Interest in Book

I have just loved the hell out of this series. I honestly thought it was over with Alexander Death, but then Jeff surprised us with a fourth book that really impressed me! It was great to be back in the presence of these incredible characters, and to see them all in a very new light.

World-Building

Holy awesome to the sauce and back in the pot to swim around in the awesome, Batman! It’s no secret that J.L. Bryan has really blown me away with his world-building skills. Mad skillz, yo. He takes the ending of The Paranormal’s journey to an entirely new level in Jenny Plague-Bringer. The remaining paranormals have disseminated across the world after the chaos in the last book. Two new paranormals are introduced, and with their presence, we are transported back to World War 2 Germany, and granted front row seats to the previous lives of the group. I cannot express the utter awesomeness of these flashbacks! Not only was the time period and setting beautifuly written, but the eerie similarity to present day activities was thrilling and interesting. I was completely enthralled.

Characters

The gang is back, in some time period or another. I don’t have much to add to characterization from previous books, other than it was incredible to be back in their lives. Some make extreme sacrifices, others surprised me with their actions. Still others are back to their douchebaggery ways. All the characters are, as always, larger than life. The good guys struggled intensely as their free will was ripped from their grasp. The bad guys were forced to face scenarios from which they assumed they were safe. It was great to see such a mixture of crazy happening to everyone! I think the character who was most different to me was Jenny. She is far from that timid, nervous little girl we met in Jenny Pox. She has morphed into this strong, self-sacrificing young woman who is fiercely protective of innocent people and those she loves.

Lasting Impressions

This is definitely, without a doubt, my favorite installment in The Paranormals series. I loved the flashbacks and felt the world was expanded as we witnessed a different time period and new (old?) obstacles for the gang to hurdle. It was chaotic and fantastic. The bad guys were AWESOME, as always. I truly love Jeff’s villains. I also love his good guys, too. And his world-building. And…all of it. A favorite series all the way through!

Favorite Quote

 ”Do we need anything else?”

“Wine. You keep forgetting to buy it. And bourbon for the eggnog, if you want to get lucky tonight.” He winked at her. “It could lower my inhibitions.”

“Seth, you don’t have inhibitions.”

• Tags: J.L. Bryan, Jenny Pox, Made of Awesome•

Amaliya Vezorak never believed in happy endings…

When Amaliya harnessed her necromancer powers to defeat her greatest enemy, she believed she had finally found a happy ending with Cian, her lover and the master of Austin. That happiness is short-lived when the vampire ruling over San Antonio attempts a takeover of Austin in order to capture Amaliya and use her power for his own devices.

To make matters worse, Samantha, Cian’s ex-fiancée, is seeing ghosts, the untested vampire hunters of Austin are running scared as a supernatural war looms, a mysterious man is hunting Amaliya with the help of her one time lover, Pete, and Rachoń, the Summoner’s favorite progeny, appears to be out for revenge.

When Amaliya’s grandmother, a powerful medium, experiences terrible visions that reveal there is another necromancer vampire and she is crying out for help, Amaliya realizes happy endings do not come easily…

Interest in Book

After the ending in Pretty When She Dies, I definitely needed to know where the story would take Amaliya and Cian. The book ended on a good note, but there was a lot left up in the air. And, in true Frater form, she doesn’t make it easy on her characters or readers!

World-Building

The world-building just gets me all giddy and excited in this series! I think Rhiannon is pretty masterful at this process, but I just love the little twist she throws into a seemingly normal, gritty vampire tale. Cian rehashes his vampiric history and I truly loved the lore expansion. We are introduced to a were coyote, a dhampir and a witch, and Samantha gets more than she bargained for when she decided to hang out on the wild side. The world expands nicely, but it doesn’t make your head spin. And we get a taste of Amaliya’s new life and powers right along with her. What an experience!

Characters

Rhiannon introduced more POVs during this installment, with many interconnecting story lines. Some of the characters are very tricky and treacherous. The bad guys are seriously bad, yet some might surprise you. Some characters make you laugh out loud, some make you sob, and others make your heart soar with love. Rhiannon has incredible characterization skills. She can build relationships up, break them down, smack them around and reel them back in. There is a lot of grey area with her characters, which keeps both the characters and the readers on their toes.

There was some growth with all of the main characters. Amaliya is learning more about what she is and controlling the power she possesses. Cian is opening up to the idea of expanding his family. Samantha’s life becomes overwhelming and unbearable  but with the help of her friends, she’s able to gain control. I think this leads to some soul-searching and compassion-feeling, and Samantha’s characters becomes a little less annoying. She does, however, have quite the mouth on her and she made me laugh numerous times. As did Eduardo, a new addition to the story who has eyes all over Amaliya. Amaliya plays it up, which makes Cian squirm. Fun times.

Lasting Impressions

The ending was an epic WTF and I just loved how it all played out. I truly love this series! It’s gritty and entertaining. There is a lot of action, great lore and great smexy time! There is heart-break, revelations, soul-searching, romance and ass-kicking! It’s got a little bit of everything that makes a book fun to read.

• Tags: Pretty When She..., Rhiannon Frater•

Amaliya wakes under the forest floor, disoriented, famished and confused. She digs out of the shallow grave and realizes she is hungry...

... in a new, horrific, unimaginable way...

Sating her great hunger, she discovers that she is now a vampire, the bloodthirsty creature of legend. She has no choice but to flee from her old life and travels across Texas. Her new hunger spurs her to leave a wake of death and blood behind her as she struggles with her new nature.

All the while, her creator is watching. He is ancient, he is powerful, and what's worse is that he's a necromancer. He has the power to force the dead to do his bidding. Amaliya realizes she is but a pawn in a twisted game, and her only hope for survival is to seek out one of her own kind.

But if Amaliya finds another vampire, will it mean her salvation... or her death?

Interest in Book

Firstly, it’s Rhiannon Frater. That should really be enough. Secondly, it’s Rhiannon Frater’s take on vampires. I knew going into this book I would get the darker side of vampires, but wow. I got so much more than I expected. In true Frater fashion, the opening of this book will grab you and plant your ass in a seat until it’s had its way with you. And it will be rough, so hold on to your skivvies…

World-Building

I love Rhiannon Frater’s brain. When the zombie apocalypse occurs, and if this incredible author should perish at the teeth and/or claws of zombies, I sure hope they leave her brain intact. A lot to ask for, I know, but I would preserve it in the Museum of Awesomesauce Awesomeness, of which I will be the Curator of Awesome. Am I getting through to you? Good. Now that my zany personality has your attention, I would want to preserve her brain because we need to learn from it. Dissect it and welcome all the treasures inside. Ha. You thought I was finished babbling. Sucka!

So really where I’m going with this is that Rhiannon’s world-building always leaves me satisfied. Like a good piece of chocolate, ya know? This world isn’t so different from our own, aside from the fact that paranormal creatures are your neighbors in Amaliya’s world. What I loved most about the world-building was how Rhiannon took a story about a newly turned vampire and added a nice dose of necromancy on top, just to keep it interesting. Amaliya’s sire is a serious threat to mankind and the mystery and danger surrounding his character kept the intensity-level sky high. Amaliya is connected to him more deeply than she imagined, yet he is also surprised by how deep that connection goes.

Characters

Amaliya’s dealt a shitty hand when her throat is ripped out during a sneaky coffee date. Her pursuer leaves her in a shallow grave, only to rise again a few nights later with no recollection of how she got there, and one hell of a rumbling tummy. As one would expect, things just go downhill from there. Amaliya is thrust into the vampire life with no assistance, no knowledge, no guide. She has to deal with her asshole father and his clan, whose reactions to Amaliya’s new nature were very realistic. She has to figure things out for herself, which puts those around her in danger. Luckily, she finds herself in Austin, TX, the home to vampire master Cian, who was, in no way, expecting Amaliya to sashay into his life. She turns his life upside down and inside out, and he likes it so good. I love Rhiannon writing some sexy time! Cian and Amaliya’s romps were just the right amount of umph and ahhh. Totally hot without being over the top raunchy.

Amaliya’s grandmother, Innocente, will grab your heart and squeeze it. She is an amazing character, with the ferocity of a thousand army ants in your pants. I did not find her reaction to Amaliya’s new self very realistic, but as I got to know more about Innocente, things fell into place.  Cian’s girlfriend pre-Amaliya, Samantha, was a wacky bitch with a sassy mouth. She’s going to be fun, I can just tell!  I demand more! I also love that Rhiannon gives such life to animals in her books. The few moments that Samantha’s cat, Beatrice, graced the pages were so hilarious.

Lasting Impressions

Awesome, of course. Need more? Ok. When Amaliya finally comes to terms with what she is, a major curve ball is thrown and she needs to slide into home quickly or the ref will be sending her ass back to the dark side.  The villain is a tricky, malicious, evil bastard who made me squee with glee. I loved him in all his evil glory. A really well-written villain who has many tricks up his sleeve. So read the book. And then the rest of the series. I just know it will fulfill my need for dark vampires, vengeance and a good laugh or two.

• Tags: Pretty When She..., Rhiannon Frater•

Duty. Devotion. Desire. When fate brings two isolated people together, love is in the cards.
As a palace guard and assassin for the Dark Fae, Xanthe always wore a mask, hiding her emotions to do her duty. But when her identity is compromised, she trades undercover work for guarding Queen Niniane—a position that often brings her in contact with Chancellor Aubrey Riordan.

Aubrey’s trust is shattered. A year ago his wife tried to assassinate their new queen in his name, a betrayal of everything he believes in. And now an attack on his life is proof the dark conspiracy is not yet over. Although injured and weak, Aubrey can’t help but be drawn to this shy assassin and loyal protector. Xanthe is everything Naida wasn’t, and the passion she stirs in him is something he thought had long passed him by.

Warning: Take a man recovering from an assassination attempt, the assassin sworn to protect him, add in a magical Tarot card deck and an isolated cabin, and watch the sparks fly!

I love Thea Harrison‘s Elder Races series. I truly, truly do. It’s magical, full of amazing world-building, characters that light up the pages, and intense, passionate romance. All of the full-length books and novellas have been a sheer joy to experience. One of the most well-crafted paranormal worlds ever, and the romance is just incredible. If you have not experienced this writer’s talent yet, get with the frakin program!

That being said, of all the amazing pieces of fiction set in the Elder Races world, this novella is my favorite so far. The world-building was minimal, but the love story was one of the most beautiful I’ve ever read. I was touched beyond belief as I watched Aubrey and Xanthe’s love blossom and consume them. Seeing as she had to care for him while his body recovered from a brutal attack, it was only a matter of time before their close quarters brought them closer together. It happened so naturally, so beautifully. Their reactions and inhibitions and emotions were so realistic and palpable. On the lighter side, I loved when Aubrey playfully teased Xanthe after he realized that she had a crush on him. And I love how he occasionally slipped out of his political role and said Fuck. It made me laugh just as much as Xanthe. It’s really hard not to love these two.

Of course, it did not hurt that Tiago, sexy beast that he is, had a few scenes. I sure do miss him, and he hasn’t changed a bit. Always professional, but still putty in Niniane’s hands. Heh. And they don’t call Niniane Tricks for nothing. That’s all I have to say about that!

And girl created boy…

In the beginning, there was an apple—

And then there was a car crash, a horrible injury, and a hospital. But before Evening Spiker’s head clears a strange boy named Solo is rushing her to her mother’s research facility. There, under the best care available, Eve is left alone to heal.

Just when Eve thinks she will die—not from her injuries, but from boredom—her mother gives her a special project: Create the perfect boy.

Using an amazingly detailed simulation, Eve starts building a boy from the ground up. Eve is creating Adam. And he will be just perfect... won’t he?

Interest in Book

I won this book during ArmchairBEA. I had not even heard of it, but the title and book cover interested me so much that I didn’t even need to read the synopsis. I’m not sure that I ever did.  ”And girl created boy…” was surely going to provide some thought-provoking content, and I was right. 

World-Building

This book appears to be set in present day, though I thought it was futuristic due to the apparent advances in technology. Terra Spiker owns Spiker Biopharmaceuticals, a multi-billion dollar biotech company. Her scientific teams have cured diseases and are held in high esteem around the scientific community. She is pretty much Queen Bee in the scientific/medical communities and will refuse anything short of that title and respect.

The book opens up with a grisly scene that catapults Evening, Terra’s daughter, into a whole lot of reality, and propels the reader right into the story. I LOVE when books open with HOLY SHIT! scenes. When you can grip a reader like that from the beginning, you also have to keep us interested. For the most part, the book did just that.  I enjoyed the scientific aspects greatly, especially when science and creationism clash in epic ways. The ramifications and WTFs of this world keep you turning the page!  I think my only issue was with the ending, which did not go in a direction I was expecting, and it was all a bit dull for me.

Characters

Being the teenage daughter of “Terror” Spiker has its pros and cons. I’m not sure if Eve would be able to identify any pros at this point in her life, but her mother sure would! She uses her power and influence to remove Eve from the ICU immediately after a horrendous injury. Terra claims her company’s technological advances are far better for her daughter’s prognosis, and whisks her away to her own hospital in the Spiker Biopharmaceuticals complex. This makes sense if your mom has such resources, but the way Terra reacted during that scene was so cold and scientific. Not at all like a mother would be acting in such a scenario! My antennae went up and I wondered about this woman’s real motives from there on out.

Accompanying Eve in the ambulance, since her mother could not fathom being enclosed in a space laden with micro beasties, is Solo, a Spiker employee. Solo is a bit too young to be fully employed by her mother. He’s a lackey, given the crap jobs and no one really pays much attention to him. He also lives at the complex, which immediately makes you wonder about his family.  He slowly reveals himself to Eve throughout the story and helps her puzzle together some serious reality checks. SERIOUS. It’s pretty easy to adore Solo, even though he comes off as less appealing at first. Being who I am, I immediately thought about the causal factors for his actions and words, and by the end of it all, I was cheering for him.

While Eve is recovering in the SB complex, her mother puts her to work: create the perfect man. Of course, she provides Eve with a very advanced technological program in which to carry out this interesting, and entertaining task. Eve names her creation Adam and feels proud of what she has created. She pays great attention to the details – personality traits, intelligence, appearance, biological components like metabolism, prone to acne, diabetes. It was a fascinating look into genetics and really makes you think about what represents perfection to you.

Of course, Eve has absolutely no clue just how important Adam will become in her future…

Lasting Impressions 

I enjoy multiple POVs when they are done well, and this book made me happy. It also made me think. Lots of questions about genetic modification, survival of the fittest, creating the perfect human and playing God come to mind. As a society, we are hell bent on perfection, when the sad fact of the matter is, perfection is unattainable because what is perfect to one person is not perfect to another. As a whole, society will never, ever reach perfection because of the vast differences each person embodies.What we should focus more of our energies on is happiness and acceptance. I will never be a size 6. I will never have thin legs. I will never have big eyes. I will never have the IQ of my husband. I will never be as spontaneous as he is, either. I have a bit of a controlling side, think I’m right more than I am, and can be a bit of a firecracker with a sharp tongue. I am ok with this because I have a lot of other things that I am happy with, both physical, mental and emotional. We have to stop searching for the perfect this or that, and start focusing on what we have and how it adds to our lives.

*steps off soapbox*

• Tags: Katherine Applegate, Michael Grant•