Tuesday 29 September 2009

CRY WOLF

Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs
Book 1 of the brand new Alpha Omega series set in the same world as the Mercy Thompson series.

Genre: urban fantasy

My Take On This Book:
This book follows the short novella titled Alpha And Omega from the anthology On The Prowl. I strongly suggest that you read that short story before reading this book because it will give you a greater appreciation of characters and events. The story-telling quality, as per usual with Patricia Briggs, is 5 out of 5. It's the kind of book where you could lose yourself in the story. I find the plot lines is a bit far fetching though. Theme is not as dark as the short story in On The Prowl. I do not like tortures and rapes. That short story is a bit too dark for me. That is why I borrowed this book from the library instead of buying it because based on the preceeding story, I might not want to waste my money on this book. But it would have been worth the money had I bought it.

Story Gist:
Anna never knew werewolves existed until one night she survived a violent attack...and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she's learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. But Anne is that rarest kind of werewolf: an Omega. And one of the most powerful werewolves in the country will recognise her value as a pack member...and as his mate.
Story gist taken from amazon at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cry-Wolf-Alpha-Omega-Novel/dp/0441016154/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254235231&sr=1-2

Cherry's Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Saturday 26 September 2009

BONE CROSSED

Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs
Book 4 in the Mercy Thompson series

Genre: urban fantasy

Verdict: Getting predictable

Spoilers Alert!!!

I just knew that The Walking Stick will kill James Blackwood! Patricia Briggs is getting predictable. Still a good read. At least better than the last one, this one did not end with a cliffhanger... The story-telling quality is sweeping, a 5 out of 5. So I did enjoy this book. A lot. But this book is not as good as P Briggs's previous work. Over all, I gave this book a 4 out of 5.

Caption at the back cover:
There was I thinking a shifter has its upsides. Looks like I was wrong.

Car mechanic and sometime shapeshifter Mercy thompson has learned - the hard way - why her race was almost exterminated. When European vampires emigrated to North America, they found Mercy's people had a hidden talent for vampire slaying. Unfortunately for Mercy, the queen of the local vampire seethe has discovered her true identity.

The undead queen is also furious when she learns that Mercy has crossed her and killed one of her own. Mercy may be protected from direct reprisals by the werewolf pack (and her interesting relationship with the Alpha), but that just means that Marsilia will come after Mercy some other way. So Mercy had better prepare to watch her back.

Cherry's Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Tuesday 15 September 2009

RHONDDA HERITAGE PARK


Rhondda Heritage Park in partnership with the Rhondda libraries had a huge booksale the other day. So of course I went and discovered a rich heritage practically at my doorstep and spending £2.00 for four books. I was not able to browse properly. I was not even able to go on one of their free tours, because I gotta go to work then. Here are a couple of pics I took. There is a story to it ofcourse... about ten years ago or so, Rhondda was primarily a mining town. The end of the mining industry practically killed the towns around the Rhondda valley. So many poor people were starving and the rich owners of the mines did not care. The death rate in South Wales then was the highest ever in the entire UK. That little black cart on the first pic was the last cart of coal from the mine. It is a heart-wrenching story. Made even sadder because it's true.

NEW MOON

NEW MOON extended trailer which I pinched off Eleni's blog at Le Femme Readers. It's fantastic!!


Sunday 13 September 2009

DRAGON ACTUALLY

DRAGON ACTUALLY by G.A. Aiken
Genre: fantasy

Verdict: Short and sweet

There are actually two stories in the book which I consider a treat although that also means that the stories are short given that the book is of a regular paperback thickness (342-pages-thick). The first story is longer than the second one. Caption below refers to the first story, which is the main one. The second story is what I call a "side-story" regarding a couple of the characters in the main story which I enjoyed reading. I liked the fact that I had another one to read after the happy ending. I also liked the family dynamics which is very endearing. On the whole, this book is a bit on the cheesy side. And the "suspension of disbelief" was a bit difficult for a few of the scenes.

Caption at the Back:
It's not always easy being a female warrior with a nickname like Annwyl the Bloody. Men tend to either  cower in fear - a lot - or else salute. It's true that Annwyl  has a knack for decapitating legions of her ruthless brother's soldiers without pausing for breath. But just once it would be nice to be able to really talk to a man, the way she can talk to Fearghus the Destroyer.

Too bad that Fearghus is a dragon, of the large, scaly, and deadly type. With him, Annwyl feels safe - a far cry from the feelings aroused by the hard-bodied, arrogant knight Fearghus has arranged to help train her for battle. With her days spent fighting  a man who fills her with fierce, heady desire, and her nights spent in the company of a magical creature who could smite a village just by exhaling, Annwyl is sure life couldn't get any stanger. She's wrong...
Cherry's Rating: 3 out of 5 cherries

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Tuesday 8 September 2009

BURNING ALIVE

Burning Alive by Shannon K. Butcher

Verdict: Irritating Read

Genre: urban fantasy

Warning: Spoilers!

I confess that I picked this one up just because I am a huge fan of Jim Butcher. I was kinda expecting, more or less, the same fast-paced and engrossing quality that I've come to associate with Jim Butcher but with a romantic twist. I shouldn't have done that because I think that is one of the reasons that ruined this book for me. Having preconceived expectations. The other reason is, I really hate characters in the book behaving so vastly different from the way they were described. So out of character, that there is no semblance whatsoever to the way they were described in the book anymore. I have "inconsistency issues" here. Take for example this scenario:
A Theronai warrior is described as having a protective instinct a mile wide. Then, our Theronai protagonist went and brought his bonded female into the heart of the enemy "nest" with no training, no education and no knowledge of her powers whatsoever and ended up almost getting killed. What!?!
Okey, so there was not enough time to do training and stuff. But... if you have a protective instinct a mile wide, I do not think you would bring anyone, never mind your "bonded female", into the enemy nest. I just do not think so.

The protagonist is behaving so so out of character that a reader has a difficulty connecting with the character anymore. Makes it a bit difficult for a reader to "suspend disbelief".

Maybe this book would be great for somebody more forgiving than me. But I would not buy anymore Shannon Butchers.

Cherry's Rating: 1 out of 5 cherries

About This Book:
There are worse ways to die...

They are the Sentinels. Three races descended from ancient guardians of mankind, each possessing unique abilities in their battle to protect humanity against their eternal foes--the Synestryn. Now, one warrior must fight his own desire if he is to discover the power that lies within his one true love...

For too long, Helen Day has been haunted by visions of her own death, surrounded by flames as a dark-haired man watches her burn. So when she sees the man of her nightmares staring at her across a diner, she attempts to flee--and ends up in the man's arms. There, she awakens a force more powerful and enticing than she could ever imagine.

The instant the Theronai warrior Drake touches Helen, the anguish he has borne for years fades away. He is determined to know why this beautiful, fearful woman has such power over him. The answer lies in his very blood--and in Helen's as well. For together, they may become more than lovers--they may become a weapon of light that could tip the balance of the war--and save Drake's people...

'Til death...

Helen shivered and heard a small moan lift from her mouth. Every cell in her body stood at attention from that one little touch. Her skin grew warm and her abdomen tightened against a jolt of heat. She wanted something she couldn't name. Needed it. It wasn't just desire. It went deeper than that. Bone deep. Soul deep. He had something that belonged to her and she wanted it. Even if it killed her.

His lips slid over her cheek, barely touching. Maybe not even touching, just stirring the fine hairs along her skin. Whatever he was doing, it was wonderful, fear or not. She felt like she was being filled up with energy. She felt more alive than she ever had before.

All from a barely-there touch from the man who would watch her die...
Source: Info in the About This Book was taken from the author's website at http://www.shannonkbutcher.com/index.php?id=13.
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