Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

Gameboard of the Gods

Age of X Book One

By RIchelle Mead

In the future the world was nearly destroyed by religious extremist so now religion is outlawed and treated as fictitious.  Justin March was a servitor whose job is was to investigate claims of paranormal activity and ensure that the religions followed strict guidelines; however he was sent into exile following an event that forever changed his life. One day Mae Koskinen, warrior elite for the Republic of United North America, comes bearing a message that will allow Justin back into the civilized world and redeem his name.

Gameboard of the Gods is an amazing science fiction novel mixed with paranormal fantasy. The characters are complex yet blend together wonderfully as their relationship grows into something adjacent to a friendship. I absolutely enjoyed Mae’s storyline, not that Justin’s wasn’t excellent as well, from her past as a debutante into the present as the warrior she has become and the losses she has faced in her life it is intricate and wonderful to follow along as her character develops and the story progresses. Richelle Mead has done a wonderful job with this book and though she is known for her young adult series she has seamlessly taken over the adult world with her new novel. With action packed scenes and tantalizing “steamy” scenes it’s sure to have a little bit of something for everyone.  This book is highly original and definitely worth the read.  

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The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert V.S. Redick

The Red Wolf Conspiracy

Book One of the Cathrand Voyages

By Robert V.S. Redick

Pazel is stranded by those he trusted and is left to fend for himself he soon finds himself on board The Cathrand, a six hundred year old behemoth of a ship. Also on board the ship is Thasha who is on her way to her betrothed in order to seal the unity of Arqual and Mzithrin Empire, but it soon becomes apparent that the true mission of the Cathrand is not peace but war Thasha and Pazel along with the help of some extraordinary companions can put a stop to it.

There is no way I could have done this book justice in my brief synopsis, so much takes place and there are so many varied and interesting characters. The book itself starts off a bit slow but this is due to introducing us to the characters, once the book does kick off though it is one twist and turn after another keeping you on the edge of your seat as you wait to see what will happen next. Robert V.S. Redick does a magnificent job of bringing each of his characters and even the side characters to life, but not only this he also adds in some stunning scenery on top of it being a high paced adventure. This is definitely one of the best fantasy novels I have come across and with an ending like this one I cannot wait to see what will be in store.  

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Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Book One

By Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Elizabeth Bennet has trained her entire life to fight against the unholy plague of unmentionables that have overcome the English country side. Along with her sisters they make a fearsome assembly of warriors, but not only are they warriors they are still young women who attend balls and tend to their duties. During one of the balls the girls attend Miss Elizabeth is introduced to the arrogant Mr. Darcy. Through a series of events the two soon become close against Elizabeth’s own wishes.

Most of us know the story of Pride and Prejudice, with five movie adaptations and over twenty million copies sold of the book itself it’s hard not to know the story, but Seth Grahame-Smith has taken the classic story to a whole new level. I didn’t think I would enjoy this book as much as I did, even though you know the story the changes that have been made only seem to improve the overall experience. Seth Grahame-Smith takes the original story and adds zombie encounters here and there and a few innuendos making a classic romance novel into and action packed comedy on top of one of the most amazing love stories. I absolutely loved this book it’s definitely worth the read even if you have yet to read Pride and Prejudice. If you’re not a fan of regency romance novels this book is a great introduction into the world of Jane Austen so when you wife or girlfriend swoons over Mr. Darcy you’ll know why.

 

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Tiaras & Texans By Laina Turner Narrated By Lee Ann Howlett

Tiaras & Texans

A Presley Thurman Mystery

By Laina Turner

Narrated By: Lee Ann Howlett

Presley wins a bet against her boyfriend allowing her to finally work for his security company. Though she starts the assignment especially excited knowing she will be good at this job she ends up annoyed when she finds out that the job in question is to protect beauty queens at a Texas pageant. Soon after beginning the job she and Cooper, her boyfriend and now boss, find that this will be more than just protecting the girls against childish pranks now they will have to find out who murdered one of the girls before it happens again.

I absolutely loved Lee Ann Howlett’s narration of this book. First off her characters where each distinct from the low timber of cooper to the high pitched whine of some of the beauty pageant contestants making the story come to life. What really made this an excellent performance though weren’t just the different voices of her characters but also the accents. I am a native Texan and so many times I come across audio books or even on television where an actor or narrator will butcher the accent but Lee Ann Howlett was spot on, I didn’t even cringe once. The story itself is a great cozy mystery, which is a subgenre of crime fiction where the sex and violence are downplayed or even portrayed humorously. (Thanks Wikipedia!)  Laina Turner did a wonderful job with the mystery aspect of the book not once did I suspect who had done it until the very end which is great! You can tell this is not the first book in the series but the fun of a cozy mystery is you don’t really have to start at the beginning this book is no exception Laina Turner makes sure you can keep up with the story from the very beginning. If you are a fan of cozy mysteries or even a beginner I definitely recommend this book, and be sure to check out the great audio book the narration makes it so much better.

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Black Rose by Nora Roberts

Black Rose

Book Two of In The Garden Trilogy

By Nora Roberts

Rosalind Harper married young to the love of her life, but life had other plans for her she was left widowed, years later as her children grew and moved on with their own lives she decided to get married again her second husband turned out to be a liar, a cheat, and a thief. Now at forty seven she is independent and has no intentions of every being married again but as she gets to know the man she has hired to investigate her family to find out who the Harper Bride is the more she fights the fact she is falling in love all over again.

This book is not as a good as the first one, but was great in continuing the story of the Harper Bride. It’s not bad it is more of a classic romance with touches of the ghost as the ghost becomes more aggressive I think the ghost was scarier in the first book considering it focused more around two young children. This book is a great romance Nora Roberts is a fantastic romantic author and there is no wonder why she is such a bestseller and has so many books under her belt, I can’t wait to read the next book and see what happens concerning the Harper Bride and if they can appease the ghost once and for all.

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Cleopatra Ascending by Maureen Lipinski

Cleopatra Ascending

Shadow’s Edge Series Book Two

By Maureen Lipinski

Rhea has just turned sweet sixteen and discovered she is Cleopatra’s reincarnate. This really isn’t much of a surprise, more like a let-down, she wishes she had cooler powers like her sisters or her mom the most she can do is draw attention from the people around her. That is until her powers begin to manifest themselves and she is soon in danger from people who would wish to use Cleopatra’s abilities against mankind.

I had no idea that this was the second book in a series; you can definitely tell you’ve missed something when you start reading but it’s still a great story even if you start in the middle like I did. Maureen Lipinski has created a fantastic story here centering on Rhea and her past life. Even though Rhea is absolutely intriguing and the main character of the novel there are several times when her sisters and mother draw the attention away from Rhea making you want to know more about their unique gifts. Through the blending of dreams Rhea glimpses events in her past life that are so well written and descriptive you can almost see yourself in ancient Egypt.  The author takes something simple from Egyptian mythology and plays it to its fullest captivating readers and transporting us into another world. I cannot wait to see what else the author has in store for Rhea.

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Enchanted Ever After by Robin D. Owens

Enchanted Ever After

Mystic Circle Series Book Three

By Robin D. Owens

Kiri Palger has dreamed of working for Eight Corp., the creators of Fairies and Dragons an online game that Kiri is absolutely addicted to. Shortly after Kiri moves into the cul-de-sac of mystic circle where a number of Eight Corp. employees live, she is approached to start work on a new virtual reality project this is a dream come true and Kiri jumps at the chance. Soon she finds out that there is another purpose altogether for the new virtual system.

This is such a fun book, though you can definitely tell it is not the first in a series the author does an amazing job of making this a “stand alone” novel so that even though I haven’t read the previous two myself I can jump into the story and not once do I feel lost or confused. First off you have the gaming aspect of the book which I must admit I love video games so it automatically appealed to me but the author goes further than that she not only brings the game to life but she brings the multiple realms it represents into such vivid perspective I know I was definitely jealous of Kiri and wanted to jump head first into the game myself. Then you have some of the best scenes I have come across in a long time and Robin D. Owens descriptive proficiency comes into play once again sucking you into the story and the world in which she has created even further. This is a fascinating fantasy and with the heartwarming romance and touches of the gaming world it is highly unique. With such a well written book and an amazing story this is definitely a book worth reading. 

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