Blue-Blooded Vamp Review

Title: Blue-Blooded Vamp
Author: Jaye Wells
Series: Sabina Kane #5
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Assassins, Vampires, Demons, Mages, Nymphs, Faeries

Review:

After finally acquiring an audiobook version of this book and finish listening to this within just two days, I finally get to the conclusion of this great series. This epic finale is not only about Sabina's final battle with Cain but a whole lot of revelation. We get to know who really is the mage Abel is a whole lot of more. 

Personally, I could have wish was bit longer as I really love each character interactions to the point that it almost comical (which is mostly true when Giguhl is involve), but we all know all good things must come to an end. Blue-Blooded Vamp has a great finale to this series to which everyone will enjoy reading. 

Cold Days Review

Title: Cold Days 
Author: Jim Butcher
Series: Dresden Files #14
Genre: Detective, Private Investigator, Urban Fantasy, Wizards, Faeries, Demons, Vampires

Reviews:
Before I get into my review, I was very happy that James Marster is back narrating for Jim Butcher and for the rest of the upcoming Dresden Files books (barring any scheduling conflicts..again).

Cold Days is the much awaited continuation to this great series and it started when we left off the final moments of Ghost Story. As we all know Harry has officially become the Winter Knight and Mab didn't waste time "training" his new tool to the best of her abilities. When all said and done with his training, Harry received his first official order from Mab: To kill an immortal named (Oops!, sorry spoiler alert).

The Cold Days by impression is like Summer Knight and Small Favor combined with all the conspiracies, drama and of course the overload of sarcasms and dark humor (which we can expect from a Harry Dresden book).

Overall Cold Days has surpassed Small Favor as my 2nd best Dresden Files book (behind only to Changes) however this might be a short-lived ranking as book 15 would be coming up and as with the trend we expect the return of Nicodemus and the rest of the Blackened Denarians (who will probably ally themselves with the new antagonists (Oops!, sorry spoiler alert again).

Ghost Story Review

Title: Ghost Story
Author: Jim Butcher
Series: Dresden Files #13
Genre: Detective, Private Investigator, Urban Fantasy, Wizards, Shades, Ghost, Wraiths, Demons

Review:
This the first Dresden Files book that I read rather than listening to it's audiobook version since I the narrator was not James Marsters and I want to preserve the the essence of the series rather than get dissappointed. Ghost Story left off from the from the final events of Changes. 

The book tells about Harry Dresden's adventures as a "Ghost". In retrospect, the story was slow and dragging which is disappointing. With Harry being a ghost would mean that there would be less magic action which also contributes to the books less than stellar appeal. 

The only brighspot in Ghost Story was the story got resolve in matter on which Harry has returned to his "well preserved" body thanks to Mab. 

If I where to rate this story. this would be the lowest.

Deadly Sting Cover Revealed

I have been a staunch follower of the Elemental Assassin series since last year and the author has recently released the the latest cover of the upcoming book "Deadly Sting". The book is scheduled to be released on March 2013.

Silver-Tongued Devil Review

Title: Silver-Tongued Devil
Author: Jaye Wells
Series: Sabina Kane #4
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Assassins, Vampires, Demons, Mages, Nymphs, Faeries

Review:

It's been a while since I did a book review yet I have finish a lot of e-books/audiobook for about a month now and I have a lot to write about. For the meantime I will be posting my review on Jaye Well's Silver-Tongued Devil, the fourth book of the Sabina Kane series.

Upon learning from that the Sabine Kane series will end on the 5th book, I was a bit dissappointed believing that this series could go far as with the other Urban Fantasy / Paranormal novels. However this penultimate novel was suprisingly great as it sets up the readers. This book is also one of the most emotionally charge story as each characters roles being put to the test to the point of almost breaking.

All-in-all Silver-Tongued Devil is another stellar installment in this great book series. Once it grabs a hold of you it won't let get go until the very end, and even then it will leave you reeling from the depths of emotion. I would recommend having the 5th book ready before you finish reading this book as the final scene would really stretch your imagination that not having the next book can be excitement-killer.

Widow's Web Review

Title: Widow's Web
Author: Jennifer Estep
Series: Elemental Assassin #7
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Elemental Magic, Assasins, Vampires, Giants, Dwarves

Overview:

Once an assassin, always an assassin. So much for being plain old Gin Blanco. With every lowlife in Ashland gunning for me, I don’t need another problem, but a new one has come to town anyway. Salina might seem like a sweet Southern belle, but she’s really a dangerous enemy whose water elemental magic can go head-to-head with my own Ice and Stone power. Salina also has an intimate history with my lover, Owen Grayson, and now that she’s back, she thinks he’s hers for the taking. Salina’s playing a mysterious game that involves a shady local casino owner with a surprising connection to Owen. But they call me the Spider for a reason. I’m going to untangle her deadly scheme, even if it leaves my love affair hanging by a thread.

Review:

I am very fortunate to received the advance E-ARC of this book (in pdf format) from miss Jennifer Estep herself and was able to finish reading before the official release which is today. Widow's Web basically revolves around the Owen and Eva past lives (which is a good "change" in the series since the previous books are mostly focused on Gin and her personal struggles). This story also introduces a very cold-blooded antagonist which virtually mirrors Mab Monroe's and to make matters worse: She was Owen's former lover (Talk about a battle for this dudes love). 

As with the all the previous books the "signature Jennifer Estep story structure" is still intact (Meet the Antagonist ->Help The Victim -> Gin Got beaten by the main antagonist -> Healed back by Jo-jo Devereaux ->Kills the antagonist in the finale) to which I am getting used to and still loving it. Even the the catch phrases are still there (The count downs, "Crack, Crack, Crack") although I personally missed my favorite phrase "Sloppy, Sloppy Sloppy". 

Overall, I love the direction that the author takes in the series as we are able to transition from the post Mab Monroe era. I would hope that the author brings in another "bad ass" series antagonist that would span several books rather got killed in one book (I would assume Jonah MacAllister is that very person to which I would hope so).

Boneshaker Review

Title: Boneshaker
Author: Cherie Priest
Series: Clockwork Century #1
Audiobook Narrator: Karen Redding and Wil Wheaton
Genre: Steampunk, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Alternate History

Summary (From Amazon.com):
In the early days of the Civil War, rumors of gold in the frozen Klondike brought hordes of newcomers to the Pacific Northwest. Anxious to compete, Russian prospectors commissioned inventor Leviticus Blue to create a great machine that could mine through Alaska’s ice. Thus was Dr. Blue’s Incredible Bone-Shaking Drill Engine born.

But on its first test run the Boneshaker went terribly awry, destroying several blocks of downtown Seattle and unearthing a subterranean vein of blight gas that turned anyone who breathed it into the living dead.

Now it is sixteen years later, and a wall has been built to enclose the devastated and toxic city. Just beyond it lives Blue’s widow, Briar Wilkes. Life is hard with a ruined reputation and a teenaged boy to support, but she and Ezekiel are managing. Until Ezekiel undertakes a secret crusade to rewrite history.

His quest will take him under the wall and into a city teeming with ravenous undead, air pirates, criminal overlords, and heavily armed refugees. And only Briar can bring him out alive.

Review:
Boneshaker is my fourth steampunk book that I finished reading (while listening to the audiobook version also for better experience. The story center around Briar Wilkes(narrated by Karen Redding)attempts to rescue her son, Ezekiel (or Zeke on which geek extraordinaire, Wil Wheaton was the narrator) who has his own personal quest on recovering his (in)famous father's science equipment inside the blight "zone" which is infested by "rotters" (aka zombies).

The overall story is very unique as it projects a semi-dystopian/post-apocalyptic feel once the the main character enters the "blight" area of the city. As with any steampunk books that I have read, the setting is held around the 1800's (around the American Civil War period). Boneshaker is a great beginning to a great steampunk series and I can't wait to read the next book "Celementine".