Showing posts with label Urban Fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Urban Fantasy. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

**NOT RECOMMENDED** Magic Slays (Kate Daniels #5)

Magic Slays (Kate Daniels, #5)Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Sensuality Rating: HOT (NOT Recommended)


Plagued by a war between magic and technology, Atlanta has never been so deadly. Good thing Kate Daniels is on the job.

Kate Daniels may have quit the Order of Merciful Aid, but she’s still knee-deep in paranormal problems. Or she would be if she could get someone to hire her. Starting her own business has been more challenging than she thought it would be—now that the Order is disparaging her good name, and many potential clients are afraid of getting on the bad side of the Beast Lord, who just happens to be Kate’s mate.

So when Atlanta’s premier Master of the Dead calls to ask for help with a vampire on the loose, Kate leaps at the chance of some paying work. Turns out this is not an isolated incident, and Kate needs to get to the bottom of it—fast, or the city and everyone dear to her might pay the ultimate price . . .




Disclaimer: Once again, the cursing in this book is atrocious. While it is "cleaner" than the last 4 books in the series, the cursing was so distracting for me that it slowed me down on reading this book. There was 1 detailed sex scene and 2 implied.



In this adventure of Kate Daniels we get to see a lot more tender moments between Kate and Curran, the beast lord, and her mate. The emotional connections displayed were much needed to carry out this series. I am not planning on reading anymore of this series due to the graphic language. I hoped that the author was using it to draw in followers and would tapper off but it appears not. I was happy with the ending of this book and feel like Kate still has a long journey ahead of her.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy #6) by Richelle Mead

Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy, #6)Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sensuality Rating: Heated-Hot


Rose Hathaway has always played by her own rules.

She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir’s Academy with her best friend and last surviving Dragomir Princess, Lissa. She broke the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor, Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world, risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir guardian to come.

Now the law has finally caught up with Rose- for a crime she didn’t even commit. She’s in prison for the highest offense imaginable: the assassination of a monarch. She’ll need help from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new candidate for the royal throne: Vasilisa Dragomir.

But the clock on Rose’s life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the dead wants her back… and this time she is truly out of second chances. The big question is, when your life is about saving others, who will save you?




**Strong Language - multiple "GD" and "F" words**



We start of with the shock that ended the last book. Rose has murdered the Queen... Or at least that's what it looks like. This book has many different trails to follow before we get to the end. While we end up with a HEA, the journey is rough. There were multiple times while reading that I couldn't help but question "Why is he doing that?" "Why would he say that?" "How are they going to get out of this?"


There was a sex scene with no details and had the language been better I would have given this a 5 star rating! It's a shame

Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5) by Richelle Mead

Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy, #5)Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sensuality Rating: Heated - Barely Hot


Salvation has its price.

The words stunned Adrian for a moment, but he kept going. "You're lying. What you're describing is impossible. There's no way to save a Strigoi. When they're gone, they're gone. They're dead. Undead. Forever."

Robert's next words weren't directed at Adrian. They were spoken to me. "That which is dead doesn't always stay dead...."

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s — and to her best friend, Lissa Dragomir. It's graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives outside of the Academy’s cold iron gates to finally begin. But even with the intrigue and excitement of court life looming, Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri. He's out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance, and now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and she knows in her heart that he is hunting her. And if Rose won't join him, he won't rest until he's silenced her...forever.

But Rose can't forget what she learned on her journey—whispers of a magic too impossible and terrifying to comprehend. A magic inextricably tied to Lissa that could hold the answer to all of Rose's prayers, but not without devastating consequences. Now Rose will have to decide what—and who—matters most to her. In the end, is true love really worth the price?

Fall in love with Rose and Dimitri all over again in Spirit Bound, the eagerly awaited fifth novel in Richelle Mead's enthralling Vampire Academy series.




**Strong Language- multiple GD's and F words**



The 5th installment of the Vampire Academy Series was quite a roller coaster. While things were accomplished in this installment that you hoped for there was heartbreak around the corner. When beginning this series I was hoping that the foul language would diminish with the story becoming more popular, unfortunately that was not the case. There was an almost sex scene that was not overly detailed with an unexpected ending.......

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4) by Richelle Mead

Blood Promise (Vampire Academy, #4)Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sensuality Rating: Fluff - Heated


How far will Rose go to keep her promise?

The recent Strigoi attack at St. Vladimir’s Academy was the deadliest ever in the school’s history, claiming the lives of Moroi students, teachers, and guardians alike. Even worse, the Strigoi took some of their victims with them. . . including Dimitri.

He’d rather die than be one of them, and now Rose must abandon her best friend, Lissa—the one she has sworn to protect no matter what—and keep the promise Dimitri begged her to make long ago. But with everything at stake, how can she possibly destroy the person she loves most?




** 2 uses of "GD" and 2 "F" words **

 
         Rose gets into a lot in this book. She travels half way around the world set on a mission. There were so many up and downs in this book and I couldn't help but think "How will she be able to get through this mission" ... It was heartbreaking but at the same time I could see there was no way she could leave without completing it... Hold on to your seats because the last 2 chapters have some big twists!

          While the cursing was improved I was disappointed with the cursing because once again it was completely unnecessary. I felt like the author did a great job on avoiding too much intimacy but enough to break with Rose...

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3) by Richelle Mead

Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy, #3)Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sensuality Rating: Heated


Rose Hathaway knows it is forbidden to love another guardian. Her best friend, Lissa-the last Dragomir princess-must always come first. Unfortunately, when it comes to gorgeous Dimitri, some rules are meant to be broken...

But since making her first Strigoi kills, Rose hasn't been feeling right. Something dark has begun to grow in her mind, and ghostly shadows warn of a terrible evil drawing nearer to the Academy's iron gates. And now that Lissa and Rose's sworn enemy, Victor Dashkov, is on trial for his freedom, tensions in the Moroi world are higher than ever.

Lying to Lissa about Dimitri is one thing but suddenly there's way more than friendship at stake. The immortal undead are on the prowl, and they want vengeance for the lives that Rose has stolen. In a heart-stopping battle to rival her worst nightmare, Rose will have to choose between life, love, and the two people who matter most..but will her choice mean that only one can survive?


***Mild Language- This book was MUCH improved on the cursing compared to previous books in the series and that makes me happy! There was one sex scene but it didn't go into details other than to say they had sex.

Book 3 did not disappoint. I was shocked with the ending and must start book 4 ASAP. The relationship between Rose and Lissa is becoming more and more strained as they are growing up and making more decisions without the other considered. I felt like Lissa was a bit selfish in the last two books and I can see that Rose really isn't as much of a best friend as she claims. WHY wouldn't Rose tell her about the feelings she has for Dimitri? That's what best friends do...

*There was one sex scene but it didn't go into details other than to say they had sex and that is why it is 3 stars.

This book did not end in a HEA but I have been assured that it gets better so I will continue the series.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2) by Richelle Mead

Frostbite (Vampire Academy, #2)Frostbite by Richelle Mead

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sensuality: Heated


Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose…
 

It's winter break at St. Vladimir's, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy's crawling with Guardians—including Rose's hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn't bad enough, Rose's tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason's got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks… This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price…




**The unfortunate part is that this is a YA novel but the language is rated R and the sexual content is between PG-13.


The second in the series did not disappoint. While Rose is continually trying to cope with her feelings for Dimitri.. While Rose is dealing with the possibility that a happy ending may not be possible for her, learning all she can to protect Lissa and deal with her issues and trying to move on, you are pulled in for a gripping story. The language was major for YA novel and would have earned itself 5 stars had it not been in there. The sex scene was minor and not needed but didn't take away or add to the story.

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, #1)Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sensuality Rating: Heated


St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school—it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's—the very place where they're most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.




**Adult language in a YA Novel!



The beginning of the Vampire Academy series sets a stage with two runaway high school students being dragged back to boarding school. As the reasons for their departure unfold I had to refer back to others in the series to be sure I was reading the 1st book. Rest assured that all is explained eventually and you end up in a world filled with Royal events and a love that appears doomed from the start. What will happen next? I can't wait to find out.

There was an ALMOST sex scene that was brought through a charm but the characters stopped before anything MAJOR happened. Throughout the book there were innuendos.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Wolfsbane by Patricia Briggs

Wolfsbane (Sianim, #4)(Aralorn, #2)Wolfsbane (Aralorn, #2)(Sianim, #4) by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sensuality Rating: Heated


Shape shifting mercenary Aralorn leads a dangerous existence. Now she must return home for her noble father, the Lyon of Lambshold, has passed away. But when Aralorn and her companion Wolf arrive, they find he's not dead, but ensorcelled by the ae'Magi, using him as a conduit to destroy Aralorn and Wolf. She must overcome this mysterious mist or fall to the blackest of magic.


Love Briggs!


       This continues the story of Aralorn the mercenary and her Wolf. This is not your typical romance by any means. The romance is very much side story.

      When Aralorn travels to Lambshold for a funeral she is alone and upset with the death of her father. Without giving anything away, she is prepared to say her goodbyes when an unexpected "miracle" is brought to her attention.

       Wolfsbane is action packed. It is a little more violent then I prefer to go but in no way explicit just revealed afterward. I was able to get over the violence for the fact that it was a very important part of the story and didn't last very long. I recommend this book to Brigg's lovers and fans of The Host by Stephenie Meyers.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Silver Borne (Mercedes Thompson, #5)Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sensuality Rating: Heated


When mechanic and shape shifter Mercy Thompson attempts to return a powerful Fae book she'd previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down. It seems the book contains secret knowledge-and the Fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side-leaving Mercy to cover for him, lest his own father declare Sam's life forfeit. All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she might not have many more to live...



A great book!! I would have to compare these with the Twilight Series because I loved them so. It's like a more adult version but with Fae. At the same time not too adult that there is sex through the whole book... I am truly impressed with Briggs.

Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs

Bone Crossed (Mercedes Thompson, #4)Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sensuality Rating: Heated


By day, Mercy is a car mechanic in the sprawling Tri-Cities of Eastern Washington. By night, she explores her preternatural side. As a shapeshifter with some unique talents, Mercy has often found herself having to maintain a tenuous harmony between the human and the not so human. This time she may get more than she bargained for.

Marsilia, the local Vampire Queen, has learned that Mercy crossed her by slaying a member of her clan—and she's out for blood. But since Mercy is protected from direct reprisal by the werewolf pack (and her close relationship with its sexy Alpha), it won't be Mercy's blood Marsilia is after.

It'll be her friends'.


****Hints at Spoilers****

Once again, an excellent book! I LOVE the walking stick... it's just a very creative object Briggs added and I can't help but enjoy it's presence.

I must admit that I am starting to feel quite worried about Mercy because she keep getting in trouble and it's always when she is cut off from everyone that can help her! It's frustrating that Adam can never truly be her knight in shining armor because he has so many other responsibilities and she is so resourceful.

Mild Language
Some Disturbing Violence

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs


Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sensuality Rating: Fluff



When her former boss and mentor is arrested for murder and left to rot behind bars by his own kind, it's up to shape shifting car mechanic Mercy Thompson to clear his name, whether he wants her to or not. And she'll have to choose between the two werewolves in her life-whether she wants to or not.



Wow!! This was a rougher book but SO GOOD!!! The flow of the book is very easy to read and the world that Briggs has created is so realistic it makes it hard to remember that it is a fiction book!!! This is the best series I have read in 2010!!

Mild/Harsh Language
Mild Violence

Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs

Blood Bound (Mercedes Thompson, #2)Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sensuality Rating: Fluff



The second installment of Patricia Briggs's paranormal fantasy saga to feature feisty heroine Mercedes "Mercy" Thompson, Blood Bound (sequel to 2006's Moon Called), pits the butt-kicking mechanic/coyote shape-shifter against a foe that is as rare as he is ruthless -- a demon-possessed sorcerer who is also a vampire!

When Mercy agrees to help out friend Stefan (a bloodsucker from the local vampire clan in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State), she has no idea that she is about to inadvertently come face-to-face with an otherworldly creature that epitomizes pure evil. After barely surviving her encounter with sorcerer Cory Littleton, Mercy -- with the help of a small group of supernatural friends -- vows to track down the mysterious Littleton before he can butcher more innocent people. Her mission is twofold: Not only will she stop a mass murderer from killing again but she will also (hopefully) protect the invaluable secrecy of the vampires who live in the Tri-Cities area. But can a shape-shifting mechanic with a thing for Volkswagen cars defeat a monstrosity powered by spirits from the depths of Hell?




I must admit that I am truly impressed with how much I am enjoying this series! Another great book by Briggs. I am SO happy the books have been CLEAN!
Mild/Harsh Language
Some Violence

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs


Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sensuality Rating: Fluff


Werewolves can be dangerous if you get in their way, but they'll leave you alone if you are careful. They are very good at hiding their natures from the human population, but I'm not human. I know them when I meet them, and they know me, too.

Mercy Thompson's sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf.

She's tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire.

But then, Mercy Thompson is not exactly normal herself ... and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble
.

A very good book to start of the series!!! Kept my attention the entire time. Would definitely recommend.
**Mild/Harsh Language a few times
Some Violence