thursday, November 20, 2014

 Cassandra Clare, demons, Fantasy, Fantasy amp; Magic, Library, Love amp; Romance, Paranormal, Review, Romance, Simon amp; Schuster Audio, The Mortal Instruments, young adult  1 Person left their mark

✎

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

The last book of this trilogy, The Book of Life, was published about a month ago but because I read Shadow of Night so long ago I had a hard time getting into the last book. This series is all about the details, and since there's so many and I didn't want to be confused with The Book of Life, I decided to reread the second book, in order to refresh my memory. Surprisingly, I never posted a review on the blog so this is the perfect opportunity to tell you to read it, because it's full of magic, intrigue, history and amazing stuff. I absolutely love this series so I really hope the last book doesn't disappoint. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

This second book of the trilogy starts off exactly where book one ended, and I mean the exact moment. At the end of book one, the two main characters Diana and Matthew decided to travel back in time for multiple reasons, and that's where Shadow of Night begins. Diana and Matthew are seeking shelter in 1590 since they're being hunted in present day because of of their relationship. Diana being a witch and Matthew a vampire, their romantic relationship is a big faux pas and other creatures are trying their best to prevent them from being together. Other witches also have attacked Diana because of another unclear reason so traveling to the past is a great way of hiding out, according to Matthew who has already lived in the 16th century. However, more trouble arises in the past, such as human suspicion of magical creatures, witch trials and political deceit.

Another reason for travelling back in time is for Diana to find a suitable teacher to learn how to control her magical powers. As a strong and powerful untrained witch, she's seen as a danger, and taking control of her magic is high on her to do list. However, the witch trials of the period prevent witches from openly advertising who they are, which makes it way more difficult than expected for Diana to find someone to help her. Finding the right witch to help her takes a long time and that's one of the things I like less about the book because it takes such a long time to get to that point. I can't really complain because it's definitely worth the wait but I wish there would have been more magic in the first couple hundred pages.

There is a lot of information in this book, which definitely shows in its length but I wouldn't go without all the small details. It's obvious the author is an historian because all the little historical fact embedded in the book, which makes the story come to life. I'm not a historian myself so I take it for granted that the historical details are accurate, but even if they aren't, it sure feels truthful. I admire the author for including so many small details because even if she is an historian, it must have taken a lot of research and fact checking to complete the novel. Especially since she included known historical figures like Queen Elizabeth I, Christopher Marlow, Walter Raleigh, William Shakespeare and Henry Percy to name a few. Including these famous people makes it that much more believable because we know they lived in that time period, and they're manifestation makes the past feel attainable.

Every time I read a love story between a vampire and a witch or a human, I feel like the relationship is doomed from the start because the vampire will certainly outlived the "warmblood." However, in this case, because we travel back in time with Diana and Matthew, their relationship feels timeless and unforgettable. Their love for each other is obviously present, and sometimes I almost forget I'm reading fiction.

I've enjoyed this second book even more than the first. The story keeps building and we learn something crucial in every chapter. I might be a little bit biased because my guilty pleasure is historical romances and when you add paranormal elements to the mix, you get a wonderful surprise. I'm not joking when I say every paranormal reader should check out this series. Obviously you're in for a long read but it's definitely worth it!

Read an excerpt

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by Tynga at Sunday, August 17, 2014

 All Souls Trilogy, Deborah Harkness, demons, Magic, Paranormal, Purchased, Romance, time travelling, vampires, Viking, witches  1 Person left their mark

✎

Immortal Hunter by Kait Ballenger

As you may remember, I thought there were some good elements to TWILIGHT HUNTER, the first book in the series, but I also took issue with other aspects of the novel. My feelings about IMMORTAL HUNTER are much the same.

One of IMMORTAL HUNTER's strengths is the cast of characters and their relationships. You have your traditional selection of supernaturals -- werewolves, vampires, demons, etc. -- and there's not a lot of deviation from what we see in much of the genre in terms of abilities. What really makes the series interesting is the Execution Underground team. Ballenger has put together quite the Scooby gang of supernatural police, each of whom will presumably get their own story. I really enjoy the team dynamics because a lot of the relationships are quite complicated. In the first book, we met Jace and Frankie (who do appear in IMMORTAL HUNTER as secondary characters) but now we're firmly focused on David and  Allsún, two characters I was quite interested in the first time around. They're both unique in the supernatural world: David is an exorcist feared by demons and Allsún is the only (part-)Fae who remains in our world. Together, they are essentially demon kryptonite but they've been apart for years, after a passionate romance when they were younger. David and Allsún never stopped loving each other but they both have regrets. These regrets and their time apart create the expected barrier the couple needs to overcome and add a nice amount of tension in the novel. 

I also enjoyed exploring the Fae aspects of the series. We spent most of the first book dealing with werewolf-related issues but now we get to learn more about the demons and the Fae, who are essentially sworn enemies. But all of the Fae except Allsún have retreated from the world. When Allsún is forced out of hiding, the demons are determined to kill her -- just as determined as David is to protect her. It's a shame that Allsún is the only Fae in the world (at least the only one that we know about) because there are so many interesting elements in this part of the series mythology.

My beef with IMMORTAL HUNTER is a small one: I think Ballenger is a strong writer but I wish there was more creativity in the series, in terms of how the supernatural species/races are realized. It's a very small beef and probably unfair since I know I couldn't do better but I think I would love this series if there were more unexpected elements. Generally, I like the Execution Underground series. It's filled with adventure and romantic tension. It's not the most original series -- there's not a lot of genre bending -- but the books are well-written romps with feisty characters. For me, this is an instance in which the series is much greater than its individual parts.

If you want spunky paranormal romance loaded with heavy history between the two main characters, IMMORTAL HUNTER might be the book for you. I'm sure you'll enjoy Ballenger's voice and I hope you'll find the story engaging as well. The Execution Underground series isn't on my Must list but I do enjoy visiting the world and characters.

Read an excerpt

 

 

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by Tynga at Wednesday, April 09, 2014

 Adult, demons, Execution Underground, Harlequin, Kait Ballenger, Netgalley, Paranormal Romance, Review  1 Person left their mark

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Possess by Gretchen McNeil

Ever since I read Ten a while ago, I've been dying to start Possess and read more of Gretchen McNeil's other books. I was fairly disappointed by Possess and I truly expected more from this paranormal romance novel. I never really was all that interested in Bridget Liu and her adventures exorcising demons. I truly expected so much more from this debut novel and it truly didn't deliver the story I really wanted to read.

Bridget Liu has a rare and powerful ability to exorcise demons and she is working with a priest to hone her skills. Liu needs to protect the world from a group of demons who are trying to raise their demon king. To make things even more complicated is the subject of two boys' attention and her father was recently murdered.

Bridget wasn't a very interesting main character and I was never very sympathetic to her. Bridget is extremely furious with her mother due to her affairs with two different men and she decides to act all uptight and take her anger out on random innocents. Even when I felt like I should've empathized with her, I never really formed a connection with her character and I was just annoyed by her actions.

Matt Quinn is the love interest in this book and he is an extremely unappealing character who was extremely irritating and creepy. Even when Bridget rejects Matt several times, he's so persistent and won't take no for an answer no matter how adamant she was. When a girl says no, it means stop flirting with her and bothering her; later on in the book McNeil gives a reason why Bridget kept rejecting him but that still shouldn't make a difference.

The demonology in Possess isn't bad, but it was very uninspiring and it didn't add anything new to the paranormal genre. I've seen this plot-line before in several different incarnations and Possess felt like a watered down version of a Buffy episode.  Some of the exorcism scenes were wonderfully creepy (especially the doll shop scene), but this wasn't enough to catch my interest.

Possess was slightly entertaining, but at the same time I felt extremely relieved when it finally had ended. The romance and paranormal aspects of this book were subpar and never managed to trigger any strong emotional reactions on my part. I'm truly hoping 3:59 and Get Even interest me more than Possess did.

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by Tynga at Wednesday, March 26, 2014

 demons, Gretchen McNeil, HarperCollins, Paranormal Romance, Review, stand-alone, young adult  Leave your mark

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Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

I've been sitting on this review for a while. And by that, I mean since the day after this book came out. It's hard to say good-bye to a beloved series, especially one with a love triangle that makes you so attached to both sides. I dreaded reading this book because I knew that one of my two favorite love interests ever would have to lose the fight, and I didn't want that to happen.

Because of this, this review is going to be slightly different than my usual ones. It's hard to sit here and analyze the characters because they're all amazing and awesome. Will is just as passionate and fiery as ever. And Jem is never short of superb. Together, the two of them plus Tessa literally cause you emotional trauma with this book. I'm telling you, read at your own risk. Break out the tissues and bottle up all of your emotions because they'll explode with this one. While I've struggled with recent installments in Clare's Mortal Instruments series, she's held me captive with this one and has even turned it into a favorite of mine. And for that, I have to admit, I'm very happy she took advantage of our emotions and connections to the characters to take us on one last roller coaster ride. The character growth in this one because of the do-or-die decisions they had to face was extremely well done.

But what I want to focus on is the ending. Who doesn't, really? I have to say that I'm very satisfied. I seriously dropped the book and gaped like a fish and shed a few tears in those moments leading up to the end. It broke my heart into pieces and then put it back together. I have to say that it's both lovey-dovey and hurtful. It's sort of perfect. It's not an extreme happily ever after, but it has remnants of it. While I can see some readers hating it, I can see others loving it. I just considered it to be rather perfect regardless of whatever team I'm on. Hell, regardless of your team I guarantee that this ending will be satisfactory.

With that being said, the ending did leave me with one major question. There's this huge revelation with a character that shall not be named and when asked what exactly happened we got one of those responses that said he'd tell us later. Of course, since this is the last book, we can't find that out. Which means that Clare is most likely writing another series after this. And while my curiosity is extreme in this one regard, I won't be continuing onto that series. I love these characters and I don't want to see them overused to the point of annoyance. Instead, I'll just sit here and stew that she threw perhaps one of the biggest plot twists ever my way and didn't bother to explain it, instead optioning to take the easy way out. That, my dear friends, is one of my very few issues with this book.

In the end, I say give it a try. I have enjoyed this series more than her Mortal Instruments series. While littered with cliches and not consisting of complex writing, it is very easy to connect to the characters, overall super enjoyable, and it's a great ride. Definitely my favorite piece of Clare's work thus far.

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by Tynga at Thursday, September 26, 2013

 Cassandra Clare, demons, Fantasy, Gifted, Historical, historical fiction, Review, Romance, steampunk, The Infernal Devices, young adult  1 Person left their mark

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