Review: Todd the Dreamer by Bonnie Rozanski

Title: Todd the Dreamer

Author: Bonnie Rozanski

Genre: Paranormal

Published: November 10th 2010 by Amazon Digital Services

Blurb:

“Lucid dreaming (def): The rare state in which a dreamer knows it’s a dream.
In lucid dreams, you can change the storyline to whatever you want.
- Like to fly over the rooftops? Go right ahead.
- Kill off your demanding boss? Do so with impunity.
- Enjoy awe-inspiring sex with a gorgeous someone who in real life doesn’t even know you exist? Do I even need to ask?
Todd Goldman is an ordinary young man. He has tried his hand at various low-level jobs and succeeded at nothing. All his life, he has let life lead him, not the other way around…until the day he answers an advertisement for a sleep lab, and enrolls in a study of lucid dreams.
Todd finds he is a quick study at lucidity, and increasingly learns to control the content of his dreams. In contrast, unfortunately, his life is an uncontrollable mess. He fights with his girl friend and struggles to gain some independence from his parents. He loses his day job. The beautiful technician at the sleep lab thinks he’s a jerk.
However, in his lucid dreams, and in the out-of-body experiences that follow, Todd is able to create the life he wants, a situation so seductive that his dreams begin to take over his life.
But then, of course, what is the reader to believe? Is Todd indeed out-of-body despite the doctors’ insistence it is just an unusual dream? Is the chief researcher truly willing to forfeit Todd’s life if it means getting good pictures of his brain? And do the sleep doctors in fact plan to lock him away in a psychiatric ward?
Both a fast-paced psychological thriller with a solid grounding in science and a darkly comic novel with a cast of exuberant, funny characters, TODD THE DREAMER is, above all, a story of where reality ends and dreams begin.”

*I was given my copy in exchange for a honest review*

Todd the Dreamer was unlike anything I had expected. I have to admit that at first, I had a few problems warming up with the story as the were many medical terms concerning the brain, sleep and stuff like that which gave me as someone whose native language is not English a hard time. But I can be pretty persistent when it comes to books and I seldomly stop reading one once I´ve started. It would have been a shame If I had stopped reading Todd the Dreamer.

Todd, the main character is a loser. I don´t know how to put it in a different way. He´s not good looking, working in a library, he´s together with his high school girlfriend more out of  habit than love and his family is a nightmare. To finance the upcoming wedding, he decides to take a job in a sleep lab, which seems like the perfect thing for him, as sleeping is the only thing he is really good at (or so he thinks).

In the sleep lab, he meets Mary Beth, a beautiful technician he falls in love or lust with, but has absolutly no interest in him.

As it turns out, Todd is really one of the best study subjects for lucid dreaming and the doctors are beyond excited about the results. But the more time he spends in the sleep lab, the more his life, day job and relationship start to get out of control.

I really enjoyed the characters in Todd the Dreamer, they were far from what I´m used to. I actually felt sorry for Todd from time to time while reading the story.

Todd the Dreamer is more then a story about dreaming and reality. While I found the dream episodes very interesting (especially as psychology student), it was Todd´s real life that fascinated me the most. The story is fast-paced, full of surprises and far from ordinary. I would have enjoyed it even more if it weren´t for thr ( for me at least) slow beginning.

Todd the Dreamer gets solid 3 and a half stars from me.

Guest Post and your chance to win a Kindle!

The Long Tail
Scott Nicholson
http://www.hauntedcomputer.com

I had a dream where I was trying to find a job and realized, “Wait, I already have a job.”
The best thing for a writer these days is that every project is not a paycheck, it’s an evergreen annuity that provides income for the life of the copyright.
In the Old School, most writers turned the book in, got an advance check from the publisher, the book sold for a few months or, in the best of cases, a few years, and that was that. The advance determined everything about the book, from its treatment by the publisher to the number of copies ordered by stores to the perception among readers.
Almost without exception, bestsellers were made, not born. And some people get really angry if you point that out. They imbue publishing houses with a magical alchemy formula that somehow turns words into gold. But writers know that a lot of books wouldn’t be bestsellers unless they were published as bestsellers. In other words, if a publisher doesn’t pay an obscene amount of money for a book, it’s not going to get the stacks of books piled around the entrance of stores or the 40-percent-off stickers in Walmart.
That’s no accident. It’s a well-crafted system honed over centuries. The real surprise is when an ordinary book gets an audience. Because books aren’t cans of beans, and most readers want variety. That’s the only reason there are more than 100 books in a store.
Right now, it is not worth my time to write a book and hope a publisher wants it. A year to write a book, a year of shopping it, and a year waiting to get published. And that’s fighting upstream against a recession and a declining industry and closing bookstores.
Now, I will sign a paper deal if the terms are fair. This year I’ve discussed deals with several publishers and so far haven’t found one that makes sense—not just for the money, but for the time and loss of control. The reality is I can probably earn more on an e-book in one year than the publisher would pay me to not publish the book.
But the real difference comes on the back end, where the digital income stream not only continues but is likely to accelerate. Unless you are a bestseller, giving a publisher a long-term license is giving away the majority of the book’s income. You also lose the ability to fit the book in your overall brand, to change price, to package it with extra books, or sell it somewhere else.
The point of all this is not to slam publishers or convince all writers to self-publish. If you’re not a writer, you may not even care about all this. But it’s going to have long-term implications for you, despite how tightly you cling to your paper books and vow to never pick up an e-reader. Because this is going to affect you where it matters most and where you can’t escape: price and availability. You’re going to get all the cheap books you want. For a long time.
My daughter, reading this over my shoulder while impatiently waiting for the laptop, just asked me, “Don’t you ever tell anyone ‘Thanks for reading?’” Yes, I do. Thanks for reading.

*

Scott Nicholson is author of 12 novels, including the YA paranormal romance October Girls and the thrillers Disintegration, As I Die Lying, Speed Dating with the Dead, Drummer Boy, Forever Never Ends, The Skull Ring, Burial to Follow, and They Hunger. His revised novels for the U.K. Kindle are Creative Spirit, Troubled, and Solom. He’s also written four comic series, six screenplays, and more than 60 short stories. His story collections include Ashes, Curtains, The First, Murdermouth: Zombie Bits, and Flowers.

The Kindle Giveaway is part of Scott’s blog tour. Complete details at http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/blogtour.htm. To be eligible for the Kindle DX or Kindle 3, simply post a comment below with contact info. Feel free to debate and discuss the topic, but you will only be entered once per blog. He’s also giving away a Kindle 3 through the tour newsletter and a Pandora’s Box of free e-books to a follower of “hauntedcomputer” on Twitter. Thanks for playing!

Waiting on Wednesday

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine to share books we can´t wait to be released!

 

 

 

Like most Manhattanites, aspiring artist Tate can't resist a good rental deal-even if it's in the city's strangest neighborhood, Golgotham, where for centuries werewolves, centaurs, and countless other creatures have roamed the streets.
Her new landlord is a sorcerer name Hexe, who is determined to build his reputation without using dark, left-hand magic. As Tate is drawn into Hexe's fascinating world, they both find that the right hand does not always know what the left hand is doing-and avoiding darkness is no easy trick...

 

Release Date: December 7th 2010

Review: “Magic at the Gate”

Title: Magic at the Gate

Author: Devon Monk

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Published: November 2nd 2010 by Roc

Pages:346

Blurb: Allie Beckstrom's lover, Zayvion Jones, is a Guardian of the Gate, imbued with both light and dark magic and responsible for ensuring that those energies don't mix. But Zayvion lies in a coma, his soul trapped in death's realm. And when Allie discovers that the only way to save Zayvion is to sacrifice her very own magical essence, she makes a decision that may have grave consequences for the entire world.

Review:

Devon Monk has been on my auto-buy list for quite a while nw and I really love this series. So I was pretty sad that it took me so long to finally read Magic at the Gate. Good thing that I chose to start reading on the weekend, because I wouldn´t have been able to out it away otherwise.

Magic at the Gate kind of reminded me of the TV show LOST. No, seriously. When I read the first hundred pages, I was constantly thinking WHT?, but in a good way. A very good way.

Devon Monk takes her story to places I couldn´t have dreamed of. Each twist and turn was completly surprising for me. Magic at the Gate truly stands out among the mass of (sadly) often very similar books.

I can´t write about how awesome the story was, because I don´t want to spoil ot for anyone, so you just have to believe me! Devon Monk´s worldbuilding is one of the finest, richest and most detailed you can find.

The spells, the magic and all the creatures she comes up with along with the very consistent history of her alternative world and Portland amaze me every time I read one of her books.

I guess I already said somewhere that I love Allie. her sense of humor, her sense of loyalty and the way she deals with her life (and her undead father possesing her) just speak to me. I feel like she has come a long way since the first book. She´s become far more responsible, and less passive, even though she has a lot to deal with.

I was a little bit sad that we didn´t get to see her and Zayvion together in this book a lot, but Shame and Terric totally made up for that. The two of them almost stole the show from Allie sometimes. And of course there is Stone, my most favorite sidekick ever. Anyone else wants a gargoyle like him?

The more we lear about the Authority, the more I doubt any of them. Again, this is just like LOST! (Just kidding). Everyone seems to have his or her own agenda, everyone in the highest ranks seems untrustworthy. I really can´t wait to see how the story unfolds in the next book.

Oh man. I really would want to talk to someone about this book right now…

My Verdict:

5 Stars! I just have to say this: Devon Monk, I love your writing!

Super secret event is going to happen!

Good Morning readers! 

Today I´m super excited to announce my very first huge event! Together with Savannah from Books with Bite

We´ve decided to have out very own version of an advent calender to shorten your wait until Christmas. Now you´re probably going to ask yourselves what awaits you. Let me tell you…

Santa´s Book Bash starts on December 1st and lasts of curse until December 25th (24th on my blog, sice in Germany, we celebrate Christmas one day earlier than you!) We´re ng to give away book both on my blog and Savy´s blog Books with Bite!

Any follower of both blogs can enter, all giveaways are international!

Here´s a list of the books we´ll be giving away!

On Reading on the Dark Side:

1 copy of Alien Tango by Gini Koch

1 copy if Black Wings by Christina Henry

1 copy of Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

1 copy of Right Hand Magic by Nancy Collins

1 copy of Hellforged (as soon as it is released) by Nancy Holzner

1 copy of Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

On Savy´s blog:

2 ARC's of Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

2 ARC's of Vesper by Jeff Sampson

1 ARC of Vampire Crush by A.M. Robinson

1 ARC of Hex Bound (Dark Elite # 2) by Chole Neill

1 Copy of Misguided Angel by Melissa De La Cruz

1 Copy of Promise by Kristie Cook

 

I hope you´re just as excited as the two of us now!!! Below is our super funny and cute button you can of course add to your blog/sidebar!

 

 

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.bookswithbite.net/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i841.photobucket.com/albums/zz333/savysweet/trewithbat180.png" /></a> <form><textarea rows="6" cols="18" readonly="readonly"><a href="http://www.bookswithbite.net" target="_blank"><img src="http://i841.photobucket.com/albums/zz333/savysweet/trewithbat180.png" /></a></textarea></form></div>

So be sure to check our blogs on December 1st to get your change to win one of these awesome books!

Joint Review: "Crescendo"

Hello dear readers!

If you´re wondering while I didn´t blog yesterday: I was reading "Crescendo". The whole evening and the most part of last night! :)
So today, Anna and I are back with the second part of our Joint Review!





Title: "Crescendo" (Hush, Hush
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Published: October 19th 2010 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Genre: Paranormal YA

Blurb:
Feisty teen Nora Grey somehow survived the crises of Hush, Hush!, but dangers just as frightening loom in this standalone sequel. Patch, her guardian angel and love interest, appears to have a dark side and a wandering eye. Worse yet, he seems intent on obstructing Nora as she hunts for the truth behind her father's mysterious death. Even better than the first.


And here´s what we thought about Becca Fitzpatrick´s latest book:


Characters

Anna:
Before saying anything else i must ask.... "What happened to Nora????"In Hush, Hush Nora was an ok character,strong,pretty much independent and definitely not anyone's tail or shadow.Nora of Crescendo is like being introduced to a completely new character...She's jealous,whinny,reckless and no matter what happens to her,her priority is where and what and with whom Patch is...Terrible things might happen,in fear she may live,Patch is whom her thoughts are totally consumed with!And ok,i can understand being so in love and acting like a total stranger,but in Nora's case she was acting more like possesed rather than in love...

Patch on the other hand is as good as in Hush, Hush...I only kind of missed him here cause his role is significantly smaller than in the first instalment but at least when he entered a scene in the book,the scene just got more... well better!

What i liked in Crescendo was that more characters got to be better explored and developed,like Vee, Rixon and Marcie. I really liked that, i thought that Fitzpatrick's world got more interesting and complete with the addiction of those characters.Scott,on the other hand (a new character introduced here) has completely confused me...I just can't make my mind about him or find a logical way to explain some of his actions,especially towards the end.

Christine:

There were a few scenes in Crescendo where I thought I dodn´t recognize Nora anymore. To be honest, I expected their relationship to be all "crazy in love", so I was beyond stunned after their first fight only a few pages into the book. Nora´s behavior seem a little irrational at times, and beyond reckless at others. I wouldn´t have imagined that the same Nora from "Hush, Hush" would oull of things like she did this time. It is somewhat understandable, cnsidering how Patch acts, but still.
Speaking of Patch... I still love him. His bad boy attitude hasn´t changes a single bit and he´s just as sexy as in Hush, Hush. Unfortunatly, he also just as mysterious and evasive. Combine that with Nora behavior, and I felt like shouting "JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER ALREADY AND TELL THE F... TRUTH" at them. You could say this book affected me quite a bit.
The two most interesting "new" characters in the book were Scott and Marcie. Scott is close to Patch in the bad boy scale, but for me, he gave off more of a creepy vibe.
Marcie is just plain mean which would have annoyed me, had me not learned the reason for her behavior.
Vee and Rixon we already knew from the last book, but I have to say, both of them were a surprise for me in this book, one a positive, one a negative ( Don´t want to give away more to avoid spoilers!)



Plot

Anna:
The plot was once more, engaging. The writing style remains simple and effective and the story turns to a complete new level. The atmosphere was creepy at times and claustrophobic and in general i think i liked the story even more than in Hush, Hush.The angelic world is more explored and we get to know more about how it functions,something that i've been expecting since the end of the first book.

Nora and Patch's relationship remains a bit static for me,something that doesn't really bother me but i'm not that glad either.Maybe if the reason those two kept fighting was something other than jealousness and stubborness from Nora's part i wouldn't mind it at all,but seeing Nora acting that way just made me wanna scream to her to open her eyes and she how she was behaving.She may had reasons to be jealous but still,she could had tried and listen to Patch,or totally erase him.The forth-back was never my favorite approach of things.

Christine:

Story:
After finishing "Crescendo", I had to take a few deep breaths. First, because the story left me on the edge of my seat the whole time. It was so fast paced action filly, mysterious and full of twists that I didnßt feel one second like I was reading a YA book. Becca Fitzpatrick also succeeds in adding a subtly creepyness to the story by how she describes Nora being stalked and other supernatural incidences Nora comes across in this book.
The second thing that made me take a deep breath was the ending of Crenscendo. One moment I was like crazy happy, the next like WTH??? The Cliffhanger Becca Fitzpatrick leaves us with is really really cruel. Especially since I have a very strong love/hate relationship with cliffhangers. I like them, when I know I don´t have to wait too long before I know what happens next.
I always complain when the relationship between two characters goes too smooth and thus being unrealistic in my opinion. Well, the relationship between our dear guardian angel and Nora is far from smooth, which was not a bad thing.
The Story of Crescendo delves deeper into the mythology of Angels, Fallen Angels and Nephilim and we are introduced to a new force that is to be reckoned with. Also, Becca Fitzpatrick sheds light on Nora´s past and the death of her father and answers some questions only to make the whole story even more full of suspense.



Favorite scene

Anna:

The scene where Patch gives Nora a ride home and they're standing in the rain...I have a thing for romantic scenes in the rain,what can i say!

Christine:

Okay, once again, I can´t decide. Instead, I choose several scenes from different categories. DANGER: includes spoilers!!!
favorite romantic/hot scene: either Patch´s first appearance in her dream r the scen at the end... Hmmm
favorite creepy scene: when she hears/sees her dead father at the ausement park
favorite action scene: Nora vs Marcy. ´nough said.
favorite WTH scene: again, the end.



Final Verdict

Anna:

4 stars again.As i said,in some aspects Crescendo was really better than Hush,Hush but Nora's behavior was a bit annoying.I couldn't enjoy enough this book when i spent half the time wondering why she would act that way.

Christine:

4 stars. I loved it, was quite obsessiv about reading it (just ask my roommates) and it was a really intense read, but Nora´s behavior was somewhat of a drawback for me.

Once again, thanks Anna! You make reading and reviewing books even more fun! Can´t wait for our next joint review! xoxo!!!
Make sure to check out Anna´s Blog, she does some fantastic reviews and posts!

Joint Review

Yes, we have done it again! Anna from Books to Brighten your Mood and I have done another awesome joint review.

Look which book we chose this time:

  Title: Hush, Hush

  Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

  Published:  October 13th 2009 by Simon & Schuster

  Children's Publishing

  Genre: Paranormal YA

  Blurb:  For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her...until Patch comes along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment, but after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is far more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

So here´s what we thought about

The Characters

Anna:
I loved Patch!I don't know if it was because he was an angel and i have a thing for angels fallen or not or because he was your so typical bad but at the same time unbelievably sexy boy!He was a consistent character,secretive and with his own motives and agenda but at the same time sweet and sexy as hell!I loved his sarcasm and innuendos and to be honest there were times where i doubted his innocense.Nora on the other hand is a fine character.i just didn't love her as much as i loved Patch.I liked the fact that she was smart and capable of at least trying to hold her own ground and i really enjoyed her relationship with Vee.What i didn't like or rather found unbelievable was yet again the fact that a human totally oblivious to anything supernatural such as Nora just took so easily the news of her crush being a fallen angel and generally the existence of the supernatural element in her perfectly tided little world!Especially when Nora is portrayed as a little control freak,something so huge and strange should have snapped her and cause her a mental breakdown or at least she would have done anything else rather than just accepting the unbelievable without questioning...That plus her reaction when she thought she was a in danger and someone was stalking her...Nora is portrayed as really smart and logical among other traits but what logical person would just keep his mouth shut when such bizarre things keep happening?I gather she didn't want to upset her mother but since she was logical she should have seen that killing herself because she kept her mouth shut would probably upset her somewhat a liitle more.Anyway,i liked Nora's character i just find sometimes some of the characters' reactions in books a bit unbelievable and in contrast without their portrayal and it always bothers me.
Apart Patch and Nora and a little bit Vee all the other surrounding characters weren't really that much developed.The story was completely focused on those two and explaining the world the story is set.

Christine

Both Nora and Patch were great characters. Patch is just the right mix of mysterious bad boy without being a total jerk. Even though I kind of knew that Patch wouldn´t end up killing Nora, I was wondering about his motives. I loved his constant innuendos, flirting and dirty smiles. I could totally picture him in his dark clothes! I must admit that I would have probaby fallen for him as well! :)
Nora is incredibly mature but then very much acts like a typical girl at her age, falling in love with the wrong guy. I found it very appealing that she didn´t act all dreamy eyed and crazy in love, but held her own against him. Scenes like her unsuccessful attempts at interviewing or seducing other people in order to get information made her very likeable and realistic.
She did take the news of Patch being a Fallen Angel pretty well, even though she had enough time to get used to all the strange things that happened in her life. I guess I would have been more freaked out if someone would be trying to kill me and stalk me.
I really enjoyed her relationship with Vee (loved the name BTW Vee Sky). Her nosy personality and her well meant warnings did remind me of some of my closest friends.
Elliot and Jules did round up the great cast of characters.

The Story

Anna
I liked Becca Fitzpatrick's writing style.It was smooth and esily flowing.There wasn't just a minute where i was bored and this is the second time i read this book (in order to read Crescendo i just had to reread this!).Hush Hush was my first book about angels and since i love them that much this book holds a special part in me.The world is quite well built and the potential for more exploring is evident.By the end of Hush Hush you can easily understand that you haven't read not even the half of the story yet and thep politics and mechanics of the angelic society aren't fully explored.I just can't wait to read what happens next and how the story will progress

Christine

Okay, I have a confession to make: some YA books I find slightly boring. *ducks rotten tomatoes* I like books with action, violence and sex. There, I said it. “Hush, Hush” however was never boring to me. At first I was constantly wondering and trying to figure out who was behind the attacks on Nora and enjoying all the Patch/Nora moments and the end had more than enough action even for my taste.
Despite “Hush, Hush” being a Young Adult book, there is so much heat and sexual attraction in this book that my romance lover heart felt totally satisfied. Especially the very last scene between Patch and Nora made me expect only the best from the sequel “Crescendo”. The chemistry between the both of them is just perfect, better than in some PNR books I´ve read.

And our favorite scene(s)

Anna

I have to agree with Christine on this one...There were many scenes i really liked but my favorite was in the motel.I love stormy days and the combination storm,no electricity,motel and Patch and Nora in wet clothes just screamed sexy!

Christine

There were so many good of them, it´s so hard to choose! Among my favorites were the scene in the motel and the pool game between Patch and Nora.

 

The Final Verdict:

Anna

I'll give Hush Hush 4 stars.The only reason i don't give 5 is because as i said i found hard to believe some of Nora's reactions.Other than that the book was amazing!

Christine

4.5 out of 5 stars. This book is near perfection. I´ll save half a star for the next one though! :)

Thanks Anna for being my partner in reading and reviewing! Sometimes our minds are frightingly the same!

Please check back for our next joint review on “Crescendo” – as soon as we´ve read it!

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!



Here´s my Teaser for this week:

“No,” I said. “Just a friend. Actually not even

that. He´s my bio partner.”

“You´re blushing,”

“Probably windburn.”

“Hush, Hush” by Becca Fitzpatrick, p.88

Something every book lover loves to hear and another thing every blogger fears

Okay, there are good news and bad news today.

Bad news: my laptop is gone, It is off to be repaired and I feel like something is missing. Can´t check my mails, can´t browse for more books, can´t see what you guys are up to. When I came home after I brought them to an electronic store to repair, I lasted exactöy 5 minutes. Now I have taken posession of my sister´s. She´s saving lives in the ER, she doesn´t need it anyway.

The good news: I´ve come across money!!! While cleaning up my room searcing for something very important, I came across my super secret emegency stash of money for books. Sine this is an emergency as I´m sad about my laptop, I´m more than willing to spend it. Here´s where you come in.

Do you have any suggestions what I should read? My wishlist is out of control and I can´t decide what to buy.

Here´s where you guys come in! Tell me what YOU would read and if you´re lucky and get chosen by random.org, I´ll buy two copies, one for me, one for the lucky winner!!!

Yes, that´s right, I´m having a giveaway!!!

No double entries, open internationally (or everywhere The Book Depository ships), open exactly one week from today on and so on! You know the deal!

Extra entries for Twitter, Facebook, being my friend on goodreads and Facebook and posts on your blog!

So that´s it! Now YOU have to decide on a book!

Good luck to all of you!!!

Early Review: “Black Wings” by Christina Henry

Author: Christina Henry

Title: Black Wings (Madeline Black #1)

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Published: November 30th by Ace

Pages: 304

Blurb:

Meet Maddy Black.
She’s an Agent of Death who really needs to get a life.
Escorting souls into the afterlife leaves Maddy little time for socializing—until devilishly handsome Gabriel Angeloscuro agrees to rent the empty apartment in her building. But when demons start appearing on Maddy’s front lawn, she realizes there’s more to her new tenant than meets the eye.

*I received my copy from the author for review*

Review:

It is no secret that above all, I´m a hardcore Urban Fantasy fan and Christina Henry´s book gave me everything I crave in a good UF book.

Madeline or Maddy for short works in the business of death: she´s an agent that escorts souls to the door, a 24/7 job that leaves hardly any time for a social life, let alone for something like a boyfriend. So Maddy lives together with her gargoyle Beezle who is grumpy, snarky but very protective and loves buttered popcorn in a house she inherited from her deceased mother. She also inherited her powers as an agent, along with her black wings from her mom.

But then, a new tenant moves in and things start to change for Maddy: her best friend is killed and demons, yes, real ugly, pissed-off and scary as hell demons turn up and they are out for Maddy´s blood. Good thing that she has Beezle and her new mysterious and deliciously hot tenant Gabriel Angeloscuro on her side.

My favorite character in this book was without any question Beezle. His snarky comments made me smile and I was touched by how much he loves Maddy. Besides, from his description I think he is simply cute! J

Maddy is a typical UF heroine: independent, single and able to stand her ground. She´s a bit of loner and tends to be a bit too reckless for her own good.

And Gabriel… tall dark and handsome all the way! It was a bit obvious from the beginning that there is more to him than Maddy suspects, but his character and his part in the story more than made up for that. Together with Maddy or Beezle, he makes quite a pair. Another thing I noticed was his way of speaking. Ti me it seem a bit old-fashioned, but very in character, considering what he really is.

The relationship between Maddy and Gabriel was very sweet but far from innocent. I really felt for them for all the obstacles they had to face and was very sad for them in the end. I really have high expectations for the next book, as their relationship definitely has potential. But to be perfectly honest, I like it better that way in UF, when there´s no HEA in the first book (If I want that kind of story, I read PNR).

As for the bad guys in this book: there´s only one word to describe them: bad-ass. Prepare to come across people and soul munching demons that prefer to kick when Maddy´s already down. Throw in a power struggle of epic proportions and you get an idea of the plot.

The worldbuilding was very multi-layered, intrinsic and well planned. Christina Henry added a great mythology to her alternate Chicago. The world Maddy (unwillingly) gets tossed into with its strict rules and harsh punishments leaves not much room for feelings and emotions. It requires obedience and control, two things Maddy totally lacks.

There are few gory scenes in the book (like people getting munched by a demon while they are still alive), but even my sometimes weak stomach could handle them.

My verdict:

Black Wings is a great read for all Urban Fantasy fans and highly recommended. The only criticism I had about this book was that it was over far too soon! I read it in one day and one very short night!

I´m really looking forward to Christina Henry´s next Madeline Black book “Black Night”!

4 out of 5 stars for “Black Wings”

For further stalking of Christina Henry Information about the author check out her blog.

In My Mailbox

“In My Mailbox” is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.

It´s a great way to share your recent books with your fellow bloggers.

 

This week I got:

  In the year 1870, a horrible plague of vampires swept over the northern regions of the world. Millions of humans were killed outright. Millions more died of disease and famine due to the havoc that followed. Within two years, once great cities were shrouded by the grey empire of the vampire clans. Human refugees fled south to the tropics because vampires could not tolerate the constant heat there. They brought technology and a feverish drive to reestablish their shattered societies of steam and iron amid the mosques of Alexandria, the torrid quietude of Panama, or the green temples of Malaya.

It is now 2020 and a bloody reckoning is coming.

Princess Adele is heir to the Empire of Equatoria, a remnant of the old tropical British Empire. She is quick with her wit as well as with a sword or gun. She is eager for an adventure before she settles into a life of duty and political marriage to man she does not know. But her quest turns black when she becomes the target of a merciless vampire clan. Her only protector is The Greyfriar, a mysterious hero who fights the vampires from deep within their territory. Their dangerous relationship plays out against an approaching war to the death between humankind and the vampire clans.

The Greyfriar: Vampire Empire is the first book in a trilogy of high adventure and alternate history. Combining rousing pulp action with steampunk style, The Greyfriar brings epic political themes to life within a story of heartbreaking romance, sacrifice, and heroism.

Finally! I´ve been waiting for this one for a long time, but it was very hard to get my hands on a copy here in Germany!

 

For review:

 

Meet Maddy Black.
She’s an Agent of Death who really needs to get a life.
Escorting souls into the afterlife leaves Maddy little time for socializing—until devilishly handsome Gabriel Angeloscuro agrees to rent the empty apartment in her building. But when demons start appearing on Maddy’s front lawn, she realizes there’s more to her new tenant than meets the eye.

 

Thanks so much to Christina Henry and Penguin Books for sending me a copy!

 

 

What was in your Mailbox this week? Can´t wait to see what you got!

Cover Alert

“Deceived by the Others (H&W Investigations #3)” by Jess Haines

Release Date: July 5th 2011

Source: Literary Escapism

I´m not a big fan of this cover, the model looks somehow… weird. Love the series though!

“Exile” and “Muse” by Rebecca Lim

Release Date “Exile”: May 2011

Source: Literary Escapism

There´s not much to find about this two books yet except that they have stunning covers! From the looks of them I would guess they´re YA though.

“Starfire (DemonSlayers #3)” by Kate Douglas

Release Date: April 2011

Source: Literary Escapism

Somehow I like that one!I haven´t read anything by Kate Douglas yet, I guess I´ll have to change that!

“Deadworld” by J.N. Duncan

Release Date: April 1st 2011

Source: Literary Escapism

My Urban Fantasy Lover Heart skipped a beat when I saw this cover! Here´s the Blurb from goodreads:

Jackie Rutledge is a Chicago FBI agent who walks that fine line between competence and nervous breakdown. When a killer begins bleeding people dry, Jackie’s psychic partner Laurel, tells her to get off the case. The spirit world is involved and they aren’t playing nice. Worse, the prime suspect, one PI Nick Anderson, seems to exude death worse than the local cemetery. Jackie is not a “leave well enough alone” sort of woman however. She hasn’t let a bad guy get away since she was twelve, and this one will be no different. Unless of course, he’s not the killer. Despite the evidence, Jackie does not get the “killer” vibe from Nick. He’s not at all what he appears. His past goes back far beyond the humanly possible. In fact, nothing about the case makes sense, and the more they dig, the more it seems Laurel was right. They’re dealing with a killer who effortlessly walks between the living and the dead, and she will need Nick’s help to take that step, because facing the dead is where Jackie’s competence ends and the breakdown begins.

Follow Friday

Hello again to another awesome funny and crazy Follow Friday blogger hop!

To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. Follow our Featured Bloggers - http://insanehussein.com/blog/
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!
8. If your new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Happy Follow Friday!

Now to this week´s question:

What is your usual monthly book budget?

Okay. First of all, I´m seriously obsessed with books. Unlike other women, I don´t care much for clothes or shoes and luckily, I have a sister with the same size who shares her clothes with me. So, I spend most of my money for books. What can I say, buying books makes me happy. I try to sspend between 50 and 100€ (about 80$) for books. Most of the time, it is more though. I know I have a problem…

But, in defense of my budget: I´m from Germany and most of the books I read can´t be found in a library or aren´t even released in Germany! So I don´t really have a coice. I have to buy all those books!

I really envy you guys from the US, I´d love to use my local library to save money... :(

Cover Alert

Michelle Rowen has released the cover of “Bloodlust” (Nightshade #2)

Release date: July 5th 2011

source: Wicked Scribes

Not one of the best cover, but better than most Urban Fantasy books. I love the hair of the cover model, I wish mine were like that!

 

Here´s the cover for “Enemy Games” by Marcella Burnard

source: Wicked Scribes

The style is similar to the one of “Enemy Within”, the previous book by Marcella Burnard. A very classic cover: hot chick in leather (?) with a fierce weapon

 

And finally I found the cover for a brand new Urban Fantasy series that has caught my eye: “Under Wraps” by Hannah Jayne

source: All Things Urban Fantasy

Again, a very typical Urban Fantasy cover. I like the colors of this one! By the way, have you noticed that most cover models are brunettes or have black hair?

I´m looking forward to this one!

Reading on the Dark Side is part of Scott Nicholson´s “Win a Kindle” Tour!

KINDLE GIVEAWAY BLOG TOUR

Bestselling Kindle author Scott Nicholson and Amazon are giving away three Kindles as part of his fall book blog tour through November, including a stop here at Reading on the Dark Side on Nov. 27. A Kindle DX and Kindle 3 will be given away through the participating blogs, and a Kindle 3 will be given away through the tour newsletter. A Pandora's Box of free e-books will be given away to a follower of Nicholson's "hauntedcomputer" Twitter account.

Sign up for the newsletter at scottsinnercircle-subscribe@yahoogroups.com to get daily links to the participating blogs. Winners will be selected at the Watauga County (NC) Public Library in December. No purchase necessary, and the contest is international. Co-sponsored by Kindle Nation Daily and Dellaster Design. Details at http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/blogtour.htm

 

 

So make sure to check Back on November 27th for your chance to win a Kindle!

Review: Afterlight by Elle Jasper

Title: Afterlight (Dark Ink Chronicles #1)

Author: Elle Jasper

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Published: November 2nd 2010 by Signet

Pages: 316

Blurb:

The Dupres have been Savannah's guardians, appointed by a band of root doctors and hoodooists, for nearly two hundred years. They've all grown...complacent. Now, the Arcos brothers, who've long been entombed at Bonaventure, have been inadvertently freed by a group of teenagers horsing around in the cemetery. Determined to take revenge on the city who entombed them, the Arcos' gather strength in the city's youth. Within the moon's full cycle, the gang's quickening will be complete--they'll become vampires. Newlings, out of control and craving human blood will ravage the city. The one thing the Arcos' didn't count on was the powerful love of a sister. Riley Poe will stop at nothing to get her brother back. The one thing Riley didn't count on was the powerful love of a vampire. Eli Dupre will do anything to get her. Follow Riley, Eli, and the vampires of the Dupre House into the shadowy, underside of Savannah.

This is one of those books where I instantly fell in love with the cover. You know me, I´m that shallow. :) You can imagine my excitement when I finally held a copy in my hands. It was even more beautiful in the flesh.

Then I started reading. The story of Afterlight is a little bit like the cover: dark, atmospheric, and utterly intriguing. After the first few pages, I was completly absorbed by Ellen Jasper´s Savannah with all its creepy, seedy and repulsive sides.

I loved to read about Preacher and Estelle and the Gullah way of life and magic. To me, something totally new and fascinating. I seriously wish people like them would live next to me as well. They came across kind-hearted and caring, just the way you would wish your surrogate grandparents to be.

Riley Poe (is her name a hommage to Edgar Allen Poe whom Elle Jasper seems to admire? I can only guess!) is a woman right after my taste: independent yet caring, sexy without being trashy, sassy, savy, stubborn and too reckless for her own good. I pretty much loved everything about her. She´s had a violent and dangerous past and does everything to protect her youger brother from anything evil.

Seth is the victim of the story. His change from the nice guy to what he becomes at the end of the book is very emotional for Riley and I could totally feel with her (there are few things I wouldn´t do if my sister were in trouble).

Furtunatly, Riley finds help with the Gullah community and new, unusaul allies and she discovers things that turn her world upside down. One of them being the enigmatic, mysterious Eligius Dupré, who becomes her protector and a constant temptation. The sexual tension between Riley and him is incredibly strong and some scenes between them made me consider a cold shower.

The story´s pace is masterfully designed: you´re thrown right into Savannah´s underground and the world Elle Jasper has so talently created. I loved all the details about it: be it the wicked cool (you see, it rubs off!) name of Rileys tattoo studio Inksomnia, the descriptions of the tattoo designs she makes or the Urban/Goth clubs they visit.

The real threat in the book, the two Arcos brothers and the gang, as Riley sometimes refers to them are more of an invisible threat, but none the less evil and creepy. Even though Riley and the Duprés have only seldom contact and mostly deal with the victims, the danger that they present is frightingly clear.

To describe the book, I use Riley´s word: wicked cool. I loved it so much, even though vampires are not too different from what we already know about them. In the case of Afterlight, I seriously didn´t care. 

As far as I´m concerned, I´m ready for Everdark, the sequel to this book. Like, now.

My verdict: 4.5 out of 5 stras for Elle Jasper´s debut Afterlight.

 

To learn more about Elle Jasper and her books, visit her hompage here.

For more teaser for Afterlight, watch the trailer below. And join me in the wait for Everdark, #2 in the Dark Ink Chronicles, coming in June 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finished!!!

Okay, I have a few troubled days behind me that seem to have affected my laptop as well. As known internet and laptop addict, these days were horror. I don´t know how to describe what was wrong, but somehow, the screen was flickering the whole time and I couldn´t read anything anymore without my eyes falling out. :(

Now it´s better (don´t ask why, I have no idea), but I think I have to part from my laptop for a few days to have it repaired.

Still, I decided to change my old layout which I still love very much, to something different.

When I tought about changing the layout, I had no idea how much work it would take… But now I´m finally finished!

So here´s my first post in with the new layout!

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren on Sundays. Since I didn´t have time to post it this Sunday but still got some awesome books, I thought I might share them today, hoping you´ll forgive me. *puppy dog eyes*

Take a look:

“Close your eyes tightly—tightly—and keep them closed . . .”
From a Victorian Ireland of magic, poetry and rebellion, Ida Jameson, an amateur occultist, reaches out for power, but captures Laura Armstrong, a modern-day graphic artist instead. Now, for the man or demon she loves, each woman must span a bridge through Hell and across history . . . or destroy it.
“Every passionate man is linked with another age, historical or imaginary, where alone he finds images that rouse his energy.” W. B. Yeats
Anchored in fact on both sides of history, Laura and Ida, modern rationalist and fin de siècle occultist, are linked from the moment Ida channels Laura into the body of celebrated beauty and Irish freedom-fighter Maud Gonne. When Laura falls—from an ocean and a hundred years away—passionately, Victorianly in love with the young poet W. B. Yeats, their love affair entwines with Irish history and weaves through Yeats’s poetry until Ida discovers something she wants more than magic in the subterranean spaces in between.
With her Irish past threatening her orderly present and the man she loves in it, Laura and Yeats—the practical materialist and the poet magus—must find a way to make love last over time, in changing bodies, through modern damnation, and into the mythic past to link their pilgrim souls . . . or lose them forever.

the cold.
Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.
the heat.
Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now.
the shiver.
For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human—and Grace must fight to keep him—even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon--when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach--an "outlander"--in a Scotland torn by war and raiding Highland clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.
Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into intrigues and dangers that may threaten her life...and shatter her heart. For here she meets James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, and becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Thanks so much Ash from Smash Attack Reads for her wonderful review on this book that made me buy it instantly! :)

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her...until Patch comes along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment, but after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is far more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.
Sometimes life-ending.
Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

Defined by magic. Ruled by desire.
In the Court of Edaeii, magic-imbued Evangeline is rewarded for her gift with a sapphire stone set in the perfect curves of her flesh. Her greatest rival in the royal court is the enigmatic Anatol, instilled with his own powers to manipulate illusion. He may better her in magic, but he is her absolute equal in a ferocious sexual energy begging for release.
They share something else—they’re both targets of low-born revolutionaries bent on over-throwing the palace of the privileged few. Rescued from the mobs by Gregorio, a brilliant insurgent, they’re given sanctuary. But in this warm refuge, Evangeline soon finds herself torn between the magic of one man she has always desired, and the excitingly new and radical moves of another. For her, there is only one choice.
Evangeline, Anatol and Gregorio come together as one to explore the possibilities of love beyond reason, and to indulge—for as long as they can survive—in pleasure without limits.

Thanks for all of your wonderful suggestions for new books for my sister. I few of them I had already bought earlier, a few of them I´ve bought for her (and, okay, I admit it also for me). I´m so excited to see how she´ll like them!

If you can recommend other books for her (or for me for that matter) do tell me! I´m always in the mood to buy new books! ;)