Thursday, March 18, 2010

Succubus Heat


Title: Succubus Heat
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Georgina Kincaid (Book 4)
Genre: Paranormal



At the end of Succubus Dreams, Seth and Georgina broke up. I was angry - I couldn't believe that the two decided they couldn't make it anymore. In Succubus Heat Georgina has a new Beau - Dante, a kind of creeper from Succubus Dreams in my opinion. Although, he does seem to get better further into the book - bringing Georgina sweet little gifts and trying to make her life easier. Although in the end he's still a jackass.

Georgina has irritated Jerome by sleeping with her therapist. She was required to see one due to her mopeyness from the breakup with Seth. Even though she appears to have moved on to Dante, she's still not herself.

Jerome sends her to Canada (where some of the references are excellent and hilarious), to help another archdemon with a Satanic Cult. She comes back after a short stint there to find Jerome missing, and her abilities gone (which adds an interesting layer to the story). And it's not only her, her vampire friends come by in the sunlight, because it no longer hurts them.

Come to find out Jerome has been summoned by a Human and is missing. This human has been hiding him somewhere so no one can find him - that not anyone is really looking. All higher beings of Hell are trying to win over the powers that be and take over Seattle now that Jerome is gone. Until either Jerome is back or someone takes his place, Georgina cannot have her powers back.

Georgina likes Jerome on some level and decides to set out to find him and free him.

Another great installment of Georgina's story. There was another little shocker or two in the end that sets up the next book, Succubus Shadows (March 30th) fairly well. I am still slightly upset as to where things are going between Georgina and Seth - but I have secret (not anymore :)) hopes that they end up together in the end anyway.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Blaze of Memory


Title: Blaze of Memory
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changling (Book 7)
Genre: Paranormal



Dev, the head of Shrine (The Forgotten), finds a beaten and battered woman, Katya in front of his apartment. She is a Psy who seems to have little connection with the PsyNet - yet she's living with the feedback some how.

It is discovered/assumed that she is a weapon. She has been programmed by Councilman Ming to kill Dev and if she can't to kill herself. Either way it appears she's going to die. We learn that he has tangled her mind into a nasty web full of his influence that she tries to battle. Unfortunately it still ends in her death - or near death.

I had a bit of a harder time getting into this Psy-Changling book because of a shift of focus. Instead of being about one of the Changling packs - this book is about the Forgotton, the Psy who dropped out of the net when Silence was implemented and started their own, ShadowNet.

I still enjoyed the story between Dev and Katya and had some heart breaking moments. I did, however, want to strangle Dev a few times. He kept talking about how Katya couldn't be trusted because she could be infiltrated by Ming, yet he would constantly tell her secrets. I was waiting for that to come to head, but it never really did.

Up next is Bond of Justice in July of this year. Hopefully this time around I don't forget about the series.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Outlander


Title: Outlander
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Series: Outlander (Book 1)
Genre: Historical Romance/Time Travel



Exactly 11 months ago I read Outlander, and reviewed it here. I have decided to try and read the entire Outlander series based on a Reading Challenge I joined here. I've always heard such good things about this series and decided to give it another go.

Instead of recapping again what it was about - I noticed a few different things this time around.

I don't recall crying the first time through. I may have and don't remember, but I definitely cried a few times and felt much more connected to the characters. I don't know why that is, perhaps because I already knew the characters and was able to get more into their story.

Last time I read Outlander, I read it in a hardcover. This time around I read a digital edition (from the library) on my Sony Reader. It was amazing. I loved not having to lug around the huge book, and get sore wrists from holding the weight up as I was reading. Even better? The dictionary function. Every so often when reading books that are set far into the past, or in a different country I run across words that I'm not entirely sure what they mean.

For example, in Outlander at some point they referred to an oxter. Not a clue as to what that was, but I double clicked and up came the definition: armpit. Fantastic! It didn't have every word that I looked for, since some are quite obscure, but it definitely helped.

One thing I loved about Outlander is that you really get to see the characters mature and grow. I feel like most Romance Novels end when the two characters realize that they are in love, getting married or what not. You never get to see the "real life" part of it, where they have to test their love by going through many difficulties. You may get one or two that are part of bringing them together, but never the bombardment that we get with Outlander.

I tried reading Dragonfly in Amber last time and just didn't get very far. I feel quite refreshed by Outlander this time around, however, and feel like I am ready for Dragonfly. Bring it on :)

Monday, March 8, 2010

Succubus Dreams


Title: Succubus Dreams
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Georgina Kincaid (Book 3)
Genre: Paranormal



Georgina is a succubus. A succubus with a boyfriend. This creates lots of sexual frustration. The two refuse to do anything more than light kissing for fear that Georgina will steal some of his soul and shorten his life. Seth is a famous author, and a likable character.

Georgina has recently been plagued by dreams that depict her as a typical housewife with a young girl. She knows they can never be anything but dreams, because succubi cannot have children. Every time she wakes up from this dream her power is drained away. She spends the book trying to figure out why it is that her power is draining during this particular dream. It is difficult especially when no one really puts much credit in her loosing power.

Add to that mess a brand new succubus that seems to be so bad at it she can't even get laid. Georgina has to mentor her, and she's not the best mentor. She hasn't even read the handbook.

I have been waiting for this book FOREVER. Since October 2008 to be exact. My library was a little slow in acquiring the book and eventually I stopped looking. Imagine my surprise when I looked the other day and they had not only Succubus Dreams but also the fourth installment, Succubus Heat.

I thought the story was intriguing overall, but am livid at the ending. I hope that it gets better in book 4. I still can't believe it, I just never saw it coming.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Jewel of Atlantis


Title: Jewel of Atlantis
Author: Gena Showalter
Series: Atlantis Series (Book 2)
Genre: Paranormal Romance



Gray is sent by the OBI (Otherworld Bureau of Investigation) to Atlantis to find and potentially destroy the Jewel of Dunamis. He is in a world where being a human means that he's on just about everyone's to kill list. He's trying to save himself Dragons, Vampires, Demons, Mermen and everyone else.

While trying to save himself he hears the voice of a beautiful (so he guesses) woman who helps lead him to safety. As a thank you he goes and rescues her from the Demon Queen and the two are soon on the run.

Soon after we are bombarded with odd happenings between the two, but we never really learn why. Jewel (the woman, who happens to also be the Jewel of Dunamis) can hear everyone's thoughts as well as influence what they are thinking. She can originally do that with Gray as well, but soon no longer can. I was hoping we would find out why, but we never did. There was also a point where Gray could hear her thoughts, but that was short lived and also never explained.

Gray is bitten/scratched by both a Vampire and a Demon and starts to take on characteristics of them both, which makes for interesting fights and survival for he and Jewel. The two have a slightly disappointing story between them. They both have dreamed of each other, but alas, we never learn why that is either.

The story seems to be them fighting off everyone and never really getting a chance to work on their connection. Perhaps this is why Gray was able to walk away so easily in the end...another irritant of mine.

Overall an okay book, I'll continue to read the series. I was also disappointed to see that this book and the first one in the series really only had the connection that they were set in the same world. We don't see a crossover of characters until the very end. I like being able to keep an eye on characters past and see how they are doing, and wasn't given the chance to really do that in this one.