StoryWings

Book Review: Night Thief by Lisa Kessler

Title: Night Thief
Series: Nightwalker – Book 1.5 (Novella)
Author: Lisa Kessler
No of Pages: 188
Release Date: 28 September 2012

After the fall of the Mayan civilization, Kane, an immortal Night Walker, has taken refuge in France for over 800 years. The modern world holds little interest for him until the night he meets the Golden Thief and is robbed of much more than his pocket watch.

Marguerite Rousseau is living a double life. By day she is the assistant to an eccentric French artist, Antoine Berjon, and by night she dons elegant evening gowns to woo French dignitaries before lifting their wallets.
Sparks ignite when Kane captures the thief, but Marguerite harbors a dark secret that could ruin them both.

My Thoughts:
Night Thief was a nice quick hot read, that has whet my appetite for more of this series.

Marguerite is a pick-pocket who targets the upper class citizens of Paris. Working tirelessly to free herself and her cousin from their master and buy their passage abroad to the new world. Kane is Night Walker, orginating from the now deceased Mayan people where he was revered as a god. In Paris though he blends in to the crowds of well-to-do frenchmen wining and dining their way through the Parisian social scene.

Marguerite and Kane’s paths cross when she tries to steal his valuable pocket watch. Being one of the most elusive thieves in Paris, Marguerite would have got away with it too had Kane not been able to track her scent. After a heated encounter Marguerite and Kane part ways, but Kane is unable to get Marguerite out of his mind so he finds a way too see her again, after which they realise that they do not want to part ways again.

Night Thief had all the elements of a great novella, fast paced with enough detail, a nice smattering of smut scattered through out for a romancing and a gut-wrenching ending. Having not previously read the first book in this series I was a little worried that I may have missed too much to fully be able to enjoy it, but that was definitely not the case.

Although it didn’t detract from the story itself I would have enjoyed reading more about Marguerite’s pick-pocketing adventures as it was so uncommon for women in the 1800′s to be masquerading as a fine lady but I was pleased to get a taste of Kane’s background, learning about why he moved to Paris in the first place and an insight into what a Nightwalker actually was.

Kessler’s writing can only be faulted on her time jumps which I had to get used to in the beginning. There was no break when it came to passing time, so some scenes lost a bit of their substance because it only felt like minutes had passed in the story world but if re-read one finds it’s actually an hour or two, sometimes even a day which became a little confusing at times.

Night Thief was a fantastic taste of the Nightwalker world not to mention a great stand-alone novella in it’s own right. I have been left wanting more of this series.

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TBR Drawer: June 2013

Just After Sunset by Stephen King
Night Rising by Chris Marie Green
Lament by Maggie Stiefvater
The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
Need by Carrie Jones
Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Claimed by Shadow by Karen Chance
Jessicas Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
Original Sin by Allison Brennan
No Rest for the Wicca by Toni Lotempio
Blood Magic by Eileen Wilks
Tempting Danger by Eileen Wilks
The Boys Next Door by Jennifer Echols
Shades of Midnight by Lara Adrian
The Awakening by Kelly Armstrong
Dark Beginnings by Gena Showalter
The Birthing House by Christopher Ransom
The Taken by Sarah Pinborough
Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
Bloodlines by Lindsay Anne Kendal
Dead Men’s Dust by Matt Hilton
Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs
Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs
Mortal Remains by Kathy Reichs
Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs
Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs
Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs
Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs
Devil Bones by Kathy Reichs
Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs
Another One Bites The Dust by Jennifer Rardin
Biting The Bullet by Jennifer Rardin
Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
Dragon Haven by Robin Hobb
Antara by Marilena Mexi RC
Cinco de Mayo by Michael J. Martineck RC
Crash Into Me by Albert Borris
Shadowglass by Erica Hayes
Betrayed by Morgan Rice RC
Loved by Morgan Rice RC
Destined by Morgan Rice RC
Masqurade by Melissa De La Cruz
I Am God by Giorgio Faletti
Taboo by Casey Hill
Rain by Virginia Andrews
Lightning Strike by Virginia Andrews
Eye of the Storm by Virginia Andrews
The End of the Rainbow by Virginia Andrews
Melody by Virginia Andrews
Heart Song by Virginia Andrews
Unfinished Symphony by Virginia Andrews
Music in the Night by Virginia Andrews
Olivia by Virginia Andrews
Celeste by Virginia Andrews
The Starkin Crown by Kate Forsyth
Sympathy for the Devil by Justin Gustanis RC
Dark Moon of Avalon by Anna Elliot
Burnt Offerings by Laurell K. Hamilton
Blue Moon by Laurell K. Hamilton
Obsidian Butterfly by Laurell K. Hamilton
The Ambassador’s Mission by Trudi Canavan
Bearers of the Black Staff by Terry Brooks
Taboo by Tara Maya
Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris
Gossip Girl: The Prequel by Cecily Von Ziegesar
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Strange Case of Finley Jane by Kady Cross
A Matter of Perception by Tahlia Newland RC
Arson by Estevan Vega RC
The Sorceress by Michael Scott
Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck
Tiger’s Quest by Colleen Houck
Tiger’s Voyage by Colleen Houck
Spy Glass by Maria V. Snyder
Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder
Sea Glass by Maria V. Snyder
Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost
Stay by Deb Caletti
Fifty Shades Darker by E.L James
Fifty Shades Freed by E.L James
Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles
The Seer’s Towen by Fran Jacobs RC
It Had to Be You by Cecily Von Ziegesar
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell
I Hope they Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max
You Know You Love Me by Cecily Von Ziegesar
All I Want is Everything by Cecily Von Ziesegar
You’re the One that I Want by Cecily Von Ziesegar
Unguarded by Ashley Robertson RC
Crimson Groves by Ashley Robertson RC
Pulling Down Stars by James Laidler RC
Crave by Melissa Darnell
Captive in the Dark by C.J Roberts
Vampire Academy: The Graphic Novel by Richelle Mead and Emma Viecelli
Avatar: The Search – Part 1 by Gene Luen Yang
The Siren by Tiffany Reiz
Reflected in You by Sylvia Day
Tremble by Jus Accardo RC

June Arrivals:

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Book Review: Untouched by Jus Accardo

Review: Untouched
Series: Denazen – Book 1.5 (Novella)
Author: Jus Accardo
No of Pages: 79
Release Date: 28 March 2012

Until he met Dez, Kale’s days were filled with violence and death. He was used as a weapon of destruction by the power hungry men of Denazen. He’s a Six. A person with an abnormal ability. Some people call them gifts, but not Kale. Kale’s touch means instant death to anyone.

But now there’s Dez, the girl he can touch, and they’re hunting down Sixes and warning them about Denazen. Kale is learning about the world outside captivity and trying to put his dark past behind him. But they underestimated how badly Denazen wanted him back.

When Dez sacrifices herself to save the new Six they rescued from falling into the corp’s hands, Kale is lost. Denazen has brought out its best to get the job done. Samsen, a nightmare from Kale’s past—the only person he’s ever truly feared—has come for them, and it soon becomes obvious he has his own twisted agenda.

Kale will need all his training to get Dez back and ensure they all make it out, free–and alive. But will it be enough?

My Thoughts:

Untouched was a tease of a novella, but it was full of action that had me flying through it.

Kale is now free of Denazen, but still hunted by them, travelling with Dez tracking down the sixes on the list given to them by Dez’s cousin. But they are racing against the clock as not only are they looking for the sixes to offer them safety in the Sanctuary, Denazen is also after the sixes to imprison them back at headquarters.

Kale has always been adorable in my head, but we got to see a slightly darker side to him in Untouched, the side that he is keeping from Deznee. Kale has always been a little stiff for my liking, but it is to be expected because of his upbringing, and I commend Accardo in keeping his character consistent while we were in his head.

I am going to assume that it was only because we were seeing her through Kale’s eyes and therefore there would undoubtedly be some rose coloured tinting, but Dez’s character was quite a bit more likeable than the previous book, there wasn’t as much time for her bravado and it made me like her a little more.

Untouched was full of funny moments when Kale had no idea what the people around him were talking about because of his trouble with keeping up with slang terms, but it was also as action packed, if not more because of the short length, as Touch. Right from the beginning I was sucked into the action, the subtle hints about what was to come and the final climax.

I would like to commend Accardo on her style of writing, many authors feel the need to let the bad guys go, which is beyond stupid as they always come back to kill the main characters, whereas Accardo kills people, and I like it. I almost had a moment during Untouched when I was about to scream in frustration, but it was quickly rectified by the offing of some horrible people. Their deaths made me happy.

Untouched was shorter than I expected, but fantastic none-the-less. It gave us a new angle on the story reading from Kale’s point of view, and some interesting insight into what may happen down the track.

Also in this series:

Touch
Toxic
Tremble

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Book Review: The Boy Recession by Flynn Meaney

Review: The Boy Recession
Author: Flynn Meaney
No of Pages: 246
Release Date: 7 August 2012

It’s all about supply and demand when a high school deals with the sudden exodus of male students.

The boy recession has hit Julius P. Heil High, and the remaining boys find that their stock is on the rise: With a little competition, even the most unlikely guys have a good chance at making the team and getting the girl. Guitar-strumming, class-skipping Hunter Fahrenbach never wanted to be a hot commodity, but the popular girls can’t help but notice his unconventional good looks. With a little work, he might even be boyfriend material.

But for down-to-earth Kelly Robbins, the boy recession is causing all sorts of problems. She has secretly liked her good friend Hunter for a while now, but how can she stand out in a crowd of overzealous Spandexers?

My Thoughts:

The Boy Recession was another excellent demonstration of Meaney’s amazing ability.

Hunter is a slacker, he never studies, has no extra-curricular activities and can’t really be bothered with trying, in any aspect of his life – he’s also clueless when it comes to girls.

Kelly is the girl that nobody sees, she blends into the crowd and she doesn’t mind most of the time, but when she realises she has developed a crush on Hunter, she wants to make sure she is at the front of the line of girls that have recently noticed that he’s cute.

The Boy Recession occurs when all of the hot/popular/jock guys leave Julius P Heil High en masse. The school needs to hold try-outs for an entirely new football team, but naturally it’s the girls that are affected most, some going to drastic lengths (like forcing boys into signing dating contracts) just to make sure they have a boyfriend.

The Boy Recession was one of the funniest books I have read this year, purely because where I live we currently are having a man-drought and I also come from a tiny school (even though it’s in the middle of a city) so I have personal experience in dealing with recessions and everyone knowing everyone else. Meaney manages to be so outrageous with her scenario and yet so accurate that it’s almost scary.

Meaney’s writing is once again absolutely incredible. It’s simple, it’s realistic. Meaney manages to get into the grittier subjects – like boy/girl sleepovers, girls being a little risky with the way they dress and act, boys’ at times taking advantage of their willingness, drugs, underage drinking, etc. – without it being heavy. It brings to the surface things that truly happen in high school without placing emphasis on it. Everything about The Boy Recession is light-hearted and yet it makes you think a little about how desperation and a sudden perceived need for something drive people a little crazy.

The romance aspect of this book was sweet and again not heavy, there were no confessions of love, no talk of forever, it was teen romance at its simplest and its finest. Hunter writes a song for Kelly but conceals her identity because he doesn’t even realise it’s about her yet.

The Boy Recession was absolutely fantastic; it had me chuckling from the very first chapter all the way to the very last. Meaney has a special talent for creating simple stories with outrageous characters in farfetched situations; she has me yearning for her next creation, whatever it may be.

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Book Review: Terminal Blend by Lori Pescatore

Review: Terminal Blend
Series: Blend Trilogy – Book 3
Author: Lori Pescatore
No of Pages: 205
Release Date: 26 October 2012

An Epic battle is brewing. Can Julie’s newly unleashed abilities help save her and her friends? Prepare for a war of otherworldly proportions where the unexpected becomes the norm and nothing is what it seems. Is Julie the key to saving the Earth and her people or will she once again need the help of her Earthling friends? Not everyone will survive as the playing field shifts and consequences will extend throughout the universe.

Terminal Blend is the final instalment in The Blend Trilogy. In Human Blend we met a girl named Julie on the run from her past. Her unique abilities made her hunted prey. Along the way she encountered some amazing people like Eli, an Earthling who wanted nothing more than to protect her and Marcus, who was like her and explained the truth of their origins. Add into the mix a boy named Austin, who unearthed a few secrets of his own. In Earth Blend we heard the back story to the supernatural creatures introduced in book one. In the final instalment, the lies mount and Julie must find a way to cope with the new threat that could destroy everything and everyone she holds dear. Come immerse yourself in the final chapter of this amazing trilogy.

My Thoughts:
What an amazing finish to this series.

Julie needs to learn to control her carnage, her newest and deadliest power that comes from being a blend, the problem is that the people who are supposed to be training her, don’t have her best interests at heart and wish to use her to fight an interplanetary war. On top of fighting her feelings for Eli because she is still in a relationship with Austin, Julie also has to juggle work, volunteering and training into her hectic schedule.

Julie was once again a character I really, really enjoyed. I think at the moment my love for her is emphasised by her willingness to ask for help. I have been reading quite a few YA books at the moment and all of the heroines feel the need to handle everything themselves, usually winding themselves up in more trouble than before, Julie however is highly intelligent, will stick to her guns when she feels something is right no matter how many people try to sway her and yet she will ask for help from those people in her life that she trusts. It makes for a very refreshing YA heroine.

Terminal Blend isn’t so much a paranormal book as it is a sci-fi novel and as someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy sci-fi, this small taste has me wanting more of the same. This little taste could potentially springboard me into a new genre, which is quite exciting.

Once again Pescatore sucked me into her world from the first page, her writing is addictive, there are errors throughout Terminal Blend but not so that it brought me out of the story. I felt that some of the devices she used in wrapping up the Blend universe were a little too convenient, certain people losing their memories, others seemingly unable to die and although the love triangle between Eli, Julie, and Austin was resolved it was done in a way that although I got the outcome I wanted, it felt like cheating because the issues were never really resolved.

The imagery in Terminal Blend regarding the intimate scenes between characters, the descriptions of new settings and characters and the overall flow of the story was once again the perfect mix to keep you interested but not overload on information, there is also always enough of a recap in case important past events have been forgotten since reading the previous books.

Although the ending was a little too convenient, I’m sad to see the end of the Blend trilogy but I am very excited for what Pescatore comes out with next, her writing is only getting better and her ideas have always been fantastic.

Also in this series:

Human Blend
Earth Blend

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Book Review: Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

Review: Perfect Scoundrels
Series: Heist Society – Book 3
Author: Ally Carter
No of Pages: 328
Release Date: 5 February 2013

Kat Bishop and W.W. Hale the Fifth were born to lead very different lives – her family are criminal masterminds, while he comes from an apparently perfect dynasty. But both families know how to stay under the radar while getting – or stealing – whatever they want.

When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother’s billion-dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there’s no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won’t let him go that easily, especially after she is tipped off about an elaborate con to steal the company’s fortune. Instead of being the heir, this time Hale might be the mark.

Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first she has to decide: is she willing to save her boyfriend’s company if it means losing the boy?

My Thoughts:
This was my first taste of the Heist Society and I can’t wait for more.

Kat is a thief, a con artist; she comes from an entire family of them. Her boyfriend Hale, on the other hand, is the unexpected heir of a billion-dollar company and fortune. But when Hale inherits his beloved grandmother’s company when she passes away, a long time guardian of his comes to Kat with suspicions that the will was not Hale’s grandmother’s true last wishes, that the will is a fake and Hale may possibly not be the heir.

Kat is torn between what she feels is right and Hale’s feelings, as an outsider in his own family she wants to protect him from the truth, but it nearly costs her dearly.

Kat was a fairly likeable character, although as with many YA heroines I have been reading of late, she just can’t seem to come to terms with the fact that it’s ok to tell people the truth. She’s highly intelligent, resourceful and can pull in favours from all over the world to get a job done, but no matter how smart or down to earth she may seem, she just can’t come clean to Hale.

Hale doesn’t have too much of a voice for me yet, as we were told the story through Kat’s eyes, at the beginning he seemed like he’d be more of a hindrance than a help, but Hale can hold his own when it comes to rolling with thieves.

I will freely admit, that after reading Carter’s Gallagher Girls series, and being less than impressed by it, I was a little hesitant to jump into Perfect Scoundrels, although the Heist Society series has been on my radar for quite some time, I never seemed to get around to it. Considering how magnificent and completely engrossing Perfect Scoundrels was, I may have to rectify my ways.

Carter’s writing is amazing, for me it always has been, flowing, engrossing and never lingering for too long in one place. We traversed three countries in about a page and a half at one point which at times I feel I took for granted the sheer scale of Kat’s adventures just because they were so skimmed over.

The only thing I really had a problem with when it came to Perfect Scoundrels was the ending; it was far too neat, far too wrapped up for me to feel like the characters grew from the experience. There was no trade off, no loss, everyone in a way got what they wanted in the end and everything was too perfect. No one really had to work for the ending because everything fell into place almost too conveniently. It made what was an outstanding read turn into a slightly unsatisfying finish therefore tarnishing the entire story for me.

Perfect Scoundrels is the third book in the Heist Society series, I read it without reading the first two books and I kept up just fine, for me Perfect Scoundrels works fantastically as a standalone with the option for another dive into a wonderful world.

Also in this series:
Heist Society
Uncommon Criminals

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Book Review: Touch by Jus Accardo

Review: Touch
Series: Denazen – Book 1
Author: Jus Accardo
No of Pages: 251
Release Date: 1 November 2011

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.

My Thoughts:

If the rest of this series is going to be anything like the first book, then Accardo has written a winner.

Dez has parental issues; she does things just to annoy her father to see what kinds of reactions she can get out of him. She parties, keeps dubious company and makes sure to do the opposite of everything he says. So when he takes a shot at a random guy she just met, it’s Dez’s first instinct to side with the strange boy. As Dez learns more about Kale, more about herself and more about her father’s business she realizes that there is much more to life that antagonizing her dad.

Dez for me was a little all bark no bite. She talked herself up a lot, but I couldn’t really see her as a tough girl, she was a little stupid for my tastes but she also owned it. She wasn’t dumb in a way that it annoyed me, or detracted from her character, she is just naturally arrogant. If she were any different it wouldn’t have been believable and I think Accardo walked an amazing line between true teenaged rebel girl and annoying teenage stereotype.

Kale was an interesting character for me, he has no knowledge of the outside world after having been cooped up in a facility his entire life, and normal things are phenomenal to him. Again Kale irritated me slightly because of his serious nature, but again if were any different the story wouldn’t have been believable. I may prefer my men with a little more light-heartedness, but Kale wore the broody haunted male with such perfection that he couldn’t have been given to us any other way.

Accardo’s writing in Touch is incredible, there are so many minute lines that she is treading with her mix of teen angst and romance, action and suspense. It could have been a cliché but instead it was an exhilarating ride right from the very first scene. Accardo’s characters weren’t typical of YA and that is what I love most about them, they were normal teens, but even more so they were rational.

Kale is in love with Dez, she is the first person he has ever been able to touch without her being turned to dust in front of him so he thinks that she is the one for him. While Dez feels the same for Kale she has that rationality behind her thoughts which she voices more than once, that while she may love Kale she is pretty sure that if he were able to touch anyone else without killing them, he may lose his infatuation with her. There isn’t that idiotic mentality of destined, true-love which seems to be the theme of today’s YA. Accardo’s romance was realistic.

I think this is why I loved Touch so much; that as fantastical as it may be, it was rational to the point where it was realistic, and it was believable. Touch is one of those stories that makes you think – you know, she has a point, who says some of us can’t have a mutant sixth chromosome – magic wasn’t really a player in Touch, there was science behind it which gave it it’s backing and although I love magic, sometimes I want a rational way to believe that superpowers could be real. Touch does that for me.

Accardo had me hooked on her world from the first page. Her characters weren’t my regular cup of tea, but I loved them all the same because they were real, they were fleshed out, they had real problems and real feelings and things weren’t forced to fit the story.

Touch was a treat for me to read because it strays from the stereotypes of the YA genre without moving into a completely new category, I loved it from start to finish and I am absolutely itching to get my hands on the next in this series, Toxic.

Also in this series:

Untouhed
Toxic
Tremble

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The Resurrection of StoryWings

Hello out there!

Long time no post I know, but I’ve been busy, life got in the way, I have much news!

Life has been very hectic. As it does I suppose when you get Married!!!

Yes folks, StoryWings is hitched. It was the most fantastic day of my life, and I feel blessed to have my husband and his family in my life. 16/2/2013 was the big day. So we are now settling into married life and getting into the swing of things.

I moved out of home!

Last November I moved out of home, unfortunately I had to leave all of my books, my ENTIRE library of books that I have collected my whole life…gone. I wasn’t sure if I could get them back and I was so heartbroken that I stopped reading.

I know, it’s despicable, how could I after everything that my books had given me over the years, stop reading? But I did, for three months I read one review book. My beautiful cousin tried enticing me with The Casual Vacancy by J.K Rowling, which I looked at for weeks before picking up.

I was in a massive slump, I had been going that way for months while I was still actively reviewing, life was in the way, it was too hectic for reading and reviewing on top of everything else.

5 weeks ago though…I got my library back! Which I will need to post updated photos of because it looks amazing in its new space. After touching all my books and being able to put them away…I picked up The Casual Vacancy. Since finishing it I have read two more books (in a week) and I feel better than ever.

The slump has finally ended and I’m reading and reviewing again and I’m very happy.

My site got hacked.

So I have had to make a few changes to StoryWings, because my site was hacked by certain unfriendly people and quite a few of my archives were deleted. I know who it was, unfortunately I cannot do anything about it. So luckily I still had my blogspot archive as a backup. I have had to redo all of my review lists as they were gone, some reviews were missing (thanks to goodreads that I had posted them there as well so they weren’t lost)

Life is still busy, I don’t know how active I’ll be just yet, but I knew that I couldn’t let this go, so much time and effort went into StoryWings as a whole that I couldn’t just walk away.

I think I needed some time away anyway. Blogging isn’t a hassle, it’s a pleasure, it’s a pasttime. It has become such once again.

So,

StoryWings is back!

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