Immortal Eclipse Review

Immortal Eclipse

Sherry Soule

Publisher: Disenchanted Publishing

I received this as an ARC for review from the author in exchange for an honest opinion.

 A devoted fashionata and practical New Yorker, Skylar Blackwell doesn’t believe in the supernatural—until she inherits Summerwind Mansion. . . . 

When her uncle is brutally murdered, and the cops seem uninterested in following up the case, Skylar journeys to California to seek answers. Her search for clues is soon overshadowed by haunting nightmares of a young woman also murdered in the house. Now the inhabitants of Summerwind are mysteriously dying, leaving no evidence as to how or why, and Skylar finds herself in a deadly race against time to expose the killer—before they strike again. The problem is . . . whoever it is may not be human.

After losing her job, Skylar decides to move the California for a while to wrap her recently deceased uncle’s estate, but discovers that all is not right at his mansion. Something seems to be stalking Skylar and the staff are less than welcoming. When unexplained things start happen Skylar quickly has to decide if there is a logical reason for everything or is it something else entire…?

Skylar is a definite fashionista – she loves looking good and shoes especially. At the same time she is firmly rooted in practical world and has little time for superstition and supernatural. I liked her even if I thought she was a little slow to grasp what was happening at times. Her friendship with Emma and blossoming relationship for the estate manager, Dorian help explore different aspects of her personality. Dorian is a little hot/cold which is a little frustrating – I couldn’t help thinking if he was a little more open they would have saved themselves a lot of trouble! There were a lot of secondary characters though that were little more than ciphers – a hostile butler and disapproving housekeeper, the friendly stable-lad, all of which could have been developed more. However, Skylar is likeable enough and Dorian fits the damaged alpha male role well.

The house and grounds are creepy and well described – I loved the idea of a gothic mansion with ghosts and history haunting it. In fact I feel the story could work very well as a film – there were some great scenes which I could picture perfectly particularly near the end. The start of the story was a little slow but sets the scene and builds towards a fast-paced finale. I really liked the ideas and plot which took some usual stereotypes and twisted them into a fresh twist on the genre. Nice characters, good story, there is some great potential here and I think Sherry could be one author to keep an eye on! 

Recommended for fans of Heather Graham and Nora Roberts. 7 out of 10

My Book Haul / Showcase Sundays

This is Books, Biscuits and Tea's Showcase Sunday where I share my lovely book hauls each week. Have a look back at Vicki's link up to see what everyone is up too!

So Sarah and I were away all week in Portugal and spent most of it reading. It was a lazy week and very nice - unfortunately I returned yesterday to more bad news so all the good has pretty much been wiped out already. Still I did managed to read some good books while we were away including another fantastic installment in the Dresden Files - Ghost Story by Jim Butcher, a fun anthology - Those Who Fight Monsters edited by Justin Gustainis, a quick visit to The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. I also finally started the City of Bones by Cassandra Clare and caught the penultimate visit to Bon Temps with Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris. So that's five books read this week...

You'd think being on holiday all week I wouldn't have any new books to share - and you'd be wrong! When I got back yesterday there was a pile of parcels waiting for me with some books I had ordered on line and a giveaway win!

Review

Poison - Sarah Pinborough

Publisher: Gollancz

POISON is a beautifully illustrated retelling of the Snow White story which takes all the elements of the classic fairytale that we love (the handsome prince, the jealous queen, the beautiful girl and, of course, the poisoning) and puts a modern spin on the characters, their motives and their desires.

I was chosen bu Gollancz Geeks to review Poison for them so I will be picking it up this week!

Won

Time Warped - Claudia Hammond

Publisher: Canongate

Have you ever tried to spend a day without looking at a clock or checking your watch? It's almost impossible. Time rules our lives, but how much do we understand about it? And is it possible to retrain our brains and improve our relationship with it? Drawing on the latest research from the fields of psychology, neuroscience and biology, and using original research on the way memory shapes our understanding of time, the acclaimed writer and broadcaster Claudia Hammond delves into the mysteries of time perception.
Along the way, Claudia introduces us to an extraordinary array of characters willing to go to great lengths in the interests of research, such as the French speleologist Michel, who spends two months in an ice cave in complete darkness. We meet one group of volunteers who steer themselves towards the edge of a stairwell, blindfolded, and another who are strapped into a harness and dropped off the edge of tower block. 
Time Warped shows us how to manage our time more efficiently, speed time up and slow it down at will, plan for the future with more accuracy and, ultimately, use the warping of time to our own advantage.

I won this over at Curosity Killed The Bookworm. Non-fiction is not my usual read but this sounds like it could be quite different and interesting! Thanks Ellie!

Bought

Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse #12) - Charlaine Harris

Publisher: Gollancz

Sookie has a murder investigation on her hands. 
A young girl has died at a vampire party - and it looks as though her lover, Eric, might be responsible. Eric swears he didn't do it, the police don't believe him, and even Sookie isn't so sure. Nor is she inclined to take his word for it, not having caught him enjoying the victim's blood minutes before she was killed.
But something strange is going on. Why had Sookie been asked to come to the fateful party a few minutes early - just to catch Eric in the act? And why had the victim spiked her own blood before approaching Eric? Was it simply because she wanted to be irresistable, or was it something more sinister?
Sookie will have to find out ... but it's the worst moment to investigate, as her Fae family are having troubles of their own and Sookie is, inevitably, drawn in. And there is one last complication. The cluviel dor her grandmother left her. It will grant her one wish, which could fulfil Sookie's heart's desire. The only problem is, she still doesn't know what - or who - her heart truly desires ...

With the final book out in hardback I'm just catching up on the latest paperback adventures with the end in sight now!

I've Got Your Number - Sophie Kinsella

Publisher: Bantam

A couple of glasses of bubbly with the girls at a charity do and Poppy's life has gone into meltdown. Not only has she lost her engagement ring, but in the panic that followed, she's lost her phone too. As she paces shakily round the hotel foyer she spots an abandoned phone in a bin. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number with the hotel staff. It was meant to be!
Except the phone's owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn't agree. He wants his phone back, and doesn't appreciate Poppy reading all his messages and wading into his personal life. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, phone messages and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents, can things get any more tangled?

I love a little chick-lit on occasion and Sophie Kinsella usually has a couple of good giggles!

Charlotte Street - Danny Wallace

Publisher: Ebury

Jason Priestley (not that one) has just seen her. They shared an incredible, brief, fleeting moment of deep possibility, somewhere halfway down Charlotte Street. 
And then, just like that, she was gone - accidentally leaving him holding her old-fashioned, disposable camera, chock full of undeveloped photos...
And now Jason - ex-teacher, ex-boyfriend, part-time writer and reluctant hero - faces a dilemma. Should he try and track The Girl down? What if she's The One? But that would mean using the only clues he has, which lie untouched in this tatty disposable...It's funny how things can develop...

Danny Wallace's non-fiction usually has me in stitches so I couldn't resist buying his first novel!

Loki's Wolves - K.L. Armstrong & M.A. Marr
Publisher: Atom

In Viking times, Norse myths predicted the end of the world, an event called Ragnarok, that only the gods can stop. When this apocalypse happens, the gods must battle the monsters--wolves the size of the sun, serpents that span the seabeds, all bent on destroying the world.The gods died a long time ago.
Matt Thorsen knows every Norse myth, saga, and god as if it was family history--because it is family history. Most people in the modern-day town of Blackwell, South Dakota, in fact, are direct descendants of either Thor or Loki, including Matt's classmates Fen and Laurie Brekke.
However, knowing the legends and completely believing them are two different things. When the rune readers reveal that Ragnarok is coming and kids--led by Matt--will stand in for the gods in the final battle, he can hardly believe it. Matt, Laurie, and Fen's lives will never be the same as they race to put together an unstoppable team to prevent the end of the world.

Kelley Armstromg is writing a new series with Melissa Marr so I had to have it!

So what have you been up to this week? 

Please don't forget to enter Sarah's Birthday Giveaway - win a book for yourself!

The Lady of the Rivers Review

The Lady of the Rivers (Cousin’s War #3)

Philippa Gregory

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Descended from Melusina, the river goddess, Jacquetta has always had the gift of second sight. As a child visiting her uncle, she meets his prisoner, Joan of Arc, and recognizes her own power in the young woman accused of witchcraft. They share the mystery of the tarot card of the “wheel of fortune” before Joan is taken to a horrific death at the hands of the English rulers of France. Jacquetta understands the danger for a woman who dares to dream. Married to the Duke of Bedford, English Regent of France, Jacquetta is introduced by him to a mysterious world of learning and alchemy. Her only friend in the great household is the Duke’s squire Richard Woodville, who is at her side when the Duke’s death leaves her a wealthy young widow. The two become lovers and marry in secret, returning to England to serve at the court of the young King Henry VI, where Jacquetta becomes a close and loyal friend to his new queen.

This is the third book by Philippa Gregory set during the Plaganets periods and the start of the War of the Roses, but the first book chronologically speaking as it focuses on the life of Jacquette of Luxembourg, who becomes the mother of the White Queen, Elizabeth Woodville. Jacquette is a new figure in history – there hasn’t been much study of her life despite the extraordinary events she lived through and was a part of. As such this really feels fresh and original – it’s not a character I’ve ever met before in historical fiction and that is something truly original these days!

Jacquette is a strong woman at a time when women who tried to control their own destines were brought low quickly. The example of Joan of Arc, who Jacquette meets when she is young is imprinted on her and since then she struggles to balance her own wants and needs against duty and way the world works. It was such a complicated time when the true King of England is not strong enough rule or even know his own mind leaving the court a mass of intrigue and politics and the dukes and royal kinsmen vie for position and power. Friendships and loyalties change frequently and it is fascinating seeing Jacquette wade in these waters while protecting her own family and battling her conscience.

Another element that I really enjoyed was the relationship between Jacquette and Richard Woodville, her second husband. They married for love at a time when love was not required in marriage – unusual in itself. Even more wonderfully they remained in love and had a very large family to prove it! Most historical fiction set at this period has more politics than romance in marriage and I loved seeing the way their relationship grew, changed and evolved over the years.

With The Lady of The Rivers Philippa Gregory is back to her strengths brining to life an extraordinary woman at a fascinating time.  I wasn’t keen on The Red Queen, mostly as I disliked the main character, but now I have fallen for Historical novels again – and am I glad I have The Kingmaker’s Daughters, the fourth book in the Cousin’s War already on my TBR pile!

Recommended for fans of Victoria Lamb and Mary Hooper. 8 out of 10

Throwback Thursdays #84 - Allison Hewitt Is Trapped

This is a great feature that Melissa at My World...in words and pictures has been doing for a while which looks at those wonderful books that are ALREADY on my shelves that we haven't got round to reading yet...

Allison Hewitt Is Trapped - Madeleine Roux

Publisher: Headline

Allison Hewitt and her five colleagues at the Brooks and Peabody Bookstore are trapped together when the zombie outbreak hits. Allison reaches out for help through her blog, writing on her laptop and utilizing the military's emergency wireless network (SNET). It may also be her only chance to reach her mother. But as the reality of their situation sinks in, Allison’s blog becomes a harrowing account of her edge-of-the-seat adventures (with some witty sarcasm thrown in) as she and her companions fight their way through ravenous zombies and sometimes even more dangerous humans.

I love me some zombies (not literally - yuk!) and of course I'm a blogger so why has this tale of blogger vs. zombie sat on my shelf for so long...? I haven't read a zombie book for a long while so perhaps this is the book to get back to the land of the undead. :)

So what zombie book should I have read by now...?

Shakespeare's Champion (Lily Bard #2) Review

Shakespeare’s Champion (Lily Bard #2)

Charlaine Harris

Publisher: Gollancz

Lily Bard has started over in the quiet town of Shakespeare, Arkansas, as a cleaning lady. One who works out her anger and the pain of her past in a martial arts class. For Lily, the gym is a place to get away from her troubles, not find more of them. But when she stumbles on the corpse of a local bodybuilder, his neck broken with a barbell, the town's underlying racial tensions begin to boil over. The white victim was connected to two unsolved murders of black residents in Shakespeare, and a dogged policeman is determined to stop the killing. Lily may have to decide whether to stay and fight for justice, or run away one more time.

For some reason I was convinced this was a cosy mystery series – and I really couldn’t be more wrong! There is violence of the extremes in Lily’s world with this book alone including death by beating, bombings, and racist extremists. Not that any of this is done badly, but it helps if you approach these books as a small town mystery/thriller rather than a cosy story. With this in mind it is an extremely competent mystery which starts for us with a death in Lily’s gym and ends in a big shoot out.

The writing is easy to relax into even if some of the events are not easy to read about. The town is boiling on the brink of social unrest between the black and white communities. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a city girl, or British but I find that kind of unrest in a small town difficult to understand in this day and age - I would hope that type of tension is less frequent these days (the book was originally written in 1997)!

Lily is still the same self contained survivor we met in Shakespeare’s Landlord but she seems to be forging friendships with other better even if opening up entirely isn’t easy for her. Her relationship with the local doctor, Carrie gives her some nice female friendship as otherwise Lily is surrounded by guys. A new love interest is introduced who has as much history and baggage as Lily so it will be interesting to see how this is balanced in the long term. Lily still isn’t the warmest of heroines and she likes to keep herself to herself, even in her own book, but she is constantly surprising and she is growing on me.

The murder mystery was intriguing and I have to confess I didn’t guess what was going on until near the end. This was a very good book that breaks expectations (or mine at least!) and entertained me throughout – and what more can you ask from a book?

Recommended for fans of Nora Roberts and Dean Koontz. 8 out of 10 

Early Review: The Boleyn King

The Boleyn King

Laura Andersen

Publisher: Ballantine Books - To Be Published 14th May 2013

What if Anne Boleyn had actually given Henry VIII a son who grew up to be king?  
Just seventeen years old, Henry IX, known as William, is a king bound by the restraints of the regency yet anxious to prove himself. With the French threatening battle and the Catholics sowing the seeds of rebellion at home, William trusts only three people: his older sister Elizabeth; his best friend and loyal counselor, Dominic; and Minuette, a young orphan raised as a royal ward by William’s mother, Anne Boleyn. Against a tide of secrets, betrayal, and murder, William finds himself fighting for the very soul of his kingdom. Then, when he and Dominic both fall in love with Minuette, romantic obsession looms over a new generation of Tudors. One among them will pay the price for a king’s desire, as a shocking twist of fate changes England’s fortunes forever.

Most of the historical books I have read have centred around the Tudor Court with the focus either on Henry VIII and his many wives or his children especially his daughters Mary and Elizabeth. This novel takes that ear and supposes that Anne Boleyn actually succeeded in providing Henry with a son and heir – how would history be different and more intriguingly how would it be the same…?

The story focuses around four young nobles at court – William, the young king just coming into his majority and determined to flex his , his sister Elizabeth, a shrewd political mind with feelings for a young married Robert Dudley, Minuette, lady in waiting to Elizabeth and long-time friend to the royal siblings and Dominic, William’s best friend and counsellor. William is definitely his father’s son with his short temper and desires but with enough of the Boleyn shrewdness mixed in. As the story progressed I wasn’t sure I liked him as a person, but I understood how he reacted. Considering he is an entirely fictional character, he feels like a Tudor king and the whole story cleverly weaves together events and characters that actually happened with this possible world. Considering this is a fantasy historical fictional, I was hard-pressed to tell the difference between make believe and reality. It is also nice to read a historical story that I genuinely didn’t know what was going happen. The drawback with many historical novels is that you know who marries whom and who gets the throne – here, it all felt fresh and invigorating while still maintaining the feel of a historical novel!

Minuette, lady in waiting has a hard task to walk the line between clever and naïve but seems to manage it without seeming sly or cloyingly innocent. Elizabeth is recognisable as a princess who grew up with her mother still very much alive and her sharp eye misses nothing. I really like the way the Kings Uncle, Lord Rochford was regent and the master behind the throne during William’s childhood. He is an intriguing character that I look forward to see more in the next books in this trilogy. The only character who actually disappointed me was Anne Boleyn herself. From what I’ve read I can’t believe that she would have let her brother handle all state affairs without becoming involved herself. Still it was interesting to see the woman who refused to be Henry’s mistress and held out for a crown for 6 years if she had lived longer.

There is a lot of politics in this novel as well romance with a sprinkling of war and intrigue.  I found myself very involved in the story, although I was surprised occasionally at the leaps forward in time. The writing just grabbed me and pulled me into a past that never-was but could have been. Excitement and what could-have-been from characters that felt real and were appealing. The novel is original and sharp and I really can’t wait to read the next books in this trilogy!

Recommended for fans of Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory. 8.5 out of 10

My Book Haul / Showcase Sundays

This is Books, Biscuits and Tea's Showcase Sunday where I share my lovely book hauls each week. Have a look back at Vicki's link up to see what everyone is up too!

I was a bit of a slow reader this week and only finished two books this week (well up to Friday night when I'm writing this!) - Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs - a great entry in this UF series and The Boleyn King by Laura Andersen - a wonderful slice of historical fantasy!

Even if I'm not in the country today, I wanted to share some books I picked up this week.

This week I went on a bit of a buying spree. My brother's girlfriend and I discovered a book sale in town last Sunday which had a wonderful selection of secondhand and nearly new books. All proceeds went to a local charity and each paperback was only 10p! So of course I couldn't resist picking up a few bargains...plus I requested a couple of items from Netgalley!

For Review

Forsaken By The Others - Jess Haines

Publisher: Zebra

The Others–vampires, werewolves, things that go chomp in the night–don’t just live in nightmares anymore. They’ve joined with he mortal world. And for private investigator Shiarra Waynest, that means mayhem…
Have a one night stand with a vampire, and you can end up paying for it for eternity. P.I. Shiarra Waynest, an expert on the Others, knows that better than most. Yet here she is, waking up beside charismatic vamp Alec Royce with an aching head…and neck. Luckily, Shia has the perfect excuse for getting out of town–namely, a couple of irate East Coast werewolf packs who’d like to turn her into a chew toy.On Royce’s suggestion, Shia temporarily relocates to Los Angeles. But something is rotten–literally–in the state of California, where local vampires are being attacked by zombies. Who could be powerful enough to control them–and reckless enough to target the immortal? Following the trail will lead Shia to a terrifying truth, and to an ancient enemy with a personal grudge...

This is a nice series and although I'm a book behind in the series I couldn't resist when I saw it up for review on Netgalley

Mist - Susan Krinard

Publisher:

Centuries ago, all was lost in the Last Battle when the Norse gods and goddesses went to war. The elves, the giants, and the gods and goddesses themselves were all destroyed, leaving the Valkyrie Mist one of the only survivors. 
Or so she thought.
When a snowy winter descends upon modern-day San Francisco in June, Mist’s quiet existence starts to feel all too familiar. In quick succession, Mist is attacked by a frost giant in a public park and runs into an elf disguised as a homeless person on the streets…and then the man Mist believed was her mortal boyfriend reveals himself to be the trickster god, Loki, alive and well after all these years.
Loki has big plans for the modern world, and he’s been hanging around Mist for access to a staff that once belonged to the great god Odin. Mist is certain of one thing: Loki must be stopped if there is to be any hope for Earth. But the fight is even bigger than she knows….
Because Loki wasn’t the only god to survive.

This caught my attention as a the first in a new series - but the striking cover and a mixture of Norse mythology in modern times sounds like my sort of book!

Bought

Welcome To Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop of Dreams - Jenny Colgan

Publisher: Sphere

Were you a sherbet lemon or chocolate lime fan? Soft chewy ones or hard boiled sweeties (you do get more for your money that way)? The jangle of your pocket money . . . the rustle of the pink and green striped paper bag . . .
Rosie Hopkins thinks leaving her busy London life, and her boyfriend Gerard, to sort out her elderly Aunt Lilian s sweetshop in a small country village is going to be dull. Boy, is she wrong.
Lilian Hopkins has spent her life running Lipton s sweetshop, through wartime and family feuds. As she struggles with the idea that it might finally be time to settle up, she also wrestles with the secret history hidden behind the jars of beautifully coloured sweets.

Jenny Colgan is always a sweet read - and this one especially so!

Sleeping With The Fishes - MaryJanice Davidson

Publisher: Piatkus

Fred is not your ordinary mermaid. She's not blonde. She's not buxom. And she's definitely not perky. In fact, Fred can be downright cranky. And it doesn't help matters that her hair is blue. While volunteering at the New England Aquarium, Fred learns that there are weird levels of toxins in the local seawater. A gorgeous marine biologist wants her help investigating. So does her merperson ruler, the High Prince of the Black Sea. You'd think it would be easy for a mermaid to get to the bottom of things. Think again.

This is the first of a series and I enjoyed the first few Queen Betsy books so thought this was worth a little investment!

Born of Night - Sherrilyn Kenyon

Publisher: Piatkus

Awakened from a drugged sleep in a cold cell, the Princess Kiara finds herself a prisoner of the merciless marauders who threaten her father's planetary kingdom. Miraculously, a rescuer appears, but behind his fearsome mask is the handsome face of a dark avenger whose outlaw touch sets her very soul aflame.
They call him Nemesis. Once a renegade assassin, now a warrior-soldier sworn to protect the innocent from the ruthless mercenaries throughout the galaxies, he has many enemies. Besieged on every side, he knows he is a danger to the beauty he saves from certain death. But the lovely Kiara stirs a hungry longing in his battle-hardened heart, spurring him into a struggle that could restore his honor and heal the wounds of a beleaguered empire -- or tear Kiara from his arms forever...

I've never really gotten into Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series but thought the start of a new series might be worth a try as something different...

Lord of Snow and Shadows - Sarah Ash

Publisher: Bantam

Seemingly always the outsider, Gavril Andar - an impoverished young painter - yearns to join the privileged circles of Muscobar polite society. However, unbeknownst to him, he does have royal blood in his veins: the dark and powerful blood of a father he never knew - the Drakhaon, ruler of the isolated northern kingdom of Azhkendir. And when the Drakhaon is brutally murdered, an unwilling Gavril is forced to take up the mantle of both his father's rule - and his power. For blood will out. And the Drakhaon's carries within it a taint that gives its bearer access to awesome, unimagined magics - but at a soul-shattering price.
Now trapped in this bleak, mist-shrouded land full of superstition and racked by bitter rivalries, Gavril faces an awesome task. He must find his father's killer and unite his fractured kingdom against those who see it as weak, defenceless and ripe for invasion before he pays the price of kinship and succumbs to the dread curse that uncoils within him . . .

I've been curious about Sarah Ash's writing for a while and now I get to try it!

Bitterblue - Kristin Cashore

Publisher: Gollancz

Eight years after "Graceling," Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck's reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle--disguised and alone--to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past. 
Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck's reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn't yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

I really enjoyed Graceling and Fire so I wanted to get my hands on this for ages! Last Sunday I gave in and purchased it!

The Sacrifice - Charlie Higson

Publisher: Puffin

The sickness destroyed everyone over the age of fourteen. All across London diseased adults are waiting, hungry predators with rotten flesh and ravaged minds. Small Sam and his unlikely ally, The Kid, have survived. They're safe with Ed and his friends at the Tower of London, but Sam is desperate to find his sister. Their search for Ella means Sam and The Kid must cross the forbidden zone. And what awaits them there is more terrifying than any of the horror they've suffered so far .

I LOVE this series...London is left to the pre-teens as everyone else is either dead or infected. I can't wait to start reading this!

What have you picked up this week...?