Ghost Light ( Ivy Granger 2) by EJ Stevens

Hello to all!!!

                        I'm late to post a review this week but it wasn't because i didn't want to i simply had no time at all for me. Wednesday was my birthday and i didn't even got a few minutes to read or nap or even unwrap gift(s) that gives you an idea of how busy this week was.
Honestly if it wasn't for some blogger friends that took the time to write me or send me a little something it would have been a day like any other, nothing special so thank you once again to everyone who thought of me!


What did i decide to give you my opinion on today?  I wanted to focus on two challenges the take control of TBR pile and the read sequel one for that reason and because i enjoyed book 1 i jumped into Ivy Granger book 2....if i had to start again i would do things differently. First, i would like the novella taking place after book 1 and before book 2 " Blood and Mistletoe" ( worse is that i do have it on hand -_-) then i would have left months between reading both books to avoid being bothered by too many repetition.
It's one of the reason i don't reread a book soon, i can wait years without difficulties because if i read it when it's still too fresh in mind it annoys me to no end as it's too repetitive so i tend to skip pages etc. Well better to wait longer and savor the story.

So let see that in more detail with my opinion on Ghost Light by E J. Stevens.

Happy reading

Publisher: Sacred Oaks Press

Publication: 2013

ISBN:  0984247599

Genre: urban fantasy, paranormal
Violence: mild
Language: normal
sex: mild
Public: 18+

Source: won

Description from goodreads :

 Ivy Granger, psychic detective, thought she'd seen it all...until now.

With a vengeful lamia that only she can see on the city streets, reports of specters walking Harborsmouth cemeteries, and an angry mob of faerie clients at her office door, it's bound to be a long night. Add in an offense against the faerie courts and a few foolish bargains and one thing is clear—Ivy Granger is in some seriously deep trouble.

Ivy Granger is back, gathering clues in the darkest shadows of downtown Harborsmouth. With the lives of multiple clients on the line, she's in a race against time. Ivy finally has a lead to the whereabouts of the one person who can help her control her wisp abilities, but will she put the needs of her clients above her own?

If Ivy doesn't find a solution soon, she could wind up a ghost herself.

GHOST LIGHT is the second novel in the bestselling Ivy Granger urban fantasy series by E.J. Stevens.

My opinion:

          For this series i'm thinking that i will appreciate more if i don't read the books back to back, don't take me wrong the main story line, the universe and the separate investigation are good or perhaps even better than that but i have a problem with repetition.

In this book, the author made the story accessible even for those who haven't read the beginning yet  for that reason, i'm guessing, a lot of repetitions were used..not exactly repetition in this book but several whole passage were copied from book 1 either to introduce the universe or explaining the reasoning of Ivy...for me it cut my interest in the book at several occasion as simply it was still too fresh in my mind from book 1...after 2 thirds of the story though those "repetitions" disappear and i was again completely immersed and enjoying the story a lot. However, for those who have read the first instalment "Shadow Sight" first , i think you would do well to read the novella "Blood and Mistletoe" as well before starting this one. Now i haven't read it yet even if own it so i can't be sure it will fill the blank but for example Ivy speak a lot about Jenna and how she helped and trained her etc and that isn't explained in book  1. I'm hoping reading the novella will fill the blank and clear the confusion i felt sometimes.

That being said when the investigation really starts it's really an interesting one and we can see how the path Ivy is taking will be difficult. We learn more about her father and she is starting to remember her past with him better as well , she also dares to look into it. I really appreciated how she was maturing and trying to protect her friends and her lover ( that part was quite sweet)...now it ends with a cliffhanger not hard but still it angered me a little. So this is a good series i plan to continue but not in the near future either.

Score: 3,5/5

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

Challenges:

Do you have some series you prefer not to read back to back?

Dead until Dark ( Sookie Stackhouse 1) by Charlaine Harris

Hello to all,

           i'm sorry to post this so late, it was ready the beginning of the week but since my weekend was spent organising a special 24h ( which lasted even longer) Chtullu roleplaying game party.. i was simply too worn out to remember that i needed to post this review.

I haven't recovered yet either as more things piled up  but  slowly i will and let's start by this long awaited review of a far from new series but on ei'm only discovering now.

Happy reading

Publisher: Ace Books

Publication: 2008

ISBN:  0441016995

Genre: urban fantasy
Violence: strong
Language: normal
sex: strong

Public: 18+

Source: won

Short description from goodreads :

 Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of "disability." She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome - and Sookie can't 'hear' a word he's thinking. He's exactly the kind of guy she's been waiting for all her life.

But Bill has a disability of his own: He's a vampire. Worse than that, hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, with a reputation for trouble - of the murderous kind.


And when one of Sookie's colleagues is killed, she begins to fear she'll be next ..

My opinion:

          It took me quite a time before starting this series, somehow i was a little afraid but after reading the novella in the Dark secrets anthology, i wanted to read more of this author and thankfully i remembered that i had this book in my pile soi could start without delay.

I do like the author ‘s writing style, it’s clear and she built an interesting universe even if i don’t have all the rules yet, for example she tells us that vampires are the last one to have revealed their existence and got special right... i would have wanted to know a little more about the others paranormals.

The characters are well buit and so far i prefer Sam... who is there and loyal but not too much on the “ ownership” side. Bill  intrigues me he does seem to care for Sookie but somehow i’m not at ease with him. As for Jason, Sookie’s brother.. so far i dislike him greatly... i hate his behaviour but even more his reaction to Sookie past... of all other he should have been the one to trust her but not only he doubted her but he even accused her.

Sookie is interesting...she had a difficult life and her gift didn’t help ut despite everything she still is kind and looks for the positive... i quite admire that.

No i do prefer when the romance is building slowly along the book when it’s a serie slike this one so having Sookie jump in bed  in teh first book bothered me a little even if i do understand the circonstances and the importance of it for the plot so it’s okay just not what i prefer.

 The plot, hum it’s okay i did guess the murderer identity but  i’m more curious about the problem Eric is at this time. The rythm is just what it should be and it’s read quite easily.

I do plan to continue this series and i have the second one ready in the pile , i think so at least, so we will see if the pleasure continues

Score:  4/5

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

Challenges:

Phoenix Rising (Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences 1) by Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris

Hello everyone^^,

                           The first sunny week of summer has come to an end with again rain, rain and guess what? more rain. Fortunately for me, my reading shedule gave me such a pleasure that i could forget the weather.
To go on on my discovery of Steampunk and thanks to a contest on A.L. Davroe, i've got the opportunity to read Phoenix Rising by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris...i 'm so glad for it. Even better, i've found that apart of book2 already available, there are also several short stories *__* i want those pdfs as soon as i can *_* but those are available for free in podcasts on the series' official website. Now it's my first time with podcast but i loved the one i tried ( however english not being my native language i still have difficulties with listening comprehension thus the reasons i want the pdf of those stories too^^)

So, today, i will introduce you to this wonderful series and it's first book Phoenix Rising: (be cautious of the sparks and explosive...)

Happy reading

Publisher: Harper Voyage

Publication: 2011

Genre: steampunk, romance, suspense
Violence: strong

Language: normal
sex: Mild ( lot of allusions) 

Public: 18+

Source: Won on A. L. Davroe ( thank you so so much!)

Short description from goodread :

 Evil is most assuredly afoot—and Britain’s fate rests in the hands of an alluring renegade . . . and a librarian.

These are dark days indeed in Victoria’s England. Londoners are vanishing, then reappearing, washing up as corpses on the banks of the Thames, drained of blood and bone. Yet the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences—the Crown’s clandestine organization whose bailiwick is the strange and unsettling—will not allow its agents to investigate. Fearless and exceedingly lovely Eliza D. Braun, however, with her bulletproof corset and a disturbing fondness for dynamite, refuses to let the matter rest . . . and she’s prepared to drag her timorous new partner, Wellington Books, along with her into the perilous fray.

For a malevolent brotherhood is operating in the deepening London shadows, intent upon the enslavement of all Britons. And Books and Braun—he with his encyclopedic brain and she with her remarkable devices—must get to the twisted roots of a most nefarious plot . . . or see England fall to the Phoenix!

My opinion:

          A wonderful example of steampunk! I loved all the gadgets and the investigation parts. The Characters are so fun and they still keep a lot of secrets for the readers and for each others so the series is really promising.

The relation Welly has with his father is strange and makes me so curious. We can guess it wasn’t easy for him to distance himself from this strong figure and part of me would be so delighted to read a meeting with Miss Braun  just to see the reaction of Welly ‘s father.. it could be so fun.

Eliza Braun is crazy in love with dynamite , when asked to choose between back up and black powder she choose the powder and the result is a lot of work for clean up team and for the ones responsible for keeping everything secret. Hard to find logic explanation for so many destructions. Because of her petulant behaviour she is partnered with Wellington in the archives, so far from the field she is accustomed for, however some will have great surprises if they thought it was going to keep her calm.  Proud woman from New Zealand, she will shake the British archivist and every ones that cross her path. 

I absolutely loved all the opera part, really you should read it it ‘s action packed, funny, everything ^^

The other characters aren’t lacking either. The ministry of seven is cute, cunning and so resourceful.

Director Sound is secretive and must have a plan to pick those two agents and put them together. As for the plot, with so many villains part of so many secret society it’s a just a bit difficulty to guess who is who but at least we know we will have a lot of actions. Phoenix society, House of usher ( from whose we know nearly nothing yet) and Lord Sussex scheming plot… while this book has a proper ending , we really want more and the series is really promising.

As for the romance part:  I love how it’s developing. Currently it’s more one sided Books is really attracted to Eliza but not acting on it yet and while she loves to tease him she must first find closure on her “affair” or lack of it with Harrison. However even if she is comparing them she is slowing appreciating Wellington more and more so it’s  a great promise for the rest of the series while they are learning about each other.

I wholeheartedly recommend it. It was pure pleasure and if I wasn’t for the orgy part it would have be great for a larger public but as it stands for adult readers only.

Score:  5/5

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

Challenges:

This book enter in the Romance and Me Challenge

Book read for the 2012 TBR reading