Review: DOUBLETAKE

Doubletake by Rob Thurman
Book 7 of the Cal Leandros series
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: paperback

About Doubletake:

Half-human/half-monster Cal Leandros knows that family is a pain. But now that pain belongs to his half-brother, Niko. Niko's shady father is in town, and he needs a big favor. Even worse is the reunion being held by the devious Puck race - including the Leandros' friend, Robin - featuring a lottery that no Puck wants to win.

As Cal tries to keep both Niko and Robin from paying the ultimate price for their kin, a horrific reminder from Cal's own past arrives to remind him that blood is thicker than water - and that's why it's so much more fun to spill.

Source: Info in the About Doubletake was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11473820-doubletake on 03/10/2012.

My Thoughts:

I've waited for a long time for this book. When my pre-order did not come I tried buying it again but amazon keeps sending me this stupid excuses about changed delivery estimate dates, la di bla di bla... I emailed Rob Thurman and she said it was due to the fact that the UK publisher was releasing the book several months after the US release date and that UK retail outlets are obliged to comply with the UK publisher including amazon UK. What bullshit!! So I have to order on the internet from a US seller on exorbitant mailing charges and wait two months for it to arrive!! And then, when I finally got it.... I don't know if anybody noticed but I had this book in my "Reading" widget in the sidebar for the longest time. And it was that long that it took me to read this book. For some reason my mind wanders when I start reading this book and then I have to find the motivation to pick the book up again. That is really strange for me because I am an old Rob Thurman fan and most specially, a die-hard fan of the Cal Leandros series. And probably the same reason why I am a Supernatural TV series fan too. So I am at a loss why this book is dragging... The story is good as any Cal Leandros book is. The "family" theme that ran throughout the book was quite good. The plot is good. But for some strange reason this book dragged big time for me. However, I still enjoyed it and would give it an overall rating of 4 out of 5 (not without bias here with me being a Cal fanatic), but I wouldn't be pre-ordering Slashback (Book 8) anymore (like I did with this book).

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 3
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4.5
Ending = 4.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = 2.5
Plot = 4

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


Books in the Cal Leandros series:

In The Mail: Water Bottle, Fridge Magnets & Lipbalms

Lookie! Lookie! What Mr. Mailman brought me!

Yay! These are what I got in the mail this week: a water bottle, 2 fridge magnets and 2 lipbalms from www.cecyrobson.com! I didn't even know that I won. I received no emails. Then all of a sudden the mailman knocked on my door and handed me a package. What a pleasant surprise! So thank you to www.cecyrobson.com for hosting a contest which made it possible for me to win these fabulous prizes!! The fridge magnet which showed the book's cover art is simply fabulous!! I don't know what Cecy Robson did, but she sure is blessed by the cover art goddess....

Sealed With A Curse by Cecy Robson
Book 1 of the Weird Girls series
Genre: urban fantasy
About Sealed With A Curse:

Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other 20-something girls—with one tiny exception: they're products of a backfired curse that has given each of them unique powers that make them, well, weird… The Wird sisters are content to avoid the local vampires, werebeasts, and witches of the Lake Tahoe region—until one of them blows up a vampire in self-defense. Everyone knows vampires aren't aggressive, and killing one is punishable by death. But soon more bloodlust-fueled attacks occur, and the community wonders: are the vampires of Tahoe cursed with a plague? Celia reluctantly agrees to help Misha, the handsome leader of an infected vampire family. But Aric, the head of the werewolf pack determined to destroy Misha's family to keep the region safe, warns Celia to stay out of the fight. Caught between two hot alphas, Celia must find a way to please everyone, save everyone, and oh yeah, not lose her heart to the wrong guy—or die a miserable death. Because now that the evil behind the plague knows who Celia is, it’s coming for her and her sisters. This Wird girl has never had it so tough.

Source: Info in the About Sealed With A Curse was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14910823-sealed-with-a-curse on 22/11/2012.

WW28: THE WRATH OF ANGELS

WW28 book offering: The Wrath Of Angels by John Connolly

"Did Mr Scollay try to dissuade you from coming here?" I asked.

That is our protagonist digging for answers... and he's good at it...

About The Wrath Of Angels:

In the depths of the Maine woods, the wreckage of an aeroplane is discovered. There are no bodies, and no such plane has ever been reported missing, but men both good and evil have been seeking it for a long, long time. What the wreckage conceals is more important than money: it is power. Hidden in the plane is a list of names, a record of those who have struck a deal with the Devil. Now a battle is about to commence between those who want the list to remain secret and those who believe that it represents a crucial weapon in the struggle against the forces of darkness.

The race to secure the prize draws in private detective Charlie Parker, a man who knows more than most about the nature of the terrible evil that seeks to impose itself on the world, and who fears that his own name may be on the list. It lures others too: a beautiful, scarred woman with a taste for killing; a silent child who remembers his own death; and the serial killer known as the Collector, who sees in the list new lambs for his slaughter. But as the rival forces descend upon this northern state, the woods prepare to meet them, for the forest depths hide other secrets. Someone has survived the crash.

Something has survived the crash. And it is waiting.

©2012 John Connolly (P)2012 Hodder & Stoughton

Source: Info in the About The Wrath Of Angels was taken from http://www.audible.co.uk/pd?asin=B008RMGRTG on 02/11/2012.

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.

Today I Go Bancrupt

Today, I Go Bancrupt!

Today, three of my favouritest authors release books which of course I just have to buy. So where does that leave me? Hungry until the next payday.... but, Oh my!! What marvellous reading time!!

Cold Days by Jim Butcher
Book 14 of The Dresden Files series
Publication Date: 27 November 2012

About Cold Days:

HARRY DRESDEN LIVES!!! After being murdered by a mystery assailant, navigating his way through the realm between life and death, and being brought back to the mortal world, Harry realizes that maybe death wasn’t all that bad. Because he is no longer Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard. He is now Harry Dresden, Winter Knight to Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness. After Harry had no choice but to swear his fealty, Mab wasn’t about to let something as petty as death steal away the prize she had sought for so long. And now, her word is his command, no matter what she wants him to do, no matter where she wants him to go, and no matter who she wants him to kill. Guess which Mab wants first? Of course, it won’t be an ordinary, everyday assassination. Mab wants her newest minion to pull off the impossible: kill an immortal. No problem there, right? And to make matters worse, there exists a growing threat to an unfathomable source of magic that could land Harry in the sort of trouble that will make death look like a holiday. Beset by enemies new and old, Harry must gather his friends and allies, prevent the annihilation of countless innocents, and find a way out of his eternal subservience before his newfound powers claim the only thing he has left to call his own… His soul.

Source: Info in the About Cold Days was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12216302-cold-days on 17/11/2012.

Trapped by Kevin Hearne
Book 5 of the Iron Druid Chronicles series
Publication Date: 27 November 2012 (first publication) | 30 December 2012 (by Del Rey/US)

About Trapped:

After twelve years of secret training, Atticus O’Sullivan is finally ready to bind his apprentice, Granuaile, to the earth and double the number of Druids in the world. But on the eve of the ritual, the world that thought he was dead abruptly discovers that he’s still alive, and they would much rather he return to the grave. Having no other choice, Atticus, his trusted Irish wolfhound, Oberon, and Granuaile travel to the base of Mount Olympus, where the Roman god Bacchus is anxious to take his sworn revenge—but he’ll have to get in line behind an ancient vampire, a band of dark elves, and an old god of mischief, who all seem to have KILL THE DRUID at the top of their to-do lists.

Source: Info in the About Trapped was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13536649-trapped on 17/11/2012.

Steel's Edge by Ilona Andrews
Book 4 of The Edge series
Publication Date: 27 November 2012

About Steel's Edge:

The Edge lies between worlds, on the border between the Broken, where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is a fairy tale—and the Weird, where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny… Charlotte de Ney is as noble as they come, a blueblood straight out of the Weird. But even though she possesses rare magical healing abilities, her life has brought her nothing but pain. After her marriage crumbles, she flees to the Edge to build a new home for herself. Until Richard Mar is brought to her for treatment, and Charlotte’s life is turned upside down once again. Richard is a swordsman without peer, future head of his large and rambunctious Edger clan—and he’s on a clandestine quest to wipe out slavers trafficking humans in the Weird. So when his presence leads his very dangerous enemies to Charlotte, she vows to help Richard destroy them. The slavers’ operation, however, goes deeper than Richard knows, and even working together, Charlotte and Richard may not survive...

Source: Info in the About Steel's Edge was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12119496-steel-s-edge on 17/11/2012.

Movie Review: Breaking Dawn (Part 2)

The Twilight Saga: BREAKING DAWN (Part 2)
Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner as the most prominent of the cast. Released by Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment. Directed by Bill Condon.
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: (Watched at the cinema.)

About The Twilight Saga: BREAKING DAWN (Part 2):

After the birth of Renesmee, the Cullens gather other vampire clans in order to protect the child from a false allegation that puts the family in front of the Volturi.

Source: Info in the About The Twilight Saga: BREAKING DAWN (Part 2) was taken from http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1673434/ on 20/11/2012.

My Thoughts:

So I watched Breaking Dawn (Part 2) at the cinemas and I was happy enough with it. I am a sucker for happily ever afters (HEA) and I got what I wanted. However, I have to say that the Twilight series was just a long drawn out affair marketed dry to the very last drop. What would have been a spectaular movie experience is now a dried up husk of a beautiful thing. I could still see the beauty in it but the enjoyment is diminished by how they marketed it, as in they chopped the movie into little pieces to span several years. The Lord Of The Rings was chopped to bits but you can see there was a lot packed in every section/in every movie. And the sections makes sense, not just drawn out for the sake of marketing it out to dry, which the Twilight series was. I think I would be wary about watching films by Bill Condon next time. Maybe I'll just buy them in dvd format if they really look good. But go to the cinema again? I don't think so. I think I am one of those fans disillusioned by the movie outcome of the book largely contributed by how Bill Condon messed it up.

Kristen Stewart is very pretty which made up for her lack of acting abilities. But... the cinematographic effects was fantastic! I noticed it with Twilight (the first movie installment) and I am happy to see that it has persisted to the final movie installment of the Twilight saga! Gotta give kudos to the cinematographic team!!

At the end of it, I did enjoy the film and I would rate it a 3.5 out of 5 in terms of entertainment value.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 cherries

WW28: SHADOW OF THE SPHINX

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: Shadow Of The Sphinx by Christian Jacq

As Neferet had been called urgently to the main hospital in Memphis for a difficult operation, Pazair was feeding Mischief, his wife's little green monkey.

Presumably this Pazair is Neferet's husband and all alone... do I detect a "when-the-cat-is-away-the-mice-will-play scenario here?

About Shadow Of The Sphinx:

The time has come for the final confrontation. Appointed supreme magistrate and first minister of Egypt, Pazair and his wife Neferet must join forces against the Finance Minister, Pazair's sworn enemy, now openly presenting himself as spokesman for the conspirators who plan to overthrow Ramses the Great in order to seize supreme power. The situation appears desperate. By undermining the economy, the conspirators threaten to destroy the values which presided over the birth of Egyptian civilisation. And allies are few and far between. Where is Pazair's blood brother Suti, who has escaped from his Nubian prison? After several fruitless attempts, will the mysterious "shadow-eater" succeed in eliminating Pazair? Who is the real leader of the conspirators, the one hiding in the shadows? And who will emerge victorious from this fierce battle, on which the survival of Egypt depends?

Source: Info in the About Shadow Of The Sphinx was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62645.Shadow_of_the_Sphinx on 20/10/2012.

Review: SUPERNATURAL (SEASON 7)

SUPERNATURAL
TV series starring Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles
Season 7
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: DVD box set

About Supernatural S7:

Season 7 continues the journey of two brothers raised to be warriors by a "hunter" father to fight demons and everything evil that goes bump in the dark. This time around, their greatest threat are seemingly indestructible creatures born before humans existed and were imprisoned supposedly due to their evil natures. Now they are out and gearing up to rule the world. It is up to the Winchester brothers to make sure that the world is safe once more. But how do you fight an enemy that does not die? Out-numbered. And out-gunned... Along the way the two brothers are going to need all their strength to battle not only their big nemesis, but also loss and for survival. But the brothers realised that side by side the trials, you also gain strength in unexpected places and find little joys that count.

Source: Info in the About Supernatural S7 is my own pitch for Season 7.

My Thoughts:

When I first watched disc 1 of the 6-disc box set, it was like welcoming back old friends. It has been a long year waiting for the dvd box set to become available in the UK. And in that long year of waiting, I have also forgotten how scary the series could be and I have to get used to that all over again. Well, to some horror fanatics, Supernatural might be very tame. But to me it is scary enough. I am obviously not a horror fan. But for Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, I make an exception... Okey, I do not want to identify with Rebecca Rosen, but I totally get her obsession with the Winchester brothers! I mean, look at them! Sooooo drool worthy!! The season finale was a cliffhanger even as it also closed the season's over-arc-ing plot. But for a season finale, it wasn't a "bang", but it did close the season's plot line. And now, couldn't wait for Season 8 to become available in the UK!!

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries