Fantasy
Jaines Cord helped craft the gun that killed her husband, at his funeral she vowed to kill the man who killed him with it. In Dark Vow by Shona Husk Jaines lives in a world where the magical Arcane society rules most things including the inability of women to be members of a guild and practice any trades. With the death of her husband, Jaines is forced to close down the smithy because the penalty for women practicing trade is the loss of fingers. Jaines sets off on a journey to track down the killer with very little money and only a small idea of how to track him down until she meets up with Obsidian.
Obsidian is a man with secrets. Having been cursed by a mage, he is slowly turning to stone and needs to Jaines help to break the curse. Obsidian is attracted to the strong-willed Jaines but worries that their current plan of action of will get them killed.
Dark Vow is a fantasy novel with a very set magical society. Several of the Carina Press titles I have read and reviewed have been first person, I find this refreshing and really enjoy the personal experience first person point of view gives to the novel. I have to admit I struggled with the beginning of Dark Vow because it begins with the death of Jaines’ husband Lance but the premise of the novel was intriguing so I kept reading. The world Shona Husk has created is complex with a clearly defined society and roles. Jaines’ character was strong and the more I got to know Obsidian the more I liked him. Dark Vow reads more like a fantasy novel then a traditional romance novel, the magic and complex society with the fantastical elements made for a great read once I really got into the story.
You can read an excerpt here.
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Title: Dark Vow
Author: Shona Husk
Format: eBook
AISN: B005UPRO4A
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: November 2011
Available for purchase: Amazon, Carina Press
Reviewer: Jessica
**I received a copy of this book from NetGalley but was not required to provide a review and it did not impact my review in any way.
The vampire’s longest held secret, the fact that the exist, has been released into the mortal world and now they need a liaison to meet with the heads of the US government to convince them that vampires are not a threat to the mortals and bottle fed Gregori Holstein is the perfect man for the job. Sexiest Vampire Alive by Kerrelyn Sparks begins with Gregori hating the term “bottle fed”, just because he was turned into a vampire after the invention of synthetic blood and has never had to feed off a mortal doesn’t make him any less of a vampire than the ancient ones. Now he has to use his knowledge to save the paranormal community from genocide.
Abigail is the oldest daughter of the President of the United States. Having spent most of her life hiding from the media in a science lab she is shocked when it turns out vampires are real, then she meets Gregori and she needs his help to get into a restricted part of China to get some rare herbs that may be the cure her mother desperately needs. Abigail finds herself attracted to Gregori but as she gets to know him better she finds out he is a play boy and worries he is only pursuing her to get her father’s help.
I love Kerrelyn Sparks’ Love at Stake series, it is a paranormal series that doesn’t take itself too seriously and constantly makes me giggle, and Sexiest Vampire Alive had me giggling from the very beginning. I love Gregori and am glad he finally got his story. Gregori has a reputation as a play boy that is not all that it appears but could come back to ruin his relationship with Abigail. Sexiest Vampire Alive is witty with great action and heat. Sparks’ novels are all quick fun reads and I have read the entire series more than once. If you are looking for a light-hearted quick read with witty characters then Sexiest Vampire Alive is for you.
The Love at Stake Series:
How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire
Sugarplums and Scandal (Novella)
All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire
Forbidden Nights with a Vampire
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Title: Sexiest Vampire Alive
Author: Kerrelyn Sparks
Format: Paperback, eBook
Page Nos.: 384
ISBN: 978-0061958052
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Available for purchase: Amazon,
Reviewer: Jessica
**I received a copy of this book from NetGalley but was not required to provide a review and it did not impact my review in any way.
Lady Sybil and the Patrician have conspired against Sam Vimes, against his wishes Sam is forced to take a vacation to Lady Sybil’s country estate but wherever Sam Vimes goes crime is sure to be discovered. Snuff by Terry Pratchett continues the adventures of Commander Sam Vimes of the Ahnk-Morpork Night Watch. Sam Vimes initially thinks that crime doesn’t happen in the country or, if it does, no one is around to see it committed but as he struggles to adjust to the role of wealthy landowner he realizes that not everything is as it appears and someone is always watching.
I should preface this review with the fact that I am a huge Terry Pratchett fan. My husband has banned me from reading his books in bed because I giggle so much it shakes the bed. As a reviewer I am always excited to get advanced copies of books, I have to admit it is one of the perks of being a reviewer, that being said, when I received my copy of Snuff there was school girl squeeling, victory dancing and bragging to anyone who would listen that I had a copy in my greedy little hands. 
Okay, now on to the real review. Snuff is the eighth book the Nightwatch line and the 39th Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. When a writer is as prolific as Terry Pratchett I always have the fear that the next book to come out will not hold up to the previous titles. There have been Discworld books I have not finished because I lost interest but the Nightwatch series has always brought me hours of entertainment. I flew through Snuff, Sam Vimes so outside of his element that the quiet of the country keeps him awake was entertaining and so outside of his element that the ground feels wrong because Sam Vimes knows where he is in the city by the feel of the street through his boots. The characters are witty, relate able and flawed. Pratchett’s ability to make me laugh while at the same time making me reevaluate my own actions and attitudes on things. I highly recommend Snuff!
You can listen to an excerpt here.
Nightwatch Series Reading Order:
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Title: Snuff
Author: Terry Pratchett
Format: Hardbound, eBook
Page Nos.: 416
ISBN: 978-0062011848
Publisher: Harper Collins
Release Date: October 11, 2011
Available for purchase: Amazon
Reviewer: Jessica
**I received a copy of this book from NetGalley but was not required to provide a review and it did not impact my review in any way.
Aimee has always had strange dreams that come true but lately she has been dreaming about some strange guy who suddenly appears after moving to town. After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel, Aimee is so afraid of being labeled a ‘freak’ like her mother was considered that she ignores the dreams she gets and pretends that everything is ‘normal’ but eventually even Aimee can’t pretend that things in her town are okay as all the worst traits of everyone come out. Then Aimee’s best friend Courtney starts acting stranger than everyone else and Aimee realizes it is up to her to save Courtney.
Alan has moved from Oklahoma with his mother after his uncle passed away. Alan is concerned that something is seriously wrong with his cousin Courtney. As Alan starts to research exactly what is wrong and how to fix it, he starts getting closer to Aimee but will they both be able to defeat the evil that is infected the town or will the evil claim their lives?
After Obsession took me a little bit to get into, not long enough that I stopped reading the book but I wasn’t hooked from the first page. That being said, I really liked After Obsession. I really liked Aimee’s character, she was upbeat during a difficult time but still dealt with insecurities and fears, not obnoxiously upbeat but an active striving to be happy at all times. Alan is a good guy trying to fit into a new town that doesn’t have a football team, a sport he excels at. The story is written in first person but switches from Alan to Aimee and back again, at first this was a little confusing but I think that had more to do with the fact that I don’t always read chapter headers than anything done by the authors. After Obsession deals a little bit with demon possession, I was a little hesitant going into this novel about this topic but Jones and Wedel did a fabulous job of being scary and concerning without being too occult or over the top scary. Sometimes when an author has a strong series that I love (like Jones’s Need series) other works by that author feel very similar to other series, that didn’t happen here. Also, too often in YA novels there is no parental figures or involvement in the teens lives, here both Aimee and Alan had parents who were involved in their lives and concerned about them just not physically there because they were working. I really liked this aspect of the novel in addition to Aimee’s super cute Grandpa. Be aware that the novel uses the F* word twice, mostly to show the difference in attitude of Courtney between normal life and when she is influenced by the demon but it is there. After Obsession was an entertaining read with a great heroine who is likable and I look forward to further collaboration between Jones and Wedel.
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Title: After Obsession
Author: Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel
Format: Hardbound, eBook
Page Nos.: 320
ISBN: 978-1599906812
Publisher: Bloomsbury Teen
Release Date: September 13, 2011
Available for purchase: Amazon, Bloomsbury
Reviewer: Jessica
**I received a copy of this book from the publisher but was not required to provide a review and it did not impact my review in any way.
