Book Review – The Summoning – Kelley Armstrong

The Summoning (Darkest Powers, Book 1)2008

I’ve been venturing from the Vampires, venturing from romance and I ventured into this young adult book by Kelley Armstrong.  Honestly, I mistook it for the Kim Harrison young adult book (Once Dead, Twice Shy) I had thought about picking up on my last retail bookstore jaunt.  I really dig what they are doing with the young adult covers.  Making them trade paperback size does cause them to be a bit pricey, but the cover art is pretty compelling on some of them.   My used bookstore doesn’t currently have a Vamp Only Rack – but what they do have is a pretty display of YA books with the Twilight series on the top row – and some very pretty books below.  The YA part does generally mean no sex and seems to feature teens as the main characters.  So – if you’re looking to rub one out – this genre is likely not for you…

The stories and characters however seem to be more real than those in the  romance novels.  I guess there isn’t the need for the contrived girl hates boy but then falls madly for him scenes that seem to be the major plot point of most of the romance I’ve gotten my hands on of late.

The Summoning begins with a little girl. Chloe,  seeing ghosts in her basement.  Flash forward 10 years to Chloe being a ghost seeing teenager.  The years between have been ghost free, her memories suppressed and the ghosts possibly being held away by her dead mother’s necklace.  Till one day when all hell breaks loose.  Late blooming Chloe gets her period, starts seeing ghosts and ends up in a group home.   Through her interactions with the other students she finds out she’s not schizo as the shrinks are saying, she really is seeing ghosts, in fact, she’s a necromancer.  She’s also opened to the world of other supernatural beings, shamans, witches, werewolves – all kids in this group home.  They figure out there’s something going on, plan an escape and Chloe falls right into their hands (perhaps that’s a spoiler, but believe me, when you’re reading you KNOW something is going to go wrong!).  Really the story doesn’t wrap up in a nice little bow.  No one lives happily ever after, in fact, you don’t really know anyone’s fate at the end except Chloe’s.  If ever you wanted a sequel – this is the time.  Really, it ends not quite mid thought, but certainly mid story.  I knew as I was getting near the end that everything was either going to be shoved into a few short pages or that I was going to be left hanging.  I’m almost glad I was left hanging.  I hate it when complicated plots are suddenly resolved, when I’ve just read 300 pages of something only to have all the ends that were still loose at 298 pages to be finished at page 302.   Luckily there’s a preview chapter to The Awakening – and I’ll be picking that up ASAP.  I want to know more about these kids, I want to know how the story ends.  It will be interesting to see if book 2 stands alone – I doubt it does, as it must just pick up right where this one left off.

4 outta 5 stars

Review – Ghost of a Chance

Ghost of a Chance
By Katie MacAlister, writing as Kate Marsh 2008

Popular Urban Fantasy writer Katie MacAlister penned this little gem under the name Kate Marsh. It’s the only thing Kate Marsh has published – and well, with Katie’s popularity, I would imagine Marsh is going to disappear into the swamp.

As I began reading this clever little piece, I kept waiting for the girl to meet the boy, have great obstacles and then fall in love – oh wait – it’s not a romance, it’s a mystery!!! Our leading lady, Karma, needs to get a divorce from her venomous husband, Spider. He agrees he’ll give it to her, if only she “cleans” (aka exterminates all the supernatural beings) from a house he’s got evil plans for. Karma is a softy at heart, and only exterminates the boogey man type of ghosts – the rest she rescues, either keeping them in her own supernaturally overcrowded house or relocating them somewhere that doesn’t mind the spirits.

Someone ends up dead! Uh oh – should I have put a spoiler alert in? And now Adam, immortal, poltergeist, member of the supercops and home owner, along with his newest deputy Karma, must figure out who dunnit! Was it Spider in the bathroom with syrup of ipecac? Or perhaps his sleezy partner Meredith, corrupt banker, interspecies pimp and all around dislikable guy in the kitchen with a blender? Maybe it was the dark little goth orphan Pixie in the attic with a noose! Or Savannah, the hippie ghost hunter with a secret, in the library with a candlestick. Not to mention the cast of ghosts, who are all strong enough to affect the physical world, doing helpful things like making brekkie. I guess we actually know where and how – it’s just figuring out who and why. When you’re a person everyone dislikes, it’s hard to find people without motives.

Throughout the read there are some things that just don’t jive. One thing in particular, which made me want to scream at the book – but what about the XXXXX???? Of course we’re kept clueless about that till the end – and though justice is served, there’s a twist! Towards the end we even get a little hint at a possible budding romance. Awwww.

I’m going to give this bit of fluff 4 outta 5 stars. (ok – I STILL need a graphic!) It was a fun read with characters I had feelings for and a bit of a departure from true loves. If there was a book 2 I’d read it.

Review – A Hunger Like No Other

A Hunger Like No Other
Kresley Cole 2006
1st in the Series

4 outta 5 stars – yep still need a little graphic for that!

So – Here goes my first read of a book I’m not just reading to escape from my tragic condition – but to share the thoughts about from my cold black heart to you.

I lounge in my bed, jammies on, dinner eaten (ok, I ordered pizza!). My cranky day at work being made none better by spilling soda all over one book and my vampy, spotty kitty teething on another. (I’m certainly not going to be able to take those back to the used book store!)

I shall endeavor not to allow my cranky pants nature this evening to color this review. Nor will I allow the fact that I’m paying a bit more attention whilst reading, instead of speed reading and day dreaming to spoil my enjoyment of this book.

The cover certainly fits the “bodice ripper” bill. This baby could have been stacked along side my grammy’s Harlequins – right there on her bookshelf headboard. Early on, it becomes quite clear this is not one of my grammy’s books – I’m fairly certain her southern sensibilities would have been much offended when our main man Lachlain escapes the vamps by severing his own leg.

The universe in this series consists of The Lore, which are basically all the supes. The original Vamps in this case are generally bad guys and everyone’s enemy, they are the Horde. There is also a vamp faction of turned humans who are rebels – fighting the Horde. The Lykae aka werewolves are bad asses, enemies of the Horde and mate for life. The Valkyrie are maiden warriors who feed from electricity, they each have a unique talent. The Lykae and Valkyrie don’t exactly like each other, but they have some bond because they are both fighting the Horde. There are several other supernaturals in the series, including witches, demons, wraiths, fey, and other things that go bump in the night. All the supes are secret from the humans – and we really play very little part in this book.

Emmaline is half Valkyrie and half Vampire. Lachlain is the King of the Lykae. You can see how this relationship might have a problem or two! The action and sex start early on, and there’s a very hot “taking” scene midway. That’s the climax of the sex, but the action continues through to the end.

The theme of “Mine” seems to be present in so many paranormal romance books. Beloveds, Mates, Immortal Goddess, etc. Perhaps it’s because it’s what so many women want, a man who treasures us above all else. A man who would fight for us, defend us, love us more than anything or anyone, faults and all, for eternity. With so many divorces, infidelity and men choosing work, family, sports or so many other distractions – it’s no wonder the “Mine” fantasy is so prevalent. The men who say “I’ll leave you if I must, but it will hurt me, and no matter what I will return – forever.” Men who accept that till death do us part could mean thousands of years.

Our heroine, Emma, transforms from a sweet, scared 70 year young immortal to a vamp slaying badass. Emma & Lachlain’s path is littered with obstacles. Lachlain’s healing from decades of torture, Emma overcoming her fears and of course Emma learning to manipulate her brute of a werewolf.

Emma & Lachlain are interesting enough characters that I want to know more. Yes, they end up together, but where does it go from there? Do they manage to have wee bairns? Do the Lykae try to rip out Emma’s throat? Do they live happily forever and ever after? Unfortunately, the series continues with new characters from the same ‘verse. We’ve met some of them, but didn’t become attached – and don’t yet care, though happily enough, by the time it gets into the second or third chapter, we probably will.

Additional Books in this Series:

No Rest for the Wicked (The Immortals After Dark, Book 2)

Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night (The Immortals After Dark, Book 3)

Write about what you know – and what I know is Vampire Smut

One day after um.. being intimate with my not boyfriend (he thrust his hot male member into my soft pink mound of love, then I felt the sharp pain on my neck as his elongated fangs sunk in to slurp my hot love nectar)  he said something to the effect of “why don’t you blog about all that smut you read?  Write reviews?  Let other people know the good smut from the bad?” (Paraphrasing here – I think I’m the one that calls it smut) Hmmm, I thought – why don’t I?  It would help with one of my main problems – my swiss cheese memory for all things pop culture.  It would save me hundreds at the bookstore – not re-buying the same books over and over again.  It would give me a much needed hobby (besides reading the books of course) – and perhaps even stimulate my brain.  But could I?  Could I write a review that people would want to read?  Why would I want to read a book review?  1 – it gives me an idea of if I’ll like the book 2  – it makes me smile with it’s sharp wit.

Hello, My name is Krista and I’m a vampire bookaholic.

“HI KRISTA!”

I don’t think they’ve invented a 12 step program for it yet – but apparently the publishers are on board, as some of the spines now say “paranormal romance”.  This covers Vampires, Werewolves, Zombies and other things that go bump in the night.  I tend to read by author, devouring all the works of one smutty writer before moving on to the next – and well, I almost always start with the vamp books.  (strangely enough – my first review isn’t likely going to be a vamp book – my most recent read was about Viking Ghosts & Gods)   I read for fun, enjoyment and escape.  I love light stories, happy endings, long walks on the beach and pina coladas.  What I’m saying is – this is not going to be the NY Times book review.  It’s just me and my wacky take on the world spreading my world view one Paranormal Bodice Ripper at a time.

Recently Read:
Don’t Talk Back To Your Vampire
I’m the Vampire, That’s Why (Broken Heart, Oklahoma, Book 1)