Week in Review: 12/30-1/5

Books Ive Bought/received

* The Rules by Stacey Kade-eARC-Netgalley

* Touch of the Demon by Diana Rowland- Purchased at Barnes and Noble

Books I Read

Blood Kissed Sky by J.A. London
Between by Kerry Schafer
Touch of the Demon by Diana Rowland
Prodigy by Marie Lu
The Essence by Kimberly Derting

Reviews Posted

Blessed By a Demon's Mark by E.S. Moore
Shadow Play by Christie Palmer
Blood Winter by Diana Pharaoh Francis

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

* Tuesday I put up my top 10 looking forward to reading books for 2013.

*A Promotional Giveaway went up on Thursday for Jennifer Lynn Barnes Upcoming release Nobody

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

Review: Blood Winter by Diana Pharaoh Francis

Blood Winter
Author:Diana Pharaoh Francis
Release Date: December 26, 2012
Publisher: Pocket Books
Horngate Witches Book #4
ISBN:  1451613865
ISBN13: 9781451613865
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Publisher

Set in apocalyptic America and featuring a magically enslaved heroine who is “a riveting mixture of guts, compassion, and furious anger as she struggles with a world coming apart at the seams” (Romantic Times), the fourth in a dynamic dark urban fantasy series unlike anything you’ve ever read before.
Winter is coming to Montana and Shadowblade warrior Max is expecting trouble. People are hoarding everything. They are banding together, many flocking to the congregation of Sterling Savage, a fire-and-brimstone preacher. A charismatic cult leader who claims to be the Hand of God, he’s determined to create a human utopia and destroy all magic, starting with witches.

Unbeknownst to him, the “divine” voice he’s been hearing isn’t God but a demon that feeds on hate, death, and destruction. Savage is the perfect puppet for the demon’s ambitions. Max and her people at Horngate are all that stand in its way, and they are woefully unprepared.

Conducting terrible, bloody ceremonies to boost his own power and that of the demon riding him, Savage starts a war between his congregants and two other powerful gangs in the city, fighting for food, fuel, clothing and territory. When he manages to capture Max’s niece, brother, and several teenagers from Horngate, Max tries to free them but finds that Savage has twisted their minds. They worship him—even her brother, who is a witch and whom Savage intends to burn at the stake. Going undercover in the cult compound, Max swiftly realizes just how seductive Savage is. His charisma is reinforced with magic. His followers adore him and will do anything for him. Anything.

But courage, loyalty, and friendship are powerful forces—and Max doesn’t like to lose.

BLOOD WINTER is the fourth book in the Horngate Witches series. This is a series you will want to start at the beginning with.

Max the female heroine has come a long way from the hate filled distant Shadowblade we first met in BITER NIGHT. Max has stepped up to the plate for the members of her team and for the Horngate community and continues to put them first even though she might not make it out of a situation. As for Max and Alexander's relationship. As in previous books there is a lot of up's and down's between the two. Max has a really hard time expressing her feelings and coming to terms with what they are together. Alexander definitely hurts her in BLOOD WINTER and I wasn't totally happy with the ending of their distance. It seemed a little to easy but I wont dwell on it because I love them together. We don't see the Sunspears in book 4 but the Shadowblade's are very prominent from beginning to end and I love their loyalty to each other. Max and Giselle's relationship has grown a ton since book 1. They have a mutual goal but I do love that they still bicker and have their disagreements. Max's family really annoyed me with their continued entitled selfishness. As always I enjoyed the new installment to the Horngate Witches series.

BLOOD WINTER was well paced with plenty of action and danger. We are introduced to some new characters and situations caused by the release of magic. We lose some more people but with the situations going on I'm sure that their will be more in future books if we are lucky enough to get them. Another reviewer mentioned that she read an interview where the author said BLOOD WINTER was the last of the series. I have not seen it and hope she is wrong. Although I like where most of the characters are in the end of Book 4 I by no means want it to be the end and there is so much we still don't know and answers still needing to be revealed. I need more!!!
I gave it 4/5 stars

Giveaway: Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
January 22, 2013
ISBN:  1606843214
ISBN13: 9781606843215
EgmontUSA
Barnes and Noble 
Amazon 
Indiebound

There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.

That’s why they make the perfect assassins.

The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.

Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them.

Find Jennifer and her books

Website / Blog / Twitter

Open to Us and Canadian Readers

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Shadow Play by Christie Palmer

Shadow Play
Author:Christie Palmer
Release Date: December 12, 2012
Publisher: Jinx Fantasy Fiction
Tracker Book #1
ISBN13:  9780988555709
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: Bewitching Book Tours

A small town in the mountains of Marshall, Montana is being plagued by an unknown entity. It’s mutilating and killing the women of the town. At his wits end the Sheriff of Marshall has nowhere to turn but to a friend. A friend, with the abilities to track and kill any prey.
Ryder doesn’t normally do mortal issues. However, he can’t turn his back on a friend. Besides he is the best at what he does. After all he is a Tracker, an ancient race with unparalleled abilities to track down any prey. With one of the three essential elements: Taste, Touch or Smell. Heartless and cold, Ryder knows what needs to be done and performs his duty without feeling.
Kyra, an Air Element and the only female Elemental Enforcer, is sent on a fact finding mission to Marshall, by the Druid Council. She needs to find out exactly what is happening in Montana before the Tribunal goes in and kills everyone.
The last thing she expects to find is a Tracker, and is even more surprised to find out that he is on her side. But can they get past their initial feelings upon meeting and the sexual tension? Or will the evil that is living in the mountain kill them both.
Ryder and Kyra must learn to work together to destroy the shadow and save Kyra from a fate worse than death. When pure evil is involved is love enough?

Kyra was a strong lead character. She kicks butt and doesn't shy away from danger easily. Ryder is a bit of a hard ass and not as easy to like until you get to know him a little better. There is a great deal of push and shove between the two with their stubbornness and the romance doesn't start right away but when it does it was fun to witness. I enjoyed the supporting characters and felt they were adequately developed. Since it is the first in the series there is a bit more character building involved with them. There were a few instances where I felt things were not explained enough or resolved enough but it didn't keep me from enjoying SHADOW PLAY until the end.

The characters were extremely easy to connect with and the story was easy to follow. The author did a good job at conveying background and laying out the world for her readers. Book Two is slated to release in the Spring of 2013 and features 2 different characters. Although I will miss Kyra and Ryder at the front I'm sure I will enjoy the new characters as well. 

I gave it 3.5/5 stars

Books Im looking forward to in 2013!!

As we put another year behind us its that time to talk about what we are most looking forward to reading in 2013. Here is my top 10 list in no particular order.

  Magic Rises (Kate Daniels #6) by Ilona Andrews 

July 30, 2013

-It has been way to long since the last Kate book and I need a fix of her and Curran.

 Hot Blooded (Jessica McClain #2) by Amanda Carlson

April 23, 2013

- Love this series!! Amanda has some great characters and storyline with the Jessica McClain series.

 Heart of Venom (Elemental Assassin #9) by Jennifer Estep 

August 27, 2013

- You can not go wrong with anything written by Jennifer Estep and Gin Blanco is my #1 Urban Fantasy heroine. Book 8 Deadly Sting releases March 26, 2013 but I have already been lucky enough to read it so book 9 makes my list instead.

 Up From the Grave (Night Huntress #7) by Jeaniene Frost 

Winter 2013

-  The Night Huntress series was one of the first series I read when I started reading Urban Fantasy and I can never miss an episode with Cat and Bones.

 Ever After (The Hollows #11) by Kim Harrison

January 22, 2013

- You never know what kind of trouble Rachel will get herself in next but with Jinx, Ivy, and the sexy Trent by her side it is guaranteed to be a great read.

 Frost Burned (Mercy Thompson #7) by Patricia Briggs 

March 5, 2013

- Mercy is a girl I wouldn't mind knowing. I'm excited to see Mercy back with the pack after her honeymoon adventures in River Marked.

 Tempest Reborn (Jane True #6) by Nicole Peeler

May 28, 2013

- The suspenseful ending of Book 5 Tempest's Fury absolutely killed me and I'm dying to see what will happen with Anyan.

 Fifth Grave Past the Light (Charley Davidson #5) by Darynda Jones

July 9, 2013

- You are always guaranteed to laugh your butt off when Charley Davidson is involved. 

 Dead Ever After (Sookie Stackhouse #13) by Charlaine Harris 

May 7, 2013

- I have not always loved all the books in the Sookie Stackhouse series but how can anyone that has followed Sookie not be interested in seeing how the series ends? Who will she end up with? What will happen? So many questions.

 Apollyon (Covenant #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

April 9, 2013

- Alex has been fighting to stay herself but now that she has Awakened she not only lost who she is but she is a danger to those she loves. I'm very interested in seeing how everything unfolds.






What are you most looking forward to reading??

New Releases: 12/30-1/5

Mon Dec 31

A Taste of Ice (The Elementals, #2) by Hanna Martine
Black Fallen (Dark Ink Chronicles, #4) by Elle Jasper
Blessed by a Demon's Mark (Kat Redding, #3) by E.S. Moore
Death's Angel (Lost Angels, #3) by Heather Killough-Walden
Doktor Glass by Thomas Brennan
Sealed With a Curse (Weird Girls, #1) by Cecy Robson
Touch of the Demon (Kara Gillian, #5) by Diana Rowland
What a Ghoul Wants (Ghost Hunter Mystery, #7) by Victoria Laurie

Tue Jan 1

Altered (Altered, #1) by Jennifer Rush
The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington
The Essence (The Pledge, #2) by Kimberly Dertling
For The Love of a Goblin Warrior (Shadowlands, #3) by Shona Husk
Splintered by A.G. Howard

Thurs Jan 3

Grave Intentions by Lori Sjoberg

 

Happy Reading!!

Review: Blessed By a Demon's Mark by E.S. Moore

Blessed By A Demon's Mark
Author:E.S. Moore
Release Date: December 31, 2012
Publisher: Kensington
Kat Redding Book #3
ISBN:   0758268742
ISBN13: 9780758268747
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Netgalley

In a job like this, there’s no retirement plan

Kat Redding’s life is dangerous enough when she’s hunting the rogue vampires who prey on Pureblood humans. But now that Kat is thinking of getting out of the killing business, she’s faced with a slew of new problems. Like the demon Beligral, who offers help at an escalating cost, and the werewolf cult with whom she’s entwined professionally and personally. And then there’s Countess Baset—the terrifying vampire who wants Kat to become her personal assassin.

It’s no wonder that Kat has been seeking refuge in the mysterious town known as Delai, a place where she can shed her Lady Death persona and live a life that’s as close to normal as she’s ever known. But even in this haven, something feels askew. Delai is a little too serene. And the more she discovers, the more Kat realizes that the only choice left to her is not whether to do battle, but which side she’ll risk her life to defend…

E.S. Moore's Kat Redding series is on the darker side of Urban Fantasy. His characters live in a time where humans are at the bottom of the food chain and even though Kat is a vampire she does what she can to keep them safe. Delai has become a refuge for Kat but when she leaves to take care of her demon mark she starts questioning why she was there and what Delai is really all about. On top of her personal struggles Countess Baset, a vampire that might just be Kat's doom is after her and is willing to go to extremes to get to her.

In Book 3 Kat struggles with not only who she is but what she wants out of life more then any other book in the series so far. I hate to say it but the way that Kat acted and treated everyone in BLESSED BY A DEMON'S MARK really annoyed me and made me dislike the book a bit more then I normally would. It was a struggle not to stop reading at some points because of the annoyance with her and the situations she got herself in because of her hard headed, closed off personality. On another note book 3 made me like a few of the supporting characters a little more and got me excited to see what more they might bring to the series in the future. The demon Beligral of course is a crazy ass creature but he defiantly brings some suspense to an already action packed, danger filled series. It's always hard to know what his newest mark or demands might bring and you cant help but want to yell at Kat for agreeing with him even though Ethan is on the sidelines begging her not to. I have always enjoyed the world that Moore has created and I like that we learn a little more about it with every book he ads to the series.

I would not read the series without starting from the beginning as it will help you get to know the characters better and learn a bit more about he world and its struggles but I do not think it would be disastrous if you decided to read book 3 as a stand alone. Kat has some major issues to work out and although Book 3 made me really question if I liked her enough to keep reading I will most likely pick up book 4.

 I gave it 3/5 stars