Review: 150. Hammered by Kevin Hearne...

I enjoyed this series so much I couldn't put it down. It should come with a contagion warning...

Title: Hammered (Iron Druid Chronicles #3)
Author: Kevin Hearne
ISBN-13: 9780345522481
eBook:
Publisher: Random House, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Purchased

drey's thoughts:
Oh. My. Goodness. Be prepared to snort, chuckle, and flat out laugh-out-loud when reading Hammered. Not that facing off with the Norse gods just to fulfill a couple of promises is laughing matter, especially since one of those gods has a reputation for being a complete tool... Nevertheless, Hammered definitely tickled my funny bone.

So much so, in fact, that I had the guys (the Mr.'s friends who were hanging out at our place) asking why I was laughing so much. I think I may even have one of 'em interested in checking out this series... ;-)

Anyway. Back to the review. Apparently Thor has amassed quite the number of aggrieved enemies in his long and annoyingly ramification-free life. Not any more. After waiting centuries to hone his skills, Leif is ready for his revenge--along with a half-dozen others. And who's the lucky duck who gets to lead this group of vengeance-seekers to Asgard? Why, our very own favorite druid, of course. Never mind that he'd most likely not survive the trip...

If you've read any of Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid Chronicles, you'll know that he liberally sprinkles it with gods from various mythologies. His reach is far and wide, and part of the reason I really enjoy his stories are because of this breadth of characters. And not only does he bring them in, he gives them background and color, and purpose. One of my favorite parts of the story brings to mind Terry Pratchett's Small Gods--which brings forth the premise that gods only existed insofar as they had followers. Once your last faithful follower is gone, you're history. But we're not here to talk about Small Gods (though I'd suggest you pick it up if you happen to like irreverent humor and philosophy in your books), we're here for Hammered. So. One of the vengeance-seekers is a former thunder god--one whose name is no longer known because Thor convinced myriads other gods to have their followers forgo verbal histories in favor of drawing on cave walls and chiseling in stone, not much of which withstood the test of time... And so they languished, forgotten by the fickle humans...

So. There's humor. There's fighting and magic-slinging. There's death and destruction. And more humor. What else do you need to know? Go start with Hounded!

drey's rating: Outstanding! Kevin Hearne just gets better and better. I can't wait to find out what Atticus does next. After all, he'll have a whole horde of Norse gods on his tail...

Have you read Hammered? What did you think?

Review: 149. Cast in Ruin by Michelle Sagara...

I love Kaylin, and I love watching her growth in Michelle Sagara's Chronicles of Elantra series.

Title: Cast in Ruin (Chronicles of Elantra #7)
Author: Michelle Sagara
ISBN-13: 9780373803309
eBook: 325 pages
Publisher: Luna, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Purchased

drey's thoughts:
She started out in this series an awkward young woman, on the beat for the Halls of Law, irreverent and impetuous, and known more for being late than anything else. With each installment Kaylin Neya's grown a bit more--either in her magic, or her understanding of it. Of course, it's still in dribs and drabs, considering that there's nobody around who could tell her about her magic...

In Cast in Ruin, Kaylin's back at lessons. Etiquette lessons, which she needs if she's to survive a meeting with the Emperor, because apparently dragons don't have any sense of humor at all... And if you've followed Kaylin's journey, you know she's not very good at lessons. It's almost a miracle she's still alive, actually...

Lessons aren't the only thing Kaylin has to do in this installment, of course. She's called to Tiamaris' fief to do some investigating when bodies start appearing. Seven identical bodies, to be exact. And nobody knows who they are or where they've come from.

What follows is a tale of epic proportions, complete with backstory, a villain, a hero, and a damsel. Of sorts. And Kaylin, of course--even if she's gotten a hold of her irreverence (or at least attempts to not verbalize it) and sometimes checks her impetuousness at the door. I love the new characters introduced in Cast in Ruin, and I loved that Severn and Kaylin's relationship hasn't changed much, even with a few more things out in the open. I love the dialog and the action, too. And I love how things worked out, which isn't something I can always say about a book in a fantasy series! I'm looking forward to the next installment, Cast in Peril, even though I have no clue when it'll be out. Please make it soon!!

drey's rating: Outstanding! If you haven't read this series (yet), start with Cast in Shadow.

And if you have read it, what did you think?

Review: 146. Hexed by Kevin Hearne...

I thoroughly enjoyed Kevin Hearne's Hounded--what a romp! So of course I had to pick up Hexed, tout suite!

Title: Hexed (Iron Druid #2)
Author: Kevin Hearne
ISBN-13: 9780345522498
eBook:
Publisher: Random House, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Purchased


drey's thoughts:
In Hexed, our favorite druid runs into witches. Bad witches, good witches, witches who try to kill him, witches who wreak havoc, witches he's trying to sign a non-agression pact with... You get the idea: LOTS of witches. And if that wasn't headache enough, he's got a fallen angel chomping on high-school kids, demons coming down his street, and followers of the god Bacchus are heading to town to--you guessed it--wreak more havoc. Did somebody put up a neon "C'mon Over, All Ye Troublemakers" sign?

So off he goes to take care of the problems, and make sure the peaceful witches stay that way. I particularly enjoyed his messing with their magic with his ward--like a "neener, neener my ward's better than your magic" thing... Of course, he can't just let 'em do what they want--one of them might figure out how to kill him, and Atticus hasn't lived this long by letting that happen.

Atticus is still my new-favorite-hero. And I love, love, love, Oberon. Granuaile's irreverence provides yet more amusing reading. Coyote makes an appearance, which should foretell trouble to anyone remotely familiar with the legends... Laksha shows up to help out in a fight, and I wouldn't mind seeing more of her. The Morrigan on the other hand scares the bleepers out of me!  And oh my, the promises we make to get the help we need to keep our world and its people safe... All I know is, Atticus is going to have a heck of a time fulfilling those vows to Laksha and Leif--the latter might actually kill him.

There's something for everyone here, whether you like Shakespeare, urban fantasy, mythological gods, snippy vamps, lovable wolfhounds, baseball, ass-kicking action, or plain ol' flat-out laugh-out-loud funnies. Go pick it up. Seriously.

drey's rating: Excellent! This series just keeps getting better and better!

Have you read Hexed? What did you think?

Review: 136. Queen of Diamonds by Barbara Metzger...

I was intrigued by the story of an orphan child who is determined to stand on her own two feet, so I said "of course!" when approached with this title...

Title: Queen of Diamonds (House of Cards #3)
Author: Barbara Metzger
eBook:
Publisher: Untreed Reads, 2011
Purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble
Source: Untreed Reads

drey's thoughts:
Queenie Dennis is a woman in hiding--from the truth of her origins, from the Endicotts, and from the authorities. Her mother's lies set Queenie on the path towards redemption, and she hopes that she can make it up to the Endicotts, at least. After Paris, of course.

Returning to London with a quick needle and quicker eye for fashion and designs, Queenie sets up shop. She figures the quicker she can make money, the faster she can repay her mother's stolen money. But before she knows it she's hanging out with Lord Harkness (aye, even in her shop!), and attracting more attention than she'd like...

This third House of Cards book is very different from the first two. Those were about the men, and even rakish Jack was a gentleman who had his brother's name and money to fall back on if needed. Queenie has nothing and nobody, except an air-headed friend who stands by her. So by its very nature, Queen of Diamonds has a darker and grittier background and feel to it.

But I loved the characters. Queenie is strong and determined, even if she doesn't know that she's wrong. And Lord Harkness is a perfect foil for her personality, even if he doesn't mean to be. I loved the scenes where he's helping out in her shop. Him, a fancy lord and all... *grin*

Fans of regency romance will love Queen of Diamonds, and the entire House of Cards trilogy.

drey's rating: Excellent!

Have you read Barbara Metzger's House of Cards trilogy? You don't need to, but start with Ace of Hearts and Jack of Clubs for the story of Queenie's brothers Alex and Jack...

Review: 129. Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent...

I loved Rachel Vincent's Shifters series, and I had to pick up the first of her new adult urban fantasy series (especially since it was on sale)...

Title: Blood Bound (Unbound #1)
Author: Rachel Vincent
ISBN-13: 9780778312550
eBook: 326 pages
Publisher: Mira, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Purchased

drey's thoughts:
Once upon a time, four friends made a promise to each other to always help one another when asked. And they bound that promise with blood, not knowing that blood oaths have ramifications that will follow you for the rest of your lives. Or kill you. 

Fast forward to the present day. The four are friends no longer, having lived with the consequences of the blood oath. And the oath has been "neutralized" by a second one. Or so they think.

Liv Warren is a Tracker, a sort of bloodhound-slash-bounty-hunter. She can track anyone by using their blood, and freelances to whomever can pay the bills. When Annika shows up and asks Liv to find her husband's killer, Liv realizes that their second oath has been destroyed. Now Liv has to juggle conflicting loyalties along with an ex-boyfriend she can't seem to shake. Will she survive Annika's request? Better yet, will he?

Part paranormal-romance, part suspenseful mystery, Blood Bound explores the ramifications when loyalty and free will collide, especially when working under the power of multiple oaths. The plot twists and turns, letting you know there's way more going on than you expected. All of which combine into a recipe for a must-read from Rachel Vincent.

drey's rating: Excellent!

Have you read Blood Bound? What did you think?

Review: 127. Blood Rock by Anthony Francis...

I recently picked up Anthony Francis' Frost Moon and liked it. So of course I had to read Blood Rock right away... But now what am I gonna do?

Title: Blood Rock (Skindancer #2)
Author: Anthony Francis
ISBN-13: 9781611940138
e-ARC:
Publisher: Belle Bridge Books, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: BelleBooks

drey's thoughts:
We meet Dakota Frost in Frost Moon, where she's entangled in all sorts of trouble. In Blood Rock, she runs across graffiti art that's killing vampires, weres, and humans, and is prohibited from investigating. I bet you can see how well that's gonna turn out...

She also has to keep an eye on Cinnamon, and finds out some pretty startling revelations about her. All the "mom" stuff she's trying to do is stressing her out, especially when it seems as if nothing is going their way. Between school, Cinnamon's changing, and finding a place to live, Dakota's almost tempted to tell the world to take care of their own issues...

Magic, mystery, and murder abound in Blood Rock, and if you didn't like Dakota in Frost Moon (I couldn't imagine why), you will here. She goes through hell to keep her Cinnamon safe, and loses enough to make me wonder if she'll survive this installment.

A must-read for urban fantasy fans!

drey's rating: Excellent!

Review: 124. One Salt Sea by Seanan McGuire...

I've been waiting and waiting for this since I finished Late Eclipses... It does NOT disappoint!

Title: One Salt Sea (October Daye #5)
Author: Seanan McGuire
ISBN-13: 9780756406837
eBook:
Publisher: Penguin, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Purchased

drey's thoughts:
Toby's life is so not boring... But at least One Salt Sea waits (almost) a few chapters before throwing her into chaos. Again.

She's trying to re-learn her body, thanks to her mother's actions in Late Eclipses (not that she's complaining--at least she's alive!). And figuring out what it can do by sword-training with Sylvester. If that's not enough, she's worrying about Tybalt. Spending time with Connor. Hanging with May. Settling Lily's people in at Goldengreen... And it all comes to a screeching halt when the Luidaeg stops by. Because the Luidaeg does not just "stop by"...

We meet the Undersea fae in this installment, and what colorful characters they are. Not happy though, but who would be if your sons were missing and you suspect the Queen of the Mists of the dastardly deed? (heh, I've always wanted to use those two words together)

Now, the Queen isn't one of Toby's favorite people in the world, but even she knows that while mostly mad, the Queen is not the one responsible. So to avert outright war between the sea and land fae, Toby does what she's best at--unraveling the mystery, finding the perpetrators, and saving the world. Hopefully while staying alive.

I am in awe of Toby. She's been through a lot, and Seanan McGuire has never (and I suspect, will never) coddle her. If you've read Rosemary and Rue, you'll know how much Toby loves water. Well guess where she gets to go in One Salt Sea? I'm amazed she managed to stay as composed as she does. But then again, that's Toby--it doesn't matter to her how uncomfortable the situations she gets in are, she'll do it anyway. Because she'll do what's right, to save those she loves most. And those she loves most are definitely on the line in this fifth installment.

You're in for adventure galore, a new world that amazes, and pulse-pounding anxiety, all wrapped up in Toby's trademark open-mouth-insert-foot snarkiness. Pack some tissues though--you'll most likely cry with her before you run out of pages to read. *sigh*

drey's rating: Outstanding!! Now I have to figure out what to do for Toby-withdrawal until Ashes of Honor comes out next September. Yes, that's twelve whole months. *cry*

Have you read One Salt Sea? What did you think? If you haven't, start with Rosemary and Rue...

Review: 122. Frost Moon by Anthony Francis...

I'd won an e-copy of Anthony Francis' Frost Moon from Literary Escapism last summer, and finally picked it up so I could read Blood Rock and know what was going on...

Title: Frost Moon (Skindancer #1)
Author: Anthony Francis
ISBN-13: 9780984325689 (paperback)
eBook: 264 pages
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Anthony Francis

drey's thoughts:
I should've read Frost Moon back when I got it. But then I wouldn't be able to pick up Blood Rock when I finished it!

Dakota Frost is a tattoo artist, but not just any tattoo artist--she inks magical tattoos. She's tall, brash, and full of spit and vinegar. Yes, I like her. *grin*

In this first Skindancer book, Dakota is dragged into were business, vamp business, and plain ol' homicide investigation. With a heaping side of the feds. Whew! But she has no choice--someone's been skinning the magical tats off people, and they think the perpetrator is heading to Atlanta. Of course Dakota has to help... Doesn't hurt that the fed is quite yummilicious!

There are multiple plot lines in this story, and all of them seem random until the end. But Dakota isn't all work and no play, and there's no shortage of friends willing to help her out. Unfortunately for her, some of them don't quite survive the experience.

I like tattoos, I like urban fantasy, and I like Anthony Francis' melding of the two. Give Frost Moon a whirl if you haven't already. I'm going to pick up Blood Rock as soon as I can.

drey's rating: Excellent!

Review: 112. Perfect Partners by Carly Phillips...

Perfect Partners is the second of three of Carly Phillips' backlist that I've had the opportunity to read and review...

Title: Perfect Partners
Author: Carly Phillips
eBook: 169 pages
Publisher: Inkwell Publishing, 2011 (reprint)
Purchase at Amazon
Source: Blue Dot Literary 

drey's thoughts:  
Carly Phillips' Perfect Partners has two people who've lost a lot--and could lose even more--for the possibility of love.

Chelsie has baggage from a previous marriage, and she's still trying to make amends. Griffin just doesn't trust women, period. You know the walls are way up there when these two have to learn to tolerate the other, for the sake of their niece... 

When tolerance grows into something else, can they take the steps towards love? Or is losing your heart too risky a proposition?

I didn't get into Perfect Partners--not like I did Solitary Man, but I did enjoy the story. I wish there was a bit more of the lovely little girl, and a bit less of the self-doubts. All in all though, a good read.  

drey's rating: Pick it up!

Have you read Perfect Partners? What did you think?

Review: 106. Another Kind of Dead by Kelly Meding...

I inhaled Another Kind of Dead... Seriously.

Title: Another Kind of Dead (Dreg City #3)
Author: Kelly Meding
ISBN-13: 9780345525772
eBook: 289 pages
Publisher: Random House, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Purchased 


drey's thoughts:  
I don't know how Evy does it. Seems like she's destined to be dead (and stay that way), with as many times as she gets killed. And now, she has yet another big scary baddie to hunt down. If I were Evy, I'd curl up in a ball and hide under the bed. Forever.

Too bad for her, she's strong. Too bad for her, she cares. And way too bad for her, her enemies know her weak spots, and exactly which buttons to push to get her to do what they want...

If you have a delicate constitution or a fragile stomach, you won't want to read this. What Evy goes through, I wouldn't wish on my absolute worst enemies. All I know is, I wouldn't want to piss Kelly Meding off. Seriously.

The story is packed with plot and action, and there's even some character development. I wish Wyatt was a bit less wishy-washy, even as I appreciated his sensitivity to Evy's issues. And boy does she have issues. But who wouldn't? I also liked getting to know some of the other characters better. I like Gina, and Phin. I wish someone would break Bastian's nose. Oh wait, did they?

The ending is frenetic and at some parts downright terrifying--and grossly so. Here's another warning if you pick this up: You won't be able to put it down until you flip the last page, and then you're stuck with me waiting to see what happens next. And hoping Evy gets a much much nicer treatment in that installment (Wrong Side of the Dead, coming in January!!)...  But I'm not holding my breath.

drey's rating: Excellent!!!

Have you read Another Kind of Dead? What did you think?

Review: 100. Kitty's Big Trouble by Carrie Vaughn...

I've been waiting and waiting and waiting (!) for more Kitty... And here she is!

Title: Kitty's Big Trouble (Kitty Norville #9)
Author: Carrie Vaughn
ISBN-13: 9780765365651
eBook: 194 pages
Publisher: Tor, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Purchased

drey's thoughts:
Kitty starts off this ninth installment of Carrie Vaughn's Kitty Norville series trying to find out if General Sherman could've been a werewolf, and somehow ends it in San Francisco's Chinatown chasing ancient artifacts and meeting Chinese gods.

The basic plot is simple--stop Roman from getting the artifact, without getting killed in the process.

I enjoyed the Chinese gods' appearance in this book.  Then again, I like most anything that has even a whiff of Chinese mythology.  But I do wish there was a bit more character development.   That's what really got me into the Kitty books after all.  Here though, we have Ben still having trouble with his wolf, and Cormac's still possessed.  The three (four?) are trying to get to comfortable with working together and it shows.  But that's it.  The interactions between Ben and Kitty make them seem like an old married couple, and they're so not.  And Cormac's even more stoic (not sure if that's the word I want to use, but it's the only one stuck in my head for now) than ever.  Dealing with Kitty/Ben, as well as that thing in him can't be easy, yet we don't quite hear from Cormac as much as I'd expect to.  Too quiet... Where's the Cormac who first appeared?  The snarky caller stalking the werewolf DJ?  I want him back.

I still enjoyed Kitty's Big Trouble, but I'm hoping the next installment gives me back my sassy smart-alecky werewolf DJ--instead of this one who's so concerned-alpha that she sometimes forgets she kicks ass just using words.

drey's rating: Pick it up if you're a Kitty fan. If you're not, start with Kitty and the Midnight Hour!

Have you read Kitty's Big Trouble? What did you think?

Review: 88. Black Heart Loa by Adrian Phoenix...

I had to pick up Black Heart Loa, especially since it so handily showed up on my NOOK...

Title: Black Heart Loa (Hoodoo #2)
Author: Adrian Phoenix
ISBN-13: 9781439167922
eBook
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Purchased

drey's thoughts:
After Black Dust Mambo, I knew I had to pick up Black Heart Loa to find out what happens next.  After all, we left with Kallie finding out a lot of things about herself, her aunt, and her family; and she still has to find out if anyone else was involved in the crud that happened.  And Layne--well, he has a dead man's spirit inhabiting his body.  

Then Kallie goes home, only to find her cousin's gone.  As in taken.  And she's got a real bad feeling about his disappearance...  But before she can go looking for him, Kallie and her aunt figure out that the magic is backfiring.  Something is messing everything up--including the wards protecting southern Louisiana from the storm that's turning into a hurricane heading their way.  Even worse--could that something be her?

There are a lot of characters in this installment.  Kallie & Bell feature prominently, as they go haring off into one adventure after another.  Layne and his visitor as well.  And then there's  a few new bad guys, a whole town of loup-garous, and more family secrets to uncover.  The action never stops, and I wondered more than once how Kallie keeps going.  She does get a bit whiny at times, but Bell's there to smack her upside the head and set her straight.  I love their interactions, they make me laugh.

drey's rating:  Excellent! This installment is more convoluted than the initial,but I'll keep reading to find out what's up next for Kallie and gang...

Review: 81. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold...

I've been meaning to pick this title up for a while now, and finally got around to reading my 2-year-old copy...

Title: The Lovely Bones
Author: Alice Sebold
ISBN-13: 9780316044400
eBook
Publisher: Little, Brown, & Co., 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Purchased

drey's thoughts:
Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones is the story of fourteen-year-old Susie Salmon in heaven, watching over her family and friends on earth as they deal with her disappearance and subsequent presumed death. It is a heartbreaking story of devastating loss and eventual healing.

This is an emotional read, and Alice Sebold does a masterful job at deftly tugging yours along. I was immersed in the Salmon family's falling apart as they try to negotiate this reality that they so don't want. And I felt Susie's calm as she's navigating Heaven and learning to let go.

The characters are real. The plot is simple. And the storytelling superb. I'm going to add the movie to my Netflix queue now.

drey's rating: Excellent, even if I didn't like the lack of a final resolution.

Review: 62. Hard Bitten by Chloe Neill...

I love Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires series, so is it any surprise I had to get my hands on Hard Bitten to find out what happens next?

Title: Hard Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires #4)
Author: Chloe Neill
ISBN-13: 9780451233325
eBook
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Purchased

drey's thoughts:
I'll start by saying that if you haven't read Hard Bitten yet, please do yourself the favor of chomping at the bit for a few(!) more months. Drink Deep comes out later this year, and you will definitely want to--no, NEED to--read that as soon as you're done with this. Don't say you haven't been warned...

We start out with Cadogan House repairing the physical damage inflicted in Twice Bitten, but the psychological damage isn't quite so easy to take care of. The humans of Chicago are not so happy with their vampire neighbors--what with the violence of the attack, and now reports are surfacing of the raves where humans are disappearing--and have started staging protests. And when the humans aren't happy, the mayor's not happy either (elections and all that), and he's issued an ultimatum to Ethan: fix the problem or go to jail.

So Merit goes investigating, and does not like what she finds. The raves are big, loud, and violent. The Ombudsman's office is not receiving information from the Mayor's office. And somebody is using one of Celine's nom de guerres.

To make things just a wee bit more difficult for Merit and Ethan, the head of the Greenwich Presidium shows up, and delivers his own threat: cease investigating Celine or he'll place Cadogan House under receivership. Will the fun never cease?

This installment has a lot of Merit in it, which is awesome because I love Merit. Yes, even if she dog-ears her books. I like that her sassiness hasn't abated, even with all she's experienced. I like that she and Mallory are talking again. I like that she has at least one other romantic possibility in the wings--even if she's not interested (yet?). And I like that even though she still wants Ethan, she wants him on her terms, and isn't going to settle for less. I like Ethan here, too. He's much nicer when he's flirting and flattering. *grin*

Unfortunately, the fun and games don't last. As Merit goes deeper in her investigation, she uncovers a web of deceit so tangled that you won't believe who's involved. Chloe Neill paces things really nicely, adding in new characters (who'll show up in future installments, I'm sure) and throwing in plot twists that remain plausible even as they make your jaw drop. But she's an evil evil author for the last few chapters. Evil.

drey's rating: Excellent! Except for the ending, that is. But don't let that stop you from reading this series if you haven't yet. Start with Some Girls Bite...

Have you read Hard Bitten? What did you think?

Review: 41. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest...

I wanted to read more steampunk this year, and I'm ashamed to say I've only gotten to Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan so far... Sad, too, as I'm liking this genre--what I've read of it, anyway!

Title: Boneshaker (Clockwork Century #1)
Author: Cherie Priest
ISBN-13: 9780765318411
eBook
Publisher: Tor, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Purchased

drey's thoughts:
Set during the Civil War, Cherie Priest's Boneshaker is an alternate-history steampunk tale with wit, adventure, and zombies. Yup, zombies. They call 'em rotters, but you can't miss the shambling, moaning, tear-your-flesh-off, used-to-be-people, zombies...

Briar Wilkes was widowed sixteen years ago, when the world as they knew it went to heck in a hand-basket. She's shunned by her neighbors and coworkers, as they think that her husband caused the calamity that brought about the gas. The gas that turns those it touches into rotters. So Briar keeps to herself, and away from everybody. Until her son Ezekiel decides to prove that his father was innocent, and runs into the walled-off, gas-filled portion of the city...

I like Briar. She's stubborn and persuasive, and the fact that she's a mother out to save her son contributes nicely to the story. She doesn't always make the best decisions, but she's motivated by her son's safety, and worries about what he'll find. Along the way, she learns that you can't always be beholden to those who hold you responsible for actions that weren't yours.

Zeke's story is a little lighter than Briar's, and focuses more on the adventure. There are rotters! And more rotters! And a crazy inventor who could be his father! But is he? Or is he not?

You'll be stuck with this book until you find out if Briar and Zeke survive their excursion into the city, and whether the elusive and crazy Dr. Minnericht is Zeke's father...

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent! Boneshaker has an engrossing fast-paced plotline, intriguing characters, and believable world-building. You won't go wrong with this as an introduction to the steampunk genre. I'm off to get the next Clockwork Century novel, Dreadnought.

Challenge: New Author, Steampunk

Review: 28. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld...

I really enjoyed Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series, and love the cover of Leviathan. So. What else was there to do but pick it up and read it?

Title: Leviathan (Leviathan #1)
Author: Scott Westerfeld
ISBN-13: 9781416971740
eBook
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Purchased

drey's thoughts:
Scott Westerfeld's world in Leviathan is something like Star Wars vs. Darwin experimentalism, set during the beginning of World War I. The Archduke Ferdinand and his wife are assassinated, and his heir Aleksandar is whisked off into a machine that brings to mind the AT-AT (but with only two legs), hopefully towards safety.

At the same time Deryn Sharp is masquerading as a boy, so she can train to be a airman with the British Air Service. Only thing is, she's not quite going to be in an airplane... Instead she's on a huge floating whale that's kinda like a blimp that's alive (or is it a blimp that's a whale?).

The Darwinists use animals and biology and the ecosystem, and the Clankers use machines. And it looks like they're headed towards a showdown as countries draw sides in the aftermath of the assassination. So what happens when Aleks and Deryn meet in the remote mountains in Switzerland?

Character: Deryn and Aleks are two very different teens. One's fighting convention so she can do what she loves, and the other has his entire world turned upside down when his parents are killed. But both are likable teens. They're smart and sassy and funny and honest, and handle adversity pretty darn unbelievably well for teenagers... I think I like 'em! *grin*

Pace & Plot: Leviathan starts on a good pace, and moves at a good clip. There's a lot of ground to cover, after all, and with two storylines to boot. The plot doesn't veer too far from history, even if WWI never saw flying whales or giant two-legged machines. And there's lots to keep you interested as you turn the pages to see how Aleks and Deryn fare.

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent: This is my first steampunk novel, and I loved it! I can't wait to pick up Behemoth!

Have you read Leviathan? What did you think?

2011 challenge: Steampunk

Review: 16. Mercy Blade by Faith Hunter...

This could be a really really SHORT review, 'cuz I can say it in just one word: WOW. But, because this is a serious review blog, I shall endeavor to expand on that WOW. Just for y'all... Aren't you glad I like you? *wink*

Title: Mercy Blade (Jane Yellowrock #3)
Author: Faith Hunter
ISBN-13: 9780451463722
eBook
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Purchased

drey's thoughts:
In this highly-anticipated third installment in Faith Hunter's Jane Yellowrock series, Jane's headed to the Big Easy, to do a job for the Master of the City, Leo Pellisier. Not too much of a hardship, as her new main man--undercover cop Rick--is there too. But it's not too long before their jobs get in the way of their relationship...

To add to the man-undercover-angst, her boss Leo's not too fond of Jane right now (after the events in Blood Cross), so she also has stay-under-the-radar angst. But when trouble shows up in the form of weres (dogs AND cats), that doesn't stop her from trying to head off a revenge-motivated retaliation against Leo. Unfortunately for Jane, all of this action's just the side dish to Leo's main task for her: find the vamp who's returned to his territory, and tell him to get lost. Or else.

Character: Jane rocks. She's tough, mentally and physically. And yet she's still vulnerable, especially when trusting her heart to others. So you're totally with her when she starts having doubts about Rick, especially when she hasn't seen him in ages, and it looks like he's hanging with another gal. But I'd expect her to not be so darn wishy-washy about him. You get the facts and then deal with it. Not dwell in angst.

I really like Bruiser in this installment, his character's much more fleshed out, and if Rick weren't in the picture (is he still? I'm not telling!), I'd say take Bruiser for a ride! *wink* The werecats who show up could've been featured more, I think, but maybe that's just because I'm curious, darn it. Yes, yes, I know all about curiosity and cats... Still...

Pace & Plot: Well. Faith Hunter doesn't make you wait for the action, that's for sure. And when the plot gets going, you want to make sure you've got a chunk of time carved out for this book, because this is jam-packed with stuff. If this were an action film, there'd be car chase scenes and explosions and death-defying feats all over it... (cue Quantum Solace theme song... yes, I'm a Daniel-Craig-as-Bond girl...) But since it's a book, you just get fight scenes, fight scenes, and more fight scenes. Phew.

Lest you think it's all action and no substance, you also get Jane wondering about her and Beast, and why there aren't more of them... Some questions get brought up, and I sure hope they get answered! I'm impatiently waiting on the next one.

drey's rating: 5/5 Outstanding! If you haven't read Faith Hunter's Jane Yellowrock urban fantasy yet, well, why not?

Have you read Mercy Blade? What did you think?

Review: 154. Unclean Spirits by M.L.N. Hanover...

I picked this one up on a whim--the cover looked cool, and there was more than one book out in the series so I could binge. *blush*

Title: Unclean Spirits (Black Sun's Daughter #1)
Author: MLN Hanover
ISBN-13: 9781439143056
eBook
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

drey's thoughts:
Jayné Heller is twenty-two, aimless, and alone when she finds out that her uncle Eric is dead (murdered) and she's his heir. She also finds out that he was involved in hunting riders--beings who possess humans and take 'em over. Kinda like parasites. Yes, this means believing in demons and magic and all that stuff...

While checking out one of her new living quarters, she comes across Midian, who's a corpse-like vampiric creature who can cook like a superstar chef. And then the bad guys come a-visiting, and Jayné displays some very talented kick-ass mojo. As in, she kicks ass. Of course, she doesn't know how she does it--can we say "girl, you've got something special going on, even if you're clueless about it"?

The reason I'm not in love with this story is that there's a lot left hanging. Like Jayné's powers... The way Eric's A-Team shows up... How quickly they get from Eric's death to planning retribution on his murderer... I mean, seriously, Jayné simply trusts them when they say the bad guy's bad. I was just waiting for the tables to be turned... Also, how quickly Jayné forms an attachment to the team. Like she's some pathetic thing who'll love anyone as long as they keep her around. That so doesn't jive with the vengeful kickass heroine image, does it? Last thing--this is apparently the first in the Black Sun's Daughter series. But there's no mention anywhere about anything remotely close to what that means... Frustrating!

I'm giving the series another chance with book #2, because the world is pretty neat--riders are the reason there are non-humans like vampires, weres, etc. around. And I want to find out how Jayné deals with the aftermath of the big showdown.

drey's rating: 2.5/5 Better than just Ok

Challenges: 100+

129. Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson...

Title: Warbreaker
Author: Brandon Sanderson
ISBN-13: 9780765360038
eBook
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates Inc., 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Warbreaker was purchased. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
I picked up Brandon Sanderson's Warbreaker on a whim. Because you know how it goes when you're browsing books... You look at something, you go "hmmmmm," check it out, bring it home... And then you keep your fingers crossed.

Warbreaker is quite the tome, filled with entertaining characters and drama. In this world, some of those who die are reincarnated as gods. They live in a compound, have their own priests, and have all their needs taken care of. And they can live for a very very long time. As long as they the breath to do so, of course. I know, you're thinking "hmm, nice life"... But there's a catch. Isn't there always? The breath that sustains these gods come from the people--it is literally sucked out of them. And while life without breath isn't quite death (for the people at least), it's obviously a sacrifice. Then again, what god doesn't deserve a mere human's sacrifice?

One part of Warbreaker deals with Siri, a 17-year-old Princess whose father has sent her to be wed to a God King whom she cannot speak to, look at, or *gasp* touch; her sister Vivenna, who was supposed to have been the "sacrifice"; the God King whom Siri marries; and the mercenaries that Vivenna finds herself seeking help from. Plot twists pop up all over the place, as the sisters try to find a way to avert and incite war.

The other part features Lightsong, one of the "younger" gods, and his irreverent interactions with his priests, the other gods, and the populace in general. I have to admit, I turned pages hoping for more Lightsong--he made me laugh out loud. The mercenaries made me laugh, too, but Vivenna was so stick-in-the-mud that she bored me to tears.

Warbreaker had a lot of promise that went unfulfilled and a lot of pages that I mostly skimmed over, but it's worth picking up if only to explore the crazy lush world Sanderson created and appreciate the foibles of some of these characters.

drey's rating: 3/5 Good

Challenges: 100+, Pub

126. Venom by Jennifer Estep...

Title: Venom (Elemental Assassins #3)
Author: Jennifer Estep
ISBN-13: 9781439148013
eBook
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Venom is my own. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
I love Jennifer Estep's Elemental Assassins books so far, and Venom has done nothing but increase my enthusiasm for this series. The opening scene in this installment is hard to read. But let's just say that our favorite retired assassin has lotsa smarts...

And yes, Gin has retired. For real this time. At least, until someone whose help she'd previously enlisted, turns up to be stalked by Mab's main goon. And Gin decides to help remove the irrating itch, especially when she's socked with the one-two punch of coming face-to-face with her baby sister Bria, and finding out that Mab Monroe has put the hit on her (Bria, not Gin).

From the very first page of Venom, Gin commands your attention. She faces some very tough fights, and one very ardent admirer. And as she tries to protect those she cares about and those who can't protect themselves, Gin (finally!) declares open season on Mab Monroe. Pick this one up, but read Spider's Bite and Web of Lies first. And then you can wait in line behind me for Tangled Threads, due out in April 2011.

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent

Challenges: 100+, Pub