Mini Review: Twilight: The Graphic Novel by Stephenie Meyer

Title: Twilight: The Graphic Novel
Series: Volume 1
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Illustrator: Young Kim
Format: Hardcover, 224 pages
Pub. Date: March 16th 2010
Source: Goodwill


Book Description:

When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret...

Review:

★★★★

I was a pretty okay fan of the Twilight books. I didn't think they were the best books ever made, nor were they my introduction to vampires. I also didn't hate them as much as so many people seemed to. For me, they were pretty middle of the road. Enjoyable, but not something I need to read over and over again. I read the series, and I saw the films. And when I came across the graphic novel version, I picked that up too.

I wasn't at all disappointed. The artwork in this book is absolutely gorgeous. It's done in an Japanese/manga style of illustration that makes everything a little bit softer and more pleasant to look at.

Because the whole story is condensed, I actually kind of liked the characters better this way. Bella is less annoying and whiny. Edward is less creepy and stalker-y. It's paced better and still gets the same basic gist of the story and plot across.

It was a quick read that I enjoyed. If you were a fan of the original Twilight series, this is a good supplement to enjoy alongside it.

Review: Monsterland by Michael Okon

Title: Monsterland
Author: Michael Okon
Format: Paperback, 232 pages
Pub. Date: December 19th 2017
Source: Author


Book Description:

Welcome to Monsterland—the scariest place on Earth. Wyatt Baldwin's senior year is not going well. His parents divorce, then his dad mysteriously dies. He’s not exactly comfortable with his new stepfather, Carter White, either. An ongoing debate with his best friends Melvin and Howard Drucker over which monster is superior has gotten stale. He’d much rather spend his days with beautiful and popular Jade. However, she’s dating the brash high-school quarterback Nolan, and Wyatt thinks he doesn’t stand a chance. But everything changes when Wyatt and his friends are invited to attend the grand opening of Monsterland, a groundbreaking theme park where guests can interact with vampires in Vampire Village, be chased by werewolves on the River Run, and walk among the dead in Zombieville. With real werewolves, vampires and zombies as the main attractions, what could possibly go wrong?

Review:

★★★★

This is a great concept for a book. In this novel, humans are fully aware of the existence of monsters like vampires, werewolves, and zombies (also known as the vitally challenged). Not only that, they are the topic of politics, study, and either admiration or abomination. Enter Monsterland: a theme park where humans can step right up and see zombies, vampires, and werewolves in a safe environment, up close and personal. Some say it's genius, others say its cruel. As for me.... I fluctuated between the two.

I sincerely hope that Mr. Okon takes this as a compliment; Monsterland gives me major 1990's RL Stine nostalgia. He was my absolute favorite author as a kid, and this book took me back. But at the same time, this book is like Fear Street all grown up. There's more death, more philosophy, and honestly I was taken by surprise the issues and topics that made me think as a reader. What makes a human more human than a vampire? Are we worthy of more rights? Are they just animals? Is it humane to display other living things in glass cages, or take advantage of the ill?

My opinion switched over the course of the novel. At the beginning, I was like the main character. I was PUMPED for Monsterland. Seeing vampires up close? Sign me up! But then you learn more about how the park works and boy does it get sinister. Like the fake moon that rises every hour that forces the wolves to go through their painful transformations against their will. And then I felt bad. Because that's awful, and of course I wouldn't want anyone to do that.... The moral dilemmas are interesting and unexpected.

The world building is well done. You learn why the monsters are there, about the politics of a mixed species society, about the anticipation of the park. It's a solidly written book. The violence is descriptive and gory (bones breaking, blood oozing) without being gratuitous. There's quite a few characters to follow, but they're pretty distinct from one another so it's easy to follow. The speed of the book is well paced, albeit a little rushed at the end. I think it may be a set up for a second book though, so I get why it ended the way it did.

I liked the twists on classic monsters that Okon brought to the story, such as how vampires turn people and how zombies came to be. It was intriguing (and kind of made me want a more NSFW vampire book, to be completely honest with you).

I'm glad I read this, and I can already tell you this book is underhyped and underrated. This book can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of (relative) age or gender; there's romance, there's high school drama, there's murders, there's zombie decapitations, there's something for everyone.

If you're a fan of young adult horror and vampires that don't sparkle, or books that are set in amusement park/circus/carnival type settings, this book is worth getting. I would read another book in this series in a heartbeat.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Spotlight, Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: Vampires Never Cry Wolf by Sara Humphreys!

Title: Vampires Never Cry Wolf

Author: Sara Humphreys

Release Date: March 3, 2015

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Genre: Paranormal Romance



Book Summary:

Vampires are nothing but trouble…
As far as beautiful vampire Sadie Pemberton is concerned, werewolves shouldn’t be sticking their noses into New York’s supernatural politics. They don’t know jack about running a city—not even that hot-as-sin new vampire-werewolf liaison who’s just arrived in town.

Werewolves are too sexy for their own good…
The last thing Killian Bane wanted was to end up in New York City playing nice with vampires. Unfortunately, he’s on a mission, and when he encounters the sexiest, most stubborn female vamp he’s ever met, he’s going to have to turn on a little of that wolfish charm…and Sadie’s going to learn a thing or two about what it means to have a wild side…

Excerpt:

Sadie forced herself to look Killian in the face, and the instant she did, she knew it was a colossal mistake. His eyes looked like pools of liquid gold, and she could swear he saw straight through to her very soul. A growl rumbled in his chest and Sadie gasped. His eyes flickered and shifted into the glowing amber eyes of his wolf. The sudden and instinctive change was a glaring reminder of who he was…who they both were.

In a remarkably steady voice, Sadie whispered, “Last night should never have happened.”

“The only thing about last night that shouldn’t have happened was the way it ended,” Killian rasped.

Sadie stilled when his large hand cradled her cheek. Despite her best efforts to resist him, her body quivered uncontrollably as he surrounded her in every way a person could be surrounded. When the heat of his palm seared against her skin, a needy moan escaped her lips. Desire curled inside her like smoke, and regardless of the litany of warnings that ran through her head, Sadie’s hands found their way to the front of Killian’s shirt. She grasped the fabric, still warm from the heat of his body, and pulled him closer. Sweet Jesus, the man had a body that looked like it had been hand carved by the gods themselves.

“Is that so?” Sadie pulled his shirt loose from his jeans and slipped her fingers underneath before trailing them along the hard planes of his stomach. Arching one eyebrow, she held his heavy-lidded gaze. “How do you suppose it should have ended?”

“The same way it should end every night from now on,” he growled. Killian slid both hands into her long hair. Sadie shivered when his fingertips grazed her scalp. He pressed his hips against her before slipping his thigh between her legs. Sadie gasped with pleasure as he put pressure on just the right spot, and when a moan escaped her parted lips, a cocky grin emerged on his. Killian tightened his grip on her hair and leaned in so his mouth was just a breath away. “Every single night should end with me buried deep inside you.”

Buy it here: Amazon | BN | iBooks

About the Author:

Sara Humphreys has been attracted to the fantasies of science fiction, paranormal, and romance since her adolescence when she had a mad crush on Captain Kirk. An actress and public speaker, Sara lives in Bronxville, New York with her husband, who is very considerate of her double life, and four amazing boys.
Facebook | Website | Twitter | Pinterest

Review:

★★★★ ★

4.5/5 stars.

Every once in a while, I dare to read a book outside of my usual comfort zone. For example, urban fantasy and paranormal romance are not often books I read. That said, I absolutely loved this book. I was lured in with the promise of kick ass vampires, sexy werewolves, and nightclubs and all of those things definitely delivered.

This book is the third in a series, but can be read alone. I hadn't read the first two books in this collection, so this was my first introduction to this cast of characters. I loved them. Well, I liked them. I loved Killian. He is exactly what I look for in a romantic lead. He's strong, powerful, devastatingly handsome, and stubbornly loyal. He had me hooked from the first time that he set foot into Sadie's bar. Speaking of girls enamored by him, I really liked Sadie too. I thought she was strong and smart, though at times her pushing Killian away irritated me with how long it went on. Regardless, I loved them together and I thoroughly enjoyed watching them figure out their dangerous and forbidden relationship.

A relationship that is most definitely and satisfyingly sexual. I had never read Sara Humphreys' books before, but I will say that woman can write one hell of a sex scene. They were steamy and primal and helped to understand the lust (and blood lust) and passion that these two have for one another. These scenes were very well done.

I liked the world building as well. It was cool hearing about how the governments/societies of the paranormal creatures work. I'd love to go for a drink at either Loup Garou, the wolf club, or The Coven, the vampire club. The people and the places sound fascinating, and they are blended in well with the normal mortal world.

However, I do wish that the book didn't end so quickly. It felt a bit rushed. I loved the way it worked out, I just wish it would have dwindled a bit slower. I also wish that Killian's business partner, Christina, would have gotten more time in the book. I wanted to grow to hate her just a wee bit more.

I will definitely be checking out the first two books in this series, and I hope to see more of Killian and Sadie in the future. I recommend this to fans of vampires, werewolves, romance, sex, and forbidden love. This book contains sex and violence, so ye be warned.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mini Holiday Review: I'm Dreaming of an Undead Christmas by Molly Harper!

Title: I'm Dreaming of an Undead Christmas
Series: Half Moon Hollow #2.7
Author: Molly Harper
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: November 17th 2014
Source: Netgalley & Pocket Star

Description via Goodreads:

Experience the vampire world for the holidays through the eyes of Gigi Scanlon in this e-novella prequel to The Dangers of Dating a Rebound Vampire from beloved paranormal romance author Molly Harper!

College co-ed Gigi is headed home to Half-Moon Hollow for her first Christmas since her sister, Iris, was turned into a vampire by her beloved undead husband, Cal. Iris is working overtime to make this holiday as normal and special as possible. After all, it’s taken her months of working with Jane Jameson and the Hollow’s vampires to convince herself that she won’t bite her baby sister on sight.

Gigi has her own worries. She’s falling out of love with her high school sweetheart, Ben, and has no idea how to tell him. She’s got a secret job interview with terrifying teen Council official, Ophelia Lambert. And there’s a handsome but cagey vampire following her around town and then disappearing before Gigi can confirm that he’s not, in fact, a figment of her fertile imagination. Holidays with family are complicated. Christmas with an undead family can be downright dangerous.

★★★ ★

I'll be the first one to admit that this is my first reading experience from Molly Harper. I know that this is book 2.7 in a series, but when a book stumbles into your inbox about vampires and Christmas, you read it no matter what number in the series it is. I have to say that I really love Harper's writing style, and I'll definitely be reading the rest of the Half-Moon Hallow books.

It was a little bit harder for me to get a grasp on all of the characters (there's quite a cast of them) because I haven't read any of the other books, but I was still able to keep them fairly straight. I love the relationships they all had with each other, and even though this was only a novella it came across quite clearly the strength of their friendships. It gave the holiday theme that extra oomph of warm fuzzies.

Not to mention the fact that this book is hilarious. I wasn't expecting to get any laughs from this novella but I'll be damned if I didn't. Molly Harper and I apparently share a very similar sense of humor, because I was snickering every few pages.

Between the jokes, sisterly insults, the bonds of the families/relationships, and Iris trying so, so hard to just have a normal Christmas despite her newly acquired vampirism, this story is a great little feel-good read that all fans of urban fantasy and paranormal romance should check out, especially if you're familiar with this book series already.

All the hints and peeks that Harper gives in this book to the various couples' futures and pasts, as well as into the main character of this novella, Gigi's, life- from a new job to a mysterious pretty man friend- have ensured that I will read this series to find out more about what the holly is going on. Ha. Christmas profanity. Anyway, well played, Harper, you win this round. I'll read your books, you've made a fan of me.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Pocket Star who provided me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Crimson Night by Marie Hall

Title: Crimson Night (Night #1)
Author: Marie Hall
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: September 5th 2013
Source: Netgalley

★★★★

Four stars.

---

Crimson Night takes place at a dark, twisted kind of carnival, where one can easily be lured in by all the beautiful people... So lured in that they never quite leave. Pandora, half human, half demon of Lust, tries to be normal despite her setting, clinging for the humane half of her. She works doing what she does best- killing paranormal creatures lilke vampires and werewolves. But something dark is lurking in the shadows, and it chills even her- will she be able to take them once betrayed?

----

This is my first Marie Hall book outside of the Kingdom Series, and I was definitely not disappointed.

Pandora was a really likable character. For one, being a slayer made her pretty bad ass, and it's a nice change from the recent onslaught of damsel in distress novels. A big part of why I liked her was because she was always trying to find her humanity. It added depth to her, and it was needed.

One thing I know from reading the Kingdom Series is that Marie Hall has great skill in creating a world that entrances and intrigues the reader. Crimson Night follows in this tradition. The carnival was a really cool place to read about, and I was immediately drawn in to the story.

Another thing about this book that I enjoyed was the steamy aspect. I appreciated that it wasn't a sticky sweet romance, and catered to Pandora's demon of lust half. I also liked that it wasn't a focal point of the story- it's not a book about only a relationship, it's a book that contains a relationship.

I was engrossed in the story from cover to cover, and I definitely wasn't expecting it to end as it did. I will definitely need to pick up the next book in the series once it becomes available. My enjoyment of this book shows that Marie Hall is the real, and she's become one of my auto-read authors.

Thanks to Marie Hall and Netgalley for my chance to read this.

Throw a True Blood Party: An Unofficial Guide to Partying with Your Favorite Vamps

Title: Throw a True Blood Party: An Unofficial Guide to Partying with Your Favorite Vamps
Author: Paula Conway
Format: egalley edition
Pub. Date: June 13th 2013
Source: Netgalley and Riverdale Avenue Books

★★★

Three stars.

First of all, I have to say that this book has a great concept. Featured at the beginning of this guide to planning the perfect True Blood themed party is a selection of special discount codes that are exclusive to only this book. From candy to cosmetics, caramel apples to glasses, there are codes here for stores on Etsy, Manic Panic, and Candy.com, to name a very few. I think this is super innovative and a great idea. Especially because the author highlights specific products that go with the southern vampire theme.

Unfortunately for me, I was expecting this to be more book and less catalog.

The book starts out with an introduction that briefly sums up the author's history with vampires that is borderline insulting to the show for which this party is themed. It moves on to a "history" of vampires which is an educational, basic list of worldwide vampire myths and vampire-like creatures.

A large portion of this book reads more like a magazine or a blog than a party guide book. Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but not what I was expecting either. The craft section is one of these portions. It was more a guide of what to buy from whom than how to make your own party decorations and accents. The stores she features do have beautiful wares, but I was hoping for a bit more hands-on tips or advice. This is also the case for the costuming section.

What makes up for the magazine-esque product features for me is the southern food and cocktail recipes. Paula Conway gives easy to follow instructions that anyone can follow. Having lived in Louisiana for awhile, I appreciated such food recipes as boiled peanuts and beignets. And the alcohol? Oh lordy, don't get me started. There is an extensive list of drinks for both the legal 21+er and for kids and designated drivers alike. An avid fan of vampire lore all year round, I will be keeping this list of drinks handy for whenever I want to try something new. The author also includes some pictures just to make sure that the reader's on point.

There's also a pretty nifty games section. Personally, I don't play party games so I can't say how useful I would find it. However, I can say that they are good ideas that are well explained by the author.

All in all, I think this book is worth the gander. If you are an Etsy or vampire addict, you will definitely want to hurry up and snag these limited discounts (they expire relatively soon!). The recipes and cocktails are sure to please, and though product reviews run rampant in this guide, they serve as good jumping off points to help you plan your own vampire party. However, if you're looking for an in depth, crafty/hands on approach to party planning (or if you're on a budget), this isn't going to foot the bill.

Thank you to Netgalley and Riverdale Avenue Books for my copy. Cover image taken from Netgalley.

Review: Beauty and the Wolf

Title: Beauty and the Wolf (The Cursed Princes)
Author: Marina Myles
Format: egalley edition
Pub. Date: June 6th 2013
Source: Netgalley & Kensington Books

★★

Two stars.

Isabella never wanted to marry Draven. Sure, he is attractive. But he is also rumored to have a temper, and to have spent some time at an asylum. She's no stranger to odd looks and rumors herself. She wears an ancient Egyptian amulet that some whisper carries a curse that will doom her. After a quick escape, Isabella finds herself coming back to Draven's estate, in order to secure life for herself and her family, though Draven has his own intentions....

-There is way, way too much happening in this book. It seems like every possible book genre/topic is squeezed into this one. Fairy tale retelling? Check. Gypsy magic? Check. Asylums? Werewolves? Egyptology? Cursed amulets? Romance? History? Check, check. It seemed way over the top, to the extent that it was hard to read it with a straight face.

-None of the characters are likable. There's Draven, the hot but brooding misunderstood rich boy, who is a complete man whore with a violent temper. His mother is a miserable wretch, and the housekeeper is unpleasant and judgmental. And then there's Isabella. Sigh. She has utterly lost her mind. On one hand, I am pleasantly surprised to find that she's not just another damsel-in-distress. However, she was mouthy, argumentative, and demanding to the point that made it, again, unbelievable (yes, I am saying that in a book about werewolves). Oh, and at the beginning of the book, she spends all her time mentally complaining that Draven doesn't look his best on her wedding, on HER special day..... A few pages later it mentions that she didn't wear make up, why should she? REALLY? Pot, kettle. Kettle, meet pot.

-An overuse of words like "bloody" is also present in this book, which feeds into the unintentional hilarity of the story line and line delivery.

+One thing that I will say that I enjoy about this story is the werewolf-like twist on the classic "beast" character. Even Myles' version of a werewolf is unique in a new, intriguing way. It was a saving grace for this book.

+Another positive that this book has going for it is the cover. Whoever the model is is gorgeous, and it helped me to pick this book out right from the get-go.

Maybe it's because I'm not a huge fan of historic romance, or maybe I just didn't "get" what the author was trying to do, but I didn't enjoy this story and I won't be recommending it to any of my friends.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for my copy.

Monster High by Lisi Harrison

Title: Monster High (Monster High #1)
Author: Lisi Harrison
Format: Paperback, 272 pages
Pub. Date: September 5th 2011
Source: Gift from Emily

★★★

Three stars.

Melody needs to get away from Beverly Hills and start over. An ex-dork, she's looking forward to being in the fresh air of Salem, Oregon (to help her asthma) and where people don't know her nerdy past. This is Frankie Stein's first year attending school in Salem too, only for way different reasons. She was only just created in a lab by her parents a few weeks ago, and they now deem her ready for the world. All is well until monster sightings start popping up around town, making the paranormal families who live there uncomfortable, and leaving their youth- like Frankie- torn between staying safe and being proud of who they really are.

------

Ughhhhhhhhhh. First, let me just say that despite my age, I love Monster High dolls. I'm in college, and I have Draculaura in a stand on my desk. As one who identifies as goth, I love that this series tries to incorporate classic horror with the girliness of Bratz or Barbies. But these books? Oy.

-This book is essentially a commercial. Now, if the commercials were only for Mattel products, I would be forgiving. It makes sense that a company would plug its own products. But it got to the point that I actually started taking a tally of how many times product brands or designers were dropped into the story. McDonald's, UGGs, Sephora, Tropicana, Bose, the list is endless.

-Along a similar line, celebrities, tv shows, and movies are constantly mentioned. Now when it comes to horror movies and the like, there's a free pass. I think it's cool that these are brought into the story. My main problem with doing this in a book is the fact that it dates the author and the book both. This book was obviously written when Lady Gaga was crazing the US, since she's mentioned a million times. Justin Beiber, The Black Eyed Peas, and countless others make their appearance too. But what happens when they never make another album? It will make the book seem ancient and passe instead of hip.

-Along with that, who exactly is this book series written for? The drama is way more junior high than high school, and yet every one is making out with everyone, making it seem like high school is one big slutty free for all. Ludacris' album "Word of Mouf" is referenced as though it's topical. Hello, that album released over a decade ago. So not voltage. It's as if Lisi Harrison just shoved as many references from as many decades as possible in the hopes that someone somewhere would understand it. From Fred Astaire and Woody Allen to Alicia Keys and Taylor Swift, the pop culture references came off far more desperate and forced than cool and "in the know."


LOOK AT THEM ALL!!

-The aforementioned flaws make the novel come off as extremely fake, especially when mixed with petty characters. The "normies" aren't even believable- yes, in a book filled with monsters, the humans are the unbelievable part of this story. This one girl takes notes on every damn conversation and makes other girls sign documents. No wonder they have no friends, who does that? Once my friend starts being an obsessive freak like that, I say goodbye. Maybe I just went to a relaxed high school, but the girls' cattiness in this book is so melodramatic and over the top. Plus, half of the book is dedicated to their outfits, so you don't even get to learn about most of their personalities, which might have explained why they reacted that way, had the reader been enlightened with that information.

-Why is everyone rich and bougie in Salem? Melody said she left Beverly Hills, but everyone here drives flashy cars and own designer clothes. It makes sense for the old-money monster families, but what about everyone else? If this is such a charming, small town, then why the hell do these kids get credit cards and iPhones and Lexuses? (Maybe I'm a bitter old lady, but REALLY?)

-+ Neither positive or negative, I felt that this book had way too many characters. It was hard to keep track of them. I'm giving the writer the benefit of the doubt, though, since this is the introduction book. The others seem to narrow down a bit from here.

+I LOVED the parts when the author was describing the different monsters. I liked reading about their meetings, their ancestries, their legends. These characters were my favorites, and no doubt that was on purpose. I think that this is a cool twist to horror. No matter who your favorite classic monster is, from Dracula to Jekyll and Hyde, there's a character (or doll) for your enjoyment. It is for these characters only that I wish to read the rest of this series. And though I know this is a kids' series, I can't help but to hope that they'll eat all the human children that made this book half awful.

If you're older than junior high, I wouldn't give this a chance, unless like myself you are a fan of the dolls. If you're a die hard horror fan, enjoy gore, characters with depth, or reading books without watching/reading commercials, then give this book a pass. However, I think young girls will gobble this up, getting the references (at the time of this review, anyway) and feeling as cool as the dolls they play with.

Thanks to my girlfriend for getting this book for me after listening to me complain about wanting to read it <3

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Format: Paperback, 485 pages
Pub. Date: April 14th 2009
Source: Purchased

★★★★

Four befuddled stars.

Clary never suspects that when she goes out to the club with her best friend Simon that she will see a murder- let alone a murder that only she could see. Clary finds herself in a whirlwind of paranormal creatures such as vampires, demons, and werewolves, deceptions, betrayals, and shocking revelations as to who she really is, and what she's really capable of. Together with Simon, and the sexy murderer/Shadowhunter named Jace, she must decide what side she's on, and what she will fight for.

---

This review is going to contain a few spoilers. If that bothers you, scroll on.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, but it came with its fair share of annoyances and plot issues.

+Jace and Simon are very vividly described characters. Each boy is loveable for different reasons, but along with the rest of the cast of this story, are narrated perfectly.

+The imagery that this book conjures is gorgeous. Cities that look like glass, flowers that glow into bloom only at midnight... This book is full of scenery that will make any fantasy lover swoon.

But in my very humble opinion, I feel like City of Bones is a patchwork of things that I've already read or watched. Don't get me wrong, I know that all books are inspired by something, and that several books will contain similar story lines. That being said, it still irritates me when the similarities are so strong that it deters me from the book at hand.

-A very certain character has a light up saber. He realizes that his father is the bad guy after being lied to. He falls in love with a beautiful girl. A beautiful girl who also realizes that her father is Darth Vader the bad guy. Luke and Leia much?

-There's also a pale haired guy named Voldemort who after experiencing a hardship starts a cult-like following called Death Eaters The Circle. He needs to find horcrux Mortal Cup to achieve his master plan. Of course, there are three deathly hallows Mortal Instruments, but only one is known to exist. Some of these Death Eaters Circle members turned away from Voldemort Valentine and now leave the reader unsure if they side with him, or Dumbledore the good.

With that little rant out of the way.... I enjoy both StarWars and Harry Potter, so I still somehow managed to like this book beyond all logic. I intend on reading the rest of the series and look forward to seeing this portrayed on screen coming soon.

Fans of Harry Potter and werewolf/vampire fiction will like this book. If YA fantasy is passe to you, skip it.

Rules of Darkness by Tia Fanning

Title: Rules of Darkness (Rules #1)
Author: Tia Fanning
Format: Paperback, 140 pages
Pub. Date: November 1st 2007
Source: Ramblings From This Chick blog

★★

Two stars.

Katia has been bound to Stoyan since she was born. He trained for a decade simply to protect her. Katia has terrible, wonderful gifts that encourage things that go bump in the night to go after her. It is because of these gifts that she must live by a strict set of rules. After her relative's death, she feels the need to run away from everything- including her husband to be. Only he's been watching, and waiting, but she really just wants to leave her life behind.

---

Sigh. I am tired of weak female characters.

-Katia, in theory, should be a kick ass heroine. But all she does is run. She runs away from her village, she runs away from the spirit that enters her house. She runs away from the man that she loves, despite the fact that she acknowledges her love for him. She runs from the visions. She's a runner not a fighter, and I don't have time to read about characters like that.

-On that note, she makes stupid decisions. She knows that breaking the rules will hurt her. So what does she do? Break the rules. If I were Stoyan, I would have just stopped protecting her and left her to the spirits and werewolves.

-Someone is always protecting her, despite her gifts. Let her kick some ass. -When was this story supposed to take place? She was raised in a village where she was born in a home and could be sold off to a boy at birth. And yet, she runs away to a place with laptops and cars. This jump is never really explained, other than she's now in America.

-Stoyan is a male character that I can not stand. I like rough, dominant males. However, he's just anger inducing. He walks into her life all of a sudden and tries to boss her around. I don't care if that's the rule of the village or not. I wouldn't want him telling me what to do either. He spanks her at one point for acting like a child. It wasn't sexy, or cute. It is the sign of an abusive ass. That's saying something, coming from me, because I normally side with the abusive asses.

+All that said, it was relatively well written. Things were well described and vivid.

I'm sure somebody likes this, but it isn't me, so I have no recommendation to make.

Thank you to Ramblings From This Chick for my copy.

Codes and Roses by Julia Talbot

Title: Codes and Roses (Bloodrose #1-3)
Author: Julia Talbot
Format: Paperback, 226 pages
Pub. Date: September 1st 2009
Source: Ramblings From This Chick blog

★★

A weak two stars.

Codes and Roses is a set of three short stories about the customers of a sex club called the Bloodrose. Willing paranormal participants are partnered up according to taste for an optimum time, based on an application and experience. It's sort of an in-real-life eharmony or Fetlife for werewolves and vampires. The stories circle around a werewolf, naked Deacon, who gets off on the bite of vampires. He is paired up with a vampire named Kasey, who wants nothing more than to drink from and ravish the sexy werewolf that he has just obtained. The other stories include a rouge shapeshifter, a weird scientist, and a douchebag werecat.

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First, let me just say, I don't mind reading erotica. I don't mind reading MM erotica. So anything I say about this review should be read with that in mind.

-This is one of the few times that I would judge a book by its cover. It's not well done, in my opinion, and it would never get my attention on a shelf.

-Dare I say- there is too much sex. I like erotica just as much as the next girl, but I would actually like a plot. I was only fifty pages into this collection and I found myself thinking, "Oh, we're doing this again?" And when it did happen, it was rather short and anticlimactic.

-On that note, I didn't feel that the sex was varied. There was a very limited vocabulary that made it seem as though I was reading the same scene over and over again. There are a LOT of words out there to use, other than the "c word". It made the book seem a bit trashy and not all too original.

-On top of that, there was some very poor grammar. There were sentence fragments that irked me, but what bothered me the most was the vampires. It's acknowledged in the mythology of vampires (as well as specifically in this book) that they are old, and come from different times. They should speak eloquently, while these vampires seemed like truckers.

-I'm a bit confused on the chronicling of these stories. This novel is supposed to contain books 1, 2, and 3. But when I clicked on the series page, I saw that the "third" story in this is marked as number four, and that there's another in front of it. I have no idea what that's about.

+That being said, I really do like the concept of this club. Enough so that it bumped this rating to a two star review, instead of one. If properly written, it would have been a delightful setting to read about.

If you're into M/M or paranormal erotica, or like when there's constant, short lived sex scenes, great. Maybe you'll like this better than me. If you prefer detailed, slower moving types of stories, give this a pass. I don't really recommend it to anyone.

Thanks to Danielle of Ramblings From This Chick blog for my copy.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Format: Hardcover, 392 pages
Pub. Date: August 1st 2009
Source: Purchased.

★★★★★

Five stars.

It's been a long time since I've read a werewolf book without vampires. It was a much needed break.

Grace is a girl who has an obsession with wolves. Well, one wolf in particular, one that hangs around the woods in her yard, the one with yellow eyes. He only comes around in the winter, & she lives for those cold days where she can see him. But then she meets a boy with the same familiar, sad eyes. Grace will have to face the truth about this boy, Sam, his past, her fascination with wolves, herself, & a wolf attack on a jock from her school that mirrors a memory from her own past.

I loved this book. It's an easy to read young adult novel that tells an enjoyable story. I fell in love with Sam as Grace did, though I related more to him than I did to her. I'm glad I gave this a try, & I'm definitely going to be reading the next in the series.

I recommend it for young adults & fans of the YA genre. If you're looking for a violent, horror-like wolf story, this is not for you.

Something Secret This Way Comes by Sierra Dean

Title: Something Secret This Way Comes (Secret McQueen #1)
Author: Sierra Dean
Format: Paperback, 264 pages
Pub. Date: April 3rd 2012
Source: Goodreads First Reads

★★★★

Four stars.

I received this book through Goodreads First Reads. Thank you both to GR & Ms. Sierra Dean for the signed copy.

Secret McQueen defies even paranormal laws of existence. She is neither vampire nor werewolf, but in fact a conglomerate of both. She has the curse of staying in the darkness, mixed with the keen senses of both races. As a slayer hired by the vampiric government, she has always seen herself more as a vampire than a wolf, though she doesn't truly fit in anywhere. But as she meets a duo of tasty werewolves, her world comes crashing around her. Everything she knows will be tested, including what she knows about herself, & as a rogue vampire from her past reopens old wounds, Secret might not walk away from this ultimate test of her bounty skills or her lupine love triangle alive.

I am very happily surprised to have enjoyed this book. Upon reading the synopsis, I thought It sounds good, but maybe a little much. I'm thrilled to say that's not the case. This book contains an ass kicking female protagonist, a nice change from most books I read. It was fast paced, easy to understand, most importantly, the plot was great. There was hardly a dull moment, & I found myself genuinely concerned about (some of) the characters' well being. Violence & sexual tension add a nice touch, making the story more vivid. I probably should have predicted the end, but alas I did not. So, damn you Ms. Dean, you have made me anxious to read the next installment of Secret's life.

I give this four out five stars. The only reason it's not a five is that, in my perverse opinion, the sex scenes were a bit glossed over. I'm familiar with this publisher, & was expecting it just a bit more thoroughly written, more detailed. That being said, that's the only real issue I had with this book.

I recommend it to both fans of lycanthropy & vampirism, fans of paranormal romance, & anyone who like sexy wolfy man candy that tastes like cinnamon.

A Thread of Deepest Black by Finn Marlowe

★★★★

Four stars.

Werewolves, whips, and pretty men? Sign me up. I was so excited when I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.

This is a passionate story of two men- one a shifter, and one a werewolf- and the forbidden love they face. Wanting nothing more than an honorable death, Colton comes to a werewolf named Killian to ask for death. Considering it, Killian makes a negotiation- he'll consider it only if Colton spends one night in his bed. After that night, their fates cross paths, and they must work together in a way they never expected. With each flick of the whip, the threads of Colton's identity begin to unravel, showing Killian that there's more than meets the eye, and that all of those secrets, all of Colton, are simply his.

I very much enjoyed this story. The sex scenes were written in a steamy, sexy way without making it come across as crude or rushed. There was a lovely blend of emotions and details from both male characters. It was easy and hot to read. Come for the sex (or from it, I promise not to judge), but stay for the plot. Even if the sex scenes were to be taken out of the novel, though I don't know why you'd want to do that, there is still a decent plot involving corruption and quite a few fights.

There were admittedly a few parts that seemed a bit redundant at times, but as the book pressed on, I stopped noticing or caring (I'm not sure which).

I recommend it for people who enjoy any combination of wolves, erotica, BDSM, and male-male action, and I will definitely be reading it again.

The Pentacle Pendant by Stephen M. DeBock

★★

Two stars.

I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.

We all know the expression "Don't judge a book by its cover." Unfortunately, this book is an exception to the rule.

The lead female, Claire, is changed into a "werewolf" by her boyfriend, thinking that when he had told her of his furry little problem, he wasn't serious. They are not the only supernatural beings in this world, and there is another female named Daciana who would like nothing more than to kill Claire. But, that's far too simple of a plan. Instead she chooses to harm everyone else around Claire, trying to ultimately get her way.

This book had the potential to be good- a unique spin on the plot, the paranormal, promises of murder. But at the end of this novel, I felt very little besides disappointment. Upon reading the back description, I did not expect it to be a horror novel. Maybe I would have liked it better, were it clearly advertised as being a darker themed book.

At the beginning, we're introduced to Claire, and her beau Lukas. The start seems rushed, in no time they've met, dated, and transformed. I didn't really get to know them. Claire is a grammar expert, and is constantly correcting her peers. I found that this made her rude and cold (not to mention ironic, seeing as there's a few errors in this book), and it turned me off of her. I didn't really care what happened to her boyfriend, or really to her for that matter. I found even the dialog between most characters forced. The girls all came across as slutty, and most men seemed to be generically written.

The perpetual use of *** in place of transitions gave the book a choppy, all over the place type feel. I felt as though I never had complete focus on the plot at hand.

I've labeled this work as horror, but I'm not quite sure what genre it was supposed to be. There's unneeded sex scenes between humans (and a few between wolves), the slaughtering of infants, and puns. I felt that they didn't really flow together to make one cohesive novel.

I did, despite my dislikes, give this two stars. DeBock's murder scenes are very well written. They're gory, painful, and detailed. They made me squirm, which is a good thing in my opinion (even if it was the characters I actually liked getting killed). I wish it would have focused more on the murder/horror aspect of the plot. Were that the case, this review would have been a lot different.

If you don't mind gore, unimaginative sex scenes, or the lack of a strong male character (for most of the book), you might enjoy it.

The Ultimate Werewolf by Various Authors

★★★

Three stars.

Over all, I found this anthology to be a hit and miss collection of stories. I did enjoy the many different points of views on lycanthropes, but I often had to force myself through stories. I enjoyed stories such as "Moonlight on the Gazebo" and "Pure Silver". However, stories like "Wolf, Iron, and Moth" and "There's a Wolf in My Time Machine" just left me bored, not to mention the not so infrequent spelling errors ("she shook her heard", for instance). I understand everyone makes mistakes, but I noticed mistakes like this a lot more often than I should have.

If you're looking simply for a collection of wolf stories that step away from the romance (and/or Twilight) genres, then the good stories make up for the bad. However, if you're looking for stories that are bursting with action and gory horror, perhaps seek another collection.