Review: Skin Game by Jim Butcher

I'm still alive :) Actually, not much is going with me except reading... so I really hope to find my muse so I can share my thoughts with you. I'm currently toying with some ideas for the blog... Hopefully, some of them will pan out :)

For now, enjoy this review!


***Warning: This review contains spoilers. Read at your own risk***

Skin Game by Jim Butcher
published by New American Library (ROC) in May 2014

Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, is about to have a very bad day...

Because as Winter Knight to the Queen of Air and Darkness, Harry never knows what the scheming Mab might want him to do. Usually, it’s something awful.

He doesn’t know the half of it…

Mab has just traded Harry’s skills to pay off one of her debts. And now he must help a group of supernatural villains—led by one of Harry’s most dreaded and despised enemies, Nicodemus Archleone—to break into the highest-security vault in town so that they can then access the highest-security vault in the Nevernever.

It’s a smash-and-grab job to recover the literal Holy Grail from the vaults of the greatest treasure hoard in the supernatural world—which belongs to the one and only Hades, Lord of the freaking Underworld and generally unpleasant character. Worse, Dresden suspects that there is another game afoot that no one is talking about. And he’s dead certain that Nicodemus has no intention of allowing any of his crew to survive the experience. Especially Harry.

Dresden’s always been tricky, but he’s going to have to up his backstabbing game to survive this mess—assuming his own allies don’t end up killing him before his enemies get the chance…

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Dresden Files, Book #15

The Story: The blurb is a good summary for the book, so there's not much for me to add. Basically, since the events of Cold Days, Harry has been living by himself on Demonreach with very little contacts with anyone. Then Mab shows up because she has a job for him... and if he's successful, she'll help remove the parasite in his head which is going to kill him in a few days.

However, when Harry learns of the job, he's ready to balk no matter the risk to his life... because not only will he be stealing for Hades, Lord of the Underworld, but he'll be working for Nicodemus Archleone. Unfortunately, Harry doesn't have a choice... and he'll do everything in his power to undermine Nicodemus' careful planning.

My Opinion: I love the Dresden Files series. It's really one of my favorite Urban Fantasy series because it has it all: solid world building, complex stories full of twists and turns, great characters and great humor. The last book, Cold Days, was epic which is why I considered it my Best Read of 2012... I was so excited when Skin Game was finally announced, especially since the blurb sounded so good! I mean, Harry having to team up with Nicodemus to steal the Holy Grail from Hades?!?! OMG! LOL. I guess all of this meant that I really had high expectations for Skin Game... and as much as I wanted to love this installment, it fell flat a little for me :(

In short, what was missing for me in Skin Game was the intensity, the "sitting on the edge of your seat" excitement. The last few Dresden Files books were pretty much non-stop action and revelations... and while there was plenty of both in Skin Game, it felt less urgent. It also seemed like there was a lot of "quiet" time. When I read the blurb of Skin Game, I thought the book was going to be about going into the Underworld, the obstacles and people they'd meet in order to succeed. An adventure! Instead, a huge part of Skin Game was about planning the break-in and involved a lot of running around. Even worst, breaking-in the vault in the Underworld and the theft turned out to be anti-climatic! ^_^; I talked to my friend about Skin Game and his words were "the pacing was weird." I think a better word would be: uneven. Skin Game started out pretty strong, but then, it slowed down too much and lost momentum. So when it was time for the grand finale, it couldn't reach the high it was supposed to :(

Another issue I had was with Harry. In Skin Game, Harry still struggles with being the Winter Knight and how the mantle can affect his personality. He's still scared to become lose his conscience and become a monster. I understand that we all want character's growth and development, especially in a series featuring the same main characters... but in the case of Harry, it just seems a bit pointless. Perhaps it's because he's so aware of the possible effect of the winter mantle and therefore, keeps worrying about it and bringing it up. To me though, all his concerns just make him wishy-washy :(  Especially since in the end, Harry still reverts back to the same old Harry that we like and want. I wish he would stop worrying and accept the consequences of the decision he made. He needed the power of the Winter Knight to save Maggie. He tried to kill himself and didn't succeed. What else can he do? Especially now that Molly is the Winter Lady, shouldn't he stand by her side? Also, I feel that Harry should have processed his feelings and thoughts already. I mean, at least a year goes by between books... doesn't he think about it? As a result, it makes this issue a bit redundant.

Despite my complaints, there were quite a bit to like about Skin Game. I liked that Mr Butcher kept the cast of Skin Game small and intimate instead of bombarding us with all of Harry's friends and allies. It allowed more focus which was a good thing in this book. It was so nice to see Michael again and to have him team up with Harry... Just nice :) The twist about the parasite was inspired LOL. I'm curious to see how it's going to turn out. All I can think though is that Bob will have company and who knows, perhaps a girlfriend in the future :P I'm also happy that some elements of the whole series are moving along. For example, Harry and Murphy's romance - finally!! I understand Murphy's fear, but it'd be sad to miss out on love because of it. Also, we have a new Knight of the Cross! Yay! It was a good surprise to see who picked up Fidelacchius... Unexpected, but good because seriously seriously, Butters rocks LOL. I'm also happy that Murphy as a possibility as a Knight of Cross has been resolved. As usual, there was also a lot of humor in Skin Game. I particularly liked the scene with Uriel's mortality... and oh, the parasite - that was priceless LOL. However, my favorite part of the book is when Harry finally meets Maggie :) She deserves a father and Harry needs her. Oh and I'm really glad that Harry will finally be back in Chicago.

My Grade: B-. I read in LazerWraith's Goodreads review that Mr Butcher considered Changes, Ghost Story and Cold Days as a three-part mid-season special episode... and they were. He attained such a high with those three books that coming back down was going to be inevitably hard. I know that I'm in the minority, but I feel that's what happened to Skin Game. It's definitively not a bad book, but the difference between it and the three other books is huge. Still, I'm looking forward to the next book! Can't wait to see what Mr Butcher and Harry have in store for us :)

Review: Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop

Okay, so I've been wanting to review this week for almost two weeks now, but words having been forthcoming... and they still aren't ^_^; So please bear with me as I try my hardest to make sense! LOL.


Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop
published by New American Library (ROC) in March 2014

After winning the trust of the terra indigene residing in the Lakeside Courtyard, Meg Corbyn has had trouble figuring out what it means to live among them. As a human, Meg should be barely tolerated prey, but her abilities as a cassandra sangue make her something more.

The appearance of two addictive drugs has sparked violence between the humans and the Others, resulting in the murder of both species in nearby cities. So when Meg has a dream about blood and black feathers in the snow, Simon Wolfgard — Lakeside’s shape-shifting leader — wonders if their blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or a future threat.

As the urge to speak prophecies strikes Meg more frequently, trouble finds its way inside the Courtyard. Now, the Others and the handful of humans residing there must work together to stop the man bent on reclaiming their blood prophet—and stop the danger that threatens to destroy them all.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: The Others, Book #2

The Story: I find the blurb of Murder of Crows to be a bit too focused on Meg while so much is happening, so I'm going to attempt a better summary. Not sure how successful I'll be, but in any case, I know Hilcia was pretty spot on, so if you are curious, you can check out her review :)

Murder of Crows pretty much picks up where Written in Red has left off. Meg has recovered and is back in the Lakeside Courtyard. She is still figuring out life outside of the compound as well as the full full extent of her ability. In addition, there's her deepening friendship with Simon Wolfgard, the leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, which seems to leave the two of them confused.

Meanwhile, in the rest of Thaisia, relations between humans and terra indigene are escalating while tension is mounting. Repercussions are being felt even in the Lakeside Courtyard. Across the continent, all blood prophets are seeing the same prophecy to all their requests: fire, destruction, floods, deaths... The terra indigene are growing impatient with the humans, especially after violent outbreaks aimed at them and the Humans First and Last (HFL) organization spreading their propaganda. When it is discovered that the violent outbreaks were spurred by two new drugs - "gone over wolf" and "feel good" - the terra indigene are willing to destroy its source... but it turns out to be Namid's wondrous and terrible creation, the cassandra sangue... What will they do?

My Opinion: As you probably all know by now, I loooved Written in Red :) It was my favorite read of 2013 and needless to say, I was really looking forward to Murder of Crows. Lucky for me, it showed up on my doorstep early... and you can imagine what happened next :P

My first impression of Murder of Crows is that it wasn't as good as Written in Red :( Mainly because I felt the book lacked a focal point. There were many POVs, many subplots and basically, some of them were unnecessary. Others felt incomplete because they were set-up elements for the next book. In other words, there were just a bit too much going on and pulling in different directions. This is Ms Bishop's writing style and it usually works well because her main storyline is solid and the rest is just complementing that storyline. For example, in Written in Red, the book was about Meg escaping and settling in the Lakeside Courtyard. However, in Murder of Crows, I don't know what was the main storyline...  was it Meg or what was happening between the terra indigene and the humans? I wish I could say it was Meg, but it didn't feel that way because Meg didn't feel like the main character to me. Yes, she was central to the story... but not really for the character itself, but more for the prophecies which got the rest of the book moving along. In truth, I felt like there was almost no development to her character, no growth :( And I guess that's why I didn't enjoy Murder of Crows as much. It also feels like Ms Bishop is missing an over-arching... or if she has one, it's a bit too subtle and has gone straight over my head.

The rest of the book was pretty good and well-written. As Ms Bishop demonstrated with the Black Jewels series, she is quite the master at writing about the interactions of two battling populations vying for power and the darkness and the blood it generates... and she does it again in Murder of Crows. It's quite frightening how dark the storyline is getting without you realizing it, because in your head, these are just words, are fictional events... but in reality, they could or have happened ^_^; I'm looking forward to see how this part will be resolved... if it can be.

One of the best elements of Murder of Crows was Meg and Simon's relationship. Ms Bishop did a great job at developing it as it had just the right pace and the right feelings on both characters' parts. We're definitively heading towards a romance and it's interesting to watch Meg and Simon muddled through it :) Once again, I enjoyed the different characters and interactions introduced and the humor Ms Bishop has injected into the story to counterbalance the darkness :)

My Grade: B. Overall, Murder of Crows was a very solid book. I just feel it would have been better if it focused a bit more on Meg ^_^; In any case, I'm still looking forward to the next book, Vision in Silver :)

Review: Written in Red by Anne Bishop

OMG, a review!! Yay!! Finally! I'm also particularly happy because Written in Red is a book I've been wanting to review ever since I read it, because I wanted to share its awesomeness with you all! Hope you enjoy it :)


Written in Red by Anne Bishop
published by New American Library (ROC) in March 2013

As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: The Others, Book #1

The Story: In this world, among the humans and the others, there is a special race of female humans called cassandra sangue or more commonly known as blood prophet. Whenever their skin is cut, they see the future, prophecies. They are rumored to live in special place away from the population for their own safety and pampered, but in truth, they are raised in a compound with no control whatsoever of their life and their ability is sold to the highest bidders.

When cs759 escapes from the compound, she takes the name of Meg Corbyn. Knowing that the Controller won't let her go that easily, she takes refuge in the Lakeside Courtyard, a business district operated by the Others where human laws do not apply, as their human liaison. Her job consists of receiving deliveries, sorting and delivering the mail and packages. For the first time in her life, Meg is free to live how she wants and she's avid to discover life.

Simon Wolfgard is the leader of the Others in the Lakeside Courtyard. He's confused and intrigued by Meg because while human, she doesn't smell like prey. One thing he does know is that she quickly becomes an integral part of the Courtyard, befriending everyone with her special attentions, especially Mr. Erebus - the patriarch of the Sanguinati (read vampires) - and Simon's nephew Sam. As such, whoever wants to harm Meg will have to face the Others.

My Opinion: Written in Red has been on my radar since I've found out about it, but I had my doubts at first. I enjoyed Ms Bishop's Black Jewels series, but some of her other books/series, not as much. However, after seeing all the positive feedback that Written in Red received, I decided to pick it up and I am so glad I did! Because I looooove Written in Red and have already re-read it three times since March!! LOL, I guess that says it all, right? :)

Written in Red excelled on all levels: the writing, the characters, the plot and the world building. However, what stood out the most for was the world building because it felt like it was the purpose of this book. I loved that there was no information dump and instead, Ms Bishop chose to show the readers how things were and worked. Written in Red was all about the little community that is Lakeside Courtyard and the interactions, dynamics, inter-plays of the different Others with the humans, between each other and with Meg. Oh, I'm sure there's much more to this new world Ms Bishop has built, but for now, I feel I had a good grasp and I'm satisfied. And the bonus was that I really enjoyed seeing the day-to-day events and how Meg became part of the Lakeside Courtyard :) I also loved the cast of secondary characters that Ms Bishop introduced in Written in Red and I find they are an integral part of the world building :P

While the storyline did take a back-seat to the world building, I still found it quite interesting and thrilling because the threat of the Controller was constant. Meg knew he would never let her go and readers also came to that understanding when we learn how accurate and sensitive Meg was. I liked that Meg didn't let her guard down, that she was always aware of her surrounding and what was going on, but at the same time, it didn't stop her from enjoying life. And I have to say, it was chilling to see the Controller's reach and to what extent he'd go to get Meg back. I really commend Ms Bishop for doing such a good job weaving the intrigue into the world building so seamlessly and also putting things in place for the future storylines. My only complaint about the storyline in Written in Red is that the pacing was a bit slow with the bulk of the action all happening at the end, and that's very minor considering everything.

I read a review somewhere about Written in Red in which the reviewer stated that this book seemed to be a bit of a departure from Ms Bishop's usual style. I personally don't agree. It is true that Written in Red is not outright dark and I was grateful for that. I enjoyed all the funny, light-hearted moments and I felt it was refreshing, different from the sarcastic and cynical humor that readers are accustomed to with urban fantasy kick-ass heroines. But really, there is an underlying darkness to Written in Red: the real truth about the blood prophets, their cuttings and the nature of the Others in general, their disregard for humans and so on. It is subtle, but it is there. Also, the focus on Lakeside Courtyard and the pace in Written in Red reminded me a lot of Shadalor's Lady, which is one of my favorite Black Jewels books :)

Finally, my favorite part of the book was Meg's relationships with Sam and Simon. I liked Meg's character a lot. She was a great blend of determination, rightness, sweetness and innocence. Her personality and her desires to belong are what won her the respect and friendship of the Others in the Lakeside Courtyard and I feel she deserved it. Meg's friendship with Sam was just so sweet, the two of them discovering the world, opening themselves. I also think Meg not knowing Sam prior to his mother's death helped, it was like starting anew. As for Meg and Simon's friendship, I definitively hope it will lead to more :P

My Grade: A. There's no doubt in mind that Written in Red will be in my Top 3 favorite UF books at the end of the year :) It was such a great start to a new series full of potential, but more importantly, it was a fun and enjoyable read :) I just can't wait to see where Ms Bishop will lead us next and I hope to find out more about the blood prophets soon! :)

Review: Slashback by Rob Thurman

Hey everyone :)

I have a buddy review up over at Breezing Through. Joining me is Leslie and/or Hilcia to discuss our yearly fix of the Cal Leandros series :) So head over to Breezing Through to find out how much we enjoyed this new installment!





Slashback by Rob Thurman
published by New American Library (ROC) in March 2013

I stopped and let them circle me, first because it was intriguing and, second, because, honestly, what could they do? Only knives, but all armed, and that made them even more interesting. Interesting. Fun.

Playtime…

Taking on bloodthirsty supernatural monsters is how Caliban and Niko Leandros make a living. But years ago—before they became a force to be reckoned with—the brothers were almost victims of a very human serial killer.

Almost.

Unfortunately for them, that particular depraved killer was working as apprentice to a creature far more malevolent—the legendary Spring-heeled Jack. He’s just hit town. He hasn’t forgotten what the Leandros brothers did to his murderous protégé. He hasn’t forgotten what they owe him.

And now they are going to pay… and pay… and pay...

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Cal Leandros, Book #8

Review: Cold Days by Jim Butcher

As expected, I wasn't able to blog as much as I wanted this week ^_^; However, it wasn't so much laziness as lack of time and exhaustion. I wanted to have this review ready for yesterday, but Wednesday, I was soooo tired. Too much curling will take a toll on you which is why I'm so awed at curlers who compete... Playing two games a day for a week - the stamina that it takes!! Anyway, I promise a post on curling to come! So far in the in-club event, we're 1-1. We have another game tonight and if we lose, we're out. Really hoping we'll win! :)

While I didn't blog much this week, the two reviews I managed to write - Did You Miss Me? by Karen Rose and this one, Cold Days by Jim Butcher - were two that I really wanted to write. Both were part of my Favorite and Best of 2012, so I'm just glad I got to share my thoughts with you all :)

For those who are interested by this review, before you read on, I'd like to warn you that there are spoilers in the blurb and in the review. If you have not kept up with the series since Changes or even prior to it and do not want to be spoiled, do not continue on!! You've been warned! Actually, the review part, i.e. "My Opinion" and "My Grade", is pretty much spoiler-free, so you can read... but if you don't want any spoilers, than do not read the book's blurb and my attempt at summarizing it, "The Story."

Enjoy!


***Warning: This review contains spoilers. Read at your own risk***

Cold Days by Jim Butcher
published by New American Library (ROC) in November 2012

HARRY DRESDEN LIVES!!!

After being murdered by a mystery assailant, navigating his way through the realm between life and death, and being brought back to the mortal world, Harry realizes that maybe death wasn’t all that bad. Because he is no longer Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard.

He is now Harry Dresden, Winter Knight to Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness. After Harry had no choice but to swear his fealty, Mab wasn’t about to let something as petty as death steal away the prize she had sought for so long. And now, her word is his command, no matter what she wants him to do, no matter where she wants him to go, and no matter who she wants him to kill.

Guess which Mab wants first?

Of course, it won’t be an ordinary, everyday assassination. Mab wants her newest minion to pull off the impossible: kill an immortal. No problem there, right? And to make matters worse, there exists a growing threat to an unfathomable source of magic that could land Harry in the sort of trouble that will make death look like a holiday.

Beset by enemies new and old, Harry must gather his friends and allies, prevent the annihilation of countless innocents, and find a way out of his eternal subservience before his newfound powers claim the only thing he has left to call his own…

His soul.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Dresden Files, Book #14

The Story: Last warning here, there are spoilers in this review, so if you don't want to know, don't read further!

In Changes, Harry needed power to save his daughter and therefore accepted Mab's long-standing offer for the position of Winter Knight. Knowing what it entailed, Harry tried to wiggle out by ordering his own hit. However, the Queen of Air and Darkness wasn't about to let Harry slips through her fingers and was able to keep him alive by combining her efforts with Demonreach. Grateful to be alive and having no choice about his new role, Harry has decided that he'll assume his responsibilities as the Winter Knight, Harry-style :)

However, in his wildest dreams, Harry never expected Mab to ask for the near-impossible for his first mission as the Winter Knight: to kill an immortal. Turns out there is a conjunction of time which occurs every year when immortals are vulnerable: Halloween night. Except that only gives him about 24 hours to pull it off. And when Mab's sanity starts being questioned, Harry has to decide whom to trust and which immortal to kill.

Of course, Harry's life cannot be that easy and killing an immortal is not all he has to deal with. Upon his return to Chicago, Harry learns the true purpose of Demonreach: a jail created in four dimensions by Merlin to imprison magical creatures that make naagloshii (Turn Coat) one of the least dangerous creatures housed in minimum security. He also finds out he's been chosen to be the warden of this prison and that it is currently under attack and if the enemy succeeds, it will not only blow up the island, but also Chicago and part of the country. And of course, Harry's deadline is November 1.

And if Harry manages to accomplish his mission and save the world once again, he should find a way to get rid of the parasite with which Mab and Demonreach bargained with to keep Harry alive before it burst forth from his skull...

My Opinion: All right, I'm going to sound like total fan girl in this review, but what can I say? Cold Days was a great, great book and it's been a while since I've enjoyed a book this much. You know the exhilarating feeling you get while reading, the not-turning-the-page-fast-enough,  the wanting to jump because it's so exciting that you can't contain your energy and the jaw-dropping at the twists? Yeah, that was me while reading Cold Days LOL.

So what was it about Cold Days that made it so good? LOL, everything :) But first and foremost, I think it was the story. As usual, it was complex and well thought out, but more importantly, exciting! It started with the identity of the immortal that Mab wants Harry to kill. My reaction was like "Wow, really?!?" and just built up from there with a lot of good twists, culminating in a jaw-dropping ending. That ending was so unexpected, but oh so brilliant, and it showed us that Mr. Butcher knows exactly where he is going and that he's been planning ahead. Every event and small detail which are found in the books are there for a purpose :) And really, it just makes it more exciting for the future because you don't know what the author will pull out of the hat. Something else that contributed immensely to making this story so exciting is that we finally get answers to some questions that arose throughout the series. For example the purpose of Demonreach, why is Rashid known as the Gatekeeper, etc. and some of these revelations added to the wowzer factor of Cold Days :) Of course, there's still a lot of unknown going on, but at least, Mr. Butcher touched upon some and that was enough to assuage our hunger. Most authors with long-running series have their characters going through some adventures confined in one installment with an over-arching storyline connecting these installments whereas Mr. Butcher has many over-arching storylines... Sometimes, it actually feels like there's too many ^_^; But when you get a book like Cold Days where some of your questions are answered and where everything falls into place and comes together so nicely, it doesn't feel so... in fact, it makes you want more!

Another reason I loved this book so much was the humor :) There are a lot of main characters in other series who are sarcastic, but really, Harry is a first class wise-ass LOL. And it's not just Harry, but the dynamics he has with the other characters, the tone and the delivery. Also, Cold Days is the 14th book in the series, so there are some insider jokes, little things that wouldn't be funny if you haven't read the book. In any case, I know that at times when I wasn't enthralled by the book, I probably was grinning like a lunatic LOL.

And of course, you also find the usual in Cold Days: lots of action, an interesting cast of secondary characters, a likable hero, etc. It's going to be interesting to see how Harry's character develops, him being the Winter Knight. For now, he seems to be himself, but can you really not be affected by near-death experience? Also, it is said that the Winter Knight mantle changes a person... Personally, I don't want Harry to change too much, but it is time for more. I enjoyed seeing the gang and two thumbs up to Mr. Butcher for not overdoing the reunions. All the characters that were seen had a purpose and that's good. There's still a lack of romance in this series, but I don't mind much... and a relationship between Harry and Murphy - one that I've been wishing from the start - is being discussed. I liked that it's still in the air because there's a lot to consider and it makes it realistic.

All in all, Cold Days was really a great book. I loved everything about it, but I do have one niggle... Why wasn't Harry's godmother, Leanansidhe, part of the story? Given that the book involved the Winter Court, it would have made sense for her to be present... It just didn't make sense to me that she wasn't.

My Grade: A. There's really only one word to describe and sum up my feelings about Cold Days: epic!!! It was such a great book, totally worth the wait! :) And that's why Cold Days was my best and favorite read in 2012. Now, I can't wait till the next book - Skin Games - and hopefully, Mr. Butcher keeps it up!

Review: Doubletake by Rob Thurman

It's Friday again! Yay! This week has been kind of blur. There's a lot happening in Quebec province right now. I don't want to go into too much details, because it's a social and political debate and I've learned to avoid those on the blog. Needless to say though, it's very frustrating. Then, there weather has simply been crappy this week... Rainy and cold. We even had some snow flakes this morning!! 

The good news of the week is that I went to an ENT specialist yesterday about the vertigo. Turns out I don't have BPPV, but Meniere's disease. It's not much different than BPPV though, since there's no cure really. But at least, now, I'm reassured and so are my parents :)

On the blogging-front, I've been very busy as you can see :) I'm glad I was able to accomplish everything I wanted! Still can't accumulate a stash of posts to be scheduled, but at least, I had a plan and I got it done :)

So today, I bring you another review, actually a buddy review over at Breezing Through :) Hilcia and Leslie have joined me to discuss Doubletake by Rob Thurman. I really like this, because so far, all the books by Ms Thurman that I've read, either Hils or Leslie or both have reviewed them with me. It's like a tradition! You can click here to find out what we thought of Cal, Niko and Robin's latest adventure!

Doubletake by Rob Thurman
published by ROC (New American Library) in March 2012

Half-human/half-monster Cal Leandros knows that family is a pain. But now that pain belongs to his half-brother, Niko. Niko's shady father is in town, and he needs a big favor. Even worse is the reunion being held by the devious Puck race-including the Leandros' friend, Robin- featuring a lottery that no Puck wants to win.

As Cal tries to keep both Niko and Robin from paying the ultimate price for their kin, a horrific reminder from Cal's own past arrives to remind him that blood is thicker than water-and that's why it's so much more fun to spill.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Cal Leandros series, Book #7

Review: Blackout by Rob Thurman

Ugh, I had a really bad day at work yesterday :( I was doing a repeat experiment and it didn't work. Again. I really don't know what is going wrong. Whether it's me or the samples or the reagents. As a result, I wasn't in the mood to blog... and decide to post this buddy review over at Breezing Through early :) Yay, for once I had something ready early!! Well, not that early if you consider it took me almost a year to put it together ^_^; So I'd really like to thank Leslie for buddy reviewing Blackout with me!! Thank you Les!! LOL, you can read our discussion of Blackout here :) Enjoy!



Blackout by Rob Thurman
published by ROC in March 2011

I was alone, and I was lost. I didn't know where I was; I didn't know who I was. it doesn't get more lost than that. Knowing what I knew and not knowing anything else at all, why would I want to be in the darkness where monsters hide?

Because killers hide there too...

Half-human Cal Leandros has always walked a bloody line between keeping his mortal soul free and clear (sort of) and unleashing the horror of his otherworldly heritage. The one thing that's always saved him is the memory of his brother, Niko, his friends, and those he loves. Until now.

Cal wakes up on a beach littered with the recently slaughtered remains of a variety of hideous creatures that were obviously looking for trouble. The fact that he is the one who did the slaughtering doesn't bother him. The fact that he feels like a natural-born killer doesn't either. What bothers Cal is that he doesn't remember Cal anymore... and he's not sure he cares.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Cal Leandros, Book #6

Review: Ghost Story by Jim Butcher

Hey everyone! How are you doing? There's nothing going on with me lately :( It's just the usual: work. I've been going out with some friends, but nothing out of the ordinary. Oh, the change of time though seems to give me an extra hour in the morning :) I'm not complaining LOL.

I'm working really hard on getting reviews for some books that I've read a while ago ^_^; These are books that I really wanted to review, so I'm doing my best so that they don't fall between the cracks! I seem to have find a balance between my reading and reviewing - it's been a while! Hope that it keeps on! :)

Today's review is Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. Hmmm, somehow, it's more of a gushing than a review ^_^; but hope you enjoy it nonetheless!


***Warning: This review contains spoilers. Read at your own risk***

Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
published by ROC (New American Library) in July 2011

When we last left the mighty wizard detective Harry Dresden, he wasn't doing well. In fact, he had been murdered by an unknown assassin.

But being dead doesn't stop him when his friends are in danger. Except now he has nobody, and no magic to help him. And there are also several dark spirits roaming the Chicago shadows who owe Harry some payback of their own.

To save his friends-and his own soul-Harry will have to pull off the ultimate trick without any magic...

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Dresden Files, Book #13

The Story: Six months have gone by since the cliffhanger ending of Changes and Harry is given the chance by the higher powers to go back as a ghost and solve his own murder. Otherwise, three of the people he loves will come to great harm. With his friends' lives at stake, Harry does not hesitate one second.

However, once Harry arrives in Chicago, he is in for a surprise. First, it's May and there is still snow. Second, his beloved city has been invaded by dark beings. Indeed, with Harry - the biggest badass in the area- gone, many beings are no longer afraid of coming out and are vying for power, for territory. In order to counter these attacks and protect people, Murphy and Marcone have allied and formed a militia in which most of Harry's friends have engaged in. Then, there is his apprentice who has gone rogue and whom everyone seems to fear... Oh and let's not forget that as a ghost, Harry has some communication problems... and no magic.

Nonetheless, Harry is determined to help his friends, face old foes and find his murderer... Dresden's style :)

My Opinion: I realize that I've fallen behind in my reviewing of the Dresden Files books or of the Codex Alera books for that matter ^_^; I think one of the reasons is they're just so complex and most of the time, I'd sounded like a rabid fangirl LOL. However, I always look forward to a new release by Mr Butcher and try to get my hands on it ASAP. Ghost Story is his latest and I really wanted to review it because it was sooo good!

So the previous book in the series, Changes, was really titled appropriately because it was the catalyst of the series so far and brought a lot of changes to what the readers were familiar with. It also ended on a really big cliffhanger and I was really looking forward to Ghost Story to see what Mr Butcher would do! What would happen to Harry?!? And all I can say is that Mr Butcher really pulled it off :)

I love Harry. Even as a ghost, he's still himself :) He's a genius and a clown at once LOL. I liked that he's so oblivious to the notoriety he has built on over the year. I think that's a real sign of selflessness. In all his adventures, it wasn't about him, it was really about the people he helped and the circumstances. Also, it's nice to re-visit the whole gang. I thought that Bob now being in Butter's possession was quite clever. LOL, the bond between them just makes me laugh. It's also very nice to see Butters being more confident :) Molly's transformation is quite interesting as well. To me, it really makes sense. I kind of feel bad though that she has to live up to her mentor's and to some extent, her father's reputations. The poor girl is not a fighter, but she has to become one. The fact that she's not running away and instead is enduring Lea's tutelage is really brave and really shows her strength. By the way, Lea and Molly's combo is quite interesting and not one that I'd have predicted but once again, one that makes sense :) The only person I'm a bit wary is Murphy. She's never been weak, but now, with everything that's happened, she really toughened up, hardened up... and I found it unfortunate and sad :( I feel like she lost something and perhaps, it's part of her heart when Harry disappeared.

As usual, there's a lot going on in Ghost Story. It's full of action, pretty much non-stop, and fast-paced... and I simply loved it :) Mr Butcher brings back an old foe and it really fit the story. I really liked that part of the story. I enjoyed Fitz' introduction and I'm hoping he's going to become a recurring character. Finally, regarding Harry's death... Once again, it's really clever. I didn't figure it out, but once I read it, it simply made sense and it's so in character with Harry. I think Mr Butcher did a great job at foreshadowing it. Also, regarding the big revelation... I really liked that it didn't come out of no where either, that Bob and Harry were able to figure it out.

Okay, I guess that's why I don't often review Mr Butcher's books... because, in the end, it's not much of a review ^_^; It's quite simple though. First, if you've never read the Dresden Files books, don't start here! Then, if you're a fan of this series, I believe you're going to be happy with Ghost Story. It has all the elements that has made the Dresden Files series a success. It's thrilling and funny, you just want to keep reading and it's great to re-visit the characters. Yes, the storyline concerning the White Council has stalled, but it's not a bad thing. Considering what happened in Changes, Mr Butcher really had to address those issues and storylines first. I'm sure we'll be back on track very soon :) My only disappointment in Ghost Story is that we have no seen more of Mouse, Thomas and Ebenezar ^_^;

My Grade: A-. I really liked this book and am looking forward to the next one as always :)

Review: Chimera by Rob Thurman

Seriously feel like my blogging mojo is coming back! I mean, those incubation times are just great :) So, guess what? I have a review up at Breezing Through! Wooohooo! It's Chimera by Rob Thurman which you can find here, and with it, I'm a step closer to catching up on all my reviews :) Hopefully, I'll be able to catch up in the next few weeks :)


Chimera by Rob Thurman
published by New American Library in June 2010

Ten years ago, Stefan Korsak’s younger brother was kidnapped. No one knew who took Lukas, or why. He was simply gone. But not a day has passed that Stefan hasn’t thought about him. As a rising figure in the Russian Mafia, Stefan has finally found him.

But when he rescues Lukas, Stefan must confront a terrible truth – his brother is no longer his brother. He is a killer. Trained, brainwashed, and genetically transformed into a flesh-and-blood machine with only one purpose: assassination. Now those who created him will do anything to reclaim him.

As Stefan grows closer to his brother, he realizes that saving Lukas may be easier than surviving him...

Review: Roadkill by Rob Thurman

My poor blog! I haven't meant to neglect you! I swear! Things have just been hectic... and most of it hasn't even been related to my trip! Ugh, I was all ready to write this post last Thursday after work - even got to go home early!! I was changing into my pjs and what happened? The little, tiny screw in my glasses got loose!! That meant the lens fell... Luckily, I was able to find the screw and still had my old pair of glasses... However, the screw was soooo small I couldn't do it on my own. So I had to head back out, go to the store and have them do it. It took just a few minutes, but ugh, it was enough to exhaust me. (I kind of freaked out, thinking I needed the receipt so I looked for it... and I was like, what if they can't repair it?!? I need my glasses for everything!!)

Afterward, I think my brain has had enough and decided to shut down LOL. It needed a break from everything, including blogging and reading. I think I spent the past few days watching chinese tv series and this week-end, shopping. I did clean my room some, plus I started packing - actually almost done... All I have left to pack is my clothes that I need to wash first ^_^; and my cute shoes... However, I can't find them. Sigh. Nothing can't ever go totally smoothly, sigh.

Anyway, enough about that. You'll get more tomorrow about my packing and impeding trip. For now, let's focus on the review at hand. This review actually went up last Thursday at Breezing Through. I'm a few days late... so sue me LOL. Leslie from Leslie's Psyche and Hilcia from Impressions of a Reader... are joining me to review Roadkill - the latest installment in the Cal Leandros series by Rob Thurman :) You can click here to go directly to the review.


Roadkill by Rob Thurman
published by ROC (New American Library) in March 2010

It's time to lock, load, and hit the road...

Once, while half-human Cal Leandros and his brother Niko were working on a case, an ancient gypsy queen gave them a good old-fashioned backstabbing. Now, just as their P.I. business hits a slow patch, the old crone shows up with a job.

She wants them to find a stolen coffin that contains a blight that makes the Black Death seem like a fond memory. But the thief has already left town, so the Leandros brothers are going on the road. And if they're very, very lucky, there might even be a return trip...

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Cal Leandros series, Book #5

Re-Read: The Shadow Queen by Anne Bishop

Not long ago, Tabitha asked "What to do when your urge to read war with your desire to review?" My answer was to keep on reading and not to mess with her reading roll. Well for once, I listened to my own advice LOL. I was on a reading roll in February (small because of the Olympics, but still a roll) and decided to just read what I felt like reading, even if that meant not making it for the various reading challenges I signed up for. I did feel bad missing them, especially the Re-Read Challenge because I'm the host and should set the example, but what can I say? I was afraid I'd go from a reading roll to a reading slump ^_^;


Luckily though, after reading Shadalor's Lady by Anne Bishop last Saturday, I had the urge to re-read The Shadow Queen just to refresh my memory on how it all started... and I was able to finish it on Sunday :) So today, I'm taking a page from Leslie's book of logic :P I'm posting my re-read review and, since technically, today would be February 31... I'm not late right? :)


The Shadow Queen by Anne Bishop
published by New American Library (ROC) in March 2009

Dena Nehele is a land decimated by its past. Once it was ruled by corrupt Queens who were wiped out when the land was cleansed of tainted Blood. Now, only one hundred Warlord Princes stand—without a leader and without hope…

Theran Grayhaven is the last of his line, desperate to find the key that reveals a treasure great enough to restore Dena Nehele. But first he needs to find a Queen who knows Protocol, remembers the Blood’s code of honor, and lives by the Old Ways.

Languishing in the Shadow Realm, Lady Cassidy is a Queen without a court, a castoff. She is not beautiful. She thinks she is not strong. But when she is chosen to rule Dena Nehele, she must convince bitter men to serve once again.

Theran’s cousin Gray is a Warlord Prince who was damaged in mind and body by the vicious Queens who once ruled Dena Nehele. Yet something about Cassidy makes him want to serve—and makes him believe he can be made whole once again.

And only Cassidy can prove to Gray—and to herself—that wounds can heal and even the whisper of a promise can be fulfilled...

Genre: Fantasy
Series: Black Jewels series, Book #8 (Dena Nehele trilogy, Book #2)

The Story: The synopsis does a good job summarizing the book, but I'm going to add my two cents.

Dena Nehele lands and people have been decimated by generations of corrupt Queens, even more than other territories because hundred years ago, Dena Nehele had a queen and her consort powerful enough to stand up to Dorothea SaDiablo, Lia the Gray Lady and Jared Grayhaven. Thus, they had to pay a steeper price. Now, it's been two years since Witch has cleansed the three realms from the tainted Bloods and the Warlord Princes in Dena Nehele have finally quenched the landens uprising. All the people of Dena Nehele wants is to go back to their roots and live the Old Ways, following Protocol. Theran Grayhaven is the last direct descendant of Lia and Jared and thus, has been chosen as Dena Nehele leader. Theran decides to "call in a favor" with Daemon Sadi and asks for a Queen from Kaeleer to come rule Dena Nehele in order to show them the Old Ways.

Lady Cassidy has been abandoned by her First Court because she was neither pretty or powerful and did not possess an aristo lineage. However, she has been chosen by Witch herself to be the Queen of Dena Nehele. Thus, she embarks in this adventure, to try to show the Old Ways to people who has forgotten their roots. Unfortunately for Cassidy, the road will be long and hard as will have to convince skeptics to join her court... and the biggest of them all, Theran Grayhaven himself. Luckily for her, she'll find a surprisingly ally in Gray, Theran's cousin who was captured at 15 years old and tortured the two following years... at the age of 27, Gray is not whole... just the shadow of what he could have been...


My Opinion: Here is my review of The Shadow Queen the first time I read it and basically my opinion and grade have not changed much. Although it's hard to review this without spoilers of Shadalor's Lady!

After reading Shadalor's Lady, I think The Shadow Queen did a good job at setting up the story and introducing the major characters for the trilogy. The story is fairly simple, since it consisted of Cassidy arriving at Dena Nehele, setting Court and showing her colors. Still, it was interesting and fun to read :)

The main characters (Theran, Cassidy and Gray) were also in interesting lot. They're all multi-dimensional and well developed. I really like Cassidy - she has this inner strength. She's a solid woman, the kind that's not afraid of work and get it done, without all the sparks and flashes. In The Shadow Queen, Cassidy has a low-esteem issue, she's still reeling from the abandonment of her First Court and so, she's on shaky leg. Not very sure of herself, doubting... and it sure doesn't help that Theran is being such a jerk. I'd be very curious to see the Cassidy prior the abandonment. Gray was my favorite characters in The Shadow Queen. Tortured for two years by wicked Queens, he's still scarred and so protect himself by not letting him grow emotionally. However, meeting Cassidy makes him want to become a man and that's very sweet. As for Theran, well he was a jerk. There's no other words to describe him... which is quite an interesting choice, as he's a protagonist in The Shadow Queen. He's just hateful and so stubborn and frustrating, ugh. However, there's a redeeming factor in him: he does truly care for Gray. I don't want to say too much on Theran, because I think my opinion of him is being influenced by the events of Shadalor's Lady. 

I thought The Shadow Queen was a very good book the first time and it's still so the second time around. Especially when you read it a year later. Of course, the surprise element is not there anymore, but it doesn't really matter. What matters is I still laughed and chuckled as I was reading The Shadow Queen. It's quite incredible how Ms Bishop can combine such dark and crude elements with comedy and sweet moments and everything still flows very well and at no time is it awkward. That makes Ms Bishop's writing the best thing about this book :)

My Grade: B+. I still like The Shadow Queen as much as before, especially for those cute and aww scenes. It is definitively a fun read, despite the very serious and dark undertones. I love Cassidy and Gray and I think Ms Bishop sets up the new trilogy very well with this book. At the same time, we get to re-visit older characters such as Daemon, Jaenelle and Saetan which is always fun. As in my previous review, I didn't care much about Daemon and Saetan's subplots, but still, it shows the readers different faces of these characters. At least, this time, they didn't completely overshadow the main storyline :)

Oh by the way, take a look at Anne Bishop's website. Seems like it's gotten a face lift :P

Review: Trick of the Light by Rob Thurman

Hello everyone :D

How are you doing? Nothing really special with me. I had a relaxing week-end, but it was way, way too short. The problem at work has been resolved, so this week should be much better. I'm currently reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. Thank you Isabel and Hilcia!! As a result, there's a very big chance that I'm heading to the bookstore tonight :P

The month reading-wise has been good so far. My only concern is that I haven't read much romance in the past two weeks... I look at my TBR pile and nothing really appeals to me - and that is scary... so I end up reading fantasy, urban fantasy and YA. Hopefully though the new releases at the end of the month will help :) Another block point I can't seem to overcome is writing my Best and Worst of 2009 post. I'm planning to write two - one with numbers for this blogs and another one with titles and comments for BT. Yeah, might not be happening ^_^; Ah well. We'll see how it goes at the end of the week :)


Trick of the Light by Rob Thurman
published by ROC (New American Library) in September 2009

Now you see it....Now you don't....Now you're history.

There are demons in the world. Monsters. Creatures that would steal your soul. You might hide under your covers at night and pretend all's right with the world, but you know. Even if you don't want to admit it...

Las Vegas bar owner Trixa Iktomi deals in information. And in a city where unholy creatures roam the neon night, information can mean life or death. Not that she has anything personal against demons. They can be sexy as hell, and they're great for getting the latest gossip. But they also steal human souls and thrive on chaos. So occasionally Trixa and her friends have to teach them some manners.

When Trixa learns of a powerful artifact known as the Light of Life, she knows she's hit the jackpot. Both sides-angel and demon-would give anything for it. But first she had to find it. And as Heaven and Hell ready for an apocalyptic throwdown, Trixa must decide where her true loyalty lies-and what she's ready to fight for. Because in her world, if you line up on the wrong side, you pay with more than your life...

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Trixa Iktomi, Book #1

The Story: The blurb is a bit misleading... Trixa does have something personal against demons. Basically, Trixa has been in Las Vegas for the past 10 years for one reason: kill the demon who took her brother's life. In the meantime, she has to make a living so she owns a bar as a facade and deals in information. Aside from her thrusty bartender, Leo, she has befriends two young men, Griffin and Zeke - one's an empath, the other a telepath - who works for the House of Eden... demon slayers under the supervision of angels.

Trixa is close to achieving her goal when she is shown how to find the Light of Life, an artifact she's been looking for years which can completely shield a place from harm. With this bargaining chip, she can find out which demon has killed her brother... However, not only are demons interested in the Light of Life... angels are to and so Trixa will have to tread lightly...

My Opinion: Last year, I read Ms Thurman's Cal Leandros series and really enjoyed it. So when this book came out, I immediately bought it... and then, it joined my TBR pile. I'd say the strength and flaws of the Cal Leandros series are the strengths and flaws of Trick of the Light.

The major difference between the Cal Leandros series and Trick of the Light is that the protagonist is a woman instead of a juvenile male :P As a romance reader, I am more used and I prefer women as the main characters, but I was wondering if Ms Thurman could handle it... and she did. I was glad to find out that Trixa was not a female version of Cal. There's no question that she's tough and that she could rank very high on the kick-ass scale, but it's not the first thing you notice about her. She's also not as sarcastic and cynical as Cal :P Trixa is an interesting character with many, many layers... I don't think we've peeled out all the layers in Trick of the Light and it'll be interesting to see how her character behaves in the next book. The only thing that was obvious from the beginning of the book is that she is much more than what she appears to be. Although interesting, I thought her character was hard to connect to and not that likable. From the storyline, you know that Trixa is a very independent character, but also... hmmm, alone - isolated and that's the way she lives her life.... and this come across very clearly to the readers... and I think the writing style did not help. Leo, her bartender is still quite a mystery and I'm still not sure how to describe their relationship... There's a connection between the two... but is it only friendship or more?

The characters I liked the most were Griffin and Zeke. I thought they were just so cute LOL. Griffin is the one who takes care of things, the one that needs to be needed... while Zeke - he sees the world in black and white, no shades of grey. As a result, he's dangerous. Ms Thurman wrote them in a way they would complement each other... so you can't help but like them :)

The story was okay. A lot was going on and I think it was a bit too complex and confusing. I found it hard to follow at points and I wasn't that engaged. I really didn't care much about all the angels and demons. What I was happy to find out though is that Trick of the Light takes place in the same world as the Cal Leandros series... we're just adding demons and angels to all the paranormal creatures. I liked the references to Robin Goodfellow and I'm hoping for a cross-over of the two series in the future :D

My biggest problem with Trick of the Light was the writing. While I enjoy Ms Thurman's books, the writing always causes me a problem... It's not that the writing is bad, only her books are tedious to read ^_^; and as a result, take a long time. I know that "enjoy" and "tedious" are two words you don't often go together to describe something... but really. The same happened when I read the Cal Leandros series. Hilcia thinks that it's do to long internal monologues and she is definitively unto something... Well the internal monologues in Trick of the Light are even longer ^_^;

However, I'm really happy that I persisted because the ending was definitively worth it :) The twist at the end saved the story for me. Sure, there was some foreshadowing throughout the book, but it was still a surprise for me :D

Grade: C. Trick of the Light was an interesting book, but so far, it cannot compare to the Cal Leandros series. Still, I'm going to look for the second book when it'll be released :)

*You can go here to find my reviews for the Cal Leandros series.

Review: Madhouse by Rob Thurman

How is everyone doing? I hope you're having a great week-end :)

I'm still recovering... I don't know, sometimes I feel better... Other times, I feel tired and hot. Of course, it didn't help I did something stupid - read instead of sleeping. Usually, I wouldn't mind, but yeah, when you need rest, that might not be the best idea, right? I stayed up Friday night till... hmmm, 3 or 4 o'clock to finish Tempt Me At Twilight by Lisa Kleypas ^_^;

Reading-wise, my week-end has been quite good. Finished Tempt Me At Twilight and Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong. Frostbitten was great :D and you know what? I might have the chance to meet Ms Armstrong next week-end at a convention!! Woohoo, I'm going to try my hardest to make it!

I got On the Edge by Ilona Andrews on Friday. Really lucky! It was fun this week, going after the books. I got Frostbitten on Thursday. The online showed that few bookstores got it on Wednesday, but I knew those bookstores wouldn't have it out on the shelves yet. Then, on Thursday, I saw that Coles had it. I immediately called... it was 3pm. The guy told me it was probably still in some boxes and that he'd be unpacking them, so he asked that I call back 1 or 1.5 hours later. That's what I did and he had it aside for me :D Easy peacy! :) Then, On the Edge... well that one showed up at Indigo... and let say I was determined to at least try, even though Indigo takes usually a few days to unpack their boxes. I got to the bookstore, didn't find the book on the shelf (duh) and no carts around... I finally asked one of the sale clerks and she was really nice. She looked at it on the computer and saw that the release date was September 29. She asked if I had a minute so she'd go check in the backroom. She came back 5 minutes later with it :D Wooohoo, so total score :D

So yeah, I basically spent my week-end sleeping and reading :) I cleaned up a little, but not enough... Will have to try to have my room cleaned up this week though. Otherwise, I won't have time...

Oh and I have a review up at Breezing Through. Hilcia and I buddy reviewed Madhouse by Rob Thurman. I'm actually very proud of myself for two reasons. It's quite rare that I review a whole series. I don't know why, but there's always a book that slip through my review mojo no matter how hard I try. The second reason? With Madhouse review up, that means I've reviewed all the books I've read in a month (August)!! Wooohooo!!! That is like unheard of me! Of course, it took me like 2 months to review them all and my reviews for books read in September have been scarce, but LOL :) I don't mind :)

So I hope you enjoy our review!! You can find it here.


Madhouse by Rob Thurman
published by ROC Fantasy in March 2008

My brother has spent a lifetime – mine, at least-telling me that I was normal, that I wasn’t a monster. With his help, I’d finally realized that as long as I could remain who I was, I could survive what I was. It was only bad genes...

Half-human Cal Leandros and his brother, Niko, aren’t exactly prospering with their preternatural detective agency. Who could have guessed that business would dry up in New York City, where vampires, trolls, and other creepy crawlies are all over the place?

But now there’s a new arrival in the Big Apple. A malevolent evil with ancient powers, dead set on making history with an orgy of blood and murder, is picking off humans like sheep. And for Cal and Niko, this is one paycheck they’re going to have to earn... if they live long enough to collect it.

Review: Moonshine by Rob Thurman

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had a nice week-end. The weather is being very nice lately, but the temperatures have definitively cooled down :(

I'm sick :( Stuffy nose and sore throat and perhaps a little bit of fever. The good news is that I don't have a cough, so it should not be the swine flu ^_^; I'm totally blaming my supervisor for this: stress and lack of sleep has weakened me. I loaded up on orange juice yesterday and I've been drinking a lot of water... Hopefully with a good night of sleep, I should feel better tomorrow.

Depressing no?

Onto better news though, here is my review of Moonshine by Rob Thurman. It is over at Breezing Through and my buddy this time is the lovely Hilcia :) You can find the review here. One more book and I'll have reviewed all the books read in a month! Wow, a first for me LOL :)

Enjoy!


Moonshine by Rob Thurman
published by ROC Fantasy in March 2007

I was born a monster. Although truthfully, I was only half monster. My mother was human; my father was something... else. Half monster or whole, in the end it didn’t matter. I had my weaknesses, same as anyone else.

And I was facing one of them now.

After saving the world from his fiendish father’s side of the family, Cal Leandros and his stalwart half brother, Niko, have settled down with a new apartment and a new gig – bodyguard and detective work. And in New York City, where preternatural beings talk the streets just like normal folk, business is good.

Their latest case has them going undercover for the Kin, the werewolf Mafia. A low-level Kin boss thinks a rival is setting him for a fall, and wants proof. The place to start is the back room of Moonshine, a gambling club for nonhumans. Cal thinks it’s a simple in-and-out job. But Cal is very, very wrong.

Cal and Niko are being set up themselves - and the people behind it have bites much worse than their barks...

Review: Deathwish by Rob Thurman

Nothing much going on with me lately except that I'm really on top of my reading commitments this month LOL :) First, I've already finished by TBR book... and I'm now doing my re-read :D Of course, none of it was planned... I just happened to pick up those books... Although I'm not sure I'm going to keep that re-read. Might do another one before the challenge deadline. Ah well.

All right, for those who are interested, I have a buddy review up over at Breezing Through. The book is Deathwish by Rob Thurman and it's the lastest in the Cal Leandros series. This time, my partner in crime is Leslie from Leslie's Psyche. You can find the review here.

For those who remembers, I did review the first book in this series, Nightlife, over at Breezing Through with Hilcia. There are two books between Nightlife and Deathwish and they will be reviewed... as soon as I put the review together ^_^; So I hope that you don't mind reading reviews out of order, LOL :)


Deathwish by Rob Thurman
published by ROC Fantasy in March 2009

How I felt the mental stirrings of a bloodthirsty heritage when I passed through the gray light wasn’t my favorite topic… The Auphe nature wasn’t mine. I wouldn’t let it be. And if I said that to myself over and over and sprinkled around enough frigging fairy dust, maybe it would be true.

Half-human Cal Leandros and his brother, Niko, are barely getting by with their preternatural detective agency when the vampire Seamus hires them. He’s being followed, and he wants to know by whom. But the Leandros brothers have to do more than they had planned when Seamus turns up dead (or un-undead).

Worse still is the return of Cal’s nightmarish family, the Auphe. The last time Cal and Niko faced them, the Auphe were almost wiped out. Now they want revenge. Cal knows that before the Auphe get to him, they will try to destroy everything and everyone he holds dear. Because for the Auphe, Cal’s pain is a pleasure.

And they’re feeling good.

EDIT: Just updated the review archive for anyone who's interested... Wow, I am impressed at myself, I did review a lot!

Review: Turn Coat by Jim Butcher

Ugh, I don't know how it happened, but my routine is all off!! :( Somehow, I ended up not having time to blog or read... I have a couple of reviews that should go up pretty soon and I hope that I'll be able to start a book tonight... Please, please, please.

Otherwise, I've been a bit busy at work and I'm also planning a trip, so it's taken a bit of my time. Ames and I have a crazy bet going on. My friends posted up some pics she's taken at my b-day on FB, so I'm going to steal them and post here again. Oh, did I tell you I signed up to the gym again? Yep, my dad was bugging me and he needed someone living at the same address to sign up as well so he could take advantage of the family price ^_^; So I went yesterday... Bleh... LOL. So everything combined had made me fall off my blogging and reading wagon, sigh. Hope I'll be back in business soon!!


In the meantime, I have a review up at Breezing Through. Thanks to Renee who agreed to buddy review Turn Coat by Jim Butcher. We've been working on it for a couple of weeks already and it is now finally up here.

Enjoy it all :)

The Warden Morgan has been accused of treason against the Wizards of the White Council--and there's only one, final punishment for that crime. He's on the run, wants his name cleared, and needs someone with a knack for backing the underdog. Someone like Harry Dresden.

Now, Harry must uncover a traitor within the Council, keep a less-than-agreeable Morgan under wraps, and avoid coming under scrutiny himself. And a single mistake may cost someone his head--someone like Harry.

Review: The Shadow Queen by Anne Bishop

Hello everyone :)

How was your week-end? I had a very, very lazy week-end ^_^; Kind of sad actually. Anyway, I did finish my re-read! Review to come tomorrow!

In the meantime, you can go to Breezing Through and read my buddy review with Li of The Shadow Queen by Anne Bishop :) Good and solid book :)

TBR Day: Dresden Files Books 1 to 6

It's the TBR Day challenge again!! Yay!!

So guess what I'll be reviewing this month? Yeah, easy to guess since it's in the title of the post... but nonetheless... Dresden Files books 1 to 6!!! Oh yeah, I'm beating the odds this month... not one or two books, but six LOL :)

Okay, so here it how it went... I bought the Dresden Files 1-7 about 2 years ago on one of my shopping trip. Basically, I was bored and a bit depressed... I read somewhere that the Dresden Files was a good series and decided to try it out. Knowing myself, I bought all the books available at that time... Wouldn't want to love the first book sooooo much and have to rush back to the bookstore, LOL. I tried to read Storm Front, but never got into it... but I kept them... I mean, I have 7 books right? Then, my friend and co-worker asked to borrow a sci-fi book when he went on his trip... and well, I lent him the Dresden Files instead ;) Seeing how fast he gobbled them up, I decided to give the series another try... and I'm now to book 7 :)

Since I'm going to be reviewing the 6 books at the same time, the format of this post will be different... I'll post my thoughts on the series and then, my thoughts on each book. Also, beware, there might be spoilers.


The Dresden Files Series: Mr Butcher has definitively written a winner with this series. I really enjoying it and I like his takes on the different supernatural beings. For example, the vampires are divided into 3 courts: Red, White and Black. Each has its different characteristics and particularities and it makes for a very, very interesting world. So kudos to Mr Butcher, the world-building in this series is one of the best I've read :)

In addition to good world-building, I think that one of the reasons people keep reading this series is for Harry Dresden himself. Our hero is just simply fun to read :) He has a nice sense of humor, he's noble, tenacious, a great friend, a good brother... Simply put, he's a bland of old traditions and new world that makes you LOL. You can't help but root for him and he has this talent for being in such complicated and unimaginable situations :) The most surprising is how Mr Butcher was able to create such a balanced character... I mean, Harry's a good guy, but not too righteous that he wouldn't play dirty. He's been tempted one or twice and he's not entirely pure, but he gets back on his feet and usually does the right thing. He's nice-looking without being drop dead gorgeous and he's smart without having all the answers. Basically, he's all shades of grey and that what makes him so interesting.

Lara traced her fingers in light caresses over the sword at her hips. "You've made me the cat's-paw for you, Dresden. While making me think I had the advantage of you. You've played me at my own game, and ably. I thought you capable of nothing but overt action. Clearly, I underestimated you."

"Don't feel bad," I said. "I mean, I look so stupid."

Another winner in this book is Harry's cast of friends. They are so varied, ranging from humans to vampires. Harry doesn't solve all these cases by himself and if it wasn't for his friends, he'd be dead several times over. None of the characters are one-dimension... they are all well developed and we know what drives them. Also, Mr Butcher knows not to throw them all in one book, i.e. he spreads out their involvement and that's a smart thing to do. Even Harry's familiars are great to read - Mister, his 30 pounds cat; Mouse, his huge Temple dog; and Bob, the knowledge spirit inhabiting a skull and who reads romance :) It's all these characters that make the series so good :)

What about the storyline itself? I have to say that the first 3 books were the weakest in the series in my opinion. I think that Mr Butcher was finding his rhythm, looking for his groove... They followed the same pattern and it was predictable... however, once you start book #4, the tone of the series changes and it becomes a bit more serious... The storylines also thicken up and become multi-layered... there's not just the case that Harry is working, but a bigger story spanning the whole series. Also, Mr Butcher has a lot of surprises in his bag and keeps throwing them at us ;)

So what's not so good? First, there are some adjusting to be done... I have to admit I have difficulty adjusting to the timeline of the book. About one year goes by between each book ^_^; It's easy for Harry, because he's a wizard and doesn't age as fast... but what about his human counterparts? I think that "time" isn't well reflected in the book. It's just hard to believe so much time has gone by. Secondly, there's not much romance in these books ^_^; I personally don't need sex scenes, but I want some lovey-dovey feelings!! Finally, what annoys me is the background information repetitions... for example, in each book, Harry gives an explanation on his Blue Beetle or why Mouse was named Mouse... etc. I understand why there are all those recaps of what happened; however, at this point, I think it's unnecessary. This series cannot be read out of order... so readers have already read all these things a number of times already...

So who is this series for? I think readers who don't mind the lack of romance will enjoy this series. Everyone who enjoys urban fantasy will love this... If you're looking for different takes on the paranormal world, this is it :) You just need to get past the first 3 books and I guarantee, the rest will be a breeze :P

Series Grade: B++ (Would have been an A/A- if it wasn't for the first 3 books)


Storm Front by Jim Butcher
published by ROC in April 2000

Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he's the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things -- and most of them don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a -- well, whatever.

There's just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's black magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when things start to get... interesting.

Magic. It can get a guy killed.

My thoughts: This was the introductory book and Mr Butcher did a great job. What's fun with this series is that we jump right into Harry's world... Harry already has a set of friends and contacts, so we're spared all the first meeting. This is not the perfect first book, but it's interesting enough and enjoyable.

My Grade: B


Fool Moon by Jim Butcher
published by ROC in January 2001

Business has been slow. Okay, business has been dead. And not even of the undead variety. You would think Chicago would have a little more action for the only professional wizard in the phone book. But lately, Harry Dresden hasn't been able to dredge up any kind of work — magical or mundane.

But just when it looks like he can't afford his next meal, a murder comes along that requires his particular brand of supernatural expertise.

A brutally mutilated corpse. Strange-looking paw prints. A full moon. Take three guesses — and the first two don't count...

My thoughts: This book is basically Mr Butcher's take on werewolves :) I enjoyed the mystery, I thought it was very interesting; however, it lacked something. I like that we're discovering things with Harry and that he's not a know-it-all. While interesting, it didn't make a deep impression and it also followed the same pattern as as Storm Front, which made it a bit predictable.

My Grade: B-


Grave Peril by Jim Butcher
published by ROC in September 2001

Harry Dresden's faced some pretty terrifying foes during his career. Giant scorpions. Oversexed vampires. Psychotic werewolves. It comes with the territory when you're the only professional wizard in the Chicago area phone book.

But in all Harry's years of supernatural sleuthing, he's never faced anything like this: the spirit world's gone postal. All over Chicago, ghosts are causing trouble — and not just of the door-slamming, boo-shouting variety. These ghosts are tormented, violent, and deadly. Someone — or something — is purposely stirring them up to wreak unearthly havoc.

But why? And why do so many of the victims have ties to Harry? If Harry doesn't figure it out soon, he could wind up a ghost himself...

My thoughts: This is the weakest book of the series, without a doubt. First, what was weird is the book opened. Readers are immediately thrown into action and we're giving the necessary information along the way... which wasn't the way to go in my opinion. I thought the book was very confusing and I was wondering if I missed something. In addition, this is the book where Harry's gf turns into a vampire... and I'm sorry, but I really didn't enjoy her character... I always thought that reporter characters were annoying and she was no exception. Poor Harry. What I liked thought is that we were introduced to one of Harry's good friend, Michael and his family plays an important role in the series. In addition, this book cannot be missed, because one of the event is key to the rest of the series.

My Grade: C+


Summer Knight by Jim Butcher
published by ROC in September 2002

Ever since his girlfriend left town to deal with her newly acquired taste for blood, Harry Dresden has been down and out in Chicago. He can't pay his rent. He's alienating his friends. He can't even recall the last time he took a shower.

The only professional wizard in the phone book has become a desperate man.

And just when it seems things can't get any worse, in saunters the Winter Queen of Faerie. She has an offer Harry can't refuse if he wants to free himself of the supernatural hold his faerie godmother has over him — and hopefully end his run of bad luck. All he has to do is find out who murdered the Summer Queen's right-hand man, the Summer Knight, and clear the Winter Queen's name.

It seems simple enough, but Harry knows better than to get caught in the middle of faerie politics. Until he finds out that the fate of the entire world rests on his solving this case.

No pressure or anything...

My thoughts: One of my favorite books in this series. I just love it. At first, I wasn't sure what I would think of it, because I don't usually enjoy fairies... however, this book was great. The intrigue was very good and the whole book, just enjoyable. One of my favorite scene was the White Council meeting which was funny enough and also, you start to understand that world of wizards better. I also liked how Harry dealt with the fairies and in this book, you're really starting to believe that Harry is smart, LOL :P Also, he finally comes clean to Murphy, his cop friend and I think this was important.

My Grade: B+/A-


Death Masks by Jim Butcher
published by ROC in August 2003

Harry Dresden, Chicago's only practicing professional wizard, should be happy that business is pretty good for a change. But now he's getting more than he bargained for.

A duel with the Red Court of Vampires' champion, who must kill Harry to end the war between vampires and wizards...

Professional hit men using Harry for target practice...

The missing Shroud of Turin...

A handless and headless corpse the Chicago police need identified...

Not to mention the return of Harry's ex-girlfriend Susan, who's still struggling with her semivampiric nature. And who seems to have a new man in her life.

Some days, it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. No matter how much you're charging.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one as well. I have to say I didn't really like the whole Shroud of Turin mystery; however, the duel against the vampire, that was interesting. LOL, poor Harry :P I have to say it was hilarious to see him running from one life-threatening event to another, if he survived, LOL. The ending was sad and unfortunate, but yeah, I liked it :)

My Grade: B+


Blood Rites by Jim Butcher
published by ROC in August 2004

Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, takes on a case as a favor to his friend Thomas — a vampire of dubious integrity — only to become the prime suspect in a series of ghastly murders.

My thoughts: See, there's always thing that I enjoyed and others that I didn't. I like the case Harry was working on - finding who set the Evil Eye on a movie producer... the whole linkage to the White Court vampires, a bit less. I love this book because in it, Harry discover the real identity of Thomas... however, I don't like how Harry pushes away his one time mentor, McCoy. Oh, and this is the book in which Mouse appears!! So yes, a solid book that makes the storyline goes forward... but at the same time, you have to wonder what's happening with Harry's life and the uncertainty is killing me, LOL. Luckily, I have the next few books and I don't have to wonder too long.

My Grade: B

PS - I have to say, I love the new covers better though :P