Category: great reads

Books, great reads, Reviews

Shifter Planet by D.B. Reynolds

debra

Hey everyone,

Blurb:

Specialist Amanda Sumner is one of the first to make contact on the Earth-like planet Harp and discovers she’s the only Earthling, who can hear the trees sing in the strange forest. Determined to remain and learn more of the planet’s secrets, Amanda sets out to become part of the elite Guild there…

But there is a secret involving some Guild members–one that could get her killed.

Shifter Rhodry de Mendoza wants the Earthlings off his planet before they destroy it—even if that means denying what he feels for the fierce and lovely Amanda. The pair is thrown together in what becomes a fight for their lives. And they might just lose everything–including each other–in their battle for the right to live in peace.

I really enjoyed this book.  I have been a long time fan of Ms. Reynolds since I found her Vampires in America series several years ago which is still on-going.  She writes very well and is wonderful at the craft of world building. Both characters of Amanda and Rhodry are well-developed.  Their motivations are understood throughout the book.  I think Amanda is especially strong and she shows it especially as what happens to her and then Rhodry unfolds.   She also did a good job of describing the antagonists in the story and what they wanted as well. One thing that I really liked about this book was that the relationship between Rhodry and Amanda was a slow build.  The author did not rush and it worked.  Honestly, once Amanda entered the trial to pursue entry into the Guild, she and then Rhodry were so busy trying to survive, they didn’t have time for a whole lot to happen fast.  Anyway, this really involved learning more about the planet of Harp, some of the history of Harp’s genetically altered shifters, Amanda’s ability to  “hear the trees” and get back to the City.

This was a great combination of some fantasy, some space travel, and paranormal. I am looking forward to more books in this series.  There are several very interesting characters that hopefully will have their stories told as well.

Happy Reading,

debra

Books, great reads, Reviews, scifi, steampunk

The Diabolical Miss Hyde by Viola Carr

Karen

diabolical-2

This book has been on my TBR forever but for some reason I just never got around to it, that was my loss. I LOVED this book, let me tell you why, but first the blurb:

Magic, mystery, and romance mix in this edgy retelling of the classic The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde–in which Dr. Eliza Jekyll is the daughter of the infamous Henry

In an electric-powered Victorian London, Dr. Eliza Jekyll is a crime scene investigator, hunting killers with inventive new technological gadgets. Now, a new killer is splattering London with blood, drugging beautiful women and slicing off their limbs. Catching “the Chopper” could make Eliza’s career—or get her burned. Because Eliza has a dark secret. A seductive second self, set free by her father’s forbidden magical elixir: wild, impulsive Lizzie Hyde.

When the Royal Society sends their enforcer, the mercurial Captain Lafayette, to prove she’s a sorceress, Eliza must resist the elixir with all her power. But as the Chopper case draws her into London’s luminous, magical underworld, Eliza will need all the help she can get. Even if it means getting close to Lafayette, who harbors an evil curse of his own.

Even if it means risking everything and setting vengeful Lizzie free . . .

This book was amazing! It was a steampunk twist on Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde with even a dash of Frankenstein thrown in for good fun. You follow the main characters Eliza and Lizza as they try to solve a murder, escape the Royal enforcers and figure out who they really are. The world build is perfect, I mean spot on, I normally have a hard time with steampunk and honestly sometimes, especially when Eliza was talking it did seem a little verbose but all and all I enjoyed it immensely. The story itself broke a lot of my rules, too many plot lines, too many characters, too much going on but guess what I DIDN’T CARE! Yeah I liked it that much. She even has an adorable little robot Hippocrates who likes to keep things logical thank you. Read it! I’m still on this book high, so I don’t want to talk to much lest I reveal something I shouldn’t.

Book two The Devious Dr. Jekyll just released on October 27th Hyde-2  acquiring now, I’ll let you know what I think of that as well.

Here is its blurb: Solving the infamous Chopper case has helped crime scene physician Dr. Eliza Jekyll establish her fledgling career in the chauvinistic world of Victorian law enforcement. But the scrutiny that comes with her newfound fame is unwelcome for a woman with a diabolical secret. And there is the mercurial Royal Society agent and wolf man Remy Lafayette. Does he want to marry her, eat her, or burn her at the stake? Though Eliza is uncertain about Remy, her dark and jealous shadow self, Lizzie, wants to steal the magnetic and persistent agent, and usurp Eliza’s life.

It’s impossible to push Remy away when he tempts her with the one thing she can’t resist: a bizarre crime. The search for a bloodthirsty ritual torturer dubbed the Pentacle Killer draws them into a terrifying world of spies, art thieves, and evil alchemy, where the price of immortality is madness?or damnation—and only Lizzie’s dark ingenuity can help Eliza survive.

As Eliza and Remy race to thwart a foul conspiracy involving the sorcerous French, they must also overcome a sinister enemy who is all too close: the vengeful Lizzie, determined to dispose of Eliza for good.

Happy reading!!

Books, great reads, Reviews

The Shadow Prison: The Ninth Chosen  by: K.A. Parkinson

Les

I am trying to figure out where to start. I really liked this book. But in the beginning I was on information overload, and still clueless. I’m learning all these new terms, words, people, creatures, and rules. But I don’t know why I’m learning this yet.

So the world is on the brink of war, but not between countries, but between the light and the dark (good and evil), there are chosen ones selected to protect humans and the light against the dark, and then the ninth one is chosen. The ninth is suppose to fulfill a prophecy. They are suppose to save the world from the dark. But, the ninth being chosen is a good and bad thing, he is superior so he can save the world, but him being chosen means the war is on the horizon. Macy & Tolen have a guardian named Bastian as well. He is there to protect, guide and teach them.  There is a lot of action in this book, as well as rudeness, love, betrayal, pain, and loss. There are all sorts of creatures in this story, you have different evil creatures that most people would consider demons, fairy types, watchers, along with people with different powers. The powers usually are something to do with the elements earth, wind, fire, and water. However, a select few have different powers. Macy does get on my nerves sometimes, because she is always pushing people away, and Tolen gets on my nerves too because he does dumb stuff and sometimes acts like a girl.

While they are learning to survive together, they also have to figure out their destiny and what part they are suppose to play in this war.

This book is written from different points of view. (Side note: I feel like I have been hitting the jackpot lately with this. Even the book I am currently reading is like this.) Anyway, I thought I wouldn’t like it and I almost put it down. I then thought about it and I wasn’t giving it a fair chance. So I carried on and I found myself enjoying the book. I was enjoying figuring out the mysteries before the characters did.

So, give it a chance, you will be surprised.

Peace,

Les

Books, great reads, Reviews

Somebody Killed His Editor by Josh Lanyon

debra

Hey everybody,

Somebody Killed His Editor is a murder mystery by Josh Lanyon.  This is the first book I have read by this author and I found this book by way of an online book club I am in.  It is this month’s selection.  The detective is Christopher Holmes, a mystery writer whose sales are declining.  His agent told him to attend a small writer’s conference where the main speaker will be his editor.  He absolutely does not want to go, but he concedes to her request.  His agent has also told him to drop a new story idea to his editor that he does not have in his head yet in order to keep writing. Upon arrival, he finds a murdered body at the Lodge and is a leading suspect.  The next day, he finds another dead body! The search is on for the killer and the reason why.  Christopher is assisted by J.X. Moriarity, a writer who is an ex-cop.

What I liked about this book:  First, I love a good murder mystery and this one kept me interested.  It is a good little “whodunit”.  What surprised me most was the humor in the story, largely due to Christopher. This character’s internal banter is refreshing, at times self-deprecating, but quite humorous.  I do not expect to laugh during a murder mystery, but I did in this book.  There is a subplot of a romance between Christopher and J.X., but the author develops it slowly.  I thought the writing was tight in this book and the pacing of the story felt right. I believe I will be reading more by this author.

I was not crazy about the titling of the book and I thought the cover art was a bit too “cheesy”, but just put all that stuff aside and enjoy the story which is the most important thing anyway.  Pick it up—I think you will like it.

Happy Reading,

Debra