Wednesday, 25 March 2020

SMOKE BITTEN

Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs
Book 12 of the Mercy Thompson series
Read by Lorelei King
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


About Smoke Bitten:
Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, faces a threat unlike any other in this thrilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

I am Mercedes Athena Thompson Hauptman.

My only “superpowers” are that I turn into a thirty-five pound coyote and fix Volkswagens. But I have friends in odd places and a pack of werewolves at my back. It looks like I’m going to need them.

Centuries ago, the fae dwelt in Underhill — until she locked her doors against them. They left behind their great castles and troves of magical artifacts. They abandoned their prisoners and their pets. Without the fae to mind them, those creatures who remained behind roamed freely through Underhill wreaking havoc. Only the deadliest survived.

Now one of those prisoners has escaped. It can look like anyone, any creature it chooses. But if it bites you, it controls you. It lives for chaos and destruction. It can make you do anything — even kill the person you love the most. Now it is here, in the Tri-Cities. In my territory.

It won’t, can’t, remain.

Not if I have anything to say about it.
Source: Info in the About Smoke Bitten was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44571368-smoke-bitten on 14/07/2019.

My Thoughts:
Being an old Patricia Briggs fan, of course this book is a 5 out of 5! I knew it was going to be a 5 out of 5 even before I've read it! What I didn't expect was a killer bunny! Now that, is a fun thing to read! Then there is Wulfe making more of an appearance which I love! Love! Love! And other things I love which I cannot mention here without being spoilery.... What I kinda was disappointed though is that Sherwood did not bring Pirate to the 5 o'clock meeting...

What this book is starting to feel though, is like Lt. Eve Dallas in the In Death series by JD Robb where only Dallas ever knows whodunit. That kind of gets old fast.

Not the best book in the series, however, I still enjoyed it immensely!!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 4.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 5
Pace = 5
Plot = 5
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Mercy Thompson Series:
Click on the cover image to go to my review or to the GoodReads page of the book for more info.
                     

 
About Patricia Briggs
Patricia Briggs
Patricia Briggs was born in Butte, Montana to a children’s librarian who passed on to her kids a love of reading and books. Patricia grew up reading fairy tales and books about horses, and later developed an interest in folklore and history. When she decided to write a book of her own, a fantasy book seemed a natural choice. Patricia graduated from Montana State University with degrees in history and German and she worked for a while as a substitute teacher. Currently, she lives in Montana with her husband, children and six horses and writes full-time, much to the delight of her fans.
www.patriciabriggs.com | facebook | twitter | goodreads | Amazon



FTC Disclosure:
This book was purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

Thursday, 19 March 2020

BOUND

Bound by Cali Mann
Book 2 in the Thornbriar Academy series
Genre: urban fantasy / reverse harem
Format: ebook


About Bound:
Mated. When fate takes her choices away, Hailey fights back the only way she knows how.

She rebels, choosing the guy not on the menu.

But Thornbriar Academy isn't as safe as it once was, and her deadly secret falls into the wrong hands.

Hailey's going to need all her men to stay alive.

Bound is a the second book in this Why Choose, Dark Paranormal Romance series. Expect a tough as nails innocent, bullies, shifters, and love in this sexy new adult reverse harem romance.
Source: Info in the About Bound was taken from GoodReads at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0825FMGJV on 16/02/2020.

Buy Link(s):


My Thoughts:
Another few chapters in a bigger book. For another 173 pages (print ed) is a short and sweet read with a whooping cliffhanger ending. At this point we can already see the publishing pattern that this author is going to pursue with this series. Release every 200 pages or less of the book every few months or so at full length book price each time. The story telling quality and the urban fantasy world are really good, but I am not sure I like being squeezed every last drop of money like that. Because that is how it feels. But then again, I guess this kind of publishing technique is making the author a lot of money, I can understand that. I just do not like it. And maybe one of these days I'll get annoyed enough to stop reading. However, I got a weakness for impressive black dragons...

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 2
World building = 5
Cover art = 3
Pace = 4.5
Plot = 1.5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Thornbriar Academy Series:


Meet The Author

About Cali Mann:
I devoured my mother’s Gothic romance collection when I was a teen, so you can say that dark romance and I go way back. Give me a cozy chair, a snuggily feline, and a book any day.

I’ve been dreaming up my own magical worlds since I was small, and I’m so excited to share them with you.




FTC Disclosure:
This book was purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.


Thursday, 5 March 2020

WONDERMENT IN DEATH

WONDERMENT IN DEATH by JD Robb
Wonderment In Death by JD Robb
Book 41.5 of the In Death series
Narrated by Susan Ericksen
Genre: scifi crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobookAudible Books


About Wonderment In Death:
Things aren't what they seem when Lieutenant Eve Dallas investigates what appears to be a routine murder/suicide. When friends of Darlene and Marcus Fitzwilliams insist Darlene would never hurt her brother, Eve digs deeper.

Eve learns that Darlene sought help from sensitivities, psychics, and doctors of paranormal studies in an attempt to contact her dead parents. After clues mimicking Alice in Wonderland repeatedly turns up, the case gets curiouser and curiouser...

Racing against the clock, Eve must travel down the rabbit hole to stop a madman's murderous tea party.
Source: Info in the "About Wonderment In Death" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25217301-wonderment-in-death on 03/03/2018.

Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books

DARK IN DEATH by JD Robb (UK)
My Thoughts:
This is a short sweet instalment in the In Death series. Plot follows the same pattern as the full length books, just shorter story. So no room for twists. Quiet straightforward, but still enjoyable. In fact I like this better than Dark In Death which started to feel boring to me. It might be the book or might be just me reading too many JD Robb books. And I guess because it is not just Dallas alone knowing who the bad guy is intuitively. Although the supernatural element is stronger in this story than in full novels, like all short stories in this series tends to be, it is still good to read that it is not just Dallas alone who knows the plot. That kind where only she knows, kinds of gets old fast. So even though this is just a short story in the series, I would still rate this book a five.


Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 5
World building = 5
Cover art = 5
Pace = (3 hrs and 32 mins listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 4.5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 cherries



FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook copies of the book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.