Early Review: The Wood Queen by Karen Mahoney

The Wood Queen
Author: Karen Mahoney
Release Date: February 8, 2012
Publisher: Flux
The Iron Witch Book #2
ISBN:   0738726621
ISBN13: 9780738726625
Genre: Young Adult
Review Copy Source: Publisher

Donna Underwood is facing an alchemist tribunal for stealing the elixir of life when her ailing mother takes a turn for the worse.
Donna seeks an audience with Aliette, the Wood Queen, who offers a deal: if Donna can use her powers to open the door to Faerie and send the wood elves home, Aliette will free her mother from the elven curse that shattered her mind.
Along with friends Navin and the half-fey Xan, Donna struggles to unlock the secrets of her iron tattoos in time to save her mother's life. But she discovers that some secrets might be better left untold . . .

THE WOOD QUEEN starts up right where THE IRON WITCH left off. Donna is now on trial for for stealing the elixir of life. The Wood Queen comes to Donna with a request for help and dangles her mother and her worsened condition over her head to get her to help. And if that isn't enough, her Iron Tattoos are starting to act a bit weird. Donna learns a lot in book 2. She finds out quite a bit about her powers, learns about secret plots to use her in horrible ways, and secrets that have been hidden from her. Things she thought she knew were false and people she thought were on her side disappoint her.

Donna continues to be an interesting character. I love her iron tattoos and it was great to find out more about them and how they both saved her as well as hinder her now in some ways. I like that she doesn't meekly follow along when she knows she doesn't agree with things people are doing. Navin has had a hard time dealing with all that happened in book 1 to him and the secrets that were kept from him but he is still whole heartedly Donna's best friend and is there for her every step of the events in THE WOOD QUEEN. I really hope he continues to be in on the next adventure, I couldn't imagine him not being there. Xan, uggh I just cant figure him out. I really liked him and what he brought to THE IRON WITCH but so many things about him are up in the air. When you think you know everything about him something else pops up to make you go hmmm. The ending kinda left their relationship (Donna and Xan) up in the air and I'm hoping we finally get to know him in book 3 if he is still involved. There were a few new characters introduced that I'm sure we will see more of in the future. Robert Lee who I think is a great new ally and the Demon King that I cant imagine will bring anything but trouble.

THE WOOD QUEEN brought us plenty of action, mystery, and suspense. The pace is smooth and the plot full of twists and turns. I couldn't imagine not reading what comes next for Donna. I recommend that new readers to the series start with book 1.

I gave it 4/5 stars

Winner: Undone Deeds by Mark Del Franco

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Early Review: Blood and Bullets by James R. Tuck

Blood and Bullets
Author:James R. Tuck
Release Date: February 7, 2012
Publisher: Kensington
Deacon Chalk/Occult Bounty Hunter Book #1
ISBN:   0758271476
ISBN13: 9780758271471
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Author

He lives to kill monsters. He keeps his city safe. And his silver hollow-points and back-from-the-dead abilities help him take out any kind of supernatural threat. But now an immortal evil has this bad-ass bounty hunter dead in its sights…

Ever since a monster murdered his family, Deacon Chalk hunts any creature that preys on the innocent. So when a pretty vampire girl “hires” him to eliminate a fellow slayer, Deacon goes to warn him—and barely escapes a vampire ambush. Now he’s got a way-inexperienced newbie hunter to protect and everything from bloodsuckers to cursed immortals on his trail. There’s also a malevolent force controlling the living and the undead, hellbent on turning Deacon’s greatest loss into the one weapon that could destroy him…

I'm so used to reading books where the main character is a woman it was a bit hard to get into a male main character at first. Deacons family was murdered by the monsters he now hunts and he has made it his life's work to hunt them down until he dies doing it. While reading I had to do a double take as James threw in some of my favorite vampire hunters into his book and it defiantly made me like Deacon a tad bit more. Deacon at one points throws in that he knows not only Anita Blake but also Cat and Bones, All characters I can't get enough of. There were quite a few times that I felt like stuff was repeated way to much. Sometimes saying something once is enough and Deacon didn't quite get that memo so I found myself kinda skimming through parts of the book. As other reviewers mentioned Deacon is a mans, man so you kinda have to be into heavy guns, lots of swearing and little emotions from the main character to really get into Deacon but there were some great parts in the book that i was glad to have read.

BLOOD AND BULLETS was faced paced, full of action, and had some interesting characters. There were lots of monsters, and the world was easy to like. I'm not sure if I would read more books in this series but I will certainly take another look at it when the next book does come out. 

I gave it 3/5 stars 

New Releases Jan 29- Feb 4

Tue Jan 31

Burned (Void City, #4) by J.F. Lewis
Control Point (Shadow Ops, #1) by Myke Cole
Destiny and Deception (13 to Life, #4) by Shannon Delany
His Dark Bond (Fallen, #2) by Anne Marsh
Incarnate (Newsoul, #1) by Jodi Meadows
Lenobia's Vow (House of Night Novellas, #2) by P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast
A Little Night Magic by Lucy March
Moonrise by Ivy Devlin
Tangled (Torn Trilogy, #2) by Erica O'Rourke
Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson, #3) by Darynda Jones

Undone Deeds (Connor Grey, #6) by Mark Del Franco

Wings of the Wicked (Anglefire #2) by Courtney Allison Moulton

Wrong Side of Dead (Dreg City #4) by Kelly Meding

Happy reading =)

Promotional Post & Giveaway: Burned by J.F. Lewis

** Available January 31, 2012 via Pocket Books**

Burned
Author: J.F. Lewis
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Publisher: Pocket
Void City Book #4
ISBN:  1451651864
ISBN13: 9781451651867
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Void City's resident badass vampire has a secret to keep, everything to lose, and a plan to win it all. Eric has taken control of the city's supernatural hierarchy, putting all the deals and contracts that allow Void City to function up for renegotitation. When he installs his insane vampire daughter, Greta, as Void City's sheriff of the supernatural, bloody mayhem ensues. 

To further complicate things, the love of Eric's life is back from the dead, immortally young, at a cost that has put Eric under the thumb of a very powerful demon. The mysterious mouser Talbot, morose mage Magbidion, and all of Eric's thralls are trying to help him keep things under control... 

But with early onset Alzheimer's, vampire hunters, demons, a band of chupacabra, a cursed cousin with a serious grudge, and Rachel as his new "handler"... there's just not an app for that.

Useful Links:

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Week in Review: 1/22-1/28

Books Ive Bought/received

* The Vampire Shrink by Lynda Hilburn- Arc- Publisher


* Eye of the Sword by Karyn Henley- Arc-Publisher


Books I read
 
Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
Deliverance by Dakota Banks
The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting

The Marked by Inara Scott
Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson

Reviews posted

Untraceable by S.R. Johannes
Banshee Charmer by Tiffany Allee
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Alpha Instinct by Katie Reus

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* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?

* Monday I put up a promotional post and giveaway for Mark Del Franco's Final installment of the 
Connor Grey Series Undone Deeds.

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*If you see something on my books Ive read list that you are dying to know about let me know I'm back logged on reviews and can move it up on the list if I know people are wanting one.

* I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.

Early Review: Alpha Instinct by Katie Reus

Alpha Instinct
Author: Katie Reus
Release Date: February 7, 2012
Publisher: Signet
Moon Shifter Book #1
ISBN:  0451236092
ISBN13:9780451236098
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: Publisher 

Fear has a scent. So does desire…

Ana Cordona has been a strong leader for the lupine shifters who survived after all the males and most of the females in her pack were mysteriously poisoned. As tough as she is, with no Alpha male, the pack is vulnerable to the devious shifter Taggart, who wants to claim both their ranch and Ana as his own. When Connor Armstrong comes back into her life, promising protection, it’s almost enough to make Ana forget how he walked out on her before—and reluctantly accept his offer to mate.

The minute Connor sees Ana again, it reawakens a raw hunger. He must have her for his bondmate—his wolf cries out for it. But his human side knows he must proceed with caution because of their complicated past. If he is to truly have her body and soul, he must go beyond his burning desire and win back her heart. Whatever it takes, he is determined not to leave her side again.

But Taggart and his rival pack are not their only enemies. A human element in town is targeting shifters. Their plan not only threatens Ana and Connor’s future, but the lives of the entire pack…

After all the men and pregnant woman of her pack dies Ana stepped up as the Alpha Female. The only problem with that is that in her world the men have all the power and woman are not given the support to lead their own pack. A neighboring Alpha is set on having Ana and her pack for himself and will stop at nothing to have it. All this leads Ana to accepts the protection and help of her childhood love Connor even though she vows not to let him back in her heart because she doesn't want to get hurt again.

I enjoyed watching Ana and Connor shift around their feelings for each other. From the start you could feel their bond and protectiveness as well as their attraction for each other. Connor stated off way to pushy which lead Ana to believe he wasn't really wanting her but the pack she had behind her and because of Ana's reaction to him Connor pushed that much more to get her to want him as a mate. The sexual tension was there from the start and it was quite a frustrating ride until they finally gave into each other. There was a great amount of conflict, action and emotion behind ALPHA INSTINCT. I had many guesses at who was responsible for poisoning the pack but I didn't see the real killer until they were about to be revealed. There were a few slow parts but Katie did a good job of keeping me interested in the story. I enjoyed getting to know all the secondary characters. I was kinda sad to see that future books would be following different characters as they find their mates but Ana and Connor were a great start to the series.

Liam, Connor's brother starts his journey with his mate in the background of ALPHA INSTINCT I liked getting to know him and his match a little before their book starts next. I really enjoyed the first installment of Katie Reus' Moon Shifter series and am most defiantly planning on continuing with Liam's mating journey in book 2.

I gave it 4/5 stars