Tag: fun

Books, great reads, Reviews, scifi, Urban Fantasy

Magic Stars by Ilona Andrews

Karen

magic stars 2

I received an ARC of this book from the author…and all I can say is wow! I loved it! I am a fan of the Kate Daniels series so I was actually excited to buy this book come the end of December, but thanks to the Andrews team I got to read it early. So lets talk about it.

Blurb: Derek Gaunt has no family and few friends. Scarred, solitary, he is the lone wolf who separated from his pack. When those close to him are murdered, he’ll stop at nothing to hunt their killer through magic-drenched Atlanta.

Soon Julie Olsen joins him and what begins as revenge turns into the race to save the city. Their search puts them against powers they never imagined and magic so old, it predates history. It may cost Derek his life, but there are things for which even he would risk everything.

Review: I love this world, so for me this was icing on the cake. The awesome part is that it doesn’t have the throw away feel like most novellas do. This had solid world building, so if you’re not familiar with Kate Daniels (If you love UF this series is a must read) then you could still picture the post-shift Atlanta. Also being it Derek’s mind was a refreshing twist, one I didn’t expect, and the moments when he was talking to Julie were right on point for both of their characters. The story was interesting too, not too complicated with the shortness of the book, yet not immediately revealing, making you want to read more. If I could give future writers advice (and I really shouldn’t since I’m not one myself, but think of this purely from a readers standpoint) this is a great example of how, no matter how long your story is, fundamentals are key. This story had a clear beginning, middle and end but still left me with questions, making me hungry for the next book.

Great read and I highly recommend it, though it’s not available yet, mark your calendars for this book. Remember end of December, grab a copy you won’t regret it.

Books, Out of the Box Blogs

Do You Reread Past Books/Series?

Karen

I just finished the new JR Ward book as you all know and it inspired me to reread some of the older BDB books. The more I thought about it the more I realized that when I’m in a reading slump or before one of my favorites puts out a new book, I’ll reread some if not all of their series. Is this odd? Do you have favorites you continually go back to? Are there certain series that you have to reread past books before the new one is released? I’m curious to see where I stand..

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

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