New Releases ~ week of 06/09/2014

*All links go to Goodreads

A Deadly Business by Lis Wiehl (#2 Mia Quinn Mystery)

All Day and a Night by Alafair Burke (#5 Ellie Hatcher)
Allegiance by Susannah Sandlin (#4 Penton Legacy)
Azagoth by Larissa Ione (#10.5 Demonica #6 1001 Dark Nights)
Blackwood: A Hexed Story by Michelle Krys (#0.5 The Witch Hunter)
Born of Deception by Teri Brown (#2 Born of Illusion)
Burned by Tara Sivec
California Bones by Greg Van Eekhout (#1 California Bones)
Earth Awakens by Aaron Johnston (#3 First Formic War)
Frozen Treats by Helen Perelman (#13 Candy Fairies)
Glory by Maureen McGowan (#3 Dust Chronicles)
Hexed by Michelle Krys (#1 The Witch Hunter)
Hunger for You by A C Arthur (#3 Shadow Shifters: Damaged Hearts)

Let's Rock! by Sheryl Berk (#3 Dance Divas)
Makeover Magic by Jill Santopolo (#3 Sparkle Spa)
Never Look Back by Clare Donoghue (#1 Mike Lockyer)
No Stone Unturned by James W. Ziskin (#2 Ellie Stone Mystery)
Push by Eve Silver (#2 Game)
Robogenesis by Daniel H Wilson (#2 Robo)
Scarred by Caris Roane (#2 Savage Chains)
Sea Monster! by Jordan Quinn (#3 Kingdom of Wrenly)
Stormy Persuasion by Johanna Lindsey (#11 Malory Family)
The Baklava Club by Jason Goodwin (#5 Yashim the Eunuch)
The Bourne Ascendancy by Eric Van Lustbader (#12 Jason Bourne)
The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings (#1 Murder Complex)
The Strange Maid by Tessa Gratton (#2 United States of Asgard)
Wicked Games by Sean Olin (#1 Wicked Games)
Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon (#8 Outlander)

Book Review ~ The Forbidden Library

The Forbidden Library

by Django Wexler
published by Kathy Dawson Books
genre: MG, Fantasy,

Summary (Goodreads): Alice always thought fairy tales had happy endings. That--along with everything else--changed the day she met her first fairy

When Alice's father goes down in a shipwreck, she is sent to live with her uncle Geryon--an uncle she's never heard of and knows nothing about. He lives in an enormous manor with a massive library that is off-limits to Alice. But then she meets a talking cat. And even for a rule-follower, when a talking cat sneaks you into a forbidden library and introduces you to an arrogant boy who dares you to open a book, it's hard to resist. Especially if you're a reader to begin with. Soon Alice finds herself INSIDE the book, and the only way out is to defeat the creature imprisoned within.

It seems her uncle is more than he says he is. But then so is Alice.

My Thoughts: This is an interesting twist on the magic of falling into the books that you read. I almost liked the setting and premise of this story more than the story itself. It did turn itself around and by the end I was sucked into the whole thing.
Alice at the moment seems like the only good character. She is more of a hard worker and determined to see things through type of character rather than your typical strong female lead. At times she was naive, but somehow still managed to do what needed to be done and mostly keep her morals in place.
Other than Alice, and possibly Ashes, there was not another character that I really liked. I wished there had been more exploration into characters like Emma. We are told briefly that the reason she is the way she is, is because she possibly was a reader and her mind was wiped. This was used to scare Alice and then promptly forgotten, we never really find out if this is true. Also, how Mr Black and Mother (Ending) came to be in Geryon's control. They don't seem to be the same as the ones defeated by Alice in her books, a thread tied to her mind, that she can pull on when needed.
Overall, it was a good start to a new series. I'm interested in the world of readers that the author has created. The other old school readers who all seem evil and their apprentices that don't seem any better. There are a lot of questions surrounding Alice and I will give the second book a chance to find out more.

Rating: 3.5

Book Review ~ Night Broken

Night Broken (Mercy Thompson #8)

by Patricia Briggs
published by Ace
genre: Adult, UF, PNR

Summary (Goodreads): An unexpected phone call heralds a new challenge for Mercy. Her mate Adam’s ex-wife is in trouble, on the run from her new boyfriend. Adam isn’t the kind of man to turn away a person in need—and Mercy knows it. But with Christy holed up in Adam’s house, Mercy can’t shake the feeling that something about the situation isn’t right.

Soon, her suspicions are confirmed when she learns that Christy has the farthest thing from good intentions. She wants Adam back and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen, including turning Adam’s pack against Mercy.

Mercy isn’t about to step down without a fight, but there’s a more dangerous threat circling. Christy’s ex is more than a bad man—in fact, he may not be human at all. As the bodies start piling up, Mercy must put her personal troubles aside to face a creature with the power to tear her whole world apart.

My Thoughts:  While there may have been some things I did not like, overall this was a great read for me. I had to keep reading until the end and when it was finished I wanted more.
I'll start with Christy. Can't say I liked her (I know I'm not supposed to). I could understand how/why some in the pack could have felt close to her because she was married to their alpha. What I could not understand was how they would still feel that way after what she did to Adam and Jesse. It just felt off to me. I'm also not sure how I feel about her staying in town.
The twist with the stalker was interesting and delved into areas/cultures that I am not familiar with. I liked how Mercy's circle is expanding and her heritage is being used more and more. She seems more willing to learn from the things that Coyote does than her half brother is. It may seem off at the time but it usually leads to something that helps.
We also had some old regulars return. Waiting for to see how Tad's help comes back to haunt him in future books (it's already started to). Also, the link between Mercy and Stefan. How does a walking stick become one of the best side characters, or at least one of my favorites.
Overall, this was a favorite read for me so far this year. It kept me entertained and reading right until the end. Is it time for the next book yet?

Rating: 5

New Releases ~ week of 06/02/2014

A Barricade in Hell by Jaime Lee Moyer (#2 Delia Martin)

A Dark and Twisted Tide by S. J. Bolton (#4 DC Lacey Flint)
A Moment in Time by Tracie Peterson (#2 Lone Star Brides)
A Shiver of Light by Laurell K. Hamilton (#9 Meredith Gentry)
Baby for Keeps by Janice Maynard (#44 Billionaires and Babies)
Becoming the Prince's Wife by Rebecca Winters (#2 Princes of Europe)
Blood Red by Mercedes Lackey (#11 Elemental Masters)
Branded by Laura Wright (#1 The Cavanaugh Brothers)
Catwoman, Vol. 4: Gotham Underground by Ann Nocenti (#4 Catwoman - The New 52)
Circles in the Snow by Patrick McManus (#6 Sheriff Bo Tully Mystery)
Dead Heat by Allison Brennan (#8 Lucy Kincaid)
Deadly Decor by Karen Rose Smith (#2 Caprice De Luca Mystery)

Death's Redemption by Marie Hall (#2 Eternal Lovers)
Deeper Than Need by Shiloh Walker (#1 Secrets & Shadows)
Devil's Game by Joanna Wylde (#3 Reapers MC)
Expecting the CEO's Child by Yvonne Lindsay (#4 Dynasties the Lassiters)
Fall from India Place by Samantha Young (#4 On Dublin Street)
Fire Rising by Donna Grant (#2 Dark Kings)
Gasp by Lisa McMann (#3 Visions)
Gimme Some Sugar by Kimberly Kincaid (#2 Pine Mountain)
Grim Shadows by Jenn Bennett (#2 Roaring Twenties)
Heart of a Highland Warrior by Anita Clenney (#3 Highland Warrior)
Heated by J. Kenner (#2 Most Wanted)
Her Cowboy Hero by Tanya Michaels (#3 Colorado Cades)

Hot Fudge Frame-Up by Christine DeSmet (#2 Fudge Shop Mysteries)
How to School Your Scoundrel by Juliana Gray (#3 Princess In Hiding)
Huckleberry Summer by Jennifer Beckstrand (#2 Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill)
Hunter by Night by Elisabeth Staab (#3 Chronicles of Yavn)
I Want To Hold Your Hand by Marie Force (#2 Green Mountain)
Jaguar Hunt by Terry Spear (#3 Heart of the Jaguar)
Keep Me Closer by Rhyannon Byrd (#2 Dangerous Tides)
Mended by Kim Karr (#4 Connections)
Mr. Monk is Open for Business by Hy Conrad (#18 Monk)
Murder, Simply Stitched by Isabella Alan (#2 Amish Quilt Shop Mystery)
Nauti Enchantress by Lora Leigh (#2 Nauti Girls)

Night of the Living Thread by Janet Bolin (#4 Threadville Mystery)
Perfect Kind of Trouble by Chelsea Fine (#2 Finding Fate)
Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence (#1 Red Queen's War)
Property of a Lady Faire by Simon R Green (#8 Secret Histories)
Razing the Dead by Sheila Connolly (#5 Museum Mysteries)
Shield of Winter by Nalini Singh (#13 Psy-Changelings)
Shockwave by Andrew Vachss (#2 Aftershock)
Since Last Summer by Joanna Philbin (#2 Rules of Summer)
Sky Pirates by Liesel Schwarz (#3 Chronicles of Light and Shadow)
Social Order by Melissa de la Cruz (#2 The Ashleys )
Stuck Together by Mary Connealy (#3 Trouble in Texas)
Tempest in a Teapot by Amanda Cooper (#1 Teapot Collector Mystery)

The Abduction by Jonathan Holt (#2 Carnivia Trilogy)
The Accidental Duchess by Madeline Hunter (#4 Fairbourne Quartet)
The Ashley Project by Melissa de la Cruz (#1 Ashleys )
The Baron Next Door by Erin Knightley (#1 Prelude to a Kiss)
The Book Stops Here by Kate Carlisle (#8 Bibliophile Mystery)
The Dark Between the Stars by Kevin J. Anderson (#1 Saga of Shadows)
The Devil May Care by David Housewright (#11 Mac McKenzie)
The Diva Wraps It Up by Krista Davis (#8 Domestic Diva)
The Endless Lake by Erin Hunter (#5 Survivors)
The Hurricane Sisters by Dorothea Benton Frank (#9 Lowcountry Tales)
The Merchant Emperor by Elizabeth Haydon (#7 Symphony of Ages)
The Source by J. D. Horn (#2 Witching Savannah)
The Troublemaker Next Door by Marie Harte (#1 McCauley Brothers)

The Virgin's Guide to Misbehaving by Jessica Clare (#4 Bluebonnet)
There's Wild, Then There's You by M Leighton (#3 The Wild Ones)
Toxic by Sara Shepard (#15 Pretty Little Liars)
Tristan: Finding Hope by Jessica Sorensen (#3.5 Nova)
Twisted Together by Pepper Winters (#3 Tears of Tess)
Veil of the Deserters by Jeff Salyards (#2 Bloodsounder's Arc)
Vertigo 42 by Martha Grimes (#23 Richard Jury)
What a Woman Needs by Judi Fennell (#2 Manley Maids)
Wicked Temptation by Zoe Archer (#3 Nemesis Unlimited)
Yarn Over Murder by Maggie Sefton (#12 Knitting Mystery)

Review ~ Fables: Wolves; Sons of Empire

Fables: Wolves; Sons of Empire (Volume 8 & 9)

by Bill Willingham
illustrated by Mark Buckingham, Steve Leiahola, Andrew Pepoy, Shawn McManus
published by Vertigo
genre: Adult, graphic novel, Fantasy, Fairy-Tales, Re-Tellings

Wolves Summary (Goodreads): Collecting issues #48-51 of writer and creator Bill Willingham's award-winning Vertigo series, WOLVES also includes newly-created maps of Fabletown and the Homelands illustrated by Willingham and, as a special bonus, Willingham's complete script to the double-sized issue #50.
Sons of  Empire Summary (Goodreads): Collecting FABLES #52-59! Pinocchio suffers seriously divided loyalties between his father, the evil Adversary, and his fellow Fable refugees in New York. Plus, Bigby Wolf reluctantly decides it's finally time to square accounts with his long-estranged father, the North Wind, and makes a journey with Snow White and their kids to find him.

My Thoughts: Wolves: This was another solid overall volume. I liked Mowgli's trek across every remote place trying to track Bigby. His interactions with the wolf packs was a different insight than the one normally gotten from Bigby's POV.
Bigby's mission and reward for carrying it out was a nice way to bring Snow, Bigby, and cubs together as a family. The wedding was another story line that helped round out Bigby's story.

Sons of Empire: The meeting with The Adversary and all his main people was glimpse into the other side. The weapons they have at their disposal along with the smarts to use Pinocchio's knowledge of the mundy world against him showed why they are where they are. By the end of the volume I felt bad for Pinocchio. He obviously just wants to make his father happy and may be realizing that's not possible.
My favorite from this volume was the ride to North's castle as well as everything that happened there. The story from Ambrose POV was more telling than if it had just been from Bigby's. Already aware of how he felt about his father, I was surprised that there was no let up at all given how great the relationship is between grandfather and children. Interested to see what happens with his brothers.

Rating: 4 for both