Jill Kismet tome1 : Mission Nocturne par Lilith Saintcrow

Coucou à tous,

                           Juillet arrivant à sa fin il est plus que temps de publier mon avis sur un livre en français. Cette fois ci il s'agira de "Mission Nocturne" premier tome de la série Jill Kismet par liLith Saintcrow publié en français par Orbit.
J'ai été intéressée par ce livre depuis un long moment et je ne parvenais pas à mettre la main dessus jusqu'à ce que j'obtienne l'aide d'un ami Français... j'étais tellement ravie de l'obtenir et pourtant.... je l'ai posé sur mon étagère et  pratiquement oublié ( pas au point de manqué le tome 2 mais quand même). Maintenant, honnêtement je dois dire que je regrette un peu mon choix de prendre cette série en français au lieu de la version anglaise originale car la traduction ne me plait pas vraiment en tout cas vraiment pas au point de valoir 15euros . Cependant laissons un moment de côté la forme pour s'intéresser au contenu.

Bonne lecture

Editeur VF: orbit  2011
Titre original: Night Shift ( edited 2008)
Genre: urban fantasy

Violence: élevée
Langage: très moyen
sexe: élevée (allusions à la prostitution etc)
Public: +18ans
Obtenu : cadeau

Quatrième de couverture de l'éditeur Orbit:

Mon nom est Jill Kismet.

Spécialiste en trucs surnaturels. Exterminatrice d’esprits malfaisants. Tueuse de démons. Tout le monde ne supporte pas la nuit et ses créatures, mais je ne suis pas tout le monde. Mon passé m’a beaucoup appris sur les ténèbres, et j’ai été entraînée par le meilleur. Les villes ont besoin de personnes comme nous, qui font des choses que même les flics refusent de faire, quand la nuit est tombée…

Bienvenue dans mon univers.

Avis:

          Très violent et  avec un rythme soutenu, j’ai pourtant eu du mal pour m’intéresser à ce récit jusqu’au 2/3 environ.

Au départ, le personnage Jill Kismet  est sur la corde raide ayant perdu son professeur il y a de ça quelques mois elle cherche à se faire une place tout en combattant son propre sentiment de culpabilité. J’avoue que bien que les flash-backs  aient apportés des éléments intéressants pour comprendre la situation, ils m’ont surtout tapé sur les nerfs. Très nombreux j’avais la sensation qu’il ralentissait trop le récit et Jill semblait vraiment trop vivre dans le passé. De plus bien qu’elle admire sans réserve son maître je dois dire que moi j’ai de plus en plus de doutes sur sa loyauté  certes il a été tué maintenant mais ce qui lui a fait faire me laisse dubitatives sur ses intentions.

L’intrigue elle-même est assez prenant lorsqu’elle devient le centre du récit toutefois quelque chose manquait pour me maintenir captivée.

Ce récit est très violent pour ne pas dire pire ce qui n’est pas mauvais en soi mais  j’aurai peut-être préféré plus d’avertissements afin d’éviter que ce récit ne tombe dans les mains d’un public non préparé. Il y a des démons bien entendus mais j’ai du mal à les classer car d’ordinaire dans les séries que j’ai lu les démons sont ténus par leur parole à honorer les contrats qu’ils ont accepter… au départ cela semble de même ici jusqu’à ce qu’on voie combien Perry ne s’en tient pas du tout aux règles… frustrant (vraiment question démon je préfère Al de la série Rachel Morgan par kim Harrison).

Le point positif : j’ai beaucoup aimé que les garous (toutes espèces confondues) soient représentés comme des gardiens et non simplement comme une espèces des ténèbres. Les différents personnages que l’on recontre de cette catégorie ( harp, Dominic et Saul) sont vraiment intéressant et j’aimerai vraiment en découvrir plus sur eux et comment Harp est devenue « partenaire » avec Jill ( genre leur première rencontre etc)

Saule  est sans aucun doute un alpha et il doit avoir une place assez importante dans son clan même si il n’est est rien dit ( juste une allusion à son attitude une fois)

Ce n’est vraiment qu’à la fin du livre que j’ai vraiment accroché et la fin n’est pas un cliffhanger ce qui n’en n’est que mieux. Je vais définitivement donner une chance au second tome mais ce ne sera pas une priorité ce tome m’ayant suffit pour un moment.

Si vous aimez les romans d’urban fantasy assez violents c’est peut-être une série à tenter.

Score: 2,5 /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:

Archangel’s Kiss ( Guild Hunter 2) by Nalini Singh

Hello to all,

                        Yesterday was our National Day and usually it means rain and a lot of it... for once i was hoping for it after the heat wave we had but sadly  only a few drop reached up and it's still as suffocating as before. Really 30°c and more are too much for my country.

One advantage is that since i had to stay at home i could read a little more and i went on a Nalini Singh reads frenzy... so as to avoid  reviewing two suspense romance in a row  i decided to review the second book in the Guild Hunter series first trying to avoid too many spoilers...later you should also get my opinion on several novellas but  let stay in the main series first. That being said some of the novellas can be read first but  i only felt that one could be needed " Angels' Pawn"  and only to have a deeper understanding the others while set before can wait after this second book.

 Happy Reading

Publisher: Berkley Sensation

Publication: 2010

ISBN:  0425233367

Genre: urban fantasy, paranormal romance
Violence: Strong
Language: normal
sex: strong
Public: 18+

Source: bought

Short description from goodreads :

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh returns to her world of angelic rulers, vampiric servants, and the woman thrust into their darkly seductive world...

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find herself changed—an angel with wings the colors of midnight and dawn—but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel, Raphael, is used to being in control—especially when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority.


They've barely begun to understand each other when Raphael receives an invitation to a ball from the archangel, Lijuan. To refuse would be a sign of fatal weakness, so Raphael must ready Elena for the flight to Beijing—and to the nightmare that awaits them there. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan holds a power that lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena.

My opinion:

          I love this series more and more but honestly I’m really glad I have read “Angel’s Pawn” before starting this one, it’s not a necessity Nalini Singh is a perfect storyteller and you understand the story in this book without difficult even without having read the novella. However Elena do speak about what Ashwini saw and felt during the events set in Angel’s pawn…so when you have read the novella you can relate to those events and see how it affected the hunter as well as imagine what it could meant for Elena.

One story you can’t miss though is “Angels’ blood” the first book in the guild Hunter series because this one start right after the last one finished and this new adventure is simply captivating. Elena is learning to cope with what she has become which isn’t as easy as it sound even worse because of what is happening she has to speed up the process. That being said, she stays as she was, strong willed, not hesitating to let Raphael knows what she thinks which is why I like her character. We also discover a new facet of her past as she starts to remember.

The Refuge is a secret sacred place where the offspring of the angels can grow up loved and cherished, it’s a place of peace even if it’s divided in different sectors between the common places, and the part of each archangels. No mortals until now knew it existed..  Unfortunately some power hungry being decided to change that and suddenly a vampire is found tortured and nearly dying, Elena is threatened , murders  happens and worse… the most sacred taboo is violated: a young was targeted.

Raphael needs Elena Hunter born sense to track those responsible even if she isn’t fully recovered  but deeply linked to her he also must adjust to all that changed, him being the first ones.  He is starting to open up and he isn’t as sure of himself as he let people think, angels’ politics though gives him a lot of responsibility and he is well aware that he can’t seem weak if he wants to protect those under him.

The Seven, his most trusted followers/ guards are in charge of protecting Elena and to teach her some things as well. I really appreciate Illium, I found him interesting in Angel’s blood, now I’m even more intrigued. This angel really appreciates Elena and perhaps he is the only one but with a Raphael hyper possessive it can be dangerous as well.

Dimitri, Galen, Venom, Jason and Aodhan are obeying Raphael’s orders to protect her as well but they don’t hesitate to show how it displeases them. They still believe she is dangerous for Raphael and since they are loyal to him only she doesn’t feel safe the entire time in their company. Nalini Singh  dropped some hints on each of them so we gradually starts to know them and perhaps even appreciate a few of them ( seeing Galen so entranced by Deacon ‘s works and his reaction at  discovering that Elena knew him made me smile). Each one has its own secrets, the same they drew them into giving their loyalty to the Archangel Raphael and not another one but those we still must wait to discover.

 The investigation has a few twists that really make you turn the pages, not wanting to put the book down since you don’t want to miss any detail that could appear as capital later.  The plot is well built really with a good balance between the action, training time and investigation which alternates with some apparent peaceful moment, some cute and moving scenes or others really steamy .

 At the end, you really feel like for a time things calm down for Raphael and Elena, the investigation are solved, the case of Liujan handled so I’m guessing the next book will see a change of characters and honestly for once I don’t mind. I love Elena and Raphael, I want more of them but  I do want to discover more about Elijah and about the seven, as well as learning more about the others hunters we came across so far. I would enjoy greatly if the next books while focusing on others still gave little insight on what his happening for those we have met and then to later have Elena back in the main role but for now I’m happy to let her rest and adapt.

 To resume this is a really a captivating series but yes the books must be read in order to fully get the whole universe, novella are a good addition not a necessity so far but if you can just read it  Nalini Singh put the same precision and works into her novella and her novels so the quality is really really that good and while you can miss the novella  to understand and have a grip of the story, missing them would be sad as they are great story that can add some bonus in the universe comprehension.

I’m really glad I received book 3 so my birthday because I don’t think I will wait a long time before jumping back in it for more adventures.

Score:  4,5/5

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

Challenges:

In Ride Trouble( Black Knights Inc. 2) by Julie Ann Walker

Hello to all,

 Summer hits us ell today and for a few days it will be hot and sunny ( before storms again of course) , the sun really help to make people happy and the fact that yesterday check up for my dog was promising i'm really relieved and i can start to smile again. Oh he got a new round of medecine but next check up in his 3 months because his mouth is finally nearly healed so i have reason to be happy (' aside book^^)

Now on book side, i think i will go back to read some that tempts me greatly to get some motivation because free time is nearly non existent so reading time is few right now .  I need something, some "sure love" after the disappointment  i felt. I was really interested in the Black Knights INC series and book 1 was good not a favourite but a promising debut and i hoped the rest would improve until becoming a favourite... i got the second book syndrome.

 Let see more about it! Happy reading

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Publication: 2012

ISBN:  1402267169

Genre: romantic suspense
Violence: mild
Language: normal
sex: strong
Public: 18+

Source: bought

Short description from goodreads :

Rebel with a Cause

Becky "Rebel" Reichert never actually goes looking for trouble. It just has a tendency to find her. Like the day Frank Knight showed up at her door, wanting to use her motorcycle shop as a cover for his elite special ops team. But Becky prides herself on being able to hang with the big boys-she can weld, drive, and shoot just as well as any of them.

Man with a Mission


Munitions, missiles, and mayhem are Frank's way of life. The last thing the ex-SEAL wants is for one brash blonde to come within fifty feet of anything that goes boom. Yet it's just his rotten luck when she ends up in a hostage situation at sea. Come hell or high water, he will get her back-whether she says she needs him or not

My opinion:

          A complete change…I can’t explain better this book is totally different from the first one.  I enjoyed the first story from the Black Knights Inc series and I was impatient to  follow up but my love has been greatly tampered with by this one.. It’s not that “ In Ride Trouble” is badly written not at all but I wasn’t what I’ve come to expect and I was greatly disappointed.

“Hell on Wheels”, book 1, was an excellent suspense romance. The plot was built to keep us on edge, the romance was slow and linked to the investigation. The action was intense but the humour was also present just at the right doses.  Until the last page, I was surprised and I couldn’t stop turning the pages even if I couldn’t qualified it as a favourite read.

Since it’s a series I hope for the same minus the fact it would be another member of the Black Knights team…but this one is a complete turn over. Yes Frank and Becky knows each other ( it was the same in book 1 the main character weren’t complete strangers even if they didn’t work together like these ones) but  I don’t know some chemistry was missing….their relationship was better in book 1 in my opinion. However what disappointment me even more was the lack of suspense…this time the bigger part is the romance…Yes Becky is taken as hostage but that happen right at the beginning and she is saved nearly immediately…there isn’t any investigation about the culprit or the reason no it’s more a hit and reaction story. The bad guy kidnap, the good ones save, the bad threaten, the good punish….if you see what I mean…there isn’t any real question. Oh the villain has connection and it could become important, perhaps, but in this book the importance isn’t on that at all. We also learn that another villains is against the black Knights but it’s left to ponder later….

Also we hear about Nate ( Aka Ghost) but we don’t see him, same for the rest of the team like Ozzie we hear about where he is and what he is doing but that’s all. We focus only on Frank, Bill and the new one Angel. I don’t know but that chemistry was missing  for me, after having seen more of them interacting together and all…this time it was limit.. I don’t know boring.

I’m not saying I don’t want to give the author another chance because hey, book 1 was one of my favourite, but I can’t really recommend this one…or I would tell you to read this one first  to go from the lesser to the best and read book 1 in second. Objectively, some events in book 1 have an impact in this one since it takes place 3months after so reading them in order is recommended. However the consequences here aren’t showing yet really and the author do made a recapitulation sufficient enough so you wouldn’t feel lost if you start with book 2 . So you only have to see what you are really looking for if it’s a really good romantic suspense better past this one ( or start with it) because Wheels on Heels is more what you are looking for. If you simply want a contemporary romance with some action and a touch of military then book 2 could satisfy you

Score:  2,5/5

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

Challenges:

Shapeshifted ( Edie Spence 3) by Cassie Alexander

Hi!

           Slowly things are getting back to normal but the last weeks put my body under heavy pressure and now i must face the consequences still i wouldn't change it since my dog keeps improving.

Today i wanted to share with you my opinion on the 3rd book in the Edie Spence series because Cassie Alexander does write and release books quite rapidly so i'm way, way behind already^^; ( at least we don't have to wait 1 year between each book^^)

Happy Reading

Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks

Publication: 2013

ISBN:  0312553412

Genre: urban fantasy
Violence: mild
Language: mild
sex: none
Public: 18+

Source: bought

Short description from goodreads :

Nurse Edie Spence is once again called upon to save a life…and this time, it’s personal. Can her new community of zombies, vampires, and shapeshifters come to her rescue when she needs them most?


When Edie was fired from her paranormal nursing job at County Hospital, her whole world came crashing down. Now she’s is once again shaken to her core. Her mother is deathly ill and there’s only one thing that will save her: vampire blood. But with the paranormal community shunning Edie, where can she obtain it…without losing her own life in the process?

SHAPESHIFTED


Edie hopes to procure it at her new job at the clinic across town, where the forces of evil loom large. Vampire gang wars are rampant. Old underground enemies are rising to the surface. And Edie’s zombie ex-boyfriend has arrived at the scene—but is he the same man he used to be? And what should she make of the enigmatic doctor with whom she shares an unexpected connection? She’ll have to figure it out soon, because all hell is about to break loose—literally—and time is running out…

My opinion:

          I’m definitively warming at this series,  it’s even better than that I Loved this book!. Edie is maturing, she is starting to see what is the most important without loosing herself..i could only appreciate her this time. She is suffering from her shunning and then worse she learn her mother is dying from cancer….i know first hand how for a child to learn one parent is dying is something terrifying…we don’t know how to imagine ourselves without our parents, we rely on them even if only emotionally and then we learn it won’t last….we are never prepared for that and I guess it’s harder for Edie because as a nurse she knows how it will happen…. It’s even clearer for her... thus the feeling of unfairness, the want to do something to help even if she can’t.

To be honest I loved the fact she could think more about it at first she doesn’t doubt her decision, vampires blood can cure her so she need it.. but after a moment she also see the consequences….and understand how selfish it can be….. forcing her mother into servitude isn’t a life… she would breathe but in which condition? Which state? I must say I was glad Dren kept his promise even if he made him sound as a jerk because really he was acting to keep his promise not to hurt. Edie needed to be told the truth even if it something she didn’t want to hear.

 Also Edie is more stable…she isn’t sleeping around she can have lovers yes but she think about it now and I prefer responsible heroine.I thought that working in that hospital/ clinic was really a good thing for her, it has the stress from the job but in a positive way…. No contract on her head like before, in a way her soul is free. For the first time she think about her and it’s not easy so it’s a good thing in her case. Oki I was a little surprised she couldn’t believe in Olympio’s don at first, I mean after everything she had see she should be more open minded but I was funny and I loved the little phrases in Spanish…. I’m learning it so it was an interesting exercise. … I could imagine her opening a special clinic , even for supernatural, too without including shadows for example because after all…they do come to ask her help.

The plot was really well done and Cassie kept us on our toes, we could guess parts yes, predict some but at the end we were still surprised at how she created things. I definitively wants more and I do hope Edie won’t go back to her bad attitude, enter in the shadows powers or something like that. I loved to see more of Ti, Asher and yes even Jorgen….. I must say I’m really curious about what Anna will do after all she was shunned when Jorgen , at Dren’s order, came to her.. will that means Dren will have to pay?  I do hope he will be the one punished because Jorgen acted bad but he is paying a high price for his stupidity already.

It’s really becoming a series I enjoy more and more so I can only hope it will continue to be that way. If you love urban fantasy mixed with medical…..this is a series for you. (I do wonder if nurses, all, steal as much as edie^^;;)

Score:  4/5

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

Challenges:

Death’s Rival ( Jane Yellowrock 5) by Faith Hunter

Hello to all,

                      I don't often post  review on Sunday but the week went too quickly and i didn't want to miss a week so here i am. My dog is still improving and you can imagine how happy i am to see him ask for food and having more energy, now i just have to be on par with him. On the reading side things like to get in the way to reduce my free time while there are several books i just want to jump into it. Hopefully things will calm down and my health stabilize so  i won't have to wait longer^^

Until that happen, i'm sharing with you what i though of book 5 in the Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter.

Happy reading

Publisher: ROC

Publication: 2012

ISBN: 0451464850

Genre: urban fantasy
Violence: strong
Language: normal
sex: none
Public: 18+

Source: bought
 

Short description from goodreads :

 Jane Yellowrock is a shapeshifting skinwalker you don’t want to cross—especially if you’re one of the undead…


For a vampire killer like Jane, having Leo Pellisier as a boss took some getting used to. But now, someone is out to take his place as Master Vampire of the city of New Orleans, and is not afraid to go through Jane to do it. After an attack that’s tantamount to a war declaration, Leo knows his rival is both powerful and vicious, but Leo’s not about to run scared. After all, he has Jane. But then, a plague strikes, one that takes down vampires and makes their masters easy prey.



Now, to uncover the identity of the vamp who wants Leo’s territory, and to find the cause of the vamp-plague, Jane will have to go to extremes…and maybe even to war.

My opinion:

          I’m starting to wonder where the author wants to take us…. I still love the concept and it’s originality : a skinwalker with a beast soul joined to her…. I love the story in general but the romance part is starting to get on my nerves I guess.

I can stand a love triangle if it has some substance but in this case Jane  has exceeded the triangle a long time ago … first there were Leo, Bruiser and Rick, then you add Derek lee ( at least a minimum) now seems like the new character Eli is on the rank too…..  it’s a little too much in my opinion especially when Beast don’t want to choose and just take them all….

First she can’t trust Rick I don’t even think she trusted him once but since the last book he decided to join PsyLed which is opposite to Jane’s Camp…so he is out ( even without the fact he got were and could change her) Leo…. Arg I dislike him even more after this book, one book makes him more approachable the next shows how a jerk, arrogant and totally disgusting man he can be….. Bruiser….he was the one who had the more chances if he wasn’t Leo ‘s Pet… now it show how that come first before all the rest ( no I don’t forgive him) Derek Lee… they should get their fight to establish where each of them is and then perhaps though he sound a little too intolerant … now Eli….i guess he is the best placed right now: yes he is fully human but strong, loyal and protective and responsible ( and his brother just is a bonus since Beast likes Kit)

Now this book is urban fantasy not full romance so as long as this stays in the background I think I will continue to enjoy the story but simply…. I want to see Jane takes some decision and stick to them.

The story in Death’s Rival is an excellent new instalment in the story because we do learn more about Jane ‘s past and history which help to understand her better…and the investigation is really interesting with suspense and twist that keep you hooked and turning the pages.

After the events in the last book, Jane is alone mostly. Her relationship with Rick is in standby to say the least and her friendship with Molly broken (that part I really regret). Beast is more active and… in a sense more sentient that before she can hide things from Jane but we learn that she decided to stay with her and that speak a lot about Beast loves for Jane which she has come to consider like her kit.

Before Jane wanted to leave New Orleans but we find her again in the service of Leo and really busy. A plague, an illness that can actually kill vampires has spread and some clan have sworn allegiance to another master than Leo after being infected…. Not believing in coincidences, Jane is investigating the case when she is nearly killed several times….Leo ‘s rival  is threatening him  under the pretence of a murder Jane would have committed. Things aren’t that simple though and Leo decides to take drastic measures to protect himself and his…. Which result in a trust completely broken… between him and Jane but also Jane and Bruiser ….yes he is an old vampire who  thinks with the laws of the past but  I was really put off by his actions and he dropped from my list of liked characters in matter of second… how Jane can still work for him I wonder. I hate even more Katie, Jane saved her, helped her and at the first occasion she turn against her, really disgusting.

Since the vamps can’t be trusted and Derek has started to add more member to his group, Jane decide to get her own team she could trust and then enter Eli, former ranger, good fighter and loving brother of a young adult Alex, on probation for hacking in official security system….the chemistry between them is instantaneous and really funny too since Jane act more as a mother than a boss bargaining junk food against shower^^;;. Both are really talented and a great addition to her team if she can win their complete trust and loyalty.

With a war on their door, trusting problems and some secrets to keep, Jane has really a lot on her plate.

If you don’t mind a girl that can’t make her mind, love actions, vampires as well as others creatures and humour too ^^ this is a series and a book for you ( to read in order)

Score:  3,5/5

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

Challenges: