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Today is your last day to enter to win in the SEPTEMBER FOLLOWER GIVEAWAY!

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WW28: MAGIC BLEEDS

WW28
This is your chance to showcase your favourites!!

• First you grab our Wicked Wednesday pic.
• Then you grab a book. Turn to page 28. Take the first sentence. And then you post it in your site with a link back to WW28.
• Come back to Cherry Mischievous - WW28 and give us the url of your post (in a comment at a WW28 post) so that other WW28 readers can find your WW28 offering.

WW28 book offering: Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews
Page 28, 1st Sentence:

Apparently he was a friendly kind of demonic beast.

Well? What do you make of that?

About Magic Bleeds:

Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren’t for the magic. When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it rose.

Kate Daniels works for the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, officially as a liaison with the mercenary guild. Unofficially, she cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to handle—especially if they involve Atlanta’s shapeshifting community.

When she’s called in to investigate a fight at the Steel Horse, a bar midway between the territories of the shapeshifters and the necromancers, Kate quickly discovers there’s a new player in town. One who’s been around for thousands of years—and rode to war at the side of Kate’s father.

This foe may be too much even for Kate and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family…

Source: Info in the About Magic Bleeds was taken from the author's website at http://kate.ilona-andrews.com/novels/magic-bleeds/ on 29/05/2010.

We would like to thank Penguin for the review copy of Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews received.

Tribute To Jennifer Rardin

Our condolences goes to the family and friends of JENIFFER RARDIN who passed away last Monday.

Although I never knew this author, still, I am saddened that what seems to be such a vibrant personality is no longer with us!! But she left us her wonderful work of literature which will live with us forever...

Once Bitten, Twice Shy – Jaz Parks #1

I’m Jaz Parks. My boss is Vayl, born in Romania in 1744. Died there too, at the hand of his vampire wife, Liliana. But that’s ancient history. For the moment Vayl works for the C.I.A. doing what he does best–assassination. And I help. You could say I’m an Assistant Assassin. But then I’d have to kick your ass.

Our current assignment seemed easy. Get close to a Miami plastic surgeon named Assan, a charmer with ties to terrorism that run deeper than a buried body. Find out what he’s meeting with that can help him and his comrades bring America to her knees. And then close his beady little eyes forever. Why is it that nothing’s ever as easy as it seems?

Another One Bites The Dust – Jaz Parks #2

In their latest mission, Jaz and Vayl are sent to kill an ancient Chinese vamp who’s stolen a vital piece of biotechnology. The catch? They’re undercover as street performers…and Jaz has to bellydance.

Biting The Bullet – Jaz Parks #3

The Raptor, the CIA’s longtime nemesis, is back. Jaz Parks and her vampire boss Vayl are asked to join her brother David’s special ops team to take him down. But when her spirit guide tells her that she’s being lead to the wrong man, and she starts asking the wrong questions, her life — and her job– are threatened. And the one person who can help her–her boss– is off on a wild goose chase. Add to the mix a pack of reavers bent on revenge along with a small army of desert monsters, and BITING THE BULLET will take you so close to the edge of your seat you may want to leave a pillow on the floor just in case.

Bitten To Death – Jaz Park #4

Jaz Parks and her vampire boss, Vayl, have already fought demons, vampires, and reavers. Now, juggling work and family takes on a new dimension as she tackles her latest challenge: nail the Raptor before he can reduce her to Jaz-bits, survive a head-on crash with Vayl’s violent past, and lever her twin’s military career back on track before a dishonorable discharge ruins his life. To top it off, she must also contend with her father’s issues. Is he losing his mind? Or is someone really trying to kill him – from beyond the grave?

One More Bite – Jaz Parks #5

Jaz and Vayl have been assigned to travel to Inverness to prevent an assassination that has the potential to upset the balance between the west coast vampire nests and allow another Raptor to emerge. In the power vacuum left by Edward “the Raptor” Samos’ death, a struggle for supremacy has begun between his former allies: The Coven of Inverness, the Valencian Weres and The Flock. The struggle takes on a new twist when Pete learns that the Valencians have hired an assassin to take out the Coven’s leader, a powerful witch named Floraidh Halsey. Jaz and Vayl must stalk a killer as wily and Gifted as themselves as they travel through the wild, stark beauty of the Highlands. Their travels also bring new heights to their romance, a new depth to their passion, and a bond they are both, at last, willing to seal.

Bite Marks – Jaz Park #6

Jaz is possessed. After biting the neck of a domyter during a forced visit to his territory, she now has unwelcome voices in her head. While fighting for supremacy in her own mind, she finds herself confronted with a near-impossible task: perform perfectly on her next mission or face the unemployment line.

Bitten In Two – Jaz Parks #7

Jaz Parks here. I. Am. Pissed. Just as Vayl and I arrive in Morocco to secure an ancient artifact, he wakes up calling me by another woman’s name. And it’s not even a good one. But since any form of argument transforms him into an unholy terror, I’m forced to play along until the gang and I can figure out what kind of power has so vastly altered his perceptions.

So it’s time for me to do what any well-trained assassin in my position might do. I attack. What follows is a hair-raising, breath-taking bullet train ride to the finish as the crew battles on multiple fronts. I now know what I have to do – I must return to hell one last time.

I would like to acknowledge Reading Angel for posting about it thus I learned about this sad news.

BLOGGERS SPEAK OUT

I don't usually syndicate another blogger's post, but, I think this warrants it. I came across this issue a bit late still, I would like to show my support of the "Bloggers Speak Out" movement, I am reposting Natalie's (of Mindful Musings) post regarding this proposed book banning in schools:

Book Bloggers Speak Out

Bloggers Speak Out is a movement sparked by the recent article, "Filthy Books Demeaning to Republic Education" by Dr. Wesley Scroggins that was published in the Springfield, MO News-Leader on September 18th. In this article, Scroggins vehemently advocates the censorship of books in schools, and specifically requests that the following books be removed from the Republic school system: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler, and Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. To show our support of these authors and to fight against book banning and censorship, we have decided to take action and speak out.

Go here: http://themindfulmusingsbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/book-bloggers-speak-out-listing-of.html for a full list of links of bloggers speaking out against book banning and censorship--in the form of giveaways, posts, and reviews. Some are "officially" participating in what I'm calling Bloggers Speak Out, and others are posts that I've found around the blogosphere. If you get time, you should definitely check them out!

A HUGE HUGE HUGE thanks goes out to all of these bloggers for encouraging everyone to stand up and speak out! You guys are all absolutely fabulous, and if I could give each and every one of you a cookie, I totally would!
______________________________________________
On another note, I brought up Scroggins' article at the Missouri State University English Society meeting yesterday, and as a result (and in honer of Banned Books Week), we're doing an on-campus reading from banned books on Thursday of next week!

For those of you in the area, the event will take place from around 2-6 in the outdoor amphitheater directly in front of Strong and Glass Halls.

Interesting fact: Dr. Wesley Scroggins' office is in Glass. I wonder if he'll see us. Hmm....Maybe we should send him a formal invite?

Source: Natalie's article was taken from Mindful Musings at http://themindfulmusingsbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/book-bloggers-speak-out-listing-of.html on 26/09/2010.

Here is what Book Junkies has to say about it:

BLOGGERS SPEAK OUT!
This week a lot has been taking place within the online community concerning this ARTICLE by a Dr. Wesley Scroggins.

We've always lived in a society where freedom of speech has been a quality bestowed upon us by parents, teachers, and our community. Not too mention Freedom of Speech is our right as human beings. What Dr. Wesley Scroggins is claiming in his article takes away that Freedom. Not only does he strip us all of our individual freedom to choose what we read, he has taken away our right to be heard. There are so many instances where women and men, boys and girls, go through things we can't even begin to imagine - things that change their lives forever, and they don't always know how to deal with it. In the article, Scroggins claims that,

"Sex education curriculum in the fourth grade includes topics on reproduction. Is this what parents and taxpayers in this community want their children exposed to in school? Is this how taxpayers want their tax money used? Equally shocking is the content of the high school English classes. In high school English classes, children are required to read and view material that should be classified as soft pornography."

The last time we checked, the age in which children are now sexually active has increased exponentially. Why is it so wrong for children to learn about sex education at an early age? It is often the case that children who are not educated in sexual reproduction end up pregnant or sexually active at early ages. No, sex education at a 4th grade level will probably not stop the age in which teens begin having sex, but isn't that up to the parents to decide? If they are unhappy with the material being covered, they should speak to their child's teacher and see if something can be worked out.

Now, lets begin on the subject of his apparent "soft pornography" issue. Trying to even fathom what kind of man can deduce rape to soft pornography is excruciatingly difficult to comprehend. Soft Pornography by definition is something in which is enjoyed -either voyeuristically or read. Rape is an act UNWANTED by the victim. It is something in which far too many have to deal with and are unsure how to go about dealing with the impact this violent act has had on their lives. Books like Speak (by Laurie Halse Anderson), allow for teens who are going through the same thing as the main character, or perhaps another issue, to relate and seek the help they need. Books like Speak allow for victims of unwanted crimes, image issues etc to know they are not alone. Scroggin comments by saying,

One such book is called "Speak." They also watch the movie. This is a book about a very dysfunctional family. Schoolteachers are losers, adults are losers and the cheerleading squad scores more than the football team. They have sex on Saturday night and then are goddesses at church on Sunday morning. The cheer squad also gets their group-rate abortions at prom time. As the main character in the book is alone with a boy who is touching her female parts, she makes the statement that this is what high school is supposed to feel like. The boy then rapes her on the next page. Actually, the book and movie both contain two rape scenes.

Apparently Mr. Scroggins has not attended high school, which makes me begin to wonder how he managed to get his doctorate. Speak is dealing with REAL issues that take place everyday in high schools - not only in North America, but around the world as well. Girls DO deal with having unprotected sex and unwanted pregnancies. Families can be dysfunctional; does that make them less loving? No! As we have yet to read Speak, we are not sure what exactly takes place, but we've seen girls so self conscience and down on their selves, that they are so broken, the acts they do or partake in, happen without them even realizing. They are so numb by this point, they think they are worthless. Apparently the pain and suffering a rape victim goes through means nothing to Scroggins. Apparently it is all in good fun - soft porn.

Books should not be censored. Who gives anyone the right to tell others what they can or cannot read or what they can or cannot write? Obviously Scroggins has lived a beyond ignorant and sheltered life. His world must be full of rainbows and butterflies, I'm sure he shits to perfection as well. His mind is deluded and his world is not reality.

Please speak out against censorship! It is through our voices, people like Scroggins will stop telling us what our Freedom means. We are disgusted with people like Scroggins who think they know best for an entire population.

Source: Above quoted article was taken from Book Junkies at http://acbookjunkies.blogspot.com/2010/09/bloggers-speak-out.html on 26/09/2010.

I believe that one of the reasons why it is very difficult for victims of rape, domestic abuse and bullying to come forward and seek help is because of narrow-minded people like Scroggins. Therefore they need to be stopped. But that is just my own opinion. I encourage you to read on and make up your own mind.

Review: DEAD WITCH WALKING

Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
Book 1 of the Rachel Morgan series

Genre: urban fantasy, chick lit

About Dead Witch Walking:

Forty years ago a genetically engineered virus killed half of the world's human population and exposed creatures of dreams and nightmares that had, until then, lived in secret alongside humanity.

Rachel Morgan is a runner with the Inderland Runner Services, apprehending criminals throughout modern-day Cincinnati. She is also a witch.

Used to confronting criminal vampires, dark witches and homicidal werewolves, Rachel's latest assignments - apprehending cable-stealing magic students and tax-evading leprechauns - have prompted her to break her thirty-year contract with the I.S. and start her own runner agency.

But no one quits the I.S.

Marked for death, Rachel is a dead witch walking unless she can appease her former employers and pay off her contract by exposing the city's most prominent citizen as a drug lord. But making an enemy of the ambiguous Trent Kalamack proves even more deadly than leaving the I.S.

Source: Info in the About Dead Witch Walking was taken from the back of the book cover.

Review:
This book reads like a female Harry Dresden by Jim Butcher. And just like the Dresden Files, delivers a wonderful reading pleasure!

It took a while to get into the story but I eventually did. The story telling quality while superb is not quite a masterpiece, a 4 out of 5. The story itself while not exactly an original is still quite good, another 4 out of 5. Character development is very very good! I would give it a 5 out of 5. The female protagonist is "human" enough to feel tired and defeated but still hero enough to still want to do the right thing. Makes the readers feel like, "hey I'm not perfect like that but maybe, just maybe, I could be a hero too". I will not say how or what the ending was because that will give out spoilers, but I would rate the ending a 4.5 out of 5.

Here's the kicker. My paperback copy is the UK edition with the ugliest cover ever!! The publisher's UK art department so needs to be fired! Holding that yellow book in my hands is even uglier. A yellow cover for an urban fantasy book?!? In the sales & marketing grid, this cover art will get a rating of zero in a scale of 1 to 5.

I enjoyed this book and would read another Kim Harrison work again. Overall, I would give this book a 4 out of 5.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Winner: Guest Post: STEPHANIE DRAVEN & Giveaway

The Guest Post: STEPHANIE DRAVEN & Giveaway winner is....... (((drum roll)))

Misha1989

Congratulations to our winner!! And thank you to everyone who entered the contest!!

To the winner: Please check your inbox and reply with your mailing address, or email me at cherrymischif-stephaniedraven [at] yahoo [dot] com. Winner have one week to claim prize. If prize remains unclaimed after one week, another winner will be drawn.

IN THE MAIL: CRESCENDO, TEMPEST RISING & A WILD LIGHT

My loot for the last week:

I would like to thank Simon & Schuster for the review copy of Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick received.

About Crescendo:

Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described as anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy, Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The further Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim bloodline has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

Source: Info in the About Crescendo was taken from the author's website at http://www.beccafitzpatrick.com/whitehotstory.html on 22/09/2010.

I would like to thank Orbit for the review copy of Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler and A Wild Light by Marjorie Liu received.

About Tempest Rising:

In the tiny village of Rockabill, Maine, Jane True—26-year-old bookstore clerk and secret night swimmer—has no idea that her absent mother’s legacy is entry into a world populated by the origins of human myths and legends. It is a world where nothing can be taken for granted: vampires are not quite what we think; dogs sometimes surprise us; and whatever you do, never—ever—rub the genie’s lamp. For Jane, everything kicks off when she comes across a murder victim during her nightly clandestine swim in the freezing winter ocean. This grisly discovery leads to the revelation of why she has such freakish abilities in the water: her mother was a Selkie and Jane is only half human. With this knowledge, Jane soon finds herself mingling with supernatural creatures alternately terrifying, beautiful, and deadly—all adjectives that quite handily describe her new friend Ryu. When Ryu is sent to Rockabill to investigate the murder, he and Jane fall hard for each other even as they plummet into a world of intrigue threatening to engulf both supernatural and human societies. For someone is killing half-humans like Jane. The question is, are the murders the work of one rogue individual or part of a greater plot to purge the world of Halflings.

Source: Info in the About Tempest Rising was taken from the author's website at http://www.nicolepeeler.com/the-jane-true-series/tempest-rising on 02/11/09.

About A Wild Light:

For too long Maxine Kiss has felt an inexplicable darkness inside her-a force she channels into hunting the demons bent on destroying the human race. But when she finds herself covered in blood and crouched beside her grandfather’s dead body with no memory of what happened, Maxine begins to fear that the darkness has finally consumed her.

Source: Info in the About A Wild Light was taken from the author's website at http://marjoriemliu.com/index.php?/novels/details/a_wild_light/ on 20/09/2010.

Winner: BBAW

The BBAW celebrations giveaway winner is....... (((drum roll)))

bookaholic of Bookaholics Oye!! (@Debasmitadhar)

Congratulations to our winner!! And thank you to everyone who entered the contest!! I hope that you enjoyed celebrating the Book Blogger Appreciation Week as much as I did!! :)

To the winner: Please check your inbox and reply with your mailing address, or email me at mischivusfairy-bbaw [at] yahoo [dot] com, so that I could send you the following:

Winner have one week to claim the prize. If prize remains unclaimed after one week, another winner will be drawn.

WW28: LEGACY OF THE ELDRIC

WW28
A chance to showcase your favourite!

• First you grab our Wicked Wednesday pic.
• Then you grab a book. Turn to page 28. Take the first sentence. And then you post it in your site with a link back to WW28.
• Come back to Cherry Mischievous - WW28 and give us the url of your post (in a comment at a WW28 post) so that other WW28 readers can find your WW28 offering.

WW28 book offering: Legacy Of The Eldric by David Burrows

Page 28, 1st Sentence:

The other man snorted. "Cowards - the lot of them. They're content to waylay a lone man, but they'll never attack here, with so many."

Action, anyone?

About Legacy Of The Eldric:

A Meeting of Souls.
The Prophecy of the Kings - Synopsis
I was day dreaming, staring deep into the dying embers of the coal fire, my eyeballs dry from the heat as I ignored the howl of the wind on a bitter January night. I jumped when a knock at the door interrupted my reverie. This was an insistent knock, a loud demanding knock; one that shattered the calm, refusing to be ignored. Sighing, I went to the door, angered by the loss of solitude made worse by the frigid wind that greeted me.

He was an old man with an old man's frailties. His face was long, and his flesh grey and wrinkled. Dark bags beneath his eyes suggested insomnia, the curse of the old.

"Yes," I said, not hiding the anger that I felt.

"I need to speak with you," he snapped, seemingly equally irritable.

"Do I know you?" I asked, for his tone was one of a relative, making demands.

I did not like his look and was already pushing the door to when, remarkably swift for an old man, an arthritic claw grabbed the door and a boot thudded against the base.

I was scared now. He had shocked me. Feral eyes locked on mine, deep dark and accusing. "I need to talk," he insisted.

My first thoughts were to call for help. Phone the police perhaps, but that would be too late. He was wild ... a mad man standing halfway in my house. The simplest course seemed to be to let him in and listen to his ramblings, after all he was an old man and what harm could he do?

As he swept inside, I noticed for the first time his attire. It was outlandish to say the least, a long flowing tunic, grimed with dirt, and the cuffs frayed. At one time it had probably been blue, a deep rich colour, but under the dirt it was now hard to say. He smelt old, and a scent lingered that I found hard to place, but an image of a dragon swept to mind and I shivered, even though the door was now shut.

With a thud he dropped a sizeable doorstep of papers on the coffee table. The paper was sun-bleached and aged as much as he was. I shook my head; it was going to be a long night.

As I sat, a hand shot out and with strength belittling his years seemed to seek to crush my bones as though talking was insufficient to hold my attention. Well that did it; he had my attention now as dread coursed through my veins.

"I am Vastra," he announced as though it was of some importance. "Vastra," he repeated, his mouth agape. .

"My arm," I wheedled for I did not relish the pain.

He looked at me, before releasing his grasp. My wrist was red and burned still from his grip. The wind rattled the window, deepening the mood.

"I have done much wrong and I need to atone," he said, looking at me fiercely. I nodded and he sat back. His eyes swept around the room, glancing at the TV and the hi-fi, but somehow unseeing.

"I did them all wrong. I betrayed them, but I tried ... in the end. Oh, yes, I tried. It is in the manuscript, I have written it all down. A labour of love some would say, but to me it is a curse, for my part in it was real, too real and the impact had repercussions across the world, ours and theirs."

"Theirs?" I asked.

He nodded. "Demons. Dragons," he said in a hushed voice

I believed him. Why shouldn't I?

"Go on," I said, enthralled.

"I was an ambitious fool. I thought that I controlled the imp, but I didn't."

When he said the word imp, something appeared, hovering by his side. A small demon-like creature, hairless, a green glow emanating from deep within its flesh. I jumped and could not hide my fear.

"Do not worry," he sneered, glancing at the creature. "It is a memory, a shaol, a guardian spirit. That is all...

"Some guardian though! I can see yours, faint across the expanse of time. He will protect you as best he can; a sixth sense in the darkest hour. But why did I trust an imp? I was warned, by my friends... but I knew better, and the very people who would have helped me, I ignored, and worse, betrayed."

His gaze dropped and the final word was barely a whisper. A tear slid down his cheek and fell upon the manuscript.

"No one is alone," I said. "You must have friends, talk to them."

He sniffed wiping the tears with his cuff, shaking his head. "I cannot, for I am banished from that world. Shastlan understood. The ghost of a dead emperor, exiled from his own world for deeds as bad as mine. What a pair we made, arrogant and foolish, engrossed in our own self-importance.

"And what of the people I betrayed. Kaplyn. As good a friend as any, but so far beneath my ambitious scheming. Of all the people, I hurt him the worst. I would make amends, but I cannot.

"Because of me, his family and friends all died. I was responsible for Shastlan becoming his shaol. Mad whispering in the dark of the night. And dragons! An evil curse to blight the world. Demons and dragons, the choice was unfair. How could anyone choose and remain sane?"

"Surely it cannot be that bad," I said when he fell silent, his gaze riveted to the manuscript.

"Read it," he said through clenched teeth. "Judge me then, not before. I must atone."

"How is this atoning?" I said. "You chastise yourself with a stick of your own making. How can I be your judge? Surely your friends have judged and forgiven you. Everyone has a spark of good deep within. They must have seen yours."

"Read it! " he insisted.

I picked it up. Reverently. It was heavy as though weighted by the souls of the damned. When I looked up, he was gone. Yet the tearstain on the cover was as real as anything I had ever seen.

The Prophecy of the Kings , the title said. Flicking to the back cover it was signed Vastra.

Having now read the manuscript I wonder at our meeting. Was he a shoal, or a restless spirit wandering the worlds seeking redemption? Of one thing I am certain, if his world was real then the tale must be told. By doing so, it honours the dead, and forgives those who need to be forgiven.

Excuse me then for claiming to be the author. It is a wondrous story and it will move you. As you read, think then upon Vastra, and Shastlan. Perhaps we can find it in our hearts to forgive, for now I know why so many people in their worlds would not. But then, that was Vastra's intent, and if he knocks on your door in the dead of night, listen to his tale. It will move you, as it has moved me.

David Burrows

Source: Synopsis in the About Legacy Of The Eldric was taken from the author's website at http://davidburrows.org.uk/synopsis.html on 05/06/2010.

Review: DARKNESS CALLS

Darkness Calls by Marjorie Liu
Book 2 of the Hunter Kiss series

Genre: urban fantasy, chick lit

About Darkness Calls:

They are the obsidian shadows of my flesh - tattoos with minds, hearts, and dreams. By day, they protect me. But when night calls to them, they leave my body, dissolving into their true form - as demons…

Nomad born and bred, demon hunter Maxine Kiss has always relied upon herself to fight the darkness that surrounds her, the predators-human, zombie, and otherwise - who threaten the earth. But one man has penetrated her lonely life: Grant, the last of his kind. With music he is able to control any living creature…including demons. And now his life is in danger.

Haunted by the past, determined to change the future, Maxine soon understands that to save Grant, she has only one choice-to lose control, and release her own powers of darkness…

Source: Info in the About Darkness Calls was taken from the author's website at http://marjoriemliu.com/index.php?/novels/details/darkness_calls/ on 20/09/2010.

Short Novella PreQuel To Iron Hunt: Companion Story - Iron Hunt

My review of book 1: The Iron Hunt is here.

Verdict: mediocre

Review:
I said in my review of book 1 that the story telling quality was good. In this book that slipped down a notch. Story telling quality is mediocre. It is not too bad but it's not that compelling either. I wouldn't have finished reading this book had I not felt obligated to review it for Orbit. Dragging at times. Annoying at times. Character development would have been good if not for the main protagonist. It seems that everybody else was very well done. Even the bad guys. The main female protagonist is just this shade of stupid. If you take her out of the equation, the character development would have garnered a 5 out of 5. As it is, I would give it a 4 out of 5. The ending was good. A happy ending. Our heroes saved the world and more bad guys are coming. A 4 out of 5. The title this time though made sense compared to book 1 where I wondered why it was titled Iron Hunt. It did not seem to relate to the story. But maybe one of you can tell me.... Overall, this book is not that bad, but it is not a masterpiece either.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 cherries


I would like to thank Orbit for the review copy of Darkness Calls received!

Guest Post: STEPHANIE DRAVEN & Giveaway

Little Known Facts About the Daughter of Ares

Ares, God of War, was known to the Greeks as “the bane of mankind, all crusted in blood."

But it’s a little known fact that he was apparently also quite the family man. Ares not only had numerous progeny, but he wasn’t a neglectful father. He liked to ride into battle with his kids. I guess he thought, the family that slays together stays together!

You may have heard of his twin sons, the charioteers, Phobos and Deimos. Then there were the Amazons, all his famous butt-kicking daughters. But you may not have heard of Kyra, the nymph of the underworld, who is Ares’ most rebellious daughter, and the heroine of my debut novel, Poisoned Kisses. So to help you get to know her a little better, I’ve assembled this list of little known facts about her:

She collects gravestones. As a nymph of the underworld, Kyra has lost many mortal friends and lovers. She can see the shades of the dead, and converse with them, but it's never the same as when they were alive. Since she's been around for thousands of years, she's taken it upon herself to collect the headstones of people she knew. People that the world has forgotten. She keeps them in her apartment with pots of asphodel flowers.

She hates angels. Until people started believing in angels, lampades like Kyra were responsible for guiding souls into the underworld. Now that angels have taken over her cosmic portfolio, Kyra has a hard time finding a place in the modern world. She's convinced that it's those little winged cherubs that are to blame.

She loves explosions. As a daughter of Ares, Kyra has more than a little battle-lust in her veins. As much as she'd love to deny it, a fiery grenade blast turns her on, and her relationship with the hero starts with a bang!

She hates to fly. Sure, Kyra is a dagger wielding immortal with the power to make mortals see whatever she wants them to see, but put her in an airplane and she goes white with fear. A plane crash won't kill her, but Kyra doesn't feel as if she belongs in the sky, above the mortal world. She's a dark nymph of the underworld, meant to reside with men and their shades. Just her luck to fall in love with a man who can pilot cargo planes.

Her Ringtone is a Funeral Dirge. Kyra guides souls into the underworld. A funeral dirge sounds positively cheery to her ears!

And speaking of music, I made a nice soundtrack for my dark debut novel, and I'd love to hear what you think of it!

Stephanie's website: www.stephaniedraven.com

Giveaway:
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Poisoned Kisses by Stephanie Draven

About Poisoned Kisses:

It's not easy to be a Daddy's Girl when your father is Ares, Greek God of War. As a nymph of the underworld, Kyra has made it the mission of her very long life to thwart her father and all those who serve him. To answer her calling in the modern world, she intends to assassinate a notorious shape-shifting arms dealer. To get close enough to kill him, Kyra pretends to be the woman he once loved, but Marco Kaisaris isn't the monster Kyra thinks he is--and even if he doesn't break her heart, he may still be the death of her.

Source: Info in the About Poisoned Kisses was taken from Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8531289-poisoned-kisses on 15/08/2010.

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