Welcome to another segment in our “A Dude Reads PNR” series, in which our delightful buddy Harry, from Temple Library Reviews joins us once a month to review paranormal romance from a dude’s perspective. Please give a warm welcome to Harry!

Title: The Bloodgate Guardian

Author: Joely Sue Burkhart

Genre: PNR

Publisher: Carina Press
Publication Date: June 14, 2010
Paperback: 271 pages

Standalone or series: I have perused the author’s website and not seen any indication that this is in a series. The book itself reads a standalone, so I will assume it’s such. If I am very wrong, please correct me.

Dr. Jaid Merritt doesn’t do digs. The last time she ventured into the jungle, someone died. Now she’s content to decipher Maya glyphs from pictures sent to her by her famous archaeologist father. But when he goes missing while trying to perform a ritual based on her translations of an ancient codex, Jaid must put aside her fears and travel to Guatemala to find him.

After misusing the Bloodgates to bring his twin brother back from the afterlife, the Maya priest known as Ruin was cursed by the gods to stand as the guardian for all time. He was unable to stop Dr. Charles Merritt from opening the gates, and now demons roam this world. The last thing he wants to do is hurt the beautiful woman who is somehow infused with his magic, but if she uses the codex to retrieve her father, Ruin must do his duty. And this time, he won’t fail. Even if it kills him. Again.

How did I get the book: The PDF review copy was sent to me by Ana, who received it by the publisher. All I can say is naughty, promiscuous PDF file; jumping from e-mail to e-mail.

Review:

Oh, kiddos. How I missed you. Did you miss me, too, while the YA month rampaged on and on and on for a… well, whole month? I am positive, when I assume that you waited for me, all starved and bothered for a long hack-‘n-slash review of yet another paranormal romance. Oh, evil you! Anyway [looks uncomfortable], I’m back and I’m happy to report that there will be no slashing, hacking or bemoaning an unentertaining read. No, The Bloodgate Guardian is above average.

The official summary, by the way, gives an accurate depiction of what goes on in the book. Reader, meet Jaid Merritt [the weird heroine naming tradition is alive and well], a professor, who doesn’t do digs. Sadly, it’s exactly what she has to do, when her father’s last message is a video, in which a ritual goes horribly wrong. Jaid travels to Guatemala to solve the mystery, but reality and fantasy do the Helen Keller together, leaving Jaid no longer sure what she can believe. It really doesn’t help, when you have a shape shifting immortal with a bright spot in the Mayan mythology and oh, the end of the world, now does it?

Contrary to my expectations I didn’t get porn, porn, porn. The Bloodgate Guardian has a plot, which the author follows and never sacrifices for the sake of the leads to hump each other. It’s surprisingly refreshing, that. Even so, I am torn on this. There are parts I extremely liked and others, while I saw were handled well enough would have liked to see extinct.

I love that Jaid is vulnerable. I love the fact that she is smart-ass, not kick-ass. She doesn’t do the whole super ninja vixen. No leather pants and favorite blades for this chick. She’s nerdy and the Un-Indiana Jones of the faculty. Brilliant characterization, right there. Pure gold. It makes Jaid stand out from all the other leading females in the genre. I also can honestly say that Jaid’s the strong woman urban fantasy and paranormal romance has been boasting with. She’s not sure she will win and she is mortified to venture, but she does. She falls down and picks herself up, because the situation demands it. That’s what I call bravery and perseverance.

What I’m not thrilled with is the weird name. I’m sure that it isn’t typical and within PNR and UF the tendency is to go with something unprecedented. This is done to ensure just how much of a snowflake the character is. In this case, there is a game with the mineral jade, which if I am correct was used by the Mayans. Not exactly sure.

The love interest is not the cookie-cutter Alpha Male. Ruin [yes, Ruin] has a story of his own, which is explored through his own POV. He’s a priest, not a warrior. Again not exactly how the genre rolls. He errs as we see at the beginning, allowing Dr. Merritt to perform the ritual and appearing too late to prevent it. His past, his sins and his redemption paired with Jaid’s own complicated and saddening past make for an emotionally laden novel.

BUT the dude is a shapeshifter. I’m not knowledgeable, so who knows, Mayans might as well have whatever passes for werewolves. Am I a fan? No, not really. After the world filled with girls, belonging to team Jacob, lycanthropy can go curl up in a corner, because it deserves a big time-out. Vampires should do the same. Just saying.

Kudos goes to Burkhart for the solid worldbuilding. It seems like Maya are the new couture of the paranormal world [with 2012 closing in], which I welcome. I get to explore a different set of beliefs and stories and after reading The Final Prophecy by Jessica Andersen the bar is set rather high. Burkhart does not disappoint and through Jaid’s passion for the Maya, it’s hard not to get rubbed the right way. Xixalba is one creepy kind of hell, the demons within even creepier, but it’s all very interesting. It’s also intriguing to see how the definition of hell shifts from culture to culture. The Mayan hell is nothing like Christianity’s hell.

I will end with personal pet peeves. What’s with the end of the world? Seriously, why must all couples save the world? Is this some kind of right of passage? You save the world together, so it means you are destined for each other? Mhm, beats couple counseling, I guess. ‘Honey, lets not fight. Remember how we saved the world that time way back.’ ‘Oh yeah, good times.’ I do not oppose the end of the world, but here [but not exclusively] this is used to speed the feelings between the characters. Nothing beats the adrenaline rush of ‘OMG, we will die’ and people want to feel the most, given the time they have left is really limited.

The end was too happy… There, I said it. Jaid’s father should have died, because he messed with powers he didn’t understand. His motifs were selfish. Therefore, his life the appropriate price. However, Jaid manages to save her father in order to solve her daddy issues and learn that she is loved and that her father is proud of her… Ruin, on the other hand, through Jaid’s help saves his brother’s soul and ends his curse. Release as a theme is very heavily accented upon and while love does release a person from his problems, but a happy conclusion to every plot line is not exactly my cup of tea. I follow the philosophy that while you may win the war, you will ultimately suffer wounds that may or may not heal. Here, I am left with the taste of wish fulfillment.

Verdict: Though not mind blowing, The Bloodgate Guardian is well written, evenly paced and told with passion. What I consider pet peeves might be someone else’s literary crack. This is the sentence, the jury is now dismissed.

Reading Next: Shade Fright by Sean Cummings

Thank you, Harry! You can read all of Harry’s reviews as our official PNR Dude HERE.

Title: Kiss me Deadly

Author: Edited by Trish Telep with 13 contributors (listed below)

Genre: YA/Paranormal

Publisher: Running Press Kids
Publication Date: August 3, 2010
Paperback: 432 pages

If you can possibly thirst for more mysterious metaphysical accounts of love, Trisha Telep has organized some of the greatest and most thrilling tales of paranormal paramours since The Eternal Kiss. She presents the acclaimed literary talent of thirteen unique authors, creating a collection of stories that will undoubtedly capture the imagination of every soul who dares to read them. Werewolves, ghosts, zombies, vampires, and fallen angels drive the plot of these riveting romances.

Kiss Me Deadly includes the exceptional writings of several authors, including:

• Sarah Rees Brennan (faeries)
• Becca Fitzpatrick (angels)
• Caitlin Kittredge (witches)
• Karen Mahoney (vampires: sequel to story from The Eternal Kiss)
• Daniel Marks (ghost kids)
• Justine Musk (sorcerers)
• Diana Peterfreund (unicorns)
• Michelle Rowen (demons)
• Carrie Ryan (zombies)
• Maggie Stiefvater (werewolves)
• Rachel Vincent (banshees)
• Daniel Waters (zombies)
• Michelle Zink (gothic ghosts)

Why did I read this book: I loved Telep’s previous anthology, The Eternal Kiss and had been waiting for this one anxiously.

How did I get this book: I got an ARC at BEA

Review:

Kiss Me Deadly is an anthology with all new stories by several YA authors, some of them new-to-me. It is edited by Trisha Telep who also edited The Eternal Kiss anthology published last year. I read (and reviewed) The Eternal Kiss and was extremely impressed by the quality of the stories and it was a no-brainer that I would be picking up this new one as well. As with its predecessor, this new anthology has a well-balanced collection of short stories. Out of the 12 stories I read (the collection is supposed to have 13, but my ARC did not contain the story by Becca Fitzpatrick, which will only be a part of the finished product) , one I intensely disliked, 3 I enjoyed to a certain extent and the remaining 8 were, for lack of a better word, completely and totally awesome.

I find myself more and more attracted to short stories these days: a completely different animal from a novel, yet still a perfectly viable form of storytelling. I would even say that when a short story is good, it is really good and I admire authors who can write both shorts and full-length novels. The feeling I had reading those 8 stories aforementioned was that the authors took their time really thinking about them. Diana Peterfreund’s, Carrie Ryan’s and Dan Water’s for example are set in the same world as their full length novels but can be perfectly read as stand alone, because the world-building was less important than the characters and story. This is not to say that attention was not given to the background, it is just that it was integrated in the stories in a way that it never overshadowed the storytelling. It this vein, it didn’t matter to me that I never read a Dan Water novel before, because everything I needed to know about his world came from his main character’s feelings (and I have to say that now I completely understand why Thea is bananas about both Carrie Ryan and Dan Waters’ books) .

A final word before I proceed to examine each story on its own. The Eternal Kiss had a “theme” as all stories had vampires in them. Kiss Me Deadly is supposed to be about “paranormal love” , except that I think this description builds a certain expectation that all stories will be about romantic love when they are not. All stories are paranormal stories, with a great diversity of paranormal creatures and within different genres too but I can’t say that romance is a thread that links all of them and some of them don’t have romance at all. “Love” makes an appearance in the majority of stories, but it can be parental love or the love of a nun for her unicorn. I would go as far as to say that the stories that are supposed to be the most romantic ones are the weakest ones in my opinion – if there is one thing that is really hard to build in the confines of a short story is a believable romance.

Having said that, the stories as they appear in the anthology are:

The Assassin’s Apprentice by Michelle Zink

Rose comes from a long line of Descendants (from Angels) and her entire family has been killed by a demon. Bent on revenge, she is about to attack said demon when she comes across an Assassin’s Apprentice named Asher with whom she forms an alliance. Assassin are usually in charge of protecting the Descendants but Rose is fully capable of taking care of herself, thanks very much. I thought this story had an interesting premise and mythology although the historical setting was not in depth enough for me to know when it was set exactly. I like Rose as protagonist, but felt the romance that started between her and Asher too rushed and artificial, almost like an after-thought to the story. 6 out of 10

Errant by Diana Peterfreund

Part of Peterfreund’s Unicorn Hunters series, Errant is set in the 18th century French when a nun , sister Gitta (a Unicorn Hunter) , accompanied by her unicorn, arrives at a chateau just before the wedding of a girl named Eloise. As part of the celebration, a traditional Unicorn Hunt is to be enacted with Gitta’s help. This story is excellent as it develops, quite well these two characters. Starting with animosity from Gitta’s side – her frustration with these people and this girl who know nothing about tradition and sacrifice, expect yes, yes she does and Gitta slowly realises that and the relationship that builds between the two girls is incredible. There is a communion of spirits between them (and the unicorn) and I would like to use the author’s own words to describe this story:

18th century French feminist killer unicorn story about a nun and a bride and a forest full of monsters.

Perfect. 8 out of 10

The Spirit Jar by Karen Mahoney

This story by Karen Mahoney once again follows her character, the vampire Moth which was introduced in a story in The Eternal Kiss anthology in her struggle to get rid of her Maker, Theo. She keeps going on missions to rescue certain objects for Theo in the hope that one enough difficult missions will buy her freedom. This time around, she travels to London after a book when she meets a part-djinn boy named Adam who is also after the book – he needs it to release his girlfriend’s soul who is entrapped in a spirit jar. Moth is conflicted as to whether help him or just get the book and go away – is she Moth or is she still Marie, the girl she used to be? I loved Moth when I first read about her and I loved her even more here with her reluctant (or is it?) willingness to help the boy. 8 out of 10.

Lost by Justine Musk

I love the opening lines of this story:

“I’ve always been good at finding lost things, but three weeks after a car accident dumped my best friend in a coma, I was the thing that felt lost. And nobody knew where to find me.
Except for one person.”

This is a bittersweet, quite dark-ish tale, a remaining of a well known (and to me, well-loved) Greek myth, which I will leave unspoiled as part of the fun in this story is to slowly realise together with Sasha, the main character, what is her role. Although I liked the premise and enjoyed the writing, I felt that on this case the short format did not help, a longer story was needed to properly develop this. It does work as a teaser though and I would definitely be more interested in learning more. 7 out of 10.

The Spy Who Never Grew Up by Sarah Rees Brennan

It is no surprise that Sarah Rees Brennan, the author of the Demon Lexicon series is one of my favourite writers right now. This story is another reason why. It is funny and terminally clever and maybe even creepy. Peter Pan has been co-opted by the Queen of England to become a spy for the Country in exchange for a “mother” who turns out to be Wendy’s great-great granddaughter.

What I ADORE about this story is how the author totally, completely “gets” Peter Pan. From

“To die for your country,” said Peter. ” “Would that be an awfully big adventure?”

to his creepiness evidenced here by how he has sort of grown up a little bit yet he still has his baby teeth and his need for a mother, any mother. I loved how the girl has been prepared by generations of girls who have been used by Peter and when she faces him it is with a pepper spray in hand. But the thing about Peter Pan, the boy who never grow up (that’s because he has no memories) is how terribly titillating the promise of adventure with him is. Plus you guys: NINJA FAIRIES. Seriously.

“The name’s Pan,” said Peter, who I must admit was showing off. “Peter Pan.”
Neither of them was really on their best behaviour. Spies rarely are.
“What will you have?” asked the bartender.
“Martini,” said Ivana. “shaken, not stirred.”
“Milk,” said Peter. “Warm, not hot.”

8 out of 10 and possibly my favourite story.

Behind the Red Door by Caitlin Kittredge

Small town boredom leads the main character Jo to be dared by her friends to visit decrepit Ash House where she meets the ghost of a boy named Nicholas Day with whom she starts a relationship – which ends up consuming her thoughts. This is part proper ghost story – terrifying and sad – part coming of age as Jo needs to decide what she wants for her life. I loved it. 7 out 10.

Hare Moon by Carrie Ryan

This is definitely another favourite. It is part of Carrie Ryan’s Forest of Hands and Teeth series. I have yet to follow this series but Thea is a HUGE fan and now I understand why. This story follows a girl named Tabitha, trapped in a village surrounded by zombies torn between the mysteries of the outside world and the possibility of love and sex with a boy from another village and her duty. The writing is evocative and beautiful about a very fundamental conflict between love and duty, history and memory and choices. 8 out of 10.

Familiar by Michelle Rowan

A story a reluctant teenage witch who, prompted by her mother, must pick a familiar. She chooses a kitten who turns out to be a shape shifter boy hiding from a clan of werewolves. Witches and their familiar are magically bonded and the bond on this case, the bond is created between the two kids – with eventually extrapolated into a romantic bond and in this case, wholly artificial. I was unimpressed by this story. 5 out of 10.

Fearless by Rachel Vincent

Part of her Soul Screamers series, and the only story in the anthology that seems to be connected with the rest of the series it belongs to. It is set about two years before the first book starts. It follows Sabine, a mara, or living nightmare. The girl is currently under arrest in a Correctional facility and there she where she lives off consuming fears from other girls while they sleep. Some of the scenes with Sabine feeding off fears are absolutely terrifying but not near as terrifying as finding out that all that stands between Sabine and madness is….Nash who seems to love her. A promise made by Nash in the last page seems to be foreboding of DOOM. 7 out of 10.

Vermillion by Daniel Marks
This was my least favourite story in the entire anthology – in fact it made me downright angry. The set up is quite vague….in Purgatory dead people take care of problems caused by spirits in the living world. Velvet is the narrator and member of a team which includes her boyfriend (and undertaker) Nick. Called to investigate some disturbances, they have to side with another team led by a girl who from the first time she sets foot in the story is met with hatred and anger by Velvet because she might be after Nick. Regardless of whether this is true or not, the story is filled with girl-hate and with Velvet being focused solely on her relationship with Nick. That does not a good story make. 4 out of 10.

The Hounds of Ulster by Maggie Stiefvater

Bryant and Sullivan are the best of friends, and they want to be rock stars. Bryant narrates this story, which is an elegy for Sullivan who is lost to Them. It is about their dreams and who they are shattered by this one Girl. This story is typical Maggie Stiefvater affair and it sparked the typical reaction in me after reading her stories. Beautiful writing, incredibly powerful setting and a highly frustrating ending and characters. I am not sure how I am supposed to feel about this story and the punch it packs in the end but I know that I somehow felt cheated. In any case, it is actually a good story. 7 out of 10.

Many Happy Returns by Daniel Waters

Another contender for favourite story. Part of Generation Dead series in which teenagers who die might come back to life albeit in a very constricted manner (slower, difficulty of speech), not exactly zombies per since they keep their personality. In this series, a small town tragedy occurs after there is a car accident and several teenage kids die. From the point of view of one of the parents, Cal observes as his friends’ kids come back to life while he hopes and waits for his daughter Mandy to wake up. I don’t care about what is it that makes the kids come back, I only know what this possibility makes it for a very suspenseful read in many ways: is it a good thing to hope for this to happen? What sort of life would Mandy live if she does? But if she doesn’t , how can Cal possibly move on? Grief, envy, lost love it is all mixed in this bag of absurdly good and sad delights. 8 out of 10.

Verdict: All in all, an excellent anthology which I highly recommend in spite of a couple of less than good stories. The excellent ones more than make up for those.

Rating: 7 Very Good (leaning towards an 8 )

Reading next: Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

“Inspirations and Influences” is a series of articles in which we invite authors to write guest posts talking about their…well, Inspirations and Influences. The cool thing is that the writers are given free reign so they can go wild and write about anything they want. It can be about their new book, series or about their career as a whole.

Today’s guest is Urban Fantasist & Romance author Jennifer Estep. Jennifer is the author of paranormal romance series Bigtime (Karma Girl, Hot Mama, & Jinx), but this year she has thrown her hat into the Urban Fantasy ring with her Elemental Assassin series. The first book in this new series, Spider’s Bite follows Gin Blanco, known better by her assassin moniker, Spider – she’s the best at her job in all of Ashland, and has the ability to work magic in the elements of stone and ice. The second book in the Elemental Assassin series, Web of Lies his stores next week on May 25th!

To celebrate the upcoming release, we have invited Ms. Estep to talk about her writing, influences and inspirations for her Elemental Assassins series. (Plus, we also have a giveaway)

Please give a warm welcome to Jennifer Estep!

Greetings and salutations! First of all, I want to say thanks to the Book Smugglers for inviting me to guest blog today. Thanks so much!

As some of you may know, I’m the author of the Bigtime superhero paranormal romance series – Karma Girl (2007), Hot Mama (2007), and Jinx (2008). I also write the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series and have three books coming out in that series this year – Spider’s Bite (which came out in February), Web of Lies (which debuts on May 25), and Venom (October).

The Smugglers asked me to talk a little bit about my writing inspirations and influences today, and one of the topics that they suggested was what got me interested in writing urban fantasy since I had previously written paranormal romances. So why did I switch to urban fantasy?

Well, the short answer is because I like kick-butt heroines.

I’ve always loved books, movies, and TV shows where the heroine is just as strong – if not stronger – than the guys around her. Buffy Summers, Sydney Bristow, Wonder Woman – these are the kinds of female characters that I admire, girls who are just as comfortable dressing up to go to a party as they are diffusing a nuclear bomb or saving the world from vampires, aliens, and other creepy crawlies.

Don’t get me wrong. I think the heroines in my Bigtime paranormal romance books are pretty kick-butt themselves, especially Fiona Fine, the star of Hot Mama. But I had been wanting to write something darker and grittier with an even tougher heroine for a while. I’ve also always liked reading about assassin characters in fantasy literature, and I figured that urban fantasy was a genre that would let me combine all these things at once. Plus, there are so many great heroines in urban fantasy, folks like Rachel Morgan and Karen Murphy, and I wanted to add my own character to the mix.

So I came up with my toughest heroine yet – Gin Blanco, an assassin known as the Spider. Gin makes no bones about the fact that she kills people for money, something that she’s very, very good at. I figured that if I was going to write an assassin character, I might as well go big or go home. There’s nothing worse than a whiny assassin.

As much as I like shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, it seems like vampires are everywhere these days, and I knew when I started writing Spider’s Bite that I wanted to have some different kinds of magic/creatures in my books as well. So I decided on vampires, giants, dwarves, and elementals, or folks who can control one of the four elements – Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone.

For the record, Gin happens to be a Stone and Ice elemental, meaning that she can control both of those elements. But she’s just as happy to introduce you to the sharp end of the five silverstone knives that she carries with her at all times as she is to blast you with her magic. Like Gin says, there are dozens of ways to help people quit breathing, and she doesn’t need her magic to help her with that.

I’ll admit that it’s been a bit of a challenge to write such an unapologetic assassin character like Gin and make her likable at the same time. Gin isn’t your typical hero – she’s not inherently good like a Sydney Bristow or Buffy Summers is. But you know what? Bad girls always have more fun anyway. I think Faith on Buffy is a prime example of that.

So there you have it. Some of my inspirations for my girl Gin Blanco and the Elemental Assassin series. Writing Gin’s adventures has been a blast so far, and I hope that folks have as much fun reading the books as I do writing them.

What about you guys? Who are some of your favorite heroines, urban fantasy or otherwise? Share in the comments.

About Jennifer:

Jennifer’s books have been fea­tured in Cos­mopoli­tan, Enter­tain­ment Weekly, South­ern Liv­ing, and a vari­ety of other publications.

You can read more about Jennifer on her website, or catch her on her blog.

Giveaway Details:

We are giving away TEN AUTOGRAPHED copies of Spider’s Bite and Web of Lies to ten lucky winners! The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada only and will run until May 29 at 11:59 PM (PST). To enter, leave a comment here answering Jennifer’s question – who are some of your favorite heroines, fantasy or otherwise? Only one entry per person please! Good luck!

Title: Claire de Lune

Author: Christine Johnson

Genre: YA/UF

Torn between two destinies?

Claire is having the perfect sixteenth birthday. Her pool party is a big success, and gorgeous Matthew keeps chatting and flirting with her as if she’s the only girl there. But that night, she discovers something that takes away all sense of normalcy: she’s a werewolf.

As Claire is initiated into the pack of female werewolves, she must deal not only with her changing identity, but also with a rogue werewolf who is putting everyone she knows in danger. Claire’s new life threatens her blossoming romance with Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt. Now burdened with a dark secret and pushing the boundaries of forbidden love, Claire is struggling to feel comfortable in either skin. With her lupine loyalty at odds with her human heart, she will make a choice that will change her forever?

Publisher: Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster Children’s
Publication Date: May 18 2010/ July 1 2010
Hardcover: 256 pages/Paperback:352 pages

Stand alone or series: First in a new series

Why did I read the book: What made me want to read this book? The cover and the title (which I think is a great play with Clair de Lune). Yes, I can be shallow.

How did I get this book: I received an ARC from Simon Pulse

Review:

I will go straight to the point and summarise the book’s proposition: Claire de Lune is a book about a girl who finds out that she is a werewolf (in a world that despises and fears werewolves) and who struggles between being human and being a werewolf. I find that, as conflicts go, this one could potentially be interesting depending on how one executes it. But Claire de Lune bugged me to no end because it is a book whose main conflict stems from a very flawed, counterintuitive, inorganic premise. But I am way ahead of myself.

On her 16th birthday, Claire finds out that she is a werewolf.

Hold on. I think that sentence lacks a certain flair. Let me rephrase this:

On her 16th birthday, Claire develops a rash.

It covers her hands and ears and it itches and it itches and….no one does anything about it. Claire goes around for a few hours, scratching, hiding her hands and covering her ears and never once considers going to a doctor. She is then informed point blank by her mother, that she is a werewolf. That she belongs to a local pack.That werewolves are female only, who don’t consider themselves human – at all – whose identities MUST at all cost be kept a secret, hence why girls are only told they are werewolves a few days before their first transformation. And then they have to just deal with it. With the fact that they are not humans; that they are, what most people consider, killing machines; that they are not supposed to have lasting relationships with any humans, because they can never know they are werewolves; who in order to reproduce, must find a human partner but should not fall in love or remain too close.

Let’s take a step back for a moment and examine this premise. It just….doesn’t make ANY sense to me. It sounds, as I said before, very counterintuitive: from a biological point of view and from a cultural point of view.

With regards to the former, one of the most important biological imperatives of any species is reproduction. Correct me if I am wrong, but a female-only species does not sound like the way to go especially if you consider minor things like you know, GENES. Wouldn’t having babies ONLY with male humans be the perfect way to weaken the lycanthrope genetic signature? Granted that all I have here to guide me is my High School Biology and my love for David Attenborough. I may be wrong but this was sufficient to pull me out of the story. And don’t think I don’t appreciate the attempt at making a “girl-power” story with strong female characters who are in charge, because I do. But there’s gotta be a reasonable explanation for this.

Then there is the cultural significance. According to this specific lore, packs have existed forever, created by a Goddess and they find that the best way to be safe is to keep it all a secret. Again, correct me if I am wrong: I think the chances of someone freaking out and letting out the secret to the world are FAR greater when you are told out of the blue, that you are a creature of nightmares, that all your life to that point has been a lie, that you must break away from your friends, that you can’t have a boyfriend (unless you want to reproduce), that you must lie to everybody you know, that you can’t say “oh my God” anymore and instead you MUST say “oh my Goddess”. Wouldn’t it be simpler, safer, to grow up knowing who you are and being prepared for the transformation with more than a few weeks’ notice? But then again, if any different, there would be no cause for this book.

Because of these issues, because the resulting conflict sounds very artificial, it was extremely hard for me to carry on reading, yet I did finish the book and that is saying something. Part of what made it reasonably readable was the fact that Claire did react to these changes in an appropriate manner: railing against her mother, freaking out, considering different aspects of her new reality. I also liked her romantic relationship with a nice, wholesome boy named Matthew. It is definitely refreshing to have a paranormal romance minus the whole “falling for a dark, brooding boy who might just kill me” thing.

Unfortunately that is as positive as I can be. Even if I had no issues with the premise and world-building, the rest of the book, the characters and the plot were unremarkable.Even though Claire was sort of likable when dealing with her mother and werewolf issues, her constant whinny “why do you like me, I am not popular” mantra was tiresome. Matthew’s reply to this, is that he considers her the most interesting person he knows and yet not a single scene between them has in-depth dialogue that could actually SHOW instead of TELLING me why he thought so.

There is also a storyline in which a rogue werewolf is killing humans and public opinion is that werewolves are BAD and EVIL (led by Matthew’s father by the way, who is almost a psycho villain). Again, I ask: if the werewolves were not as secretive – I mean, the entire world already knows they exist, so what is the point? – and came out to say ”hey, we are not all evil, you know”, possibly these problems would not exist. Furthermore, the revelation of who the culprit is, doesn’t ring true, considering the heightened senses that the werewolves supposedly have. Surely one of them would have SMELLED this person since they all knew her.

Even with the overall blandness what really prevented me from enjoying the novel was its lack of intrinsic logic. I am fully aware that this might not deter other people from enjoying it but I would still say: proceed with caution. On my side, I prefer my fiction with a bit more of salt, pepper and a better rationale on the side, thank you very much.

Notable Quotes/Parts: I read the book three days ago and I can’t remember a scene I truly liked.

Verdict: Bland, uninspired YA novel based on I what consider to be a flawed premise. Regardless, this will probably appeal for those looking for “more of the same” rather than something new and unique.

Rating:4 – Bad but not without some merit

Reading Next: The Demon’s Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan

Today we bring you another very special author spotlight on The Book Smugglers – this time with the delightful paranormal romance/urban fantasy author Lori Devoti!

Lori is the author of the Amazons series starring two different honest to goodness Amazons…in a modern day setting. The series so far has two titles to its name: Amazon Ink and Amazon Queen.

Meet Mel: Business owner. Dedicated mom. Natural-born Amazon.

It’s been ten years since Melanippe Saka left the Amazon tribe in order to create a normal life for her daughter, Harmony. True, running a tattoo parlor in Madison, Wisconsin, while living with your Amazon warrior mother and priestess grandmother is not everyone’s idea of normal, but Mel thinks she’s succeeded at blending in as human.

Turns out she’s wrong. Someone knows all about her, someone who’s targeting young Amazon girls, and no way is Mel going to let Harmony become tangled in this deadly web. With her mother love in overdrive, Ms. Melanippe Saka is quite a force…even when she’s facing a barrage of distractions — including a persistent detective whose interest in Mel goes beyond professional, a sexy tattoo artist with secrets of his own, and a seriously angry Amazon queen who views Mel as a prime suspect. To find answers, Mel will have to do the one thing she swore she’d never do: embrace her powers and admit that you can take the girl out of the tribe…but you can’t take the tribe out of the girl.

Being an Amazon ruler just became a royal pain.

Amazon queen Zery Kostovska has never questioned tribe traditions. After all, these rules have kept the tribe strong for millennia and enabled them to live undetected, even in modern-day America. Zery is tough, fair, commanding—the perfect Amazon leader.At least, she was. A new high priestess with a penchant for secrecy and technology is threatening Zery’s rule. Plus, with the discovery of the Amazon sons, males with the same skills as their female counterparts, even Zery can’t deny that the tribe must change. But how? Some want to cooperate with the sons. Others believe brutal new leadership is needed—and are willing to kill to make it happen.

Once, Zery’s word was law. Now, she has no idea who to trust, especially with one powerful Amazon son making her question all her instincts. For Zery, tribe comes first, but the battle drawing near is unlike any she’s faced before . . . and losing might cost her both the tribe and her life.

To celebrate her new release, Amazon Queen, we are having the wonderful Lori Devoti over for an interactive Q&A and a chance to win her books! We have TEN copies of Amazon Queen up for grabs. Entry is easy and simple, per usual – just leave a comment here asking Lori a question (about her series, her writing process, secret Wonder Woman obsessions, etc). The contest is open to all, and will run until Saturday, April 17th at 11:59PM (PST). Good luck, and let the questions begin.

Please and give it up for Lori Devoti!

Hi, everyone! I’m excited to be here and ready to answer any questions you may have. My Amazon series (Amazon Ink, 2009 and Amazon Queen, coming April 27th) is near and dear to my heart, but don’t think you have to keep your questions to them. I can talk writing, reality TV, books, kids and dogs until your ears bleed. I’m also in the middle of a kitchen remodel, the third we’ve done ourselves, and can whine with the best of them about the necessity of exercising after 40. Hit me!

Lori Devoti grew up in southern Missouri and attended the University of Missouri-Columbia where she earned a Bachelor of Journalism. The author of two contemporary romances and half-a-dozen paranormal romances, Lori made her fantasy debut last year with AMAZON INK.

You can read more about Lori online at her website and her blog.

Title: Hourglass

Author: Claudia Gray

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: March 2010
Hardcover: 352 pages

Bianca will risk everything to be with Lucas.

After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school where they met, Bianca and Lucas take refuge with Black Cross, a fanatical group of vampire hunters. Bianca must hide her supernatural heritage or risk certain death at their hands. But when Black Cross captures her friend—the vampire Balthazar—hiding is no longer an option.

Soon, Bianca and Lucas are on the run again, pursued not only by Black Cross, but by the powerful leaders of Evernight. Yet no matter how far they travel, Bianca can’t escape her destiny.

Bianca has always believed their love could survive anything . . . but can it survive what’s to come?

Stand alone or series: Book 3 in the ongoing Evernight series

How did I get this book: Review Copy from the publisher

Why did I read this book: I have read and reviewed both prior books in the series, Evernight and Stargazer, and really enjoyed them both. With the way things ended in Stargazer, of COURSE I was going to read Hourglass!

Review:

**BE ADVISED! This review contains necessary, MAJOR spoilers for the first two books in the series. If you have not read the first two books in the series and do not wish to be spoiled, look away!**

Immediately following the Black Cross attack on Evernight Academy, Bianca and Lucas have fled the school and joined Lucas’s mother and stepfather in the fanatical, vampire killing ranks of the Black Cross. With no other choice but to pose as loyal members of the group, Bianca and Lucas bide their time with Black Cross until they can save enough money to run away together, to be free of the ties that both Evernight and Black Cross have to them. But learning to kill her own kind and seeing the extent of the fanatical hate of all vampires in the group leaves Bianca terrified and deeply conflicted – how should she react when she’s sent on patrol? And, more importantly, what will become of her if they ever discover that she is actually a living vampire? The situation only grows more tense when Bianca and Lucas are pursued by the formidable Miss Bethany, headmistress of Evernight Academy, and Charity, the deranged, vampire younger sister of Balthazar. Bianca and Lucas find themselves trapped in an impossible situation, but will stop at nothing until they are safe and together.

If you’ve read and stuck with the series this far, Hourglass most likely won’t disappoint you. Shifting the action from the gothic, atmospheric grounds of Evernight Academy, this third installment gives readers an insight to the mysterious Black Cross their rough, almost sad, lifestyle as they move from city to city on the hunt for any and all vampires. I did find myself missing Evernight, but change is a good thing, and learning more about this fanatical organization was a fascinating turn of events. I love that Ms. Gray shows both sides of the vampire-human story – both the vampires and the Black Cross have their own recommending and detracting factors. On the one hand, the Black Cross do have a mission to protect and to serve, keeping humanity safe from violent, malevolent vampires. On the other, however, the Black Cross are so absolute in their views that all vampires are evil monsters (and thus they all must be killed), that the old saying about hunters becoming what they hunt comes to mind. I liked that a lot about Hourglass.

In terms of characters, Hourglass is a bit of a mixed bag. I love that all of the main characters in the story aren’t perfect; in fact, they’re far from it. Protagonist Bianca is infuriatingly dense at times, committing her own massive lapses in judgement – initially, I had a hard time with the offputting, blasé attitude Bianca had towards the Black Cross (hello, the people who you were taught were murderers? The people who WOULD murder even the most innocent and passive of vampires – her own mother and father! – for the mere fact that they have fangs?). In general, Bianca’s passivity chafed. Whether it be in her attitude towards the Black Cross, her discovery that something might be wrong with her, physically, her role in the relationship with Lucas…it was grating, at times. BUT, that all said, one of the things that endears Bianca is that she learns from her mistakes. She’s by no means perfect, and not any ideal role model by any stretch of the imagination. But then again, she’s not supposed to be. She’s a regular girl, scared and trapped in a situation that is much larger than herself, and her at times selfish, at times obtuse actions are understandable at the very least. And, to Bianca’s credit, she eventually sees her mistakes for the huge screwups that they are, and she takes the responsibility and faces the consequences of her actions.

Similarly, Lucas is a far from perfect character – though Bianca is smitten with him, he’s abrasive and hot-headed, and overly-proud…but that’s what makes him a genuine, relatable character. He might not be a character that I love, but the love that he and Bianca share is genuinely touching and believable. And thankfully, the dynamic between Lucas and Bianca is more balanced than in the prior novels (where Lucas strayed towards dangerously controlling boyfriend territory). Both Bianca and Lucas have grown as characters and towards each other, and that’s a cool thing to see in a series. In that same vein, even my beloved Balthazar is the same flawed character – unable to see that Charity, his twisted younger sister, will never be sane. The other character interaction I have to mention is the changing relationship between Raquel and Bianca – Raquel’s hatred of anything supernatural (perfectly natural after the torture she has suffered at Evernight) becomes an issue in this book as she eagerly laps up everything the Black Cross teaches her.

In terms of plotting, what can I say? Hourglass has a number of twists and turns, leading to a dramatic conclusion. If there’s one thing I can say for Hourglass, it’s that there is no shortage of melodrama in this book. Complaining about this aspect, however, is like complaining water is wet. That’s what makes the book, and this series at large, such a good guilty pleasure. Yeah, some of Hourglass’s plot points are ridiculously silly (i.e. why wouldn’t Bianca and Lucas just leave Black Cross immediately? Given how dangerous the situation was for Bianca and the fact that both Bianca and Lucas have very rich friends, the whole “saving money” excuse seems a little disingenuous). But that said, I absolutely LOVED all of the crazy teenage shenanigans, the incredibly over-the-top melodrama at the end, ridiculous though it may be. Hourglass is like that soap opera, that CW or MTV show that you simply cannot tear yourself away from. It manages to be both utterly ridiculous, and yet strangely satisfying. Sorta like the literary equivalent of really bomb Chinese takeout.

I’ll be back for the fourths, given the cliffhanger at the end of this one.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From the first chapter:

I GASPED FOR AIR SO HARD THAT MY CHEST ACHED. My face felt hot, and strands of my hair stuck to the sweaty back of my neck. Every single muscle hurt.

In front of me was Eduardo, one of the leaders of this Black Cross cell, with a stake in his hand. All around us, his vampire hunters, a ragtag army in denim and flannel, watched in silence. None of them would help me. We stood apart from them in the center of the room. Harsh overhead light painted him in stark shadows.

“Come on, Bianca. Get in the game.” His voice could sound like a growl when he chose, and every word echoed off the concrete floor and metal walls of the abandoned warehouse. “This is a fight to the death. Aren’t you even going to try to stop me?”

If I sprang at him in an effort to grab his weapon or knock him down, he’d be able to throw me to the floor. Eduardo was faster, and he’d been hunting for years. He’d probably killed hundreds of vampires—all of them older and more powerful than me.

Lucas, what can I do?

But I didn’t dare look around for Lucas. I knew that if I took my eyes away from Eduardo for a second, the battle would be over.

I took a couple of steps backward, but I stumbled. The borrowed shoes I wore were too big for me, and one of them slipped off my foot.

“Clumsy,” Eduardo said. He turned the stake between his fingers, as if imagining different angles at which to strike. His smile was so satisfied—so smug—that I stopped being scared and started being mad.

I grabbed up the shoe and flung it at Eduardo’s face as hard as I could.

It smacked into his nose, and our audience burst out laughing. A few of them clapped. The tension had disappeared in an instant, and I was once more part of the gang, or so they thought.

Thanks again to Harper Collins’ awesome Browse Inside feature, you can check out the first 70 pages of Hourglass, completely for free. I highly recommend you take a peek:

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

For those folks who haven’t read the series yet and are intrigued (or for those that HAVE read the series and want another copy or want to pass it along to friends), we are giving away ONE copy of Evernight, the first book in the titled series. Entry is simple – just leave a comment here, letting us know which YA Vampire book or series is your favorite. The contest is open to residents of the US only, and will run until Saturday, March 27th at 11:59 PM (PST).

Good luck!

Rating: 7 – Very Good

Reading Next: Tome of the Undergates by Sam Sykes

Today we bring you another very special author spotlight on The Book Smugglers – this time with the delightful paranormal/sexy/urban fantasy author Stacia Kane!

Stacia is the author of the Megan Chase books, which follows radio call show host and psychologist Megan Crew as she promises to slay callers’ personal demons. This series encompasses three titles, Personal Demons, Demon Inside, and the newest novel, Demon Possessed. Check out her books:

Megan promises listeners to her new radio call-in show that she’ll “slay their personal demons,” and they believe her. So do the personal demons… although she doesn’t know it, Megan is the only human without a demon on her shoulder! Megan and her allies – a demon lover who both protects and seduces her with devilish intensity, a witch with poor social skills, and three cockney guard demons – have to deal not only with the personal demons, but a soul-sucker, ghosts of Megan’s past, and a reporter who threatens to destroy Megan’s career!

Hanging out with demons can be hell….

It’s been three months since psychologist Megan Chase made the stunning discovery that the world is filled with demons, and once more the situation is too hot to handle. Ironically, Megan — the only person in the world without a little personal demon sitting on her shoulder — has become the leader of a demon “family,” but now some unknown arcane power is offing her demons in a particularly unpleasant fashion. And while her demon lover Greyson Dante is still driving her wild with desire, he’s also acting strangely evasive. Then there’s the truth about Megan’s past — the truth she’s never known. Caught between personal problems and personal demons, Megan is having one hell of a hard time. Will the help of her Cockney guard demons and her witch friend Tera be enough so that Megan can finally resolve the past, survive the present, and face the future?

Excerpt online HERE.

Psychologist and psychic Megan Chase has grown remarkably comfortable hanging out with demons. The demon “family” she leads is happy, her solo practice is stabilizing, and she and her steamy demon lover, Greyson Dante, are closer than ever. But when the couple books a week at a luxury hotel to attend a meeting of demon leaders, some unanticipated problems appear. An FBI agent with an unhealthy interest in less-than-legitimate demon business practices shows up; the demon community is urging Megan to undergo the rite that will make her a real demon; and a slightly shady minister is holding one of his wildly popular “weekend exorcisms” just down the road. And oh, yes, someone with scary magical abilities is attempting to kill her. Then, just when it seems as if things couldn’t possibly get any worse, a secret comes to light that could jeopardize Megan and Greyson’s future — if Megan manages to live that long. With things heating up, it’s becoming difficult for her to keep a cool head…

Excerpt online HERE.

To celebrate the release of Demon Possessed, we are having the lovely Stacia Kane over for an interactive Q&A and a chance to win her books! We have TWO sets of Megan Chase books (Personal Demons, Demon Inside, and Demon Possessed) up for grabs. Entry is easy and simple, per usual – just leave a comment here asking Stacia a question (about her series, her writing process, her favorite demons, etc). The contest is open to all, and will run until Saturday, March 6th at 11:59PM (PST). Good luck, and let the questions begin.

Please and give it up for Stacia Kane!

Thanks so much for having me as a guest here at The Book Smugglers! Hanging out with readers is one of the best things about writing. I write the Megan Chase “Demons” series for Juno/Pocket books, and the upcoming Downside series as well. I’m happy to talk about both of them, or about anything else you can possibly imagine, so please ask as many questions as you like! (Just give me a little extra time if you want to talk about math, because that’s not my best subject.) Fire away!

Stacia Kane has been a phone psychic, a customer service representative, a bartender, and a movie theatre usher. Writing is more fun than all of them combined. She wears a lot of black, still makes great cocktails, likes to play music loud in the car, and thinks Die Hard is one of the greatest movies ever made. She believes in dragons and the divine right of kings, and is a fervent Ricardian. She lives outside Atlanta with her husband and their two little girls.

You can read more about Stacia online at her website HERE, her blog HERE, and on occasion over at The League of Reluctant Adults.

Hey, hey, hey folks! It’s time for another, really spiffy Flash Giveaway! This time, it’s the luuuuuuuuurve edition.

Today, we have a few prize packages up for grabs – three basic prize packages, and then ONE truly awesome Grand Prize!

In Batch 1: Historical Romance

This batch includes:
- Revenge Wears Rubies by Renee Bernard
- In Bed With the Duke by Christina Dodd
- Ladies Prefer Rogues anthology
- Promise Me Tonight by Sara Lindsey
- Most Eagerly Yours by Allison Chase
- The Irish Duke by Virginia Henley

In Batch 2: Contemporary Romance

This batch includes:
- Knock Me for a Loop by Heidi Betts
- Some Like it Kilted by Allie Mackay
- Mad, Bad and Blonde by Cathie Linz
- Divorced, Desperate and Decieved by Christie Craig
- Blonde with a Wand by Vicki Lewis Thompson
- Chick with a Charm by Vicki Lewis Thompson
- Johnny Be Good by Paige Toon

In Batch 3: Paranormal Romance

This batch includes:
- Warrior Ascended by Addison Fox
- Succubi Like it Hot by Jill Myles
- Naked Dragon by Annette Blair
- Dark Desires After Dusk by Kresley Cole
- Atlantis Redeemed by Alyssa Day
- Time for Eternity by Susan Squires

AND THE GRAND PRIZE:

As part of the marketing push behind the thirtieth book in J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts)’s “In Death” series, the good folks at Penguin have put together a truly AWESOME promotional package for the release of Fantasy In Death.

Bart Minnock, founder of the computer-gaming giant U-Play, enters his private playroom, and eagerly can’t wait to lose himself in an imaginary world, to play the role of a sword-wielding warrior king, in his company’s latest top-secret project, Fantastical.

The next morning, he is found in the same locked room, in a pool of blood, his head separated from his body. It is the most puzzling case Eve Dallas has ever faced, and it is not a game. . . .

NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas is having as much trouble figuring out how Bart Minnock was murdered as who did the murdering. The victim’s girlfriend seems sincerely grief-stricken, and his quirky-but-brilliant partners at U-Play appear equally shocked. No one seemed to have a prob lem with the enthusiastic, high-spirited millionaire. Of course, success can attract jealousy, and gaming, like any business, has its fierce rivalries and dirty tricks-as Eve’s husband, Roarke, one of U- Play’s competitors, knows well. But Minnock was not naive, and quite capable of fighting back in the real world as well as the virtual one.

Eve and her team are about to enter the next level of police work, in a world where fantasy is the ultimate seduction-and the price of defeat is death. . . .

You may or may not have seen others (such as KB of Babbling About Books, and More! and the folks over at Dear Author) that have been posting about these wicked cool packages – and, with full permission from the publicity group at Penguin, we’ve decided to give put our own package up for grabs.

As the Grand Prize in our Valentine’s Day Giveaway, we are offering up a copy of Fantasy In Death and the wicked cool Evidence Bag that contains Vengeance in Death, a departmental memo from Eve, and a little token of evidence from the Vengeance in Death case.

You can find more about Fantasy In Death and all of the great evidence bags put together by the publisher at the official In Death website, HERE.

THE RULES:

In order to enter the contest, we have a few simple rules.

To enter the competition, you must leave a comment after this post, letting us know in order of preference which of the three prize packages you want (for example: 1. Historical Romance; 2. Paranormal Romance; 3. Contemporary Romance).

If you want to enter yourself in the GRAND PRIZE drawing (for Fantasy in Death and the Evidence Bag containing goodies and Vengeance in Death), in your comment make sure to tell us which In Death book is your favorite! (If you do not wish to be considered in the giveaway for the other prize packages, make sure to state that in your comment too) If you do not say which In Death book is your favorite, you will NOT be eligible to win the Grand Prize.

And this is an important one! ONLY ONE COMMENT PER PERSON. Any duplicate comments, clarification comments, multiple comments will be automatically disqualified.

The competition is open to residents of the United States and Canada ONLY.

Those are the rules! Make sure you adhere to them, or you might lose your chance at a truly awesome giveaway. The contest will run until Saturday February 13th at 11:59PM. Good luck!

And Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Title: Archangel’s Kiss

Author: Nalini Singh

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Berkeley (US) / Gollancz (UK)
Publication Date: February 2010 (US) / March 2010 (UK)
Paperback: 352 pages

Stand Alone or Series: Book 2 in the ongoing Guild Hunter series

How Did We Get This Book: Review copies from author & publisher

Why Did We Read This Book: Both of us loved Angels’ Blood, the first book in the series. Ana is a confessed Nalini Singh-aholic, and Thea is on her way to becoming one too. The question should be, rather, what took us so long to read this book?

Summary: (from NaliniSingh.com)
Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find herself changed—an angel with wings the colors of midnight and dawn—but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, is used to being in control—even when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority…

They’ve barely begun to understand each other when Raphael receives an invitation to a ball from the archangel Lijuan. To refuse would be a sign of fatal weakness, so Raphael must ready Elena for the flight to Beijing—and to the nightmare that awaits them there. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan holds a power that lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena…

REVIEW:

First Impressions:

Thea: Anyone that reads our reviews knows that I have an aversion to romance novels, especially of the mushy, sexually explicit variety. I’ve read some pretty bad Paranormal Romance in particular that makes my eyes roll up to the back of my head, where they can see my brain, which is pissed off at having to read the offending material in the first place. I can deal with mush and sex, but not when it is at the expense of a cohesive and believable story. Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter books are the clear exception to my PNR-dislike, because, quite frankly, her writing rules. The thing that drew me in with Angels’ Blood was how textured and real her characters felt – how Raphael is actually a terrifying, cruel immortal and has no mortal feelings. How Elena is fragile and insignificant in the grand scope of the supernatural world – and she not only knows this but respects it. The biggest problem I have with a lot of PNR (and a lot of UF to be honest) is how there are these supposed millennia-old immortal/super-sexy/supposedly dangerous dudes – but they act like they are in their twenties or thirties, and they are all big softies with hearts of gold, and even if they committed atrocities that was all in the distant past and they are atoning for it, and they are saved from an eternity of brooding by this fiesty hot little human thang (who of course turns out to be some super powerful fey princess/most powerful/magical creature in the universe) who has a scent and a way of sassing that is IRRESISTIBLE to said leading male. In Angels’ Blood and Archangel’s Kiss, Ms. Sing creates a world where deadly creatures are actually deadly, and her heroine Elena is valued because of her human heart and her frailty – even as an immortal, she is a young one and easy to kill. I LOVED that about this book. I love that the relationship between Raphael and Elena is far from “happily ever after” and that their story is continued here. I loved it all enough that I didn’t even mind all the renegade nipples, running rampant throughout the book. Well, I didn’t mind much.

Ana: I read Archangel’s Kiss a few weeks ago which makes it my first official 2010 book. I came to it in the middle of a serious reading slump after I tried and couldn’t finish about 6 books. Nalini Singh once more saves me from the brink of despair. Her writing is kick-ass as usual, the particular world-building of the Guild Hunter book as interesting as ever and the relationship between Raphael and Elena is not only smoking hot (unlike Thea, I tend to like the sexually explicit content when it is well done and part of the story. And oh boy. Can Nalini Singh deliver on that area) but also fascinating.

On the Plot:

Thea: While Angels’ Blood had more of a death-defying, high stakes plot, Archangel’s Kiss is more subdued. There’s an overarching problem of some cruel angel that siccing his/her vampires on Raphael’s vampires, maiming and sending a taunting message meant to threaten Elena’s safety. There’s also the distant, looming test for Elena on the horizon as Lijuan, the most ancient and powerful of the archangels, has broken her disinterested seclusion in China and has extended an invitation to Raphael and his new “pet” hunter. Lijuan’s age and power, however, have changed her into something beyond immortal. She has evolved and has power over death itself, creating her own amusements in the form of an army of the dead reborn – an army that feeds on the flesh of the living to sustain itself. And Lijuan likes to feed her pets – with Elena in mind. While there are these two conflicts going on, the bulk of the novel involves Elena trying to get back her strength and become accustomed to her strange new body, especially after a year of lying in a coma. The focus in this second book is not so much on another rip-roaring adventure (though there is a fair amount of action and a dramatic conclusion) than it is a character-centric book. The highest points of Archangel’s Kiss are in the growing understanding and relationship between Elena and Raphael, as Elena learns what it means to be “immortal” and yet so incredibly weak.

Again, I found myself in awe of Nalini Singh’s worldbuilding skills. Her hierarchy of humans, vampires, angels and archangels is staggering in its complexity and in how utterly believable it all is. As I said before, these immortals are dangerous, cruel creatures and they act as such. I LOVED that Raphael’s Seven would try to kill Elena if she slipped in her vigilance – not because they hate Elena, but because her very presence weakens their leader. She is a liability, plain and simple, and I liked this aspect of the story (but more on that with characters later!). From a writing perspective, I only had a few minor complaints – there was a high level of repetition (especially regarding Elena’s suppressed memories, resurfacing) that needn’t have been there, and a whole bunch of not-sex/almost-sex scenes that I’m admittedly not a fan of (but, of course, this is personal taste! As Ana would say, it’s “hawt” but I’m an emotionally immature reader). Overall though, Ms. Singh’s writing level is awesome, and I found myself swept away in this wonderful novel.

Ana: As Thea says, plot-wise, there are several threads that run parallel in Archangel’s Kiss. The angels and archangels are scheming as ever and with a seat open in the Cadre of Ten, one is stepping up step up to fill up that place. This is expected and almost all Archangels are ok with it. Thea mentioned that the creatures created by Nalini Singh are cruel and terrifying immortals. This is even clearer in Archangel’s Kiss: as the mystery of who wants to be part of the Cadre builds up what seems to be the problem is not necessarily that people are being killed in a cruel manner. And that is fascinating even if albeit a bit uncomfortable.

The problem stems from the manner which this is being done, the overstepping of the boundaries and the fact that children are being targeted. Similarly when it comes to Lijuan’s age and power – a plotline that one day might be applicable to Raphael – the importance comes from the connection (or lack of) with what is like to an archangel versus being human – hence the relationship between Raphael and Elena being the central theme of the series.

I mentioned that Archangel’s Kiss saved me from a reading slump and it was so. But I did have a couple of problems with it. I actually agree with Thea that there was a high level of repetition -one more “mine” from Raphael and I would explode. Having said that, I absolutely adored the book.

On the Characters:

Thea: Here’s where things really get going. Archangel’s Kiss is very much a character-centric novel, exploring Elena and Raphael even more as characters, and building on their relationship together. Following the dramatic ending of Angels’ Blood, Elena has been Made an Angel and now is immortal. Except…immortality isn’t everything you think it is. She heals more quickly and will never grow old or fall to illness, but Elena is still at the very bottom of the power totem pole. She barely has the strength to walk (as she has been in a coma for a year), and she must learn how to carry and use her new wings. I absolutely loved that Elena isn’t automatically All Better (nor is she SUPER!POWERFUL!) because she’s an Angel – in fact, in many ways she’s even weaker and in a worse position as an immortal than she was as a hunter. As a mortal, Elena knew exactly who she was. She wasn’t a mark for an angelic power play, and she never had to worry about becoming overpowered or a slave to Raphael’s possessive will. But, as an Angel and as Raphael’s mate, she is essentially a walking bullseye for those who want to hurt or take Raphael down – which means even Raphael’s loyal servants want her killed, because she weakens him; she makes him vulnerable. But isn’t that the coolest thing? That’s what love does – it makes one vulnerable to be hurt, but that trust and vulnerability make it all the more special. And THAT is why I love this couple. Elena is strong willed and refuses to be Raphael’s slave, and Raphael – utterly inhuman Raphael – learns and respects this. It’s a beautiful dynamic.

Beyond the leading pair, all of the other characters are textured, diverse, and brilliant in their own ways. In particular, Ilium (one of Raphael’s Seven, the only one to love Elena) and Michaela (another powerful archangel in the Cadre of Ten) are standouts. Michaela’s character is one that you cannot help but despise, especially in her cruel, cold venom towards Elena, but the brilliance of Ms. Singh’s writing is that she shows another, more relatable side to this villain too. And I can dig that.

Ana: I have to agree with Thea again. I think that this is where Archangel’s Kiss truly shines. As Elena awakens from a year- long coma that changed her forever and is faced with a whole new set of challenges. She basically has to learn a new life. Heck she even starts to attend school for Angels. I love how different both Raphael and Elena are from who they used to be and how they both have evolved as characters. And it couldn’t be any different. Not only one year has passed but their love for each other and their personalities have influenced each other. They are BOTH softer people they once were and I think that is a good thing. Not only does Elena make Raphael vulnerable (and how amazing are the last lines of the book- Raphael gets the bests last liners!) but he makes her too. But at the same time, they haven’t completely changed their personalities: Raphael is still cold and ruthless and finds it hard to HAVE to respect Elena’s wishes for independence. It is a working, developing and yes, beautiful dynamics.

I really hope that this hasn’t be the last we see of them. Now that she has become an immortal angel, I want to see what happens with her role as a Hunter and how this dynamics will play when they return to New York.

As for the secondary characters, I am completely fascinated by Michaela who both terrifies and befuddles me. When I think she is completely evil and potty she does something that makes me feel sorry for her. This is the mark of a good villain. And then there is Illium (or Bluebell) and his blue eyelashes and the hint of a sad past AND NALINI SINGH YOU MUST TELL US MORE ABOUT ILLIUM.

I can’t stand Dimitri though – is it just me, dear readers?

Final Thoughts, Observations and Rating:

Thea: I truly enjoyed Archangel’s Kiss – heck, I loved it. It’s not as powerful as Angels’ Blood, but it is a solid, captivating second installment in the ongoing Guild Hunter series. I loved the deeper look at angels, their laws, their powers and their politics, just as I devoured the ongoing romance between two very moving protagonists. I cannot wait for the next book in the series – and the return to the world of mere mortals!

Ana: Although not as refreshingly powerful and original (have I lost that first spark?) as Angels’ Blood, Archangel’s Kiss delivers in every possible ways to make this a great Paranormal Romance series that even the naysayers can safely pick up: a solid world-building, good writing, a great character-driven central arc and an amazing romance.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From the official excerpt:

Elena gripped the balcony railing and stared down at the gorge that fell away with jagged promise beneath. From here, the rocks looked like sharp teeth, ready to bite and tear and rip. She tightened her hold as the icy wind threatened to tumble her into their unforgiving jaws. “A year ago,” she murmured, “I didn’t know the Refuge existed, and today, here I stand.”

A sprawling city of marble and glass spread out in every direction, its elegant lines exquisite under the razor-sharp burn of the sun. Dark-leafed trees provided soothing patches of green on both sides of the gorge that cut a massive divide through the city, while snow-capped mountains ruled the sky line. There were no roads, no high-rises, nothing to disturb the otherworldly grace of it.

Yet, for all its beauty, there was something alien about this place, a vague sense that darkness lurked beneath the gilded surface. Drawing in a breath laced with the biting freshness of the mountain winds, she looked up . . . at the angels. So many angels. Their wings filled the skies above this city that seemed to have grown out of the rock itself.

The angelstruck, those mortals who were literally en thralled by the sight of angelic wings, would weep to be in this place filled with the beings they worshipped. But Elena had seen an archangel laugh as he plucked the eyes out of a vampire’s skull, as he pretended to eat, then crush the pulpy mass. This, she thought with a shiver, was not her idea of heaven.

A rustle of wings from behind her, a squeeze from the pow erful hands on her hips. “You’re tiring, Elena. Come inside.”

You can read the full excerpt online HERE.

Additional Thoughts: Angels are everywhere these days – in books, in films, in video games… For example, last week Legion came out in theaters (which we haven’t seen yet, but Thea is feeling the urge even if it does look silly).

Do you have any favorite portrayals of angels in film or literature?

Rating:

Thea: 7 – Very Good. (But leaning toward an 8 )

Ana:8 Excellent

Reading Next: Blackbringer by Laini Taylor

Title: Captivate

Author: Carrie Jones

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

Publisher: Bloomsbury (USA & UK)
Publication Date: January 2010 (USA) / April 2010 (UK)
Hardcover: 336 pages

Zara and her friends knew they hadn’t solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king’s needs grow deeper every day he’s stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It’s made him vulnerable. And now there’s a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he’s one of the good guys. Nick isn’t buying it, though Zara isn’t as sure — despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it’s a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It’s her life — and his.

Stand alone or series: Book 2 in the ongoing “Need” series

How did I get this book: ARC from the publisher

Why did I read this book: I truly, honestly enjoyed Need, book 1 in the series, despite some questionable character motivations and plot inconsistencies. In spite of these problems, I found myself eagerly reaching for Captivate, hungry for more from Ms. Jones.

Review:

**PLEASE NOTE: This review contains spoilers for Book 1, Need. If you have not read Need or do not wish to be spoiled, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**

Well, I can safely say that Captivate outdoes Need – in a very good way. After successfully entrapping all the pixies, including her biological father, deep in the surrounding woods, Zara and her friends have a brief respite from constant danger. But every day, Zara knows they are living peacefully on borrowed time – as her father, the Pixie King, weakens further, the Pixies grow more violent and desperate. And then more pixies begin to show up, including another Pixie King, named Astley. Zara’s boyfriend, the werewolf Nick manages to injure the newcomer pixie, leaving him for dead and bound in iron – but Zara, pacifist and humanitarian to the core, stumbles across him in the woods and decides to free him before he is taken away by a mysterious, fierce woman-creature that calls herself a Valkyrie. Zara feels an inexplicable connection to Astley, and though she might not trust him, she starts to listen when he says that not all pixies are twisted and evil, and that he comes to preserve balance before another, darker, sadistic Pixie King attempts to take over. Torn in indecision, soon Zara finds herself in the middle of a war; and she must make a choice if she is to save all those she holds dear.

While Need had some sizable holes, Captivate goes a long way in resolving a lot of these general plot and nonsensical issues. Some of the criticisms and questions I was left with finishing book 1 (i.e. why didn’t weres Nick and Devyn smell out the pixies at school?) were addressed here, rounding out and adding a level of cohesion to the overarching story and world. Even cooler, however, is that Captivate takes a dramatic turn and develops a clear direction for the series. A whole lot happens in this second novel, and it feels much more planned and fleshed out than its predecessor. I loved that a war is brewing (actually, there are two wars brewing, with the Valkyries dragging slain warriors off to Valhalla to fight with Odin in Ragnarök – to be examined in book 3, hopefully), and that the simple solution of imprisonment presented in Need has dire consequences in Captivate. There’s also one very shocking turn of events in this book that I did not see coming – frankly, few authors in any genre have the gall to go where Ms. Jones does, especially not so early in a series – and all I can say is: ME LIKEY.

As the plotting has improved in Captivate, so too have the characters. If you read the review Ana and I wrote for Need, you might have picked up on my annoyance with Zara and her TSTL tendencies. In this second book, I finally felt like I was able to connect with Zara as a character – she manages to stand up for herself in a way that resonated with me – I loved this pivotal scene with her friends:

[Gram] whirls on me and Issie. “I can’t believe you two did that. You cannot trust pixies.”

“So you can’t trust me?” I ask.

“You’re not a pixie. You’re human.” She snaps her medical kit shut.

“Right. So that’s why my skin is blue.” My stomach threatens to knock a hole through my skin and leave my body in protest.

“Zara…” Nick’s voice is a warning.

“She’s just sad,” Is says. “That’s why she’s being all snippy. Or else it’s the pain meds.”

“They are mood altering,” Devyn agrees.

“I am not snippy. I’m mad because nobody is listening to me.” My hands ball into fists. “What? Just because you don’t want to believe it, Nick, doesn’t mean it isn’t true. I remember how you acted when you found out who my father is. I remember you running away, okay? I know how you totally hate pixies and if I’m a pixie that obviously means that you -”

His arms reach out to me, but his hands are fists. “Zara -”

“Just. Don’t. Say. Anything.” I stare at all of them, take a step back. “Nobody say anything. This is not your problem. This is my problem. Mine. I’m the freak here. Me.”

I loved that all of the characters in this book are challenged and grow – for better or for worse. Nick and Zara’s relationship is disgustingly sappy (they are THAT couple – you know the ones, you remember them, the PDA-aholics from high school), but it’s believable sap. Even when they call each other “baby” and “sweetheart,” it rings as genuine as they are two characters in the throes of young, first love. I loved that Nick is bossy and domineering and an alpha-jerk at times, because it’s in his nature as a lone were and as a dude with an enormous ego and hero complex. Even better, I love that Zara recognizes this, calls him out on it, and yet loves him for it anyway. There’s a lot of the ridiculous in this book, but the characters are self-aware of this ridiculousness (which makes it if not completely ok, at least more permissible).

To be completely honest, more than Zara, Nick, Isi or Devyn, I found myself absolutely loving the two new additions to the cast – a classmate named Cassidy, and the new Pixie King Astley. Astley especially. Yeah, he marks the beginning of another dreaded Love Triangle (gaah!), but I really liked him. Heck, stupid name aside (and Astley is a shockingly bad name) I prefer him to Nick! I loved the dimension of doubt and moral ambiguity that Astley brought to this book – it’s so easy to assume that ALL pixies are evil, but he humanizes them, which is disturbing for Zara (and especially for Nick). Rather than a blanket statement that pixies = evil, Ms. Jones uses this new King to question their most basic assumption. Like humans, or any other creature, Pixies have the capability to be good, bad, or occupy that murky gray area in between. And that’s really cool.

While there’s a lot to love about Captivate, I should mention that it still suffers from some not-overlookable problems. This second book departs from the phobias that characterized Need so beautifully, instead relying on a schloky “How to Survive A Pixie Attack” gimmick to introduce chapters (ex: “10. Think pixies are like Tinkerbell? You think wrong,” or “9. Pixies do not hang out with Peter Pan”). These Pixie hints felt cheesy and silly to me, and incongruous with the overall tone of the book. There’s also a lot of storming out angry emo huffiness (annoying), and the books first act plods along a tad slowly (though it heats up brilliantly by the second half). The only other big niggle for me was how much of a challenge it was to suspend disbelief in some instances – in particular, in any scene involving Zara fighting pixies. Zara as a human girl is a fast runner but not exactly coordinated, nor is she a “fighter” (her pacifist mindset pretty much prevents this). Thus, seeing her take down a few superhumanly strong, extremely vicious pixies with her physical prowess was a little hard to swallow. Also, pixies (apparently only when confronting Zara) have a tendency to monologue like bad b-movie villains. It is again, silly. If Zara is such a threat, why wouldn’t ANY pixie simply kiss her? Or kill her? Especially given her tendency to go outdoors alone and get herself into life-threatening situations?

Despite having its share of annoying scenes, however, Captivate is in fact captivating. Better than Need, and with a dramatic cliffhanger of an ending, I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From the official excerpt:

I have the emotional maturity of a two-year-old. I know this! I know, but it doesn’t make me stop trying to escape my grandmother and friends and their pity eyes and Nick’s eyes… the eyes I suddenly can’t read.
So, I run as best I can through the sloshy snow and mud. My feet take me far enough into the woods so that I don’t hear cars any more. I don’t hear anything. No wind blows through the high up branches of the spruce and pine trees. Their thin, pale brown trunks don’t creak with the weight of snow and ice. No birds sing. No squirrels chitter and squeak and make all those noises that squirrels make.

Nothing.

No noise.

Nothing.

That is not normal. I sniff in through my nose and smell. It’s just wet wood and old pine needles. Olfactophobia is the fear of odors. Odor fears get more specific, though. Bromidrosiphobia is the fear of personal odor. You know, body odor. Luckily, I don’t have that. There is no name that I know of for the fear of a lack of odor. There is no name that I know of for the fear of lack of sound. The fear of sound itself is Acousticophobia.

Why are there no names for the fear of the absence of things? Why is there no name for the absence of humanity? Because that is my fear, right here, right now. I am worried that I am losing my humanity.

I’ve seen what happens then. Jay Dahlberg was tortured and bled and bitten when I found him in an upstairs bedroom at my father’s pixie mansion home. Jay doesn’t remember any of it. I do. I remember his body shaking as I tried to help him down the long flight of marble stairs. I remember the smell of his fear permeating everything.

Pixies did that.

I can’t be one of them.

I can’t.

You can read the full excerpt online HERE.

Additional Thoughts: There’s a pretty sweet giveaway opportunity going on at author Carrie Jones’ website! Up for grabs are:

A Dell Mini computer
A Netflix gift card
5 hot teen books from Bloomsbury/Walker

Make sure to enter by May 31, 2010 by filling out the online form. Five winners will be picked, so get over there for a chance at the goodies! Also, if you’re in California, Washington or Tennessee, Carrie Jones will be in town on her book tour! We’ll keep you posted with details as they are available. Finally, check out the book trailer for Captivate:

Not a huge fan of the John Mayer-pixie-dust-disney-special combo, but that’s just me! I do, however, love the covers for both books. Pretty gold eyeshadow…

Verdict: Highly enjoyable sequel, I really enjoyed Captivate. I hope Ms. Jones can keep it up and deliver a knockout with the next book in the series!

Rating: 7 – Very Good

Reading Next: Archangel’s Kiss by Nalini Singh