Top 5 Wednesday - Series Titles

 

Welcome to the first Top 5 Wednesday for December!  So the countdown to Christmas is on and with only 3 more T5W to go until the jolly fat man comes it's time to get down to the nitty gritty and get on with this weeks list... what are my Top 5 Series Titles?

I had to think long and hard about this, but eventually I just ended up grabbing books from my shelves.  Thankfully it didn't take too long before I had a couple of interesting titles - and as luck would have it, my postie dropped off another parcel yesterday that contained the first book in a series with a great name ;-D.  So, without further ado, I give you my Top 5 Series Titles...

 

 The Iron Druid Chronicles

Although this is a fabulous name, I had to put it in at numero 5 as I've only read Hounded from the library.  I've been meaning to add this series to my bookshelves, but I just keep getting sidetracked.  The series is about an immortal Druid who is hiding from certain Gods in America.  It's great.  Lots of action, a bit of mystery, and funny as can be.  My favourite character would have to be Oberon.

Recommended for those who love urban fantasy, magic, or mythology.

 

 An Aurora Teagarden Mystery

With a name like Aurora Teagarden, the main character could never go through life unnoticed ;-D  This is a great cosy mystery series that revolves around our main protagonist, Aurora, who is a librarian in a small country town in Southern America.  Full of mystery, and a few murders, this series will keep you guessing until the last page.

I absolutely adore this short series - 8 books - by Charlaine Harris.  Recommended for anyone who works in the library industry, loves cosy mysteries, or just enjoys a great fast paced who-dunnit ;-D

 

 The Black Dagger Brotherhood

A great adult vampire series.  Ward has a different take on the whole vampire genre and I very much enjoyed reading about the original members of the Brotherhood (books 1-6).  There are 9, or 10,  books in the series now, and it doesn't seem as if Ward will stop any time soon.  

Would recommend to those who love Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series.

 

 The Parasol Protectorate

Series actually listed under 'An Alexia Tarabotti Novel', but to anyone who's read these books it's a Parasol Protectorate book ;-D  Fabulous characters, intriguing mysteries and all the Victorian era Steampunk you could want.  Highly recommend to anyone who wants to get into Steampunk, or just likes vampires and werewolves.

 

 The Gentlemen Bastard Sequence

Just got this book in the mail yesterday, so it's on my TBR pile, but I just love the title of this series. From the reviews I've seen on YouTube this should be an amazing read.  Hopefully I'll be able to get to it before Christmas ;-D

So Christmas is now one T5W closer ;-D.   Thank you for dropping by, and I hope you found something new to read, and if you want to find out more about this series, it was created by the lovely Lainey at GINGERREADSLAINEY and I'll include a link to the Goodreads group {here} if you would also like to participate.

If you have any questions or comments, then please feel free to leave them down below.

Until next time,

 

Top 5 over 500!

Hello, and welcome to another Top 5 Wednesday list!  This week we are demolishing our shelves, trying to find our top 5 books over 500 pages.  Yes, that's right - 500 pages!  Luckily I do have rather a few huge books on my shelves but as I was riffling through I realised that a few of them were in my TBR shelves.  Bugger!  Can't put those in my top 5, so this is what I ended up with...

 

Through Wolf's Eyes by Jane Lindskold

608 pages

This is the first book in the Firekeeper Saga, and essentially is about a girl who lost her parents when she was a young child and happened to be found and taken in by a pack of intelligent wolves.  Years later, they send her back to the humans {as they'd promised her mother} and the humans think that she is the lost heir to the throne (I think?) and there is a lot of political manoeuvring involved.  Set in an equivalent medieval era, it is a great introduction to Jane Lindskold if you love adult fantasy.

PS - this item is no longer available on Book Depository, etc.  Can find it on sites like AbeBooks.com {that's where I just ordered mine from ;-D}

 

Divine by Mistake by P.C. Cast

698 pages

This is the first book in Cast's Partholon Trilogy.  The story revolves around Shannon Parker, a teacher, and during her summer vacation she purchases, at auction, a Celtic vase and finds herself magically transported to the world of Partholon where she becomes the Goddess Incarnate of Epona and must find a way to return to Oklahoma before war erupts - oh, and she is married off to a centaur! ;-D

Much better than her series with daughter, this is an light, adult contemporary/fantasy trilogy.

 

 

Gladiatrix by Rhonda Roberts

582 pages

I love it when I can plug a great book from an Australian author!

When time travel was invented, everyone thought it would solve their problems. But for 22-year-old Kannon, it's about to turn her life upside down. Left for dead in the Blue Mountains when she was just a baby, Kannon has now discovered that an American Time Marshal, Victoria Dupree, could be her real mother. But Victoria has gone missing in ancient Rome while investigating the Hierophant, the mysterious leader of the Isis cult.  Kannon desperately wants to find Victoria, but the US National Time Administration is standing in her way ...

So amazing!  The next two books in the series have been published, Hoodwinked (set in the 20's I think), and Coyote (which is set in Wild West USA).

 

A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton

521 pages

I love this series, and stumbled across A Kiss of Shadows when it was first published way back when.  It is an adult contemporary fantasy series with explicit sex scenes, so if that's something that bothers you then I'd recommend you either skim those scenes, or try another book.  This series is NOT FOR YOUNGER READERS!

Merry Gentry, princess of the high court of Faerie, is posing as a human in Los Angeles, working as a private investigator specializing in supernatural crime. But now the queen's assassin has been dispatched to fetch her--whether she likes it or not. Suddenly Merry finds herself a pawn in her dreaded aunt's plans. The job that awaits her: enjoy the constant company of the most beautiful immortal men in the world. 

The reward: the crown--and the opportunity to continue to live. 

The penalty for failure: death.

 

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

690 pages

A world of witches, daemons and vampires. A manuscript which holds the secrets of their past and the key to their future. Diana and Matthew - the forbidden love at the heart of it. When historian Diana Bishop opens an alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library, it's an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordered life. Though Diana is a witch of impeccable lineage, the violent death of her parents while she was still a child convinced her that human fear is more potent than any witchcraft. Now Diana has unwittingly exposed herself to a world she's kept at bay for years; one of powerful witches, creative, destructive daemons and long-lived vampires. Sensing the significance of Diana's discovery, the creatures gather in Oxford, among them the enigmatic Matthew Clairmont, a vampire geneticist. Diana is inexplicably drawn to Matthew and, in a shadowy world of half-truths and old enmities, ties herself to him without fully understanding the ancient line they are crossing. As they begin to unlock the secrets of the manuscript and their feelings for each other deepen, so the fragile balance of peace unravels...

OMG! Such an amazing trilogy!  Can't say enough great things about these books, and would recommend anyone who loves magic, witches, forbidden love and history to pick up this book!

plus an

 

At just a smidge under the 500 page limit - 487 pages to be exact - I had to include Written in Red by Anne Bishop as an Honourable Mention as I love this book so much!  While not targeted as a YA fantasy, this book is a great read for anyone (of any age!) that loves shapeshifters, elemental beings, vampires with a difference, and other magical beings and wants to segue into adult fantasy. 

This is the first book in The Others series, the second book, Murder of Crows, is currently out in hardcover/trade while the third - and hopefully not last - book in the series, Vision in Silver, is due for release next March!   I so want an ARC copy of ViS! - if anyones listening {*hint hint *} :-D

So if you loved Written in Red and are looking for more of Anne Bishop's books that are aimed at an adult audience, then I would highly recommend that you try her Black Jewels series.

You'll might have noticed 3 a glaring omission from this list.  There is no LOTR, nor any Harry Potter books.  I've tried to stay away from YA (sorry The Diviners and Harry!), and I only read LOTR every couple of years and since it was originally published in 3 parts, I don't really think I could put it here - that and I didn't want to be that predictable ;-D

Okay, so that's me done for another week.  I hope you found something new to read, and if you want to find out more about this series, it was created by the lovely Lainey at GINGERREADSLAINEY and I'll include a link to the Goodreads group {here} if you would also like to participate.

If you have any questions, or comments, I'd love to hear from you... and you know what to do down below ;-D

So until next time,

 

Sorry, it's too hot to post

Sorry about this unintended hiatus from reviewing, but it has been waaay too hot here to do much more than sit on the bed and listen to some audiobooks.  Temperatures have been up in the high 30s and I have been just too uncomfortable to sit at a desk and update everything - which is really annoying because I have read so many great books in the last 2 weeks!  So hopefully the hot weather will go away in the coming week (finger's crossed) and I will finally be able to post something.

Upcoming reviews should include:

• Coraline
• The Sleeper and the Spindle
• Doll Bones
• Withering-by-Sea
• The Minaturist {still reading . . . slowly ;-D }
• Clockwork Scarab
• The Wee Free Men
• John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat
• The Fry Chronicles
• The Hot Zone
• Mist
• Archangel's Shadow

. . . and many more!

Phew!  That's more than I thought I'd read!

Anyway, must dash off and turn on the fans as the wind has stilled and it's getting too damned hot.

So until next time my lovelies,

 

Book Review - The Hexed

The Hexed
Krewe of Hunters #13
Heather Graham

Published: July 2014

Harlequin MIRA, mass market pbk, 390p.
ISBN: 978-174356597-1

A place of history, secrets. . . and witchcraft

Devin Lyle has recently returned to the Salem area, but her timing couldn't be worse.  Soon after she moved into the eighteenth-century cabin she inherited from her great-aunt Mina - her 'crazy' great-aunt, who spoke to the dead - a woman was murdered nearby.

Craig 'Rocky' Rockwell is a new member of the Krewe of Hunters, the FBI's team of paranormal investigators.  He never got over finding a friend dead in the woods.  Now another body's been foud in those same woods, not far from the home of Devin Lyle.  And Devin has been led to a third body - by a ghost?

Her discovery draws them both deeper into the case and Salem's rich and disturbing history.  Even as the danger mounts, Devin and Rocky begin to fall for each other - something the ghosts of Mina and past witches seem to approve of.  But the two of them need every skill they possess to learn the truth - of Devin's might be the next body in the woods. . .

Ghosts, ghosts and more ghosts!  Throw in some witches, Salem, a couple of bodies and you've got The Hexed in a nutshell.  I'm a sucker for witches and genealogy, so I really enjoyed the history that Heather Graham incorporated in to the storyline.  

The characters in The Hexed were exactly what you'd expect from a Romance book.  You have a pretty girl who meets the handsome, strong and possibly heroic guy.  They get into trouble, fall in love/lust, make out like little bunnies, solve a murder and possibly live happily ever after.  So if you're looking for amazing characters that will break your heart with their realism, then perhaps this isn't the book for you.

However if you are still interested The Hexed follows Devlin, said pretty girl, and our protagonist who has recently moved into her great-aunt's cabin.  There, along with Poe - the raven she inherited -  Devlin writes childrens books.  One day she hears cries for help from the woods surrounding her home.  In true romance fiction style our budding sleuth heads out to see what's happening, only to stumble upon the body of a newly dead woman.  Devlin runs for the road and flags down a car - this car belongs to Rocky, our potentially heroic love interest, who has been sent to find out who is killing the women.  Mystery and chaos ensue.

Apart from our lovers, Devlin and Rocky, there are more than the usual number of secondary characters that don't hesitate to jump into the action.  All are interesting in their own way, and all have links to a murder that took place over 10 years earlier.  Out of all the characters, my favourites would have to be Great-Aunt Mina - yes, she does have a part to play - as well as Poe, the guard Raven who protects Devlin.

On to said mystery angle.  It was well constructed and executed, with suspect all over the place.  They make good grist for misdirection mill by the author, and it worked.  My attention was successfully diverted from the identity of the real killer - I definitely didn't see it coming.  The identity of the killer came right out of left field.  So congrats to the author in that respect.

I will say that while most of my experience reading The Hexed was positive, there were a few issues that really niggled.  The first is that there is no real relationship between Devlin and Rocky.  Just a closeness enforced by a murder investigation.  Amazingly, they managed to hold off jumping into bed until the last third of the book (which is quite refreshing for a change!).   Also - and this is my biggest criticism - that there was no real resolution in regards to the punishment of the killer once he/she/it were caught {trying not to give any spoilers away there ;-D}.  There was no trial, or any other measurable means of justice.  Very annoying to invest in a book and then feel let down at the end.

So in conclusion, while The Hexed is not in the same literary league as War and Peace, or even The Diviners, this book did tick most of the boxes that I look for in regards to a M&B style romance book.  It was fast paced, and the world building let me envisage the characters, and their story easily.  Harlequin MIRA has been publishing some amazing mysteries in the last couple of years and I would recommend that you try them as they aren't all straight up romance with a bit of mystery on the side.  In all I really enjoyed reading The Hexed.  It is a quick read (I finished in under 4 hours) and would be great for travelling.

Until next time,

 

Book Review - Gilded

Gilded
The St. Croix Chronicles #2
Karina Cooper

Published: January 2013

AVON, mass market pbk, 372p.
ISBN: 978-0-06-212766-2

In the gleaming heights of Victorian London, a world of deceptin awaits an uncovnentional Society lady whose taste for adventure makes her a most formidable adversary...

Though Society demands that I make a good marriage, I, Cherry St. Croix, have neither the time nor the interest.  Iam on the trail of a murder with no victim, a mystery with no motive, and the key to an alchemical formula that could be my family's legacy.

Yet the world is not so kind as to let me pursue simple murder and uncomplicated bounties.  Above the foggy drift, an earl insists on my attention, while my friends watch my increasingly desperate attempts to remain my own woman.  From the silken demands of the Midnight Menagerie - to whose dangerously seductive ringmaster I owe a debt - to the rigorous pressures of the peerage, all are conspiring to place before me a choice that will forever change my life.

I just don't think I can convey to you just how much I detested, disliked and or how much this book disappointed me.  So for that reason, be warned that there are no warm and fuzzy feelings in the below review ;-D

I picked this copy of Gilded up at a local booksale {see here} and I'm so grateful that I didn't pay more than $1 for this absolutely depressing book.  While the cover art depicts a suitably Victorian/paranormal - edging towards a slight Steampunk vibe - it does little to make up for this story.  Which was surprising given the suitably dark and mysterious atmosphere that the author was able to convey.   {note, that was my only positive point about Gilded!}

The characters were tolerable at best, and our main protagonist, Lady Cherry St. Croix, was nothing more than an adventure seeking drug addict who had a penchant for opium and laundenum to escape her worries.  Now I haven't read book one - and I have absolutely no desire to - but I think her drug use stems from something that occured during that book.  Nethertheless, I really dislike reading about characters who rely on drugs to get through their days.  Also, as an heiress, she is supposed to be at least competent in society, but I found her floundering in social situations to be just stupid.  She would have been brought up to cope with any verbal riposte.

Other characters that we are introduced to did nothing for me, and I couldn't feel any emotional connection, and therefore didn't give a sh*t about any of them.

The ending was just plain crappy.  After investing in the book, a reader likes to get an emotional payoff rather than the character falling totally from grace and doing a complete 180° in social standing and fortune (from what happens).  Why couldn't it have ended on a high note with the wedding, and have the sh*t hit the fan at the beginning of the next book?

WILL NOT BE READING ANY MORE OF THIS SERIES!

 

 

 (for cover art, and Victorian setting alone)

Until next time,

 

Top 5 Wednesday - Couples

Sorry that I'm a little late this week.  For some reason I chose to start reorganising my bookshelf yesterday.  So my bookshelves are still a wreak, I've got books piled up on random pieces of furniture and I won't be able to get things sorted out properly until I get a new big bookshelf.  I know.  Why did I do that? 

Now that that mini-rant is out of my system, it's on to this weeks Top 5.  This week I chose books from adult series.  So if you're after any YA recommendations - sorry!

 

 

 

 Meg Corbyn {aka cs759} & Simon Wolfguard

This is my favourite not-a-couple-at-the-moment couple.  Meg is different ... special.  Her blood a portal into the future, where a single cut on her skin can go for thousands of dollars.  After escaping the facility where her kind are held, she finds herself at a Courtyard.  Home of the Others.  A race of shapeshifting natives who control the land - and it's resources.  There she meets Simon, leader of the Courtyard, and a wolf-shifter. . .  and that's all I'm telling you about this amazing series ;-D

Their budding romance is definitely forbidden, but they are so good together, very sweet and almost innocent (on Meg's side), that watching them fall in love is a joy.

If you want to follow Meg and Simon's adventures, start with Written in Red by Anne Bishop.

 

 Stephanie Plum & Joe Morelli

I procrastinated over adding Steph & Morelli to the list, but this is one of my go-to series to read when I just want a fun bit of escapism so in the end I just had to include this on-again-off-again couple.  Stephanie is a bumbling bounty hunter who has a thing for Morelli, a Trenton cop.  They love, laugh, fight, break-up, lie for each other (and to each other), and are just a fun couple to read.

If you would like to catch up with Stephanie & Morelli (and Ranger) then start at the beginning with One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

. . . and don't watch the movie first!

 

 Elena Devereaux & Raphael

Of all my top 5 couples, this is one of the most 'out there'.  A mortal who falls in love with one of the most powerful beings on Earth - an Archangel.  Amazingly, he returns her feelings.  These two are now learning how to live, and love, in a world where Archangel's are the apex predator.

First book in the Guild Hunter series is Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh.

 

 Diana Bishop & Matthew Clairmont

I really have come to love Diana and Matthew.  They are all about the forbidden love, and breaking the rules to be with the one you love.  Funny, and heartbreaking at times, their story is amazing.

If you want to read Diana and Matthew's story, start with A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.

 

Lt. Eve Dallas & Roarke

I think Eve and Roarke are my favourite couple because they are just amazing characters.  They both share shitty childhood's, and had built themselves a better life - until their worlds collided when Eve was investigating a homicide, and Roarke was her suspect.  Fierce loyalty, compassion, love, and a myriad of other qualities are words I would use to sum up this couple ;-D

If you want to start reading this massive series read: Naked in Death by J.D. Robb

So once again my lovelies, that's it for yet another week.  Hope you enjoyed my favourite book couples list.  I'd love to hear what you think of them.

 

And if you want to find out more about this series, it was created by the lovely Lainey at GINGERREADSLAINEY and I'll include a link to the Goodreads group {here} if you would also like to participate.

I will try to start uploading videos at some point in the future.  Ever time I've tried in the last few weeks, something had happened.  This week it's roadworks on my street!

Until next time,