Review

Book Review: Hidden (House of Night #10) by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

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At last, Zoey has what she wanted: the truth is out. Neferet’s evil has been exposed, and the High Council is no longer on her side — but she’s far from done wreaking havoc in the vampyre world. First, a mysterious fire ravages the stables. Then, Neferet makes a devastating move that will test them all.
With the seeds of distrust sown and Darkness breeding chaos at the House of Night, everyone must band together — but that’s proving to be more difficult than ever before. The twins are barely speaking and the House of Night’s former enemy, Kalona, has now become their warrior, pushing their trust to the limit. To top it off, Zoey is pretty darn sure she might be losing her mind. She saw something when she looked at Aurox through the Seer Stone that she can hardly explain to herself, let alone her friends. Is it possible that Heath has come back in a different form? Is that why Zoey’s so intrigued by Aurox, when it’s so obvious that he’s dangerous? And who would believe her if she told them? Zoey knows that following her instinct about Aurox might be just what they need to defeat evil . . . but if she’s wrong, it could cause the destruction of those closest to her.
With the tension at a breaking point and friendships on the line, can the nerd herd come together to stop the spread of Darkness before it’s too late?

Zoey and her gang just can not seem to catch a break on anything ever. Hidden is a really well written book and I enjoyed the action a great deal. While it seems Zoey and her group can not catch a break the flow and ebb of this one is really good. We spend a little bit more time getting to know some of the inner workings and more on the relationships then just battling evil. For me I really enjoyed that. I can say I did not like where Erin is going but of course it seems there has to be a split and a way of Shaunee to grow as well. Shaylin is a new and very curious character I can not wait to get to know her more and as if the cast wasn’t big enough Erebus actually shows up a few times and you know what he may be the “good one” but I don’t like him. Nope sure don’t.

I think any fan of this series is going to dig into the meat of this one. Light really takes a good stroke towards coming out on top against the evil Darkness that is Neferet. If only she would learn to leave Zoey her friends and Grandma alone!

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Blue Moon (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #8) by Laurell K. Hamilton

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When she chose master vampire Jean-Claude over her ex-fiancé, alpha werewolf Richard Zeeman, Anita learned that sometimes love is not enough. But though she and Richard won’t be walking down any aisles, she can’t turn her back on him when he’s arrested on a rape charge in Tennessee. Anita knows firsthand that Richard has the morals of a saint—or at least a boy scout. But his guilt or innocence is not the issue. He’s behind bars, and in five days a full moon will rise

I have to say I was surprised at just how erotic Anita is getting as the books go. I am not complaining mind you I like a good erotic story as much as they next person, but it was surprising since Anita is a serious prude. Of course she kind of still is but this book takes some steps into some very naughty but fun territory.

Anita is called to Tennessee when former Beau and werewolf king Richard is accused of rape. He didn’t do it and it eventually of course comes out that there is much more to it then it appears. Chuck in some Master vampire who take some tude, some demons and a whole lot of sexual force being thrown around and you pretty much have the idea of this book. Now while I did really enjoy it and the book overall was a win for me, I wish they would focus on one big bad at a time. Anita seems to always be taking it from all sides and you have to wonder just how long she can keep that up.

The only reason this one did not get five gems from me, because while I had my issues with some of it I really did enjoy it and that is what matters in the end. Is that the ending to what the evil doers wanted was one giant cop out. A silly clairvoyant boy running a scam, I mean really? These big bad demonic people couldn’t tell they were being scammed? Bad note to an otherwise good read.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Vampire Kisses (Vampire Kisses #1) by Ellen Schreiber

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In her small town, dubbed “Dullsville,” sixteen-year-old Raven — a vampire-crazed goth-girl — is an outcast. But not for long…

The intriguing and rumored-to-be haunted mansion on top of Benson Hill has stood vacant and boarded-up for years. That is, until its mysteriously strange new occupants move in. Who are these creepy people — especially the handsome, dark, and elusive Alexander Sterling? Or rather, what are they? Could the town prattle actually ring true? Are they vampires? Raven, who secretly covets a vampire kiss, both at the risk of her own mortality and Alexander’s loving trust, is dying to uncover the truth.

Ellen Schreiber’s spooky and stirring romance tells the story of two outsiders who fall in love in a town where conformity reigns, and ends with a shocking surprise

This is a record…breaking out the images twice in one week, but I am going to do it.

Tell me why was this book written? Then tell me why did I read it? I mean really why did I read the whole thing. I can not think of a whole lot to put here other then it was just bad. The characters were not developed at all. And the story was just bad. The title is deceiving too I mean yeah it was just. Do not read this one folks your time is better invested elsewhere.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Winds of Salem (The Beauchamp Family #3) by Melissa de la Cruz

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Modern-day witch Freya Beauchamp is cast back in time to 1692 amongst the Salem Witch Trials by an enemy spell, as her present-day family attempts to reopen the passages of time to bring her home.
SOON TO BE A LIFETIME TELEVISION SERIES!

Freya Beauchamp is trapped in 1692, in Salem of all places, with no recollection of her past. A powerful enemy spell has sent her spiraling away so that she is separated by centuries from her mother, Joanna, and sister, Ingrid. This is not good news for a twenty-first-century witch. Not to mention the immediate threat she faces from the wealthy and influential Putnam family. When little Annie Putnam is one of the first to make accusations of witchcraft, her landowner father jumps at the opportunity to consolidate his power and expand his holdings in Puritan Salem Town. If Freya is caught using magic, she will be forced to relive the witch trials, and this time, even her immortality is in question.

Meanwhile, twenty-first-century North Hampton has its own snares. Joanna and Norm consult the Oracle for advice, and Freddie and his pixie allies search for a missing totem that could reopen the passages of time and help bring his sister home. When Ingrid bumps into an old flame, she finds that her new love for Detective Matt Noble is in doubt.

Moving between past and present, Winds of Salem’s dizzying plot twists and page-turning suspense is sure to bewitch fans old and new.

I start to get twitchy when I see the big announcement of a series being made into a TV series. While I have enjoyed some book to TV shows (Dexter, True Blood) over all I still get twitchy especially such a new series, because you can not help to ask okay so is the book going to start being written more with a focus to the TV show.

I am not sure if that is what happened with this one or not, but I have to say for me a series that Started out with such a Bang getting a 5 gem review from me has ended with a whimper. This book was even more convoluted then the last one and just a lot of it was so sophmoric I do not know what to think about it anymore. Sadly I think this might be a case where the writer has been writing YA long enough they can not dig into the meat of an adult read and progress the characters in the right adult kind of way. I mean these are supposed to be ancient Nordic gods here.. and they don’t act like it.

In fact I do not usually put GIF’s in my book reviews..but I think this one fits..I suspect even the comic book version of Loki would be saying this.. about this group of Nords.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Serpent’s Kiss (The Beauchamp Family, #2) by Melissa de la Cruz

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The intriguing Beauchamp family, introduced in the New York Times bestselling Witches of East End, returns in Serpent’s Kiss, with dizzying plot twists and spellbinding magic. Joanna and her daughters, bookish Ingrid and wild-child Freya, are just settling into the newfound peace that has been cast over their small, off-the map town of North Hampton. With the centuries-old restriction against practicing magic lifted, casting spells, mixing potions, and curing troubled souls has never felt so good for the three witches. That is, until everything gets turned upside down–from Joanna’s organized kitchen to Ingrid’s previously nonexistent love life to Freya’s once unshakeable faith in her sexy soul mate, Killian Gardiner. When Freya’s twin brother, Freddie, suddenly returns, escaped from Limbo and professing innocence on a long-ago crime, Freya should be ecstatic. The golden boy can do no wrong. Or can he? Freddie blames no other than her fiancÉ Killian for his downfall, and enlists Freya’s help to prove it. Now Freya doesn’t know who to believe or trust. And for the first time in–well, forever, really–Ingrid is also busy in love. Matt Noble, the handsome and charming police detective, has won her heart. But can romance work between a virgin witch and a mortal who doesn’t believe in magic? Things get even more complicated when it appears Ingrid is harboring the prime suspects in Matt’s police investigation. To add to the chaos, a dead spirit is attempting to make contact with Joanna–but does it mean to bring harm or help? Joanna asks her sort-of ex-husband Norman to help figure it out, only to accidentally invite him to a Thanksgiving dinner with a dapper gentleman she’s recently begun dating. As the witches pull together to discover the serpent within their midst and the culprit behind Freddie’s imprisonment, everything is thrown into peril. Will the discovery come too late to save those they love most? Melissa de la Cruz weaves all this and more in a blockbuster sequel that is not to be missed by her fans, and one that is sure to enchant new readers of the series.

I had such high hopes for this book because I really loved the first one. However for me Serpent’s kiss just kind of fell short of what I would have expected. The story gets convoluted with just to much going on around it. There were to many sub plots that did not really get hashed or fleshed out enough to really hold my interest. I love a book that has a lot going on, but there is such a thing as to much going on especially when none of it seems to form fully.

So while on some levels it was nice to spend some time with the North Hampton girls again overall this one just kind of left me feeling dissapointed and a little bit cold that had nothing to do with the chilly weather.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Burnt Offerings (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #7) by Laurell K. Hamilton

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“You can’t trust anyone who sleeps with the monsters.”

That’s what I’ve always said. That’s what I’ve always believed. But now I’m the one sharing a bed with the Master Vampire of the City. Me, Anita Blake. The woman the vampires call the Executioner. From part of the solution, I’ve become part of the problem. So it hits close to home when an arsonist begins to target vampire-owned businesses all over town — an arsonist who seems to want to destroy more than just property. It’s the monsters who are in danger now. And it’s up the the Executioner to save them from the inferno..

I think if I was Anita I would decide to run away and never return with how much her ass is usually up in alligators. That happens to be the case again in Burnt offerings, and what is worse is that of course her and Jean Claude are at odds with Richard. Not to mention that when the council comes to town they make things even worse on Anita and her gang. So what do you do when the chips are down? Dress up and fight back with a lot of ammo and everything else.

I really enjoyed this installment of the Anita Blake series and I have to say it is the first one that really really made me say OH YEAH this is why I am reading it. We see such a nice variety of vampires that can all do different things. Some are monsters, some appear to be monsters and are not and some are just pretty decent. I give this one a big recommend.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Lost in Time (Blue Bloods #6) by Melissa de la Cruz

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The stakes have never been higher for the young Blue Bloods of Manhattan. After their brief yet beautiful bonding ceremony in Italy, Schuyler Van Alen and Jack Force depart for Egypt, desperate to find the elusive Gate of Promise before Jack must face his twin, Mimi, for a blood trial. A blood trial that only one of them can survive. But everything Schuyler thought she knew about the gate turns out to be a lie, and they soon find themselves ensnared in a deadly battle against the demon-born. Schuyler and Jack take up arms, only to realize that there is a much graver threat simmering in the Kingdom of the Dead.

Meanwhile, determined to save the only vampire she still loves, Mimi has followed Kingsley Martin into Hell. With the help of her new human Conduit, Oliver Hazard-Perry, Mimi makes a bargain with the Queen of the Dead that she may soon regret. When the time comes to choose between love and revenge, both Mimi and Oliver will learn the true meaning of sacrifice.

confronted by danger, betrayal, and loss at every turn, the Blue Bloods must find the will to fight – and love – another day

This one is much better then Bloody Valentine the Novella and I feel more on par with what is going on in the series again. So very good on that end of things. Some of it just seemed to drag a little and seemed like filler, but overall I enjoyed this this installment of the Blue Bloods novels. We are getting closer to the end game of finding the gates, having indeed found a gate to hell. I do hope we get to the other gate soon, the actual gate of promise or as is being hinted the gate to paradise.

Kingsley is back as well and there is a lot of very teenage go around with that between Mimi and him while Oliver just kind of hangs out and seems a little gullible. I wish they would make him the solid smart lad he was before. Overall a 4 rating because the story itself was enjoyable. It did not however keep me overly invested in the series other then the fact I have already invested so much time in it and I want to see what happens.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Destined (House of Night #9) by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

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Zoey is finally home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side, and preparing to face off against Neferet – which would be a whole lot easier if the High Counsel saw the ex-High Priestess for what she really is. Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx’s gift of a human form, Rephaim and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together – if he can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father’s shadow…

But there are new forces at work at the House of Night. An influx of humans, including Lenobia’s handsome horse whisperer, threatens their precarious stability. And then there’s the mysterious Aurox, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous teen boy who is actually more – or possibly less – than human. Only Neferet knows he was created to be her greatest weapon. But Zoey can sense the part of his soul that remains human, the compassion that wars with his Dark calling. And there’s something strangely familiar about him…

Will Neferet’s true nature be revealed before she succeeds in silencing them all? And will Zoey be able to touch Aurox’s humanity in time to protect him – and everyone – from his own fate? Find out what’s destined in the next thrilling chapter of the House of Night series.

Okay in general I feel the last line of the book description is a little deceiving as we do not get to much into Aurox and his humanity, some yes more then when we first met him yes but it was not the entire crux of the story. That said I really enjoyed this installment of House of Night. I love the play and different views of characters and what we learn from them. My favorite part although it made me cry and cry a lot was that Dragon who I always enjoyed and wanted to get to know better redeemed himself from the path of being very close to darkness that he was going to walk.

Lenobia gets more of a story in this version as well and we slowly start to learn some more about the horse Mistress. I loved the action in this one but I really loved that we are branching out and getting to know some of the “secondary” and older characters within the book as well not just the teens. I am looking forward to the next installment.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: The Killing Dance (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #6) by Laurell K. Hamilton

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Dating both a vampire and a werewolf isn’t easy. But just to complicate Anita’s already messy life, someone has put a price on her head. Love cannot save her this time, so she turns to Edward, hitman extraordinaire, for help. But finding the person behind the threat won’t be easy, because as both a vampire hunter and zombie reanimator, Anita has made a lot of enemies-both human and otherwise.

FINALLY! FINALLY! She slept with one of them. In the interest of not giving away which one I won’t say since it is a spoiler, but FINALLY. This was a pretty good installment of the Anita Blake series,and I was not overly surprised at who put a price on her head. What I did appreciate and was surprised by was how far, Edward the friendly neighborhood assassin was willing to go to keep Anita safe. Looks like he has a heart in there somewhere. There was a lot of action in this one, as usual Anita was ass deep in alligators but I really enjoyed it. I also really enjoyed picturing the leather get up she got into when going with Richard to the pack. I know silly of me but Jean Claude really has much better fashion sense then Anita does. He is french after all, and fashion is one thing I will always give to the french.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Good Ghost Gone Bad by Janiera Eldridge

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Brianna Moreno was an average 22-year-old women who loved shopping, hanging out with her friends and making more career plans….until the night she was brutally and unexpectedly murdered.

Now she finds herself trapped in the ghost world while residing on earth. The problem is, her killer can see all of his ghostly victims and enjoys taunting them as much as he does killing them.Brianna soon finds out that her killer has horrible new plans concerning her family.

Brianna meets up with a few of her killer’s past victims to hatch a plan so terrifying, the entire town will never be the same again.

Brianna is a good ghost gone bad; the good girl side is gone forever!

*This book is not a YA read. It’s an 18+ only novella that features sex, strong language and strong violence.

This is the first ghost story I have read and a while and being that it is Halloween today I think it is a fitting time to have read it and be posting the review. Brianna Moreno is what I would call one bad ass ghost and her story is one that kept me pretty riveted from the get go. There were a few small things that did not seem to flow as nice as I would have liked them to here and there, but it did not draw me away from the story to much I have seen a lot worse for sure!

The story itself is solid, interesting and the result is one that made me cheer from where I was sitting and reading, but I won’t share it here because I do not want to give away any spoilers. If you like good paranormal in an adult setting this is going to be a book that you will enjoy I would recommend it.

My Gemstone Rating:

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