Review: Slayers by C.J. Hill

Title: Slayers
Author: C.J. Hill
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Release Date: 09/27/11
Reviewed by: Sara
But the Book:

Summary:

Dragons exist. They’re ferocious. And they’re smart: Before they were killed off by slayer-knights, they rendered a select group of eggs dormant, so their offspring would survive. Only a handful of people know about this, let alone believe it –- these “Slayers” are descended from the original knights, and are now a diverse group of teens that includes Tori, a smart but spoiled senator’s daughter who didn’t sign up to save the world.

The dragon eggs have fallen into the wrong hands. The Slayers must work together to stop the eggs from hatching. They will fight; they will fall in love. But will they survive?

Plot: 3 Stars
I really wanted to love this novel. The premise was fantastic. There aren't nearly enough urban-fantasy-esqe novels that include dragons. But I found the lack of details a bit disappointing. The reader get the basics as to how the slayers came to be and what the different abilities are, but many of the hows and whys were left unanswered. A few too many details are just taken for granted by the characters. Even while Tori is still learning about her destiny and questioning things, there are some details and history that I wanted her to question, but she did not. Those details aside, this novel was still very interesting. The different powers the slayers possessed and the training they went through were interesting. My favorite parts were the prologue and the last chapter. The prologue gives a glimpse of how evil the dragons can be and leaves you wanting to know more while Tori is finding her way. And the last chapter drops a bit of a bomb. It's not quite a cliffhanger, but it did leave me wanting to know what happens next.

Pace: 2.5 Stars
This novel moved a bit slow for my taste. Life at camp moved at a pretty slow pace while the slayers practiced and showed Tori what was going on. There were entire chapters dedicated to smaller, more trivial events that could've been wrapped up much quicker, like when Tori runs off to get her hair fixed after getting the majority of her ponytail burnt off. There were quite a few times in which the smaller details of every day life were blown up into much bigger scenes than they needed to be. It also threw me off a little when the point of view of the novel changed. The majority of the book was from Tori's perspective, but every now and then there would be a chapter all in italics that was a different point of view. It was normal enough the first couple times, when the point of view only changed to Jesse. But it seemed a little forced when the point of view jumped to a couple other characters.

Characters: 3.5 Stars
Some of the characters in this novel were definitely developed more than others. I really enjoyed the more developed characters, like Tori and Jesse. I wanted to like the less developed characters, but I really didn't get to learn that much about them. Many of the slayers tended to stay in the background, only coming into the spotlight when their powers were needed. Tori was a very interesting main character. She straddled the line in regards to being a bit spoiled. The author did a good job of making sure the reader could still relate to her and not think of her as a spoiled brat. I really enjoyed that she was vulnerable as she began to practice with the slayers. She didn't learn how to use her powers and fight overnight, which made her feel a bit more real.

Cover: 3 Stars
The dark green of this cover is my favorite part. The color really fits a novel about dragons. The yellow color of the title pops against the dark green and continues the dragon feel. But the font itself chosen for the title is a bit too masculine considering about half of the slayers are female, and the novel is mostly from Tori's point of view. The dragon egg used as the focus of the cover fits the novel, but doesn't really draw the eye. It's a little hard to tell what the item is or to distinguish details at a quick glance. I would've rather the cover included a real dragon and maybe a couple characters. This cover is just a bit too generic and doesn't give off enough of a dragon vibe to grab your attention.

Overall: 3 Stars

Disclosure: I received a copy of this novel for review from Authors on the Web.

In My Mailbox (106)

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

This past Wednesday was my birthday, so this IMM is a bit bigger than usual. And it's not even as big as it could be, because some books that I ordered aren't here yet. I finally got a Kindle! I have been really hesitant to buy myself one because I've looked at the displays and they make my eyes water a little when the page turns, but I still wanted one. Between the two giftcards I received, I spent $85 on books (both print and Kindle) in less than an hour. I was also very surprised when I got the package from HarperCollins with my giveaway win this week. The giveaway had been just for a copy of Den of Thieves, but the publicist threw in a copy of book two that just released.


Bought:
Darker Still by Leanne Renee Hieber [Buy now]
Flesh and Blood by Kristen Painter [Buy now]

Free Read:
A Dark Kiss of Rapture by Sylvia Day [Buy now]

Won:
Den of Thieves by David Chandler [Buy now]
A Thief in the Night by David Chandler [Buy now]
Thanks to HarperCollins and Bastard Books!


BIRTHDAY
From my mom: The new Kindle + charger

From my brother: $25 Amazon Giftcard
Bound by Night by Amanda Ashley [Buy now]
Goddess with a Blade by Lauren Dane [Buy now]
Dead Girls are Easy by Terri Garey [Buy now]
The Business of Death by Trent Jamieson [Buy now]
Miss Bramble and the Leviathan by Kristen Painter [Buy now]
Wilder's Mate by Moira Rogers [Buy now]
Incarnate by A.C. Ruttan [Buy now]

From my dad: $60 B&N Giftcard
I've already ordered six YA hardcover novels that I've been eagerly anticipating, and hopefully they'll arrive sometime next week. My dad also got me a pretty cool Green Fleur de Lis cover for my Kindle, but the shipping was delayed a bit so it didn't arrive until today. I'm hoping to be able to pick it up tomorrow.

Review: Dead Mann Walking by Stefan Petrucha

Title: Dead Mann Walking
Author: Stefan Petrucha
Series: Hessius Mann #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 10/04/11
Reviewed by: Sara
But the Book:

Summary:

After Hessius Mann was convicted of his wife's murder, suppressed evidence came to light and the verdict was overturned -- too bad he was already executed. But thanks to the miracles of modern science Hessius was brought back to life. Sort of.

Now that he's joined the ranks of Fort Hammer's pulse-challenged population, Hessius attempts to make a "living" as a private investigator. But when a missing persons case leads to a few zombies cut to pieces, Hessius starts thinking that someone's giving him the run-around -- and it's not like he's in any condition to make a quick getaway...

Plot: 4 Stars
I loved the premise to this novel. I definitely enjoy higher functioning zombies as compared to the ones that just run around craving brains. There was a lot of details about the hows and the whys of the zombies that I really enjoyed. It felt as if these zombies were very thought out, and the author definitely made them his own. I loved all of the details about how the zombies reacted to different elements and the precautions they had to take, even when they were a bit gory. There was also the aspect of the zombies going feral, or losing their higher functions that was always at the back of their minds. Besides the awesome zombies, the plot also had a number of twists and turns that I wasn't expecting that led to a very adventurous ride.

Pace: 3 Stars
Although the great take on zombies and a couple quick plot twists pulled me right into this novel, there were some bumps along the way. About three second times in the middle of the novel, it seemed to slow down. There were some scenes between the action in which Hessius spent a bit too much time thinking things through or sinking a little close to feral territory, which brought the pace of the novel down. In these instances, it left me wondering where the novel was going and if I should put it down for a little bit, but then something unexpected would draw me right back in. And once the story reached the showdown near the end, not only was I surprised by some of the events, I also could no longer put the novel down.

Characters: 3.5 Stars
Hessius was a very interesting character and zombie. Although the transition from dead to zombie causes memory loss, he never let it get him down too much. Instead, he bought a digital recorder to make sure he remembered important information. It was very interesting to see how he had adjusted to his new life, and to see hints of the detective he used to be come through. Other than Hessius, the rest of the characters played pretty small parts. I would've like for some of these characters to have slightly larger supporting roles, and I hope we get to see more of them in future books.

Cover: 3.5 Stars
The color palette of this cover really screams zombies to me. The brownish color mixed with the texture that's overlayed over the image gives the cover a bit of a grungy feel that fits a zombie book. The yellow eye on the cover model really stands out and catches your attention, although I don't remember the zombies specifically having yellow eyes. I did like how the title matched the eye color. It made the title fit in with the rest of the image instead of stand out. The red band across the bottom was a great way to bring attention to the series name without taking away too much attention from the rest of the cover. The one part of the cover I wasn't that big of a fan of was how the cover model's face wrapped around to the back cover. Although I could tell it was another image of the same face, the break in the image caused by the spine cut the image in a weird way.

Overall: 3.5 Stars

Disclosure: I received a copy of this novel for review from Ace/Roc.

Review: Bloodstone by Nancy Holzner

Title: Bloodstone
Author: Nancy Holzner
Series: Victory Vaughn #3
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 09/27/11
Reviewed by: Sara
But the Book:

Summary:

They call it Deadtown: the city's quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its borders -- but Victory Vaughn, Boston's only professional demon slayer, isn't exactly human...

Boston's diverse South End is known for its architecture and great restaurants, not its body count. So when mutilated human corpses begin turning up in the area, the entire city takes notice. The killer -- dubbed the South End Reaper -- uses a curved blade for his grisly work. And even though there's no real evidence pointing to a paranormal culprit, the deaths are straining the already-tense relations between Boston's human and inhuman residents.

As the bodies pile up, Vicky, her formidable aunt, Mab, and her werewolf boyfriend, Kane investigate, only to find that the creature behind the carnage is after something much more than blood...

Plot: 4.5 Stars
I love that each book in this series starts out with a regular demon extermination job for Vicky. It gives us a look into her normal life, between the life-threatening moments, without boring us with their smaller and less mysterious complications. It's also a great way for the author to introduce readers to the different kinds of demons in a fun way. The Reaper put Boston on edge, allowing those in charge that do not sympathize with the paranormals to put Deadtown on lockdown. This posed a pretty big problem for Vicky as she tried to stop Reaper from finishing the ritual, but she found a very interesting way to sneak out. This was another fantastic addition to one of my favorite Urban Fantasy series. I can't wait for book four.

Pace: 5 Stars
I could not put this novel down. After totally and completely loving Deadtown, I found Hellforged to be a bit slower in pacing, so I was so excited that this novel's pace was more consistent with the first book. For a good portion of the novel, Vicky was one step behind the South End Reaper and she tried her best to catch up so that she could stop him. It didn't leave much time for her to slow down, which led to less down time between the craziness. There were even a few plotlines from book two that hadn't been tied up. They could've easily distracted Vicky or just slowed the plot's progression down, but instead they wove together with this book's plot perfectly.

Characters: 4.5 Stars
Vicky is one of my favorite kick-ass Urban Fantasy heroines. This novel forced her to be a bit more vulnerable than previous novels, and it was very interesting to see how she dealt with these circumstances. I wish we could've seen more of her shapshifting in this novel, but I understand that she can't shift all willy-nilly like some paranormal creatures. It was also interesting to see her neice growing up and possibly coming into her powers. Learning the truth about why her sister hates Mab was unexpected. Although Juliet came out of hiding, she was still out of commission for most of the novel. I really hope she has a larger part in the next novel because I miss her sense of humor and odd mannerisms. Kane's part was definitely not what I expected considering he was stuck in the wrong form, and definitely posed a number of problems for Vicky. I was also very glad to see Tina quit acting like quite as much of a diva as she did in book two. Her zombie buddies actually helped Vicky out when she really needed it.

Cover: 4.5 Stars
It's great to finally see Vicky's face, and the progression of the cover model turning to the read over the three novels is a nice touch. On the Deadtown cover, Vicky is facing completely away from the reader as she looks out over the city. On the Hellforged cover, Vicky has turned towards the reader a bit, but not enough to get a good look. On this cover, Vicky is facing the reader and she's still holding her flaming sword. I also really enjoyed the deep blues of the cover and how well the flaming sword stoof out against it. And don't get me started on the grim reaper-like image floating in the sky. I totally didn't notice it at first. Then one day while I was in the middle of the novel, I noticed him and it creeped me out a bit. I kinda wanted to warn the cover model to watch her back, because he's totally sneaking up on her. This series has definitely been blessed with fantastic cover from the cover gods.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I received a copy of this novel for review from Ace/Roc.

Author Interview: Kristen Painter

Today I'd like to welcome Kristen Painter, author of the House of Comarré series from Orbit. The second book in the series, Flesh and Blood just released this past Tuesday (October 25th) and I can't wait to read it after enjoying book one so much. You can see my review of Blood Rights here.

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Sara: How would you describe the House of Comarré series, for readers who haven’t heard of it before?

Kristen: I always tell people it’s like Underworld meets Memoirs of a Geisha. If you haven’t seen either of those movies, think vampires that don’t sparkle with blood slaves and a bunch of other creatures.

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

Kristen: Mal –- dark, dangerous, tortured
Chrysabelle –- scared, learning, vulnerable

Sara: Do you have a favorite character to write? Is there a character that’s a bit harder than the rest to write?

Kristen: Chrysabelle is my hardest character to write because she’s the most unlike me. She’s trying to find her place in the world, struggling to come to terms with all the changes in her life. A lot of things are brand new for her and she has a lot of baggage to either deal with or leave behind.

Sara: What sets your series apart from the rest of the Urban Fantasy genre?

Kristen: I’m not sure I’m the right one to answer that question as I’ve purposefully tried not be influenced by the work of other authors while creating this series, which basically means I haven’t read much in the UF genre for awhile. It’s tough because there are so many good books out there!

Sara: How many more novels set in Chrysabelle’s world can we look forward to?

Kristen: There will be five in total in the House of Comarré series. I’m working on book five, Last Blood, right now.

Sara: If Chrysabelle could work together with any Urban Fantasy hero or heroine, who would you want her to work with?

Kristen: I think my hero, Mal, would have something to say about this. As in, like hell that’s going to happen. Therefore I feel it’s in my best interest not to answer this question since I need him to cooperate with me a little while longer.

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

Kristen: I’m mostly a pantser. I tend to know my beginnings, some things that happen in the middle and have a general sense of the end. Whatever else happens is just the fun of writing. Without those little discoveries, I’d probably get bored and read all day.

Sara: Do you have any other projects in the works? Are there any genres you’d like to branch out to in the future?

Kristen: The only project I’m working on at the moment is book five in the series, Last Blood. As for other genres, I’d love to get into writing comics or graphic novels.

Sara: What are your influences both in and out of Urban Fantasy?

Kristen: Too many to name! Everything from movies to art to comics to games. I just love the strange and interesting.

Sara: What are you currently reading?

Kristen: The ARC of Shadow Ops: Control Point by Myke Cole. I don’t usually read military fantasy, but I forced Myke to promise to send me an ARC at Comic Con –- which he did –- so I’m happily reading it!

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Thanks again for stopping by, Kristen! And for readers who want to learn more about Kristen or the series, there is a chat tonight at 9pm. I've heard there will be books given away at this chat, so you should definitely check it out. Here are the details:

WHAT: Chat with Kristen Painter
WHEN: Thursday, October 27th at 9pm ET
WHERE: TKA Chatroom
HOW: Enter any combination of username and password to enter

Title: Flesh and Blood
Author: Kristen Painter
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 10/25/11
Summary:

With the ring of sorrows still missing, and the covenant between othernaturals and mortals broken, Chrysabelle and Malkolm's problems are just beginning. Chrysabelle still owes Malkolm for his help, but fulfilling that debt means returning to Corvinestri, the hidden vampire city neither of them is welcome in.

The discovery that Chrysabelle has a brother could mean reneging on her promise to Malkolm, something that might make him angry enough to loose the beast living inside him. And fulfilling her vow could prove devastating for Chrysabelle -- especially when you throw in power hungry witches, dead fringe vampires, and the Kubai Mata.

And don't forget, Bad Blood comes out next month! I know I can't wait!

Title: Bad Blood
Author: Kristen Painter
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 12/22/11
Summary:

Samhain approaches, bringing with it the final melding of the mortal and othernatural worlds. No one knows just how much power the night holds...

Violent murders occur in Paradise City as counterfeit comarré are systematically hunted. The police and the Kubai Mata have more than enough trouble to keep themselves occupied. As war erupts at home, Malkolm and Chrysabelle head to New Orleans to recover the Ring of Sorrows. Chrysabelle is forced to make a life and death decision and will realize that her relationship to Malkolm may have fatal consequences.

The clock is ticking...