Moon Called- Patricia Briggs

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 23•11

Synopsis: Mercy Thompson’s sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf. She’s tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire. But then, Mercy Thompson is not exactly normal herself … and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble. -Goodreads

Review: If you like urban fantasy you have probably already read this series. If not… what are you waiting for?! And if you’ve been considering dipping your toes into the pool of this genre, then this is the book to start with. The characters are wonderful, the story keeps you guessing and the world is perfectly crafted. Love, love, love this book.

The most kick-ass thing about this book? Definitely its heroine Mercy Thompson. Too many urban fantasy characters are unrealistically hardcore whose only interests are guns and overly controlling men. Mercy, she’s a mechanic, not actually all that powerful and yet she still manages to stick up for herself and is always looking out for her people. She manages to be someone you’d want to hang out with and someone you can look up to all at the same time.

Next best thing? The werewolves. Patricia Briggs obviously spent a lot of time crafting the world her characters would live in. I am in love with the werewolf society and hierarchy she has created. There is a real sense of community, along with the usual instinct driven sexyness that comes along with werewolves.

I’ll leave the rest for you to discover on your own. This is a beautiful start to possibly the best urban fantasy series out there right now. It has a little bit of everything without being over crowded and hard to keep track of. If this sounds even a little like your type of book then please, pick it up. You wont be disappointed.

Rating

 

 

 

Second Opinions
@Offbeat Vagabond
@Angel McCoy
@Full Moon Bites

Posted in Favorites, Urban Fantasy Books , , , | 2 Comments »

Favorite Authors Month- Patricia Briggs

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 22•11

A big thank you to everyone who stopped by and participated in Rachel Vincent week. I had a lot of fun and I hope all of you did too =)

*sniffle* We have reached the last week of Favorites Month but I’m going out with a bang. An entire week of of the wonderful Patricia Briggs! She is best known for her Mercy Thompson series which just might be the epitome of urban fantasy but she has been writing fantasy for a long time and even die hard Mercy fans may find something new to love in Patricia’s older works.

Mercedes Thompson is a VW mechanic with the ability to shift into a coyote. If that and her unstoppable attitude weren’t enough, her world is filled with all manner of the supernatural. Personally, I’m in love with the werewolves Patricia Briggs has created (in fact, they’re probably my favorite werewolves) but there are also ghosts, vampires, fey and other bump-in-the-night types to keep you interested. In the last couple of years we have gotten to see even farther into the world of werewolves with the Alpha and Omega spin off series.

Patricia Briggs has also written two duologys, one standalone and another series of four, all of which are more or less in the traditional fantasy vein. None of which I’ve read, yet. I love that one of my favorite authors still has such a huge body of work that I still get to look forward to and later this week I will do a brief introduction to each in an attempt to decide which one I’m going to read next.

No question, Patricia Briggs has made a name for herself as one of the queens of fantasy and she has written something for every type of fantasy lover. If you have yet to read anything by her you are missing out, but of course at the end of the week I will be hosting a Patricia Briggs giveaway so stay tuned!

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Rachel Vincent quotes

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 21•11

Lots of good quotes this week. There are just so many to choose from I couldn’t turn any good ones away =D

“The moment the door opened I knew an ass-kicking was inevitable. Whether I’d be giving it or receiving it was still a bit of a mystery.”

“It’s not the length of the word; it’s how well you use it!”

“Screw this. He’d blown his shot at nice-and-easy, which only left quick-and-brutal—my favorite way to play.”

“Apparently the complete works of Shakespeare packed quite a wallop. To think, my mother said I’d never find use for an English degree. Ha! I’d like to see her knock someone silly with an apron and a cookie press.”

“The worst memories stick with us, while the nice ones always seem to slip through our fingers.”

“My aunt and overprivileged cousin only recognize two states of being: glitter and grunge. And if you weren’t glitter, well, that only left one other option.”

“Ethan was loyal and funny and protective. When we were little, he was the brother most likely to make me cry—and mostly likely to wipe away my tears.”  (*sigh*… Ethan)

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Rachel Vincent Giveaway

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 20•11

Favorite’s month giveaway number three! This week, the winner will get their choice of three Rachel Vincent books which I will have shipped right to your doorstep. This week we have three choices again. Two adult urban fantasy books and one YA, so there is something for everyone (assuming you like paranormal fiction, but if not I think you may have taken a wrong turn in the blogosphere somewhere).

Option 1- Stray (Book #1 of the Shifters series)
This book is the first of a series of six. A series that happens to be one of my favorite urban fantasy series, ever. I’ve yapped about it all week (because I love it that much) but it follows Faythe Sanders, one of only a handful of female werecats as she tries to maneuver her way through Pride life while maintaining as much independence as possible in a society of intense, overprotective men.

Option 2- My Soul to Take (Book #1 of the YA Soul Screamers series)
The first book in a young adult series that centers around Kaylee, a teenage girl who discovers she is part of the ancient race of banshee’s. It’s never going to be easy, knowing when someone nearby is about to die, but it’s the trouble is doubled when you’re dealing with that AND high school. And a crush. And family drama. Great book! Highly recommended for
YA lovers.

Option 3- Blood Bound (BRAND NEW! First book of the Unbound series)
Even I haven’t read this one yet since it hasn’t come out yet but it’s coming out soon and I’m beyond excited! This series will follow Liv, a paranormal tracker who can follow the scent of blood. Liv will have to use her abilities to save her friend’s daughter while navigating the dark and twisty paranormal underground. This book has been getting a lot of great reviews by those lucky enough to get an ARC so I think this will be the beginning of another great Rachel Vincent series.

To enter for your chance to win, leave a comment on this post with the following…
This contest is open anywhere where The Book Depository ships.
It would be much appreciated if you could tweet/promote this giveaway as I have lots more coming this month and would love, love, love to get the word out.
-Your name
-Your email address
-Which option you’d like

Posted in Fun Stuff & Promos , , | 12 Comments »

My Soul to Take- Rachel Vincent

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 18•11

Synopsis: She doesn’t see dead people. She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who’ll be next. -Goodreads

Review:  Once upon a time in a magical land called Ireland there was a race of people called the bean sidhe, you may know them as banshees. In Irish legends, banshees are women who begin to wail if someone near them is about to die so understandably the cry of the banshee has become something of a bad omen. In the soul screamers world banshees are alive and kicking in the modern day world and one otherwise normal teenage girl, Kaylee, has just discovered that she has a whole other side to herself that she never knew existed.

It’s nice to read a book based on mythology that doesn’t focus on any of the recently overdone paranormal creatures… vampires, werewolves, you know the drill. Instead, this book (and the rest in the series) are all about creatures of death while still being very much alive. Kaylee feels and acts like a genuine teenage girl, with all the drama that comes with it.

This book is a perfect start to a new series, focusing on world building and fully fleshed out characters while still keeping the reader hanging on for dear life with a wonderfully imagined plot. There was a lot of back story to be explored in order to really bring the reader into this world and she lay it all out beautifully while still managing to maintain a decently paced story.

The one thing I would have liked to see given a little more developed is Kaylee’s romantic relationship. To me, a lot of the fun of romance in novels is seeing it evolve from strangers or old friends to that first spark of interest to usually undying, crazily committed love. So for me, in this book, the romance was rushed and not fully explored. Especially because I’ve seen what Rachel Vincent can do with that first moment of romantic tension in some of her past books. Thankfully, there are more books to come that can hopefully better explore the sometimes crazy world of teenage romance.

Honestly, this isn’t what I would have expected of a YA debut from Rachel Vincent, but it is always nice to be surprised so that made this book that much better. A must read for anyone who loves paranormal YA.

Rating:

Second Opinions:
@ Feeling Fictional
@ Dark Readers
@ Fluttering Butterflies

Posted in Favorites, Young Adult Books , , , | 6 Comments »

What is a werecat?

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 17•11

Rachel Vincent’s shifters series follows Faythe Sanders… one of only a handful of female werecats in existence. This of course begs the question, what exactly IS a werecat? Well, read on and I will fill you in on the basics of werecats and the society they live in.

(Please note: I am doing this from memory, it has been a few months at least since I last read a Shifters book and over a year since reading the bulk of the series so it is entirely possible I am mis-remembering. If you notice a mistake, please feel free to comment and I will happily make a change to the article. Just keep in mind I am discussing Rachel Vincent’s take on werecats, and not the “species” in general)

 

What is a werecat?
A werecat, to put it simply, is a person who is sometimes a human and sometimes a cat, specifically a large, black cat commonly mistaken for a panther. After puberty a werecat has the ability to exist in either form. It has recently come to light that it may be possible to partially shift forms. Werecats are territorial, living within prides, each of which is (usually) headed up by a male Alpha. Werecat society is predominantly male. Werecats usually live seperatley from average human society in order to keep their existence a secret.


Why are there so many more male werecats than female?
Werecats can only produce werecat offspring with another of their own species and even then there are usually four or five males produced for every female. Also, while it is possible for a werecat to infect and convert a human there are no known cases of converted females. So far science does not have an explanation for the phenomenon but more and more information has gradually been coming to light.

How does werecat society work?
Werecats live in Prides within very specific territory line. Each pride is lead by an Alpha. Leadership of a pride is passed on to the husband/mate of the alphas only daughter so because of this, their breeding potential and their rarity female werecats are considered highly desirable. The Alphas sons usually work for their father, mostly as enforcers (the muscle behind the leadership) within the Prides territory. Other Pride males may also work as enforcers. Larger issues are handled by the territorial council which is made up of all of the Alphas within The United States.

Are there any threats to the werecat way of life?
Many werecats view the biggest threat to their society as humans and therefore value their species privacy above all else. It is an extreme offense to tell a human about the existance of werecats and not even human spouses are exempt from this rule.

There are also threats from werecats beyond American borders as not all cats choose to live by the same laws. The werecat species originated in the jungle and that is where some werecats still live. Jungle cats can be savage, dangerous and beyond reason.

And sometimes the biggest threats of all can come from those you should have been able to trust.

(dun, dun, dun)

Want to know more? You can read all about werecats in Rachel Vincent’s Shifters books.

Posted in Favorites, Fun Stuff & Promos , , , | 1 Comment »

Why I’m excited for Blood Bound

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 15•11

August 23rd marks the release of a new series from Rachel Vincent, Unbound and the more I read about the first book, Blood Bound, the more excited I’m getting to read this.

It’s no secret I love Rachel Vincent’s Shifters series, and if it was a secret, it wont be after I gush about it all this week. So, while I also love her YA series Soul Screamers, I’m just so pumped to get back into her beautifully crafted adult, paranormal fiction.

This series (or at least this book… but I’m assuming the series) will follow Liv, a paranormal tracker who can follow the scent of blood. It’s a little morbid and deeply awesome. It looks like the first book is going to have her using her ability to solve a kidnapping that hits a little too close to home. Meanwhile, she is also going to have an ex-lover come back into the picture. An ex that she just might still have feelings for.

The blurb on amazon tells us “Liv makes her own rules, and the most important one is trust no one”. Liv is obviously going to be pretty kick-ass so it sounds like this book will have a little bit of everything you need to epically kick off an awesome urban fantasy series. I’m excited!!

You can pre-order Blood Bound from Amazon =)

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Favorite Authors Month- Rachel Vincent

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 15•11

Week three! I am love, love, loving writing these Now we’re on to the super fun Rachel Vincent. She made my favorite’s list for her Shifters series but is now thriving with her Soul Screamers series. PLUS, she’s releasing the first book in a new Urban Fantasy later this year. Blood Bound.

She’s also really active on twitter, which is a lot of fun. On one day she’ll be telling the world how many words of her next book she wrote that day, on the next she’ll be sharing the secrets of how she rewards herself for each 1000 words written. It’s fun, makes you feel like you understand her writing process and at the same time makes the wait for her next book seem a little more bearable.

The Shifters series focuses on Faythe Sanders a were cat and all the political and emotional drama that comes along with the species. Personally I loved following all the inter-pride (group of werecats) politics, but there is also decent action scenes and of course an epic love triangle which personally, I ended up on the wrong side of *sigh*.

Next up she started writing the Soul Screamers books which follow Kaylee, a teen who recently discovered that she is a banshee. Whenever someone is about to die she literally screams in order to guide their souls to the right place. Plus, a book about banshees (bean sidhes) wouldn’t be complete without an awesome cast of supporting characters, the occasional grim reaper and of course, a bit of a love triangle. Just to keep things interesting.

I’ve been a fan of Rachel’s for a long time and I’m really looking forward to seeing what she’s going to come up with next. Shifters will always be my true Rachel Vincent love but I’m hoping Blood Bound will fill the void a little =) *literary swoon*

Posted in Favorites , | 2 Comments »

Anne Bishop Quotes

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 14•11

“There are some questions that shouldn’t be asked until a person is mature enough to appreciate the answers.”

“Some men die for lack of love… some men die because of it. ”

“But wouldn’t it be lovely to watch two people fall in love?”

“When a man wears his pants that tight, they tend to pinch his balls, and that tends to pinch his temper.”

“We are what we are. Nothing more, nothing less. There is good and evil among every kind of people. It’s the evil among us who rule now.”

“Hell’s fire, Mother Night and May The Darkness Be Merciful!”

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Anne Bishop Giveaway

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 13•11

Week two= success! I’m definitely going to need to find some time to reread the entire Black Jewels trilogy sometime soon. I really hope I’ve managed to convince someone out there to check it out because while they’re not my usual genre of fantasy, those books are just so, so good. So now, in the spirit of the week

So, without further ado, this weeks choices! Like last week you can pick one of the following titles by Anne Bishop and if you win then I will pay for the book and have it shipped right to your doorstep!

Option 1: Daughter of the Blood
This is the first book in the Black Jewels trilogy and if you haven’t noticed, I highly, highly recommend it. It’s got a fantastically developed world, has a dark edge and a deliciously well developed cast of main characters. Not sure if I would call it high fantasy or dark fantasy, but either way, it’s fantastic.
The Three Realms are horribly tainted and corrupted but a long prophesied Queen could be the key to turning things around. But first, she’s going to need to survive her childhood.


Option 2: Sebastian
Sebastian lives in the world of Ephemera, which is an uncounted number of magical dimensions connected by bridges that are as likely to take you where you need to be as where you wanted to go. Sebastian, a half incubus may be his realms only hope as a dark and ancient evil threatens to destroy everything.
This is the first of a series that currently has two books, with a third on the way next March. The concept surrounding Ephemera is pretty awesome so I’m excited to see where this series is going… and you should be too!

 

Option 3: The Pillars of the World
Okay, I will admit, I haven’t actually read this one yet. But I know I’m probably missing out. It follows Ari, a talented witch as she meets and interacts with the fae while the world is literally disappearing. I’ve heard this book described as epic, touching and original so if it sounds like something you might enjoy than pick this book and please let me know what you think!

 

To enter for your chance to win, leave a comment on this post with the following…
This contest is open anywhere where The Book Depository ships.
It would be much appreciated if you could tweet/promote this giveaway as I have lots more coming this month and would love, love, love to get the word out.
-Your name
-Your email address
-Which option you’d like

The winner will be chosen at random =)

Be sure to check in again next week when I begin my gushing all over again… This time about the awesome and talented Rachel Vincent!

Posted in Favorites , , | 8 Comments »
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