Review: Black Wings by Christina Henry

Title: Black Wings
Author: Christina Henry
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Release Date: 11/30/10
Summary:

As an Agent of Death, Madeline Black is responsible for escorting the souls of the dearly departed to the afterlife. It's a 24/7 job with a lousy benefits package.

Maddy's position may come with magical powers and an impressive wingspan, but it doesn't pay the bills. And then there are her infuriating boss, tenant woes, and a cranky, popcorn-loving gargoyle to contend with.

Things start looking up, though, when tall, dark, and handsome Gabriel Angeloscuro agrees to rent the empty apartment in Maddy's building. It's probably just a coincidence that as soon as he moves in demons appear on the front lawn. But when an unholy monster is unleashed upon the streets of Chicago, Maddy discovers powers she never knew she possessed. Powers linked to a family legacy of tarnished halos.

Powers that place her directly between the light of Heaven and the fires of Hell...

Plot: 4 Stars
I absolutely loved the idea of death being run as a beauracracy, especially since it seemed to have a large amount of paperwork involved. Maddy's job as an agent of death was very interesting, even if we only got to witness a few pickups (some working out better than others). I hope we get to see a little more of the job in future novels. Between the demons and nephilim, there was plenty of action for Maddy and Gabriel to deal with throughout the novel. The events of the novel opened up a whole new aspect to Maddy's life. I don't want to give away anything, but I can't wait for the next novel because I really want to see how Maddy deals with a certain attachment.

Pace: 4 Stars
This novel took an extra chapter or two to really get me into it, but once it grabbed me it didn't let go. Between her job and her boss, the numerous creatures knocking at her door to knock her out, and the revelation about her heritage, Maddy had a lot on her plate that led to many twists and turns throughout the novel. Although there were points in which a little too much action seemed to happen within the span of a day, Gabriel always made sure Maddy got some rest (mostly to heal her wounds). Mix in a little humor here and there from Beezle, and this novel flowed perfectly.

Characters: 4 Stars
I loved Beezle! The little gargoyle had spunk and attitude, but still cared for Maddy. He brought humor into the story at just the right time, especially with his love for popcorn. At times he could be a bit vague and mysterious with his warnings sometimes, but overall was a great character. I hope his part in the next novel is bigger. Maddy was a great heroine. I liked her attitude because she came across as very real. Some of the things that were happening frightened her, and some of the creatures kicked her ass. I didn't like Gabriel at first, but he grew on my as the novel progessed. I hope he is in the next novel also.

Cover: 3 Stars
For such a great story, this cover was underwhelming for me. While I think the cover model was a great choice for Maddy, there are other elements to this cover that don't work out so well. The halo of white around the cover model is kinda weird, and because it's around the body it make it seem like the wings aren't attached to her body. The monochromatic blues work very well, except the wings are black (most likely because of the title) and they don't match or blend in that well. But the choice of blue was a good choice, especially since the color still give it attitude. The red title was also a nice touch.

Overall: 4 Stars

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via the author.

In My Mailbox (61)

Thanks to Kristi at The Story Siren for hosting In My Mailbox every week.

Besides books, this week I received a package (not pictured) containing the product I'll be reviewing from CSN Stores.



Bought:

Stranger by Zoe Archer
Sea Fever by Virginia Kantra
Night Star by Alyson Noel

Used Trade-In:

Masked by Moonlight by Nancy Gideon
Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green
His Darkest Hunger by Juliana Stone

Won:

Immortal Sea by Virginia Kantra
Thanks to Borders Trueromance Blog!

Review: Sea Witch by Virginia Kantra

Title: Sea Witch
Author: Virginia Kantra
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: 07/01/08
Summary:

Margred is a Selkie -- a legendary being of the sea, able to shapeshift into seductive human form. And she has found a human she desires...

Burned out from the big city, Caleb Hunter becomes police chief on the peaceful Maine island of World’s End. Then he meets a woman who’s everything he’s ever dreamed of...

Their passion is undeniable, irresistible -- and it may change the fate of humankind.

Plot: 5 Stars
I absolutely love stories that include lesser known paranormal creatures, especially when they're the main creature and not overshadowed by vampires and/or werewolves. The selkies in this novel were very interesting, especially their hierarchy. My favorite part of the novel was how there were different paranormal creatures to represent the elements. The selkies represented water, while the demons represented fire.

Pace: 4.5 Stars
This novel was a breeze. I finished it much quicker than the past couple of novels I've read. It grabbed me by the first couple of pages and didn't let go as it raced to the end. There were no scenes that felt like filler inbetween more important scenes. The jumps between points of view were handled with care, and really worked for giving the reader all aspects of the story. It didn't jump every two seconds from character to character, and it wasn't confusing. Instead, it helped some scenes flow more naturally. And it gave the reader a better insight into the world.

Characters: 4 Stars
Margred was a very interesting heroine, and probably one of my favorites that I've read all year. She was very confident and didn't take any crap, and she adjusted pretty fast to the human world. I did enjoy the few moments in which the human world tripped her up. Caleb was a very likeable hero because he wasn't perfect. He had his demons and his lingering injuries, but it didn't make him any less of a hero in this novel. My only complain is that a lot of the smaller characters didn't have quite enough depth, although I'm happy that Regina and Dylan will be the main characters of the next novel since I did want to see more of them.

Cover: 4.5 Stars
I am a sucker for a blue cover, especially when the color fits the novel. I can't think of a better color for a novel based so much around the sea. And I personally like when the cover model is turned away from the reader, because it leaves the imagination free to picture the main character however we'd like to, given the author's description. The background details really fit the novel as well. And I really enjoyed the detail of the circle with the series name that is featured on all of the novels. I like when publishers take the time to include those little details.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this book for my own enjoyment.

Review: Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur

Title: Full Moon Rising
Author: Keri Arthur
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 12/26/06
Summary:

A rare hybrid of vampire and werewolf, Riley Jenson and her twin brother, Rhoan, work for Melbourne’s Directorate of Other Races, an organization created to police the supernatural races -- and protect humans from their depredations. While Rhoan is an exalted guardian, a.k.a. assassin, Riley is merely an office worker -- until her brother goes missing on one of his missions. The timing couldn’t be worse. More werewolf than vampire, Riley is vulnerable to the moon heat, the weeklong period before the full moon, when her need to mate becomes all-consuming.

Luckily Riley has two willing partners to satisfy her every need. But she will have to control her urges if she’s going to find her brother... Easier said than done as the city pulses with frenzied desire, and Riley is confronted with a very powerful -- and delectably naked -- vamp who raises her temperature like never before.

In matters carnal, Riley has met her match. But in matters criminal, she must follow her instincts not only to find her brother but to stop an unholy harvest. For someone is doing some shifty cloning in an attempt to produce the ultimate warrior -- by tapping into the genome of nonhumans like Rhoan. Now Riley knows just how dangerous the world is for her kind -- and just how much it needs her.

Plot: 3.5 Stars
After learning about the moon heat in which werewolves have to have a lot of sex in the week leading up to the full moon, I was afraid this was going to be like Anita Blake and the ardeur. But as I got into the novel, I found that the copious amounts of sex actually had a point to the novel. There were a number of sex scenes that were vital to the plot and would have been impossible not to include. I also enjoyed the idea of the moon heat, because I love interesting and unique twists on these paranormal legends. This novel also had tons of twists and turns, leaving both Riley and myself blindsided over and over.

Pace: 3.5 Stars
This novel had a pretty good pace. The beginning was a tad slow, especially when being introduced to the world and all of its characters. But it picked up pretty quickly. I breezed through the second half of this novel in about a day (which is fast for me lately). And it didn't feel nearly as long as its 416 pages. The only downside was that the chapters were very long. There were only thirteen! It's a personal preference, but I really like shorter chapters. Especially when I'm at work and only get to read for about fifteen minutes at a time. It's not always a big deal, but sometimes really long chapters can make a novel read a bit slower.

Characters: 4 Stars
Riley was a very well-developed character, and I'm glad I named my cat after her. (Yes, I went through my bookcases to pick a name for my cat...) She stuck to her guns and was determined to find her brother, even though she knew she wasn't the strongest werewolf. Riley felt real because she didn't always kick everyone's ass without getting a scratch; in fact, she got pretty beat up over the course of the novel. Her twin brother, Rhoan, seemed interesting and I hope to see more of him in future books. Quinn was also a great characters. He helped Riley in her quest, in more ways than one, and had a bit of humor too.

Cover: 3 Stars
This cover comes up a bit short for me. Although I do have to take into account that this novel is almost four years old, and Urban Fantasy covers were nowhere near what they are today. This cover was a bit plain and didn't tell much about the story. I did enjoy the candle flame and the way it made the silouette stand out, it didn't really tell me anything about the story or the characters. The silouette could have been anyone, although I assume it's Riley. The color choices, red and black, are probably my favorite part. Red was a great choice considering to covery the mood of the novel, both the more violent bloody side and the more sensual side.

Overall: 3.5 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this book for my own enjoyment.

In My Mailbox (60)

Thanks to Kristi at The Story Siren for hosting In My Mailbox every week.



Review:

Blood Prophecy by Stefan Petrucha

Bought:

Everlasting by Angie Frazier
(via the giftcard I won from Sophie Jordan)

Review: Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

Title: Hunger
Author: Jackie Morse Kessler
Genre: Young Adult
Release Date: 10/18/10
Summary:

Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.
Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home -- her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power -- and the courage to fight her own inner demons?

A wildly original approach to the issue of eating disorders, Hunger is about the struggle to find balance in a world of extremes, and uses fantastic tropes to explore a difficult topic that touches the lives of many teens.

Plot: 4 Stars
This novel broached a very difficult topic in a new and inspiring way. Although it deals with the disease of anorexia with a bit of fantasy, that in no way takes away from the message. Not only does Lisa have to deal with her parents and peers while trying to hide her eating disorder, she much also travel the globe as Famine, one of the Horsemen of the Apocolypse. With her steed and scales by her side, she embarks on a mission to balance out hunger in both her life and the world. Her interaction with Death and the other Horsemen are very interesting along the way, and in the end she learns a lot about herself.

Pace: 5 Stars
At around 180 pages, this novel was much shorter than your average Paranormal Young Adult novel. That being said, it was the perfect pace and length for the story at hand. The novel ended exactly where and how it needed to. There was no sort of "I didn't get what I paid for" kind of feeling you sometimes get with a shorter novel. Sometimes, a story doesn't need to be 350 pages to get the point across. And often, those 350 page novel could use some trimming. This novel was concise and to the point, and flowed quite nicely.

Characters: 4.5 Stars
Lisa was a fantastic character because she was real. She had her ups and downs, her strengths and weaknesses. As someone who has never seen anorexia firsthand I really don't have much to compare her character to, but Lisa really rang true to me. She felt real and her disease felt real, not exaggerated or blown out of proportion. Her relationships with her friends didn't feel forced. War and Pestilence were very interesting and well-developed characters. I was glad they had such interesting and unique personalities, and weren't just stereotypes one would think of for War/Pestilence. And Death was amusing and mysterious and a bit funny at times.

Cover: 4.5 Stars
The cover gods bestoyed quite a gem for this book. And it looks even better in person because it's shiny. The scales are such an important part of the story, because of both Lisa's disease and her job as Famine. Too many Paranormal YA covers focus on a close up of a cover model (that may or may not fit the main character), and they often don't give much insight into the novel. But this simple, but elaborately decorated, image of the scales is a perfect representation of this novel. I couldn't imagine any other image as the cover.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this book for my own enjoyment.

Giveaway Winners: Rebel by Zoe Archer

There were 10 participants for a total of 56 total entries. Using random.org, I randomized the list of entries, and then random selected the winners. The two winners of signed copies of Rebel by Zoe Archer are...

37.jmspettoli
48.Edna

You have 72 hours to respond to my e-mail with your mailing information, so I can pass it along to Zoe. Congratulations!

Upcoming CSN Product Review

I was recently contacted by a CSN representative to review a product on this blog. I hosted a giveaway for a CSN gift certificate over the summer, and am excited to work with them again. For those of you who don't know, CSN is an online retailer where you can find everything from a counter stool to a new pair of shoes to a scratching post for your cat.

Look for my upcoming review in the next couple weeks. I'm not sure what product I'm going to review yet. I need a new bookcase really bad, but the cat trees look cool too.

In My Mailbox (59)

Thanks to Kristi at The Story Siren for hosting In My Mailbox every week.

This was a very interesting week. I already used the two gift cards I won this week... Imagine that. Anyway, the book I ordered from B&N isn't here yet, so you'll have to wait until next week to see what I ordered. As for the Border's e-gift card, I bought Pegasus by Robin McKinley for my girlfriend's birthday (which was yesterday). I also bought her Ghostland by Jory Strong. They're not pictured because they're not technically mine, but I will probably read them eventually. :)



Review:

Black Wings by Christine Henry

Won: (not pictured)

$10 B&N Gift Card from Sophie Jordan
This was for Sohpie's Photo Contest. Although I don't know which photo I sent in won, it was probably one of the ones that featured my cats with Firelight. Thanks Sophie!
$15 Borders E-gift Card from Jackie @ Literary Escapism
This was for guessing Simon's weight correctly in the Baby Pool. My brother was born near the end of August and was my mom's second, so I guessed his weight (he was quite large) and was very surprised to get it right. Thanks Jackie!

Bought:

Shades of Grey by Jackie Kessler & Caitlin Kittredge
The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

Author Interview + Giveaway: Zoe Archer

First off, I'd like to thank Zoe Archer for dropping by again to answer some questions. I really enjoyed the first novel in her Blades of the Rose series, Warrior (my review) which released on September 1st. Scoundrel and Rebel are also available, and Stranger releases on December 7th.

---

Sara: How would you describe your Blades of the Rose novels, for readers who haven’t heard of them before?

Zoe: The clinical description? Paranormal historical adventure romance. My favorite description? Indiana Jones meets Lara Croft with hot sex. Heh. The Blades of the Rose is a secret organization of men and women who travel the globe studying and protecting the world’s magic. There are powerful, ruthless enemies who want to enslave and exploit magic for their own selfish purposes, but the Blades fight on the front lines to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Every Blades of the Rose book is full of action, adventure, danger, magic, diabolical gadgets made with Victorian-era technology, sexy heroes, kickass heroines, and some hot, hot love scenes. If you’re looking for a good time, pick of a Blades of the Rose novel.

Sara: How would you describe each of your main characters in three words?

Zoe:
Captain Gabriel Huntley (WARRIOR): gruff, veteran, honorable
Thalia Burgess (WARRIOR): confident, determined, tomboy
Bennett Day (SCOUNDREL): clever, sensual, exuberant
London Harcourt (SCOUNDREL): intelligent, curious, eager
Nathan Lesperance (REBEL): strong-willed, passionate, isolated
Astrid Bramfield (REBEL): capable, cautious, ferocious
Catullus Graves (STRANGER): genius, dandy, reserved
Gemma Murphy (STRANGER): journalist, perceptive, independent

Sara: What sets your series apart from the rest of the Paranormal Romance genre?

Zoe: I don’t think any other books have the combination of adventure, magic and history that you’ll find in the Blades of the Rose series. They’re full of fun action, and the paranormal elements involve myths and magic from all around the world. Looking at the covers, you can tell that these books are different from other romances, and that makes them unique and refreshing. The Blades novels are new territory for romance, and I think that’s a good thing. Readers can embrace both subgenres that they know and enjoy as well as explore books that are unlike anything they’ve ever read before.

Sara: Tell us a little about your writing process. Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Zoe: Plotter, all the way! There’s definitely room for improvisation when I write, and I frequently do, but when I sit down to write a book, I need to know the major story beats and character arcs. Because Blades books are full of adventure and questing, it’s important that I know where I’m going so that my characters don’t just wander around. I’m kind of awed and frightened by writers who get to work and have no idea where their stories are going, and allow them to simply happen. Maybe it’s because I’m a Virgo, and Virgos like organization.

Sara: Where did the idea for the Blades of the Rose come from? Are they novels you have always wanted to write or did they sneak up on you?

Zoe: My need to write the Blades was a combination of wanting to write them and a sudden dawning of an idea. I’d written and had two historical romances published (LADY X’S COWBOY and LOVE IN A BOTTLE), and they were already a little different from most historicals. But my career reached a crossroads, and I decided to go for broke and write something I’d always wanted to read but never found on bookshelves.

I grew up watching adventure films, like the Indiana Jones films, Romancing the Stone, and Young Sherlock Holmes (to name just a few). The action thrilled me, and I loved the exotic locations, but I hated the representation of women. They were always useless, or getting into trouble and needing rescue. I wanted to see heroines that could handle themselves and didn’t scream or pass out at the first hint of danger. So I combined my love of romance, history, adventure and a need for strong female protagonists, and created the Blades of the Rose. What has been great about these books is that readers are really responding to the heroines, and like seeing them fighting side-by-side with the super-sexy heroes.

Sara: Why did you choose such interesting places to set your novels? Reading Warrior was my first time reading a novel that took place in Mongolia, and Scoundrel will be my first set in Greece. Are these places you’ve travelled to and loved, places you want to travel to in the future, or places that just felt right when righting your novel?

Zoe: Exotic locations are elements of the adventure story paradigm, and I wanted them to be part of the series. Half the fun is exploring someplace new, so that needed to be integrated into the storylines. I’ve actually never been to Mongolia, or Greece, or the Canadian Rockies (the setting for REBEL), but I either wanted to before I started writing the books or, after researching them, discovered that I wanted to go. You should Google images of Mongolia if you aren’t familiar with its landscape. It’s gorgeous, and perfect for adventure and romance. And you cannot get more beautiful and romantic than Greece. It really surprises me that varied locations aren’t used more in romance, especially historical romance, when the thrill of discovery is possible.

Sara: Can we look forward to more books in your Blades of the Rose series, after Stranger releases next month?

Zoe: I hope so! I’m already thinking about four more books, but we really need to see how well the first four do before committing to more. (That means it’s up to you, readers!) Right now, I’m working on a new paranormal historical series called THE HELLRAISERS, with the first book hitting shelves December 2011. The Hellraisers are a group of 18th century English rakes who inadvertently free the Devil from his prison and literally raise hell. The books will be sexy and much darker than the Blades books, and they’re tons of fun to write. The Hellraisers are bad, bad boys. Hee.

Sara: What are your influences both in and out of Paranormal Romance?

Zoe: As far as paranormal romance authors I enjoy reading, there’s Kresley Cole, Ava Gray, Marjorie Liu and Shana Abé’s Drakon series. But, honestly, some of my biggest influences have come from film, including the Indy pictures and some of the fantasy epics from the ‘80s, like Excalibur, Krull, Willow, Clash of the Titans (the original), and Ladyhawke. Both my parents worked, so I watched a lot of cable television—heh—and that definitely impacted the development of my imagination. Also, it’s impossible to understate how important Buffy the Vampire Slayer was for depicting powerful women. Same with Xena, Warrior Princess. Both of those television programs reinforced the idea that women could kick ass, plus they both had heavy paranormal elements in them. I know people love vampires, but something in my genetic makeup isn’t drawn to them, alas, so I don’t read many vampire romances.

Sara: What are you currently reading?

Zoe: Right now, I’m reading Shana Abé’s The Treasure Keeper, but on my TBR pile is Elizabeth Hoyt’s Wicked Intentions, Jennifer Ashley’s Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage and Judith James’s Libertine’s Kiss. I’m really looking forward to the next Ava Gray, Marjorie Liu and Kresley Cole releases, though, so my future paranormal TBR is already stacking up. I think all readers have anxiety attacks if their TBR pile gets too low.

---

Thanks again to Zoe for stopping by and answering some questions. She has also offered up two signed copies of Rebel, book three in her Blades of the Rose series! All you have to do is ask Zoe a question!

Title: Rebel
Author: Zoe Archer
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: 11/02/10
Summary:

On the Canadian frontier in 1875, nature is a harsh mistress. But the supernatural can really do you in...

A Lone Wolf

Nathan Lesperance is used to being different. He's the first Native attorney in Vancouver, and welcome neither with white society nor his sometime tribe. Not to mention the powerful wildness he's always felt inside him, too dangerous to set free. Then he met Astrid Bramfield and saw his like within her piercing eyes. Now, unless she helps him through the harsh terrain and the harsher unknowns of his true abilities, it could very well get him killed...

And The Woman Who Left The Pack

Astrid has traveled this path before. Once she was a Blade of the Rose, protecting the world's magic from unscrupulous men, with her husband by her side. But she's loved and lost, and as a world-class frontierswoman, she knows all about survival. Nathan's searing gaze and long, lean muscles mean nothing but trouble. Yet something has ignited a forgotten flame inside her: a burning need for adventure, for life--and perhaps even for love...

Giveaway Rules:
Open to US/Canada only.
Must ask a question or leave a meaningful comment.
Must leave a valid e-mail address.
Contest ends at midnight on Wednesday November 17th.

Extra Entries:
+1 Blog Follower
+1 Twitter Follower (@sara_UFblog)
+1 Follow Zoe on Twitter (@Zoe_Archer)
+3 Tweet the giveaway (Must link @sara_UFblog)

To enter: FILL OUT THIS FORM

Giveaway Winners: The Greyfriar by Clay & Susan Griffith

There were 23 participants for a total of 90 total entries. Using random.org, I randomized the list of entries, and then random selected the winners. The three winners of The Greyfriar by Clay & Susan Griffith are...

6. Mardel
45. Robin K (Intense Whisper)
86. Marg K. (Clockwork Reverie)

You have 72 hours to respond to my e-mail with your mailing information, so I can pass it along to Pyr. Congratulations!

And for those that didn't win, Abigail at All Things Urban Fantasy is also giving away three copies of The Greyfriar here. Ends on Wednesday November 17th at midnight.

In My Mailbox (58)

Thanks to Kristi at The Story Siren for hosting In My Mailbox every week.

I got a couple unexpected packages this week. I wasn't expecting Thirteen Years Later at all, and I wasn't expecting Tyger, Tyger just yet because I thought the release date was later. I was also excited to find that new editions of many Riley Jensen novels were only $5.99, so I picked up the next two since Full Moon Rising was fantasic. And the last of my birthday presents arrived in the mail this week. I almost had a heart attack because the mail man left the box on the ground at the door while it was pouring. The box was pretty wet when I got home, but luckily it was a large box for the books and there was a lot of packing material between the books and the top of the box. What did everyone else acquire this week?

Review:

Thirteen Years Later by Jasper Kent (ARC)

Won:

Tyger, Tyger by Kersten Hamilton
(Thanks to Jessica at A Fanatic's Book Blog!)
Haunted by Your Touch anthology (signed!)
(Thanks to Shayla Black and The Smutketeers!)



Bought:

Renaissance: Destiny/Soloman's Jar/The Spider Stone by Alex Archer
Kissing Sin by Keri Arthur
Tempting Evil by Keri Arthur
Firewalker by Allyson James
Afterlight by Elle Jasper



From my dad:

Amazon Ink by Lori Devoti
Shadow of the Vampire by Meagan Hatfield
Sea Witch by Virginia Kantra

Giveaway: The Greyfriar by Clay & Susan Griffith

Thanks Pyr books, I have three copies of The Greyfriar by Clay & Susan Griffith to give away. You can read my review here.

Title: The Greyfriar
Author: Clay & Susan Griffith
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 11/02/10
Summary:

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 gray 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 a 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.

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

Giveaway Rules:
Open to U.S. residents only.
Fill out the form to enter.
Must include e-mail address.

Extra Entries:
Blog Follower +1
Twitter Follower +1 (@sara_UFblog)
Tweet the Giveaway +3
Add to Blog's Sidebar +3
Blog About the Giveaway +5

FILL OUT THIS FORM

The giveaway will end at midnight on Tuesday 11/09 and the winners will be chosen randomly, using random.org on Wednesday 11/10.

Month in Review: October

Not much to say about this month, except that this is the first month in a long time with no DNFs. Anyway, here are the books I read in September (along with links to their respective reviews):

October: 7

Venom by Jennifer Estep 5 Stars
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer ARC 4 Stars
Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning 4 Stars
Warrior by Zoe Archer 3.5 Stars
In Dreams Begin by Skyler White 3.5 Stars
The Greyfriar by Clay & Susan Griffith 4.5 Stars
Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler 4.5 Stars review coming soon

---

So what did everyone else read in October?

Review: The Greyfriar by Clay & Susan Griffith

Title: The Greyfriar
Author: Clay & Susan Griffith
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 11/02/10
Summary:

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 gray 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 a 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.

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

Plot: 4.5 Stars
This was a very interesting novel. It felt both historical and futuristic at the same time, with a splash of steampunk. Although some of the weapons and contraptions and ships could've been described a little better, the overall feel of this new world was very great. The vampires in this novel were very unique, from the ability to float to the inability to take warmer climates. They were a breath of fresh air, because of their originality and how evil and harsh they were. The two halves of the world, the evil vampires up north and the surviving humans down south, were so different, it was as if they were on different planets.

Pace: 4 Stars
This novel starts out slow, but catches you by surprise about forty pages in. From there, it grabs you and doesn't let go. The alternating points of view give you a better understanding of the story, because certain scenes were happening at the same time. Plus, the multiple points of view also gives insight into multiple characters' heads. The pace slowed down a tiny bit near the end, but it felt like (and was) the calm before the storm. The action-packed ending was fantasic and left me wanting the next book now without being a cliffhanger.

Characters: 4.5 Stars
Adele was a great heroine. She was strong and confident, and really held her own once the story got going. I wish I could've seen a bit more of her younger brother, and hope he's in future novels. The American general that she is engaged to wasn't a favorite character of mine, although I am interested to see what his war plans are for the future. Most of the vampires were just evil and bloodthirsty, but a few stood out. And then there's Greyfriar and the mystery surrounding him. Thought to be just a myth, he comes to the rescue multiples times in this novel. Plus, he's a very interesting characters.

Cover: 4.5 Stars
Chris McGrath makes absolutely gorgeous covers. And you can always tell when a cover is one of his. This cover was no exception. The grey color fit the mood, although it was a bit dark. Made it a bit tough to see the cover models' facial expressions. Hopefully it'll be a touch lighter on the fnished copies. Normally I'm not the biggest fan of grayscale, but when given to this story, it just works. I liked the cover models chosen to portray Adele and Greyfriar, and I love the jacket he's wearing. The multi-colored title was really eye-catching, and I always love when a cover includes the series name so that I can keep track.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via the publicist.

Review: In Dreams Begin by Skyler White

Title: In Dreams Begin
Author: Skyler White
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Release Date: 11/02/10
Summary:

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.

Plot: 3 Stars
I don't often read novels that include time-travel, so this was a very refreshing read for me. Plus, the time travel wasn't as science-fictiony as it could've been. Instead, it blended time travel with occult practices, astral projection, possession, curses and spells. It was a lot more than just time travel, and it was very interesting. The Irish setting was described so well; the author did a great job researching these historic places. As weird as it sounds, the descriptive settings really made the time travel and occult practices seem more real.

Pace: 3 Stars
This novel was definitely a slow read for me. There were a few scenes that seemed a bit dragged out. But, the multiple points of view and differences in time passing (Laura would go a day between seeing Will, but he would go years between each visit) kept me on my toes. As much as I enjoyed reading about both time periods, there seemed to be a bit too much description to get through in Ida's time. There were also some plot points that didn't quite come together in the end for me. Some of the crazy things Ida did seemed a bit arbitrary and didn't affect much of the conclusion of the story.

Characters: 4 Stars
Although there were quite a bit of characters that I would consider main characters (Laura, Amit, Ida, Maude, and Will), it wasn't overwhelming. You get to know each character quite intimately throughout the novel, and you really experience their emotions with them. Laura was my favorite character, so I wish her part had been a bit larger. It seemed like Ida overshadowed her at some points, but it's understandable given the intertwining of their lives. I also really liked the relationships between Laura and Will, and Laura and Amit. I both loved and hated Ida throughout the novel. She had a way of really getting under my skin. Laura's co-workers were also a nice touch. Although they were much smaller characters, they weren't lacking in depth and seemed very real.

Cover: 4.5 Stars
This cover is to die for. The cover model is exactly how I pictured Laura, and her outfit is fantastic. The only slight, slight, slight criticism I have is that her outfit seems a touch steampunk-ish, given the goggles. This novel wasn't steampunk, and goggles like that didn't come into play at all. While they really make the outfit awesome, without them the outfit would be more relevant. But other than that, it's perfection. I like that the background is stone because it links this novel and its predecessor, and Falling, Fly. Plus the color scheme of browns and tans really fit the mood and setting of the novel. The title, both font and shiny gold color, really pop and grab your attention.

Overall: 3.5 Stars

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via the author.