Hi there! I’m Kay: an opinionated book blogger enamoured with the world of novels. Reader of Speculative Fiction (the posh word for Sci-Fi/Fantasy) and Young Adult novels. Believer in the many uses of the towel, the science of deduction and other fandom in-jokes.
This blog has been closed since early 2016. To the publishers and writers: thanks for all the support over the years. To my readers and fellow bloggers: keep in touch!
Recent Reviews
Cover Alert! The Calling (UK) by Kelley Armstrong
Eep! I always get excited when a new cover comes out for Kelley Armstrong’s books – but this one is especially exciting. Everyone, take a look at the UK cover of The Calling!
The Calling by Kelley Armstrong – Goodreads
Maya Delaney’s paw-print birthmark is the sign of what she truly is – a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly anyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it’s only a matter of time before she’s able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents including local bad boy Rafe, with whom she shares a dangerous, powerful secret. Now, Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. After a terrifying helicopter crash, they find themselves stranded in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home. But can Maya really trust her friends? And can she learn how to control the frightening new gift she has discovered before it controls her?
I adore the UK covers of the Darkness Rising series: I love how fierce the girls on the cover are; I love how the cover artists don’t shy away from using a full face; I love the inclusion of the woods and wildlife. Love love love. My only issue with this cover is with the girl… she just looks a bit too Anglo. Which is odd considering how very non-Anglo the cover model of The Gathering was. Perhaps this is supposed to be a different character? Or perhaps they still plan on changing the model? This is clearly a preliminary cover (those editing lines can still be seen) so they may still make adjustments… but besides the model, I really do adore this cover!
Read my OMG-this-book-is-amazing review of The Gathering here!
In My Mailbox (December 4th, 2011)
In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren (inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie) and indulges bookish voyeurism by letting bloggers show off what books they’ve gotten in their mailbox.
I got one highly anticipated book from the Book Depository this week and the rest? Well, they were all surprise purchases from a surprise second-hand book sale that turned up outside my door! I do love second-hand books…
- Isle Witch by Terry Brooks
- Rip Tide by Kat Falls – Rip Tide!!! I am so sad that this is the second-and-last book in the series, but I can’t wait to read it!
- The Loop by Nicholas Evans – This one has wolves in it! In case I haven’t mentioned it, I am a die-hard wolf fan. I wrote my Masters dissertation on wolves. Wolves and I? We go way back.
- Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon
- Startide Rising by David Brin – I know this cover seems rather ridiculous, but I had to buy it. You see, this lovely man pointed at the book while I was going through the SF box at the second hand book sale and said “it’s brilliant”. He was so genuine as he started talking about 1980s feminism in science fiction, I knew I had to give the book a shot. Ridiculous cover or not!
Isn’t it just gorgeous?! I waited so long to get an e-book reader but now I am so glad that I have one (read my entire post about why I finally gave in). I think I will do a review of the product (it’s a Kindle Keyboard, btw) once the novelty has worn off. Oh, and the lovely Kindle cover you see? That is the lovely New Yorker cover by M-Edge. I found mine new on Ebay (international shipping on the site was a bit complicated) and it is worth every cent. It’s absolutely gorgeous and seems pretty sturdy!
And what is on my Kindle, you ask? Well, other than a bunch of Law textbooks, I have taken advantage of Netgalley’s send-to-your-Kindle capability (which is brilliant, btw). I also bought the lovely collection of Darkest Powers Bonus Pack by Kelley Armstrong – a must for fans of the verse!
On the Kindle:
- Illuminate by Aimee Agresti (for review) – I have been looking forward to this one for an age-and-a-half.
- Cinder by Marissa Meyer (for review) – Apparently this is a-mazing.
- Silver-Tongued Devil by Jaye Wells (for review) – Whoot! Jaye Wells! God, I love this series.
- Darkest Powers Bonus Pack by Kelley Armstrong (bought – only 86p!)
Review: My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent
My Soul to Keep by Rachel VincentSeries: Soul Screamers #3
Published by Harlequin Teen, MIRA
Pages: 378
Genres: Paranormal YA, Young Adult
Source: Purchased myself
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Rating:
Also in this series: My Soul to Take, My Soul to Save, My Soul to Steal, If I Die, Before I Wake, With All My Soul
Kaylee has one addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them. Until something does. Demon's breath.
No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really can kill you. Somehow, the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends—one of whom is already hooked. And when the epidemic hits too close to home, Kaylee will have to risk everything to save those she loves.
Thoughts: In my review of My Soul to Save, I said that the Soul Screamers series was becoming rather episodic… well, this book makes me want to retract that statement. While the novel begins like a simple “new adventure” for Kaylee, events quickly take an extremely personal turn. Instead of fighting for the lives of strangers, Kaylee is fighting for those closest to her. This change gave the series a bit more gravitas and made this book my favourite in the series so far.
There is a big twist that takes place in the middle of the book – and unfortunately I found out about it before I read the book. To those of you who have no idea what I am talking about… stay that way until you read the book! Even though I was still somewhat shocked by the big revelation, I think it would have hit a lot harder if I hadn’t known about it.
Big twist, you ask? Well, let’s just say it is a complete game changer and I love game changers. While I don’t like it when authors randomly kill off characters just for the sake of it, I do love it when they introduce something small that escalates naturally into a whole new disaster. And that? That’s what Rachel Vincent did in My Soul to Keep. It was masterfully done and gave me a whole new respect for this series. While, sure, it’s terrible – the twist completely revitalises the verse.
Now, I can’t end this review without talking about some of the characters. I am having trouble understanding Kaylee. She spends most of the book hiding rather important problems from her father and uncle… which considering how dedicated she is to protecting people seems completely illogical. Surely consulting with people with decades of experience would be a good idea? But no. I think part of that might be Vincent’s desire to keep parents out of the adventure, but it felt rather forced.
And then there is Nash. Eh. I’ve never been a Nash fan, mostly because we have never gotten to know him. He’s always kept Kaylee at arms-length, while she has always been completely honest with him. My Soul to Keep made me even less of a Nash fan, and now I just want Kaylee to keep away from him. Far far away. I am Team Anyone-but-Nash! This book made me just… gah! Nash is going to have to sit down for a real soul-baring conversation with Kaylee before I let him anywhere near that girl!
Bottom line? My Soul to Keep lifts the Soul Screamers series from “good but not fantastic” to “this is something to write home about”.
Top Ten Books on my Winter TBR pile
Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish): 10 books on my winter TBR pile. This year, I am going to finish the Debut Author Challenge. Come Hell or high water, I will succeed. That means I need to get 6 more debut books off my TBR shelves before the end of the year! And once I’m done with those I am going to get to those fabulous sequels that somehow I never have time for.
The Debut 2011 Authors:
1. Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton – I’ve heard nothing but brilliant things about Tessa’s work, so I fully expect Blood Magic to live up to the hype it has gotten. So much so that I even bought this book in hardback!
2. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand – I’ve read reviews of Unearthly written by people who usually dislike YA PNR, especially the type with angels! So, I am sure I am going to love it.
3. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini – I’ll be honest, I’m not that excited about Starcrossed… am I off my head for being skeptical?
4. Die for Me by Amy Plum – Oh, Paris. I am expecting Phantom of the Opera and fully expect to get it!
5. Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton – Another urban fantasy author breaks into the YA market! I love it when adult authors write for YA audiences, so I expect very good things from Kelly.
6. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs – This book is stunning and yet utterly disturbing. I simply can’t imagine not adoring it.
The YA sequels I have been longing to read:
7. Muse by Rebecca Lim – I adore Rebecca’s Mercy series (read my reviews of Mercy and Exile) and cannot wait to start this. If it weren’t for the Debut Author priorities, I would be all over this book right now!
8. Forever by Maggie Stiefvater – I KNOW. How could I not have read this book?? I really really really adore this series, and I cannot wait to start Forever… no, really!
9. Defiance by Lili St. Crow – It makes me sad and excited to know that this series is complete – can’t wait to see what violence Dru has been up to!
10. Rip Tide by Kat Falls – I absolutely adored Dark Life, which unfortunately didn’t get the praise it deserved. Still, cannot wait to start on the sequel! (Btw, make sure you buy the US version of this book. The UK cover is something awful!)
Review: Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs
Cry Wolf by Patricia BriggsSeries: Alpha & Omega #1
Published by Orbit
Pages: 320
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased myself
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Rating:
Also in this series: Hunting Ground
Anna never knew werewolves existed until the night she survived a violent attack…and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she'd learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. But Anna is that rarest kind of werewolf: an Omega. And one of the most powerful werewolves in the country will recognize her value as a pack member—and as his mate.
Thoughts: In case you haven’t heard, Patricia Briggs is a brilliant author. I tend to forget her whenever I list my favourite authors, but I really really shouldn’t. Every one of her books is a joy to read, and Cry Wolf is no exception. If you’ve never read her work… get to it!
So, Cry Wolf. First off, you should know that Anna and Charles’ story begins with another tale: Alpha and Omega. It’s a novella published in the On the Prowl anthology (I gave it a glowing review here), and it is well worth reading before you start Cry Wolf. That said, you can jump straight into the novel without reading the prequel – that’s actually what I started off doing before I remembered Alpha and Omega. But I found that reading about Anna’s back story and how she met Charles really did enhance Cry Wolf, so… it’s up to you.
There was a lot of sadness in Cry Wolf. Maybe I am a sucker for sad stories, but my heart leapt for so many of the characters in this book: Bran and Sam, in particular. Bran – the alpha of alphas – was one of my favourite characters in the Mercy Series. Getting to see things from his POV was a real thrill. And finding out his origin story? The most beautifully depressing thing I have ever read. And Sam… oh, Sam. I loved seeing him through the eyes of all new characters – he’s still as charismatic as ever, but boy is that boy ever filled with angst.There was a beautiful romantic tension between Anna and Charles – who are busy coming to terms with their new-but-intense relationship. It’s a rather unique relationship; their wolves are in love, but their human counterparts are struggling to accept the bond. Instant-bonds are one of my favourite tropes, but they can very quickly turn ridiculous. Cry Wolf manages to deal with the theme seriously – it’s brilliant.
Writing this review has made me want to reread Cry Wolf. Seriously, there is a reason everyone and their mother loves Patricia Briggs. Go forth and read!
Bottom line? Cry Wolf is a stunning novel. It has atmosphere, heartbreak, monsters, and a lovely romance. In short, it has everything I could possibly want from a novel.