A closet readers take on: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Erotica, YA Fiction & Audiobooks

Friday, July 12, 2013

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Chloe Neill's HOUSE RULES (Chicagoland Vampires series bk 7)

http://www.tantor.com/BookDetail.asp?Product=B0981_HouseRules 
Title: HOUSE RULES (Chicagoland Vampires series Bk 7)
Author: Chloe Neill
Narrator: Sophie Eastlake
Format: Mp3-CD
Audible Price: $23.99
Listening Length: 7 hrs 30 min
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Release Date: 03/25/2013
Buy HOUSE RULES from Tantor



My Ratings
Plot:  5/5
Setting:  4.5/5
Writing:  5/5
Originality of Plot:  4.5/5
Characters Development:  5/5
Ending:  5/5
Narration:  4/5
Cover Art:  4/5
Likelihood to Recommend:  5/5

Overall:  42/45 = 93%


Synopsis

 In a city full of vampires, trouble never sleeps.

At the tender age of twenty-seven, Merit became a sword-wielding vampire. Since then, she’s become the protector of her House, watched Chicago nearly burn to the ground, and seen her Master fall and rise. Now she’ll see her mettle—and her metal—tested like never before.

It started with two . . . Two rogues vanishing without a trace. Someone is targeting Chicago’s vampires, and anyone could be next. With their house in peril, Merit and her Master, the centuries-old Ethan Sullivan, must race to stop the disappearances. But as they untangle a web of secret alliances and ancient evils, they realize their foe is more familiar, and more powerful, than they could have ever imagined.



Review 

I have been eagerly awaiting book 7 in this series, since I finished the final chapter of BITING COLD.  Most authors tend to lose steam by the time they get to book 6 or 7, but Chloe Neill isn't that kind of author.  She has kept the storyline strong, smart, and captivating!  Merit and her crew have overcome so many obstacle.  Though the road a head of them is going to be hard, it seems that things are headed back in the right direction.

There is a lot going on in Cadogan House.  Ethan Sullivan, their fearless leader and Merit's vampire lover, is back in the house and in full force.  The house is also a buzz with their decision to leave the Greenwich Presidium.  Her friends are safe and on the road healing physically and emotionally.  So what, the GP is dead set on dismantling and destroying them.  Who cares, if the new mayor and most of the citizens of Chicago are against the vampires.  And never mind, the string of strange vampire deaths a crossed the city.  I get my Merit and Ethan back! 

I think that my favorite part of this series is how normal Chloe's vampires are.  It makes me more drawn into the story.  At it's heart, this series is about death, love, and being a part of a family.  I love the people that Merit chooses to surround herself with as well.  I was really happy to see Mallory get back on her feet.  She hit rock bottom, and now she is fighting to get her self back to somewhat normal.  I just hope that there is a point where she and Catcher can get back to each other.  The shifter also play a pretty big role in this book.  I adore all of the shifters and really enjoyed seeing Jeff step up.  I have a total geek crush on Jeff, and love him more with every book.

When a series changes narrators mid-series, it is always hard for me to adjust.  They previous narrator was fantastic, one of my all-time favorites!  I picked it up, because of who had been narrating the series.  Each character was the unique voice that the past narrator gave them.  We have had Sophie Eastlake for two books now.  My opinion of her narration style would be totally different if she had narrated the series all a long.  Each character has a new sound and a style of speech, which makes me slightly crazy.  However, she does a great job telling the story.  Her voice is smooth.  Her diction and pace are great as well.  I'm just not all that happy with her character choices.  I just wished that I hadn't had the previous narrators narration to compare it to.

Even though this audiobook is slightly tarnished with it's change in narrator.  I still love this series and will continue purchasing it on audiobook format.  It is full of messy politics, big-time action, and is sexy as hell. Big things are still ahead for Merit and her cast of merry friends.  I cannot wait to see what Chloe Neill has in store for us in book 8, BITING BAD.  It's due in stores August 6th in paperback and audiobook formats.  Check back next week for my review of book 8, seeing are an early release copy made it's way into my mail box this week! 



Books by Chloe Neil


Chicagoland Vampire Series (Adult Series)

Dark Elite Series (YA Series)

   



Tuesday, July 2, 2013

NEW RELEASE: Laurell K. Hamilton's AFFLICTION (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #22)





http://www.amazon.com/Affliction-Anita-Blake-Vampire-Hunter/dp/0425255700
Title: AFFLICTION (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #22)
Author:  Laurell K. Hamilton
List Price: $28.95
Release Date: July 2, 2013
Hardcover: 576 pages
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover
ISBN-10: 0425255700
ISBN-13:  978-04255704 
Buy AFFLICTION from Amazon
Buy AFFLICTION from Audible 



Synopsis


Some zombies are raised. Others must be put down. Just ask Anita Blake.

Before now, she would have considered them merely off-putting, never dangerous. Before now, she had never heard of any of them causing human beings to perish in agony. But that’s all changed.

Micah’s estranged father lies dying, rotting away inside from some strange ailment that has his doctors whispering about “zombie disease.”

Anita makes her living off of zombies—but these aren’t the kind she knows so well. These creatures hunt in daylight, and are as fast and strong as vampires. If they bite you, you become just like them. And round and round it goes…

Where will it stop?
Even Anita Blake doesn’t know.


What I'm Most Looking Foward To

We are 22 books into the Anita Blake series, and every book has it's very own surprises.  I love the fact that Anita was able to work through a lot of her issues with the men in the last book, this should set up AFFLICTION to be one heck of a book.  While I'm not big on zombie book, I think that there will be enough of my favorite sexy vampire and shifter men to keep me happy.