Musical Interlude: Coheed and Cambria

Coheed and Cambria is one of my favorite bands because of their sound, but also their originality. Their CD's are considered concept albums. The lead singer, Claudio Sanchez, has created a science fiction storyline which he's called The Amory Wars. It's partially published in a series of comics written by Sanchez and illustrated by a couple of different illustrators. This video is from the 2003 CD. I love the vampire theme!

Blood Red Summer from In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3:



~Moonsanity

Steam Punk Dress-Up: Do You Dare?

Do we ever really grow out of playing with paper dolls? Better yet, do we ever grow out of dressing up virtual paper dolls in Steampunk themes? NO WE DON'T!

Next time you have writer's block, or just a little time on your hands head on over to play dress-up. It's free and it's fun.

First, we have the Victorian Dress-Up Doll ala Gail Carriger, author of Soulless. Don't forget the round Steampunk style glasses! http://www.orbitbooks.net/soulless/

Next we have Clockwork Couture from artist Annie Stegg, complete with moving illustrations and cool music: http://www.anniestegg.com/clockworkcouture.php

While there you can also play with the Polka Dot Pirate. She has some awesome clothing and eye patches! http://www.anniestegg.com/polkadotpirate.php

Come on, you KNOW you want to play!
~Moonsanity

Review: Intertwined

Intertwined
Author: Gena Showalter
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Harlequin

Summary: Like most teens, Aden Stone has friends. They just happen to be the four human souls living inside him.One can time travel. One can raise the dead. One can tell the future. One can possess another human. And they’re causing him all kinds of trouble. All he wants is peace.Then he meets a girl who quiets the voices, whenever he's near her. Why?

Initially, I was suppose to review Intertwined for Blog With Bite, but it took almost 2 weeks to get it from the library. Apparently, the center that bags the books for delivery to our libraries flooded! I missed the group review, but enjoyed this Young Adult book so much I had to review it.

Intertwined is a fitting title because it describes the plot perfectly in one word. The four people we are introduced to in the book are somehow connected. Why are they drawn to each other? Is it love? Physical attraction? Could there be metaphysical elements involved? That's what we find out as the plot unwinds.

Gena Showalter did a wonderful job portraying the feelings of the characters for each other without giving in to cliches or sexually explicit scenes. When I read a young adult book I always keep in the back of my mind that my 15 and 16 year old could be reading it too. I'm always hearing from older Twilight fans who are frustrated there wasn't more sex in the books. If I want sex there are oodles of adult romance books out there that will do the trick. Young adult books are just that: YOUNG adult. (I will get off my soapbox now and back on track.) Intertwined has romance, but it also has lessons for teens about the consequences of betrayal and casual sex mixed in with adventure and mystery.

The four main characters, Aden, Mary Ann, Victoria and Riley, are all struggling with who they are, and what is expected of them. They are thrown together through unexpected and difficult circumstances. Mary Ann has a 15 year plan. She thinks she knows exactly what she wants and how to get it. Anything outside her plan, even her boyfriend, is a distraction. Aden has no plans because each day is a challenge for him; to survive in a world where no one understands him. They are really at opposite ends of the spectrum, yet they are drawn together.

Intertwined has unique characters, mystery, adventure and romance. It's not just another teen romance where the author threw in a few paranormal elements within a typical young adult plot. I also loved that it's not a Twilight or Vampire Diaries copycat. While reading it I was touched by the characters and wanted them to figure out their place in life, and with each other.

I would recommend Intertwined to teens 14 and older. It does have subject matter concerning teen pregnancy and drugs. I think teens that enjoyed Twilight or any of the other paranormal teen romances would love the book. I also thought it would be equally interesting to boys or girls since most of the book is from Aden's viewpoint.

Unraveled will be the title of the next book in the series. I'm really looking forward to reading it, though I imagine it will be awhile before it's released. This is going to be a fantastic series, keeping us all on the edge of our seats.

There is a sweepstakes going on until November 16th, 2009. Go here if you haven't entered yet: http://harlequin.promo.eprize.com/intertwinedsweepstakes/ There is also an instant matching game you can play daily.

~Moonsanity

In My Mailbox: November 8th

It's time again for In My Mailbox. It was a slow week, but I had a lot of reading material from last week, so it was just as well. You can see from my reviews that I was a busy reader.

I've been waiting for almost two weeks for Intertwined by Gena Showalter and finally it came in after being "in transit" for almost the entire time. Before that it had been listed on the shelf in our county library system. I missed the group review at Blog With Bite, but I'll still review it as soon as I finish. I'm not sure what the hold up was, but at least it finally came!

I also received two books from Paperback Swap:

Ecstasy: The Shadowdwellers
by Jacquelyn Frank

Among the Shadow dwellers, 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.

The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, Book 1)
by Gena Showalter

All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member -- a man trapped in a hell of his own.

For more more In My Mailbox fun drop by The Story Siren!

~Moonsanity

Series Review: Mathesons, J. Ardian Lee

J. Ardian Lee (Julianne Ardian Lee)

1. Son of the Sword (2001)
2. Outlaw Sword (2002)
3. Sword of King James (2003)
4. Sword of the White Rose (2004)

Summary: Dylan Matheson is an ordinary guy with ordinary problems: family, girlfriend - the usual. He likes his life. He's happy living above the dojo where he teaches martial arts and swordfighting. He has a few close friends who share his interest in things ancient and Scottish. Then one day at a Medieval Faire, he sees a magnificent broadsword. He takes it in hand - and is transported to a time and place he has only read about.

I found all four of the Matheson books on BookCloseout.com, taking a chance on them because of the good price. I'm very glad I took the chance! I loved Dylan, the main character, from the beginning. He's witty, attractive, protective, passionate and he has good hygiene. This in itself is a rare thing in Scotland during the 1700's. They still sleep with their sheep in the winter, have no understanding of dental care, nutrition or sanitizing needles before sewing up wounds. Dylan has his work cut out for him if he's not only going to survive, but protect those around him.

The books are a quick read, but not superficial. I loved the historical tidbits the author wove into the story. I also thought she used humor to bring life to the characters, especially Dylan. The books have themes of love and loss, fighting for what you believe in, courage, faith and family. The author doesn't gloss over the beliefs or the harshness of living in Scotland during this time period. Many scenes are not for the faint of heart.

In case you were wondering, the Fae do make an appearance. After all, it is Scotland, how can they not? The tale of the Mathesons has romance, magic, fighting, political intrigue, history, humor and adventure. I really can't ask for more in a good historical romance.

I'd highly recommend J. Ardian Lee's books to fans of historical romance, but also those who enjoy paranormal romance and time travel. They are a great read!

You can read excerpts here: http://www.julianneardianlee.com/matheson/matheson.html

The author has a blog here: http://julianneardian.livejournal.com/

~Moonsanity

Series Review: Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles

Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles
Author: Jeanne C. Stein
Publisher: Ace

The Becoming
Blood Drive
The Watcher
Legacy
Retribution(not read yet)

I finished the fourth book of Jeanne C. Stein's Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles today. I'd read the other three over the summer, buying them from Amazon. They are all quick reads, each with its own mystery that Anna must solve, usually to save lives. First, let's talk about what the series isn't: it isn't romance, nor does it paint a light, fun picture of vampires. Anna is a "crap happens, what can I do with it now?" kind of gal. She's told how she should behave and what rules she needs to follow now that she's been turned, but Anna is stubborn. She's not just going to roll over and abandon her life. In all four books she has an ongoing struggle to keep her "humanity". While I understand Anna's plight, I do find myself frustrated that she refuses to compromise or listen to any advice from those who have been through it.

The first book is my favorite but the others kept me on the edge of my seat as well. Stein is a master with action scenes. Each one kept me guessing, and in suspense. She also knows how to twist the plot and spring surprises on the reader. That, I think, is why the books are a quick read. I don't read them at a leisurely pace.

Stein's writing is witty, often sarcastic, and some what dark. I recommend this series to those who don't expect their books to end with a "happily ever after". Anna is a work in progress, and I like reading about her, despite wanting to occasionally slap her. If you know this going in and don't mind, then you'll like the Anna Strong books. If you like romance with a happy ending, then I'd steer clear. I personally want to hang with Anna, and will be reading all of her books again, plus picking up the fifth one in the series.

Read Excerpts here: http://www.jeannestein.com/blurb.htm

Jeanne has a blog with Mario Acevedo where they "cover urban fantasy, vampires, pop culture, and all things Joss Whedon." It doesn't get any better than that. Pay them a visit here:
http://www.biting-edge.blogspot.com/

Book Review: The Scent of Shadows

The Scent of Shadows (Sign of the Zodiac, Book 1)
Author: Vicki Pettersson
Publisher: Eos
Pages: 464

Summary: When she was sixteen, Joanna Archer was brutally assaulted and left to die in the Nevada desert. By rights, she should be dead. Now a photographer by day, she prowls a different Las Vegas after sunset – a grim, secret Sin City where Light battles Shadow – seeking answers to whom or what she really is ... and revenge for the horrors she was forced to endure.

I bought The Scent of Shadows from Amazon last week after hearing about from some of my favorite authors. I tend to look at books like Christmas gifts. I never sneak peeks. I love being surprised. This said, I also don't like waiting too long for the good stuff. The Scent of Shadows delivers in the first chapter. There isn't an introduction, or a prologue preparing the reader, so we have to figure out things along with Joanna, the main character. The book starts out at a good pace, speeding up as one revelation after another changes Joanna's life. Before I knew it, putting the book down wasn't an option.

The Scent of Shadows is not a romance, it doesn't have a "Happily Ever After" for Joanna. I would call it a dark fantasy with a possibility of a "Happily Ever After" somewhere in the distant future. The characters are often not what they appear to be. As in real life, appearances can be deceiving but in Joanna's world, taking appearances for granted can get you killed.

I don't consider The Scent of Shadows a "quick read" only because it does take a little more thought to fit together the pieces of the puzzle as the plot twists and turns. The characters are not always likable, even when they are the good guys. Joanna, the main character, will not be liked by some readers. She's a complicated person trying to figure out her place in a harsh world. I like her because she's a survivor. She's a quick thinker and she learns from her mistakes. Did I mention she's witty and sarcastic too?

I highly recommend this book to those who like their fantasy dark with fast paced action and characters who never fail to surprise. Vicki Pettersson is a very talented writer, and I am eagerly looking forward to the other books in the series.

You can read an excerpt here: http://www.vickipettersson.com/the-scent-of-shadows.html

~Moonsanity