Saturday, 30 April 2011

Thor Movie Trailer

I came across a review by a blogger that this movie wasn't that nice really, but the trailer looks so good I still want to watch it!

Friday, 29 April 2011

IN THE MAIL: RIVER MARKED

I would like to thank the wonderful people at DearAuthor.com for hosting a contest which made it possible for me to win a copy of River Marked by Patricia Briggs which arrived yesterday!
River Marked by Patricia Briggs
Book 6 of the Mercy Thompson series

About River Marked:
Car mechanic Mercy Thompson has always known there was something different about her, and not just the way she can make a VW engine sit up and beg. Mercy is a shapeshifter, a talent she inherited from her long-gone father. She’s never known any others of her kind. Until now.

An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River—one that her father’s people may know something about. And to have any hope of surviving, Mercy and her mate, the Alpha werewolf Adam, will need their help…
Source: Info in the About River Marked was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8087906 on 28/04/2011

Thursday, 28 April 2011

Review: DEFEAT THE DARKNESS

Defeat The Darkness by Alexis Morgan
Book 6 of The Paladins series

Genre: adult urban fantasy

About Defeat The Darkness:
Hard-eyed and hard-bodied, Hunter Fitzsimon isn't what Tate Justice expected in a tenant for the apartment above her garage. Terse and intensely private, Hunter's mission is to protect a narrow stretch of the barrier between Earth and Kalithia against the Paladins' ruthless enemies -- a job that would be much easier without his sexy landlady nosing around. So when she follows Hunter into the woods late one night, he decides to teach Tate a lesson with a passionate kiss that brings her to her knees...and unexpectedly ignites red-hot desire deep in his soul. But the warrior's dark and dangerous world is no place for his fiery lover. Does possessing Tate mean turning his back on his brethren...or will Hunter forsake the woman of his dreams for the harsh duty he's always known?
Source: Info in the About Defeat The Darkness was taken from the author's website at http://www.alexismorgan.com/defeat_the_darkness.html on 12/04/2011.

Review:
This book picked up where Darkness Unknown (book 5) left off, sort of. The Missouri Paladin, Hunter, got hurt really bad in book 5, and here his story continues. It was slow going at first but the pace did pick up about halfway through and moved faster as it neared the end. I love the world of the Paladins even if their world is stintingly unbelievable. I put it down to the author's story telling abilities that convinced me to suspend disbelief when I first started reading this series. With this book though it felt like the story telling magic of the author has waned a bit. And maybe that was why this book started rather slow. But I hope this is a temporary setback and will go away when I read Bound By Darkness.

Defeat The Darkness being book 6 in the series, I strongly suggest you read the previous book first before reading this one as some crucial events in book 5 will give the reader a better understanding of the events and characters in this book.

A lovely enough read that I would give it a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to reading Bound By Darkness.

Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4
Ending = 4
Cover art = 3.5
Pace = 4

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Series:

Wednesday, 27 April 2011

WW28: SWEET TREATS & SECRET CONFESSIONS

WW28
A chance to showcase your favourite!
  • First you grab our Wicked Wednesday pic.
  • Then you grab a book. Turn to page 28. Take the first sentence. And then you post it in your site with a link back to WW28.
  • Come back to Cherry Mischievous - WW28 and give us the url of your post (in a comment at a WW28 post) so that other WW28 readers can find your WW28 offering.

WW28 book offering : Sweet Treats & Secret Crushes by Lisa Greenwald
Page 28, 1st Sentence:
If she wasn't going to mention it, I wouldn't bring it up - maybe we could just forget about it and go back to normal.
Denial queen much? Or teen normal coping mechanism?

About Sweet Treats & Secret Crushes:
When a blizzard threatens to ruin Valentine’s Day, three seventh-grade friends make and distribute fortune cookies to their lonely neighbors—and confront the secrets they’ve been keeping from one another.

Confident Kate doesn’t notice much but the latest gossip, and shy Georgia can’t say out loud what’s always on her mind. They’re joined by observant, careful Olivia, whose epic, single-minded crush on PBJ (real name: Phillip Becker-Jacobs) is starting to frustrate the other two. Using fortune cookies that mysteriously always seem to speak directly to the person who opens them, the three girls try to work together to bring some love to their building, while reminding each other why they’re such good friends to begin with.
Source: Info in the About Sweet Treats & Secret Crushes was taken from the author's website at http://www.lisagreenwald.com/sweettreats.html on 28/12/2010.

Tuesday, 26 April 2011

I SO WANT TO READ THIS: DHAMPIR

WISHLIST:
Dhampir by Barb & JC Hendee
Book 1 of the Noble Dead Series 1

About Dhampir:
She hunts the realms most dangerous game.
Her fees are exorbitant.
She's worth every coin she recieves.
Or is she?


Magiere has earned a reputation as the most formidable vampire slayer in the land. Villagers far and wide welcome her with both awe and disdain, grateful to her for ridding their towns of the undead menace, but finding themselves made poorer for their salvation. Magiere has always known she's dealing with simple folk who only wish to have their superstitions silenced, and she's never seen anything wrong with exploiting them for profit.

Now, tired of the game, Magiere and her partner, the half-elf Leesil, are ready to hang up their weapons and settle down in a place they can finally call home. But their new found peace will not last. For Magiere has come to the attention of a trio of powerful and dangerous vampires who recognize her true identity — even if she does not — and who fear the birthright that flows through her veins. And they will stop at nothing to keep Magiere from fulfilling her destiny.
Source: Info in the About Dhampir was taken from the author's website at http://www.nobledead.com on 23/04/2011.

Thief Of Lives by Barb & JC Hendee
Book 2 of the Noble Dead Series 1

About Thief Of Lives:
On the heels of DHAMPIR, Barb and J.C. Hendee's acclaimed Fantasy debut, comes THIEF OF LIVES, the new novel featuring Magiere and Leesil, Slayers of the Undead....

Magiere the dhampir thinks that her nights of hunting vampires are over. After settling down in her newly adopted village of Miiska - now vampire-free, thanks to her and her half-elf partner, Leesil - she looks forward to quiet days tending to her tavern.

But far away in the capital city of Bela, a prominent councilman's daughter has been found dead on her own doorstep... and all signs point to a vampire. Knowing that the battered and burned village of Miiska could use an infusion of cash, Bela's town council offers a generous bounty to the dhampir if she will slay their vampire. Magiere resists, wanting nothing more than to forget her past and ignore her half-vampire nature. Only Leesil can persuade Magiere to follow her destiny - before more innocent lives are claimed by darkness.
Source: Info in the About Thief Of Lives was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/413896.Thief_of_Lives on 24/04/2011.

Sister Of The Dead by Barb & JC Hendee
Book 3 of the Noble Dead Series 1

About Sister Of The Dead:
The Noble Dead saga continues as Magiere and Leesil, the slayers of the undead for DHAMPIR and THIEF OF LIVES, embark on a quest to uncover the secrets of their mysterious origins - and those responsible for orchestrating the events that brought them together.... Magiere is a dhampir - half human, half vampire - sired for the purpose of slaying the undead. Outside the village of Chemestúk, where she was born and raised, stands her father's keep. Within its walls, she hopes to discover the secrets of her past and figure out why a vampire would wish to breed a creature capable of slaughtering his own kind.... But there are those who don't want Magiere to learn the truth—and when her half-elf partner, Leesil, makes a startling discovery in the keep, he can understand why. Before Leesil can reveal the truth to Magiere, they must vanquish a creature of unimaginable and unlimited power who has damned a small village of people with a horrifying curse...
Source: Info in the About Sister Of The Dead was taken from GetGlue at http://getglue.com/books/sister_of_dead/barb_hendee on 24/04/2011.

Traitor To The Blood by Barb & JC Hendee
Book 4 of the Noble Dead Series 1

About Traitor To The Blood:
Born a half-breed to an elven mother and human father, Leesil was raised in the Warlands as assassin, spy, and slave for Lord Darmouth, ruler of an independent province. But Leesil's mother trained him well, and he used his skills to escape, leaving his parents to suffer Darmouth's wrath for all such traitors and their kin. Now with newfound purpose in the company of his beloved Magiere, Leesil returns to confront the sins of his past and uncover his parents' fate." Unable to turn him from this dangerous course, Magiere follows Leesil into the darkness of his past in the Warlands. Knowing what may happen should Darmouth learn of Leesil's return, she is prepared to slaughter any who try to take him from her. But Magiere's own past may well pose a more deadly threat. Two creatures of unfathomable power continue to stalk her - one who believes she's the key to his salvation, and one who seeks to destroy her...and all those she loves.
Source: Info in the About Traitor To The Blood was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/591821.Traitor_to_the_Blood on 24/04/2011.

Rebel Fay by Barb & JC Hendee
Book 5 of the Noble Dead Series 1

About Rebel Fay:
Desperate to free his mother from a caste of ruthless elven assassins, Leesil pushes on through the mountains at the height of a harsh winter. Obsession blinds him to reason, and he and his companions — his beloved Magiere, the sage Wynn, and their canine protector, Chap — find their lives at stake under the hardships of the wilderness. Should they survive, they still face the perils of the Elven Territories, a culture of tranquil beauty, savage customs, and deep-rooted hatred and fear of all humankind.
Magiere was created with strange powers by a shadowy, long-forgotten enemy of many names — an enemy whom Leesil was trained from childhood to kill. Unbeknownst to them, Chap brought them together at the command of his kin, the Fay, to forge an alliance that might have the power to stand against the forces of dark magics.
In the place of his birth, Chap must guard his companions from enemies and allies alike, though he is not always certain which is which. And as they uncover the truth, they discover just how close the enemy has always been....
Source: Info in the About Rebel Fay was taken from the authors' website at http://www.nobledead.com on 24/04/2011.

Child Of A Dead God by Barb & JC Hendee
Book 6 of the Noble Dead Series 1

About Child Of A Dead God:
For many months, Magiere and Leesil have searched for a forgotten artifact, even though its purpose has been shrouded in mystery. All Magiere knows is that she must keep the orb from falling into the hands of a murdering Noble Dead: her half brother, Welstiel. And now dreams of a castle locked in ice lead her south, on a journey that has become nothing less than an obsession...

Accompanying Magiere and Leesil are the sage Wynn; their canine protector, Chap; and two elven assassins-turned-guardians who must fight their distrust of this sister of the dead. For forces more powerful than they — some may even say fate — are rallying around Magiere, arming her for the conflict to come, because finding the orb may be just the beginning of the challenges that await her.
Source: Info in the About Child Of A Dead God was taken from the authors' website at http://www.nobledead.com on 24/04/2011.

Monday, 25 April 2011

Happy Easter!

Seeing Doubles

I thought I was seeing doubles, but that would make you cross-eyed too... however I do not think you are cross-eyed, that means I wasn't seeing doubles...

Same model, same dress, different cover arts for two totally different books... whatcha think?

Friday, 22 April 2011

Review: FLESH AND SPIRIT

Flesh And Spirit by Carol Berg
Book 1 of the Lighthouse Duet

Genre: epic fantasy

About Flesh And Spirit:
In a land torn apart by civil war, pestilence, and shaky alliances, a man branded a traitor ends up in a place he never expected...

The rebellious son of a long line of pureblood cartographers and diviners, Valen has spent most of his life trying to escape what society - and his family - have ordained for him. His own mother has predicted that he will meet his doom in water, blood, and ice. Her divination seems fulfilled when a comrade abandons Valen in a rainy wilderness half-dead, addicted to an enchantment that converts pain to pleasure, and possessing only a stolen book of maps.

Offered sanctuary in a nearby monastery, Valen discovers that his book - rumored to lead men into the realm of angels - gains him entry into a world of secret societies, doomsayers, monks, princes, and madmen, all seeking to unlock the mystery of a coming dark age. To his dismay, Valen must face what he fled so long ago, for the key to Navronne's doom is buried in half-forgotten myth and the secrets of his own past...
Source: Info in the About Flesh And Spirit was taken from the author's website at http://www.sff.net/people/carolberg/lighthouse.html on 20/03/2011.

Review:
I picked up this book because I've read this author's work before and she has one of the most compelling, colorful and wonderful "voice" I've ever encountered. She has a way of stringing words together which paints a vivid world in my head and seemingly makes the world of Valen come to life in technicolor for me. Character development is so good that I feel for Valen. Such that I got depressed during that really low moment in Valen's lowly existence about two thirds into the book. However this book started off very slow that I actually contemplated abandoning it and picking up another. Luckily I haven't got anything really juicy lined-up to read, so I continued trudging on with this book. Past chapter 5 or 6, the pace did pick up and it gets quicker as it reaches the end. But here is the real kicker, it ended in a whooping cliffhanger. So my advice is, don't start reading this book if you haven't got both books of the Lighthouse doulogy in your possession where you can immediately pick up the second book as soon as you hit the cliffhanger ending.

Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 3
Ending = 1
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4
Pace = 3.5

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 cherries


FTC Disclosure: This book was borrowed from the library.

Book 2 In The Lighthouse Duet:

Wednesday, 20 April 2011

WW28: PLAY OF PASSION

WW28
A chance to showcase your favourite!
  • First you grab our Wicked Wednesday pic.
  • Then you grab a book. Turn to page 28. Take the first sentence. And then you post it in your site with a link back to WW28.
  • Come back to Cherry Mischievous - WW28 and give us the url of your post (in a comment at a WW28 post) so that other WW28 readers can find your WW28 offering.

WW28 book offering : Play Of Passion by Nalini Singh
Page 28, 1st Sentence:
The lieutenant was waiting for him to say it.
I think this sentence is part of the wolf mating dance :)

About Play Of Passion:
Passion and reason collide with explosive force in the newest installment of Nalini Singh’s “mesmerizing”* Psy/Changeling series. As a conflict with Pure Psy looms on the horizon, two powerful wolves fight a far more intimate war of their own…

In his position as tracker for the SnowDancer pack, it’s up to Drew Kincaid to rein in rogue changelings who have lost control of their animal halves—even if it means killing those who have gone too far. But nothing in his life has prepared him for the battle he must now wage to win the heart of a woman who makes his body ignite…and who threatens to enslave his wolf.

Lieutenant Indigo Riviere doesn’t easily allow skin privileges, especially of the sensual kind—and the last person she expects to find herself craving is the most wickedly playful male in the den. Everything she knows tells her to pull back before the flames burn them both to ash…but she hasn’t counted on Drew’s will.

Now, two of SnowDancer’s most stubborn wolves find themselves playing a hot, sexy game even as lethal danger stalks the very place they call home...
Source: Info in the About Play Of Passion was taken from the author's website at http://www.nalinisingh.com/play.html on 01/09/2010.

Monday, 18 April 2011

Guardians Of The Hidden Scepter by Frank Cole

Hello faithful readers of Cherrymichevious.com! I'm excited to be here with the opportunity to tell you about my Middle Grade novel, The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter. This is my fourth published novel and first in a brand new series. I've always had a love for middle grade fiction and I wanted to share what I believe is an exciting, action-filled story with an Indiana Jones/Goonies-type feel. I hope you enjoy it!

Fourteen-year-old Amber Rawson has a passion for archaeology, with a particular talent for deciphering ancient codes.

So when Dorothy Holcomb, Amber’s beloved archaeology instructor, is kidnapped by a shadowy organization called The Architects, Amber is determined to unravel the mystery. With the help of her sarcastic friend, Trendon, and a slew of other strange clues and peculiar characters, Amber embarks on the hunt for the Tebah Stick; a Biblical artifact capable of global destruction.


The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter is guaranteed to keep you glued to the pages as you try to convince yourself to read just one more chapter before you call it a night.

I love to hear from readers so let me know what you think!

franklewiscole.blogspot.com
Frank

Guardians of the Hidden Scepter by Frank Cole

About Guardians of the Hidden Scepter:
Amber never dreamed her archaeology class would turn into a top secret mission that would take her across the globe, but when her teacher goes missing, Amber realizes it's up to her to protect the Hidden Scepter or risk unleashing an ancient power too terrifying to imagine. This guaranteed page-turner from the bestselling author of the Hashbrown Winters series is perfect for the adventurer in your family.
Source: Info in the About Guardians of the Hidden Scepter was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9572777-the-guardians-of-the-hidden-scepter on 12/04/2011.