DARK LOVER

Dark Lover by JR Ward

My Take On This Book:
I've read this book a long time ago, so this is a retrospective reivew. This used to be my most favouritest of all time vampire series until they released Lover Enshrined. Dark Lover is the first of the Black Dagger Brotherhood (BDB) by JR Ward. If you love hero vampires and romance then you would love this series! However this particular book is not so fantastic. Don't get me wrong, it is a good read, but, it is not the best book in the series. Dark Lover is not the worst either. The greatest endorsement that I could say for this book is that it is the start of the Black Dagger Brotherhood! Overall, this book is just a 3.5 out of 5.

JR Ward has a website where you can get BDB candy at : http://www.jrward.com/. Miss Ward is also in MySpace at : http://www.myspace.com/jrwardbdb.

Cherry's Rating: 3.5 out of 5 cherries


Caption At The Back Reads:

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deathly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing their enemies more than Wrath, the leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

The only purebreed vampire left on the planet, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But when one of his most trusted fighters is killed - orphaning a half-breed daughter unaware of her heritage or her fate - Wrath must usher the beautiful female into the world of the undead...

Racked by a restlessness in her body that wasn't there before, Beth Randall is helpless against the dangerously sexy man who comes to her at night with shadows in his eyes. His tales of brotherhood and blood frightens her. But his touch ignites a dawning hunger that threatens to consume them both...

In-Between Good Books (IBGB) Period + DRAGONS OF WINTER NIGHT

I haven’t read any really really good books lately. This is what I call IBGB. Some people go through a period of in-between jobs. I am now in-between good books (IBGB). It’s times like this when one really appreciates having lots of good writers out there. That there is room for more really. Can’t wait for JR Ward’s Lover Enshrined and Kenyon’s Acheron to come out. In the mean time, it’s IBGB for me.

I am currently reading Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman’s second book in their DragonLance Chronicles series. It is good. But not riveting. I only finished the first book out of sheer boredom. There is simply nothing else to read. I bought Dragons of Autumn Twilight Book 1 and Dragons of Winter Night Book 2 of the DragonLance Chronicles just to try it out as I’ve never read anything by these authors before and the fact that it got the word “dragon” in it and it got a nice picture in the cover of dragons and people in armour. Only shows to prove that looks can be deceiving.

It follows the adventures of a group of heroes battling evil. However for a fantasy adventure books, it has the tendency to skip chunks of their adventure and just tells about it retrospectively. It confused me a couple of times when they talked about something that never happened yet and then a few pages later tells you that they’ve been on this adventure or that. I just felt that the book has defeated some of its purpose. A fantasy adventure book should tell the tale of the protagonists’ adventures and that is how the author spins the tale. Not tell the readers about it retrospectively in a reminiscent manner. It leaves the reader out of the adventure experience. Other than that this series would have been good. As it is I would give it a score of 5 in a scale of 0-10.

It is not a masterpiece and I would only recommend it to other readers who are bored to tears for the lack of nothing else to read.

Cherry

Alera Series by Jim Butcher

Alera series
Just discovered the Alera series written by Jim Butcher (http://www.jim-butcher.com/). If you like adventure and epic battles in your fanstasy stories, then this is a gold mine for you. Not much of a romance in it, no sex and good for children. Wholesome fantasy book. In amazon, the Alera series is at - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/series/92967/ref=rcx_ser_ed_0.

The only thing I find annoying about it is that it keeps two or three different story threads and jumps from one thread to another. By the time the story returns to the other thread, I've forgotten the story of that thread already. So I cheat. I follow one thread all the way through until just before the epilogue. Then read a second thread and so on. After I've read all the threads in the story, I read the epilogue. I don't think that is the way the author intended the book to be read but for me, it is less annoying that way.

HEROES ADRIFT

Heroes Adrift by Moira J. Moore

Rating: 2 out of 5 cherries


My Review: wild goose chase (wgc) story... I liked the previous books and that was the only reason I bought this one. There is wry humour in the telling of the story that is why this book did not get a one star rating with me. However the story is nothing but a WGC which is why it did not rate a five star at all. I like a book with a bit more substance than a story about a WGC adventure. This book has a feel like the entire book is a middle chapter of a bigger book. Whereas I like a beginning and an end. I do not think I would be buying anymore of MJ Moore's offerings. If ever I would be reading anything written by her again, I would most likely borrow it from the library than waste my money buying it. Cherry

Note: Click on the book cover image to go to GoodReads for more info about the book.

IF YOU DARE

If You Dare by Kresley Cole
Book 1 of the The MacCarrick Brothers Series

About This Book:

Can a Highlander steal his enemy's bride and make her love him?

High in the Pyrenees, a band of mercenaries led by Courtland MacCarrick wages war for General Reynaldo Pascal. When Court turns on the brutal general, Pascal orders him killed. Court narrowly escapes and exacts revenge by kidnapping Pascal’s exquisite Castilian fiancée.

Noble heiress Annalía Tristán Llorente despises her towering, barbaric captor almost as much as she does Pascal. Her inexplicable attraction to the Highlander only fuels her fury. Yet nothing will stop her from returning to Pascal—for if she doesn’t wed him, she signs her brother’s death warrant, as well as her own.

From the moment Court discovers that Anna’s prim façade masks a fiery, brave lass, his heart’s ensnared and he dares to defy the curse that has shadowed his life—to walk with death or walk alone. But Pascal vows that he’ll hunt the two, never stopping until he’s destroyed them both. If they survive, can this hardened soldier of fortune convince the only woman he's ever loved that she's meant to be his?

Source: Info in the About This Book was taken from the author's website at: http://kresleycole.com/books/if-you-dare.html.

My Take On This Book:
I like reading romance books but I find my attention wandering with this one. Can't seem to hold my interest for very long. In the end I have to force myself to finish it just because I don't like not reading a book through. I keep expecting it to get better, probably towards the end you know... but it was hardgoing instead. The story has all the elements, feisty leading lady, alpha hero, nice setting... but somehow the way the story was told did not keep my interest... Not one of those loose-yourself-in-the-story kind of books.

Cherry's Rating: 2 out of 5 cherries

WEREMONES

Weremones by Buffi BeCraft-Woodall

Rating: 5 out of 5 cherries


My Review:I was just browsing for something else to read and came across this book. Bought it but was not really expecting it to be very entertaining. There are annoying clerical errors which should have been corrected by the editor but it seems that the editor was not very particular either. However, clerical errors and all, BBW can spin a tale which draws the reader right along for the ride. I have to say this book was surprisingly good. So much so that I went looking for further books by this author. She haven't published much (yet). I stumbled on the NCP website and made the mistake of buying from them. Takes more than two months for delivery! I should have downloaded. This book is that good that a reader can forgive a lot of things and continue looking forward to further offerings from this author.

Synopsis:

With a control freak ex and two teenage kids, Diana has her own problems and no need to borrow anyone else's troubles. She's an Empath, though, and the young wolven Pack that lands in her lap is difficult to ignore or dissuade from their determination to adopt her as den mother. Adam Weis, Pater Canis of the Pack, isn't too keen on the idea of mating at all, and certainly not with a human, psychic or not. The problem is he's having trouble controlling his weremones whenever Diana is around. Rating: Contains violence, adult language, and graphic sexual content.

Excerpt taken from amazon.co.uk at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Weremones-Buffi-Becraft-Woodall/dp/1586088912/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245507484&sr=8-1 on 20/02/08.

Cherry

Buy Link:

DRAGONSBLOOD (DRAGONS OF PERN)

Todd does not have Anne's magic. This book is obviously written by someone who has read a lot of Pern stories. The publisher was a bit too optimistic when they wrote that Todd brought fresh ideas to the series because he obviously didn't. This book is a hodge-podge collection of bits and pieces from previously published Pern books that Todd put together and it didn't quite gel. Thereby, for the long-time Pern fans, this book is a disappointment.

I find that Amazon has been a bit sneaky in advertising this book. This same exact book has apparently been published by different publishers. As far as I can tell: one by Bantam Press in April 2005 (hardcover), Del Rey Books in Jun 2006 (mass market) and by Corgi in July 2006 (paperback). Bantam and Del Rey versions of this book have about 2.5 stars with both versions sharing the same reviews like one. Corgi has 4 stars sporting an entirely different group of reviews. When you click this book from the Amazon home page it comes up with Corgi with glowing reviews. From Bantam and Del Rey it seems that this book is "currently unavailable" however you can buy from different individual sellers. However it is not "currently unavailable" from Corgi.

It looks like that Amazon wants to sell this book by dividing the reviews. Putting the low-starred reviews with Bantam/Del Rey while grouping the generally high-starred reviews with Corgi with only one odd one-starred review to make it look unbiased. Then putting Corgi's version in the front lines. That is why I placed my review from Bantam/Del Rey to the Corgi version.

I find that very sneaky indeed! However, I guess its dog eating dog in the publishing business. I recommend to those intending to buy this book to read the reviews in the Bantam/Del Rey version as well.

Rating: 1 out of 5 cherries

Note: Click on the book cover image to go to GoodReads for more info about the book.

ILL WIND

Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
Book 1 of the Weather Warden series

Genre: Urban Fantasy

About This Book:

First in the new Weather Warden series...

Joanne Baldwin is a Weather Warden. Usually, all it takes is a wave of her hand to tame the most violent weather. But now, she's trying to outrun another kind of storm: accusations of corruption and murder. So, she's resorting to the very human tactic of running for her life...

Her only hope is Lewis, the most powerful warden known. Unfortunately, he's stolen not one but three bottles of Djinn-making him the most wanted man on earth. Still, she's racing hard to find him-before the bad weather closes in fast...

Source: Info in the About This Book was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/86451.Ill_Wind.

My Review:
I bought the first three books of this series because it got so many stars at amazon, bad idea! The heroine, Jo, is painted as sassy, kick-ass and honorable, which is mostly true. However she acts so so incredibly stupid!! She lets go of hero, David who is a Djinn, so that he can be enslaved by the bad guys, Star, knowing full well that this was going to happen. Unbelievable! And then afterwards Jo races across America in fast cars to rescue David. Hello! Looks to me like Jo deliberately let bad things happen so that the good guys could play hero. This theme goes on and on and on with the second and third books. Safe to say I'm not reading anything from this author ever again. However, for those urban fantasy lovers who are more forgiving than me of this fault, might actually enjoy this series because the author actually has a good "voice". The story telling quality is compelling enough to keep even annoyed me interested.

Cherry's Rating: 1 out of 5 cherries

IRON KISSED

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs
Book 3 of the Mercy Thompson series

Genre: Urban Fantasy

About This Book:

"Iron Kissed", the third book in the Mercedes Thompson series focuses more on the fae. The werewolves, of course, as Mercy's family (whether she wants them or not) also have a major role, but the vampires are conspicuous by their absence. The reason for their absence is that the events of Iron Kissed take place in less than a week -- and because I had enough to juggle and the vampire situation Mercy has put herself in is going to require more than a brief appearance will answer.

Like most of my books, this one held a lot of surprizes for me. I had intended for Mercy to choose her man in this book, but I didn't expect it to happen the way it did. I also found out a few things I didn't know about some of the characters. It made me like some of them more and others less. It also made me realize that one of the terrific things about writing a series is the ability to get to know more about the bit players. In a single book, or even a duology, there are only so many pages to develop characters and I have to restrict myself to only a few. A series is not so restrictive.

Source: Info in the About This Book was taken from the author's website at http://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/ironKissed.shtml.

My Review:
This book continues the adventures of Mercedes Thompson "Mercy", a mechanic and a coyote shapeshifter. Here she makes a choice between her two men, er, werewolves, I mean. Battles evil and not so evil forces where friends seems to become enemies and enemies are allies after all.

Mercy's friend, Zee, who is a fae, is arrested by human police for murder. Mercy is trying to help Zee get cleared of the charges and keep him from getting killed by the Gray Lords (fae ruling body) as a sacrifice to keep the fae secrets from the rest of the world.

Still a very good read... but compared to Moon Called and Blood Bound, it is not as good as the previous two. Maybe I was expecting too much... or I was just spoiled by the good quality of the previous books... and also, I did not appreciate the dark turn of the story... but I have to say the story-telling quality is still a masterpiece.

Cherry's Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


Post Amendment 24/04/2010:
Other reviews on this book:

• http://ecarodiaz.blogspot.com/2010/04/iron-kissed-by-patricia-briggs.html

ABOUT US

For the love of SciFi/Fantasy & Romance

ABOUT US
This blog started out as a personal blog of Cherry. It still is, sort of, among other things. But now, we have evolved into a kind of blog where friends who share the same love of books also blog... Cherry loves to read SciFi/Fantasy/Romance books. Anne likes to read thrillers, crime and true stories. Gwent reads any form of the written word. The intelligent one among us.

06/05/2010:
Wilma and Jackie are new additions... yeyyy!!! Wilma likes YA and children's books. Jackie likes action adventures and fantasy :)

If you are an author, publisher, agent, marketing personnell and/or whatever you call yourself who does promotion and publicity in the book industry... and want us to read your book, shoot us an email with the title of your book, author, and url address where we can find info regarding the book. Please read the Disclaimer for further info about this blog.

To know more about us, click on our names to go to our profiles:

Anne

Cherry

Gwent
Jackie
Wilma

Please note that not all reviews here are positive, but then we do not expect the entire wide world to agree and have the same tastes as us. It would be an incredibly boring and monotonous world! So have a look and see, especially if it is your genre of books, even though it garnered a low rating with us :)