Where the Wild Things Bite by Molly Harper

You know you're reading a Molly Harper book when the main characters are stuck in a crazy, life threatening situation but the author still manages to make you laugh. Molly Harper has this wonderful recipe for paranormal romance novels and it's infallible. I've never been disappointed by one of her books, probably because I understand her type of humour. Her characters are relatable, despite their peculiarities and you can't help but get attached to them. Where the Wild Things Bite, despite being short, is a wonderful addition to the Half-Moon Hollow series.

Anna, a rare book expert on the paranormal, is on a mission to return a valuable book to none other than Jane Jameson, after having appraised it, and confirmed it as an authentic and important document in the history of shifters. However, things go wrong as soon as she enters the plane that is supposed to bring her to Half-Moon Hollow. The pilot is deranged and threatens to kill her with a knife if she doesn't hand over the book, and when that fails, he tampers with the plane and crashes it in the middle of Kentucky lakeland. Anna would have crashed and died in it if it wasn't for Finn, the only other passenger of the plane. Anna accuses him of throwing her out of the moving plane but Finn guarantees her that he jumped, cradling her in his arms.

Together, they're lost in the woods, with no supplies and no sign of civilization. Only an old, but valuable book. So valuable that people are willing to kill for it. Anna, a germaphobic and very anxious person, quickly learns to survive in the woods. With shifters after her, she relies on Finn, who happens to be a vampire, to find her way through the woods. However, smart as she is, she soon realizes that Finn has somewhat questionable reasons for helping her. A liar, a thief and a con man, Finn tries to convince skeptical Anna that he really wants to help her, despite his previous motives.

Anna is a wonderful and realistic character, despite her neuroses. Her tendencies to learn every survival statistics and her obsession in reading survival guides to everything, helps her survive the Kentucky woods. Finn might be a liar and deceitful but I think he really wants to help Anna. I don't know exactly when he started to like her, but their close proximity leads up to steamy scenes. They're the most unlikely couple, but I think that's what so charming about the pair.

I really wish we could have gotten more out of Anna and Finn's story. Their trek through the woods was hilarious and entertaining, but what happened after the woods just went by so quickly. I'm glad Jane and the Half-Moon Hollow gang made an appearance but they didn't have much to do with the story. In a way, that made Anna and Finn the focus of the story. A delightful read, Where the Wild Things Bite is a must read for Jane Jameson fans.

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by Tynga at Monday, September 05, 2016

 Half Moon Hollow, Library, Molly Harper, Paranormal Romance, Pocket, Review, Shifters, Simon amp; Schuster, Vampire, werewolves  Leave your mark

✎

Winter by Marissa Meyer

 

WINTER is here!

What an amazing conclusion to an epic series! WINTER is the book I've been waiting for all year and it didn't disappoint. With over 800 pages, it did take me a few weeks to complete, but it was definitely worth it. With The Lunar Chronicles, Marissa Meyer has created a wonderful futuristic world and each novel is a reimagining of a well known fairytale. WINTER is slightly based off Snow White but this is definitely not the typical Disney fairy tale. It has spaceships, a revolution, an epic battle scene, a deadly plague and so much more. Of course it does have princesses, a king and a queen, and you can expect some romance but it's definitely not  your grandmother's fairy tales.

Marissa Meyer's futuristic and sci-fi world couldn't be more perfect, in my opinion. I think the main reason why her series is such a success is because of her attention to detail while creating this world and her characters. While Winter isn't my favourite character, her craziness does add something interesting to the story. Raised on Luna, a colony on the Moon that is lead by a less than desirable queen, Winter is hated by her stepmother, Queen Levana. Winter's natural beauty is admired by all, and Queen Levana could only hope to be admired that way. Queen Levana's scarred face has lead her to fool every one on Luna with her glamour and never shows her true face. Levana is outright jealous of Winter and she has done everything in her power to make life miserable for her stepdaughter. Winter's refusal to use her glamour has made her a little crazy, which doesn't really help her case. However, the people of Luna still adore Winter and that makes Levana even more furious.

While the other three books of the series tell the story of one character in particular, all storylines converge into one, in WINTER. Cinder has come to Luna to gain her rightful place on Luna's throne, while Scarlet and Cress are dedicated to their friend, and helping in anyway to achieve her goal. Levana's tyrannical rule has caused pain not only on Luna but has also threatened planet Earth's survival. With the Lunar plague still a threat to everyone, Cinder has to find a way to not only overthrow Levana, but also find a way to cure the plague that has killed so many people back on Earth.

And who could forget the four girls' love interests... Kai, Wolf, Thorne and Jacin all play a major roles in the series, but I love how the author made sure the girls are always the real heroes. Sure, the boys help a lot in fighting Levana's tyrannical rule, but they are able to win every little battles because of the girls' courage. One of my favourite characters actually remains Iko, Cinder's android and best friend. The comic relief the android provides is balanced just right with everything else that happens in the series. Also, the relationship Cinder has with Iko proves how Cinder cares for each and every personality, whether human or mechanical. In my opinion, that trait is a desirable one for any Queen to have, which gives us all the more reasons to believe in Cinder.

The epic battle scene near the end of the book is the beginning to the end. It's the cumulation of every event in this series and all characters have a particular role to play. So many fans have been waiting a long time to see what happens to these characters, and personally I wasn't disappointed. Marisa Meyer has succeeded in concluding her epic series in the most epic of ways. I'm very satisfied with this series and it's a must read for anyone who enjoys YA or sci-fi in general.

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by Tynga at Monday, November 30, 2015

 Feiwel amp; Friends, glamour, Macmillan, Marissa Meyer, Purchased, Retelling, Review, sci-fi, Science Fiction, spaceships, The Lunar Chronicles, werewolves, young adult  Leave your mark

✎

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Breaking Dawn is one of those books where I really feel like I got my money's worth (and more, honestly), if that makes sense.  It is one long book, but for fans of the Twilight Saga, it might still not be quite enough.

I could talk for days about the plot- there's a LOT there.  Stephenie Meyer probably could have split Breaking Dawn into two or three books, and Twilight fans would have bought them all.  Kudos to Meyer for letting us have it all in one package!  I don't want to spoil anything, though.  I managed to make it through all the original fandom without finding out even a quarter of what happens in this book, and I don't want to ruin it for anyone else out there.  Just know that you will get some of the most romantic romance I've read in a YA book recently, some really intense mind-blowing medical drama, lots of friendship development, and plenty of character growth.  All in one!

I can talk about the intensity of the writing skill in Breaking Dawn without spoilers.  During the romantic scenes, I totally swooned.  Know that I do not swoon easily!  I tend to be more realistic and label romantic scenes as cheesy, but there were some bits early in the book where I was ready to try to marry into the Cullen family!  (Hubby:  not really.  Don't worry.  They're fictional.)  I think what I liked best is that the romantic scenes between characters in this book weren't all about kissing/bedroom eyes:  there was action.  The characters showed affection for each other in very realistic ways, like in spending time with each other, just holding hands, cooking for each other, etc.  The setting didn't hurt either:  I won't tell you where the characters travel to (it was a surprise for a character as much as for me), but I will tell you that Meyer does a fantastic time painting the landscape for the reader.  I had no trouble being transported to that place with those characters.  On the flip side, the descriptions were just as vivid during intense medical drama and fights-I got pretty nervous during a few of the scenes and had to take a moment to think about baby pandas instead.  Oh my!

I can also talk about character growth without any plot spoilers.  Remember how I called Bella a "dramarama mama" in my review of Eclipse?  She definitely shows the most growth in Breaking Dawn.  In just one book, she takes on multiple new responsibilities, all without complaint.  We see her transition from an unsure, clumsy high schooler to a conscientious young adult.  She's not the only one, either:  Jacob, I feel, also shows quite a bit of growth throughout this book as he also takes on some new responsibilities.  And finally, we can also look at the big picture and see growth in the relationships between supernatural groups, such as between the La Push werewolves and the Cullen vampires.  (There's more than just that, but that would be spoilery.  Teaser!)

Meyer does something cool with point of view in Breaking Dawn.  At the end of Eclipse, there's an epilogue from Jacob's point of view.  In Breaking Dawn, there's an entire chunk of the book from his point of view.  That was pretty cool.  While Bella isn't a vampire, she's very tied up in the Cullens and their lifestyle, and not the most objective observer.  I liked getting to see the Cullens from a slightly more critical eye.  And we all already know that I've been Team Jacob.  ;)

Don't think that Breaking Dawn is all lovey dovey hand-holding and character growth:  there's also a definite conflict.  That should probably be Conflict with a capital "c," really.  It's like all the other books' conflicts were piddly little set-ups compared to what's building in Forks, WA in Breaking Dawn!  This is hard to talk about without spoilers.  Just trust me that you will not be disappointed!

I listened to about half (the first half) on CD in my car, then finished it up in a physical book.  Nothing wrong with the narration; I just had more listening to do than I had time, and I can read slightly faster than I can listen.  The same narrator reads for the Bella parts in Breaking Dawn, and a new reader is introduced for the Jacob parts.  We already know that I think the Bella narrator is great; the Jacob narrator was ok.  He read clearly and with a good cadence, but his voice when he was reading quotes from Bella or Edward got a bit goofy.  Oh well.  I'd still call it a good audiobook overall.

This series definitely ends on a crowd-pleasing bang!  For fans of the first three Twilight books, I'd say that Breaking Dawn is an absolute must.

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by Tynga at Thursday, October 01, 2015

 Brown Books for Young Readers, Library, Listening Library, Little, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Review, Stephenie Meyer, Twilight Saga, vampires, werewolves, young adult, Zombie  4 People left their mark

✎

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Bella is a DRAMARAMA MAMA in this third installment in the Twilight saga!  There's a mysterious string of murders in nearby Seattle, evil vampire Victoria is still after Bella, someone broke into Charlie's house... and all Bella does is agonize over Team Jacob vs Team Edward, and after-graduation plans.  She pushes Jacob away and then wants him back (on her terms)... then pushes him away, then wants him back.  Edward, lucky guy, gets to ride that emotional roller coaster by her side.

I was pretty optimistic about the first two books in this saga.  They were much better than I expected, and I chose Team Jacob.  Eclipse, however, seems to live up to the more negative reviews of the saga.  It's a bummer.  I was so hopeful!

The first 3/4 of the book is Bella's senior year.  She spends the year worrying about how soon she can let Edward make her immortal, and whining about his conditions.  (He is completely unreasonable.  He insists that she seriously consider the fact that she'll no longer be human, and to enjoy her last months as a human.  He also insists that they get married before they sleep before, and before he turns her into a vampire.  And that he gets to buy her a new, more reliable car.  He's obviously insane.)  She also spends time alternating between wanting Jacob to be her best friend, and wanting to never see him again.

If you're really into drama-filled romance, you'll probably enjoy the first half of the book.  Edward continues to be perfect, always-forgiving, and to make grand romantic gestures.  Jacob continues to try to court Bella too.  So she's getting lots of positive attention.

For me, the action really picked up in the last quarter of the book or so.  Things come to a head with the evil vampires in Seattle, and the Cullen family has to make some unusual alliances to fight them off.  The Cullens and Bella work together, using all their extra abilities, to plan a great counter-offensive when they hear that the other vampires are coming to the Forks area.  And then the battle itself!  Exciting!  It's fast-paced and unpredictable.  It had me on the metaphorical edge of my seat until the end.  (Remember, even though the saga is old, I managed to avoid nearly all spoilers.)

Like with the first two books, I listened to Eclipse as an audiobook.  It was good!  Same reader, so same good cadence and clear narration.

P.S. (Still Team Jacob at the end of Eclipse.)

P.P.S. Already began reading Breaking Dawn today.  Gotta see how the story ends!

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by Tynga at Thursday, September 24, 2015

 Girls amp; Women, Library, Listening Library, Paranormal Romance, Review, Romance, Stephenie Meyer, Twilight Saga, vampires, werewolves, young adult  6 People left their mark

✎

Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

This is the fourth book in the Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Mysteries Series.  If you have not yet read or watched the HBO show, yet intend to read this series, turn back now and please, please, come back later. I will likely disclose knowledge from the earlier books.  Information otherwise know as spoilers.

In book 3, Club Dead, we were finally introduced to the character Alcide Herveaux , werewolf and big-time surveyor.  We also meet his father, and his sort-of ex, Debbie Pelt.  Also patrons of Club Dead is the King of Mississippi, Russell Edgington and  his entourage.  These introductions came as a mixed blessing to Sookie.  She was looking for Bill Compton and, as it happened, Russell had Bill Compton.  So that, eventually, worked itself out.  The meeting with Debbie and some of the other werewolves could have gone better to say the least.  Then there was Sookie's introduction to Bill's maker, Lorena Ball.  That one ended with Lorena skewered like a kabob and Sookie having to get inventive with vampire disposal.  In the end, Sookie wound up alone healing as best she could at home.

In the fourth installment, Sookie is bound and determined to make it on her own with no help or interference from supernatural creatures no matter how handsome or gifted in the boudoir they may be.  This plan falls apart no sooner than she makes it when she happens upon a very tall, very blond and Nordic looking vampire wearing only jeans, running down the road early New Years' morning.  Can you guess who it is?  To make things that much more interesting, Jason is missing.  Sookie is very suspicious because she had seen him with woman who was a shifter just before he vanished.

All this is great setup for something that Charlaine Harris is great at: concurrent story lines.  My disappointment with the Club Dead was that there was just the one main story that seemed to follow the regular three act sequence felt a little too much like any other book by any other author.  Dead to the World was a return of Ms. Harris at her best.  We got new characters and a broadening of the supernatural creatures in and around Bon Temps.  I'm finding that developing the types of creatures can be just as important to the story as development of the characters themselves.  Learning and experiencing the difference between a Shifter and a Were along with Sookie gives a bit of depth to the story that would be lacking in a simple narrative explaining it in almost scholarly terms.

The pacing and interweaving of the stories is excellent and in the tradition of the first two books.  This has been one of the aspects that I have grown to appreciate from authors like Ms. Harris and others like Jim Butcher who use similar storytelling patterns.  Let's face it, life doesn't happen in separate three act dramas.  It happens all at once without intermission.  This is a wonderful way to lend a bit of reality to the story in order to bring the reader deeper into the tale.

Dead to the World is classic Sookie and a must read for any burgeoning fan.  Of course, it almost goes without saying, this is not a YA book.  This is an R rated book due to it's violence, mature subjects and mild sex scenes.



 

 

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by Tynga at Wednesday, August 05, 2015

 Ace Books, Charlaine Harris, Purchased, Review, Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire, True Blood, vampires, werewolves  2 People left their mark

✎

Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater

This might sound crazy, but I think Sinner, the fourth and final book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy, is the best of the run!  (An aside:  I realize that the previous sentence is a little "off."  Maggie Stiefvater set out to write a trilogy, but then her fans and publishing house pressed for a fourth book.  She complied.  Hence a trilogy containing four books.)

I am fortunate to have a job that brings me into first- and second-hand contact with YA authors at times.  I heard second-hand that Stiefvater didn't want to write Sinner, but I'm so glad she did.  This book is quite different from the original three books in the trilogy.  I'd describe it more as a contemporary romance than a paranormal romance; it's the love story of Cole and Isabelle, and it's just a background piece of information that Cole happens to be a werewolf.

You'll remember from the first books that Cole was a very famous musician before he became a werewolf.  As the frontman for the uberpopular Narcotica, Cole was living the stereotypical badass rocker lifestyle, chasing booze and girls and highs.  When the illegal substances stopped providing the desired high, he turned to lycanthropy.  Now, after a year spent "dead" (?)/missing, he's back.  It's Cole, who lives life louder than most, so he doesn't just quietly start going to Starbucks again.  No, he's signed on to a special reality show where he's put in a house with a new drummer and a new bassist to write and record a full album in six weeks.  Along the way he'll be up to his usual hijinks:  impromptu block parties; bassist auditions on the beach; late night diner runs with a hired driver.  The only difference will be his sobriety.  He's spun the story that he spent time getting clean; readers of this series will know that he spent that time in Minnesota as a wolf.

Another new aspect to his life is Isabelle Culpepper.  No longer interested in chasing a new girl every night, now he's yearning to come home to the same girl (Isabelle) every night.  Sinner is told from dual viewpoints:  both Cole & Isabelle.  The entire book is about Cole, but it was great to get to see the view from an outsider looking in as well as hearing about events directly from Cole.

In the previous books, Cole doesn't even rank as a secondary character.  He's more like a well-developed tertiary character.  In this bonus book, he's the main character, and the reader really gets to see him grow and mature.  Sinner is totally a story of redemption.  Cole comes to grips with the choices he's made in the past, and the relationships he's formed and broken and reformed, and takes those life lessons to heart.  He's lived a lot since becoming famous, but in this book we see him get to be a teenager.  A teen with a lot of fame and independence, true, but a teen nonetheless.  We see him recognize his loneliness, and seek to build healthier relationships.  We see him start to take more responsibilities.

Sinner hooked me right from the start, and it'll probably hook you too.  It opens with Cole on the road from LAX to his new "job" as reality TV star.  He's on the phone, on a radio interview, and he's 110% rockstar with his flippant answers and conversational tangents... then he gets bored with LA traffic and abandons his hired car on the freeway to continue on foot!  I married a musician, and he came with lots of musician friends, and that whole "loose agenda" thing is totally in keeping with character.  I find that most artistic folks are more fluid with plans.  Not a bad thing!  They know what they enjoy, and what they don't, and they go with it.  I love being along for the ride.  (In case you're curious... I'm more Dewey Decimal-minded.  We're a well-balanced couple.)

I know I've talked your ear off, but I'm almost done!  (I just loved this book so much!)  A note on narration, since I listened to this on CD:  fantastic!  It had two readers, so Cole and Isabelle each had very distinct voices.  The readers were clear and easy to understand, and the cadence was very comfortable.  Even though there were two readers, there wasn't a jump in volume between the two.  The only (very little) pet peeve:  the narrator announced "Sinner, Disk X" at the beginning of each CD.  I have a multi-disk CD player in my car, and that sort of announcement interrupts the flow for me.

Two incredibly enthusiastic thumbs up!

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by Tynga at Thursday, July 02, 2015

 Brilliance Audio, Library, Love amp; Romance, Maggie Stiefvater, Paranormal, Review, werewolves, Wolves of Mercy Falls, young adult  2 People left their mark

✎

Willowgrove by Kathleen Peacock

Wow! I'm in complete awe with the conclusion of this debut trilogy. Willowgrove surpassed my expectations and kept me intrigued until the very end. Kathleen Peacock reinvented werewolves in an intelligent and gripping way. You would think by now, the ever popular paranormal phenomena would start to get boring, but on the contrary, Peacock found a way to feed my werewolf addiction by adding dimensions to her characters and by developing her idea from a scientific point of view.

It feels likes forever since I read Thornhill, the second book of the trilogy, and honestly I was glad for the quick recap provided at the beginning of Willowgrove. After the escape from Thornhill, the detention center for werewolves and suspected werewolves, the characters have returned to Hemlock, the city where everything began when the protagonist's best friend was murdered less than a year before. Mac is still devastated by Amy's death but ever since uncovering secrets at Thornhill, Mac is now convinced even more that Amy's death wasn't a random werewolf attack. On the contrary, she thinks her friend died with a devastating secret that could shake up everyone's lives, werewolves and humans alike.

Hemlock may be the most dangerous city to be in right now, especially for Mac's werewolf boyfriend Kyle, but since all secrets seem to be pointing towards Hemlock, the only way to get to the truth is to stay and investigate. Mac and Kyle, along with their human friend Jason, and werewolf friends Trey and Serena, begin to uncover the truth behind Thornhill and it's secret facility Willowgrove that tested "cures" for the lupine syndrome, while torturing teenage werewolves. The civil unrest in Hemlock brought by werewolf Trackers and other anti- and pro-werewolf groups definitely creates a hostile setting for the book and adds to the fear and concern we have for the characters.

Throughout the series, I really enjoyed all the characters, and Mac was definitely a great main character. She's strong, independent and dedicated. She doesn't have any super strength or supernatural powers to help her out but what she does have is great empathy that makes her care for werewolves. She sees beyond the infection and only wishes everyone else would come to their senses and realize werewolves aren't dangerous (unless, of course they're psychotic werewolves--but psychotic humans exist too!). It's not surprising that Kyle is in love with her because she's a very lovable character. Their relationship is sweet and a good balance to the turmoil surrounding their lives.  The quasi love triangle with Jason isn't necessary but it does add something to the story by reinforcing Mac's love for Kyle. Unlike in the other books, Kyle doesn't exactly shine in this one but I'm okay with that because it allows Mac to shine even more.

The character interactions are exceptionally wonderful in this book. It's those little details that add to the scenes and creates a wonderful reading experience. I also really admire how the slow build up created wonderful suspense. I could never have guessed while reading book one that the story would lead us here. In my opinion that's wonderful writing and although some elements were foreseeable, Kathleen Peacock has a wonderful storytelling future ahead of her.

In my opinion, Willowgrove was a brilliant conclusion to the trilogy, despite the fact that I would love to read more about these characters and this world. Everything more or less wrapped up nicely but as it often happens with trilogies, I feel like I didn't get enough from the characters and I have a hard time letting go. The epilogue could have been done differently and it's my only major concern with the book. It's two years after everything else happens and it leaves my wanting more. Trilogies can often be a hit or miss for me because sometimes you end up loving the first book and everything else published after falls short. In this case, the Hemlock trilogy is an overall gem. That being said, I really hope I get to read more Kathleen Peacock books in the future.

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by Tynga at Monday, March 02, 2015

 Harper Collins, Hemlock, Katherine Tegen Books, Kathleen Peacock, lupine syndrome, Paranormal, Purchased, Review, werewolves, young adult  1 Person left their mark

✎

Take Two: Hot Blooded by Amanda Carlson

Jenn reviewed this book when it released in 2013 and you can read her thoughts here, now it's my turn to give it a go!

Jessica has had a lot on her plate since this journey started (was it really just a week ago??) and this time won't be a vacation either. It's in fact her toughest challenge yet, but she must rise and shine if she hopes to save her mate from an angry, sadistic Goddess.

If I had one word to choose to describe Hot Blooded it would definitely be action-packed. From beginning to end there isn't a single down moment, so don't even think of taking a breath! Jessica sets on her mission with her twin brother, their friend Danny and a duo of unreliable vampire siblings. On their journey, they face challenge after challenge and the things they have to face are simply unpredictable. Carlson dug up some really old mythology to throw in the mix and surprise us, and she did it well.

If I had one complaint about this novel it would be how Jessica's blood always seemed to be the answer to every challenge they faced and how her 'instincts' were always right. She has no idea why she does this or that, but when confronted by Tyler, she just says she has no idea but it feels right. It just felt like an easy way out. I wish she'd made at least one or two mistakes, the whole thing would've felt more plausible. I mean, she's a newbie werewolf, with no idea what she's doing, facing a Goddess backed up by the Underworld and she makes no mistakes? Please...

The whole story revolves around a limited number of characters and it felt right in such a retrieval mission. Everyone contributed and felt equally important, even human Ray, whom I came to appreciate along the journey. Naomi (one of the vampires) also turned out to be a pleasant surprise and I hope we see more of her in the future.

I wish Rourke had been present, but since the whole deal was to save him it makes sense he isn't there lol But I would lie if I said I wasn't impatient to know more about him and to finally see Jessica and him as a couple. Their relationship has been pretty chaste thus far and it would be about time they get down and dirty hahaha

Overall, I liked this installment and I would definitely recommend this series to urban fantasy lovers. You will find sassy and loveable characters, action-packed encounters and thrilling plot-lines. I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

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by Tynga at Friday, February 20, 2015

 Amanda Carlson, Hachette, Jessica McClain, Orbit, Paranormal Romance, Purchased, Review, Urban Fantasy, werewolves, Witch  Leave your mark

✎

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

I want to flip things around in this review and open by talking about the great narration of Forever.  I listened to this on CD, and I'm so glad I did!  First, there's four narrators.  Each of the main characters are read by a different person, so it's easy to immediately identify which point of view the reader is hearing.  And here's the big, exciting part:  Maggie Stiefvater herself reads the part of Grace!  She does a great job.  How cool is it that you get to have the author right there, reading to you?  All four readers really give this book life.  The cadence is nice and even, even with switching between multiple actors.  The tone is steady; I never had to fiddle with the volume knob, even with the changes between male and female readers.  Overall, a fantastic audiobook.

Now on to the story itself.... In Shiver, Sam was a wolf and Grace was a girl; how could their love survive against those odds?  In Linger, Sam is a boy but Grace becomes a wolf; can their love continue to endure this shift?  Now, in Forever, Sam faces incredible odds as he tries to save the girl (sometimes a wolf) that he loves, and the rest of his wolfpack, as the town calls for a major hunt to eradicate the wolves from Mercy Falls.  He'll face these challenged head-on with Isabelle and Cole beside him. You'll notice the overabundance of the word "love" in my previous paragraph... if you're into romance, especially star-crossed romance, this is definitely the series for you!  Sam and Grace are so sweet together.  I love how they always tighten ranks to face adversity together; they never let rough circumstances or outside influences mar their devotion to each other.  Their relationship develops at a realistic pace too; they're teens, so it's a little quicker to get deeper than a more reserved adult relationship, but it's very much within the realm of possibility among young adults.  The fact that the characters are older teens, and that these books are aimed at teens, means that the shows of affection are mostly chaste.

All four of the main characters are very well-rounded by the time the reader gets to this third book.  One thing that I personally love in a book is dry, snarky humor.  Isabelle Culpepper delivers!  I love her sarcasm.  She's so confident and strong, and never hesitates to tell Sam and Cole exactly what she's thinking!  On the flip side, she's also fiercely loyal to Sam, Cole, and Grace, even to the point of going against her parents' wishes.  And we already know from the previous books how loyal Sam and Grace are to the rest of the group.  Their devotion to each other doesn't decrease in any way the time that they give to their friends.  And finally Cole... possibly the most complicated character that I've read in awhile.  On the one hand, he's a crazy rockstar living a rockstar life; on the other hand he's a quiet, introspective, and inquisitive guy.  Maggie Stiefvater does Cole very well; he is complex, but you never feel like he's bipolar.  He's just very multi-faceted.

The narration and the characters kept me interested in Forever through to the end, but I did feel like I had a bit of a rough start at the beginning of the book.  I felt like there was no plot, no development of conflict, throughout the first third of the book or so.  You know how books always have a build-up toward a conflict, then resolution?  At the risk of a bad pun, I thought it took forever to get to the plot point of Forever.  Never fear!  Be reassured: we definitely do get to a point eventually.  And perhaps I missed a hint or two earlier in the book; I was listening to this while driving.  I do not regret sticking to the book at all, and do plan to read Sinner before I leave the world of Mercy Falls.

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by Tynga at Thursday, February 05, 2015

 Audio, Library, Maggie Stiefvater, Paranormal Romance, Review, werewolves, Wolves of Mercy Falls, young adult  Leave your mark

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Black Gold by Vivian Arend

I'm really glad I discovered this series. Entertaining and fun, this paranormal romance had me hooked from the first page, until the very end. It might sound silly, but I wish I had discovered this book a few years back when I was doing a reading challenge where I wanted to read one book set in every state of the USA and province of Canada. Yukon was always one that I could never find, or at least I couldn't find a book that interested me instead of boring me to tears. The setting of the book is definitely majestic, and I love the way the author takes the time to describe the wonders of the north.

The interactions between the two main characters is what makes this book worth reading. Shaun is a lone wolf from the far north that's set in his ways, but has been having some strange, lonely feelings lately. The urge to find his mate couldn't have hit him at a better time, as he and Gem stumble upon each other, quite literally. Their instant attraction is because of some primal werewolf instinct, and while I'm always skeptical about these mating urges, it was pretty well done in this case. Their initial contact ends up with a steamy scene but the way their relationship develops is what makes this mating thing more believable.

Gem, is from Georgia, so she and Shaun couldn't be more different. Raised in seclusion and with a protective father, she never got the taste of true freedom until coming to Yukon on a research project to finish her studies. I think her father's protection is a little over the top, especially since she didn't meet her first human until she was ten years old. That proves how little freedom she had growing up and I can't blame her for wanting to get away from all that, by going as far north as possible. As the main character, I had a little trouble with Gem because she always seemed to be this naive, gentle belle from the south, without any werewolf strength or guts. I mean I admire her for deciding to visit the Yukon on her own, and apparently she has all this werewolf mojo, but she doesn't really act upon it, leaving all the hard fighting to Shaun.

Shaun is exactly how I would picture a northern werewolf. His independence is obviously something he thrives for, but at the same time, his dedication to the pack is ingrained in his wolf DNA. I think he and Gem are good for each other because she learns about freedom from him, and he learns about attachments from her. The heartwarming love story isn't necessarily original but definitely enjoyable. The steamy love scenes are quite numerous but well placed, without making the book only about the sex and the mating. Shaun and Gem do end up in some trouble, with them being kidnapped, and I wish the story could have been a bit more elaborate on the intricacies of the different shapeshifting politics. It's nice that the author wanted to concentrate on the developing relationship, but getting more in depth explanation behind some actions could have made the book a little more action packed.

One thing I was a little peeved about is the fact that in one scene, the main characters were snubbing Perrier, more or less saying that it's a drink for sissies and that it's disgusting. Personally, I love Perrier and it's one thing to say that they don't like it, but it's another thing to completely insult the people who do like it. I mean, this isn't something that would prevent me from reading the rest of the book or buying another of the author's books, but for that small moment in the story, I didn't like the characters and I didn't like the author for writing that scene. Just thought I should point that out.

A fast paced story and likable characters is what stands out the most, for me, about this book. The steamy love scenes are definitely an added bonus and the mating attraction kind of has you wish something that deep and soulful existed for humans too. The banter between Gem and Shaun kept the story light and fresh. These werewolves aren't your blood thirsty shapeshifters but you definitely don't want to mess with them and their politics. When I think of paranormal romance, this is exactly the type of book that comes to mind. The fact that it's about werewolves makes it that much better.

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by Tynga at Sunday, April 20, 2014

 Paranormal Romance, Purchased, Review, Samhain, Takhini Wolves, Vivian Arend, werewolves  Leave your mark

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Thornhill by Kathleen Peacock

THORNHILL was one of my most anticipated releases of Fall 2013. Kathleen Peacock's HEMLOCK was one of my favorite YA debuts last year, and I couldn't wait to see what else she would come up with. I greedily dove into THORNHILL as soon as I received it and while it didn't wow me as much as its predecessor, it was still a decent sequel, and it definitively kept me interested in the story. HEMLOCK was more of a murder mystery/thriller with paranormal elements, but this sequel was more of an in depth look on how being a werewolf can turn your life upside down.

The story picks up exactly where it left off, with Mac running away from her hometown, chasing after Kyle, the boy she loves. As a newly turned werewolf, Kyle feels that the small town life isn't the right fit for him, especially since everyone would eventually find out about his lupine disease, one way or another. He thinks running away to Denver would be safer for everyone, especially Mac who he doesn't want to involve in his werewolf life. Jason, another boy that has a not-so-secret crush on Mac follows her to Denver, to make sure that she stays safe and doesn't get into too much trouble. The trio find themselves yet again in an odd love triangle and in a mystery that could affect everyone's lives.

What's I find really interesting about this series is how people truly believe that being a werewolf is a disease. The shift being something werewolves need to be cured from. The general human population believe that it's unacceptable to have werewolves living among them, going to school with their children, to the point where the government has created prison camps where all werewolves are shipped to, without having done anything--simply because they have been singled out as a werewolf. Thornhill is one of these camps. However, it does seem to be different from the others so far. First, it only houses werewolves under 18 years of age and second, some mysterious experiments seem to be happening within the wall of the prison. Like I said, the general human population really believes werewolves can be cured from the Lupine Syndrome, even if it takes imprisoning minors for simply being themselves.

When Kyle is captured and sent to this camp, Mac feels obligated to follow him into Thornhill in order to find a way to escape together. I'm not exactly sure why she absolutely wants to stay in the camp when she can reveal to her jailors that she's human and could be sent on her merry way, but I imagine it's her allegiance to Kyle--and her conscience--that makes her stay. The help they get in this jail is really unexpected, and I won't reveal too much because I'm not the spoiler type, but you can definitively look forward to meeting someone unexpected.

While Mac is the main character and a great narrator, I think my favorite character in this book is Jason. His one-liners and his sarcastic comments offer unexpected comic relief during somber scenes. His faithfulness to his best friend Kyle and Mac allows him to redeem himself, after being so adamant in Hemlock to help rid all werewolves from society.

While this series is really becoming a great werewolf story, what makes it so great is Kathleen Peacock's ability to throw in real life lesson into the mix. The prejudice against werewolves is something we can all relate too. Obviously not the werewolf part, but prejudice in general. Whether we've been a subject of prejudice or we've been guilty of judging other people based on appearances, we've all been there at one point or another in our lives. I think children and teens are even more subject to it so it's really appropriate to find it as a theme in this YA series.

I love the feel of this series, the darkness and secrecy surrounding the characters and the setting. It's mysterious enough to keep you interested, yet it reveals enough throughout the books for you to be comfortable with the story. It's definitely a series I'll keep reading and Kathleen Peacock remains on my auto-buy list after gaining the spot with HEMLOCK.

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by Tynga at Sunday, September 29, 2013

 Harper Collins, Hemlock, Katherine Tegen Books, Kathleen Peacock, Paranormal, Purchased, Review, Shapeshifter, werewolves, young adult  2 People left their mark

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