*points to self* THIS KID.
Any of y’all planning to read it? Let me know how it goes for you along the way! We’ll fangirl (or fanboy…? - is there a gender neutral term for this?) together, yes?
A good romance/NA book series?
Looking to read a new series. I’ve started and stopped reading 8 different books in the past month because it seems like they all fall short somehow.
I want something in the realm of Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series.
What I love most about her books is that, although they’re all separate installments, there’s still such a sense of togetherness about her books. The bonds that are stronger than blood and sense of community she writes. This is what I’m looking for.
I’ve probably read most of whatever will be recommended.
As an example, I also got this feeling when I read (all are series):
-The Black Dagger Brotherhood (faaaaavourite!)
-Lords of the Underworld
-Daemonica/Lords of Deliverance
-Immortals After Dark
-The League (S. Kenyon)
Here’s my Shelfari page to avoid any recs that I’ve already been through - it’d be easier to mention all the things I HAVEN’T read, than to reference everything I have.
THANKS to anyone who takes the time to rec something. I’m kind of a junkie. Peh. x
Little more than halfway through and LOVING IT! I’ll write up a quick review as soon as I finish it!
Thoughts?
OFFICIAL The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones trailer!
Everything is ROBBIEJAMIELILY and nothing hurts.
Hey there, Peace Lovers.
IS THIS COVER NOT FREAKING AMAZINGLY AWESOME AND SPECTACULAR?!
Touch of the Demon by @DianaRowland is a book I’ve been looking forward to for oh so long. After the last installment - which left us hanging pretty majorly off a freakin’ huge cliff - my heart needed TotD like cereal needs milk! It’s out at the end of 2012 - literally - and PLRW couldn’t be more excited.
THAT BEING SAID.
Sorry I’ve been so MIA on this blog lately. I have indeed been reading. And I’ve most certainly been reviewing, but you know how it goes. I’m going to spew that same old song and dance. The tune goes a little something like, Holy frijoles, full-time school and full-time work = no fun for this Peace Loving bibliophile. And for that I’m sorry. It’s just been a really hectic couple of months.
I’m going to try to bang out a review on Jennifer Armentrout’s Lux series as well as one on her Covenant series - both of which I read and devoured recently.
Talk soon, Lovers x
Here’s a list of ten for y’all to sink your teeth into.
In the ethereal world of dreams, there are champions who fight to protect the dreamer and there are demons who prey on them… Arik is such a predator. Condemned by the gods to live eternity without emotions, Arik can only feel when he’s in the dreams of others. For thousands of years, he’s drifted through the human unconscious, searching for sensation. Now he’s finally found a dreamer whose vivid mind can fill his emptiness. Dr. Megeara Kafieri watched her father ruin himself and his reputation as he searched to prove Atlantis was real. Her deathbed promise to him to salvage his reputation has now brought her to Greece where she intends to prove once and for all that the fabled island is right where her father said it was. But frustration and bad luck dog her every step. Especially the day they find a stranger floating in the sea. His is a face she’s seen many times…. in her dreams. What she doesn’t know is that Arik holds more than the ancient secrets that can help her find the mythical isle of Atlantis. He has made a pact with the god Hades: In exchange for two weeks as a mortal man, he must return to Olympus with a human soul. Megeara’s soul. With a secret society out to ruin her expedition, and mysterious accidents that keep threatening her life, Megeara refuses to quit. She knows she’s getting closer to Atlantis and as she does, she stumbles onto the truth of what Arik really is. For Arik his quest is no longer simple. No human can know of a Dream-Hunter’s existence. His dream of being mortal has quickly turned into his own nightmare and the only way to save himself will be to sacrifice the very thing he wanted to be human for. The only question is, will he?
Amazon Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3 out of 5 stars)
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2 out of 5 stars)
There are few things that sadden me more than a book with all the potential of the cosmos that falls short. I wanted so much to be lost in this ethereal, haunting, literally dream-like tale of love and Greek gods who use the word “Fuck,” and their drama. That is to say, it’s not even like I went into reading this novel with super high expectations. I’ve read Sherrilyn Kenyon’s work before and loathed it—so too have I read her work and worshiped it (THE LEAGUE series has become one of my favorites—I recommend you all give it a thorough read-thru). But I will say that reading this book has taught me one thing: it is possible to both hate and adore certain works by an author at the same time.
That being said, we’ll get into it then, I suppose.
First!: Arikos, our leading man-god is kind of a little bitch. There are several scenes where Arik seems dependent upon Geary in much the way a foreign child from the Philippines would be (I’m totally not being rude—it’s a running joke between my friend and I, who is the most gorgeous Pinay I’ve ever met). Continually throughout the novel he tells us—and Geary—that he’s “KIND OF A BIG DEAL” back on his plane of existence, but never does he win a fight in the novel without the aid of someone else…including Geary. Which is problematic for me because I think a major staple of this genre is MANLY MEN, kicking ass and taking names and demanding man drink and hot sex in between each. But, there is little ass-kicking or name-taking done by Arik at all.
Second!: As a writer—because we all know I read things from two perspectives; as a reader and as a writer—I noticed a lot of pronoun confusion in the fight scenes and also in the scenes where there was a lot of character description. WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY NEXT POINT!
Third!: FOIL CHARACTERS DON’T NEED TO BE DESCRIBED TO SUCH DEPTHS! IT’S. NOT. NECESSARY!!!
Fourth!: Geary spends more than half the book being skeptical of Arik and I found myself wondering whether there was going to be a gradual easing of trust or if it was just going to be one of those OH-MY-FUCKING-GODS-I-LOVE-YOU-SO-MUCH-BABY-YOU-ARE-MY-WHOLE-ENTIRE-LIFE moments. Which it was.
Fifth!: His amnesia…WHERE THE FUCK’S IT GONE?
Sixth!: The moments in the book where Geary reminisces about her brother, Jason, don’t resonate with me because he’s not a character I care much about—and neither, for that matter, is Geary… though I do think this whole thing about her losing her family was meant to be that THING that helped us, the readers, feel sorry for her. Which is a goal writers are told to aim for in this genre of fiction writing.
Seventh!: (This list is getting too long for my liking)
Eighth!: Nothing comes of his impending “death.” When Arik conveys that he’s “not long for this world” and Geary presumes, in all her human-ness, that he is dying from some disease, the results of that could have been great to read and catastrophic and totally heart rending. But they weren’t and they’re not because-Oh! THEY FALL OFF THE FACE OF THE FLAT EARTH AND ARE NEVER HEARD FROM AGAIN! In much the same way his amnesia does.
Ninth!: (We’re almost done, now! Stay with me, then!) The antagonistic banter between Arik and Solin could have been effective and highly enjoyable, and was even funny at times. But it extends into the realm of “Do you not know when to quit?” Which is annoying. Especially with the way Solin and Arik ALL OF A SUDDEN grow to respect each other—which is unfounded and comes out of nowhere.
Tenth!: The one thing I did like about this story was the Greek mythology. I’ve been wanting to write a bit using Greek gods myself, tossing them into a modern day type setting. But, in all honesty, I couldn’t be assed to care about the mythology aspect for wanting to just finish the book and get it over with. Had I been more willing to take my time with the novel, I might have been able to appreciate at least that aspect more.
If you decide you’d like to test your mettle despite what I’ve told you in this review, you can find THE DREAM-HUNTER on Amazon HERE.
Ps, the book’s cover is brilliant though, isn’t it? Probably my favorite thing about the novel.
BLACKBIRDS will kick you in the caint (which is exactly what you think it is) from the very first page. In honor of the sequel to BLACKBIRDS, appropriately titled MOCKBIRD, releasing later this month, I’ve decided to write a review of the heart-hacking novel.
And how bad ass is that cover?
Miriam Black knows when you will die. Still in her early twenties, she’s foreseen hundreds of car crashes, heart attacks, strokes, suicides, and slow deaths by cancer. But when Miriam hitches a ride with truck driver Louis Darling and shakes his hand, she sees that in thirty days Louis will be gruesomely murdered while he calls her name. Miriam has given up trying to save people; that only makes their deaths happen. But Louis will die because he met her, and she will be the next victim. No matter what she does she can’t save Louis. But if she wants to stay alive, she’ll have to try.
Amazon Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5 out of 5 stars)
My Rating: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5 stars)
There are so fucking many different facets of this work that I could discuss, but probably my favorite thing about the work is its craftsmanship. So, we’ll focus there.
Wendig uses powerful images to paint a vivid picture of the inside of his protagonist, Miriam “Fucked Up Psyche” Black’s, head, as well as smooth, lyrical prose from the very first to the very last sentence. Wendig is a certified wordsmith with the precision of a surgeon. His quick-witted quips of dialogue and narration keep you trapped in this story, like a parasite on the roof of a rotting corpse’s mouth. (I’ll leave that there for you to imagine, for just a sec.)
The story is narrated by Miriam, and avoids that “coming and going” play-by-play feeling that a lot of first person narratives assume. Instead, BLACKBIRDS more heavily resembles a choreographed dance with its interspersion of action, character development/reveal and plot-progressing dialogue.
I had to review this story as both a reader and a writer. As a reader, I knew (definitively) at chapter 10 that Miriam Black was my spirit animal and fell in love with the idea of her and Louis immediately. As a writer, I had to sit back after finishing it and breathe the word Shit on an exhale, which was followed by my worship of the seriously admirable plotting, planning and just over-all WORK it must’ve taken to pen a work of this caliber. A work that has definitely thrust its way onto my Favorite Books list.
My recommendation to you all, Peace Lovers, is to PICK. THIS. BOOK. UP! Whether you read it for its haunting language or the dark (and often deliciously gruesome) imagery, you’ll enjoy what has been like a balm to my black, black soul.
Pre-Order MOCKINGBIRD here.
BLACKBIRDS here.
And check out Wendig’s fucking awesome blog here.
Wendig, I look very much forward to the next installment (in much the same way that addicts probably look forward to their next hit: Wondering if they’ll come out of it alive).
Hey, hi, and hello to you, my dear! You have been thoroughly missed. Being M.I.A. from time-to-time happens to only the greatest of souls. Glad to hear your net is back in working order. Cables dug up and replaced as a result of some insane lightning? Sounds…INTENSE! I’m a fan of lightning and thunder and all the components that generally come with a storm, but not at the cost of my internet life (the only semblance of a life I have, really). All jokes aside, I am happy to hear that you are back and - HUZZAH! - enjoying some of the filth PnR my blog is predicated upon.
Um, Declan Chase being pursued by a perilous polygon? I may have to write that fanfic ;P Declan Chase in any re-incarnation is something I can get behind.
As it happens, I have chosen to take Moorcock’s Melnibone series on first, and find that I am quite awestruck by his writing and world building. It’s so innovative in a way that few contemporary fantasy fiction novels are. Elric is emotionally tortured and often uncertain whether he is doing the right thing and OH, MY GODS, MY HEART BLEEDS FOR HIM SOMETIMES! His relationship with his sword, Stormbringer, is (and I had to choose this word carefully) absolutely and entirely sophisticated. Sophisticated in such a way that a lot of stories in this genre lack.
T, you’ve made a fan out of me. The Stealer of Souls is the type of book you just need to own! I read my public library’s copy but ended up purchasing the book for my shelf immediately after finishing. I’m actually patiently awaiting my copy of Elric To Rescue Tanelorn as I type this response. Any day now, is my hope.
A very large THANKS be to you, Trimiert, for the suggestion.
And to my other Peace Lovers, PICK UP THIS BOOK. I promise, you will find it worth while. Moorcock does not disappoint.
Character Sketch of my male protag: Lincoln “Linc” Alexander VanArx
He was the reason she’d ended up here. That male with eyes so dark they were almost onyx, and hair that was a deep, midnight-noir sort of black was parted on the left so that the longer strands were slicked to the right side. Erica had been too tired, too annoyed and too sexually frustrated to really notice him before, but the harder she thought about him the more his features seemed to sharpen and focus in her mind. His lips were a perfect Cupid’s bow, their balanced fullness something women wept over. He had a mustache that was, shockingly, attractive. It wasn’t too thick—as mustaches went, and Erica had never, in her long and tiresome dating history, liked facial hair on men, but this somehow worked. A tattoo of scripted foreign writing snaked its way in paragraph form from behind his left ear all the way down the side of his neck. He had an aristocratic nose, the coloring of the Italians and a firm jaw with light stubble.
He was beautiful. And Erica hated him.
Okay, Peace Lovers. We’re done here for now. Will keep you all updated on this little project of mine if you’re interested :)
“I know what you are,” Linc said.
Erica exhaled long and loud, her breath a visible cloud in the cold. “Annoyed?”
“You’re a TK.” That shut her up. Good. Her eyes widened for a moment, emotion running rampant in her features before she quickly masked it.
“You think I’m a mage?”
“I know you’re mage.”
“What have you heard?” she asked. Linc shook his head. “You saw me use my ability, then?” He shook his head again.
“You should come with me, Erica. We should talk.” Linc saw the moment things registered in Erica’s mind. She back-peddled her way into the middle of the street creating a wide chasm of space between herself and him, still on the curb. He felt more than saw her gathering energy to her. She was untrained in the usage of her too-vast magic and that made her dangerous. “Don’t,” he warned. But she didn’t listen. “I have your blood vial.” Linc would also have proffered not to threaten her, but he was not above it. Not in the least.
Just when he knew she was about to use her power to try to fight him off, a sketchy-ass matte black van pulled up right in front of her and stopped. “What the fuck!” he heard her yell. Then, before he could act, the passenger door of the van opened, allowing whomever was mounting this attack, Kurvitieň scum, no doubt, to send a shot of blood magic out at him. Shit! The hit connected directly with his solar plexus. It rocked him, picking Linc up off his feet and tossing him back into a pile of metal trash bins. The one driving force that helped him pick his ass up off the cold, wet ground was the scuffle he was hearing take place between Erica and the other offenders.
He didn’t know how long he was down, but once he stopped seeing triple Linc got to his feet, ignoring the pain in his shoulder and the warm leak from the back of his skull. He didn’t have the time for it. Had his boys been there, he might have been able to lick his wounds. Where the fuck were those two, anyway? He heard her yelp, then the sound of flesh and bone meeting flesh and bone. Oh, hell no.
There was yelling from several of the Kurvitieň men in their native Slovakian tongue. Linc lifted his molecules and re-appeared them where the struggle was taking place. Erica was out cold on the ground, likely knocked out by one of them. At least, he hoped she was only just knocked out and not…worse. Before they could load her into the car Linc reached for his magic, feeling the familiar tingle in each of his extremities before it coalesced into orbs of black fire in his gut and in his throat. He expelled the energy on an exhaled gasp. He curved the blow at the last minute to prevent any more damage to Erica.
To any onlookers who might have been watching it would have seemed as though nothing was happening at first. Then, each of the five Kurvitieň soldiers froze as black, bruise-like splotches abruptly appeared on their skin. One-by-one, they fell, their cracked skulls would have something in common with the cracked concrete.
Linc wondered momentarily whether they knew they’d take their last breaths tonight. Gathering Erica in his arms, Linc wheeled around until he spotted the black SUV. She was breathing. The car pulled up to the curb a few feet from the creepy rape van. A tall, blond man got out of the passenger side and, shaking his head, opened up the back door for Linc to climb in with Erica. “Thanks, Sasha,” was all Linc said.
Hope you all enjoyed that, Peace Lovers. It hasn’t got a title yet. It hasn’t been finished yet. But the photo I blogged right before this post was the image I had of Linc in my head :)
