Awakened by PC and Kristen Cast (Audiobook)

Exonerated by the Vampyre High Council and returned to her position of High Priestess at Tulsa's House of Night, Neferet has sworn vengeance on Zoey. But Zoey has found sanctuary on the Isle of Skye and is being groomed by Queen Sgiach to take over for her there. Being Queen would be cool, wouldn't it?


And what about Stevie Rae and Rephraim? The Raven Mocker refuses to be used against Stevie Rae, but what choice does he have when no one in the entire world, including Zoey, would be ok with their relationship? Does he betray his father or his heart?

I received this in some time ago in Feb and as I personally do not get along with audiobooks I asked on twitter if anyone would like this and a friend of mine, Kenneth immediately said yes! I grilled him to find out if he even knew that this was a teen novel and in the paranormal romance catergory.  I totally got slapped down by Kenneth as he was an avid fan of the books.  That will teach me to pigeon hole my mates!

Subsequently I thought: hey, let's get Kenneth to review this one, and he has.  In his own words:

**minor spoilers alert**

It's been a few years now since I stumbled upon the house of night books by P.C. Cast & Kristen Cast and I am glad that I did!

Here is why:

I was looking for something that wasn’t Twilight! I had read the first of those books and I didn’t like the depressing angst feel that Stephanie Meyer does when she writes and I was between Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris so I was looking for something to fill the gap as it were.

So there I was going through the Audible UK website having credits to use and I stumbled upon the first and second books in the “House Of Night” books and I was hooked.

The way the characters are written realistically and unpretentiously was a breath of fresh air to me, the way that these characters may not like each other and in some case hate each other whilst still being grounded in a world that is recognisable as our own was inspired in my opinion.

(I am an avid tweeter (@kennethwilsonuk if you wish to follow I would love to hear from you.)

Anyway I was on twitter a few weeks back and the Blog-Mistress of Doom (Liz: this is now my official title, people!) aka ( @Lizuk ) {whom is lovely!} ran a competition to her followers with a the first to tweet back who wants to win a copy of the new (HON) audiobook so I tweeted back I did and was lucky to be the first.... though not the only one and with some chuckling on my part I had to prove that I knew about the world of Zoe Redbird & Nyx & Aphrodite; which I did and I was sent the latest book as the prize.

AWAKENED is the 8th book in the House of night series and picks up like all but the first one immediately after events of the previous book BURNED.

We find Zoe and Stark are on Skye recuperating after their epic adventures of Burned and while Zoe is trying to feel whole again after having her soul fragmented and then put back together again, Neferet is up to her no good deeds as always and delves further and further into the darkness that’s been consuming her since the beginning of the series and this descent forms a big part of Awakened!

The said name of the book is multi layered as well and throughout the book these Awakenings become apparent: some are balls out obvious and some are very metaphysical in nature. I was also impressed by the writers and their commitment to their mystical aspects of the world they set up for the series, where pagan and Native American cultures and beliefs combine to be something believable. Thus far, in the whole series I have never questioned what is and what isn’t real in this world - as an agnostic myself that’s an impressive feat I think.

Also, the writers deserve applause for not shying away from issues of sexuality and death, especially the lengths that Neferet goes to, to lure Zoe back from Scotland to Tulsa. What Neferet does to Jack is awful but the way it backfires on her is great - it was a powerful bit of writing.

The way that the book continues the ever more important Stevie Rae branch of the House of Night part of the tale is more and more enjoyable with every book and I look forward to what happens with her and the red vampires and Rephraim in the future.

If there are any negatives about the book it’s that at times there is some story telling problems with the back and fro of the characters but this has been the case since the beginning and doesn’t really take away from the book(s) in general.

The other issue I had was with the narrators “attempt” at Scottish brogue was terrible and each time I heard it was pulled out of the story as I was laughing my ass off. Sadly I don’t think this was intended by the authors as the dialog is perfectly realistic Scottish and if you get this as the audio book be prepared to laugh at those bits but as they are mainly kept to the first quarter of the book then it’s forgivable.

All things said and done this was one of my fave entries of the series to date and I give it

8 out of 10

***

Thanks Kenneth for an awesome and honest review.  Awakened, both the actual physical novel and the audiobook, is out now to buy online / real life shops.

Need by Carrie Jones

Sarah Bryars has kindly offered to review Need by Carrie Jones for MFB. I am very pleased that she did because it's a fab novel, one I raved about madly last year when I bought the hardcover in from the States. Now it's come to the UK, thanks to Bloomsbury, and I can't be a happier fan-girl. Here you go, Sarah's review:

Synopsis

Following the death of her beloved stepfather, Zara is forced to leave Charleston and her mother to live with her grandmother, Betty, in Maine. The move is bad enough, but when Zara realises she has been followed across the country by a strange man, things get even worse. Local boys are disappearing, she hears a voice calling her name in the night, mysterious figures seem to flit in and out of the shadows of the forest, and Zara’s sure her mother and Betty are hiding something from her. Life is made a little easier by new-found friends Issie and Devyn, and possible love interest Nick, but even they are keeping secrets from her.

The blurb on the back of this suggests that Need is a kind of mash-up of Stephen King and Stephenie Meyer which made me raise an eyebrow. Part way through I changed my mind; it’s true! Need has an atmospheric, almost hypnotic quality to it which I wasn’t expecting. Added to that is a growing feeling of unease and dread. Zara is sent to her grandmother’s house when her mum finds her behaviour after the death of her stepfather worrying. Once there she finds the lifestyle a complete culture shock; the weather, the clothes and the sense of isolation all make her wish she could go home.

The tension soon ramps up as she sees a man, pointing at her from the side of the road. She recognises him as the same one she saw on the way to the airport. Once at her grandmother’s she sees him again and when she leaps out of the car to see where he went all that’s left is a trail of glitter. Zara uses phobias as a coping mechanism, she chants them to herself in times of stress and each chapter starts with a different phobia which is a nice touch. Her first days at school see her making new friends and enemies; Issie and Devyn are sweet characters. I started to warm to Zara as her relationship with Issie developed. Nick is also an intriguing character; throughout the book I was first for him then unsure of his motives. As a whole, the supporting characters are both entertaining and intriguing – they add to the growing mystery.

Zara discovers that the problem with Maine is pixies added to which boys are going missing. The deeper that Zara gets into the problem the more creepy it becomes. The pixies in Need are much like the fairies in Wicked Lovely, just plain nasty at times. As the snow begins to fall and the sense of isolation and danger increases I was whipping through the pages to find out what was going to happen! Without giving away too much of the story, pixies aren’t the only things that Zara has to deal with. The mother/daughter relationship was really well handled too, the distance that had grown between them was caused by secrets which slowly unravel. The tight band of grief that is strangling Zara slowly starts to loosen in Maine. She starts to open up and she allows little bits of information to slip out which start to put the jigsaw together.

The ending was quirky enough to make me want the sequel. In fact, it’s the sort of ending that plays on your mind a bit. I kept thinking, “Well, what’s going to happen with that?” To sum up, Need has enough to offer which is different to make this series gripping. For me, there can never be too many supernatural beings anyway, so there’s more to love!

Need is out now from Bloomsbury UK and the sequel will very soon be with us!

Guest Review: The Dark Horse by Marcus Sedgwick

Synopsis:

A boy destined to lead his clan; a girl raised by wolves; a stranger with a sealed box. These are the elements of this powerful novel, set on a rocky northern coast in a distant time, in a small community who live in dread of the coming of the legendary warrior tribe, the Dark Horse. Told in part by the boy, Sigurd, himself, it is a dark and dangerous story of conflict and betrayal. With its strong sense of time and place and the magic of a primitive people, THE DARK HORSE again confirms the exceptional talent of Marcus Sedgwick.

The Dark Horse by Marcus Sedgwick ought to be read in the glow of a crackling fire whilst listening to the bluster of wind beyond the window. It is a tale that smells of the raw fish and animal skins of pre-history and yet is timeless in the telling; a tale that evokes barren landscapes, crashing waves, and the cruelty of winter. The cold seeps through every page, held at bay only by the light of the campfire and the skill of the storyteller.

Sedgwick’s language is sparse, but always evocative. His characters are three-dimensional, consistent and familiar, despite the far-away feel of the setting. But just like characters of the real world, each of the Storn have secrets and surprises for the reader.

By now you might be getting the hint that I really enjoyed reading this book! I was immediately drawn to the intriguing character of Mouse, with her ability to communicate with hounds and leap into the mind of a bird. And I came to love Sigurad for his bravery and warmth.

The narrative switches between first and third person, a risky strategy for any writer. At first I was only interested in the story as told in first person because it outlined how Mouse came to live with the people of Storn. I was less engaged by the third person. But as the story went on, and the narratives became entwined, I noticed the switch between them less and less, until I hardly noticed the switch at all. There is no doubt about it: Sedgwick is masterful in his handling of language.

As much as I enjoyed this book, my only fear would be is that this is the kind of story that adults’ love, and kids wonder what the fuss is about. The shortness of the chapters kept me turning the pages (a lot of them were only a couple of pages long) and I suspect would keep kids reading too. However, I think what kept me hooked was the beauty of the writing rather than the strength of the story. A week later, I can remember the characters and their world, but struggle to remember how the story ended.

All in all, I really, really enjoyed this book. I liked the fairly predictable twists and turns of the plot that had that had an almost mythic feel, and particularly enjoyed the lyrical beauty of the language. A perfect read for a cold afternoon in winter.

***

The above guest review blog post was brought to you by my friend Sharon Jones (@PoodlePowered on Twitter). Sharon and I met without realising it at the SCBWI Winchester Conference last year - we've been speaking on Twitter before the conference and then attended a few talks together at Winchester but not realised who the other person was till after the fact!
Yes, this happens in real life, not just romcoms from Hollywood.

When I told Sharon that I'll be hosing the Marcus Sedgwick Author Month she came close to being histerical and I roped her in to review something for us. I sensed a fellow fan.

This is one of the MS books that I've not read yet and I'm looking forward to indulging in reading it. I love Sharon's enthusiasm for the uniquely named Mouse who sounds anything but timid. I fully appreciate her remarks that some of the nuances may bypass the age-group it was intended for but then I also think that if one of the younger folk read it and liked it, they would no doubt revisit it when they are older and then fully appreciate the depth and scope of the story. I'll be sure to pop back with my own view(s).

So, thanks Sharon for this fantastic review! Sharon's a writer of YA fiction with a paranormal twist and you can find her website here.

Guest Review - The Five Greatest Warriors by Matthew Reilly

Synopsis

Captain West and his small team of elite misfits are on the trail of the six ancient pillars that can prevent the arrival of the 'dark star' a deadly celestial event that could bathe the globe in lethal radiation. But not only have the Ancients have hidden their secrets well, but also the huge potential to whomever locates and uses the pillars has attracted the attentions of the powerful all around the world. Jack West must now fight off crack mercenaries and special forces soldiers whilst preserving his entire team to figure out the secrets of the past...

I have loved Matthew Reilly’s books ever since I first picked up Ice Station almost a decade ago. However, two years ago almost to the day, I was sitting here cursing him. I had just finished The Six Sacred Stones, the second book in the trilogy of books featuring Jack West and I was fuming. I even rang my sister, herself a huge Reilly fan, and warned her about reading said book. Why was I so annoyed? It was because Matt Reilly had pulled a pretty sneaky trick on me (and yes, I was taking it personally!).

Let me explain. At the beginning of 2006 the author released Seven Ancient Wonders. It was a white-knuckle ride of an action-fest, something that came as no surprise to readers of his previous works. However, like many authors following the incredible success of the Da Vinci Code, this time he had thrown historical/archaeological elements into the mix, as well as creating for his protagonists a quest of astronomic proportions. Like all of his other books he also brought Seven Ancient Wonders to a satisfying conclusion – it worked well as a stand-alone novel. Fast-forward to January 2008 and we were presented with the hotly anticipated Six Sacred Stones. Same characters, same breathtaking action sequences, but a different and, if possible, even greater quest – this time to save the human race from total destruction. So far, so good.

However...... two thirds of my way in to the book and I began to frown. I had a growing anxiety. Jack West and his team must locate six ancient stones in order to save the world, yet he had only located a fraction of these. I was becoming increasingly worried that the story was going to run out of pages, with the last third of the story feeling hurried and poorly executed. It was only as I neared the final chapters that it dawned on me what was happening.... for the first time in his career Matthew Reilly had written a book that was going to end with a “To be continued” cliffhanger. Cheap trick sir!

So.... another two years has passed and finally, thanks to Jon Weir at Orion Books who sent me a copy, I have just finished reading The Five Greatest Warriors. And this time I’m smiling, not least because Matthew Reilly has had the decency to provide me with a conclusion this time. No cliffhanger. No “To be continued”. Just two long awaited words: “The End” (and I don’t think I am creating any form of spoiler by telling you this).

Anyway, rant over, is it actually any good? Well I can tell you that although I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, truth be told The Five Greatest Warriors is not Matthew Reilly’s best work (this can be found in his Scarecrow series). In places the action scenes begin to feel a little too repetitive but this is mainly due to there being so many of them. In 2009 movie critics hammered Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen for having too much action and this book is similar in this respect. After the first few forays into various Warrior Tombs and Ancient Vertices the outcomes become a little predictable and I began to lose some of the nervous anticipation I had previously been feeling as to the fate of the heroes in earlier scenes. However, having set up the premise with the previous book the author had to stick to the plot and these scenes are a necessity, so in an attempt to ramp up the tension he instead falls back on his oft used plot device of multiple cross and double-cross, completely stripping out any chance the reader has of second guessing what is going to happen next. And when you think you have it sussed – he suddenly introduces his most depraved and malignant villain so far (the way this man treats his captors will send shivers down your spine).

In other, more reproaching reviews the words you will read most often are unrealistic and implausible. To these readers I would say get the rod out of your pretentious ass and at least try to enjoy this for what it is – a pure escapist plot and a good old-fashioned adventure story in the spirit of the old Republic serials. You will see more than a few mentions of the author’s lack of respect for historical facts. To them I would say if you want historical FACT why are you reading a work of FICTION? This is not a school text book and Matt Reilly never pretends to be producing work of a historically accurate nature. Why is it that as a work of fantasy you can accept that there exists a great planet-saving machine developed by an ancient civilisation, yet you leap onto your high horse as soon as an author applies their artistic license to so-called historical fact in order to suit their story? I guess you don’t like steampunk either?!

I remember going to see Stallone’s Cliffhanger with an avid rock climber. After the film he ranted on and on about the implausibility of the scenes, yet I was grinning from ear to ear, feeling fully sated by the 100 minutes of non-stop OTT action I had just witnessed. In fact, I loved all of Stallone’s and Arnie’s action films of that era, despite their often laughable plotlines because of the macho adrenalin rush they gave me. And that’s how I feel about Matt Reilly’s books, The Five Greatest Warriors included despite its weaknesses. I enjoyed it for what it is meant to be which is a non-stop, breathless, white-knuckle ride of an action/adventure story, and nothing more. I use my own blog to promote the wealth of boy-friendly books that are out there, in the hope that it will encourage boys to read for enjoyment, and Matt Reilly’s books are perfect the boys who have grown up reading the Alex Rider books but now want something a little more adult-orientated (and more violent – boy readers just love violence in their stories). Excitingly (for me at least), in his interview at the end of the book Matthew Reilly states that there is more to come from Jack West and his team in the future. In fact, he intends to write four more books, taking us all the way down to The One something or other as well as the possibility of another Scarecrow adventure.

Matthew Reilly has his detractors, and believe me there are many. You only need to read through the multitude of 1 star reviews on Amazon to find out why some readers hate his work so much. In addition to the above, they claim: his action scenes are too formulaic (however well written they are); his characters are not realistic and lack any form of depth; his grammar, punctuation and over-use of italics and exclamation marks is infuriating; his inclusion of childishly simplistic diagrams of his settings which some readers find patronising; the list does go on and on. And if I am perfectly honest I freely acknowledge that many of their criticisms are justified. However, like Matthew Reilly himself, I really do not care. I love these books and feel no shame for this.... as far as I am concerned these literary snobs can keep their tedious, high-brow tomes. I would much rather live off a diet of Matthew Reilly – the fish and chips of the book world compared to their noveau cuisine!

***

A massive thank you to Mr. H from The Book Zone: Books for Boys. If you're on Twitter, follow Mr. H as @BookZone. We bonded in geek-love for all things action adventure and spend many hours chatting about favourite authors like Will Adams, David Gibbins, Paul Sussman to name but a few. I love Mr. H's website because his enthusiasm for his subject matter shows and he tries to concentrate on books for boys, even if they have female main characters. He's also a teacher and VP of his school, so I can urge you enough to drop by his blog and make pals with him.

Death Wore White by Jim Kelly (Guest Review)

I met the amazing Fiona J Mackenzie online on Twitter and after much chatting to and fro, offered her a book to read as she was at a bit of a impasse on what to read. I had a bit of an excess and sent her a copy of one of the newly published book by Jim Kelly (Penguin), Death Wore White. And then she went and surprised me with a review which I am hugely grateful for!

I am hoping, like Tina and Amber that Fi will be able to make regular guest appearances on MFB blog as a) it's always nice to have someone new stopping by and b) she's an author and therefore her reviews are a lot more techinical and concise than mine, for instance, so it is a tremendous learning curve for me to indulge in reading her work.

Without further mutterings from me, the review for Jim Kelly's Death Wore White:

Synopsis

At 5.15 p.m. Harvey Ellis was trapped – stranded in a line of eight cars by a blizzard on a Norfolk coast road.

At 8.15 p.m. Harvey Ellis was dead – viciously stabbed at the wheel of his truck.

And his killer has achieved the impossible: striking without being seen, and without leaving a single footprint in the snow . . .

For DI Peter Shaw and DS George Valentine it’s only the start of an infuriating investigation. The crime scene is melting, the murderer has vanished, the witnesses are dropping like flies. And the body count is on the rise . . .

A blizzard rages on the Norfolk coast and eight cars are trapped in deep snow on a country road. In the lead vehicle the driver has been brutally murdered, there are no footprints in the snow and at the same time within half a mile of the stranded vehicles another dead man is washed ashore.

It is bitter cold, but that’s not the only bitterness in the air. Detective Inspector Peter Shaw, a ‘whiz-kid with the fancy degree’ and veteran copper Detective Sergeant George Valentine are ‘West Norfolk Constabulary’s latest investigative duo’. They have been paired up for just one week by ‘some joker in admin. …who knew the past and didn’t care about the future.’

Trouble is, Shaw and Valentine share a history; there’s a ten-year-old cold case that resulted in the disgrace of Shaw’s father and the demotion of Valentine ‘a man whose career trajectory looked like a brick falling to earth.’ Now Valentine has to come to terms with the younger man giving the orders.

Many questions arise from the two deaths, not least of all is whether there is a link between the two victims, and Shaw and Valentine have to battle against more than the Norfolk winter to find the answers. There is a complex cast of characters, each with their own agenda. Subtle clues are thrown up in a steady and accomplished way as the ingenious plot unfolds and all the while the cold case festers in the background.

Death Wore White is a traditional ‘whodunnit’ but with a contemporary update to the ‘locked room mystery’. The crime scene of the trapped cars means that the murder has been committed under apparently impossible circumstances and the murderer seems to have vanished into thin air. Suspects, motives and opportunities ebb and flow throughout the narrative like the Norfolk tides.

Written with a keen eye for detail the central characters are well defined, as is the bleak backdrop of an icy winter in Kings Lynn. The plot has plenty of twists and turns, not to mention more bodies, along the way. Unlike many fast and furious mystery novels, the style of writing has more depth and breadth and flickers with descriptive passages, similes and metaphors, occasionally at a slight cost of pace.

It is thoroughly researched, well written and with enough puzzles to demand the attention of the reader.

Jim Kelly’s earlier Philip Dryden series was awarded the 2006 CWA Dagger in the Library Award for producing a body of work greatly enjoyed by fans of the genre.

Death Wore White, about which Kelly says ‘I hope that I have captured the genuine spirit of detection,’ is the first in a new series featuring DI Peter Shaw (who was first introduced in Kelly’s previous Dryden book ‘The Skeleton Man’) and DS George Valentine. Fear not, with writers like Jim Kelly around the ‘spirit of detection’ is in safe hands.

Find author Jim Kelly's website here. And find our lovely reviewer, talented author and inspiration, Fiona McKenzie's website here. Can I just say how much I love this paragraph from her bio:

My default mode is shallow and frivolous, happily distracted by anything girlie; fashion, handbags, shoes, perfume, cosmetics and fresh flowers. I have elements of OCD but my desk is a mess. Go figure. Traces of geek manifest in my adoration of all things Apple. Did I mention shoes?

Grass by Catherine MacPhail (Guest Review)

We are very lucky to have nabbed Matt Imrie, the Teen Librarian, to do us a review of this excellent novel by Catherine MacPhail.

Synopsis

It would have been hard to miss what was written on the wall. Painted in giant whitewashed letters.

SHARKEY IS A GRASS

I hadn’t a clue who Sharkey was, but I knew one thing. Sharkey was a dead man.
Leo and Sean are best mates, they live in a town dominated by gang culture and lead by three brutal gang leaders Armour, McCrae and Nelis.

The sense of menace is faint but palpable from the early pages of the novel. Leo (the main character) and his friend Sean have grown up surrounded by the violence and fear that the gangs provoke, but are relatively untouched by the lifestyle that the criminals lead. Leading a life that most young people experience – following their local football team, avoiding the school bully boys and living a fantasy life of pretend CSI their lives are untouched by crime until, during a game of urban trespass Leo stumbles over a cache of guns in an abandoned house. Too frightened to tell even his best mate, Leo’s life turns into one governed by fear. Fear of discovery, fear of what the weapons will do in his town and fear of being labelled a grass if he ever told anyone about what he had discovered.

Things take a turn for the worse, when, while sneaking home one night he witnesses the brutal murder of McCrae, and is seen by the gunman –gang leader and hardman Armour. Terrified, he says nothing, but Armour knows that him and knows that he has kept his mouth shut and begins to involve himself into Leo’s life.

Through the novel we witness Leo’s attitude towards Armour and the life he presents begin to waver. On the one side is his family – loving and fearful of the criminals that infest the town and Armour, on the surface a violent criminal but claiming to want peace, to end the gang wars and go legit. Leo’s life changes, the bullies, once the bane of his life now look at him in fear, his father lands a job after months of unemployment and Veronika the girl he has loved from afar is now interested in him.

Leo’s life, once a simple black and white world is changed into one of shades of grey. His father and Armour both want peace, but his dads route of peaceful protest and signature gathering seems less likely to succeed that Armours idea of buying off his remaining opposition, so Leo agrees to perform small favours for Armour becoming a go-between between him and Nelis.

The deeper that Leo gets involved in Armour’s world the more his relationships with friends and family changes. His earlier choices once made agonisingly become easier as he drifts further from his moral centre. The honour he perceives within the criminal world becomes more meaningful than his relationships with friends and family, and, rather than become a grass he instead becomes ‘Armour’s Boy’ and dedicates himself to helping Armour forge a lasting peace.

His hero-worship of Armour is destroyed, when he overhears his plans to locate Nelis’ stash of guns and turn him in to the police. Outraged Leo confronts Armour who threatens his life and family if he grassed on him.

Alone and afraid Leo must rely on his ingenuity to remove the threat to himself and family without Armour becoming aware of his plans.

Grass is a phenomenal crime thriller for Young Adults, Catherine MacPhail has crafted a gripping and realistic story that avoids the easy ‘crime is bad’ message and instead portrays how easy it is to get sucked into a criminal underworld and illustrates the importance of knowing who your friends are.

Eternal Craving by Nina Bangs (Guest Review)

Here’s the blurb:

THE ELEVEN – an alliance of ultimate predators. Primal, lethal, irresistible.

THE PROPHECY – an ancient Mayan prediction that the world will end on 12.21.12

THE PREY – where can you hide from pure evil?

LIES. He’s been promised a new life as the hunter he once was. Al soon learns that all the rules have changed. Now he must control his most basic urges – the need to kill, to feed, to mate. And the woman he wants looks at him with both heat and fear in her eyes. Jenna Maloy doesn’t buy the story that he’s come to Philadelphia to save souls. She seems to see through the layers of deception to the primitive heart of him. With her beside him, Al stalks the dark forces that crouch in the city’s night shadows. But the real battle rages in his heart. Love is a formidable opponent. How can he ask her to stay with him after she’s seen the savagery of his beast? He only knows that if she turns from him he’ll be cursed with an eternal craving.

My first step into the realms of otherworld romance has turned out to be the best step I’ve made for a while. Al Edenka is a man with a past: a past of at least 65 million years. Led by Fin, Al and nine others are here to save humanity from Zero and his nine immortal followers. With one immortal banished back from whence he came, the Eleven have another battle on their hands. Though love is getting in the way – or is it lust?

Jenna Maloy turns up on her sister’s doorstep determined to find out more about her quick romance and marriage to the mysterious, yet devastatingly handsome, Ty. Kelly is secretive, to say the least, yet Jenna uses every journalistic skill she has to get to the bottom of things. Very quickly she realises she is out of her depth in a world she only dreamt existed. Her emotions are also spiralling out of control when the gorgeous Al walks into her life. With a mixture of fear and lust, Jenna doesn’t know how to respond to him.

With vampires, werewolves, a Fae King, immortals and dinosaur souls, I was quickly as lost in this world as Jenna, but not with her confusion. I was swept up in the fierce battles Al and the Eleven were embroiled in. I, too, found myself attracted to Al and became jealous when...well, I won’t say in case it spoils it for you.

The most mysterious character is Fin. He just doesn’t seem to fit in with any of the otherworlders. A bit of an oddity, an anachronism too. His fascination with numbers is a little neurotic and not completely explained. With his eyes determining his mood and his penchant for reading minds Fin is one we are sure to learn more about in the next novel.

As this is the second novel in the Gods of the Night series I now need to search out the first, Eternal Pleasure, where I will learn about Kelly’s introduction to Ty and the Eleven. Though I will have read them out of sequence it won’t spoil my pleasure of this author’s work. If, like me, this will be your first step into this unique romance style, you won’t be disappointed.

Eternal Craving is published by Dorchester Publishers and you can find the author, Nina Bangs' website here.

This excellent review has been written for MFB by Sarah Keery whom I met on Twitter as "SeriouslyKooky". She's also gone and set up her own blog so drop by or go and harrass her on Twitter. Hopefully, if I can bribe her with more books, she'll become a regular guest reviewer for MFB.

Twisted Metal by Tony Ballantyne (Guest Review)

We have teamed up with Dave Brendon of Dave Brendon's Fantasy & Sci-Fi Weblog to not only bring you a review of Tony Ballantyne's newest offering - Twisted Metal - but we are also running a pretty unique competition. Check out the details below the review.

In DB's words:

Picture this: you’re sitting at your desk, in front of the PC or with a notepad and a pen, fleshing out the characters for a book you’re writing. Whether or not the characters came before the plot doesn’t matter – you still need to make the characters engaging enough that readers will see themselves in the characters, otherwise the effort is wasted. Been there? I’m still there! ;-) Now, picture this:

None of the characters are remotely human. So how do you go about doing this? How do you create characters that will resonate with readers when those characters aren’t us? Well, let me tell you, Tony Ballantyne found the answer. Somehow.

I was honestly worried about the characters when I picked up Twisted Metal and began reading –I admit that freely; I’m sure you would be, too- but Tony proved my fears unfounded about 3 pages in and I settled down to enjoy an extremely well-told tale with some cool (and creepy) robots.

Twisted Metal: the city of Artemis is expanding, violently so. The philosophy of its people is leading the world into war and death as once-free states fall to the single-minded invaders; they have numbers, they have a purpose, and they will not rest until the whole continent belongs to Artemis – until the whole continent is Artemis. One of the last cities to be targeted by the Artemisian robots, Turning City is the home of free-thinking robots and one special robot in particular. Karel isn’t like other robots – people talk behind his back, look at him strangely, but most respect him. And when Artemis turns its attention to Turing City, Karel will take center stage in a conflict that will lead him to a legend, a legend that might just spell the end of life as robots have lived theirs.

Let’s dive into the book: Tony doesn’t beat about the bush or layer his prose with information – the tale flows so well that you’ll have finished 50 pages before you realize it, and Tony does well to reveal nuggets of info about the characters and their world, so much so that in practically every chapter you find out something new about something you thought you already knew; not only does this bring the world to vivid life in your mind, but it also keeps the tale interesting and fresh. Tony also manages to lead the reader exactly where he wants you to go, and then promptly knocks you upside the head with yet another final surprise that drives the point home: expect the unexpected, and trust that it’ll be cool.

Another reason I enjoyed this book so much was that Tony also makes robots a fresh and interesting concept – these robots are damn cool! They may not be able to stand up to a T800 (then again, they don’t have to) but they are a damn sight more interesting! Yet each robot is also unique, and the concept behind the creation of robots, how they are conceived, is utterly unique, cool and creepy at the same time. Oh, you will also wince in the battle scenes – Tony isn’t afraid to bring the pain!

So, worth a read? Definitely! Everybody is interested in robots, and to be given a glimpse into an entire world of them is something very cool – Tony has ventured into territory unclaimed and uncharted and made it his own, and even if you haven’t read any of his work before (Twisted Metal was my first Tony Ballantyne) and are looking for an interesting new look into what makes SF so cool, original, and immortal, then pick up Twisted Metal; you’re in for a very different, very cool ride!

DB Rates this at: 8.5 / 10

Be EPIC!

**Competition News**

DB and I have thought about this and we've decided to do the following. There are TWO copies of Twisted Metal up for grabs: 1 paperback and 1 hardback.

We are throwing the competition open ONLY to British peeps AND South African peeps. The UK peeps get the chance to win the paperback and the South African peeps get to win the hardback - this is of course due to postage costs.

Here's what you do: email us with your name and address to EITHER of the following addresses: ours - myfavouritebooksatblogspot(at)googlemail(dot)com or DaveBrendon's email: davebrendon(at)gmail(dot)com. Duplicate entries will be disqualified! Put TWISTED METAL in the subject line. The two winners will be chosen (via Random.org) from the combined list of entires we get. Competition ends next week Friday: 17th July 2009.

Good luck and yes, be EPIC.

Deadly Desire by Keri Arthur (Guest Review)

At my previous job, in the property industry, I met fellow reader and urban fantasy fan-girl, Carla Hale who became my touchstone of sanity. We would disappear into the kitchen for ages, talking about books, authors, books, authors, books, authors...you get the drift.

I supply Carla with some books which I don't have the time to read and she duly devours them in big gulps going NOM NOM NOM and loves me loads for giving her pretty books. It is a win-win relationship. All I have to do is now convince her to create an online blog or LJ account!

Synopsis:

Guardian Riley Jenson always seems to face the worst villains. And this time’s no different. For it’s no ordinary sorceress who can raise the dead to do her killing. But that’s exactly what Riley expects to find at the end of a trail of female corpses used—and discarded—in a bizarre ritual of evil. With pressure mounting to catch one fiend, another series of brutal slayings shocks the vampire world of her lover, Quinn. So the last thing Riley needs is the heat of the upcoming full moon bringing her werewolf hormones to a boil—or the reappearance of a sexy bounty hunter, the rogue wolf Kye Murphy.

Riley has threatened Murphy with arrest if he doesn’t back off the investigation, but it’s Riley who feels handcuffed by Kye’s lupine charm. Torn between her vamp and wolf natures, between her love for Quinn and her hots for Kye, Riley knows she’s courting danger and indulging the deadliest desires. For her hunt through the supernatural underworld will bring her face-to-face with what lurks in a darkness where even monsters fear to tread.

Carla says:

This is the 7th book in the Riley Jenson series and I am already looking forward to reading number 8 purely for the continuation (or maybe not?!) of the love affair between Riley and Quinn.

I found this book to be a bit on the weak side with regards to the actual story. There was a lot less mentioned about her brother Rhoan and his lover Liander who I grew to love in the other books.

There did not seem to be so much action with Riley and solving the murders - it all seemed a bit easy this time around.... but all that said.... I still cannot wait to read the next installment to find out exactly what happens with Riley and her two soul mates..

I'm rooting for Quinn all the way but reckon that her wolf side will win and Kye will be it!

Red Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells (Guest Review)

Reviewed by Skarrah (aka Lexi)

When Liz asked me if I wanted to review Jaye Wells’s RED-HEADED STEPCHILD, I pretty much ripped her arm off for the chance. I’ve been waiting for this debut and I was not disappointed.

A mission that seemed simple, if not a little inconvenient to her reputation, soon gets complicated and Sabina finds herself making friends and enemies and discovering things about herself and her family that she never even dreamed of. None of which is helped by Adam Lazarus, a sexy mage bringing her an appointment with destiny and a promise of power. Whether she likes it or not.

In a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina Kane has the only profession fit for an outcast: assassin. But, her latest mission threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races and Sabina must scramble to figure out which side she's on. She's never brought her work home with her---until now.

This time, it's personal.

Straight off, I have to say my favourite thing about the book was the way Ms. Wells has used Biblical mythology in crafting Sabina’s world. All vampires bear the mark of Cain and an apple a day won’t keep the doctor at bay.

That and a certain demon cat.

I couldn’t put the book down. There’s conflict on just about every page and the characters are both fun and funny. I loved watching as Sabina started to question the very foundations her life has been based on. I loved seeing her deal with her new found friendships, something she hasn’t had all that much practise in. Sabina is tough, she can kick ass, but that’s not all there is to her. For a half vampire Sabina is remarkably human. It’s that humanity mixed with her ability to mop the floor with smart mouthed tough guys that sticks with you and makes you want to keep turning the pages.

Whilst there are undoubtedly some sexy bits in this book I was over the moon to find out Sabina doesn’t jump in bed with the nearest red-blooded male. No matter how appealing he may be. It’s nice to read a woman that has her priorities in order, and sex not being at the top of the list.

All in all RED-HEADED STEPCHILD is a good solid read with something for everyone. There’s mystery, romance, action, a butt load of secrets and surprises all seamlessly woven together.

You can find Jaye Wells on her website http://jayewells.com/ or at http://reluctantadults.blogspot.com/ Her book RED-HEADED STEPCHILD is available now, published by Orbit.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

If any of you are as geeky as some of my friends and I, you would be very keen for next year to arrive, solely to get your grubby paws on the excellent debut novel by Carrie Ryan. I was fortunate enough to receive a manuscript copy from the US publishers a week or so ago and immediately set about reading it.

What an amazing talent Ms. Ryan has! She writes fluently, beautifully, delves into the deepest survivalist emotions and writes action scenes like she works for John Woo or Ridley Scott. We've all resolved to dislike her intensely. But woefully failed. I can't gush enough about how well it is written - the atmosphere is tense, a sense of desolate horror prevails, as we follow the main character, Mary and a few other survivors, in a post-Apocalypse world where the Unconsecrated surround isolated villages, trying to break through, to devour the living. Do not let the dreamlike quality of the cover fool you - it is a tautly written book and would film beautifully!

I have my official review of it up over at Monsters and Critics - official review link - which in itself is an amazing site. I have recently been appointed reviewer and arts writer for Monsters and Critics which is hugely thrilling. I have done a few other reviews for them in the past few weeks and will no doubt do a few exclusives for them and then link it on here.

Pop by, have a look at the review at M&C and make sure to add The Forest of Hands and Teeth to your MUST HAVE list for 2009. It is currently only published in the States but hopefully someone here in the UK will pick up the rights and have it published here. Regardless, I know that I will be importing at least two copies.

Guest Review by Skarrah - Jackie Kessler's "The Road to Hell"

The amazing Lex (pic left) aka Skarrah (her LJ site here) paid MFB a huge compliment by asking if she could guest review for us. Naturally I jumped at the chance - who wouldn't! - and here is her first review for us on Jackie Kessler's second outing in her Hell's Belles range of books, The Road to Hell.

The synopsis:

The synopsis:In Jackie Kessler's debut novel Hell's Belles she introduced readers to Jesse Harris, a succubus-turned-human with a tart tongue, a way with a g-string, and a soft spot for sexy undercover cop Paul Hamilton. Now Jesse's back, and where she goes, Hell is sure to follow…

Jesse may no longer be a soul-stealing succubus, but she's got a Hell of a past. She'd love to come clean to her sweet, super-hot boyfriend Paul, but how exactly does a girl start that conversation? There's no name tag that reads: "I Used to Have Sex with Men before Taking Their Souls to the Lake of Fire - Ask Me How!" Just like some people are worth being monogamous for (shudder), some secrets are worth keeping. Like the fact that bad boy incubus Daunuan keeps popping up from the Underworld to put some toe-curling moves on her; that her former associates are trying to strong-arm her back into the fold; and that every supernatural entity on the planet seems to want to have a conversation with her in the bathroom. But someone in the Underworld isn't ready to play nice (go figure), and this time, the stakes are nothing less than Paul's immortal soul.

If Hell wants Jesse back so badly, they've got her. But payback's a bitch, and this bitch is about to rock Hell like a hurricane - or lose her soul trying…

In The Road to Hell, just like Hell's Belles, Jesse's voice is easy to read and even easier to immerse yourself in. We're pushed off the top of a slippery slope from page one once again and I for one enjoyed the ride down. Things start out on a normal night in Spice's Champagne Room that soon sours into a reminder that Hell just isn't what it used to be. With The Pit's denizens cornering her left, right and in the Ladies room, Jesse isn't likely to shake off the reminder anytime soon. Nor the memories of the betrayal by her best friend, the Erinyes Megaera.

I love following Jesse's struggle with being a human with a soul and all that comes with it. Through the book we get to watch her grow and accept all those things we take as a given; love, jealousy, grief. Not to mention temptation from long time aquaintance the incubus Duanuan. We watch her overcome all this as she dives head first back into Hell to save what she has learned to be the most important things a human can have - friendship and love.

Kessler manages to weave these subtle threads of what it means to be human amidst razor sharp dialogue, kick-ass action and toe-curling, fan yourself, sex scenes.

I can hardly wait for the next in the series. The delectable incubus Daunuan's story Hotter Than Hell is released August 2008.

Jackie's Hell on Earth series is a must read.