Review: The Cassandra Palmer Series

Cassandra Palmer Series
Author: Karen Chance

I've Read:
1. Touch the Dark
2. Claimed by Shadow
3. Embrace the Night

Summary: Cassandra Palmer has been in hiding for three years since she escaped Antonio, the master vampire who raised her after he had her parents killed when she was only four. A gifted clairvoyant, Cassandra was Antonio's useful tool until she discovered his complicity in her parents' deaths and fled his estate. Tony has finally caught up with her, but he isn't the only one.

I bought my the first Cassie Palmerbook this summer, then the next two in the fall. Since then I have ran across some odd comments about the books ranging from "boring" to "too complicated". I can only imagine that these readers picked up the book but weren't fans of the genre perhaps? I'll give you my opinion and you can be the judge.

I would consider the Cassie Palmerbooks Urban Fantasy, a little like Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. Yes, a lot is going on from page one of the first book. Cassie's life is complicated. Karen Chance has created a world for her that is full of dangerous and sexy good guys and bad guys, some whom you can't really tell which side they will jump to at any given moment. Black and white are not often the colors of choice in her world. That would be too simple and much less fun.
Elvis has performed at Dante's, a club we experience with Cassie many times in the books. No, the books don't take place in the 1960's or 70's. Elvis is a zombie entertainer at the club. Go figure. Shrunken heads call out food orders in the restaurant too. All is never as it seems. There are ghosts, vamps, mages, zombies and fae, among other things. Some real. Some fake. These books are fast paced with action scenes galore, including time travel.

Cassie is a reluctant heroine who is only now learning what she can do with her mad skills. She doesn't know who she can trust because it changes in a split second. She's creative, kind-hearted, loyal to those who earn it, and has a sarcastic wit. She takes things as they are thrown at her and uses whatever and whomever she can to get those around her out of harm's way.

I will say that you DO have to pay attention when reading these books. There are a lot of details, but that's what makes Cassie's world so cool. It's never dull. I would recommend this book to those who love urban fantasy similar to the Dresden Files or Kim Harrison's books. It's a fast paced, fun read with a lot of action.

Extra Notes: Yes, there is sex, but it's not over the top or excessive for those who like to be forewarned. Reading the books in order is a must.

To Read Chapter One go here: http://www.karenchance.com/books2.html

~Moonsanity

Review: Ecstasy: The Shadowdwellers

Ecstasy: The Shadowdwellers
Author: Jacquelyn Frank
Publisher: Zebra
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages

Summary: Among the Shadowdwellers, Trace holds power that some as willing to kill for. Without a stranger's aid, one rival would surely have succeeded, but Trace's brush with death is less surprising to him than his reaction to the beautiful, fragile human who heals him. By rights, Trace should hardly even register Ashla's existence within the realms of Shadowscape, but instead he is drawn to everything about her - her innocence, her courage, and her lush, sensual heat.

I bought my first Jacquelyn Frank book because of recommendations from fans of J.R. Ward. I like stories of tortured heroes and heroines who heal each other through their love. I'm a sap like that. I also enjoy erotic scenes within this context. Before I go on, I would like to say that perhaps I should have started with her earlier series, The Nightwalkers. I did find out that one of those characters showed up in this book, so their is some connection.

I had a hard time getting through this book to my dismay. I wanted to like it. Oddly, I found myself liking the side characters more than Trace and Ashla, the main characters. The erotic scenes seemed to pop up almost as if plugged into the plot, rather than working within it, if that makes sense. The world of the Shadowdwellers was interesting, but I felt it was confusing at times, almost as if there weren't enough details in the beginning.

Towards the end of the book I did start getting more of a feel for the characters and their personalities. I felt Ashla wasn't developed enough. She went from shy, confused and beaten down to feisty and sarcastic a little too quickly.

I don't think I will continue this series, but I do have to admit I wish I'd started with her Nightwalkers series first. That may have been part of my problem with this book. If anyone has feedback on this please leave a comment.

You can read Chapter 1 on the author's website here.



~Moonsanity

What's Happening This Week

Last week was crazy to say the least with high school final exams, three Thanksgiving feasts, teens invading my home like loud, food consuming shape shifters who never sleep and one 9 year old begging me to get out Christmas decorations. The extra teens are gone, my teens are done with exams, the feasts are finished and we have the Christmas decorations in place. Whew. Maybe now I won't fall asleep after reading two pages!

I've received some very cool books in the mail but missed In the Mailbox this week. so I'll just write a big recap of what's been dropped off at my house.

First, I won these great books:

-Crystal Clear Storm Ryder by Dana Warryck (Signed!) from Bitten by Books.

-Deathwish (Signed!) by Rob Thurman in a cool, quickie contest she had on her blog.

-Halfway to the Grave (Signed!) by Jeaniene Frost in another quickie contest from her blog. (I'm really excited because I gave my copy to my husband to read and he left it in the bathroom where it was drenched with water from someones shower. No one would 'fess up. NO ONE touches this copy but ME.)

-Stakes & Stilettos by Michelle Rowen from Enchanted by Books. (I also won a copy of Tall, Dark & Fangsome last week, so I'll wait for that one to read them both.)

-Bitter Night by Diana Francis from The Book Tree blog. She has a cool interview with the author here.

Now, I realize those are awesome books, but I went a little crazy on Paperback Swap and these came in the mail:

Heart of the Dragon (Atlantis, Bk 1)
Undead and Unwed (Queen Betsy, Bk 1)
Destiny Kills (Myth and Magic, Bk 1)
The Turning (Blood Ties, Bk 1)
The Taste of Night (Second Sign of the Zodiac, Bk 2)
Full Moon Rising (Riley Jenson, Guardian, Bk 1)
When Darkness Comes (Guardians of Eternity, Bk 1)

You can see that I am starting out quite a few series that I haven't read before. I will review the books I've won first, then move on to the others.

I'm also VERY excited that I'll be participating in my first blog tour in December, and a second one as well.

~Moonsanity

Musical Interlude: Three Days Grace

This week's Musical Interlude is from Three Days Grace. In honor of our shape shifting friends in so many of our favorite books I give you Animal I Have Become.



~Moonsanity

Series Review: Night Huntress Novels

Night Huntress Series
Author: Jeaniene Frost

Halfway to the Grave (Book 1)
One Foot in the Grave (Book 2)
At Grave's End (Book 3)
Destined for an Early Grave (Book 4)

Publisher: Avon
Available from Amazon

Summary: Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father—the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.

Notes: The series should be read in order to really appreciate the plots in each book. I bought the books from Amazon and read them in order, including the shorts. I also recently won a signed copy of the first book from Jeaniene Frost's blog.

The Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost is the first series I read after discovering and reading the Twilight books last fall. Though I had been a huge fan of vampire and paranormal movies and television for a long time, I had never ventured into urban fantasy books. The horror, science fiction and fantasy genre are all favorites of mine, but somehow I had skipped over paranormal romance and urban fantasy. It was an entire new world for me. Where to begin? I remember seeing a quote that said the Night Huntress novels were like an R rated Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The idea of books with Joss Whedon humor, and maybe even vamps as sexy as Spike and Angel was too much to resist. I was not disappointed.

Jeaniene Frost has a wicked sarcastic sense of humor. Where she comes up with the scenes in her books is beyond me. She mixes action that keeps you on the edge of your seat, with romance that makes you grab the arm of your chair and hang on until you can stop holding your breath. I kid you not. When, and I so hope you do, read her books you will understand when I say that Chapter 32 of One Foot in the Grave is the stuff legends are made of.

I do want to caution certain readers about a few things. Jeaniene Frost pulls no punches on the violent world of vamps and ghouls. Also, there are erotic scenes in her books, but for me, they are part of Cat's life, her world. To NOT have scenes about her introduction to love and sex would mean we really wouldn't understand who she is. They aren't the focus of the stories however, but they are a part of them. I don't want to give any details, or spoilers. Part of the joy in reading the Night Huntress books is in the surprises, because there are many and they are HUGE.

Jeaninene Frost is not writing a series for young adults, I wouldn't recommend these to any one not of college age. To really get a feel for the series, read the first chapter of Halfway to the Grave here: http://www.jeanienefrost.com/halfway-to-the-grave.html .

~Moonsanity

A Teen's Tale #1: The Boy Who Forgot

Mike ran out the door after his brother Chuck on a dark, cold morning. They had almost missed the bus again, so they were running down the driveway before the driver slammed the door and drove off without them. Mike thought "Man, it is fricking dark out here. I can't see crap.". He tripped a couple more times, and finally sat down in his seat. As he sat there he realized it was quiet. It's NEVER quiet on the bus. What the hell was going on? He had his eyes closed because he was so tired. Finally he hears:

"Mike?" spoken softly by his brother Chuck.

"Yeah, what Chuck? I'm trying to nod off here, you know.", spit out Mike.

"Okay, but I have to ask you something. Where is your head?" he whispered.

"My head? What the hell are you talking about?" Mike yelled.

"You have no head. It's like it fell off your neck or something. Man, this is REALLY freaky." said Chuck.

Mike tried to open his eyes, and nothing happened. He tried again. Nothing. He slowly reached his hands up to where his head was suppose to be. Wait a fricking minute, he thought, "I was talking to Chuck wasn't I?"

"Chuck?" he whispered.

"Yeah, Mike, what?" he replied softly.

"You can hear me, so how I can be without a head?"

"Well, it's kind of weird, but I'm hearing you in my head."

"Oh."

He realized then that all he could hear was Chuck's "voice", but nothing else. No head. No Ears. No Head. No mouth. Damn, his mom was SO going to kill him.

"Mike, mom just called me and said I had to tell you something." whispered Chuck.

"Great. Was she mad?" questioned Mike.

"Well, she was actually giggling. But you know mom, she's always had a warped sense of humor.", Chuck answered.

Chuck snickered, but it had an edge of hysteria in it, as he told Mike:

"She wanted me to tell you, word for word that "I KNEW one day you would leave your head at home. Didn't I always tell you that you would forget your head if it wasn't attached? Now get your butt back home and let me attach your head to your body. Geesh, Michael, what am I going to do with you?"

Mike thought to himself, "Moms. Why do they always have to know everything? It really sucks."
Written by B. Hyde, inspired by her 15 year old.

Review: Some Girls Bite

Some Girls Bite: A Chicagoland Vampires Novel
Author: Chloe Neill
Trade Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: NAL Trade

Summary: Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was Merit’s. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker—and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.

I've been following Chloe Neill's blog for a little while now, but I hadn't been able to pick up her first book until last week. I knew it would be witty and entertaining, but I didn't expect it to be thought provoking. I'm not sure if the cover mislead me, or if it was something I may have read about the book along the way. Some Girls Bite IS witty, but it also has elements involving friendship, loyalty, family, love and desire. We meet the characters, make a few guesses and then find out we are SO wrong. I laughed a lot, but my heart also broke for Merit, and I was on the edge of my seat as her decisions were made. The author made her characters come alive for me.

Merit is her own person because she's had to fight against family expectations her entire life. Her grandfather, a retired cop, and her roommate are really her only emotional support. Her life is turned upside down, and shaken up like a chocolate malt, but without the malted goodness. Suddenly she's got vamps who want her body, her loyalty and her frig is stocked with bags of blood. She's not having a good time, and the surprises just keep coming.

I highly recommend Some Girls Bite for fans of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. I can't wait to read the second book Friday Night Bites and see what happens to Merit and her friends next.

You can read the first chapter and a deleted scene here: http://chloeneill.com/sgb.htm

Chloe Neill's blog is a great read too. It's here: http://chloeneill.blogspot.com/

~Moonsanity