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".

The Alchemyst Review

Title: The Alchemyst
Author: Michael Scott
Series: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #1
Audiobook Narrators: Denis O'Hare
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Alternate Universe, Mythology, History

Review:

I am glad that I decided to finish all six books first before writing a review as I am to excited to read the next book that reviewing would will have to wait. Each books are written mostly in 3rd person format which I like since this series has a number of interesting characters and doing a first person point-of-view would be straining to both the author and to the some readers (Which is why it took me a long time to finish any of George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire books).

The Alchemyst introduces us readers to initial set of characters which is Nicholas Flamel, his wife Perenell Flamel and the twins Josh and Sofie Newman which are the real focal characters to this series (To which I would personally change the series title to "The Chronicles of the Twins of Legend" or something like that if given a chance). We also get to know the main antagonist Dr. John Dee, as well as a number of supporting characters and places that are based from history and mythology (Scathach, Hekate, the Witch of Endor, Yggdrasil etc.) The audiobook narrator (Denis O'Hare) did a great job as he was able to infuse the proper pronunciations as well as the accents of every character.

City of Lost Souls Review

Title: City of Lost Souls
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Mortal Instrument #5
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult, Nephilim, Angels, Demons, Warlocks, Vampires, Demons, Faeries

Review:

After at least a month of reading (without any assistance from an audiobook), I was able to finish reading "City of Lost Souls".

Obviously the story starts off where "City of Fallen Angels" left of as Clary and the rest of her friends are try every other ways to find Jace Wayland/Lightwood/Herondale after he went missing with the diabolical Sebastian a.k.a. Jonathan Morgensterm.

As the story goes along I was a bit disappointed on the bulk of the story as it was focused more on the "drama" between the love relationships with each characters and not with the issue at hand on which the Shadowhunters are to rescue or hunt down one of their own. 

I was glad though that upon Book III, we finally get the action I was clamoring for and in typical Classandra Clare fashion, the story ends in a favorable resolution (the rescue of Jace) and the signature cliffhanger (which serves somewhat of a preview of things to come in the upcoming sixth book "City of Heavenly Fire").

Every Which Way But Dead Review

Title: Every Which Way But Dead
Author: Kim Harrison
Series: Hollows / Rachel Morgan #3
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Witches, Vampires, Demons, Bounty Hunters, Faeries, Elves

Summary:There's no other Witch in Cincinnati tougher, sexier, or more screwed up than bounty-hunter Rachel Morgan, who's already put her love life (and her soul) in jeopardy through her determined efforts to bring a criminal night creatures to justice.

Between "runs," she has her hands full fending off the attentions of her blood-lusting partner, keeping a dark secret from Jenks, her pixie backup, and resisting a hot new vampire suitor Kisten.

Rachel must also take a stand in the war that's raging in the city's underworld, since she helped put away the vampire Piscari by making a deal with Algaliarept, a powerful demon, to do so that could cost her an eternity of pain, torment, and degradation.

And now "Big Al" is coming to collect his due.

Review:The third installment to the Hollows/Rachel Morgan series continues on from the events of the last book "The Good, the Bad and the Undead". It's past-paced, exciting, unpredictable and fun. Rachel is a wonderfully complex, multi-dimensional protagonist whose penchant for going with the immediate solution and worrying about long-term consequences later leads to no end of thrilling complications:

Make a deal with a demon now, worry about saving her soul later

Keep a secret now, worry about how to rebuild a friendship later

Take down the immediate threat now, and worry about dealing with the ally of convenience when he becomes a problem in the future.

It helps, of course, that she's surrounded by equally complex, equally active people. We also get to read how Rachel and Trent Kalamack's history to which their respective fathers where once very close friends. I would assume more will be revealed as the series continues on.

I was impressed on how Kim Harrison was able to juggle the proganist's various issues then later resolve them in one big swoop.