Thursday, 24 May 2012

Review: Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon

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Title:  Fantasy Lover
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Release Date: 31 January 2002
Source: Library
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository | Galaxy Bookshop
SapphiredDragon Rating: *** 1/2

Synopsis:

Dear Reader,

Being trapped in a bedroom with a woman is a grand thing. Being trapped in hundreds of bedrooms over two thousand years isn't. And being cursed into a book as a love-slave for eternity can ruin even a Spartan warrior's day.

As a love slave, I know everything about women. How to touch them, how to savor them, and most of all, how to pleasure them. But when I was summoned to fulfill Grace Alexander's sexual fantasies, I found the first woman in history who saw me as a man with a tormented past. She alone bothered to take me out of the bedroom and into the world. She taught me to love again.

But I was not born to know love. I was cursed to walk eternity alone. As a general, I had long ago accepted my sentence. Yet now I have found Grace - the one thing my wounded heart cannot survive without. Sure, love can heal all wounds, but can it break a two-thousand-year-old curse?

Julian of Macedon

Review: I knew within 2 pages of this book that I was going to enjoy it and immediately went online to my library's site to reserve the next few in the series. What I immediately liked was the tone which was fun and not too serious and I knew I would be in for an enjoyable read. 

I was not to be disappointed. 

While yes, the story is a little contrived at times so as to ensure things flow as they are supposed to, it was relatively easy to over look as the writing was straightforward and the story fun and enjoyable. 

The title of the book is Fantasy Lover and that is the key I think to enjoying this book; Remembering it is a fantasy, not getting hung up on story issues and letting go to just let the story wash over you and take you where it will.  

A fast, fun read and yes I will be reading the rest of the series. 

3 1/2 stars on the SapphiredDragon rating scale. 

SapphiredDragon xx

Wednesday, 23 May 2012

Review: Stray by Rachel Vincent



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Title: Stray
Author: Rachel Vincent
Published: 1 June 2007
Source: Library
Reviewed by: Sapphired Dragon
Sapphired Dragon Rating:

****



Synopsis (via Goodreads): There are only eight breeding female werecats left . . . 
And I'm one of them.
I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.

Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.

I'd been warned about Strays -- werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female, and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.

This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back . . . for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever -- and whoever -- I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays -- 'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them . . .

Review: I nearly didn't read this. I had been over shifter type novels for a while, there was only a couple of days till it was due back to the library and it was only due to the fact that Rachel Vincent had been recommended to me by a number of people that I decided to give it a go rather than returning it unread. Let me just say I am so glad I decided to give this book a go as I was pleasantly surprised. 

My biggest issue with most shifter type books I have read both in YA and adult genres  (and bear in mind this might possibly be because i read a whole heap of them one after the other) has always been that the stories all kind of blurred into one so I couldn't always remember which characters or slightly different circumstances went with which book.  What I liked about this book was that

A) The story while geographically taking place in Texas and surrounding states mostly took place in the pride

B) Yes there was romance etc but the main plot of the female shifters going missing and Faythe's struggle for independence from the pride was front and centre and an interesting and engrossing story

C) The characters and the character interactions, particularly between Faythe and her father/alpha and Faythe and her brothers was compelling and believable. Both Faythe's disbelief and frustration when her father and brothers didn't see things the same way she did and by the same token wanting to tell her to be quiet when opening her mouth in a conversation with her father.

I very much look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series and indeed have already borrowed the next two from the library.

If you are into an adult shifter tale that is a cut above the rest, i would definitely recommend Stray.

Most certainly earns a four star Sapphired Dragon Rating.

Sapphired Dragon XX

Monday, 21 May 2012

Teaser Tuesday #25



Welcome to Teaser Tuesdays.


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too muchaway! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

4. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


My current read is Stray by Rachel Vincent and my two lines are from page 191:


"I couldn't help myself. When I saw him on top of you like that, touching you, it was all I could do to keep from smashing his head in."

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Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository | Galaxy Bookshop


PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Saturday, 19 May 2012

In My Mailbox #22

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Welcome to  In My Mailbox, a meme run by The Story Siren where each week over 200 bloggers post on their blogs the books they have bought, received to review or won in the past week. 

To find out more information, get involved yourself or see what's in other bloggers mailboxes this week head over to The Story Siren or to find out what is in my mailbox this week, keep reading.

Don't forget to comment and post your IMM link or just let me know what's in your mail box this week.

So a solid week this week. Not so much volume wise but the quality of the titles more than makes up for it :-)

For Review:

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The Goddess Legacy (The Goddess Test 2.5) by Aimee Carter
Demon Eyes (Witch Eyes #2) by Scott Tracey

Purchased (For Kindle)


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Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

From The Library:

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Lover Revealed by J R Ward
Last Breath by Rachel Caine
Shatter Me by Taherah Mafi

and for my daughter ( who turns 2 months old this week):



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Baby Cakes by Karma Wilson
Horton Hears a Who by Dr Seuss

So what did you receive in your mailbox this week?

Friday, 18 May 2012

On My Wishlist #1

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Welcome to my very first On My Wishlist! 

On My Wishlist is a meme that was originally created by Book Chick City and is now hosted by Cosy Books where we can showcase (and squee about) books that are on our individual wish lists whether already or still awaiting publication.

For more information or to get involved yourself, head over to Cosy Books and check it out!

Lastly, don't forget to comment and let me know what books are on your Wishlist this week.


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Underworld (Abandon #2) by Meg Cabot

Publication Date: 8 May 2012

Synopsis (via Goodreads):Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn’t dead.

Not this time.

But she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final journey.

Her captor, John Hayden, claims it’s for her own safety. Because not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up after leaving the Underworld, they’ve come back as Furies, intent on vengeance…on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves.

But while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers could be lurking for her there…and they might have more to do with its ruler than with his enemies.

And unless Pierce is careful, this time there’ll be no escape.

Comment: So while Abandon may not have been one of my most favourite books of 2011 (read my review and see why), I did enjoy it enough that I can't wait to get my hands on the next book Underworld and find out what happens next. Published earlier this month, I am determined to get my hands on this book at some stage. 



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    Dark Companion by Marta Acosta Publication Date: 3 July 2012
Synopsis (via Goodreads):When foster teen Jane Williams is invited to attend elite Birch Grove Academy for Girls and escape her violent urban neighborhood, she thinks the offer is too good to be true. She's even offered her own living quarters, the groundskeeper's cottage in the center of the birch grove.

Something's not quite right about the school -- or is it Jane? She thinks she sees things in the birch grove at night. She's also beginning to suspect that the elegant headmistress and her sons are hiding secrets. Lucky is the gorgeous, golden son who is especially attentive to Jane, and Jack is the sardonic puzzling brother.

The school with its talented teachers and bright students is a dream for a science and math geek like Jane. She also loves her new friends, including hilarious poetry-spouting rich girl, Mary Violet. But the longer Jane stays at Birch Grove, the more questions she has about the disappearance of another scholarship girl and a missing faculty member. 

Jane discovers one secret about Birch Grove, which only leads to more mysteries. What is she willing to sacrifice in order to stay at this school...and be bound to Birch Grove forever?

Comment: Firstly I love the cover! It has a dark mysterious look to it (probably helped by the word dark in the title :-p) combined with an unearthly quality that drew me to it.   The synopsis sounds interesting to but truthfully it's mostly the cover that has led this to be put on my wish list this week :-)


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      Storm (Elementals#1) by Brigid Kemmerer Publication date: 24 April 2012
    Synopsis (via Goodreads):Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they have more power than you dream. Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her, Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys—all the ones she doesn't want. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water—just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They’re powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death. And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca. Secrets are hard to keep when your life’s at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who’s hiding the most dangerous truth of all. The storm is coming . . . Comment: This has been getting a number of good reviews all around the blogosphere and is the reason it is on the list this week. 


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      The Grave Witch by Kalayna Price
      Publication Date: 5 October 2010
    Synopsis (via Goodreads ):Grave witch Alex Craft can speak to the dead, but that doesn’t mean she likes what they have to say. As a private investigator and consultant for the police, Alex Craft has seen a lot of dark magic. But even though she’s on good terms with Death himself—who happens to look fantastic in a pair of jeans—nothing has prepared her for her latest case. Alex is investigating a high profile murder when she’s attacked by the ‘shade’ she’s raising, which should be impossible. To top off her day, someone makes a serious attempt on her life, but Death saves her. Guess he likes having her around... To solve this case Alex will have to team up with tough homicide detective Falin Andrews. Falin seems to be hiding something—though it’s certainly not his dislike of Alex—but Alex knows she needs his help to navigate the tangled webs of mortal and paranormal politics, and to track down a killer wielding a magic so malevolent, it may cost Alex her life...and her soul. Comment: This was recommended to me a while back and I still haven't gotten around to buying it. Worse still, they don't have it at my library so I can't borrow it either. I will read this eventually!


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      The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead Publication Date: 12 June 2012
Synopsis:The second thrilling installment in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy spinoff series

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students--children of the wealthy and powerful--carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead's breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher.

Comment : So technically I have already pre-ordered this but since it doesn't come out till June 12 and  I WISH I COULD READ IT RIGHT NOW, I figure it belongs on my Wishlist :-p

So what has been added to your Wishlist this week?

Monday, 14 May 2012

Teaser Tuesday #24


Welcome to Teaser Tuesdays.





Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too muchaway! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

4. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!





My current read is Kiss of Death by Rachel Caine and my two lines are from page 14:



Vassily was the name, which Claire made out only when she squinted at it. Small type. 'A vampire's teaching self-defence,' she said. 'To us. Humans"



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Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository | Galaxy Bookshop




PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Saturday, 12 May 2012

In My Mailbox #21

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Welcome to  In My Mailbox, a meme run by The Story Siren where each week over 200 bloggers post on their blogs the books they have bought, received to review or won in the past week. 

To find out more information, get involved yourself or see what's in other bloggers mailboxes this week head over to The Story Siren or to find out what is in my mailbox this week, keep reading.

Don't forget to comment and post your IMM link or just let me know what's in your mail box this week.

Not a bad little week this week.  Thought it was gonna end up being quiet but I ended up getting some really great titles this week so very excited!

Firstly thanks to Jessica from Crossroad Reviews who got me an awesome RAK gift:


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Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris
The Selection by Keira Cass
Black Dawn by Rachel Caine
Above by Leah Bobet
Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin


For more information about RAK (Random Acts of Kindness ) and how you can get involved head over to BookSoulmates

Purchased



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Until I Die by Amy Plum
City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare


So as you can see I have some awesome titles to start reading. What was in your mailbox this week?