Friday, February 25, 2011

The Immortal Highlander


Title: The Immortal Highlander
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Series: Highlander (Book 6)
Genre: Historical Romance, Time Travel



Adam Black is a fae that we've met in many of the previous stories in this series. He tends to play the bad guy, but every so often seems to surprise us with an act full of compassion. I was highly worried that I wouldn't like his story because of what a "bad" guy he was portrayed to be. Boy was I pleasantly surprised.

He has meddled in the lives of humans once too often and royally irritated his Queen. She strips him of most of his powers, rendering him human and places a curse on him so he cannot be seen by humans. This leaves him to live a solitary life, with no interaction but a lot of luxuries.

Gabrielle is a Sidhe Seer, she can see the Fae. It is a burden and she must pretend that she cannot see them. There would be dire circumstances, including death, if the fae realized she could see him. She happens to stumble upon Adam and can't help but stare because he is so beautiful. When he realizes that she can indeed see him, he decides that she is going to help him get to his Queen so she can reverse his punishment.

I really fell for Adam and his treatment of Gabrielle. He treated her like a princess, giving her only the best. I love how protective of her he became. The ending and his ultimate sacrifice just blew me away. I admit - I got a little misty eyed.

Monday, February 21, 2011

The Lost Hero


Title: The Lost Hero
Author: Rick Riordan
Series: The Heroes of Olympus (Book 1)
Genre: Juvenile Fiction


Jason has woken from a nap to find himself sitting the backseat of a bus, holding a girl's hand and going on some sort of field trip. Problem being, he has no idea who he is and no memory of anything. Come to find out, he, the girl, Piper, and his best friend, Leo are all Demigods and are part of the next big prophecy at Camp Half Blood.

They arrive only to leave almost immediately on a quest to save Hera. They run into similar situations as were seen in Percy Jackson books - situations that look normal, only to take a terrifying turn.

I thought this was a fantastic addition to the Percy Jackson world. It's a new series and has many, many new characters, but also a few we know and love from Percy Jackson. Annabeth and Chiron being the most common. But Percy is missing. This isn't the most important part of the book, but appears that it will be in book 2.

The three set out on their quest and once they complete it, learn that this is only the beginning, something big is going down once again and it's not the Titans.

Book 2 - Son of Neptune (Percy anyone?) is due out Fall 2011

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Awakened


Title: Awakened
Author: P.C. and Kristin Cast
Series: House of Night (Book 8)
Genre: Young Adult



Zoey is back to the real world, well a version of it. She and Stark are living on the isle and don't want to go back to the House of Night.

Back at the House of Night, things are happening with Neferet, Kalona, Steve Rae and the gang.

More mediocrity. This series was phenomenal at first, but has seemed to level out to bland. I'd say that this book was better then the last, and hopefully the series will continue to pick it's momentum back up.

**Slight Spoiler** A main character dies, and I didn't even shed a tear and I've always loved this character. I just didn't feel the connection in this book.

But they seem to keep writing them - Destined is being released November 2011.

A Movie is also suppose to be released sometime this year.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

I Just Want You to Know: Letters to My Kids on Love, Faith, and Family


Title: I Just Want You To Know: Letters to My Kids on Love, Faith and Family
Author: Kate Gosselin
Series: None
Genre: Non-Fiction


I've always liked (Jon and) Kate plus Eight. From their first TV Special, I was amazed at this family and how they handle their multiples. When it was on TV weekly, it was one of my favorite shows. They get a lot of crap, and I don't agree with most of it. I still enjoy watching the show and do so when they have their specials.

This book was written sometime after Kate became a single Mom. It's mentioned a few times in the letters to her kids, but I was amazed at the lack of hostility towards Jon. I hadn't been sure when it was written, until it specifically mentioned her being a single mom.

I found this to be a heartwarming and open sit down with Kate. Sure there was the information that I already knew from the show, but less so then the first book. I was horrified to read how before they moved, their mailbox was often broken/vandalized and their house frequently egged. Right before they moved, their tires were being slit and Kate was afraid to let her kids out of the house. I understand that she choose to put her kids in the spotlight, but I don't think that should be an invitation to be mean.

The reviews on amazon are fairly horrible. They say the book is about Kate, what she's had to give up and how she's had to cope with her family. To them I think....what did you expect? Of course she's had to give things up, you try having 8 kids. This book talked a lot about the planning that she and Jon had to do to go anywhere and the accomplishment they felt when they did it smoothly (or not so smoothly). I felt like it was definitely some behind the scenes of the early years, when we got to read about what went far from right. How she wanted a normal family and didn't get it.

We "know" Kate by now, were the amazon reviewers expecting....what? A book about how much she loves her children, not how they changed her life, what she's had to give up and how they've had to make things work? Hopefully, she's telling her children and not just writing it in a book, because they are the ones that need to hear it.

Interesting though - I wonder what Kate's Love Language is?

Monday, February 14, 2011

The Dark Highlander


Title: The Dark Highlander
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Series: Highlander (Book 5)
Genre: Historical Romance, Time Travel



At the end of Kiss of the Highlander, we learned that Drustan's brother Daegus, had sacrificed himself into turning dark to keep Drustan alive for Gwen. This is Daegus' story.

Daegus is in the 21st century and has been in contact with Drustan. Daegus is searching everywhere, trying to find out how to reverse the darkness of the 13 evil Druids who are within him and turning him dark. He has borrowed, bought or collected several ancient tomes in hopes of finding his answer.

Chloe works at a museum and is instructed to take an ancient tome to some man, who happens to be Daegus, to look at. She is slightly horrified by this, worrying for the artifact. When she arrives at Daegus' Penthouse, his door is unlocked and he's not home. She starts to snoop around and check out all of the artifacts he has in his home. She finds the "borrowed" tomes and realizes he's the thief that the police have been looking for. She's under his bed looking at these tomes when Daegus comes home.

Daegus is drawn to Chloe immediately, and ties her to the bed so that she can't leave and tell others what she saw. Eventually he asks her to come to Scotland with him, and since she's always wanted to go there, she agrees. Chloe has no idea what she is in for, nor what Daegus means when he says he can show her a Scotland no one else can.

While I enjoyed the story, and how it came together with the others there were a few things that irritated me. I've had enough of the innocent virgins. I feel like practically every heroine in this series has fallen into this category. Let's be realistic, things just aren't like that in this day. Sure there are the ladies who are like that, but they're doing it mostly for religious or personal reasons. Our heroines are not like that, they simply haven't had the chance. Right.

Secondly, Chloe was kidnapped, essentially, by Daegus and tied to his bed. He is a stranger, yet after a few days she agrees to go with him to Scotland? I've heard about Stockholm Syndrome, but this wasn't the case. Sure, it's a romance novel....but I found this a bit too far fetched for my liking.

Those 2 things aside, it was a good story. I am starting to think that Karen Marie Moning can do little wrong. These are so different from her Fever series, yet just as delicious in their own way.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Kiss of the Highlander


Title: Kiss of the Highlander
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Series: Highlander (Book 4)
Genre: Historical Romance


Gwen has led a rather unexciting life. So she decides to do something unexpected and books a trip to Scotland on a tour bus. Problem being, she doesn't realize it's a Senior Citizen's tour. So her excitement is not nearly as she hopes. One afternoon she goes off hiking alone and falls into a cavern and onto a sleeping man. A man who has been sleeping for over 500 years. He awakens and is very confused to find himself where he is and insists he must get back to his lands and people.

Drustan is a Lord and surprised to find himself in the 21st century. He enlists Gwen's help to get where he needs to and even rides in the fast moving cart (car). He is a Druid and manages to take her back in time to his original time.

The two have to figure out who wanted him to sleep forever and stop it. But when you mess with time, there are consequences.

For one I can saw I didn't see the ending coming. Everything about it was a surprise, and that usually doesn't happen in romance novels. Simply another wonderful novel in the series with characters that make the story their own.