Books, great reads, Reviews, scifi, steampunk

The Diabolical Miss Hyde by Viola Carr

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, Out of the Box Blogs

$25 Amazon Gift Certificate Ending Saturday Night

Almost there! We are picking our winner of the $25 Amazon gift certificate tonight (well midnight so technically tomorrow morning) so if you haven’t entered yet better hurry!!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/479697331/?

Out of the Box Blogs

Siblinghood of the World Award

This is our first nomination so a very special THANK YOU to Bibliomad for nominating us!

I know I’m just one of the three bloggers on our page but it’s my day to post so you get stuck with me. Here are the 10 questions Bibliomad asked:

  • What is your most treasured memory?

For me it’s sitting on my mothers bed, with my mom and sister, reading a book while they talk about anything. I’ve learned when dealing with my mothers cancer to appreciate the small moments. You never know if that’s all you get.

  • Press shuffle. What is the first song that comes up? What does it mean to you?

That’s awesome, The Monster by Eminen came up, which is funny since 90% of my music is hard rock. Everyone has weaknesses people!

  • What book did you have to read for school, yet you hated it? (If any.)

The Canterbury Tales, I’m sure it was hilarious in its time, but not my cup of tea honestly.

  • If you could only listen to one song for the rest of eternity, which would it be?

You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC. Loved it from the minute I heard it and it still never gets old.

  • What is the weather like whilst you’re writing this?

It’s about 85 degrees out and the sun is shining. No tradewinds though so everything is a little voggie from the Big Islands volcano.

  • If any one book character were to become a real person, which would you choose to do so?

This is a great question! Ben from Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson series. Smart, snarky and has a dark past, sounds like bff material to me.

  • Which book character do you have the biggest crush on?

Vhishous from Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward.

  • If you could recommend one book to the whole world, which would you choose?

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. It has always been one of my favorites and its a classic so it can appeal to a broad audience.

  • What is your favourite holiday?

No favorites for me!

  • What is your dream holiday/vacation?

I have a list! I would love to visit South Africa, in fact all of Africa has been on my list for awhile. If it has to be somewhere I’ve been I loved New Zealand, I would love to go back there someday.

The official rules of this award are:

  1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and link to their blog in your post.
  2. Answer the questions that the blogger who nominated you has provided.
  3. Nominate ten other bloggers (or up to 10).
  4. Create ten questions for your nominees and notify them of their nominations.

Our nominations are:
Clayton the Page Turner
Scifi and Scary
Records of the Ohanzee
Heron There & Everywhere
Vrushali21
The Bookish Khaleesi
Metallic Wolff
An Acquaintance with Letters
Read it or Not Reviews
Stacey is Sassy
One Book Two

Okay, that’s technically eleven but I know many of you are very busy writing books, or working or both so I figured I’d throw it out there and see who wants to try it. I also randomly picked a few names (though I’m eagar to hear your answers) so if you weren’t nominated and want to answer my questions,go for it!

My Ten Questions

  1. Who is your favorite author that’s alive? How about favorite author that is dead?
  2. Are you primarily a reader or a writer?
  3. What books are on your preorder list right now?
  4. If you could go live in the world written in a book what book would you chose? Would you still be human?
  5. If you could co-author a book with anyone who would you pick?
  6. If you had to write a biography about anyone, who would you write it about?
  7. If you had the choice between given lots of money but never being able to pick up a book again or being poor but having an unlimited supple of any book you want which would you chose?
  8. If you could build your dream library, where would you put it?
  9. What’s your favorite genre? Why is it so much better than the rest?
  10. Who’s your favorite bad guy/villain in a book?

Thanks again Olivia!

Books, great reads, Reviews

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

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