Broken City By D.D. Chant

Broken City

By D.D. Chant

This is book number one in a story about a post-apocalyptic world where families live in tribes in one of the many abandoned buildings left over after something known as, “the crash” happened.  The main characters of this story are Deeta Richards and Tom. Deeta longs to see what is outside of her building because the only ones allowed outside of the compound are soldiers who go out and fight whatever is still out there and Tom is one of those soldiers. Tom is her dearest friend in this new world and although he keeps secret about his life before he was brought to Clark Tribe , Deeta never expected him to have kept the secret he shares with everyone after a kidnapping occurs from her. It is after this kidnapping that her entire life is turned upside down, and changes in a way she never expected it to.

The first half of this story is describing the longing Deeta feels to see the world outside of the tribe, her friendship with Tom, and describing the rules and traditions of the tribe. Although Deeta has her own family she spends a great deal of her time taking after the Jepsjon family that consists of three children, Tom, and the father figure being Professor Jep. Everything in the compound is routine until one night that men in camouflage break into the compound and kidnap Dec Jepsjon while the soldiers who fight outside the compound are gone. When the soldiers return and find that Dec , one of the Jepsjon children, has been taken it is then that Tom shares a family secret with the entire compound, and the tribe is in uproar over it. Soon after the tribe votes to decide if Tom and the remaining Jepsjon family should be allowed to stay in the tribe, the tribe must go out into the city and move to the Marshall tribe for protection against Tom’s secret.  Once the Clark tribe has safely moved into the Marshall compound, the remaining Jepsjon family leaves without saying a word and that same night there is an attack on the Marshalls. Deeta and her sister, Jan, is then taken by the same camouflaged men that took Dec. From this point forward I will keep a secret from you because I do not like to spoil a good story but just know that there is a war, conspiracy, and a new found love within all of it.

Although I was extremely skeptical reading this book, picturing it being similar to a Hunger Games type plot, but changed my mind when I read the first few pages of the book I cannot wait to read the second book and hope that D.D. Chant releases it soon considering Broken City came out in 2010. D.D. Chant had         a few errors that should have been caught in the editing process, but overall is an excellent author and I love how through her descriptions, such as on page 273 when Chant writes the following “The children are listening to one of Uncle Jep’s stories as we enter the flat, it is an idyllic picture: Tarri has again wrapped herself around Uncle Jep and with her head on his shoulder is staring sleepily into the fire. The rest of the children are huddled on the floor, the fire’s warm glow playing over their excited faces.”  With such beautiful imagery I am truly able to visualize everything as if I am Deeta herself.

Katie

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Shadow Woman by Linda Howard

Shadow Woman

By Linda Howard

After Lizette climbs out of the shower getting ready to go to work, she makes a startling discovery; she doesn’t recognize the woman looking back at her in the mirror. Every time she tries to understand what she is seeing, why her face has changed and two years are missing from her life she becomes violently ill. Determined to find out what is going on Lizette soon finds a way to work around the block in her mind and pieces together a life completely opposite from her own in every way except one. She has lived them both.

From page one you are assaulted by relentless action and intrigue as Linda Howard takes you through one twist after another. This is definitely a great romance novel, full of steamy scenes, high octane action, and a mystery unlike any other. This book follows your standard romance novel rules, girl has a problem, girl meets boy, boy helps solve problem, and they live happily ever after. What makes this book stand out from the rest by having some of the most intense action scenes with amazing descriptive detail Linda Howard draws you into the story and keeps you hooked as you try to figure out what is so special about Lizette and why someone would want to completely alter her appearance and even her memories. I loved how Lizette starts off as a kind of “wimpy” character and soon you start to see the real woman peak out from behind the mask. The transformation along with amazingly detailed action scenes and an interesting ending makes this a romance novel worth the read.

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Flight By J.A. Huss Review

Flight

I am just Junco Book Three

By J.A. Huss

Junco and her team must travel to earth in order to save The Siblings of Earth. Along the way Junco finds that everywhere she turns is full of secrets and revelations. What if you had the power to save a race of beings at the cost of the other? Junco may be strong willed but what she faces back on Earth will be a trial even for her.

I love Junco she is a loud mouthed character who doesn’t take crap from anyone. Plus she cusses like a sailor and chain smokes cigars, what’s not to love? What was annoying in this book though was that the men in Junco’s life seemed to turn into whining and needy men, each one vying for Junco’s attention and pouting if she didn’t reciprocate. Other than that the book is pretty good with tons of action and adventure, and so many twists it is hard to keep count. I did have one question, at the end of the book how did they keep everything straight? That’s all I will say or I will run the risk of ruining the book for those who haven’t yet read it. This is one of those books though you definitely want to read the rest of the series before jumping in. From page one this book held my attention I wasn’t a fan of the ending but it is definitely a great way to make sure you keep reading the series.

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Devil’s Bargain By Rachel Caine Review

Devil’s Bargain

Red Letter Days Book One

By Rachel Caine

All Jazz wants to do is drown her sorrows, her partner is in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, she has been shunned by most of the cops in the city, and she has just enough money left to get really drunk. While she is minding her own business a man comes up to her in his brand new leather outfit making him stick out like a sore thumb in the biker bar, but what is truly weird is the man knows her name and has an envelope for her. She has never been to this particular bar before and only just decided right before arriving.

I have to say it, I loved Jazz, she is a smart mouth who can back it up but there is so much more to her than just that she is kind and caring even if she pulls her gun first and asks questions later. I wasn’t sure what the story would be about as the synopsis I had read was fairly vague but it turned out to be a unique and fun read. I know Rachel Caine has also written the Morganville Vampire series, even though I have only read two of those I have to say that Rachel Caine is a truly surprising author. She has come up with two of the most original series that I have ever come across but not only that none of her books that I have read even come close to anyone else’s.  This book in particular you have great characters an amazing storyline all surrounding the good versus evil premise. This is certainly a must read and I look forward to what Rachel Caine has in store next. 

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Eden by David Holley Review

Eden

Book One

By David Holley

★★★★★

After their plane goes down a group of survivors find themselves stranded in a remote area of New Zealand. Through the eyes of the survivors we are shown a world that has been drastically changed after the United States was wiped off the face of the Earth because of a natural disaster that is still sending shockwaves throughout the rest of the world. Eden is the beginning of the end in the year 2022.

There is no way to do this novel justice with a brief synopsis, first you have several unique characters each with their own story to tell, and then the story itself is multi-faceted with twists and turns that will leave you dying of anticipation of what will come next. This book is futuristic, with a touch of paranormal, and a dash of murder/mystery, and tons of action and adventure making certain to have something for everyone. What is great about this novel is though this book has so much going on the author manages to incorporate each action and reaction seamlessly into a cohesive and fascinating novel. This is certainly the beginning of the end and I cannot wait to find out what happens next.

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Heart of Atlantis by Alyssa Day Review

Heart of Atlantis

Warriors of Poseidon Book Eight

By Alyssa Day

Aleric is Poseidon’s High Priest and has taken a vow of celibacy and he will remain faithful to his word even if he has found his soul mate. Though he cannot be with Quinn he will be by her side and protect her for the rest of his life. Quinn is the leader of a Resistance which often puts her in the middle of one fight after another but this time the causality is too close to home, her best friend Jack is trapped in his tiger form searching for the remnants of his humanity. This is only the beginning of the story as we travel around the world and become immersed in a battle to save all of humanity.

This is an amazing book and thankfully it is a stand-alone novel or I would have been completely lost. I have actually read the first two books in this series and this one puts those to shame. From the beginning this book is filled with action and adventure, this series isn’t called the “Warriors of Poseidon” for nothing. To make this book even better Allysa Day takes a story that is already absolutely captivating and adds in a fierce romance between two amazing characters. Not only did the author create amazing characters with engrossing story lines but she has also created some of the most vivid and breathtaking scenes imaginable. I love this book and I am definitely going to go back and read more of the series.

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The Jealousy Glass by Gwen Perkins Review

The Jealousy Glass

Artifacts of Empire Book two

By Gwen Perkins

Asahel and Felix barely escape a shipwreck; the two depend on each other to get back to civilization in order to survive. Once they are back they must walk a fine line as political tension is rampant in Anjdur between the Empress and those who wish her dead.

 

Ok so I missed a lot by not reading the first book, this book jumps right into the middle of the story as Asahel and Felix are on their merry way and the ship they are on is soon tossed to the bottom of the sea. The author didn’t do a very good job in “playing catch up” so if you haven’t read the first I certainly suggest it. Otherwise I liked this book, from the subtle M/M Romance (a romance that revolves around two Males) to the high octane action this is certainly a unique novel.  I truly wish I had read the first though the story seems so interesting but confusing as there are times that I have no idea what Gwen Perkins is talking about. This is definitely an amazing adventure novel with strong religious undertones as well as sexuality, if either of these topics offend you or may be a touchy subject for you skip it otherwise this is a must read!

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The Panther by Nelson DeMille Review

The Panther

John Corey Book Six

By Nelson DeMille

Agent John Corey and his wife Kate Mayfield have just been posted overseas in Yemen. Their mission is to track down the Panther, a high ranking Al Qaeda operative. But once they arrive in Yemen they realize the reason they were sent to Yemen was not to track down the Panther but something much more sinister.

This book doesn’t actually pick up until the end and when you read a book that is six hundred and twenty-five pages long you expect more than just build up for what takes place in the last one hundred pages. Most of the book is dialect and meeting new characters, with only four or five actual action scenes. John Corey is always making sarcastic comments, whether in his head or to the people around him, this does start out as funny making the novel a little more light-hearted but it soon becomes tedious since he seems to be complaining about every little thing that takes place. However the intrigue is certainly there but it is so drawn out that I couldn’t sit and focus on this book at one time, I kept putting it down and reading a different book. It took me four days to make it through this book, and considering I read a book a day that is saying something. I can’t judge whether this is just one of those books that was a “miss” for the series since this is the first Nelson DeMille book that I have ever read, but the writing and storyline leads me to believe that the others may have been better than this one. I must admit though the ending is superb even if you have to wade through some uninteresting content to get there.  

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Trapped by Kevin Hearne Review

Trapped

Iron Druid Chronicles Book Five

By Kevin Hearne

Narrated by Luke Daniels

After twelve years of training Granuaile is finally ready to become a full-fledged druid. The only problem is Granuaile and Atticus must travel to the base of Mount Olympus so that he can bind her to the earth and finish the ritual. The problem being the Roman God Bacchus has sworn to take his revenge on Atticus. Bacchus is not the only one who is out for Atticus’ blood though, Loki the God of Mischief, An Ancient Vampire, and a group of Dark Elves are all on the hunt to kill the druid before he can complete the task.

I was actually sent an advanced copy of this book for review, but about ten percent through I knew I had to use one of my precious audible credits and get the audio book. Luke Daniels has done an amazing job with this audio series and it has by far become my favorite to listen to. The story itself is so much fun, from the beginning Atticus is thrown into another instance where his mouth has brought doom upon his head. With excellent comedic timing both by Kevin Hearne and through the narration of Luke Daniels along with the fast paced action this is a great read. If you are a fan of any mythology Kevin Hearne has you covered this entire series covers ancient Gods from Norse to Christian each with their own unique personality that the author has brought to life in a remarkable way and Luke Daniels furthers this with his dramatization. The only thing I didn’t like was that Luke Daniels changed the voice of Atticus’ mentor whom he frequently has arguments with inside his mind, this book he wasn’t as high pitched and sounded much more serious than he has in the previous books, not bad just not as funny. This is by far one of the best audio book series and one of the best story lines I have come across I cannot wait to see where Kevin Hearne will take us next.

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A Bridge to Treachery: From Extortion to Terror By Larry Crane Review

A Bridge to Treachery:

From Extortion to Terror

By Larry Crane

Ex-Army Ranger Colonel Lou Christopher is getting used to life in the civilian world and is working for a New York investment broker when he is assigned more lucrative accounts he begins living the lap of luxury. When he is approached to use his former military training and is coerced into leading a team on a domestic terrorist mission, he goes through with the mission only to find out that all along his team was never supposed to survive. Now he vows to bring all the ones responsible to justice one way or another.

 

I wasn’t impressed by the main character in the beginning, he seemed pompous and annoying, but when it came down to it and he was knocked off his high horse he turned into a highly exciting character. Then you have the relationship between Lou and his wife though it seems tenuous at first as he is indeed keeping secrets from her and she believes that he is cheating on her as he has done it in the past, but as the novel goes on the relationship takes a turn and I found myself really enjoying it. Lou and Mag end up having a much stronger connection than you would think and though Lou is the main character it reminds me of the saying, “Behind every great man is an even greater woman.” Though it starts off slow and doesn’t actually pick up for until after a hundred pages or so the novel does turn around in the end making it an interesting read.

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Robert Ludlum’s The Janus Reprisal By Jamie Freveletti Review

Robert Ludlum’s The Janus Reprisal

Covert-One Book Nine

By Jamie Freveletti

Jon Smith is attending a conference in The Hague when he is caught in the middle of a terrorist attack. The Hague is not the only place under attack bombs are going off at a train station, the airport and the International Criminal Court, where Pakistani warlord Oman Datter is being held. Amidst the chaos Datter escapes to exact his revenge on the United States. Colonel Smith however is determined to stop Datter before it is too late.

This book jumps right into the action from page one and continues until the very end keeping you gripping the edge of your chair in anticipation for what will happen next. I have only read The Bourne Identity previously so I can’t actually compare what Jamie Freveletti has written to the original series. However I think Jamie Freveletti did a wonderful job, each of the characters is interesting and so vivid in the narration of this story that even if they are not the main character they are still captivating within the storyline. Then when you add in the mystery, suspense, and action you have a story that will certainly keep you entertained. With all this the author still manages to find time for a beautiful romantic sideline making this story more intense in the delivery. This book is worth the read and I may even go back and find more of the Code-One Series.

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Codename Fairy Godmother: Reassigned By Tanjlisa Marie Review

Codename Fairy Godmother: Reassigned

Codename Fairy Godmother Book One

By Tanjlisa Marie

When you make a deal with a Fairy Godmother you have until your thirty second birthday to “pay it forward” if not then that is where Agent Thunder comes in to send the unfortunate person to a fate worse than Hell. But when Agent Thunder runs into a Leprechaun she is reassigned by the Queen Mother for her own protection, until Ciaran, the Leprechaun tracks her down.

 

So you may think this is your average fantasy novel, but you would be extremely mistaken. Thunder is a fighter first and foremost with a no nonsense approach to the human race. I loved when she began working with the children granting their wishes at first she is flummoxed and then she bullies the children into taking five minutes tops, when you add this hilarious aspect to the high powered action then combine the science fiction aspect to the story you have a truly exceptional novel with a little bit of everything for everyone. The only problem I had was that the romance seemed to be a bit lackluster, the author focuses more on her relationship with a particular child and less on her budding romance with Ciaran, which is fine by me it just doesn’t make the final storyline as powerful as it could be. That being said the rest is golden and worth the read.

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The Demon Lover by Carol Goodman Review

The Demon Lover

Fairwick Chronicles Book One

By Carol Goodman writing as Juliet Dark

Callie McFay’s dreams are haunted, every night she has the same erotic encounter with a handsome stranger. What she assumes are just vivid dreams turn out to be an encounter with an incubus wanting nothing more than for her to love him. This is only the tip of the story as Callie has started teaching at Fairwick College and after her encounters with the incubus her colleagues assemble to aid her and she learns that most everyone at the college is not who they seem to be.

There is no way I could do this novel justice, for one there are three main story lines to this book instead of the usual one and to tell you each of them is most likely going to spoil on or another of the twists that happen so regularly. Though the novel is a bit busy it makes it interesting as you have no idea what scene will lead to which conclusion. I had a ton of fun reading this one, not only is Callie a highly likable character but the surrounding cast each has their own interesting story. The romance is superb and the bonds that Callie creates make this more than just your average romance novel. I cannot wait to find out more about the college and what will happen next, it is a highly unique well written and beautiful novel.

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