THE CITY’S SON (Skyscraper Throne #1) by Tom Pollock PUBLISHER: Jo Fletcher Books RELEASE DATE: 2nd August 2012 FORMAT: Hardcover, 422 pages GENRE: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult Expelled from school, betrayed by her best friend and virtually ignored by her dad, who’s never recovered from the death of her mum, Beth Bradley retreats to the sanctuary of the streets, looking for a new home. What she finds is Filius Viae, the ragged and cocky crown prince of London, who opens her eyes to the place she’s never truly seen. But the…
Gideon by Jacquelyn Frank (The Nightwalkers #2) Piatkus Books (Jan 2012) Paperback, 337 pages Paranormal Romance So, anyone that read my review for Jacob, which is the first book in the Nightwalker series, knows I really wasn’t looking forward to reading Gideon. I will say that I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but it still drew too many parallels to a character from a different series, and it continued to distract me from this one. Gideon is the most ancient of his race. A body demon and spectacular…
Need by Carrie Jones (Need #1) Bloomsbury (2010) | Paperback, 306 pages Paranormal YA Need is the first book in the Need series by Carrie Jones and is a young adult (YA) paranormal romance. Zara White is a young high school student (I am not exactly sure how old she is supposed to be) who loves nothing more than writing letters and listing phobias, oh, and running. Her free time is spent writing letters to Amnesty International, trying to get people who are imprisoned unjustly released. Since her Dad’s death she…
Forbidden by Syrie James & Ryan M. James HarperTeen (Jan 2012) | Paperback, 410 pages Paranormal YA Forbidden by Syrie James and Ryan M James follows the recent trend for paranormal romance between angels and humans, and also follows the typical plot of a young adult novel. However, in my opinion this novel might follow stereotypical American YA fiction plotlines a little too closely, making it suited to a younger reader, with not as much enjoyment for a slightly older readership. The plotline of Forbidden resembles other recent YA fiction, with…
NIGHTLIFE (Cal Leandros #1) by Rob Thurman PUBLISHER: Berkley (UK) | Roc Fantasy (US) RELEASE DATE: Nov 2011 (UK) | March 2006 (US) FORMAT: Paperback, 339 pages GENRE: Urban fantasy SOURCE: Publisher There are monsters among us. There always have been and there always will be. I’ve known that since I can remember, just like I’ve always known I was one… Well, half of one, anyway. Welcome to the Big Apple. In New York, there’s a troll under the Brooklyn Bridge, a boggle in Central Park, and a beautiful vampire in a penthouse…
DARKNESS UNBOUND (Dark Angels #1) by Keri Arthur PUBLISHER: Piatkus (UK) | Dell (US) RELEASE DATE: Oct 2011 (UK) | Sept 2011 (US) FORMAT: Paperback, 364 pages GENRE: Urban Fantasy SOURCE: Publisher Risa Jones is as extraordinary as her heritage. Born from a lab-enhanced clone mother and an Aedh father, she can not only talk to the souls of the dying and the dead, but she can see the reapers and walk the gray fields that divide this world from the next. They are skill she rarely uses, however, preferring to…
Title: The Greatcoat Author: Helen Dunmore Publisher: Hammer Books Publication Date: Feb 2012 Format: ARC, 208 pages Genre: Horror, Ghost, Romance Source: Review copy from publisher Reviewed by Carolyn Amazon UK / The Book Depository SUMMARY: In the summer of 1954, newly wed Isabel Carey arrives in a Yorkshire town with her husband Philip. As a GP he spends much of his time working, while Isabel tries hard to adjust to the realities of married life. Life is not easy: she feels out-of-place and constantly judged by the people around her, so…
Title: Lure of the Mummy Author: Janis Susan May Publisher: Carina Press Publication Date: Aug 2011 Format: Kindle Novella, 72 pages Genre: Horror Source: Review copy from publisher Reviewed by Carolyn SUMMARY: Bert Carmody can’t catch a break. As a hieroglyphs translator he’s actually quite good. However, being pudgy, balding and awkward, he’s always in the shadow of his young, charismatic coworkers. Disillusioned and bitter, Bert spends his free time scouring the markets of Cairo hoping to find an unrecognized genuine artifact for the pittance a scholar can afford. His…
HUNGRY HEARTS by Gary McMahon PUBLISHER: Abaddon Books RELEASE DATE: Nov 2009 FORMAT: Paperback, 311 pages GENRE: Horror, Zombies Tomes of The Dead is a collection of some of the very best eyeball popping, gut munching, zombie fiction around, groaning with horror and excitement. Each book will explore the zombie genre in new and thrilling ways. Join us in these worlds of the dead and remember to leave your sanity by the door! When Leeds bursts into supernatural chaos, Rick, a rookie policeman must fight through hordes of the living…
Touch if You Dare by Stephanie Rowe (Soulfire #2) Sourcebooks Casablanca (July 2011) Paperback, 383 pages Paranormal Romance Touch if You Dare is the second in Rowe’s Soulfire series. Jarvis is a bad-ass warrior and the guardian of hate. He’s spent over 100 years as a prisoner in the clutches of Death’s evil grandma, and finally he and some of his warrior friends have managed to escape. But it’s not all hugs and puppies now he’s free. He is the guardian of hate and anyone who touches him starts to feel it. It…
Iron Hunt (Hunter Kiss #1) by Marjorie M. Liu Orbit (May 2010) | Paperback, 352 pages | Urban Fantasy Carolyn’s Original Review: June 2010 Original Rating: 3.5/5 Carolyn’s Take: The Iron Hunt is fairly grim reading in that there’s virtually no humour and there aren’t that many highs, which gave the book quite a sombre feel. But due to snappy writing and very interesting characters The Iron Hunt is a solid first instalment and I enjoyed it a lot. Andrea’s Take ‘Into every generation a Slayer is born: one girl in all the world,…
Dark Peril (Carpathians #21) by Christine Feehan Piatkus Books (Sept 2010) | Paperback: 400 Pages Paranormal Romance I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Christine Feehan books. I have been a fan of her for a long time, and to put things into perspective I have read every one of her books. But of late, particularly with her Carpathian books, I feel like they have been losing their way. Then last year I read Dark Slayer and was pleasantly surprised at the improvement in writing and characterisation. Sadly, Dark Peril…
Title: Moonstruck Madness Author: Laurie McBain Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc Publication Date: May 2011 (originally published in 1977) ARC: 384 pages Genre: Historical Romance Source: Review Copy Guest Review by Jo RATING: 5/10 – Take it or leave it GOODREADS SUMMARY: She’s one thing by day, something else altogether by night… After escaping the slaughter of her clan at a young age, Scottish noblewoman Sabrina Verrick provides for her siblings by living a double life, until the night she encounters the Duke, and her secret…
Title: The Flock Author: James Robert Smith Publisher: Forge Publication Date: Nov 2010 (originally Oct 2006) Paperback: 362 pages Genre: Action/Adventure | Eco-thriller Source: Review Copy Reviewed by: Carolyn RATING: 5/10 – take it or leave it GOODREADS SUMMARY: A remote Florida swamp has been targeted for theme-park development, and the swamp’s inhabitants are none too happy. It doesn’t help that the residents are a colony of intelligent, prehistoric, dinosaur-like birds. This flock of beasts has escaped the mass extinction that killed off the dinosaurs, relying on stealth, cunning, and…
I Dream of Genies by Judi Fennell Sourcebooks Casablanca (Jan 2011) Paperback, 393 pages | Paranormal Romance I really wanted to love I Dream of Geneies. The premise sounded like such fun and as it was the holiday season and I had time off over the new year (when I began reading it) I was looking for a really good romance novel, and as it was about genies I was also looking forward to a fresh take on paranormal romance – no vampires or werewolves in sight. It started off well: Eden,…
