Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse #12): Book Review

This installment of the Sookie Stackhouse series did not disappoint. Even though it did involve the fae, which I do not enjoy or like, it was fast-paced and interesting. Things are starting to wind down in Sookie-land, and although I've enjoyed the entire series, I do think it's time to bring it to a close. Harris's writing has really come along. I think back to how many things I had issues with in her first book, and I realize just how much she has improved. This was an enjoyable, fast read, and exactly the "popcorn" entertainment I was needing at the moment.

(Read in April 2013)

Fallen by Lauren Kate: Book Review

This was my choice of a read for my book club's "Judge a Book by its Cover" challenge. I love the cover. It's Gothic and mysterious-looking. And I love the title; both the cover art and the title drew me in.

But the story wasn't great. It's the story of a girl, Luce, who is in some sort of maximum security juvenile detention school thing for teenagers who have apparently done Bad Things. I guess Luce killed a boy, or they think she did, and so they've locked her up. The place is depressing. Luce has zero self-esteem and she's a stalker. It's difficult to like her. But she's inexplicably attracted to Daniel, a cool dude who is mean to her. The first time they lock eyes, he flips her off. He rejects her at every turn, yet she continues to stalk him. Why? Because she's drawn to him...she LOVES him. Whaaa???

The book starts off with a scene way back in history, of a guy and a girl who are in love. The guy is sketching a portrait of the girl because he knows he's about to lose her. They kiss and it's over; she's gone. Fast-forward to present day. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Luce and Daniel keep being reincarnated throughout the ages, and that Daniel is a fallen angel. I kind of went into the story knowing that in the back of my mind, and I'm sure you will too. But then, toward the end of the book, the author comes out and tells you this. Apparently she thinks you're not a very smart reader; surely you didn't see it coming. It's quite insulting, actually. I guess it was supposed to be a big revelation. But it ended up just annoying me because I was waiting for something big; I'd already known the revelation all along.

This is the second or third "fallen angel" YA story I've read. After all the vampire books that have saturated the market in the past decade, I was ready for something different, something with a little more light. But so far I've been sorely disappointed. I'm still looking for that really good fallen angel / guardian angel story that hooks me and draws me in.

I dislike reading books in which I feel the author has little respect for me as a reader, or my intelligence. I realize this was written for a YA audience and not an adult audience, but I assert the intended YA audience is more intelligent than what was assumed by Kate in writing this book.

All in all, 2.5 stars from me; I'm rounding up to be nice.

Dream Dark (Caster Chronicles #2.5) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl: Book Review

I liked this story, mostly because I really like the character of Link. I was, however, quite disappointed that Dream Dark isn't told from Link's POV, but rather, from Ethan's. Don't get me wrong, I love Ethan too, but I felt it was not Ethan's tale to tell. It would have been far more entertaining coming from Link's brain. It actually took me a couple of screens (on Kindle) to figure out that it wasn't Link speaking.

Anyway, it's a nice addition to the story, but doesn't really add much to the overall tale. It still leaves one confused about what in the world Ridley was doing at the end of book two, and I wasn't quite sure what Macon's point was in sending Link on this errand. Did he mean for Link to die? Or did he know what was going to happen? This could have been fleshed out a bit more without giving away too much from book three, I feel.

If you read this on a Kindle, expect it to end around the 42% mark. The rest is just a sneak peak of book three. It ends abruptly and leaves you wishing it was longer. I would much rather have had 200 pages of this story than the first 200 pages of book two. Overall though, four stars.

Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles #2) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl: Book Review

Boy did this book take a long time to get going. I honestly had a difficult time reading it (and caring about reading it) until exactly the half-way point. In a book that's 500 pages long, reading 250 pages before anything good happens is just too long in my opinion. Close to nothing happens in the first half, and then almost too much happens too fast in the last 250 pages. The end climax was especially frenetic and confusing. I'm not 100% sure I understand what exactly happened. People kept popping up where they shouldn't have been and everything was twisted and turned upside down. People who were dead really aren't dead, people who were dark really aren't dark, and no one is sure of anything. Least of all me.

Book #2 really suffered from lack of the Lena-Ethan story. In fact, I didn't like Lena at all in this book. She was whiny and mopey and boring, and I couldn't find it in me to care what happened to her. Thankfully the characters of Ethan and Link are more interesting; this book was more about Ethan's journey than Lena anyway. I really like Link, and I'm looking forward to reading the short story Dream Dark, which takes place between this book and book #3.

I think this book also suffers from the difficulty of having two authors. It's just hard for two people to write one story, and it showed in this one. I felt there were continuity issues throughout, little things that weren't consistent and that jarred me from the story.

I thought the characters of John Breed and Olivia (Liv) were kind of pointless distractions. What is their purpose? If Lena and Ethan's love is so strong and so real, why was there a distraction in Liv and John? The fact that both Lena and Ethan were so easily drawn away from each other and to the characters of John and Liv made it seem that their love really wasn't all that strong to begin with. So why have a story? And what happened to Liv in the end? Both characters just seemed unnecessary to me. The same action could have happened completely without them.

I loved Link, Ethan, Lucille Ball the cat, Macon, Marian, Lila, Ridley, and the sisters. They were the only things that saved this book from two stars for me. I will read Link's short story, but beyond that, I'm not sure I care to read on.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (Caster Chronicles #1): Book Review

This story was better than I expected. I enjoyed the modern-day, sleepy Southern town setting. I definitely related to that. The characters were likable and believable. I liked the term Caster and enjoyed the witchy lore part of that. My favorite parts were the flashback scenes to the Civil War days. Incidentally, those are my favorite parts in The Vampire Diaries TV series.

A friend and I just rented the Beautiful Creatures movie and watched it this past weekend and I tell ya, I'm so thankful I didn't pay money to see it in the theaters. It was awful. And I'm positive that if I had not already read the book, I'd have absolutely no idea what was going on in the movie. So if you haven't watched it, don't bother. Just stick with the books.

I will probably read on in this series. It's entertaining and easy to read, with good pacing, an interesting plot and good character development.

Dead Ever After (Sookie Stackhouse #13) by Charlaine Harris: Book Review

I cannot believe I have read 13 of these books. Really? I've invested that much time in Sookieland?! But it has been a fun ride! Thirteen is my favorite number, and while this wasn't my favorite book in the series, I thought it was better than most.

I liked how all the important (and some not-so-important) people in Sookie's life made an appearance in this last installment. All the loose ends were tied up and all the conflict was resolved...for me, in a pleasing manner. We're done with the fae (thank God, right?), done with the fighting and fearing for Sookie's life. And in the end she chooses to be with the right guy, the one I was rooting for all along.

I felt like the writing was a clunky and awkward at times. It certainly didn't feel as good quality as most of the past books (minus maybe #1 and #s 10-12). And I think the plot was a bit convoluted and difficult to follow. I couldn't figure out why the "bad guys" were trying so hard to get Sookie, why they cared. Their reasons for wanting to kill her just didn't make sense. And the connections between all the "bad guys" were just weak. It certainly seemed as if Harris was a bit tired and ready to be done with Sookieville. I don't blame her; it was time.

I'm glad I met Sookie and all her crazy, scary friends. And I'm really glad I never got into watching True Blood on HBO. From what I hear, the books are far superior. This was a great way to pass the time during the summers. Definitely not high-quality literature, but fun, popcorn reading to put in between heavier selections for the past few years. Thank you, Ms. Harris!

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Read about the author, Charlaine Harris, on Goodreads.

Soulless (Parasol Protectorate #1) by Gail Carriger: Book Review

Soulless is a pleasant blend of paranormal, romance, Steampunk, and mystery...with a bit of humor for good measure. I was surprised at how much I liked it.

Alexia Tarabotti is a self-proclaimed spinster living in Victorian London society. She is very intelligent, loves to read and debate, and is happy being unmarried. Oh yes, and she was born without a soul. That fact makes her the antidote to vampires and werewolves, both of which are a mainstreamed part of society in her world. As soon as Alexia makes physical contact with a vampire, his fangs retract and he's human again...until the contact is broken. At the very beginning of the story, Alexia is at a ball and is awaiting her tea when a rogue vampire attacks her in the library (the nerve of him!). She is forced to defend herself and ends up killing him with her wooden hair pin. This self-defense murder catapults Alexia into an investigation of the missing rogue vampires and werewolves in the area.

The plot is a bit thin in this one, but the witty banter and dry humor more than make up for it. It feels a bit like a 21st-century independent woman was dropped in the middle of Jane Austen's time, with civilized vampires and werewolves mixed in...and I loved it! I am definitely interested in reading Parasol Protectorate #2.

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Read about the author, Gail Carriger, on Goodreads.

Kiss of Life (Kiss Trilogy #2.5) by Debbie Viguié: Book Review

Kiss of Life is a very short addition to the trilogy, telling a bit of the back story of the Baron. It was too short, however, and really didn't answer any questions. It was interesting to see a bit of where he came from, but the glimpse was so tiny that I didn't feel it really added much to my overall understanding of the characters or the story. In fact, it took me the entire reading to even remember who the Baron was and why I was even reading about him. I wish it had been longer.

I tend to dislike these sorts of publications because they seem to be just ploys for more money. Even at $.99 on Kindle, I felt like it was a bit much for just a 40-or-so-page read that didn't add anything to the story. If you really fee compelled to tell a tiny tidbit of a minor character's story, why not put it in the epilogue of the previous book? Or even the prologue of the next one? I couldn't get it out of the library so I just paid my dollar and read it. Whatever.

Kiss of Revenge (Kiss Trilogy #3) by Debbie Viguié: Book Review

Kiss of Revenge is a fairly satisfying conclusion of the trilogy. Though, is it actually the conclusion? I understood going in that it is the end of the story, yet there are allusions to a continuation by a couple of the characters at the end. It really should be the end of the story. The characters who make references to continuing on are some of the least developed and least interesting; I do not think another story focused on them would be very interesting at all. I would much rather follow Gabriel and Paul in the future.

Consistent with the previous two installments, the most interesting parts are the flashback episodes to the story of Carissa and Fleur, cousins and ancestors of present-day cousins Susan and Wendy. You finally find out what makes that cross necklace so darn interesting and powerful, why Raphael and Gabriel are at such odds, and what finally happened to Carissa (though that revelation was anti-climactic, in my opinion). A couple of other twists are revealed as well, but I was left again with the distinct impression that all the present-day humans were just flat and uninteresting. I really didn't feel connected to them at all, and their love for their respective significant others just didn't seem authentic.

The plot was a bit hard to follow, mostly because there were so many different lines and because it kept jumping back and forth in time. By the end, the whole Richelieu plot line seemed superfluous, and I wondered if it might not have been a better book if he hadn't even been a part of it. I still never figured out what exactly would happen if his plan had succeeded.

What I do like about this series, however, is the creativity of the premise -- that vampires are cursed to their existence because they were terrible humans, and the extra long life gives them more of a chance to see their depraved state and finally turn to God, thereby redeeming themselves. While this idea does bring up other issues, and it's obviously not Biblical, what is appealing is the idea that no one is beyond redemption, and that God does not desire that anyone should perish. So try not to think about it beyond that, and you will enjoy the story. Enjoy the what if? of it. Something that the author made more specific in this book that wasn't said explicitly in the previous two is the idea that vampires we're actually created by God himself, and that Cain, upon killing his brother, Abel, was the first vampire. Because a vampire is cursed - created - by ingesting the blood of the sire vampire, all vamps have the blood of Cain in them. I found this to be a very entertaining idea, and wait until you find out what Cain's alleged sacrifice to God was, the sacrifice that was found unacceptable. Little things such as these were what made the book even more enjoyable to me. I just wonder why this particular point was not made earlier in the series; it would have added a bit more interest to them.

I give this book 3 stars for plot, human character development, and writing; and 4 stars on creativity, uniqueness, and vampire character development. I hope Viguié will consider writing more about Gabriel and Paul, and even the other vampires. Gabriel continues to be my favorite, though I still do not see why he terrifies everyone.

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Read about the author, Debbie Viguié, on Goodreads.

Kiss of Death (Kiss Trilogy #2) by Debbie Viguié: Book Review

Kiss of Death is definitely better than Kiss of Night. I absolutely LOVED the flashback/diary scenes to 1198, where you learn more of the origins of Raphael and Gabriel, and their connection with Carissa and Fleur (the ancestors of present-day cousins, Susan and Wendy). However, I found even more that I just do not care about Susan, Wendy, and David (could they have more boring names?). I didn't like any of them in the first book, mostly because I didn't get to know them; there was just no character development. The majority of Kiss of Death (book 2) is flashback, so there is really very little you have to trudge through with the present-day folks, and that is why I loved it so much.

I cannot figure out why everyone is so terrified of Gabriel. He doesn't seem scary in the least. I actually think he's the most interesting character of them all and I can't wait to find out more about him in the third book. I hope it doesn't disappoint.

What does disappoint, however, is that we STILL do not have a clue why that cross necklace is so important. And just what exactly will happen if Richelieu's plans succeed? The story keeps telling us that it will be awful, horrible, terrible, but I'm not buying it. It's just not convincing enough.

While we're on the subject of Richelieu, tell me again how he has managed to survive 400+ years without someone recognizing him as THE Cardinal Richelieu? The author tells us that he doesn't have to have an all-out war to gain ultimate power because he has spent centuries putting his own men in very powerful places. Whaaaa? And just HOW has he done this without someone noticing that he keeps on living century after century without aging? This is just one teeny tiny example of my "huh?" moments throughout this series. I realize it's a vampire book, so of course NOT REAL, but sometimes I feel the author asks a bit much in the way of suspending disbelief.

What I do love about this series, however, is the author's premise that no one is beyond redemption, that the blood of Christ is sufficient for anyone, no matter what they have done. The letter from the author at the beginning of this book was very helpful to me in further understanding her reasons for writing this sort of story, and I wish I had read it first, before reading book one. If you happen to be reading my review and you've never read this series before, I urge you to pick up a copy of Kiss of Death and read the author's letter at the very beginning FIRST, before you read any of the books in this series. "Every person, no matter their circumstances, past, or the evil they have done can be redeemed by God through the blood of Christ. In the end, that blood is all that matters." Love that! As I mentioned in my review of Kiss of Night, I do worry that the intended audience will miss out on this book and the series. Devout Christians will probably avoid the series altogether because, how could a book about vampires be anything a devout Christian should read? It can't be good, right? And non-Christians might be drawn to it because of the vampire craze, but may be left even more confused about Christianity than they were before picking it up. It is considered "Christian fiction," but there isn't a whole lot of true Christianity throughout (minus a few references to prayer and not wanting to kill people, and a Bible verse to begin each chapter), and some things, albeit small, are even in error. (For instance, the cup from which Christ drank at The Last Supper, the "holy grail," never actually held His blood. It only held wine, which represented His blood in the new covenant. But the characters at one point believe that Richelieu is pursuing The Holy Grail because of the fact that it once held Christ's blood.) Things like these may seem small, but they can become huge stumbling blocks for those who are seeking or who have questions about Christianity.

I know I sound harsh but I still give it 4 stars because it's just so unique, well-written, and not preachy. The writing is sound, and the story is compelling (even if you don't particularly care for the present-day human characters). There is plenty of action to keep the pages turning quickly. I will definitely be reading book three in this series. I can't wait to learn more about Gabriel and Raphael!

Get your copy of this book from Amazon. 

Read about the author, Debbie Viguié, on Goodreads.

Marvel's Thor The Dark World: Movie Review

Mr. Maven and I got a babysitter (woo hoo!) last weekend and went to see Thor: The Dark World at the local theater. I really wasn't that excited about seeing it, though I certainly didn't mind watching Chris Hemsworth in action. I honestly thought it wasn't going to be that great (what movie sequel really is?), and I cannot stand watching Natalie Portman try to act. Ugh. But I was pleasantly surprised. This movie was fun and funny and I actually enjoyed myself.

But I have to say that the actor who stole the show was Tom Hiddleston. Man, was he awesome! Loki totally stole every scene he was in, and I just couldn't tear my eyes from him. He is the deliciously tempting bad-guy-you-love-to-love. He's not evil, as I thought in the first movie. He's just corrupted by his desire for power and control. And why not? He's had to live in his big brother's shadow all his life! So it's difficult to hate him. Especially when just about everything that comes out of his mouth is witty and snarky. I want a Loki-only spin-off movie!

Okay, so the plot...umm...I'm not really sure what it was. There were some bad guys, dark elves, led by the big head evil dark elf called Malekith (which I think is a very cool name), and they were mad about...something. I think because Thor's father killed a bunch of them a long time ago? Anyway, they're not all dead and they're coming back to annihilate everyone in their path. And there is some sort of dark gooey stuff that has been hidden for a long time and somehow our dumb "heroine," Jane (Natalie Portman - ugh) has found it. The dark gooey evil stuff has
infiltrated her bloodstream and so she is a living weapon of mass destruction. So Malekith wants her, or the black gooey stuff IN her, and of course Thor cant let him have it. But Thor can't fight Malekith and his elves all by himself so he busts Loki out of prison and they team up.

Just don't think about it too much. The plot doesn't really matter in this one. It's just fun. Oh, and the snarky assistant, Darcy (played by Kat Dennings) is back and she's really fun again. So I recommend you see this film. Maybe if you're not crazy about the Marvel superhero world wait for it on DVD. But if you're a Loki fan, don't miss this one. And just wait until you see the Captain America cameo - brilliant! Four stars from me, for entertainment and eye candy.

Crow Boy by Philip Caveney: Book Review

Crow Boy is a YA Historical Fiction novel about a teenaged boy named Tom who is suddenly taken away from his home in Manchester, England to Edinburgh, Scotland by his own mother and her new boyfriend. Tom finds himself in a new school where he knows no one, and he is immediately targeted by the school bullies. Tom just wants to disappear. His class takes a field trip to Mary King's Close, a place steeped in history beneath the streets of the capital city of Edinburgh. It's a creepy place, and the sights and stories of their tour guide really set the tone for ghosts. Of course Tom sees a ghost, and he follows her into a restricted area of the close. He falls through the floor, is knocked unconscious, and wakes up in the year 1645.

Thankfully Tom had recently completed a project on the late-medieval plague, and he had actually been paying attention to the Mary King's Close tour guide. So when he finds himself somehow transported right into the middle of the terrible Edinburgh plague, he is able to think quickly. Luckily, he has time-traveled with his mobile phone, a 5-pound British note, and a partially used pack of antibiotics left over from an ear infection. Of course these items all figure prominently in the story. Soon Tom finds himself apprenticed - against his will - to the infamous Doctor Rae. Doctor Rae, Edinburgh's plague doctor, wears a thick leather cape, heavy boots, and a mask in the shape of a crow's beak. The beak is stuffed with herbs and other things that are meant to protect the wearer from the miasma, the vapors that are thought to be the source of the terrible disease. The effect of the doctor's costume is striking; the sight of him is terrifying to the sick and able-bodied alike. The story unfolds quickly from there, and the end comes before you know it...or want it to.

Speaking of the ending, it is disappointingly cliché, and the only reason I didn't give this gem of a book five stars. The whole story had been so interesting and unique that I truly was surprised that it ended so flatly. Right before I got there, I thought to myself, "No way. He's not really going to do that to me, is he?" But the journey there is so fun and deliciously creepy that it wasn't a deal-breaker.

I realize that some of my enthusiasm for this book may be due to the fact that I just returned home from my first-ever vacation out of the United States; we just spent nearly two weeks sightseeing in Scotland. On our very first day, we toured Mary King's Close in Edinburgh, and I was creeped out by the wax statue of Doctor Rae and the stories of deaths and ghosts in the cramped living quarters that make up the close. As we exited the tour through the gift shop, I just happened to see this book and thought I'd give it a shot. I love it when a chance purchase turns out to be so good. And bonus, the copy is signed by the author. But despite my bias, I still think it's a well-written and exciting story. Perfect for the almost-Halloween season. I would definitely read more by this author. Four-and-a-half stars from this girl!

At the time of this review, Crow Boy was available for Kindle on Amazon.com for $4.79. There are paperback copies available from third-party sellers on Amazon too. Click here to get your own copy. Read about the author, Philip Caveney, on Goodreads.