Review: Dark Witch (or Three Sisters Island v2.0)

Dark Witch

Book One of the Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy

Nora Roberts

Published: October, 2013

Piatkus, Trade Paperback, 342p.

ISBN: 978-0-7499-5859-6

Three cousins inherit a gift that will tranform their lives...

Iona Sheehan has just taken the biggest gamble of her life.  Leaving her job, her home and her family in Baltimore, she has come to Ireland in search of adventure - and answers.

Iona has always felt a powerful connection to the home of her ancestors.  So when her beloved grandmother confesses an extraordinary family secret, she can't resist visiting County Mayo to discover the truth for herself.  Arriving at the beautiful and atmospheric Castle Ashford, Iona is excited to meet her cousins, Connor and Branna O'Dwyer, for the first time.  And when she lands a job at the local riding school she finds herself drawn against her will to its owner - the hot-tempered but charismatic Boyle McGrath.  Perhaps in County Mayo she has found her true home at last.

What Iona doesn't realise is that her cousins have been expecting her for a long time.  Connor, Branna and Iona have all inherited a powerful but dangerous gift from an ancestor known as the Dark Witch.  And they are about to discover that some old legends can return to haunt the present...

My library emailed me to let me know that Dark Witch was waiting for me and I was so happy - good reading material has been scarce around here lately - so the next time I went into town I made sure to pick it up.  It sat for a day, staring at me from the arm of the couch, until I finally gave in last night and headed off to bed early (had a big thunderstorm - perfect for witchy reading).

Book Review || Archangel's Legion

Archangel's Legion
Guild Hunters, Book 6
Nalini Singh

Published: October, 2013

Jove, mass market paperback, 374p.
ISBN: 978-0-425-25124-9

Angels are falling from the sky in New York, struck down by a vicous, unknown force.

Vampires are dying impossibly from disease.

Guild Hunter Elena Deveraux and the archangel Raphael must discover the source of the wave of death before it engulfs their city and their people, eaving New York a ruin and Raphael's Tower under siege by enemy archangels.

Yet even as they fight desperately to save the city, and even darker force is stirring, its chill eyes trained on New York. . . and on Raphael.  Rivers of crimson and nightmares given flesh, the world will never again be the same. . . 

What can I say?  I LOVED IT!  The Guild Hunter series just keeps getting better and better and even though previous books done from the POV of two of Raphael's Seven have been very interesting, it's at its best when told through the eyes of Raphael and Elena.

After the events of the previous book, the Cascade is in full effect and the Cadre of Ten are exhibiting new abilities, as well as personality quirks, that seem to heighten the core of who they are as individuals.  Raphael is still much weaker than the other archangels, and his new powers seem to have stalled with the abiltiy to heal, while other members of the Cadre are developing - and hiding - much deadlier and destructive abilities.

Lijuan is back, and is as bat shit crazy as ever.  She is a great foil for Raphael, but she's not the only one out for blood.  Elena is torn with more troubles on the family front, with a secret coming to light that shakes her long held feelings of love/hate for her father.  And Michaela has her sights firmly set on Raphael.

I could go on giving hints for quite a while, but will stop there before I totally spoil the plot for anyone who hasn't managed to get their hands on it yet.  I will say that this book has raised the stakes in the battle of the archangels, and with the revelations of the last couple of chapters, I can't believe I have to wait a whole year before finding out what happens next!  

Don't touch this book if you haven't read books 1-5, it just won't have the same impact, and please don't attempt to read it if you don't have a few hours to spare as putting it down is nearly impossible.  Archangel's Legion is a fast paced book that grabs you by the scruff and takes you on a ride you'll wish didn't end.  Elena and Raphael just get better and better.

Easy Come, Easy Go

Hi all!

It's been a tough few weeks with everything coming to a head early last week when I had to hand in my resignation due to medical reasons.  Only I could get and loose a job in 3 months.  But, now that leaves me stuck at home, recuperating and taking it easy until my doctors give me the okay.  I'd rather be earning a wage, but that's not in the cards for the next 12-24 months!  So, I guess that means that I'll now be able to give more time to my ever increasing TBR pile, and updating my blog.

I'll start by telling you how much I loved Archangel's Legion by Nalini Singh.  The series as a whole is great, but I do adore the stories that revolve around Raphael and Elena.  In AL, there were a few surprises I didn't see coming - read upcoming review for more - and now I can't wait for the next, as yet untitled, book due out late 2014.

In the meantime, I'm waiting for my audiobook reservations to come into the library.  I finally managed to track down copies of A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness.  They are massive at 20 discs each, but it's a lot cheaper than having to buy every audiobook that tickles my fancy.   I also managed to find out the title of the third and final book in the All Souls Trilogy - plus the release date.  The Book of Life is due out on stands 15 July, 2014 - yippeeeee!

So until I see you again, happy reading!