Dark Hunter Continues with: The Guardian

Today, I have a treat for you Dark Hunter fans... a short synopsis and the trailer for The Guardian, the newest installment of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series.

About The Guardian:

As a Dream-Hunter, Lydia has been charged with the most sacred and dangerous of missions. She’s to descend into the Nether Realm and find the missing god of dreams before he betrays the secrets that could kill all of them. What she never expects is to be taken prisoner by the Realm’s most vicious guardian.


Seth’s time is running out. If he can’t hand over the entrance to Olympus, his own life and those of his people will be forfeit. No matter the torture, Seth hasn’t been able to break the god in his custody. Then there’s the beautiful Dream-Hunter Lydia: She isn’t just guarding the gates of Olympus—she’s holding back one of the world’s darkest powers. If she fails, an ancient curse will haunt the earth once more and no one will be safe. But evil is always seductive...

And now, the trailer:



SHERRILYN KENNYON LINKS:


Websites:

Official Sanctuary and Sherrilyn Kenyon for more about SHERRILYN KENYON, THE GUARDIAN, and all of her novels.

To sign up and access an exclusive bonus scene from THE GUARDIAN, visit: Heroes and Heartbreakers

Werewolf Romance

Quicksilver
Joy Spraycar
AuthorHouse (2010),
Paperback, 360 pages
Rated 3.5 stars of 5 possible


Quicksilver is a slightly above-average paranormal romance that begins in the 1850s. However, after just two short, interesting chapters, we fast-forward to the present day. Therein lies my first disappointment. I really wanted the story to be a historical romance.

The second problem I had with this story was at the point where Serry's husband dies in the automobile crash that Quinton survives. The death of the abusive character so early in the story seems to be just a little too convenient, at least to me.  And besides... he could have been useful in providing a bit of conflict at the start of Serry and Quinton's relationship.  Yes, I know, the evil father provides conflict, but that's a different sort of conflict which doesn't keep our two main characters from coming together.

My third major problem with the story is that Serry repeatedly ignores the instructions given to her for her own safety, which results in me respecting her a bit less due to the hare-brained decisions she makes that result in her being in danger. Yes, this situation brings more conflict - but of the kind which an intelligent character should have been able to avoid to some extent. I would have preferred a type of conflict that arose despite an intelligent character doing the prudent thing.

I like that the characters are flawed, as this makes them seem more human, and I like that Quinton does not accept being a Werewolf and is searching for an answer to that problem. This provides an unusual and intriguing aspect to the story; one that I have not seen before. Still, the good points are not quite strong enough to override the problems with this story, so I can't quite give it a full four stars... but yet it seems better than a three star novel, thus, for me, an unusual 3.5 star rating.

Recommended to those who love paranormal romances, and to those looking for something a little different than the normal fare. Quicksilver was provided to me free by the author in exchange for this review. As always, this review has been posted on Dragon Views, Amazon.com, LibraryThing and wherever else I may decide is appropriate.

The Newest Dark Hunter Novel Has Been Released: Retribution

RETRIBUTION:

"...Harm no human…

A hired gunslinger, William Jessup Brady lived his life with one foot in the grave. He believed that every life had a price. Until the day when he finally found a reason to live. In one single act of brutal betrayal, he lost everything, including his life. Brought back by a Greek goddess to be one of her Dark-Hunters, he gave his immortal soul for vengeance and swore he’d spend eternity protecting the humans he’d once considered prey.

Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of vampires and raised on one belief- Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both their people and mankind, and they must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters..."     

See the trailer.  If the video embedded below won't work for you, there's a direct link to Youtube following the embedded version.  There are also - included below for your pleasure - links to the author and publisher websites, where you will find excerpts from the book.

TRAILER URL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_5-t69aOko


Sherrilyn Kennyon's website about Retribution containing excerpts:

http://www.sherrilynkenyon.com/book/retribution/


Macmillan's Sherrilyn Kenyon website:

http://us.macmillan.com/author/sherrilynkenyon


And now, the exciting part:  Somehow, I wound up with two finished copies of the hardcover edition of Retribution... That being the case, there will naturally be a review coming from me.  But I only need one copy of the book for that purpose. I've decided that the best thing to do is to give away the extra copy to one lucky reader.  My financial status demands that I restrict the entries to those with a United States mailing address; sorry about that folks...

To enter the contest, comment on this entry.  You do not need to post your mailing address, just a valid email where I can contact the winner.  You do need to be 18 or older as of September 1, 2011. I will choose the lucky person at the end of August, 2011 via random.org. from all entries received before Midnight Central Time, at the end of this month.  No comments posted on or after September 1, 2011 will count as an entry into this drawing.  The winner will need to have a valid mailing address within the United States, which I will use to send the book.

Late Series Entry: Best Start at Book 1

No Mercy
Sherrilyn Kenyon
St. Martin's Press (2010)
Hardcover, 352 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible

No Mercy is paranormal romance, and part of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series.  The main characters are shape shifters and an Amazon warrior/queen who was betrayed by her overly jealous sister thousands of years before. Now, the Amazon is a Dark Hunter, with special powers and immortality.  She's also falling for one of the shape shifters, a bear who has the ability to assume the appearance of being human.

Lately, I've been straying from my normal reading genres, which mostly include science fiction and fantasy, but also lots of historical fiction, which often has some romance included.  I also seem to have acquired an affinity for series books, jumping into the middle of a series without knowing it IS a series until later.  In the case of No Mercy, it's not yet a mid-series book, but closer to the recent end of a very long (20+ volume) series.  Coming into the series at this point puts the reader at something of a disadvantage, in that references to events that occurred earlier in the series are made in No Mercy, but having not read the earlier books, I had no idea what the characters were talking about.

Series connectivity aside, I have to say I did enjoy this book, despite the fact that paranormal romance generally isn't my thing. Sherrilyn Kenyon is a new-to-me author, whom I am glad I ventured to try. For those with at least some familiarity with the Dark Hunter series, No Mercy would stand alone well enough that it would not matter if a few books from the series were skipped. For those completely unfamiliar with the series, as I was, starting with No Mercy probably isn't the greatest idea. Knowing what came before may be helpful.

Recommended to fans of the Dark Hunter series.

A finished hardcover copy of No Mercy was provided to me free by the publisher in exchange for this review. This review appears on Dragon Views, Library Thing, Amazon.com and wherever else deemed appropriate by this reviewer.

Teaser Novella

Gaslight Chronicles
Photographs & Phantoms
Cindy Spencer Pape
Carina Press (2011),
Kindle Edition
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible

Photographs & Phantoms is a blend of genres featuring historical romance, paranormal, mystery, fantasy and alternate history. Photographer, Amy Deland is haunted by a shadow appearing in some recent portraits... The presence of that shadow ruining the portraits is bad enough, yet each time the shadow appears, the subject of that portrait has died shortly afterward. Amy is determined to get to the bottom of the situation and find an explanation for the phenomenon. Will she succeed?

The book has an intriguing and mysterious premise that enticed me to download the promotional freebie. First off, it's (marginally) historical fiction. Second, the story promises some magic.  Reading further, one discovers that this isn't true history, but an alternate version, which I usually find interesting. I'm glad I didn't know when I downloaded this book that Carina Press is a Harlequin imprint, or I might have skipped it.  I normally find straight romance tales to be too fluffy, plotless, and sticky sweet to suit me, which wasn't the case here, except for the big sex scene near the middle of the book, which I skipped.  Sorry, but I don't find that unadulterated sex moves the story along... this novella would have been better without that scene.  Minus half a star for the uninteresting and unnecessary sex scene.

Over all, I found the mystery to be entertaining and the entire tale to be a page-turner. Still, some scenes later in the book could have been better developed. I was disappointed to find that, although the male lead in this tale is described as being a Sorcerer, very little magic was involved. Most of the magic could be explained by the technology used... so minus one fourth of a star for that lack of development, and minus another quarter-star for the lack of magic...  I'd have loved this book to be a little longer - say about 30,000 words.

Incidentally, for those who haven't read this book, the Kindle edition is still free from Amazon.com.  Sure, it's an advertisement/teaser for the publisher's other books, but one that is very much worth reading  I'm not obligated to review this book, however, writing reviews IS what I do... so why not?  Recommended to adult readers age 18 and up who like something more than straight, sticky-sweet romance.

This review, for which no compensation - financial or otherwise - has been received by the reviewer, appears on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, Amazon.com and other sites deemed appropriate by the reviewer.

Psychic Dreams

A Circle of Souls
Preetham Grandhi
Cedar Fort, Inc. (2010),
Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible

A Circle of Souls is a murder/mystery story with some psychic/paranormal elements in it.  A young girl's body is discovered, hidden in the same place that a previous murder victim was found many years previously... The classic questions arise: Who did it and why? The older crime has been unsolved for all these years, and it looks as if the more recent crime will go the same way as the older one, when another little girl starts having bad dreams and is able to tell what she has seen in those dreams... but will someone believe her before the killer strikes again?

Told at a measured pace, this well-written novel brings the reader to the edge of his or her seat while the murder investigation proceeds a-pace and the examination of the young girl's dreams is suspensufully related and finally tied to the murder investigation. The two distinct plot threads that began almost as separate stories are skillfully handled by this author until the threads are inter-woven into one spell-binding tale and a shocking conclusion.

Recommended to readers who love mystery/thriller type novels.  A Circle of Souls was given to me free by the author in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously posted on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com.

For Fans of the Dark Hunter Series

On September 7, 2010, St. Martin's Press is releasing Sherrilyn Kenyon's No Mercy. This will be a must read for fans of the Dark Hunter series as well as for fans of the author... and honestly, it looks too good for me to pass up, even though this would be the first book I've read from this author. What can I say?  I'm a fool for books, especially those that draw me in with a great story synopsis before I've even seen the covers of the book...

"Live fast, fight hard and if you have to die then take as many of your enemies with you as you can. That is the Amazon credo and it was one Samia lived and died by. Now in contemporary New Orleans, the immortal Amazon warrior is about to learn that there's a worse evil coming to slaughter mankind than she's ever faced before....."
 


Read the synopsis of No Mercy and much more on Sherrilyn Kenyon website:
http://were-hunter.com/
If you can't see the embedded trailer above, you should be able to see it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=067W4Kvqa4g

Good Versus Evil - With A Twist

Burned: Volume 7 in the House of Night series
P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast
St. Martin's Griffin (2010),
Hardcover, 384 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible

The first thing I noticed about the novel, Burned, is the quiet elegance of the dust jacket design which you can see to your left, courtesy of the publisher. Pictures of the previous six novels grace the back cover.  Yes, once again I find myself reading a series but not starting with the first book. Since I'm new to the House of Night series, this will be a good test to see if this book can stand alone.  A well-written series book should be able to stand alone, but some series books other than this have failed the test. The next thing I noticed: the inside of the dust jacket could double as a poster.  No doubt, some teens will love that feature. And even stripped of the dust jacket entirely, this is one very nice looking book. Front, back and spine boards are illustrated in a design that coordinates with, yet does not duplicate the design used for the dust jacket. That's a nice change from the plain, undecorated covers used on so many books these days.  So much for the impressive appearance... now to get at the contents.

Burned hooked me at once and has been an interesting read. The characters, for the most part, are well developed, and believable. However, at times, the teen-speak seems a bit too mature for the characters. While not entirely flawless, the writing is very well done. I'm fairly sure that fans of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight will probably love the House of Night series, while those who don't love Twilight aren't likely to love Burned either. As for me, I'm very interested in what contemporary writers are doing with vampires; this is quite different than the prototype, Count Dracula, and highly enjoyable. This book makes me want to round up the entire series so I can read them in order.

While the basic plot of Burned is good versus evil, which is probably the oldest plot in the universe, this mother-daughter team approaches the ancient battle from new directions and with intriguing characters. This easy to read, fairly fast-paced tale has it all; the good, the bad, the aggravating... right down to some scenes being a little too drawn-out. Now for that test I mentioned a few paragraphs back... While Burned doesn't entirely fail as a stand alone novel, some references to past events (probably described in one or another of the previous six novels) could do with a bit more explanation.

I highly recommed the House of Night series to fans of vampire literature and to those looking for something different to read. While starting with Burned is possible, it's not the best place to begin this series.  Instead, go back and read Marked first, followed by the other volumes of this series in order of publication (Betrayed, Chosen, Untamed, Hunted, Tempted), ending with Burned. That way, you won't get a lost feeling when some of the past events are mentioned.

The publisher has also graciously allowed me to post links to the video trailer, the song from the trailer, and first chapter of the book, all of which you will find below. A finished copy of the hardcover first edition of this book was provided to me free by the publisher in exchange for this review. The text of this review has simultaneously been published on Dragon Views and LibraryThing, including the links to the extra bonus material. I will probably also post the text of the review sans the good stuff on Amazon.com.

Trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmJjEDZJkYc

Song: http://www.houseofnightseries.com/pages/downloads.html#songs

First chapter: http://www.houseofnightseries.com/pages/burnedxrpt.html

House Of Night Website: http://www.houseofnightseries.com/index.html

A Seasonal Ghost Story

A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas
by Charles Dickens
Project Gutenberg e-book edition
based on J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY edition (1915, printed in England)
Illustrated by Arthur Rackham
Approximately 148 pages
Rated: 4.0 of 5 stars possible

I chose to re-read A Christmas Carol at this time of year (2008) for several reasons.  First, because of the seasonal nature of the story, and second because I was feeling in need of the "lesson" learned by Scrooge.; also to study the illustrations. There are (at minimum) three illustrated editions of this novella, each done by a different artist; the illustrations accompanying each version are quite different than the illustrations for the other versions. Mr. Rackham's style is simple, comical and comfortable... some illustrations are merely line drawings while others are a little more complex and in full color.  They add an incredible amount of enjoyment to reading this book, but are not distracting as some illustrations can be.

Dickens' prose stands out - as usual - partly because of the Victorian phrasing and cadence, partly because of the differences between British English and American English. For a modern-day American scholar, this makes Dickens a challenge to comprehend, but none-the-less an enjoyable challenge. A Christmas Carol deals with two themes which you see frequently occurring in Dickens' work: social injustice and poverty. There's an abundance of symbolism employed in this tale of Christmas, enough so that analysis of the short text is not quick and easy to accomplish. On another level, A Christmas Carol can simply be enjoyed for the excellent tale it is - which is what I wound up doing despite my original intentions.  Deeper analysis will have to wait for another day - and probably not one close to the season depicted in the story.

Creeping Horrors

Duma Key: A Novel
by Stephen King
Hardcover: 609 pages
Publisher: Scribner (January 1, 2008)
Rated 5 stars of 5 possible


Edgar Freemantle, a construction contractor in Minneapolis, suffers major injuries in a freak accident. By the time he recovers from the majority of his injuries, and most of the resulting confusion has passed, his wife has left him. Shortly after his release from the hospital, Edgar decides to start his life over again. Since his injuries have resulted in the inability to resume his former career, Edgar decides to re-establish his connection to the artist within. He moves to Florida, and an island called Duma Key.

In a frenzy of creation, Edgar paints enough pictures to put on a one artist exhibit in a near-by town. Edgar's pencil sketches and paintings seem benign, but are they? Duma Key isn't just any horror novel. It's sneaky, subtle, and deceptive... The horror creeps up on you like a thief in the night; it reaches out and grabs you before you even realize it's there. Duma Key is a page-turner; once it grabs you it does not let go.

A must read for Stephen King's fans, Duma Key would also be ideal for the horror enthusiast who has never read a Stephen King book. In fact, Duma Key is probably Mr. King's most brilliant and horrifying novel to date.

Fantasy and Historical Romance

Queen of Dragons
by Shana Abé
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Bantam (December 26, 2007)
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible

While the publisher is selling this as a historical romance, there's more of fantasy than romance in it... and good fantasy too, I must say. I was thoroughly enchanted by the idea of a race of shape shifters who can take on human or dragon form at will - or turn to smoke on a whim - so that I could not lay this book aside for long. While Queen of Dragons is the third of The Drákon series, it is the first I've read by this author. Set in the late 18th century, this tale is a generous blend of fantasy, romance, suspense and adventure that leaves the reader feeling both satisfied and ready for more.

Readers who are strictly reading for the romance may not like this book much because of the scarcity of romantic scenes, yet those who enjoy other genres may like this for variety. Recommended to readers ages 17 and up who like or don't mind some romance in their fantasy.

Choose to be a Vampire - or not

Sucks to Be Me
The All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton, Teen Vampire (Maybe)
by Kimberly Pauley
Hardcover: 294 pages
Publisher: Mirrorstone (August 26, 2008)
Rating: 5 stars of 5 possible

Well, now that the Sucks to Be Me Launch Party is over, and I've had a chance to read the book, I'll have to say, my only regret is that it had to end... Who would have known that a vampire story doesn't have to be scary?

Yes, Sucks to Be Me is a vampire story, but nothing like you've ever read before... so throw all your old notions and pre-conceived ideas about vampires out the window because that's not what you'll find in Kim's new book. What you will find is a barrel of fun... vampire style. Kim started with a list of the myths and legends about vampires, tossed away the obvious ones, and had some fun with the rest. For instance, What if you could choose to be a vampire or not? Do Vampires have a code of ethics?

Mina Hamilton is a typical teen with a best friend and all the usual worries about hot boys, prom night, and keeping secrets. Humans aren't supposed to know about vampires, but Mina has known about her parents for many years, and now she needs to make the choice. The only thing is, she can't tell her best friend about any of the strange things happening... and those things get stranger by the minute.

Mirrorstone has done an awesome job in producing this novel. The cute litte vampire bat on the back cover, the pages of Mina's notes and lists that she writes while she's trying to make her life-changing decision, those Myth versus Truth snippets at the head of each chapter, all add to the appeal of this book, while Mina's sweet voice and personality captivate the reader and make you want to know how it all turns out in the end. Well, you'll just have to read the book.

Recommended for readers age 12 and up who are in search of adventure and a little something different for their reading enjoyment.

Vampire Hunters

Once Bitten, Twice Shy
By Jennifer Rardin
Publisher: Orbit (October, 2007)
Paperback: 312 pages
Rating: 5 stars of 5 possible

Action, adventure, romance and suspense are all tucked neatly into one package that's just the beginning of a not-to-be-missed series featuring Jaz Parks; a sometimes sassy, sometimes witty gal who works for the CIA. She's got an unusual talent - sensing the presence of vampires. This talent makes her the highly desired partner of a most unusual assassin. I'll let Jaz tell you about him.

"My boss is Vayl, born in Romania in 1744. Died there too, at the hand of his vampire wife, Liliana. But that's ancient history. For the moment Vayl works for the C.I.A. doing what he does best--assassination. And I help. You could say I'm an Assistant Assassin. But then I'd have to kick your..." (Rardin, 2007)

Written in a lively, friendly style, this fast-paced novel is a gripper and a page-turner. The savvy reader will soon catch on that Jaz is hiding her vulnerablity behind that tough-as-nails exterior personna she displays to the world around her and doesn't want to admit that she's human... or is she? Hints are dropped that something which happened in this gal's past might have changed her.

Romances aren't usually my thing but the sub-category of paranormals is wide open, uncharted reading territory for me. I have a favorable impression though from reading this sample offering, which I recommend to those 16 and up seeking something different than the usual romantic suspense novel.

Not Your Usual Vampire Story

Twilight
Stephenie Meyer
Little, Brown Young Readers (October, 2005)
Hardcover: 512 pages
Reading level: Young Adult
Rating: 5 stars of 5 possible

"About three things I was positive.  First, Edward was a vampire.  Second, there was a part of him -- and I didn't know how dominant that part might be -- that thirsted for my blood.  And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him."

Usually, the first thing I do with a new book is to read the back cover, and, if included, reviewer comments, which are sometimes printed on the first few pages inside, so I started Twilight that same routine way. My copy of Twilight has no reviewer comments, but almost immediately, I discovered I didn't need them.  The above quote - lifted from the back cover - was all it took to get me hooked;  if I had needed more, the Preface would have done that job equally well.  

Stephenie Meyer writes a strong beginning to her novel and doesn't lag in the middle or at the ending either.  I found Twilight very difficult to put aside. When I was getting close to the end of the book, I didn't want it to be finished, yet I felt compelled to continue reading right up to the last word.  I had to know...

Now that I have read Twilight, I know it is not your usual vampire story. Edward and the other vampires in this story aren't at all what I expected them to be; they are far different than Bram Stoker's Dracula or the vampires in Stephen King's story, Salem's Lot.  It's a refreshing difference and one that I am glad I discovered.