Book Review: Dreamfever

Dreamfever (Fever #4)
Karen Marie Moning

Release Date: August 18, 2009

Book Description:
MacKayla Lane lies naked on the cold stone floor of a church, at the mercy of the erotic Fae master she once swore to kill. Far from home, unable to control her sexual hungers, MacKayla is now fully under the Lord Master’s spell.…In New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning’s stunning new novel, the walls between human and Fae worlds have come crashing down. And as Mac fights for survival on Dublin’s battle-scarred streets, she will embark on the darkest—and most erotically charged—adventure of her life.

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.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
In light of Saint Patrick's Day, it seemed appropriate to share my thoughts (so far) on the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning, which I've been enthusiastically reading for the past month. Happy, happy! *winks* 
 
Caution: If you are not into epic cliffhangers DO NOT READ this series! Cause OMfG - fecking cliffhangers are really starting to annoy - lucky for me - I'm so late to this series that 9 of the series books are already published (i.e. no wait time for me to discover W T F happens next).

Now that we got this over with... Finally!!! I'm so, so happy to see Mac thinking for herself and doing some a$$ kicking, at least occasionally. Don't get me started on the whole repercussion of the previous book's cliffhanger though; at least Mac got some special skills for her ordeal - I guess... *(Btw, so sorry for swearing so much, it is so not like me at all, but having spent half the night reading, only to discover that at 87% in, I was at the end of the book, not 2-3 chapters away from it -- I do not have other tools to express all the feels this book left me with.)* Which brings me to our favorite anti-hero *read: jerk*, - Jericho Barrons, who makes me want to throttle him with every entitled comment of his! He makes me so, so mad, with all the omissions and mysterious aura, but I do love to hate/love him - he's such a fascinating although frustrating character.

Book Review: Magic Burns

Magic Burns (Kate Daniels #2)
Ilona Andrews

Release Date: April 2008

Book Description:

Down in Atlanta, tempers – and temperatures – are about to flare…

As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels has seen her share of occupational hazards. Normally, waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. Now Kate’s going to have to deal with problems on a much bigger scale: a divine one.

When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta’s paramilitary clan of shapeshifters, she quickly realizes much more at stake. During a flare, gods and goddesses can manifest – and battle for power. The stolen maps are only the opening gambit in an epic tug-of-war between two gods hoping for rebirth. And if Kate can’t stop the cataclysmic showdown, the city may not survive…

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
I don't know if I'm quite sold on Kate Daniels and the whole UF genre is not quite my thing, but I'm intrigued and look forward to reading more from the dynamic author duo of Andrew and Ilona Gordon.

Magic Burns is the second book in the series and I happened to get this one on audio, which in turn slightly affected my opinion of the story. The narrator - Renée Raudman does a decent job, but her inflections often felt exaggerated and forced. I also found some of the voices and accents that she employed to portray certain characters take something away from their appeal for me. It is unfortunate, but narrators can truly affect your perception of the book.

Book Review: Clean Sweep

Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles #1)
Ilona Andrews

Release Date: December 2, 2013

Book Description:
On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.

And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night....Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
Light hearted and refreshing Clean Sweep is a delightful and highly entertaining read. And I’ll be sure to add other books by the writing duo known as Ilona Andrews to my growing to-read list.

All in all, Clean Sweep is a trip! Unexpected, humorous, sarcastic and fast paced; this urban fantasy, gory details aside, had me giggling late at night. I couldn’t help but love the heroine – Dina the Innkeeper. She was feisty, determined, and self-sufficient [just the way I like my heroines to be]. Add to that a couple of impetuous alpha males, one werewolf, the other vampire; and you know there’s bound to be plenty of fun exchanges between these three [and if your thoughts immediately jump to Twilight, rest assured that these novels have very little in common]. Truly, even the ever annoying love triangle works charmingly well here, creating the needed tension between the heroine and her two would-be suitors and comrades-in-arms, as well as offering plenty of comic relief. The dialog alone was one of the bigger highlights for me; still there are plenty of other enjoyable aspects as well.

Book Review: Bloodlines

Bloodlines (Demons of Oblivion #1)
Skyla Dawn Cameron

Release Date: April 20, 2011

Book Description:
After three hundred years of unlife, vampire Zara Lain has seemingly done it all, and she's now making a living as a successful thief-turned-assassin. Her newest assignment seems simple enough--kill the aging leader of the O'Connor Coven and his only heir, and she'll have another ten million in the bank. But in the dangerous world of the supernatural, few things are ever "simple."When a massive assault decimates the continent's population of powerful witches and warlocks, and its orchestrator has vampires being hunted down and captured, Zara realizes the tables have turned and now she'll be playing the hero. Forced to join with a smart-mouthed fellow vampire, a demonologist who's also a fan of hers, a recently widowed--and frequently brooding--warlock, and her best friend's mom, Zara's grudgingly willing to do what she can to save the day. If only people would stop ruining all her outfits...

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:

“My name’s Zara. I’m strong, I’m fast, and I totally kick ass. It’s great to be me...but that means right now it sucks to be you.” Bloodlines (Kindle Locations 151-152).

Can I just say, you’ll love Zara – the snarkalicious heroine of Bloodlines. She is a kick ass vampire extraordinaire, and maybe has a bit of a habit killing off her admirers and potential boyfriends, but the girl has her reasons. Despite all, Zara is fun, adventurous and awesome in all senses, she is definitely someone I would want to hang out with.

Book Review: City of Bones

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)
Cassandra Clare

Release Date: March 27, 2007

Book Description:
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
Okay… finally done! It was a bit of a struggle, but I’ve done it. I practically had to force myself through the first half, and then read the second half in one sitting. Go figure. All in all though, I feel disappointed, underwhelmed and annoyed. I had such high hopes and expectations, since everyone talked about The Mortal Instruments so highly, that I expected to enjoy it immensely and what I’ve found did not impress. Don’t take it to heart dear friends, if you don’t agree with my opinion – I still love and value you and your recommendations, but this book was not for me. And, let me tell you why… [For those, unfamiliar with the novel, beware: mild spoilers ahead!]

Book Review: Strange Fates

Strange Fates (Nyx Fortuna #1)
Marlene Perez

Release Date: March 19, 2013

Book Description:
The first in a line of three exciting new urban fantasy novels blending elements of Greek myth and forbidden romance against the backdrop of Minnesota's magical underworld.
Brooding, leather jacket-wearing Nyx Fortuna looks like a 20-something, and has for centuries now. As the son of the forgotten fourth Fate, Lady Fortuna, he has been hunted his entire life by the three Sisters of Fate that murdered his mother.
Fed up and out for revenge, Nyx comes to Minneapolis following a tip that his aunts have set up a business there. His goal to bring down his mother's killers and retrieve the thread of fate that has trapped him in the body of a twenty year old unable to age or die.
But when a chance meeting with the mysterious, dangerous and very mortal Elizabeth Abernathy throws off his plans, he must reconcile his humanity and his immortality.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
Egalley courtesy of Orbit Books/Hachette Book Group via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Nyx Fortuna is the son of Lady Fortuna murdered at the hands of her sisters – Fates. Nyx sets out on a mission to avenge his mother and find an end to his own immortality. Tired of being constantly on the run, he is finally ready to face his ominous aunts, who have hunted him since his mother’s death. But, to put his plan in motion, Nyx needs to get close to his enemies. Thus, he comes to Minnesota [of all places to find Greek mythological figures], where the Fates have taken residence and spawned a business empire, where among other things they produce the nectar of the gods, banned by the magical underworld. The nectar, also known as ambrosia can help prolong the life of the mortal, with an exception of unfortunate side effect of making one go mad and die an agonizing death. But then, have the Fates developed a new formula? And what’s with the sudden appearance of the girl – Elizabeth, who is a ringer for Nyx’s dead ex-girlfriend?