AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: P.C. & Kristin Cast's AWAKENED

Title: AWAKENED
Author: P.C. and Kristin Cast
Narrator: Caitlin Davies
Release Date: January 4, 2011
List Price: $39.99
Reading Level: Young Adult
Audio CD: Unabridged Edition
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1427211809
ISBN-13: 978-1427211804

My Ratings

Plot: 3/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 3/5
Originality of Plot: 4/5
Characters Development: 4/5
Ending: 4/5
Narration: 5/5
Cover Art: 5/5
Likelihood to Recommend: 4/5

Overall: 36/45 = 80%


Synopsis

"Exonerated by the Vampyre High Council and returned to her position of High Priestess at Tulsa’s House of Night, Neferet has sworn vengeance on Zoey. Dominion over Kalona is only one of the weapons she plans to use against her. But Zoey has found sanctuary on the Isle of Skye and is being groomed by Queen Sgiach to take over for her there. Being queen would be cool, wouldn’t it? Why should she return to Tulsa? After losing her human consort, Heath, she will never be the same—and her relationship with her super-hot warrior, Stark, may never be the same either.

And what about Stevie Rae and Rephaim? The Raven Mocker refuses to be used against Stevie Rae, but what choice does he have when no one in the entire world, including Zoey, would be okay with their relationship? Does he betray his father or his heart?

In the pulse-pounding eighth book in the bestselling House of Night series, how far will the bonds of friendship stretch and how strong are the ties that bind one girl’s heart?"

My Review

(THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS)
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I am and probably always will be, torn by this series. I loved the first three House of Night books. They set up this dark, unknown world of vampire fledgings. The series started with smart and refreshing characters. Unfortunately, I feel like the writing duo of P.C. and Kristin Cast have taken this fresh take on a YA vampires in a drastic direction.

This series can’t seem to make up it’s mind, whether it is a Young Adult or and Adult series. On one hand, this series covers very adult sexual subject matter, while the way the teens speak is very juvenile. Zoey can’t stand to say words like ’crap’, but she’s doesn't mind being involved with more then one character in this series at a time. I just cannot wrap my mind around some of the writing in this book. This may come from the fact that it is co-written by a young adult and an adult.

I find that this storyline jumps around so much. I think that it comes from the fact that, this series has gone from one narrators, to several narrators. I find this extremely distracting to the story. And every time a new character gets their first “I’m so happy” chapter, is means that this character will meet an untimely demise in said chapeter. It makes the story extremely predictable. I saw both “shocking” deaths coming a mile away, due to the translucent writing.

The brightest spot of this audiobook for me is the narration by Caitlin Davies. She does an amazing job voicing this cast of both teens and adults. She also has a great ability to convey both the joy and sorrow that this book contains. I have to say that Caitlin is the best narrator that The House of Night series has had so far.

All of these things aside, I still keep picking this series back up. I’m drawn to finish and see where Zoey and crew end up. The beginning drug a little, but once I got to the halfway point of the story it really moved along quickly. I started to get back into enjoying this series and it’s characters. I think that I’m going to give this series another chance with the next book.


Related Websites

Buy Awakened on Audiobook
House of Night Series - Website
P.C. Cast - Website
Caitlin Davies - Narrator's Website


AWAKENED - Trailer

QUICK REVIEW: Rachel Vincent's REAPER

Title: Reaper
Author: Rachel Vincent
Release Date: December 1, 2010
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Reading Level: Young Adult
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 203 KB
List Price: $2.99 (currently free from some retailers)


My Ratings

Plot: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Originality of Plot: 5/5
Characters Development: 5/5
Ending: 5/5
Cover Art: 3/5 (Nice cover, but no way is that Tod!)

Overall: 33/35 = 94%


Synopsis

The story of how Tod died and was recruited as a reaper . . .

Tod Hudson was a typical teenager. He liked girls, sports, food and tolerated his younger brother, Nash. In fact, he had his whole life in front of him–and due to his bean sidhe heritage, it was going to be a very long life indeed. And then the car accident occurred.

Suddenly Tod’s future wasn’t so sure, and he had to make a choice. Life . . . Death . . . or something Between . . . .

Quick Review

REAPER is the basically the back story of how Tod Hudson the bean sidhe, became the dealer of death that he is today. This novella gives us glimpse into the somewhat normal life of Tod and his brother, Nash. It's a story of choices, good and bad. It's a story of sacrifice. It's a story of loss. And a story of what is means to be family.

I first want to state for the record, I LOVE TOD HUDSON! And here I thought that there was no way that I could possible love him, more then I already did! Rachel Vincent proved me wrong, once again! The further I get in the Soul Screamer series, the more Tod seems to outshine is younger brothers. Tod makes the tough decisions, when other wouldn't. He may be snarky and sarcastic, but when it comes to the important things in life, his heart is in the right place.

This novella is full of hysterical one-liners, moments of deep despair, and hope for the future. I want to thank Rachel Vincent for the gift Tod truly is!

Other Books by This Author

Soul Screamers YA Series:
0.5) My Soul to Lose (2009) (click here to download the prequel for free)
1) My Soul to Take (2009)
2) My Soul To Save (2010)
3) My Soul To Keep (2010)
4) My Soul to Steal (Upcoming Release Date: 1/1/11)

Shifters Series:
1) Stray (2007)
2) Rogue (2008)
3) Pride (2009)
4) Prey (2009)
5) Shift (2010)
6) Alpha (2010)


Websites

Rachel Vincent's Website
Rachel's Discussion Board
Rachel's Twitter

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: V.C. Andrews' Daughter of Darkness

Title: DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS
Author: V.C. Andrews
Narrator: Marguerite Gavin
Release Date: December 31, 2010
Audiobook: Unabridged, MP3 - Unabridged CD edition
List Price: $24.99
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1452650349
ISBN-13: 978-1452650340


My Ratings

Plot: 2/5
Setting: 3/5
Writing: 3/5
Originality of Plot: 3/5
Characters Development: 4/5
Ending: 4/5
Narration: 5/5
Cover Art: 4/5
Likelihood to Recommend: 3/5

Overall: 31/45 = 68%


Synopsis

Seventeen-year-old Lorelei Patio is the adopted daughter of two-hundred-year-old vampire Sergio Patio. She never realized why her family has had to move so often or why she is not permitted to get too friendly with other young people. In fact, except for one shocking moment that seemed more like a dream, Lorelei never fully realized who and what her father was nor what her sisters were brought up to do for him. But one day, that all changed. Sergio’s "daughters" serve a very important purpose: they are all beautiful young ladies who can easily attract---and lure---men so that Sergio can feed on their blood. And now daddy expects Lorelei to be the obedient daughter he needs and bring him new victims.

But when Lorelei meets a shy, handsome young man named Buddy in school, she quickly falls in love with him. He feels the same way but wonders why she doesn't want to take him home to meet her father. Lorelei knows what will happen if she does and tries desperately to keep her two worlds apart, but she knows she can never truly escape her fate as a daughter of darkness. How will she manage these two worlds, and what will she have to give up to do so?

My Review

I actually spent a majority of this book torn between being creeped out and not being able to put this book down! If you are into dramatic vampire tales, this might just be the book for you. Even though this book is based around on a young adult, this book defiantly isn’t your run-of-the-mill teenage vampire tale! That being said, I actually wouldn’t ever recommend this book for young adult readers WHAT SO EVER. The topics discussed in this book can be very intense, dark, and somewhat disturbing for some readers.

I felt that this story developed very slowly, and the beginning dragged on a bit. Once Lorelie started to grow into her abilities, I really enjoyed reading about her personally. She was forced to grow-up fast, but bloomed into a beautiful, strong women. I also enjoyed the interactions between the sisters, even though it wasn’t a healthy familial relationship.

The best part of this audiobook was Marguerite Gavin’s narrations. I absolutely adore her, and picked-up this audiobook almost strictly because of her. I've loved her work on Kim Harrison’s Hallows Series, but I wasn’t sure how that would translate to a young adults voice. Marguerite blew me away, again! She did such an amazing job narrating this story. Her range of voices and emotions is unbelievable!

I’m on the fence when it comes to recommending this book. It was dark, strange, and creepy, yet at the same time I just couldn’t put the book down. It was kind of like a train wreck, you couldn’t help but watch. Not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. While I enjoyed this audiobook, but I’m pretty sure I won’t re-listen to it. The ending of this book leads me to believe that their might be a sequel in our future, hopefully it will be better.


Related Websites

Buy Daughter of Darkness on audiobook

Marguerite Gavin - Narrator

Tantor Audio

AUDIOBOOK REWIEW: Jeaniene Frost's THIS SIDE OF THE GRAVE (The Night Huntress Bk 5)

Title: THIS SIDE OF THE GRAVE (The Night Huntress Bk 5)
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Narrator: Tavia Gilbert
Release Date: February 22, 2011
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks; MP3 Unabridged
List Price: $29.95
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781441785633
ISBN-13: 978-1441785633



My Ratings

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

Overall: 43/45 = 95%


Synopsis

Danger waits on both sides of the grave… Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they’ve triumphed over the latest battle, Cat’s new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance. With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing. A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage. Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous “ally”—the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war—to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.

My Review

(THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS)
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Unlike many of the other Night Huntress fans, I didn’t have a 2 year wait between DESTINED FOR AN EARLY GRAVE and THIS SIDE OF THE GRAVE. I was lucky enough to introduced to this series via audiobooks. When the this series was released at Audible.com late last year, I devoured each book as it was came out. This series is a witty, sexy, and emotional joyride, that you never want to end.

Cat’s really come into her own in this book. She didn’t want to hide or apologize for what she has become. She finally understands what it takes to be a leader and keep your people safe. Sometimes violence is the only alternative, when your authority is being challenged. She is also finally completely letting her walls down when if comes to Bones. She has always loved him and been attracted to him, but she’s always held a bit of herself back. She finally laid all her cards on the table for the husband.

As in all of the previous Night Huntress Series books, THIS SIDE OF THE GRAVE’s secondary character are just as amazing as it’s primary characters. I probably love Vlad just as much as I love Bones. He is hysterical! When he steps into a screen, you know you are in for a treat. He really is instrumental in helping Cat realize what it means to me a leader. It was also wonderful to get to see Night Huntress World characters Denise and Spade, along with Kira and Menchere. While it was great saying hello to old favorites, we also had to say goodbye an important characters. Though this character wasn’t always my favorite, he always did what he felt was right. He will be greatly missed!

I have always felt that Jeaniene Frost’s writing in The Night Huntess Series is bloody brilliant! She has a very good balance of humor, drama, sexuality, and heartfelt emotions. I mean who else could come up, “garlic plus ganja equaled ghosts be gone”? This book have sooo many amazing quotes from this book. One of my very favorites was, “Ask me if I sparkle and I‘ll kill you where you stand.” I honestly laughed out loud on the plane, while listening to this audiobook. I’m pretty sure the other passengers thought I was crazy!

If you are a fan Jeaniene Frost‘s series, I recommend that you pick up this series on audiobook. Reading this book and listening to it, are two totally different experiences. Never in my mind, could I dream up the amazing accents that Tavia Gilbert uses in this series. The characters range voices range from New Orleans honeyed French Creole to proper British gentlemen, and Tavia make them all shine!

If you are a big fan of the Urban Fantasy genre, this series is a MUST HAVE on your book shelf. I recommend Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress World series also. This series is meant to complement the Night Huntress Series, and give you a glimpse into the lives of some of my other favorite characters.


Related Websites

http://jeanienefrost.com/
http://twitter.com/jeaniene_frost
http://www.blackstoneaudio.com/audiobook.cfm?id=6245
http://www.blackstoneaudio.com/Search.cfm?search=Tavia%20Gilbert


This Side of the Grave - Trailer

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Kim Harrison's Pale Demon (The Hollow's Bk 9)

Title: Kim Harrison
Author: PALE DEMON (The Hollow’s Bk 9)
Narrator: Marguerite Gavin
Release Date: February 22, 2011
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks; MP3 Unabridged
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1441776303
ISBN-13: 978-1441776303



My Ratings

Plot: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Originality of Plot: 4.5/5
Characters Development: 5/5
Ending: 4.5/5
Narration: 5/5
Cover Art: 5/5
Likelihood to Recommend: 5/5
Overall: 44/45 = 98%

Synopsis

To save her life, bounty hunter and witch Rachel Morgan must overturn a death sentence, outwit a demon assassin, and endure a cross-country drive with a vampire, an elf, and a pixy in this latest kick-ass adventure in the Hollows series. Condemned to death for black magic and shunned, Rachel Morgan has three days to somehow get to the annual witches’ conference in San Francisco and clear her name. If she fails, the only way she can escape death is to live in the demonic ever after … for ever after.

Banned from the flight lists, Rachel teams up with elfin tycoon Trent Kalamack, headed for the West Coast for his own mysterious business. But Rachel isn’t the only passenger along for the ride. Can a witch, an elf, a living vampire, and a pixy survive in one car for over 2,300 miles—and that’s not counting the assassin on their tail. For a fearsome demon walks the sunlight, freed after centuries of torment to slay the innocent and devour souls. But his ultimate prey is Rachel Morgan. While the fearless witch will do whatever it takes to stay alive, even embracing her own demonic nature may not be enough to save her.

My Review

(THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS)
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An elf, a witch, avamp, and a pixie walk into a restaurant. No this isn’t a joke, it’s Pale Damon, the ninth book in Kim Harrison’s Hollows’ Series. Rachel Morgan, shunned witch and paranormal bounty hunter, is on the road-trip from hell with her business partners Jenks and Ivy along with everyone’s favorite sexy elf Trent Kalamack.

Rachel had so much to overcome in this book. She’s a shunned witch with very little chance of making it through this road-trip alive. She’s making smarter choices, and finally tapping more into her demonic sidee. I was happy to see that she is starting to see that her demonic nature isn’t always a bad thing, as long as she used her powers for good purposes.

As in every Hollows book, Rachel love life is in shambles! It seems like the only person Rachel didn’t kiss/make-out with was Jenks, and I’m pretty sure that if he had been big enough she might have tried. All of these possible love matches, and she can’t find love again (R.I.P Kisten). My heart breaks for her! However, I was a little unsettled by Rachel’s lack of feelings towards Pierce in the first half of this book. It was almost like he didn’t exist. I love Rachel and Ivy’s bittersweet ‘good-bye’ scene. It was so heart wrenching and full of tightly held emotions. It brought me to tears. I have to admit, that at times in this series I have wanted Ivy and Rachel to be together.

As much as have fantasized about Rachel and Trent together, I shocked at how I loved their dream/reality make-out scene. I never thought I’d see the day that Trent cared about someone other then himself. He was the real stand-out character in this book for me. His character grew by leaps and bounds. He was not only able to work his way into Rachel’s life, but I believe he has gained Jenks’ trust. Plus, who would have guessed that Trent would be a father!!! I’m not going to lie, but for a minute I may have pictured Trent, Rachel and the baby as a happy little family.

I had two minor problems with this book. First, I felt that Pierce was ignored for the most part of the beginning of this book. I really loved the relationship blossoming between Pierce and Rachel in the previous book, and I was let down by his absence. Once he was brought back into the story, I felt that he was overlooked. Second, I was also annoyed at the way Rachel reacted to him. She had already taken herself out of the relationship mentally before it really even had a chance. Very sad!

I absolutely adore Marguerite Gavin’s narrations of The Hollow’s series. Hearing her narration Pale Demon felt like going home again. She is The Hollows to me. Even when I read this series, I can almost her reading the story to me. She does such an amazing job narrating the many Hollows characters that span different cultural backgrounds and eras. Her voice really draws you into the story with her emotional narration.

I believe that Kim Harrison stated on her blog, that this book is her favorite of the series so far, and I whole-heartedly agree. This book was not just a road trip, but story filled with personal growth, friendships forged, and trust cemented. If you are a fan of this genre and haven’t yet picked up The Hollow’s series, run right out and pick it up now!


The Hollows Series

1- Dead Witch Walking
2- The Good, The Bad, and The Undead
-- Undead in The Garden of Good and Evil--Ivy novella in the anthology Dates From Hell.
3- Every Which Way But Dead
4- A Fistful of Charms
-- Dirty Magic--Mia short story in the anthology Hotter Than Hell.
5- For A Few Demons More
-- The Bridges of Eden Park-Kisten/Rachel short in the US mass market edition of For a Few Demons More
-- Two Ghosts for Sister Rachel--Robbie/Rachel/Pierce novella in the anthology Holidays from Hell
6- The Outlaw Demon Wails
-- The Bespelled-Ceri/Al short story in the US mass market edition of The Outlaw Demon Wails
7- White Witch, Black Curse
-- Ley Line Drifter--Bis/Jenks novella in anthology Unbound
8- Black Magic Sanction
9- Pale Demon


Related Websites

Kim Harrison's Website

Kim Harrison's Blog

Kim Harrison's Twitter

Purchase Pale Demon - Blackstone Audio

Marguerite Gavin - Narrator




The Hollows Series Video

REVIEW: Richelle Mead's IRON CROWNED (Dark Swan, Book 3)

Title: IRON CROWNED (Dark Swan, Book 3)
Author: Richelle Mead
Release Date: March 1, 2011
List Price: $7.99
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1420111795
ISBN-13: 978-1420111798


My Ratings

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

Overall: 34.5/40 = 86%


First Line

“Don’t confuse fairy queens with fairy princesses.”

Synopsis

Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham is the best at banishing entities trespassing in the mortal realm. But as the Thorn Land’s queen, she’s fast running out of ways to end the brutal war devastating her kingdom. Her only hope: the Iron Crown, a legendary object even the most powerful gentry fear…

Who Eugenie can trust is the hardest part. Fairy king Dorian has his own agenda for aiding her search. And Kiyo, her shape-shifter ex-boyfriend, has every reason to betray her along the way. To control the Crown’s ever-consuming powers, Eugenie will have to confront an unimaginable temptation--one that will put her soul and the fate of two worlds in mortal peril…

My Review

(THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS)
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Eugenie Markham is a girl torn between two worlds, two men, and the two halves of herself. While she has stepped up in her duties as the Thorn Lands queen, she is beginning to neglect her shaman duties in the mortal realm. War is brewing, and Eugenie is smack dab in the middle of it. Who can she trust? Who has will have her back? And will it be the King or the Kitsune, to fully capture her heart?

The Dark Swan series and I have a iffy relationship in the past. I love Richelle Mead and her Vampire Academy and Georgina Kincaid series, so I picked-up this series. I’ve enjoyed this series, but not I didn’t fall in-love like I did with her other two series. I am very fond of Eugenie, Kiyo, and Dorian in their best moments, but sometimes I just want to chuck the book at the wall.

This book is the best in this series so far. It’s the obligatory book #3 in the series, so I knew it would be an emotional roller-coaster. I love how Dorian has stepped up to back Eugenie and the Thorn Land. I love how easy things can be between Eugenie and Kiyo in the real world. This series is fast paced and keeps me thinking three steps ahead of myself. I was so happy that Eugenie and her sister were finally able to come to understanding. It’s like Jasmine is being able to claim what little childhood she has left.

This story does have some small issue for me. I didn’t like that Eugenie was able to jump from Dorian to Kiyo so quickly. Eugenie gets angry at Dorian for doing exactly what you expect him to do. She was shocked and appalled at his behavior. Come on Eugenie, use the brain I know Richelle Mead gave you. I also saw the pregnancy coming a mile away!!! I mean what self-respecting 20-something female, doesn’t know antibiotics and birth control do not mix. That along with not having ‘actual sex’ with Dorian the last time they were together. I kind-of expect more of Richelle Mead’s writing.

One thing I find very interesting about this series, is that I am never sure whether Eugenie should pick Dorian or Kiyo. Usually, I gravitate to one romantic lead, and don’t change teams. As soon as I think I have absolutely mind made up that she should be with Dorian, he does something to screw it up and vise-versa. I can’t say that I have ever felt this strongly about a love triangle. I mean previous to this book I felt that both characters filled a part in Eugenie’s life: Dorian filled the fey part of her heart and Kiyo filled the human part of her heart. That being said, I was never sure either character could make her completely happy. I think that with Eugenie’s choice to embrace more of one side of herself, she may be drawing closer to one guy more then the other.

This is the first book in the Dark Swan series that can be help up the same emotional caliber, as her two other series. This book kept me on my toes all the time. You never knew who Eugenie should really trust, and who would end up stabbing her in the back.


Dark Swan Series Books 1-3




Author's Websites

http://www.richellemead.com/
http://twitter.com/RichelleMead
http://www.facebook.com/richellemeadfanpage?ref=ts
http://blue-succubus.livejournal.com/

LOST IN AUSTEN: What book would you like get lost in?

This weekend I found myself sitting on my couch with my bff, two small cartons of Ben & Jerry's, and Lost in Austen on mini-series on DVD. I mean, what girl doesn't want a little Darcy, Bingley, & Wickham in there weekend?

The plot centers around Amanda Price, who lives in present day London, with her lazy boyfriend Michael. When Amanda's life gets down, she escapes into the arms of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. One day, Amanda opens her bathroom door only to find her favorite heroin Elizabeth Bennett standing there. The two decide to swap lives. Amanda steps through a door in her bathroom, and finds herself plunged right into the beginning Pride and Prejudice. Amanda has to find her way through Ms. Austen's world, with out upsetting books time-line. Unfortunately, her visit does not go unnoticed by many of the male characters, and Amanda spends most of the movie trying to make sure that the right characters end up together.

I really loved this DVD. It was great seeing a fresh take on this Classical story. I also enjoyed finding out new details about old characters, that could only observed by Amanda. I particularly enjoyed the new look at Wickham and Mrs. Bennett's characters. This is a must have for all Jane Austen fans!

With Lost in Austen and books like Shannon Hale's Austenland, I started thinking to myself, "What book would I most like to find myself in?"

Since, Pride and Prejudice is already taken, I'll have to go with another of my favorites. I'd have to pick Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake Series. I mean I wouldn't switch places with Anita, cause I am pretty sure I would need her to protect me! I love the series mix of mythical creatures with the present day. I think Laurell K. Hamilton has done such an amazing job in her world building, that she makes the vamps and weres seem like they belong in St. Louis.

Tell me what book or series you would most like to be a part of?