September 2011 Book Releases, part 1
Another big release day is coming up! Here are a few books I’m looking forward to getting my hands on:
September 6, 2011: One Salt Sea (October Daye series, book 5) by Seanan McGuire
This series has become one of my favorite Urban Fantasy series. The author weaves a good, fast-paced story for Toby and the gang. And, I also enjoy the theme of what it means to be a hero—especially through the eyes of a woman— on which Seanan McGuire often touches. I also enjoy the chemistry between Toby and Tybalt, the King of the Cats.
September 6, 2011: Archangel’s Blade (Guild Hunter series, book 4) by Nalini Singh
While I didn’t enjoy the last book as much as the other books in The Guild Hunter series, I do enjoy the series originality. I’m excited about Archangel’s Blade, because this is the first book that will depart from Elena and Raphael’s relationship, and focus on Dmitri, Raphael’s second in command. I’m hoping this will shake things up a bit. My hopes are high, since I’ve already been hearing great buzz about it.
September 6, 2011: Never Enough (Brown Siblings, book 4) by Lauren Dane
I’m still behind 1 book in this series, but am really looking forward to Adrian’s story.
I’ve really enjoyed all of the stories, and (eldest brother) Brody’s most of all. I like how we get bits and pieces of the other siblings’ stories without sacrificing the central relationship. Dane always conveys the depth of the main characters’ feelings so well.
I just LOVE this cover!
September 6, 2011: Midnight (Dark Age Dawning trilogy, book 2) by Ellen Connor (aka Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty).
I had really high expectations for Nightfall (book 1 in the trilogy) and it lived up to all of them.
The world is dark and gritty and the action is intense. I’m looking forward to seeing how Chris, who is just beginning to become hero material in Nightfall, fills that role in Midnight.
Three years pass between the 2 books, and I’m really curious about how the world has developed during that time.
September 6, 2011: Cipher (Southern Arcana, book 4) by Moira Rogers
I read books 2 and 3 last month, and am so excited I didn’t have to wait long for Cipher.
Kat and Andrew’s story has been unfolding slowly over the course of the series (& boy has it been a bumpy ride!), and now they will finally get their HEA.
One of the great things about this series is that the wolf/supernatural politics are just as absorbing as the romance. I also can’t wait to see what will happen after the events in the previous book.
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That’s a lot for 1 week, isn’t it? Is there anything coming out this coming week that you’re excited about?
My Real-Life Hero
Today, I’m sharing the identity of my real-life hero at DIK.
Come and tell me about yours!
Just finished reading…Pushed to the Limit by Nico Rosso
Pushed to the Limit (Limit War series, book 2) by Nico Rosso [NOVELLA]
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Teryn Pilander lives in a world of secrets. She is a Shadow Corps operative for the Core Army in the Limit War, trained in espionage. Her latest mission takes her to the planet Viela, drawn by a communication that the local government captured a Dusk Warrior Officer for questioning. More interesting than the message, though, is the voice delivering it. A little shy, but deep and strong, the masculine voice sparks dormant fires in Teryn. She tells herself that once the mission is over, she might put her spy self away for a bit and live a little as a woman.
Typically, I tend to be a bit compulsive when I read a series, hating to read out of order. However, when I was asked by the author to review this novella, I was assured that the story would stand alone just fine. And, I was so relieved to discover that it was true. While there were some references to what took place in Taken to the Limit, book 1 in the Limit War series, I never felt like I was missing out on any important storyline, character development, or information.
I really liked this story of Teryn, a strong, kick-ass heroine, and Drel, a shy but tough beta hero. Pushed to the Limit opens with Teryn arriving on the planet Viela after being lured to it by communications tech Drel. She quickly sees it for the trap that it is, and Drel realizes that he’s made a big mistake. When they join forces against the Dusk (a stealthy invading force) and Vielan collaborators, the story kicks into high gear.
At the beginning of the story, their connection felt sort of like “insta-love,” with a pretty extreme reaction on Teryn’s part just by hearing Drel’s voice as he guided her and her crew to land on Viela. However, as events unfold, Teryn and Drel are given an opportunity to connect and get to know each other. (The time-frame is still pretty fast, but the time is well spent, with each learning what makes the other tick.) I really appreciated that even in the compressed format of a novella, a good amount of it was focused on developing their connection. One really gets why they are drawn to each other.
As far as the world-building, there was just enough given the novella-length, with out the story feeling either wallpaper-y or too dense. There also was a good balance between the romantic relationship and the larger story arc.
I would really enjoy seeing a long story in this world, with a greater complexity of plot and more time to develop characters. However, Pushed to the Limit was a satisfying introduction to the series, and I’m now curious enough about it that I’ve gone ahead and bought the first book. I’ll be looking forward to reading more about the Limit War.
I received this book from the
author, for review purposes.
Just finished reading…My Dangerous Pleasure by Carolyn Jewel
My Dangerous Pleasure (My Immortal/Witches series, book 4) by Carolyn Jewel
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I love this series, and was so glad that the long wait between books 3 and 4 was finally over. Iskander has been put through the mill in previous books in this series, so I’ve been really looking forward to his getting a shot at a HEA.
First off, let me say that this is the fourth book in the series, and given the complexity of the world and the character relationships, I highly recommend reading them in order. I’m usually a stickler about these things, and the payoff will be worth it in this case, since the larger story arc continues to get more and more interesting as the books progress.
The world of demonkin, witches, and mages waging a power struggle in modern-day San Francisco is dark, sensual, and often violent. Nikodemus, the leader of the kin, is struggling to keep the peace between his kind with their witch allies, and the power-hungry mages.
Paisley, a human woman who owns a bakery and rents a garage apartment from her sexy (and unbeknownst to her) demonkin landlord, Iskander, stumbles into this explosive situation when Kessler, a dark mage awakens an incipient magic in her, and begins to terrorize her.
I really liked Paisley. While she’s often put in terrifying, confusing, and overwhelming situations (at the beginning of the book she is completely unaware of the non-human world) she deals with it in a straightforward, no-nonsense manner. Her naiveté doesn’t result in tstl actions, as often is the case with uninformed heroines.
Iskander is someone who has been through hell, been damaged, especially by his crazy blood-twin, and is often on the edge of losing it, himself. I love how when he’s put in the position of guarding Paisley, she brings out another side of him that we haven’t seen in previous books. He’s not just a bad-ass alpha around her, but also a considerate protector (and, eventually,) lover. Their love scenes are HOT, and I love how Iskander, for all his passion, always tries to make sure that she is ok with his more “demon-like” aspects.
While the story itself took a little bit to really get going, once it did, I love where it went. I found the story behind Kessler’s actions original and absorbing, and it kept me turning pages. I can’t wait for the next book in the series to see where the larger story arc continues to go.
Related posts about the series:
I received this book from the
author, for review purposes.
WINNER: Nightfall Giveaway!
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