Review: THE WRATH OF ANGELS

The Wrath Of Angels by John Connolly
Read by Jeff Harding
Book 11 of Charlie Parker series
Genre: paranormal crime fiction
Format: hardback, unabridged audiobook

About The Wrath Of Angels:

In the depths of the Maine woods, the wreckage of an aeroplane is discovered. There are no bodies, and no such plane has ever been reported missing, but men both good and evil have been seeking it for a long, long time. What the wreckage conceals is more important than money: it is power. Hidden in the plane is a list of names, a record of those who have struck a deal with the Devil. Now a battle is about to commence between those who want the list to remain secret and those who believe that it represents a crucial weapon in the struggle against the forces of darkness.

The race to secure the prize draws in private detective Charlie Parker, a man who knows more than most about the nature of the terrible evil that seeks to impose itself on the world, and who fears that his own name may be on the list. It lures others too: a beautiful, scarred woman with a taste for killing; a silent child who remembers his own death; and the serial killer known as the Collector, who sees in the list new lambs for his slaughter. But as the rival forces descend upon this northern state, the woods prepare to meet them, for the forest depths hide other secrets. Someone has survived the crash.

Something has survived the crash. And it is waiting.

©2012 John Connolly (P)2012 Hodder & Stoughton

Source: Info in the About The Wrath Of Angels was taken from http://www.audible.co.uk/pd?asin=B008RMGRTG on 02/11/2012.

[Image Credit: Marta Dahlig]

My Thoughts:

After reading the book, I saw this image in the web (on one of my trawls) and I found it uncannily resembles Malphas, the crow lord, in the story. For those of you who have read the book, what do you think?... As a symbolic entity in this book, I think "he has yet a role to play, for good or for ill" as Gandalf would say...

So there's this two side characters introduced about several chapters into the book who are too stupid to live. They were shown that it would be stupid to do that, not once, but several times, so what do they do? They pick the stupid choice, every time, in their journey towards the torture chamber. Yeah, hold hands and smile and walk in... It's not that they were not shown that it was stupid. That it was dangerous. And what do they do? They rationalize it and go into denial... until they got sliced and diced...

Sometimes I just want to throttle these stupid people for not seeing what is right before their eyes. And even think that they were asking for it. But in the end, I still felt for them. They did not deserve to be tortured and become sacrificial lambs just because they were stupid. Too steep a price for stupidity.

But I guess that is one of the tricks of writing, engage your readers' emotions. What I do appreciate with John Connolly is that he kills off non-consequential side characters whom the readers hasn't invested in a lot of emotion yet, though emotion is envolved. Unlike Joe Abercrombie who starts off with about 10 to 15 protagonists as a team or sets of teams of heros and kills them all off that at the end of the trilogy, the only one left standing is a side character and a minor one at that. Safe to say I won't be reading anymore Joe Abercrombies anytime soon. With that view, perhaps now you can understand my appreciation of John Connolly's killing off characters whom I haven't yet sunk two or three books' worth of emotional investment. Because somebody has to die, such is the nature of a murder mystery. At least don't kill the reader too! That reader tends not to buy or read that author ever again. At least I won't. Anyway, so I like that about John Connolly, but that is not the bestest best thing I like about this book, it's the plot! Threw me a few loops and surprises! I like it when a story is unpredictable. I also like the fact that this book threw in a few events which shed a light on the nature of our hero and more. I also really like the way some things turned out... Lots and lots of kudos to John Connolly for being a master story spinner!!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4.5
Ending = 4.5
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (15 hrs and 17 mins listening time)
Plot = 5
Narrator = 5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries

Review: NEW YORK TO DALLAS

New York To Dallas by JD Robb
Book 33 of the In Death series
Narrated by Susan Ericksen
Genre: SciFi murder mystery, police investigation, crime fiction
Format: hardback, (unabridged) audiobook

About New York To Dallas:

It was one of Eve Dallas's earliest takedowns, back in her uniform days. A monster named Isaac McQueen had been abducting young victims and leaving them scarred in both mind and body. Thanks to Eve, he wound up where he belonged, removed from civilized society in Rikers. But he's not behind bars anymore.After his escape, McQueen has two things in mind. One is to take up where he left off, preying on the young and innocent ? when necessary, with the help of a female partner all too willing to be manipulated and to aid and abet his crimes. His other goal: to get revenge on the woman who stopped him all those years ago, now a high-profile lieutenant in the NYPSD and married to one of the city's richest men.Commanding Eve's attention with a chilling and brazen crime, McQueen sets off the chase?forcing Eve down a road marked with blood and tears, a road that eventually leads southwest to Dallas, Texas, the home Eve fled long ago. And each new twist brings her closer to the harrowing memory of when she wasn?t a hardened detective but a vulnerable girl just like McQueen's innocent prey. As her husband, Roarke, tries to rescue her from the nightmares that claw at her mind, and her partner, Peabody, doggedly works to support her, Eve must confront ? and call upon ? the darkest parts of her own soul in order to survive.

Source: Info in the About New York To Dallas was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10402992-new-york-to-dallas on 17/08/2012.

Review:

I have to say that of all the In Death series I've read/listened to, this book is the most emotionally strung out of them all, and not in a good or frosty way. Thus this book became my least favourite in the series. Some scenes were overly dramatized to the point of overkill that it was surreal. Brought the believability factor down a notch. I guess for a long-running series, it gotta happen sometime. Plus, in this book, we didn't get to see Bella at all! And she, being my favouritest character in the series, is a big downer for me! After all that moaning though, JD Robb still brought to this book the same superb story telling quality that has become the trademark of this series. I am just hoping that JD Robb gets her mojo back for the next In Death book...

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 2
Ending = 3
World building = 4
Cover art = 2
Pace = N/A (13 hrs and 47 mins audiobook)
Plot = 3
Narrator = 4

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 cherries

WW28: WILD RAIN

WW28 book offering: Wild Rain by Christine Feehan

Unable to prevent herself, her gaze lifted to his, regarding him as if he had two heads.

He probably does, seeing that I think he is a shapeshifter...

About Wild Rain:

To escape an assassin, Rachel finds sanctuary in the rainforest, where the most exotic of all creatures walks: Rio. But when he unleashes his secret animal instincts, Rachel fears that her isolated haven could become an inescapable hell...

Source: Info in the About Wild Rain was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/490196.Wild_Rain on 26/12/2012.

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.

SHIFTING FATE Book Blast

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Shifting Fate Book Blast!!
Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card prize pack below.

Shifting Fate
(Descendants #2)
by Melissa Wright
YA/NA Paranormal Romance


Summary

According to prophecy, Brianna Drake was born to save the world. The trouble is, she doesn't have the slightest idea how. Her visions should have given her the answer, but they’re beginning to shift, making the danger too unpredictable, even for a prophet.

If she can just help her sister restore their hidden powers, she might be able to stop what’s coming. But an old enemy returns, and he’s got plans for Brianna and her visions.

What neither of them knows is that fate has given a stranger one chance to find her. He was trained to protect the chosen—but if he fails, the future will crumble.

Purchase From:

Will soon be release to iTunes, Barnes & Noble, and most other eBook vendors.

Shifting Fate is the second book in the Descendants Series (following Bound by Prophecy) and focuses on Brianna and Logan.

There is a teaser posted here and the first chapter posted here, but beware, it's full of spoilers from the first book.

Excerpt

I stayed there for a long while, staring at the dark marble countertop, the tiles inlaid with gold, until all of the voices quieted. When I finally came out, Brendan was waiting for me in the bedroom.

“I’m sorry about this,” he said, indicating the windowless walls around us. “As soon as the security updates are finished, we’ll be moving you to Council.” I could see the idea bothered him more than it should, and the rest of his explanation seemed to be more to convince himself than me. “It’s the best place for you. To keep you safe.”

I nodded.

“I had them bring up some lunch. It’s in the sitting room.”

“Thanks. I’m not really hungry.”

He didn’t shift; he hadn’t taken his eyes off me at all. “If you’d like to sleep for a—”

“No,” I interrupted. “No, I’m not tired.” I was exhausted—my muscles ached, and my hands still shook—but I didn’t want to be alone.

He held out a hand. “Sit with me then?”

I walked past him toward the sitting room, and his hand fell to the small of my back. I could have sat in the reading chair, but I didn’t. Instead, I took the center of a small sofa where Brendan could settle beside me. His arm came around me, and I curled my legs up, letting him tuck my back against his side.

I shouldn’t have. I knew that. But Brendan cared about me, and it felt good to have someone there.

I stared at the wall across from us, a beautiful Wyeth painting centered over a narrow table. It was probably an original. And yet, I couldn’t bring myself to appreciate it. They had been attacking Council ever since Morgan was taken. We had thought it was in retaliation. We had thought they meant to rescue Morgan. But we were wrong ... because they were after me.

I closed my eyes, trying to force a vision to come. It didn’t work that way, but I wanted so badly to finally have this over with, to save my sister and myself. To save everyone. I just needed a clue. One small indicator of how, of what I was searching for in Emily, of what to do.

Brendan’s hand slid down my arm, and I became suddenly aware I’d sunk into him. My elbow rested on his leg, my back against his chest. His cheek brushed my hair, and I went rigid.

“Brianna,” he started, and I was on my feet, nowhere to go but the table across from us.

I could almost feel his presence behind me. I picked up a vase, examining the etched glass, and internally cringed. Nice, Brianna, run over to look at glass.

“Brianna,” he said again, and the hurt in his tone was clear. I had to say something. Do something.

I turned to face him. “I’m sorry.” He was too close. I sat the vase back on the table, stepped one leg behind me. Two would have been too much. Two would have injured him more. I looked into his eyes, so dark they were nearly black, and said, “I like you, Brendan. I do.” Before I could finish, before I could add, “but …” his phone rang.

He answered it. In the middle of our conversation.

After a brief exchange, he slid the cell phone back into his pocket. His gaze found me. “I’m sorry, Brianna, but I have to take care of something.” He glanced at his watch. “I hate to leave you alone, but Aern will be here shortly. There are two men at the door, and the alarms are always on.” He reached up to touch my shoulder. “We will talk soon.”

And then he smiled, clearly only taking the “I like you” from our conversation, before walking out the door.

I stared at it for several minutes, open as it was, before finally falling onto the couch and throwing an arm over my eyes.

I had bigger problems, I knew, so I started populating a list in my head for when Aern arrived. I would do everything I could to resolve our issue. I had a lot of work to do before I could figure out where to start.

~Melissa Wright. Shifting Fate (from Chapter 2, Kindle Locations 204-245).

Bound by Prophecy
(Descendants #1)
by Melissa Wright
YA/NA Paranormal Romance
April 15th 2013

Summary

Twenty-two-year-old Aern is done watching his brother destroy the only thing that matters. He never wanted to take Morgan’s place among council, never wanted to rule their hidden world. But when the key to the prophecy is found, a young girl named Brianna whom Morgan will destroy, Aern knows he has to take action.

What he really wants, is for things to go back to normal. But now he’s kidnapped a girl, and his brother’s men are after him. His only hope is to join with the Division, but they have plans of their own, and it’s the last thing Aern is willing to do.

Emily just wants her sister back. She doesn't care about the prophecy, or realize what’s at stake. But when she goes after Aern, the truth of the matter uncoils, and Brianna isn't the only one who’s in danger.

Suddenly, they’re at the center of a secret war, and unless they can work together, they’ll both have a sacrifice too big to make.

You can read an excerpt of Bound By Prophecy here.

Purchase ebook for FREE on Nook and Kindle. Can also purchase from the Book Depository, and in audio at Amazon, iTunes, and Audible.com.

About the Author

Melissa Wright is the author of the Frey Saga and the new Descendants series. Melissa spends her time working on novels, but when not writing she can be found on Goodreads and Pinterest.

Website - Blog - Goodreads - Pinterest - Google+

Giveaways

1 - $50 Amazon Gift Card and an ebook of Shifting Fate (US & INT)

2 - Paperback copies of Bound by Prophecy and Shifting Fate (US ONLY)

3 - ebook of Shifting Fate (US & INT)

Ends December 15th. Enter via the Rafflecopter below.

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Goodreads Book Giveaway

Shifting Fate

by Melissa Wright

Giveaway ends January 07, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

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MIDNIGHT FIRE BookBlitz & Giveaway

The Complete Midnight Fire Series

(Midnight Fire) by Kaitlyn Davis
Release Date: 10/31/13

Summary from Goodreads:

**Get the first two books FREE when you buy the entire series at once!**

From bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis comes a paranormal romance perfect for fans of Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, and Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

"With one last look, one final search of the lines of his face for some sign, Kira turned and ran away from the sound of the man she loved laughing in the face of her death."

When Kira Dawson moves to South Carolina, she meets Luke, a blond goofball who quickly becomes her best friend, and Tristan, a mysterious bad boy who sends shivers down her spine. Kira knows they're keeping secrets, but when she discovers Tristan's lust for blood and her own dormant mystical powers, Kira is forced to fight for her life and make the heartbreaking decision between the familiar comfort of friendship and the fiery passion of love.

Available from:

RAVE REVIEWS for the Midnight Fire Series!

"The writing is effortlessly mind blowing. I could not put this entire series down. Once you're hooked, you won't either because it'll eat you up not knowing what happened! And then you'll pick a team like I did and you'll fall in love with all the characters and you'll want all the bad guys to die horribly! Just trust me when I say it really is your loss to miss out on this series! It's a blaze of glory!" - Happy Tales and Tails Blog

"Kaitlyn Davis writes some of the best action scenes I have come across in a young adult book; they are fast paced and so well delivered making this more than just a silly romance." - Reflections of a Bookworm

"The only downside to this series, is that it ended. But the ending was beautiful." - My Seryniti

"Kira isn't a human girl who is one dimensional and in love with a vampire. She's a well-thought out character who comes to life from the pages and steals into your heart. Read the books. Do it." - Urban Girl Reader

"I love and hate how fast of a read this was! I love it because I couldn't get enough of it and hate it because once I finished I wanted more!" - I Just Wanna Sit Here And Read

"I really enjoyed Ms Davis's writing, I was riveted throughout and was eager to see what would happen - there was drama, danger, action and romance that was wonderfully detailed and described." - Obsession With Books

"You'll make friends with Kira, choose sides with Tristan and Luke, and fall in love with the story at heart about a girl with so bright a future....even shades aren't gonna cut it." - Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

About The Author

I've always been a writer. I grew up duct taping my novels together, started writing complete manuscripts in high school and studied creative writing at Johns Hopkins University. Upon graduating, I decided it was finally time to actually give my dream career a chance. So, of course, I started writing a young adult paranormal romance series -- and no, I'm not jumping on the bandwagon. I've been a true paranormal supporter for my entire life! I blame my obsession almost completely on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, my all-time favorite television show. And, before you ask: Yes, I own every season... even the post WB ones! I especially challenge anyone to watch the first three seasons and not fall in love with Angel, securing a lifelong love of vampires! Other culprits of my paranormal obsession are some of my favorite authors: JK Rowling, Raymond Feist, Meg Cabot, Richelle Mead, Lynne Ewing and Tamora Pierce.

Book Blitz hosted by:

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GIVEAWAY:

3 Digital sets of The Complete Midnight Fire Series. Each copy includes all FOUR books in the series – Ignite, Simmer, Blaze & Scorch (INT)

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BookBlast: DRAGON DEFENDER & Giveaway

About the Book

Title: Dragon Defender (Dragon Defense League, Book #1)
Author: J.A. Blackburn
Publication Date: October 19, 2013
Publisher: Pip & Grey
Number of pages: 242
Recommended age: 10+

Summary (Amazon):

For over a thousand years dragons have existed in secret . . .

Peter Clark can build a robot from scratch and pick a lock in two minutes or less. But he can't figure out why his mother left or why his grandma refuses to talk about her. When Uncle Dominick shows up on Peter's twelfth birthday with a letter that hints at answers and an incredible story about dragons, Peter follows him, determined to find out the truth about his mother's disappearance.

What he finds is a reality far different from what he ever could have imagined - where dragons live in hiding, hunted by poachers for their magical parts, and a small group of men and women work tirelessly to protect them. These are the Dragon Defenders. Peter's uncle is one. So was his mother. Now it's Peter's turn.

* Finalist in the Pacific Northwest Writers Association 2013 Literary Contest *

Purchase:

Amazon (Print) | Amazon (Kindle)

The Buzz

"We read an advance copy of this book on kindle earlier this year and our 5th grade son read it twice and is anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. Great adventure, really kept our interest reading it together at night. This was one of the kids books I most enjoyed reading myself as well. The characters and the plot are well developed, and appealing to a wide range of kids (both genders). The writing is sophisticated but easy to understand, not 'dumbed down' like many kids books. The subject of dragons was so well crafted that it's easy believe that dragons just might exist, after all." ~ 5 Star Review, Leigh A., Amazon

"Reminiscent of the Fablehaven series (with just the right touch of Harry P.) this middle grade book is both an adventure and a pleasure...Fast-paced and full of wonder, this book takes middle grade readers on a vivid journey from the southwestern U.S. to Mexico; where jungles, ancient ruins and local folklore add to the enchantment that Peter finds when he discovers that dragons are in fact, real. As a former elementary school teacher, my strong feeling is that kids will eat this book whole, and then turn to searching for dragon eggs in their own backyards!" ~ 5 Star Review, Grace W., Amazon

"Dragon Defender was an absorbing action packed read! The author pulls you in from the first page and I'm not sorry to say I read it all in the first day. I'm 33 but still! This is a fun book for a chapter a night with your 5 year old (my son is loving it so far) or for yourself. The characters are well developed so you feel like you're really there, and the dragon is so believable. I'd venture so far as to say I had to remind myself that dragons don't really exist.... or do they?" ~ 5 Star Review, MGC, Amazon

J.A. Blackburn

About the Author: J.A. Blackburn

J. A. Blackburn lives in Seattle, Washington in a small white house overlooking the sea with her husband, Jason, her son, Camden, and their dog, Bella. Dragon Defender is her first novel.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

* $50 Book Blast Giveaway *

BookBlast Hosted By:

Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)
Contest runs: December 8, 2013 to January 6, 2014, 11:59 pm, 2013
Open: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, J.A. Blackburn and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. a Rafflecopter giveaway