Review: Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent

Title: Blood Bound
Author: Rachel Vincent
Series: Unbound #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: 08/23/11
Reviewed by: Sara
But the Book:

Summary:

By blood, by word, by magic...

Most can't touch the power. But Liv Warren is special -- a paranormal tracker who follows the scent of blood.

Liv makes her own rules, and the most important one is trust no one.

But when her friend's daughter goes missing, Liv has no choice but to find the girl. Thanks to a childhood oath, Liv can't rest until the child is home safe. But that means trusting Cam Caballero, the former lover forbidden to her.

Bound by oath and lost in desire for a man she cannot have, Liv is racing to save the child from a dark criminal underworld where secrets, lies, trauma and danger lurk around every corner... every touch... every kiss.

And more blood will be spilled before it's over...

Plot: 5 Stars
The talents that the author introduces in this novel are very interesting. Trackers can find anyone if they have their name or their blood. Binders can bind a person to a contract, sometimes without their knowledge. Travellers can move through the shadows, kind of like teleportation. If there is a shadow big enough, a traveller can enter the room. Being in the proximity of a jammer makes it impossible to be tracked. Others can see into the future or tell if a person is lying. All of these talents comes together to create a complex world with new rules. Promises cannot be broken, if made with the wrong people, unless you want to live with crippling pain. Anyh blood spilled must be destroyed. Complete names are never shared, even between parents. Rooms must stay lit at all times so that there are no unexpected visitors. Throw a couple of mob-like bosses into the mix, and you've got some of the best world-building I've read all year.

Pace: 4 Stars
This was a long book. It took a bit for me to finish it, but not because it was slow. It was just a bit longer than the average novel. Liv and Cam are on a wild goose-chase across both sides of the city. Each have their own bindings to deal with, which complicates some of their actions and decisions. I also like how the author alluded to their past, without giving everything away too quickly. I really enjoyed the multiple points of view. Getting to read from both Liv and Cam's point of view gave the story more depth, and allowed the reader to learn more about both characters.

Characters: 4.5 Stars
Liv was a very no-nonsense, kick-ass heroine. She could definitley take care of herself. Although some of the choices she made weren't in her best interest, she often made them to save her friends from a worse fate. It was very interesting to learn about how Liv and her friends accidently bound themselves to help each other whenever asked. It was especially interesting to see how what seems like a good idea, slowly turns into the dissolution of their friendship. She was also very headstrong, especially when backed against the wall. Cam is in my top five list of awesome heroes because he was very real. Yes, he had tracking powers. Yes, Live found him gorgeous. But he didn't seem too good to be true like many heroes. Instead, he came across as very real and genuine.

Cover: 4.5 Stars
I like the soft purple color of the cover. It works very well with the other elements. My favorite part is the placement of the cover models. I like how the covers models of Liv and Cam are standing so close to each other. It almost looks like they're starting to blend into one person. I'm a tiny bit confused by the trees in the background though, considering most of the novel takes place in the city. The setting is definitely a bit more urban than the trees on the cover lead you to believe. The way the letters of the title are linked is reminiscent of the marks given to employees of the mob-like bosses that run the city, and are also very eye-catching with the light around them.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this novel for my own reading pleasure.

Review: The Restorer by Amanda Stevens

Title: The Restorer
Author: Amanda Stevens
Series: The Graveyeard Queen #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: 04/19/11
Reviewed by: Christen
But the Book:

Summary:

My name is Amelia Gray. I'm a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. In order to protect myself from the parasitic nature of the dead, I've always held fast to the rules passed down from my father. But now a haunted police detective has entered my world and everything is changing, including the rules that have always kept me safe.

It started with the discovery of a young woman's brutalized body in an old Charleston graveyard I've been hired to restore. The clues to the killer -- and to his other victims -- lie in the headstone symbolism that only I can interpret. Devlin needs my help, but his ghosts shadow his every move, feeding off his warmth, sustaining their presence with his energy. To warn him would be to invite them into my life. I've vowed to keep my distance, but the pull of his magnetism grows ever stronger even as the symbols lead me closer to the killer and to the gossamer veil that separates this world from the next.

Plot: 4.5 Stars
I really don't think this book qualifies as a Paranormal Romance as labelled on the spine, but damn it was good! One of the first things I noticed while reading this book was how somber and lovely it was. I thought it was fitting considering the majority of the book takes place in a cemetery. Amelia Gray has the unfortunate ability to see ghosts, and these aren't your average Casper the Friendly Ghosts. These are creepy, soul-sucking entities. I can honestly say that this was one of the few books, including Peeps by Scott Westerfeld, that have scared me. I had to make sure not to read it too close to bedtime. The reader is carried along as Amelia pieces together the past of her love interest, Devlin, as well as one twisted serial killer who takes a personal interest in her.

Pace: 3 Stars
As good as this book was, it was a bit of a slower read for me. I think that was due to the lack of additional characters. Also, other than going to the graveyard and the library, there really weren't that many events or settings. There were quite a few flashbacks also slowed the pace down for me.

Characters: 3 Stars
If I could personify a graveyard, it would be Amelia Gray. I found it kind of hard to relate to Amelia. She was very passive and dreary. Definitely not how I want my heroine. That being said, she felt like a real person and not just a figment of the author's imagination. I didn't enjoy her tendancy to pine after the love interest, Devlin, who can only be described as severely emotionally damaged. Too damaged, in my opinion, to ever have another normal relationship.

Cover: 4 Stars
I found this cover very intriguing and mysterious, as well as slightly creepy, which fit the feel of the novel very well. The black and blue-green color scheme is reminiscent of the materials found in a cemetery. The two images, the crying angel on top and the inverted tree on the bottom, seem a bit disjointed. The ivy above the title looks a bit too computer generated against the other two images.

Overall: 3.5 Stars

Disclosure: I borrowed this novel from the local library.

In My Mailbox (102)

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

I wouldn't have purchased any books this week if there weren't two book signings this weekend. But you can't go to a book signing without purchasing any books.


Review:
Slayers by C.J. Hill [Buy now]
Thanks to Authors on the Web!

Won:
The Storm that is Sterling by Lisa Renee Jones ARC [Buy now]
Thanks to Lisa and Goodreads!

Bought:
Alterant by Sherrilyn Kenyon & Dianna Love [Buy now]
Blood Rights by Kristen Painter [Buy now]

Weekend of Book Signings

This weekend was a great weekend. I went to two book signings. On Friday, Sherrilyn Kenyon & Dianna Love were in the Orlando area to promote Alterant, which came out this past Tuesday. And today, Kristen Painter was out near the beach to promote Blood Rights, which also came out this past Tuesday. (I really enjoyed it!)


I didn't include a picture of my signed copy of Blood Trinity because the authors signed on different pages, which would make it difficult to photograph.

The Sherrilyn Kenyon & Dianna Love signing was packed. We showed up a tiny bit late because dinner ran longer than planned. They did about 45 minutes of Q&A, and tossed t-shirts to those asking questions. There were a lot about Kenyon's tv and movie deals. It was fun to hear them talk about their books. The line for the sign was epic, and I was near the end. The authors took the time to chat and take pictures with everyone, although I forgot my camera. I was surprised there wasn't a limit on how many books you could bring to get signed since I've heard of some authors and bookstores setting limits. I only brought Blood Trinity and then purchased Alterant. I started reading Blood Trinity in line, and although it's a bit too early in the story to judge, I'm enjoying it so far.


I love the message she signed! In case you can't read it, it says Suck it up!

The Kristen Painter signing included three other local authors from different genres. Kristen recognized me from my blog picture as I was walking up. You have no idea how giddy that made me. I had to force myself not to do my crazy-happy-seal-clap. We chatted for a little bit, not all of it book related. There were definitely some pictures of cats shared. Lol. Although we haven't made definitive plans yet, Kristen will probably be dropping by the blog in the future. And I found out that I have another doppleganger. Kristen introduced me to a friend who swears she saw me at another signing. (I believe it was author Roxanne St. Claire, another local author... I apologize, but I'm bad with names when I'm nervous...) That's the third time I've heard of a possible doppleganger of mine. And I remembered my camera! All in all, it was a great afternoon! (Although my mom does not understand driving for an hour to meet an author for 20 minutes... She'll never understand my craziness when it comes to books and stuff...)

Orbit sent Kristen with a tall banner with her cover on it to sit behind her. It was definitely eye catching, although we stood in front of it.

Random Acts of Kindness: October (& September Wrap-Up)

If you haven't checked out the Random Acts of Kindness program, hosted by the Book Soulmates, then you're really missing out. Basically, book bloggers sign up with their wish lists and other generous book bloggers can send them a something from that wish list. This month was a pretty awesome month. I received four books, and sent out

I sent an ARC of The Greyfriar by Clay & Susan Griffith and Mind Games by Taylor Keating to Michelle at Michelle's Book Blog. I also sent Unearthly by Cynthia Hand, Pretties/Specials/Extras by Scott Westerfeld, and Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon to Erika at Readspect Reviews and Such.



I received an ARC of Fateful by Claudia Gray from Anna at Anna's Book Blog, Shadow Kin by M.J. Scott from Michelle at Michelle's Book Blog, and Kitty's Greatest Hits and an ARC of The Shadow Reader by Sandy Williams from Theresa at Fantasy & SciFi Lovin' News & Reviews.

Now onto October. Below, I have posted both information about the Random Acts of Kindness program along with my wishlist for October.


Here are the details for October Sign Ups.

Rules:
•Please sign-up each month that you can participate (and by participate, we mean give as well as receive).
•Show off your participation by grabbing our RAK button (code is in the sidebar).
•Create a wish list (on Amazon, Goodreads, or your blog etc) and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month.
•If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger directly for their information.
•Once you receive a RAK, send us an our new email to [rakbybooksoulmates @ gmail . com] so that we can update the Google Doc. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU SEND EMAILS TO THIS ADDRESS!
•E-book participation is limited to files being gifted directly to a person from the e-book store. Amazon's Kindle Store is set up to allow this, as well as the Kobo store and we believe Barnes & Noble as well.
•At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K by making a "RAK Wrap-Up" post. This post should include who you SENT gifts to as well who you RECEIVED gifts from :)

OPEN TO EVERYONE!
Let's keep our International bloggers in mind and in our hearts.
Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!

Wishlist:
Ripple by Mandy Hubbard
Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst
Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon
The Unbecoming of Mara Cyer by Michelle Hodkin
THe Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegan
Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Fury by Elizabeth Miles
The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
Another Kind of Dead by Kelly Meding
Through Her Eyes by Jennifer Archer
No Proper Lady by Isabel Cooper
Devil Without a Cause by Terri Garey
Nightfall by Ellen Connor
Once Every Never by Lesley Livingston
Twisted by Gena Showalter
Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay
Haunting Violet by Anyxandra Harvey
Something Deadly This Way Comes by Kim Harrison
A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

***Note: I do not have an eReader, but I am all for used books and ARCs.