Book Chick City: January 2011

Post Your Reviews: Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge 2011 - February

Monday, January 31, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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FEBRUARY

*This is not the sign up page*

If you'd like to sign up for this challenge, click HERE.

Book Prize for FEBRUARY

Free Country by Jeremy Duns

**You must be signed up for challenge to enter monthly prize draw**

BLOGGERS: Add your review links for FEBRUARY to Mr Linky below. Remember to add your direct review post url, not your blog url!

This months prize pack is courtesy of Simon & Schuster and is WORLDWIDE - Good Luck!

16 comments |

Post Your Reviews: 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011 - February

Monday, January 31, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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Post Your Reviews - February

100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011

*This is not the sign up page*

If you'd like to sign up for this challenge, click HERE.

Please Remember: Add your direct review post url, not your blog url!

Labels: 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge |

15 comments |

Guest Author & Giveaway: Tracey O'Hara

Monday, January 31, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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I have the pleasure of welcoming Tracey O'Hara to the blog today. Tracey is the author of the urban fantasy Dark Brethren series. Tracey is also giving away a copy of the first and second book in the series so make sure you enter at the end of this post.

So please give a warm welcome to Tracey...

The world of the Dark Brethren

I am so pleased to be here today, thank you for having me. I have decided to talk to day about the world I have created for the Dark Brethren books.

When I started writing the first book, NIGHT’S COLD KISS, Antoinette was the first and most clear thing in my head. But as I wrote her story, the world around her unfolded, amazing me with the complexity and richness. It was like it had existed all along and I was coming in as an explorer, discovering it as I went along.

However with each book I write, I can only really limit showing as much of it that effects the characters in the book. In NIGHT’S COLD KISS, it was the Aeternus and Necrodreniac aspects that were most important, but we also got to see a little about the Animalian world through Oberon’s eyes. There is a full glossary my website here, which is also included in the back of the book.

The Aeternus are a vampiric people rather than vampires. They exist on blood, are fatally allergic to the sun, are more long lived rather than immortal, have a heartbeat, but are NOT undead. Like all the parahuman races that inhabit my alternate version of modern day earth, they are a genetic blending of an alien race with the indigenous life forms of the planet. The Aeternus don’t kill their source of sustenance, but rather live in a symbiotic relationship with humans. It always appeared to me that if you needed living blood to survive, why not leave your hosts alive.

The Necrodreniacs however are probably more like the traditional vampire in that they prey and kill their human meals. They are addicts, not so much addicted to the blood, but they literal rush they get from draining a person of life. They are Aeternus who have crossed the line and there is no coming back from it.

With DEATH’S SWEET EMBRACE we get to see more of the Animalian world. It tells of snow leopard felian, Kitt Jordan, and her former lover, wolf canian Raven Matokwe. Kitt has grown up in a family pride until she was expelled for disobedience several years ago, but it’s hard for her to shake her need to be part of the family, even though it meant more than pain and humiliation. Raven has always been a bit of loan wolf. He left his pride decades ago and to him, his immediate family is more important to him than his extended one.

Yet the books are about more than just the protagonists’ issues. It is dark, there is death, and there is blood. Don’t read if you are squeamish. Young animalians are being immobilized so that they are completely aware of what is going on as the killer rips into their chest and tears out their still beating heart. As their life ebbs from their body, they are forced to watch the killer devours their flesh. It can be gruesome. It’s a bit of a mystery/thriller with a touch of horror and romance.

You can read more about the Dark Brethren here on my website.

GIVEAWAY

Tracey is giving away a copy of Night's Cold Kiss and Death's Sweet Embrace shipped via Book Depository.

All you have to do to enter is the following:

1. Leave a comment for Tracey

2. Read BCC's giveaway policy

3. Fill out this form

4. Only one entry per person

That's it!

This giveaway is International and ends 28th Feb 2011!

GOOD LUCK!

Labels: Giveaways, Guest Author |

120 comments |

This week on BCC...

Sunday, January 30, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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Hello peeps! Hope you're having a wonderful weekend. I am reading 'Green-Eyed Demon' by Jaye Wells, so I'm a very happy bunny! I have a great week lined up for you guys as my UK Publisher Month begins, so I hope you enjoy this weeks' posts and reviews :)

This week on Book Chick City!

On Monday urban fantasy author Tracey O'Hara will be guest posting and giving away a set of her Dark Brethran series.

On Tuesday 'UK Publisher Month' begins with a post from Headline Publishing, as well as my review of 'A Discovery of Witches' by Deborah Harkness.

On Wednesday, I will be reviewing 'Allison Hewitt is Trapped' by Madeleine Roux.

On Thursday Random House Children's Books will be guest posting with a fab giveaway.

On Friday I will be reviewing young adult novel, 'The Iron Witch' by Karen Mahoney.

Saturday's 'On My Wishlist' will be posted as usual - you are welcome to join in, just stop by and add your direct URL to Mr Linky. Click here for more info.

On Sunday young adult author Karen Mahoney (The Iron Witch) will be guest posting.

That's all folks! Hope you have a fantastic week! xoxo

Labels: This week on BCC |

3 comments |

Audiobook Sunday: 'The Painted Man' by Peter V. Brett

Sunday, January 30, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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'Audiobook Sunday' is a brand new feature by BCC reviewer, Laura, who will be listening to and then reviewing an audiobook. This feature will be posted monthly.

This month's Audiobook Sunday is 'The Painted Man' by Peter V. Brett (The Demon Trilogy #1)

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: Audiobook April 2010 / Originally Sept 2008

Audiobook: 19 hours & 58 mins

Narrator: Peter Joyce

Genre: Fantasy

Source: Own Copy

RATING: 10/10 - Perfection itself, one of the best books I have ever read

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

As darkness falls each night, the corelings rise–demons who well up from the ground like hellish steam, taking on fearsome form and substance. Sand demons. Wood demons. Wind demons. Flame demons. And gigantic rock demons, the deadliest of all. They possess supernatural strength and powers and burn with a consuming hatred of humanity. For hundreds of years the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling the human herd that shelters behind magical wards–symbols of power whose origins are lost in myth and mystery, and whose protection is terrifyingly fragile.

It was not always this way. Once, men and women battled the corelings on equal terms. Once, under the leadership of the legendary Deliverer, and armed with powerful wards that were not merely shields but weapons, they took the battle to the demons . . . and stopped their advance. But those days are gone. The fighting wards are lost. Night by night the demons grow stronger, while human numbers dwindle under their relentless assault.

Now, with hope for the future fading, three young survivors of vicious demon attacks will dare the impossible, stepping beyond the crumbling safety of the wards to risk everything in a desperate quest to regain the secrets of the past.

Arlen will pay any price, embrace any sacrifice, for freedom. His grim journey will take him beyond the bounds of human power. Crippled by the demons that killed his parents, Rojer seeks solace in music–only to discover that music can be a weapon as well as a refuge. Beautiful Leesha, who has suffered at the hands of men as well as demons, becomes an expert healer. But what cures can also harm. . . .

Together, they will stand against the night.

Review by Laura

'The Painted Man' is a phenomenal book. I listened to it as an audiobook and it was one of those stories that I downloaded and wasn't really sure what to expect. At nearly 20 hours long, or 560 pages for the paperback version, it's a commitment and not a quick read. But it's well worth your time.

The story is set in a world where humans live in fear. At night, when the dark comes demons, known as 'corelings' rise from the ground. With supernatural powers and strength humans are no match for them, and each night they hide in their homes behind magical wards and pray that, that night won't be the night they fail. As the corelings grow, the human race is slowly diminishing.

Legend says that things weren't always this way, they tell of a man, 'The Deliverer' who led men and women onto the battlefield to meet the demons on equal ground. They speak of fighting wards that have since been lost. And prophecy decrees that one day 'The Deliverer' will return to lead the human race to victory once more.

There are three lead characters Arlen, Leesha & Royer. But Arlen is by far the most compelling. The story begins when Arlen is eleven years old and follows him as he suffers tragedy and pain. We watch as he slowly grows up, becoming increasingly frustrated with his existence, unable to bear a life of fear and hiding he embarks on a journey of discovery. A journey that leads him to suffering, sacrificing and ultimately rebirth as he becomes obsessed with finding a way to fight the demons.

Leesha is a girl perfectly happy to meet her fate, to marry young and bear her husband children. Until she is betrayed and everything changes. Surprisingly, she finds herself taken under the wing of the ancient, local herb gatherer where she begins to believe that her destiny maybe something very different from that which she originally imagined.

The third main character is Royer, while perhaps the least engaging of the three, his story still plays an important part. Orphaned at three years old after a hideous coreling attack he is raised by an alcoholic jaungler. His love of music leads him to an important discovery.

The story is carefully crafted layer by layer until you're almost desperate for the three main characters to meet. But you have to wait and be patient as the author builds the characters and story with meticulous care. The book is violent and uncompromising at times. There are incidents that will make you gasp. A couple of times I even found myself shouting at my iPod in frustration, as I willed each of the characters to succeed, or as I tried to prevent them from doing something stupid.

I fell for each of the characters, flaws and all and became absolutely absorbed in the story, until I was trying to think of ways to jump back in my car for another quick drive in order to listen to the audiobook some more.

I have to take the time for a quick comment on the narrator. He is the first male narrator I have listed to, which took a while to get used to, but as soon as I did I found he was excellent, building the story and tension nicely.

VERDICT

If you're a fan of fantasy, then this book is a must-read. It is epic fantasy at its ultimate finest. Peter V. Brett has drawn a powerful, engaging world that I couldn't get enough of.

Peter V. Brett Online:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Voyager Books

Next month's 'Audiobook Sunday' is
'The Desert Spear' by Peter V. Brett
(The Demon Trilogy #2)

Labels: 10/10 Rating, Audiobook Reviews, Audiobook Sunday, Authors A-D, Fantasy, Peter V. Brett |

6 comments |

On My Wishlist (#57)

Saturday, January 29, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.

The cover caught my eye as it's not typical for this genre - sounds like a fun, interesting read too.

666 Park Avenue
Gabriella Pierce (Avon)
Publication Date: Feb 2011

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Goodreads

Goodreads Summary:

What if your mother-in-law turned out to be an evil, cold-blooded witch . . . literally?

Ever since fabulously wealthy Malcolm Doran walked into her life and swept her off her feet, fledgling architect Jane Boyle has been living a fairy tale. When he proposes with a stunning diamond to seal the deal, Jane can't believe her incredible luck and decides to leave her Paris-based job to make a new start with Malcolm in New York.

But when Malcolm introduces Jane to the esteemed Doran clan, one of Manhattan's most feared and revered families, Jane's fairy tale takes a darker turn. Soon everything she thought she knew about the world—and herself—is upended. Now Jane must struggle with newfound magical abilities and the threat of those who will stop at nothing to get them.

This sounds awesome!

Uprising
Sean McCabe (Penguin)
Publication Date: Feb 2011

Genre: Horror, Vampires

Goodreads

Goodreads Summary:

A gruesome ritual murder has stained the Oxfordshire countryside. It's just the first incident in a chain of events awakening Detective Inspector Joel Solomon to his worst nightmare-and a dreadful omen of things to come. Because Joel has a secret: he believes in vampires.

Alex Bishop is an agent of the Vampire Intelligence Agency. She's tasked with enforcing the laws of the global Vampire Federation, and hunting rogue members of her race. A tough job made tougher when the Federation comes under attack by traditionalist vampires. They have a stake in old-school terror-and in an uprising as violent as it is widespread.

Now it's plunging Alex and Joel into a deadly war between the living and the unloving-and against a horrifying tradition given new life by the blood of the innocent.

I'm not really sure if this is fiction, or a non-fiction guide, but it sounds fun! And look at the zombielicious cover :D

Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse?
Max Brallier (Gallery)
Publication Date: Feb 2011

Genre: Horror

Goodreads

Goodreads Summary:

Inside these pages lies unspeakable horror. Blood splattering, brain-impaling, flesh-devouring horror. You’ve probably read your fair share of zombie stories. But this time it’s different. No longer can you sit idle as a bunch of fools make all the wrong moves. All hell is about to break loose—and YOU have a say in humanity’s survival.
You have choices to make.

Moral dilemmas. Strategic decisions. Weapons. Vehicles.

Will you be a hero? Or will you cover your own ass at all costs? Can you withstand the coming hours, days, weeks, and months? Or will you die amidst the chaos and violence of a zombie uprising?

Or, worst of all, will you become one of them?

This is the first in a new series and it looks pretty good. [Update] I've just been directed to the authors' website by SQT and this is what the author said about 'Wilder's Mate': "This book is a bit more sexually explicit than any of our books with Samhain to date, so do be warned there!" - so, maybe not for me after all...ahem.

Wilder's Mate (Bloodhounds #1)
Moira Rogers (Samhaim)
Publication Date: March 2011

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Goodreads

Goodreads Summary:

Wilder Harding is a bloodhound, created by the Guild to hunt down and kill vampires on America's frontier. His enhanced abilities come with a high price: on the full moon, he becomes capable of savagery beyond telling, while the new moon brings a sexual hunger that borders on madness.

Rescuing a weapons inventor from undead kidnappers is just another assignment, though one with an added complication--keeping his hands off the man's pretty young apprentice, who insists on tagging along.

At odds with polite society, Satira's only constant has been the aging weapons inventor who treats her like a daughter. She isn't going to trust Wilder with Nathaniel's life, not when the Guild might decide the old man isn't worth saving. Besides, if there's one thing she's learned, it's that brains are more important than brawn.

As the search stretches far longer than Wilder planned, he finds himself fighting against time. If Satira is still at his side when the new moon comes, nothing will stop him from claiming her. Worse, she seems all too willing. If their passion unlocks the beast inside, no one will be safe. Not even the man they're fighting to save.

Warning: This book contains a crude, gun-slinging, vampire-hunting hero who howls at the full moon and a smart, stubborn heroine who invents mad-scientist weapons. Also included: wild frontier adventures, brothels, danger, betrayal and a good dose of wicked loving in an alternate Wild West.

So, this is my wishlist this week - what's yours?

Labels: On My Wishlist |

24 comments |

BOOK REVIEW: 'Shadowfever' by Karen Marie Moning

Friday, January 28, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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Title: Shadowfever (Fever #5)

Author: Karen Marie Moning
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: January 2011
Ebook: 512 pages
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: Own Copy

Reviewed by: Laura

RATING: 10/10 - Perfection itself, one of the best books I have ever read

BACK COVER SUMMARY:

"Evil is a completely different creature, Mac. Evil is bad that believes it's good."

MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland forever.

Twenty years later, Alina is dead and Mac has returned to the country that expelled them to hunt her sister's murderer. But after discovering that she descends from a bloodline both gifted and cursed, Mac is plunged into a secret history: an ancient conflict between humans and immortals that have lived concealed among us for thousands of years.

What follows is a shocking chain of events with devastating consequences, and now Mac struggles to cope with grief, while continuing her mission to acquire and control the Sinsar Dubh--a book of dark, forbidden magic scribed by the mythical Unseelie King that contains the power to create and destroy worlds.

REVIEW:

This is a book many fans have been waiting (a long time) for. The final instalment of the Fever series. Both the book blogosphere and twitter were alive with a frenzy of 'Shadowfever' obsession last week as it was finally released. I was jealous of some people who were able to take the day off work in order to devour it in one single sitting. Sadly, I had to fit my reading around work, sneaking pages in every spare moment I could. I mean... how dare the real world get in the way of my reading! ;-)

It's so very hard to write a review for this book without giving anyway any spoilers, which I'm determined not to, as part of the addiction of this series is the huge mysteries and the careening twists and turns of the plot. I keep thinking of things I want to comment on and realise just a small mention of that event or development will give too much away.

The cliffhanger at the of the penultimate book in this series was a shocker. There were still so many unanswered questions. Who is Mac really? What is Barrons? Who killed Mac's sister? Did her parents survive? What happened to Christian? I could go on, but the the biggest one of all on every fans lips has to be - who is the beast? And as I nervously turned over the first page of this book I prayed it wasn't who I thought it might be.

Thankfully we're not forced to wait for very long, just a couple of pages in and I was gasping. This discovery means that the book begins with a huge sense of disbelief and the reader is submerged in Mac's overwhelming grief. And Mac's grief is indeed a shocking thing. We're constantly reminded that this is no longer the Mac we met in the first book, even she refers to herself as 'Mac 5.0'. But her discovery seems to almost make her lose the plot. For a little while I wondered what on earth she was doing and really not quite liking the path she was taking. But it's not unusual for me to want to give Mac a good, hard shake and this book is no exception.

Clad in leather, the sunny girl with an obsession for pink (a girl after my own heart), has wholly disappeared. This book is full of many highs and lows and that includes your frustration with the characters. But it really is brilliantly written and totally absorbing. Ms Moning knows just how to play her audience, like a fine violinist.

As you reach the final chapters, you realise that every other book has been a pre-cursor to set up this one. In fact, it's virtually impossible to predict the ending. Just when you think you've got everything worked out, another surprise is thrown at you and you can't help but smile at Moning's cleverness. As the complex plot is slowly unwound, a giant light bulb of realisation goes off in your head and you understand just why certain things have happened and how long ago she set them up to do so.

The series is wrapped up with a giant bow on it, it really is the perfect ending. But what I liked so much about this book is through all the twists, shocks and revelations, every character remains true to themselves.

At over 500 pages, it is a lot longer than the other books so far, perhaps some things could have been tied up a little quicker, but if I'm honest I didn't begrudge a single page.

VERDICT:

I've read everyone of Karen Marie Moning's books and adored her Highlander series, which are smoking-hot paranormal romances. But this series surpasses them, it is superb and this final instalment has to be my favourite of them all.

If you have not yet managed to pick these books up, I would urge you to do so, Karen Marie Moning is a very talented writer and is without a doubt one of my favourites.

I also really sincerely hope that some of the characters featured will get some spin-off books of their own. The final words "The end....... For now" give me hope.

You can find out more about the author here:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Books In Series Order:

1. Darkfever

2. Bloodfever

3. Faefever

4. Dreamfever

5. Shadowfever

This book counts towards the following BCC Reading Challenges:

Book #4 Horror & Urban Fantasy Challenge 2011

Book #4 100+ Books In A Year 2011

Labels: 10/10 Rating, Authors M-P, Book Reviews, Karen Marie Moning, Reviews by Laura, Urban Fantasy |

5 comments |

BOOK REVIEW: 'Dreamfever' by Karen Marie Moning

Thursday, January 27, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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Title: Dreamfever (Fever #4)

Author: Karen Marie Moning
Publisher: Delacorte Press Ebook / Dell Paperback
Publication Date: 2009
Ebook: 355 pages
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: Own Copy

Reviewed by: Laura

RATING: 9/10 - Excellent, this will remain on my bookshelf forever

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

He has stolen her past, but MacKayla will never allow her sister's murderer to take her future. Yet even the uniquely gifted sidhe-seer is no match for the Lord Master, who has unleashed an insatiable sexual craving that consumes Mac's every thought-and thrusts her into the seductive realm of two very dangerous men, both of whom she desires but dares not trust.

As the enigmatic Jericho Barrons and the sensual Fae prince V"lane vie for her body and soul, as cryptic entries from her sister's diary mysteriously appear and the power of the Dark Book weaves its annihilating path through the city, Mac's greatest enemy delivers a final challenge...

It's an invitation Mac cannot refuse, one that sends her racing home to Georgia, where an even darker threat awaits. With her parents missing and the lives of her loved ones under siege, Mac is about to come face-to-face with a soul-shattering truth-about herself and her sister, about Jericho Barrons...and about the world she thought she knew.

REVIEW:

***This review contains no spoilers for this book, but there are a couple of small ones for previous books in the series***

This series should come with a warning on it. Because it's about as addictive as any illegal drug and will take over your life until the next book is finished!

After the desperate cliffhanger from the previous book, I was initially quite frustrated when Dani took up the narrative. I NEEDED to know what had happened to Mac and how she was ever going to survive.

At the beginning, our heroine is in a terrible place, consumed by need and no longer in control of her mind or body. Her allies are nowhere to be found and the unseelie Fae have raped her of everything she is. Mac's state is gut-wrenching and shocking and as the reader you are seized by need to find out what is happening, and for her to of course escape.

The story is fast-paced and the darkness continues to spread across the world. As Mac recovers and the walls between the Fae and human worlds are now destroyed, the world is a furiously tumultuous and violent place. But there is a bitter sweetness too, as you know that the Mac who survives her ordeal, can never be the same as she once was, how can she? When the moment comes and she finally, inevitably she emerges from her dark chrysalis it almost gave me goosebumps. Because, quite rightly, this is no longer the woman we knew, this is someone different, darker and desperate.

Part of me missed the shiny, rainbow girl that was Mac. But, at the same time I was also in awe of the woman she has now become. In fact, Mac is a remarkable character. Her development throughout the entire series is a testament to Moning's writing skill. We watch her transform from spoiled, pretty much shallow rich girl, to a women with nothing to lose and a true warrior in her own right. How she manages to pick herself up time and time again after the truly devastating things that keep happening to her is beyond me, but it is brilliantly written.

Then once again, there's Barrons. The slightly strange triangle between Barrons, V'lane and Mac continues, and perhaps I should throw Christian into the mix too, as I wonder what part he will play in the final conclusion?

But, where would Mac be without Barrons? The relationship between them is so complex, and has become even more so with the part he has played in her recovery. There were times when I just wanted to bash their heads together. And with my hopelessly optimistic mind, part of me hopes that they can have a happy ending. Mind you, do they even want one?

Then there's the cliffhanger. And I thought the ending for 'Faefever' was bad, but it has nothing on the ending of this book! This series is pretty much famous for its cliffhangers, so to a certain degree it was to be expected. As a fan, I kind of have a love/hate relationship with them. But, I finished with a gasp and a shout of 'nooooo!', how could Karen Moning leave us like that?! And how I could I wait until 'Shadowfever's' release date to find out what happened? (And I only had to wait three weeks, unlike over a year that some fans have had to wait).

VERDICT:

If you have yet to pick up any of the books in this series, you are really missing out. The storyline is compelling and will continually keep you guessing, but it is the dark and well written characters that make it. Be warned, these books will rob you of sleep!

Buy all of them, because as soon as you finish one, you'll NEED the next! I shall be purchasing the fifth and final instalment on its release date.

You can find out more about the author here:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

This book counts towards the following BCC Reading Challenges:

Book #3 Horror & Urban Fantasy Challenge 2011

Book #3 100+ Books In A Year 2011