Covers to Covet

Black Fallen

(Dark Ink Chronicles # 4)

by Elle Jasper

December 31, 2012

There’s only one thing more lethal than a vampire.
A Black Fallen. Rather, a fallen angel engulfed in the blackest of magic.

And three of the most dangerous have descended upon Edinburgh…

Tattoo artist, RILEY POE, has changed. After surviving the bites of three potent Strigoi, she has acquired traits from each that parallel those of the most lethal of vampires. Her strength, speed, hearing are unmatched. She’s a stick of dynamite, fuse lit. She’s about to put those unique powers to good use. And she’ll need them.

Now that the rogue bloodsuckers plaguing the Lowcountry are under control once more, and Riley, along with her guardian vampire, ELI DUPRE, Riley’s brother, SETH POE, and Eli’s brother, PHIN DUPRE, and Strigoi vampire VICTORIAN ARCOS agree to join JAKE ANDORRA’S elite WUP team. Worldwide Unexplained Phenomenon takes cases too powerful and dangerous for mere humans to handle. Comprised of vampires, humans with tendencies, immortal druids, werewolves and witches, there aren’t many situations the WUP members can’t handle. But there are unholy, lethal disturbances in the ancient city of Edinburgh, Scotland, and Riley and the others accept the mission.

Oath Bound

(Unbound # 3)

by Rachel Vincent

February 19, 2013

The Tower Syndicate will fall...

The secret daughter of the head of an infamous Skilled crime family, Sera Brandt has hidden her past, her potential and especially her powers. But when a tragedy strikes her other family, Sera needs justice. And the only way to get it is to reveal her heritage– including a rare Skill– and take the reins of the Tower Syndicate from her cunning and malicious aunt.

if he can figure out how...

Kristopher Daniels might have the answer. He's fought the syndicate to protect his sisters, but he'd never realized just how close to the new heir he needed to get....

And if they can survive.

Neither is used to trusting. But there's something between them that can't be ignored. And so Sera is on the run with a man she can't figure out, a target on her back and the new knowledge of just how powerful she really is...

The Mysterious Madam Morpho

(Blud # 1.5)

by Delilah S. Dawson

October 2, 2012

Taking place after Wicked as They Come, this original eBook features a mysterious lady and a reclusive mechanical genius who find love and danger in a traveling circus. An elusive woman arrives at Criminy’s doorstep with a steamer trunk, begging for a position in the caravan to perform her unique new act. She opens her trunk to reveal a menagerie of brilliantly colored butterflies. The woman, who calls herself Madam Morpho, is on the run from a dark past in London, where she was forced to leave her equipment behind and abscond with only her tiny performers. Playing a hunch, Criminy hires Madam Morpho on the spot. Taking her down to meet Mr. Murdoch, the reclusive talented engineer who keeps the carnival’s clockworks running, Criminy instructs them to work together to design and build a groundbreaking new circus for the butterflies. Amid the magical ambiance of the circus and the hint of danger from Madam Morpho’s pursuers, she and Mr. Murdoch soon find that their scientific collaboration has produced chemistry of a more romantic kind.

Wicked as She Wants

(Blud # 2)

by Delilah S. Dawson

April 30, 2013

The second book in the Blud series follows debauched musician Casper Sterling on his own romantic adventure with a vicious Blud princess.

Review: Shadow Bound by Rachel Vincent

4.5 Feathers

Shadow Bound

by Rachel Vincent

(Unbound # 2)

The thing I have come to realize about why I love Rachel Vincent's writing is that she can create wonderful, elaborate worlds that are very descriptive and manage to suck you right into the story.  For the few hours you read one of her books it feels as if you are being transported there.

When I read BLOOD BOUND, the first book in this series, it was as very few books I've read before.  A totally unique concept, characters that I came to care about quickly and a plot that grip me from the first page.   I was left wondering where the story would go, and also wondering about the change in POV to another "couple", which is not usual in a UF series.

SHADOW BOUND definitely didn't disappoint!  I have to admit that this book caught my attention from the beginning and it was totally un.put.downable!  What a ride!!

The first thing I have to mention about this book is that for urban fantasy book, this felt like it straddled that line between a UF and a paranormal romance.  Even though there wasn't a lot of actual romancing happening, the sexual tension and attraction between Kori and Ian was constant.  Sparks flying anytime they were together.

The syndicates work a lot like the mafia, just that they are a bit magical or gifted.  Kori, a shadow walker, had helped in the battle against her syndicate boss, Jake Tower, at the end of BLOOD BOUND.  She has paid dearly for that.  Reduced to a broken, damaged female, who is hanging on by a thread and with the only motivation of protecting her sister, she is assigned one task.

To bring in a new recruit, Ian Holt, to the Tower syndicate.  But Ian has his own agenda and he's just playing Tower.  His goal.... to kill Kori's sister.  And the plot thickens!

So let me tell you about Kori.  I loved her character.  Her devotion to her sister from the moment and reason why she became involved with the syndicate, to her loyalty as much as possible to her friends, the way she rebelled against Tower if she was able.  For her to still be standing and fighting tooth and nail after what she had to go through and be able to deal with feeling loved at probably the worst and best moment in her life at the same time.  She opened up, she trusted.

Ian was also amazing!  Loved his ability or power.  He was perfectly matched for Kori because he has the same love and loyalty as she does.  He is taking the ultimate risk for his family, and then for love.  He was playful but also determined.  And once he was determined he went for what he wanted and made it happen.  No matter the ugly and high cost.

This book had a bit of everything, bad guys doing bad things, good guys doing bad things, and also some good in between for good measure.  Again... I can't wait for the next in this series!!!  For sure my favorite Rachel Vincent series yet!

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Review: Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent

Blood Bound

by Rachel Vincent

(Unbound # 1)

Rachel Vincent has done it again!  I am totally captivated by this series and this world!  This book was so unique and it was such a great first book in a series, I can't wait to read more!  There wasn't a boat-load of information shoved down your throat, just a gradual trickle of information that slowly made you understand more about what was going on while still keeping the story very much alive and flowing.

So bindings... There are skilled people that can bind others in a sort of contract, there are shadow-walkers, of course there's seers, jammers, blinders, trackers (by blood or by name), readers, travelers, and probably more that I've left unmentioned.  Names are power, blood is power.  And all these people usually serve one of two *mafia-like families* called Syndicates, and not just serve but they are bound to serve.

Liv Warren is a blood tracker, she's been working for Ruben Cavazos on a private tracking matter, and yes, she's bound to him.  She is also bound to her childhood best friends.  So when one of her friends suddenly reappears in her life and compels her to help her, well she has no choice.

She has to find and kill the man who just killed her friends' husband.  And to track him down she will need the help of the best name tracker out there.  Her ex-boyfriend, and the love of her life, Cam Caballero.  Sexy, dark and just a bit broody, Cam is also bonded to a Syndicate.  But he's on the enemy team, he's bound to Jake Towers.  And he can only help her as far as it won't go against his Syndicate.

While they unravel a complicated tangle to find a murderer and rescue a child they will also have to deal with their unresolved relationship and why she walked away from him when he was ready to take the next step together.

This book was full of twists and it kept the story so fresh and interesting, I love when I don't know what to expect.  It also straddles a fine line between urban fantasy and paranormal romance.  And to my surprise, it was written in first person POV from both the hero and heroine's perspective.  I'm not used to this but it worked just fine in this book.

But I can tell you this will be a series to watch.  It was suspenseful, full of action, emotion and yes a bit of romance.  Cam and Liv are so good together I really couldn't see why she didn't stay originally and fight for them.  I can't wait for book 2, which will be Kori's story.  Even though I had some issues with her at certain point in the story, I get where she was coming from.

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent

My Soul To Save

by Rachel Vincent

(Soul Screamers # 2)

Young Adult

I like the concept of the Soul Screamers series. The teenage banshee who didn't know anything about her history before and now is in the middle of all these supernatural occurrences. Her boyfriend is the jock, but he is also a male banshee. Her job is to scream to hold a soul when they die, his job is to guide it. He has also been her rock lately in the midst of all the new knowledge thrown her way. Him and his brother, or dead brother, who now works the graveyard shift at the hospital as a Reaper.

Yeah, Kaylee's life can be interesting at times. But she still needs to grow up a bit. I will still give her the benefit of the doubt though and not hold it against her.

In this book we basically get an interesting plot, mogul entertainment company is making their young celebrities sign their soul away to the devil in order to get fame and fortune. Nash and Kaylee find themselves in the middle of saving a pop star's soul who used to date Todd (the Reaper). In order to do that they have to void her contract to ensure that when she dies a demon won't get her soul. Soul's are apparently the crack of the underworld! Does that make them soul junkies?

I admit I enjoyed the first book more than this one. Maybe something about all the kids in school dropping dead was a bit more interesting than running around trying to figure out ways to void a contract with the devil while trying to still make it home before her curfew. However, I will continue on reading the series. It was just an ok installment. 

Purchase from Amazon

Review: Alpha by Rachel Vincent

Alpha (Shifters # 6) 

by Rachel Vincent

Urban Fantasy Find it on GoodReads!  

What an amazing ending to this series!!! This book was excellent! Coming from someone who struggled a bit through the first 2 books, and was encouraged to continue (a little) with the third!

Ms. Vincent has done a great job with world-building throughout this series, the plots of each book are always interesting, keep you on your toes, and they've been laid out so well, it's almost like watching a movie!

The characters are all great! I was never a Faythe lover, well, let's face it, in the beginning of this series I HATED Faythe. She was just so immature and Ms. Spoiled-Princess, and I almost gave up on the series for that reason alone. But now I can honestly say I've enjoyed seeing her grow! I really can't believe it's only been a year (timeline of the series) since she was called back from and away from college and her human life. In that year, she has experienced love, loss, action, drama, betrayal. She's had to face rogue werecats, get kidnapped, almost raped, faced the Council, and through all that she's developed a backbone and she's just grown up!

From book 4 there's a series of events that unfold and are left unresolved until now... Calvin Malone, power hungry bad guy is still making everyone's lives a mess. Faythe is still not sure about her feelings for Marc and Jace.

I don't want to give anything away... This book can only be enjoyed if you avoid ALL spoilers. Believe me, it'll keep you on your toes, you just have to know what happens next.

I am extremely satisfied with how things finished and how everything was handled. The last 3 books have been an extremely emotional rollercoaster ride. Make sure you have the kleenex ready for all 3 of them. They are gut-wrenchingly emotional! I loved them! I highly recommend this series now!!!!

Review: Shift by Rachel Vincent

This series keeps getting more and more intense and emotional. Who would've thought I was actually going to like it so much?!?!  Faythe has done a lot of growing up throughout these books, which is a BIG plus, since I couldn't take any more of her antics.

In this book she's showing a lot more mature thinking and she's starting to act like true Alpha material when it comes to dealing with and protecting pack members, Council business and decisions. Except when it comes to dealing with the love triangle with Jace and Marc. Please someone put me out of my misery here!!! I don't have a clue who she'll end up with. I've always been a Marc supporter, the last book threw us for a loop in the love department, and now... I just don't know what will happen and how Ms. Vincent will fix things.

Jace showed his true colors in this one and to be honest I was quite impressed. He had a lot of insight into things, didn't take any shit from Marc and wasn't ready to back down at any moment. And I suffered right along with him through the events of this book.  For right now, I'd say he deserves the chance.

Bad guy Calvin Malone has really complicated their lives, implicating them as the murderers of a Thunder Bird, who were the cutest little addition to this series.  Lethal and savage, but at the same time funny and cute.  I do expect to see more of them in the last book.

And if you thought you were done with the crying from the last book, well.... not nearly close!  Ms. Vincent does an amazing job at making you feel exactly what the characters are feeling, and there was nothing happy about any turn of events, especially when Marc finds out about Jace.  Nearly broke my heart.

This was truly a great book and I can't wait to read Alpha and know how this is all going to play out in the end!