dimanche 30 mars 2014

The Sunday Post: a little montly recap

 Hello again,


 You really are lucky today with so many posts but don't worry it should be the last one today.

 Yes i know... March has 31 days so i'm a little in advance to make a wrap up....but i need to stay busy right now so i decided to join the "The Sunday Post" meme hosted by Kimba ( Caffeinated Book Reviewer). This meme's objective is to share what happened on the blog in the past weeks ( and if we want  for the upcoming ones too). Don't hesitate to join us either


 I think it could be a great add up to my Treasures and Finds posts so let's begin.

Kimba really helped to motivate me this month, yes it was my birthday and i had decided to read for pleasure but still... i had some moment down and her TBR Take Controle Challenge as well as her comments made me read faster and with more enthousiasm.

 So I did exceed my goals and read more but not all reviews are written yet ç_ç. Perhaps you will get another one tomorrow and perhaps i will finish another book today so this is a list of what is online at the moment.


Reviews posted in March

In English

en Français

Books Read
Raven Cursed by Faith Hunter
The goblin King by Shona Husk
Storm Warrior by Dani Harper
Bloodstone by Nancy holzner
Dirty Magic
Angel's blood by Nalini Singh

PsiChangeling 4 par Nalini Singh
Clan des nocturnes 2: Gideon par Jacquelyn Frank
Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones
nouvelle/novellas:( Those didn't qualify for the Take Control Challenge)
Levet ( Les Gardiens de l'Eternité  9.5)par Alexandra Ivy
The Summons ( Shadowlands 0.5) by Shona Husk

Challenges update
As for the 30th March 2014:

2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge: i have read 14/10 books
2014 Furs and Fangs reading Challenge: 13 books read
2014 Witches & Witchcrafts reading Challenge: 6 books read
2014 goodreads challenge:20/50


Social/ General:

I've started my own book haul kind of post, the "Treasures and Finds".  First one for February haul
Also there were some great giveaways this week i wanted to share some for English book, one for a french edition all info here


Objective:
What will happen in the week ( month to come) i will try to keep posting at least one review per week and a minimum of one review in french per month.

I should post the Treasures and Finds for March tomorrow or tuesday ( the best month ever *_* for once i got a real birthday Thanks to the book lovers community!!)

I will need to concentrate on some reviews i was asked for but i think i will continue to take pleasure reading because blogging is great but as long as we keep enjoying reading^^.

 Oh, and i want to continue discover what was recommened to me and are waiting in my TBR pile and participate in this meme.




 Thank you to every one who helped to make this month an excellent one for me!

Giveaways ( Int & FR/BE)

Hi!

This is sunday, the sun is there as are the flowers ( still blossoming yes *pure pleasure*) and even if i'm sleep deprived i'm happy! No excuse then for not sharing with you a great giveaway. ( oki 2 but only one in English;) )

Sullivan McPig  from Pearls Cast in front of a MCPig is hosting a giveaway for one of his favourite author Linda Poitevin . If you follow me you knows that  i was really interested in that series and i started it thanks to Sullivan who granted me a RAK two years ago.


 Now he is offering the opportunity to one lucky winner to discover the Gregory Legacy  series or to follow it up because you can win either book 1 " Sins of the Angels" or book 2 "Sins of the Son", winner's Choice so hurry and enter Here before 6th April ( one week is quickly spent so go!)



Coucou tout le monde!
C'est  par ce magnifique dimanche que je souhaite partager avec vous quelques concours prenant place actuellement. Le premier (plus haut) est en anglais mais international donc si vous lisez en anglais n'hésitez pas à participer. Cependant, j'ai appris que tous mes lecteurs francophones ne sont pas bilingues alors quand je peux partager avec vous également j'en suis ravie.

Melliane nous offre sur son blog " Between Dreams and reality" la possibilité de découvrir Anne Bishop et sa serie Meg Corbyn via le premier tome " Lettres Ecarlates" , c'est une des séries qui m' a été fortement recommandée et je serai donc heureuse de remporter ce prix.... Les éditions Bragelone  étant très généreuse il y aura non pas un, mais 5 gagnants alors l'espoir est permis^^.
Il vous suffit si vous habitez en France ou en Belgique de participer avant le 16 avril ICI
Bonne Chance à tous!

Angel’s blood ( Guild Hunter 1) by Nalini Singh

Hello to all!

                   "Carnaval" has started here so it also means lack of sleep in my case ( no i'm not partying just suffering the drunks noise in the street and the pub's music loud enough to be hear several streets away ( yes that loud)). The advantage is that i can hide and try to read as much as i want ^^ after i do share a little with you, of course.

This monthy was more fror reading pleasure than anything else even if Kimba from Caffeniated Book Reviewer really helped me to stay motivated and to read more...still i promised myself that i would try to read a book or an author that has been recommend for me for a long time.. one each month... how to try to mix the 2 goals? Simply by trying a new series by an author that has been added on my favourite list already.

I discovered Nalini Singh thanks to the PsiChangeling, published in French by Milady and i loved it nearly instantly ... later i was told she has another great series with angels and vampires but i didn't managed to get my hand on it until a few month ago....i ignored it was also translated but by another publisher so this Guild hunter series i  will read in VO. Also thanks to Nikki i got more books in the series because i was quickly addicted^^ now i just have to read faster because i do want more


Happy reading
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Publication: 2009
ISBN:  0425226921
Genre: urban fantasy, paranormal romance
Violence: strong

Language: mild
sex: strong
Public: 18+
Source: won
 


Short description from goodreads :

 Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she is the best- but she does not know if even she is good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, Elena knows failure is not an option—even if the task is impossible.

Because this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track. It's an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other—and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt does not destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just might. For when archangels play, mortals break

My opinion:
          Nalini Singh ‘s writing is real magic.  She manage to drew you in her universes and you feel at home; it was the case with the psychic and shifters in her “psychangeling” series, this time it’s angel and vampires but the magic still operate.

I love how she doesn’t give you all the keys to the world, in which the story is set, right at the start but you never feel lost. You have enough to start and you grow up with the main character as he or she is learning so do you. her universe become steadily more complex but it’s gradually done so you feel at ease immersed in the story.

In this first book, we focus on Elena, a vampire hunter , member of the guild. To explain without saying too much  ( after all we still know little specific),she is a born hunter which in this universe means she has a talent to detect and thus hunt vampires but as a member of the guild she only hunt those who have become bad or tried to breach their contract.
Contract? Yes, here vampires are made by angels ( strange no?^^) , it must be consensual, the human petition to be made vampire, the angels study his/her case and if accepted he is made in exchange for 100 years of service… so yes servant or slave it depends on the master, the angel but in any case so is the contract and that’s done also to protect humans. When a vampire trie to leave before his time, the guild is called to bring him ( her) back.

Now the born hunters are few and the guild has hunter without that specificity too, I wouldn’t say other hunters are “normal humans” but they differ from Elena and the hunter borns, they can have some immunity perhaps ort special talents but then so far we don’t know a lot. Elena is the best in her branch and the best friend of the director of the guild ( who is elected by the way), she also has another hunter born has a friend: Ransom.
Now I spoke of the hunters, of the vampires, what of the angels? You can’t imagine a world divided in two angels on one side, vampires on the other, good vs bad. It’s really more complex. Yes the angels makes the vampires but some of them have an higher rank than some angels, of course it would take centuries for them to reach that level of powers but it’s possible. In fact the world is divided in a kind of sector or kingdom some would say with at their head an archangel (male or female) . The archangel is the one at the top, the one who ensure peace and keeps angels and vampires in line. To reach that result, yes they can be cruel, the longer they lived the less connected with humanity they are, some really thinks of themselves as god.  An angel can with time and if he shows some specific power become an archangel… however they number are limited to ten, and it’s their council that takes the decision like judgement on a archangel or those who affect the world in general.
Archangels and angels are immortals (like vampires) but if it’s hard it’s not impossible to kill them. Also they can reproduce but the birth rate is really low, vampire can too with a human mate but only if they are not too old ( less than 200 y)

All of these infos don’t cover everything so you can imagine how an interesting universe it is.  I really loved to see Raphael, the powerful archangel start to doubt himself thanks to Elena sharp tongue and resistance.  I do love how all the angel have a different wing pattern  too, it’s exciting to imagine or guess who has what. But I must say I was really intrigued by the seven. The seven are composed of vampires and angels and are the honor guard of Raphael; he is the only archangel to have such a group of highly loyal supporters, the top security? Dmitri is making me curious but he is not the only one….contrary to what we could believe they are at that place by choice and won Raphael’s respect and trust…they chose to be loyal it’s not because he made them ( I don’t know if he made any of the vampire in that group but I’m sure for 2)…. He is an intelligent leader even if he was sometimes too cruel ( normal for an archangel). Now yes he can be cruel but he still care for those under him and we can see it’s not the case for all the others member from the ten…he was a little too alpha and too forceful with Elena but he never crossed the line, it was instinctive but she didn’t react well to the compulsion and mind talking ^^;;.

Elena has a troubled past and is an outcast for her family that made her really independent which is why she was fighting Raphael’s orders at first until he went in her head and made her so angry. But deep down she is loyal and understand him better that what he thinks there are a good match and I’m glad a later book in the series will focus again on them.

This book has a cliffhanger for the main story line, but the story between Raphael and Elena and their hunt has a closure so I definitively want more but if I had to I could wait without too much stress. If you love urban fantasy with steamy romance, fierce fighter and hero with a huge ego^^ this is the book for you!

Score:  4/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review


Challenges:


jeudi 27 mars 2014

PsiChangeling 4 : Mienne pour Toujours par Nalini Singh

Coucou,

             Grâce au challenge créé par Kim ( Caffeinated  Book Reviewer) et au "read-a-thon" qui l' a accompagné j'ai fait une légère percée dans ma pile de livres à lire et c'est à votre avantage puisque en plus des articles bilingues de ce mois et d'un avis déjà... oui vous l'avez deviné un second avis en français juste pour les adeptes de la langue française amoureux des bons livres.

Après avoir découvert combien j'étais en retard sur une des séries ayant ma préférence et comme je devais également découvrir une autre série par la même talentueuse auteur ce mois-ci j'ai décidé de retourner au base et poursuivre ce que je connais. C'est donc avec assez bien d'impatience que j'ai découvert le 4ème tome de la série PsiChangeling par Nalini Singh.

Bonne Lecture
Editeur VF: Milady  2012
Titre original:Mine to Possess ( edited 2008)
Genre: paranormal romance
Violence: élevée

Langage: normal
sexe: élevé ( mention de viol sur mineurs)
Public: +18ans
Obtenu par achat


Quatrième de couverture de l'éditeur Milady:

L’amour peut-il guérir les blessures du passé ?

Pour sauver Talin McKade, son amour d’enfance, des griffes de son père adoptif, Clay Bennett a assassiné ce dernier. Lorsqu’en sortant de prison, il apprend que la jeune fille s’est tuée dans un accident, il est dévasté. Talin a simulé sa mort afin de refaire sa vie, loin de son passé et de la nature violente de Clay. Elle a réussi et veille à présent sur des enfants défavorisés.
Mais quand ceux dont elle a la charge commencent à disparaître, l’horreur resurgit dans son existence et elle n’a d’autre choix que de demander de l’aide à l’homme le plus fort qu’elle connaisse.
Mais revenir vers Clay ne sera pas sans conséquences car le léopard est prêt à tout pour la faire sienne…

Avis:
          Nalini Singh est tout aussi talentueuse que par le passé et peut-être même un peu plus puisqu’elle parvient à aborder de façon très réaliste des sujets assez sensibles et complexes tels que les abus sur mineurs et leurs conséquences malgré tout ce tome est celui que j’ai le moins apprécié jusqu’à présent et ce justement pour ces même raisons. Mes sensibilités font que le sujet secondaire (le premier restant bien entendu la guerre psy changeling et Silence) me heurte trop et que je ne peux donc pas m’évader comme je l’espérais.

Cependant, loin de moi l’idée de vous faire croire que ce tome n’est pas de qualité, vraiment  le rythme, l’action, la romance et l’intégration dans la série tout est parfait c’est seulement le fait que ce soit directement lié à l’abus d’enfants passé et le kidnapping et meurtres d’autres qui  tend à me bouleverser un peu trop.

J’ai vraiment apprécié par contre d’apprendre d’avantage sur le passé de Clay, ce léopard est depuis le début un de mes personnage favoris et cette histoire s’est démontrée très instructive à son propos pour nous aider à mieux cerner sa personnalité. On savait par exemple qu’il n’avait pas passé son enfance dans la meute mais pas à quel point il avait souffert, ni même les raisons pour lesquelles il était hors de toute meute. Maintenant que on el sait on comprend d’autant mieux sa loyauté et donc pourquoi il était sur la défensive. Judd également fait une apparition des plus intéressantes même si il est encore peu sujet aux émotions.

L’histoire se concentre en fait sur un évènement qui a eut lieux  plus de 100 ans auparavant, avant l’instauration de Silence, on apprend que les unions inter raciales ( psi changeling, psi /humains) étaient très fréquentes et que ces spi là se sont battus dès le départ même si le conseil a essayé d’éliminer tous les dissidents  comme il le tente encore. Certains sont parvenus à s’échapper et leur descende ignore ce passé… or certains enfants démontrent des talents divers et Les Psi actuels  dans leur volonté de perfectionner silence veulent s’en servir de cobayes.
Découvrir le monde plus en profondeur par le biais de son histoire est une approche qui me convient tout particulièrement dès lors voir Talin, Shine et Sascha mettre en commun leur savoir avait une saveur toute particulière.

On a également des confirmation supplémentaire comme quoi le PsiNet est loin d’être aussi performant et efficace que supposé. dès lors la situation va probablement empirer et pour tous le monde. Toutefois, DarkRiver a des alliés de plus en plus nombreux et divers et c’est un des éléments que je souhaite continuer à se voir développé.

Un très bon tome qui a parfaitement sa place dans la série toutefois si vous êtes une âme ultra sensible… peut-être vaudrait –il mieux directement passer au suivant ou alors au moins attendez d’être dans un bon jour car c’est un des tomes les plus noirs jusqu’à présents.

Score:  3/5

Disclaimer: Toutes les opinions exprimées ici sont les miennes, il s’agit de d’un avis honnête et personnel. Aucune compensation n’a été fournie en échange de ce dernier.


Challenges:

Ides of March Read-a-thon

lundi 24 mars 2014

Dirty magic (The Prospero’s War 1) by Jaye Wells

Hello to all!

 It's not that often that i can read a recent release so when i win one i'm really delighted....Dirty Magic's blurb really caught my interest so when i finally could hold it i was jumping everywhere.  I should learn to be more patient but the Ides of March read-a-thon was the perfect excuse to start reading it  without more wait.

Another reason i didn't wait any longer to satify my curiosity is that this book fit perfectly the witches and witchcrafts challenge so it was simply fitting even if it wasn't the expected result i hoped for.

Happy Reading
Publisher: Orbit
Publication: 2014
ISBN:  316228435
Genre: urban fantasy, paranormal, magic
Violence: strong

Language: strong
sex: mild
Public: 18+
Source: won

Short description from goodreads :

The first in an all-new urban fantasy series by USA Today bestseller Jaye Wells.

The last thing patrol cop Kate Prospero expected to find on her nightly rounds was a werewolf covered in the blood of his latest victim. But then, she also didn't expect that shooting him would land her in the crosshairs of a Magic Enforcement Agency task force, who wants to know why she killed their lead snitch.

The more Prospero learns about the dangerous new potion the MEA is investigating, the more she's convinced that earning a spot on their task force is the career break she's been wanting. But getting the assignment proves much easier than solving the case. Especially once the investigation reveals their lead suspect is the man she walked away from ten years earlier—on the same day she swore she'd never use dirty magic again.


Kate Prospero's about to learn the hard way that crossing a wizard will always get you burned, and that when it comes to magic, you should be never say never.

My opinion:
          This book has some potential but it wasn’t as good as I hoped it could be. The beginning is quite slow and really confusing, at first I really couldn’t imagine the setting and thus it was hard to get immersed in the story. Same, Kate Prospero is a cop taking care of her brother and she has magic (so she is what is called an Adept in that universe) but because of her past she is quite against everything magical…said like that is seems simple but for the first chapters you don’t understand well her reluctance to magic use as you don’t really understand the difference between the different “brand” of magic…. All you can grasp is that magic is a really important element in that world and found everywhere… I admit I felt lost and thus rapidly bored.

Now if you manage to read past those first chapters, things improve, we finally get more information, not  on everything for example I’m still hesitant about the “covens” since I really don’t know how they works but since it‘s not a major part in this story it can be put aside. Kate is showing more nerves and we finally can understand her stand and view on magic and on the city. I loved how protective of her sibling she was it should how responsible she is. I did regret she only had Pen as a friend and that she couldn’t even tell her everything.
The MEA team is really funny and I really liked Morales and Mez both are really attentive to their team mates and Kate needs this feeling of belonging more than she admit it…. It’s also one of the reason I’m disappointed….Kate can’t fully trust them and I really regret that, romance between Morales and her aside (would be great and only sparks of it so far), I believe in trust and honesty… fort the team to be at it best they need to trust each other and it’s not the case..; could happen because it takes time but I would have liked if at least one had her back. She has some talents but can’t use them worse she is forbidden too even if it could save life that part I don’t understand and I hope it will change.

I wasn’t fond of her brother Danny and to be honest all that part with him was far too predictable in my opinion … I guess I can understand him a little but I find him way too ungrateful. Next we have the ex lover…  John Volos… I don’t trust him at all…during a few pages I thought that could change that I would perhaps like him at least a little but what he did at the end destroyed that completely. He is too arrogant and loves using others as puppet, threatening and Kate fell for it once again like she never grew up ….

So lot of negative elements but some positive as well and the universe could really become one really interesting and intriguing thus I’m definitively planning to try the second book when it release later this year and I hope it will only get better. For an urban fantasy series it’s promising but can be improved.


Score:   Between 2,5 and 3/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:
Ides of March Read-a-thon

jeudi 20 mars 2014

Bloodstone ( Deadtown 3) by Nancy Holzner

Hi!

i know i've already posted something today but it wasn't book related so i decided to give you this bonus^^. Like i said precedently, at the moment, i'm ejoying browsing in my TBR pile to find books with druids, Celtic Legends or Magic ...special time of the year for me^^....( Blame Saint Patrick if you want ;) ).

So far, i started new series, or i read stand alone but today i go back to a series i put aside a little ( still need to get the more recently released books) the Deadtown series. At first i discovered and started it because it included zombies and it was a topic for challenge i entered...not my favourite subjet i admit but then... i remembered from where the main Character got her special talent ^^; and yes it fits what i'm looking for  right now^^ thus here comes my opinion on Bloodstone by nancy Holzner


Happy Reading
Publisher: ACE
Publication: 2011
ISBN:  044102100X
Genre: urban fantasy
Violence: strong

Language: normal
sex: none
Public: 18+
Source: bought
 


Short description from goodreads :

 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…

My opinion:
          What I really enjoyed this time is that even if it has been ages since I read the precedent book I fell immediately back in the universe Nancy Holzner created. There were enough info to put us back on track especially since the events in Bloodstone are deeply linked to those in Hellforged, some are related to events from book 1 because we see again Vicky’s family and her niece Maria but even those are detailed enough so a newcomer to the series wouldn’t feel completely at loss starting here ( though I don’t recommend missing the first 2books)

This story focus on demons yes plural because Pryce is still around but he isn’t the only one sadly and we discover how deeply rooted in the celtic legends both his and Vicky’s family are. We knew she is Cerddorion and that’s what makes her a shapeshifter but we didn’t know a lot apart that…since this book involve all her family  we learn a lot more and while some were predictable it still surprised me quite a lot. Maria is starting to show sign of the awakening of her powers and that frighten her mother Gwen more than anything so she ask Vicky help.. then Mab the elder of the family and master at demon hunting come to the rescue (or intented to^^) and we discover a complete new side of the family and it helped me to understand Gwen a little more…if the past had been different she would perhaps not have chosen the same path ( or not so quickly)

We also learn quite a lot about the Old Ones, the special vampires (though I won’t tell more because it’s complicated and I must keep the surprise twist^^). It was deeply interesting and I really thought the series reached another level.

I loved that we saw a lot of precedent characters like Daniel, Tina, Norden, Gwen, Juliet etc and for those who follow the series we finally discover what species Axel the bar owner is^^…;it was the funny part I guess.

The investigation does come to a conclusion, there is no cliffhanger but you feel the series isn’t finished far from it and it was really well done. You can take a break after this book or continue the series immediately by jumping in the next book one way or another you won’t feel bad in my opinion.
Now this book is also darker than the precedent ones, I had to shed a little tear here and then too but the rhythm is really well paced, not rushed. All is linked and fall into place. So I can only recommend this book if you love zombie, vampires, shapeshifter, magic  because this book has a lot of it^^, action and dark ambiance^^.





Score:  3,5/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review


Challenges:

Ides of March Read-a-thon

Happy Spring!/ C'est le printemps!!!

Hello to all!
Bonjour à tous!




                    It could be a day like any other but it's far from that common^^  today it's the first day of Spring! For those interested in that it also means than the moon is stronger in her protective forces ....for the majority of us it's synonym of hope and joy and incidentally it's also the Happiness day!  That those 2 come to happen on the same day is simply wonderful i think.

                                 Nous aurions pu être un jour comme les autres mais c'est loin d'être le cas puisqu'aujourd'hui c'est le Printemps. Ce qui signifie, pour ceux qui ont un intérêt dans le domaine, que les forces protectrices de la Lune sont grandement renforcées. Pour la majorité d'entres nous c'est synonyme, d'espoir et de joie,  le hasard a voulu que cette année cela tome en même temps que la journée du Bonheur....n'est- ce pas merveilleux que les deux coïncident?

In my case, today was a wonderful day, no i didn't win anything, didn't meet my soulmate or something  like that but the weather was superb ( above the normal 19°c), sunny, the air pollution at an acceptable level... in another words: a perfect reading day with sun on your face and fresh air  filled with scents of the awakened nature.
Yes in fact it looks like a summer day and so different from yesterday and tomorrow ( think grey, rain and you can add cold)... Nature granted us a wonderful gift and it filled a lot of us with happiness i'm sure.

Dans mon cas, je dois dire que cette journée a été simplement magnifique. Non je n'ai rien gagné, je n'ai pas non plus rencontré mon âme sœur rien de tout ça en fait mais le temps était splendide ( au dessus des normales avec 19°c), ensoleillé, niveau the pollution de l'air acceptable ( 4/10) en d'autres mots:  une journée parfaite pour lire avec un rayon de soleil et l'air délicieusement parfumés par la nature renaissante. 
Bon c'est vrai que ce temps est plus celui d'une journée d'été pour ma région et c'était un tel contraste vis à vis de la journée d'hier ( 10°c, gris) et de demain ( pluie, froid) La Nature nous a offert un merveilleux cadeau qui nous a remplit de bonheur.

For that i wanted to share with you what made me smile... nature is in advance but her gifts are welcome
Pour cette raison je voulais partager avec vous les petits cadeaux de la Nature, arrivés en avance ce pour quoi nous sommes reconnaissants et qui m'ont fait sourire

do you see all the little hyacints in the green^^ so lovely

What to share what help you to feel happy? What make you smile?
Envie de partager ce qui vous rend heureux? Qu'est-ce qui vous fait sourire?

lundi 17 mars 2014

Storm Warrior (Grim 1) by Dani Harper

Happy Saint Patrick's Day to all!!


I don't know if you celebrate it or simply enjoy it but in my case i love this event. It's not a big celebration in my country ( though there are some event) so i only wear something green and try to read book related to Irish or Faes however this time i've started reading about celtic more than a week before..still i wanted to review one that fitted the event today.

I choose "Storm Warrior" by Dani Harper because 1° it's about Celtic warrior and fae, 2° it was in my TBR for way too long and....3° book 2 release tomorrow  and i want it now.

In fact i first won the audiobook of Storm Warrior and honestly i haven't tried it yet.... i'm afraid my listening comprehension isn't good enough and the Irish words make sme even more afarid so i wanted the print book aside so i could check, compare etc^^ at the end i've read the book first but it just made me more curious about the audiobook ( and thus motivate me even more)

If you want to read a book specially for today, this oen is an excellent choice but let me explain why in my review.

Happy Reading

Publisher: Montlake Romance
Publication: 2013
ISBN:  147780594X
Genre: paranormal romance
Violence: strong
Language: normal
sex: strong
Public: 18+
Source: bought


Short description from goodreads :

 Enslaved for millennia by the masters of the Welsh faery realm, the fierce Celtic warrior Rhys is doomed to wander the earth forever. But when a brave beauty unwittingly breaks the enchantment, he is drawn into a strange new world…and an all-consuming desire.


Sensible Morgan doesn’t believe in magic—until a mysterious being saves her from a fate worse than death, and life as she knows it changes forever. Now the man of her dreams has become flesh and blood, igniting a spark in Morgan’s soul which science cannot explain. But even a love that transcends time may not be strong enough to withstand the power of an ancient curse.

My opinion:
          Love it!! I has all I adore Celtic legends, super sexy AND deeply loyal  warrior, sweet ( and steamy) romance, dogs and horses,  faes both the bad side and the good ones….reading it for my birthday was a gift in itself. I was delighted

Now it’s true that while I enjoyed it fully, was swept by the action in this page turner book I also got frustrated more than once by Morgan…she was so king but close minded… I wanted to slap her to make her listen to herself. Little she listened and believed in her grandmother then it faded but how can she says she believes , trust her grandmother and at the same time not believe even for one second in faeries… it’s so contradictory. She has magic right under her eyes but she is afraid to believe I don’t know if it made me angrier or sadder… but I wanted her to open her yes.

Rhys suffered so much, it was really interesting to see his past, even shortly, then to see him in modern time because it helped me to see deeper in his personalities…and how apt and tender he is with animal had me won over completely. I would have loved to have him as a companion. Morgan frustrated me yes but deep inside I envied her too… how a good vet she is strong and determined to fight for the life in her hands… I don’t have that strength …she is also really kind (though obtuse at time^^). She is perfect for Rhys as she showed him indirectly that life wasn’t only battle… I loved to see him tend the farm…it was normal their romance would be slow built because he is respectful but the dreams did start being steamy right at the beginning ^^;; not a spark between them, an inferno

I also loved the secondary characters, Jay and his wife are so cute and special, Leo so kind and funny and Ranyon who is one of the good fae with his charm for anything^^. Gwen was also funny but i guessed her identity a little too easily though It didn’t impede my pleasure reading


If you want some story mixing paranormal romance, Celtic legends, with lovely and funny animals ( yes even spike^^), fae and gorgeous warrior… Try this one you will feel at paradise.


Score:  4,5/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review


Challenges:


Ides of March Read-a-thon




Tempted? Any Suggestion about books with celtic warriors, or celtic legends?

samedi 15 mars 2014

The Goblin King (Shadowlands 1) by Shona Husk

Hi!!

           So yesterday i shared with you the prequel to this book but let me tell you how i came to discover it. This title: The Goblin King was recommended to me several time but i didn't really checked was it was about... the prequel was free and i got it but it stopped there. Until Brenda cited it again in her paranormal event for Halloween there it really caught my interest. Why? Because it was one of the suggested titles for the Goblin category.

Goblins yes i couldn't rememebr any book on goblins, yes there are some in fantasy books but not as main characters and let just say i never pictured them as this cover so i had to know more and mhmmmm i don't regret at all^^.

Happy reading
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication: 2011
ISBN:  1402259859
Genre: paranormal romance
Violence: mild

Language: normal
sex: strong
Public: 18+
Source: bought

Short description from goodreads :

 Cursed by a Druid millennia ago, Roan lives a bleak existence in the Shadowlands, desperately trying to retain his soul and not succumb to the goblin horde. When a beautiful human summons him to grant a wish, he sees a glimmer of hope. But will she ever agree to be his queen?

Back Cover Synopsis:
Once upon a time...
A man was cursed to the Shadowlands, his heart replaced with a cold lump of gold. In legends he became known as The Goblin King.

For a favored few he will grant a wish. Yet, desperately clinging to his waning human soul, his one own desire remains unfulfilled: A Willing Queen.


But who would consent to move from the modern-day world into the realm of nightmares? No matter how intoxicating his touch, no matter how deep his valor, loving him is dangerous. And the one woman who might dare to try could also destroy him forever

My opinion:
          For my first try on a goblin book I’m completely swept by them… oki it’s not completely true because Roan is fighting against becoming a Goblin and his goblin aspect isn’t like the cover at all ( or goblin would have a totally different reputation I’m sure ^^) but it was something different and celtic related so I loved it!

At the beginning of the book, on the cover there is an ad for the prequel “The Summons” a short novella that happens before the event in this book…since it was a free one I had taken it even before obtaining this book but it was seeing it in the cover that made me read it first and I’m glad I did. I think it really offer an additional value to the Goblin King” story so I can only recommend you to give it a try first before jumping back on this story.

Right at the beginning I was swept by Shona Husk’s writing style and immersed in the story….i couldn’t see why Roan didn’t Recognize Eliza to start with (but it’s only because I’ve read the novella prior to this and because I didn’t now the timeline either) it seemed so evident to me and then…Eliza seemed surprised which intrigued me even further. I must say I was happy to see Eliza’s evolution along the book and see her becoming the woman she was inside. Roan had lost hope before he even realized it so seeing little sparks appears was really well done and believable.

Part of me was a little glad my goblin information was still exact ( little greyish evil things)and at the same time I wanted to learn more about Roan and my heart is even more moved by Dai the scholar, so responsible one. I appreciated the fact the author did reveal their past to us ( a large part of it at least)- because it really helped to understand them, to see how the curse affected them and how they were suffering from it. I was so angry against the druid who should have been the wise one not the monster  but as monsters… human have the palm with Steve….the goblin in human disguise. Really the author manage to make you feel a lot for the character loving the good, wounded one, dislike and more the villains no matter their nature. It was a wonderful read and I can wait to delve into the next book and Dai’s story.

If you want a fantastic love story, with characters you can related to, a touch of magic and Celtic legends this is right your alley!



Score:  4/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

Ides of March Read-a-thon