Review: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Title: A Discovery of Witches
Author: Deborah Harkness
Series: A Souls Trilogy
Publisher: Penguin Books
Published: December 27, 2011
Format: Hardcover $21.00 CDN or $12.27 Paperback
Age Group: Adult
My Copy: Library
Extras: Movie Adaptation!!


Synopsis:

It all begins with a lost manuscript, a reluctant witch, and 1,500-year-old vampire. Dr. Diana Bishop has a really good reason for refusing to do magic: she is a direct descendant of the first woman executed in the Salem Witch Trials, and her parents cautioned her be discreet about her talents before they were murdered, presumably for having "too much power." So it is purely by accident that Diana unlocks an enchanted long-lost manuscript (a book that all manner of supernatural creatures believe to hold the story of all origins and the secret of immortality) at the Bodleian Library at Oxford, and finds herself in a race to prevent an interspecies war.

A sparkling debut written by a historian and self-proclaimed oenophile, A Discovery of Witches is heady mix of history and magic, mythology and love (cue the aforementioned vampire!), making for a luxurious, intoxicating, one-sitting read.


My Review:

A Discovery of Witches is Diana Gabaldons Outlander series but with Vampires, Witches and Demons! (Side note: I just read the Amazon synopsis where this novel is compared to the writings of Diana Gabaldon....apparently there are no original thoughts anymore!) This is the by far in my top five favorite books of 2012.

Described as the "it"book for good reason, A Discovery of Witchess engages the reader in a complex mystery with a scientific bent all while telling the passionate and forbidden love story between a witch and a vampire. For readers who like their heroines to be smart, savvy and passionate and their knights to be bold, protective and sensual you are sure to fall in love with Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont.

What I loved most about this novel was that Deborah Harkness never revealed to much to soon, she revealed what was necessary to keep you engaged and turning the pages well into the witching hour.

I hesitate to recommend this book to everyone. I think it is best suited for adult fantasy addicts who are looking for their next epic read. This novel is the first in the All Souls Trilogy and I am about to dive into book 2, Shadow of Night!

Without hesitation and with great enthusiasm I give this book my highest rating.

Review: Darkness Unbound by Keri Arthur (A Dark Angels Novel)

Title: Darkness Unbound
Author: Keri Arthur
Series: A Dark Angels Novel
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: September 27, 2011
Format: Mass Market Paperbound ($9.99 CDN)
Age Group: Adult Paranormal Romance

Synopsis:

Being half werewolf and half Aedh, Risa Jones can enter the twilight realms between life and death and see the reapers, supernatural beings that collect the souls of the dead. But she soon makes a terrifying discovery: Some sinister force is stealing souls, preventing the dead from ever knowing the afterlife.

Reapers escort souls-not snatch them-but Risa is still unnerved when a reaper shadows her in search of someone Risa has never met: her own father, an Aedh priest, who is rumored to be tampering with the gates of hell for a dark purpose. With the help of her "aunt" half-werewolf, half-vampire Riley Jenson-and an Aedh named Lucian who may have lost his wings but none of his sex appeal, Risa must pursue whatever shadowy practitioner of blood magic is seizing souls, and somehow stop her father . . . before all hell breaks loose.

My Review:  

I was HUGELY disappointed when I learned that Keri Arthur was ending  my favorite Riley Jenson Guardian series, but when I learned she was doing a spinn off featuring Risa Jones (a character who was a baby in the Jenson series) I was very excited. Months after reading the last Riley Jenson novel I had completely forgotten about this new series until I came upon it on a table in Chapters.  I snached the book off the table and did a little (but loud) *squee* drawing the attention of strangers who must have thought I was a little weird. 


From the very first chapter following through to the end of the novel I was captivated by intriguing plot lines, likeable new characters and sexy, blush worthy sex scenes, not to mention the involvement of some of my favorite characters from the Jenson series. 

If you are a fan of urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels this series (and the Jenson series if you have not read it) should be at the very top of your reading list especially if you are a fan of....ummmmm....errrrr *blush* very graphic sex scenes. The characters in this series run the spectrum of supernaturals including werewolves, ghosts, Aedh, vampires, reapers, shapeshifters, mediums, and more.


As a protagonist Risa is quickly climbing her way to being one of my favorite leading female characters.  She's a winning mixture of sass, sexiness, and sensuality that when added to her also being an assertive, resilient and independent woman, she becomes the type of character that paranormal readers will fall in love with. Being half werewolf (inherited from her mother) Risa was gifted with heightened senses, fast healing, and a heightened sex drive, but unfortunately not with the ability to shift into werewolf form. Her father, a Aedh Priest has given her the ability to dematerialize her body into a vaporous form which proves to be a valuable ability throughout the novel. 


Darkness Unbound includes two very sexy male leads. Azreal is a very stoic Reaper who is charged with shadowing Risa in the hopes of locating her Aedh father.  Along the way the merest hint of sexual tension begins between these two characters as he helps her defeat a darkness that steals the soul of a helpless little girl. The second male lead, Lucian is a full blooded Aedh who has lost his wings and ability to shift into vaporous form.  The sexual banter that goes back and forth between Risa and Lucian quickly leads to steamy sex scenes that would make any woman blush. 


Lucky for me after finishing this novel I was immediately able to go out and purchase the second novel in this series, Darkness Rising as it was just released. I can see that this series is quickly becoming a new favorite of mine in the paranormal genre.  If you to are a fan of Keri Arthur and her various paranormal series please feel free to comment on what your favorite books are in the series and who your favorite characters are! 

My Rating: 5/5 AKA Exixir of Excellence

Review: Juliet by Anne Fortier

Title: Juliet
Author: Anne Fortier
Publisher: Harper Collins
Published: August 24, 2010
Format: Hardcover (29.99 CDN)
Age Group: Adult


Copy: Provided by publisher
Extra: Click here to browse inside


Synopsis: 


When Julie Jacobs inherits a key to a safety deposit box in Siena, Italy, she is told it will lead her to an old family treasure.Soon she is launched on a precarious journey into the true history of her ancestor Giulietta, whose legendary love for a young man named Romeo turned medieval Siena upside down. As Julie crosses paths with the descendants of the families involved in Shakespeare’s unforgettable blood feud, she begins to realize that the notorious curse -- “A plague on both your houses!” -- is still at work, and that she is the next target. It seems the only one who can save her from her fate is Romeo . . . .but where is he?

Full of sleeping potions, secret processions, and the glorious Italian countryside,Juliet is at heart an epic romance that proves that love is strong enough to conquer even death.

My Review: 


I came upon this book by chance while browsing the shelves of my local book store back in February 2009. After reading the synopsis of the novel I beelined it to the front of the store only to discover that the book had been left out by mistake and was not for resale as it was an advanced readers copy.  Upon seeing my disappointment the owner of the store told me I was welcome to take the book home if I truly wanted it.  


With a cup of tea and a warm blanket wrapped around me I began to read Juliet.  From the first chapter to the last I was ensnared in an epic story of  love, hope, tragedy, mystery, betrayal, history and magic. 


In Juliet, Anne Fortier takes the traditional Shakespearian tale of Romeo and Juliet, turns it upside down and re-tells it in an unique and modern way. The story beings in America where the protagonist Julie Jacobs discovers a family mystery that takes her across the world  to the romantic Sienna Italy where her life will be forever changed. Here she begins a journey that will uncover the truth of her family heritage and that of what really happened long ago between the true Romeo and Giuletta. 


The story of Julie/Giuletta unfolds in two centuries, Julies own and that of the original Romeo and Giuletta.  As a protagonist Julie is full of depth, heart, courage and tenacity but she truly came alive for me when she discovers her modern day Romeo.


I was impressed by how fluid the transitions were between chapters, centuries  and narrators. Her ability to weave a romantic and mysterious love story captured my heart within the first few chapters. This novel crosses genres and should be a must read for anyone who loves mysteries, love stories and historical fiction. 


Thank you to both my local book store for loaning me my first copy of Juliet and to Harper Collins for sending me a copy of my very own.

My Rating: 5/5

Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Title: Paranormalcy 

Author: Kiersten White

Publisher: Harper Teen

Published: August 31, 2010

Format: Hardcover ($18.99 CDN)

Age Group: Young Adult

Click here to browse inside the book

Copy provided by publisher

Synopsis: 

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

My Review: 

My favorite thing about Paranormalcy was Evie.  She's genuine, honest, funny, sassy, loves pink and names her weapons.  She is also lost and a little bit flawed which makes her all the more believable and lovable as a character. My second favorite thing about Parnormalcy is Evie's new love interest, Lend the shape-shifter. For most of us paranormal/urban fantasy junkies, the term "shifter" usually refers to a person who can turn into an animal but in Parnormalcy this is not the case (I am not giving anymore about Lend away you'll have to read it to find out for yourself!). 

Kiersten White's character description has enough depth to make the characters believable and kept me turning the pages one after the other until suddenly the book was over. After checking out Kiersten White's website I may not be far off in saying Evie's sass and humour are at least in part a reflection of Kiersten's own personality.

I love the little twists that Kiersten does on "traditional" paranormal myths and I was left wanting a little more description of the world she had created in Paranormalcy. With that said a lot of readers find that to much description actually takes away form the story and they become bored with it. I on the other hand usually enjoy a thorough description of EVERYTHING.

To sum it all up, I love the plot, the characters, the flow of Kiersten's writing  and  Kiersten's twist on the paranormal but I want more of all of it. Lucky for me there are two sequels to follow with the next installment, Supernaturally due out Fall 2011.

My Rating: 4/5

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Extras: 

Review: The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

Title:  Eternal Ones Author: Kirsten Miller Publisher: Penguin Young Reader Group/Razorbill Published: August 10, 2010 Format: Hardcover ($22.50CDN) Age Group: Young Adult Copy: Provided by the Publisher

From the Publisher:

Haven Moore cant control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan, and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmothers house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is, and who she was.

In New York, Haven meets Iain Morrow and is swept into an epic love affair that feels both deeply fated and terribly dangerous. Iain is suspected of murdering a rock star and Haven wonders, could he have murdered her in a past life? She visits the Ouroboros Society and discovers a murky world of reincarnation that stretches across millennia. Haven must discover the secrets hidden in her past lives, and loves, before all is lost and the cycle begins again.

My Review:

I have been in somewhat of a reading rut this past week but The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller pulled me out at breakneck speed.  I have read a few books that could be considered somewhat similar in regards to the theme of young love and past lives however this novel engaged me so much so that I only put it down when I absolutely had no choice.

In most novels I have pretty good intuition when it comes to “figuring out” the plot and the characters but for the majority of this novel I could not put a finger on who the “evil” characters were.  I had my suspicions and in the end they turned out to be correct but I was second guessing myself as I was drawn though the twists and turns of each chapter. 

For the most part I enjoyed all the characters of this novel however I will say that Haven is a character who’s indecisiveness drove me crazy from time to time.  She was either to trusting or to suspicious but based on her life experiences (constant persecution for her peculiar tendency to black out and talk about a past life, being labeled as demon possessed, and being lied to my trusted members of her family about her early memories of her past life) I could empathize with why she was constantly second guessing herself and those around her.  What I really enjoyed about the character development in this novel was learning who in Haven’s present life was also connected to her in her past lives and understanding the role they played in the mystery of this novel.

While I don’t really believe in love at first sight, taking into consideration that reincarnation is a fact of The Eternal Ones, the instant attraction and love between Haven and Ian is believable.  This book is incredibly mysterious and from chapter to chapter I was held in a constant state of suspense and anticipation. The idea of reincarnation is incredibly fascinating to me and when paired with a passionate love affair that transcends time, a complex mystery, and a battle between good and evil that is truly sinister this book has rocketed to the top 20 list of my favorite YA reads of 2010.

If your a little tired of vampires and werewolves but still want something with a supernatural flavor I highly recommend The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller.  If you have already read and reviewed this novel please comment and link to your review as its always nice to read a different perspective!

My Rating: 4/5

Review: Shift by: Rachel Vincent

Title: Shift

Author:  Rachel Vincent

Web Site: Rachel Vincent.com

Publisher: Mira (CAN)

Release Date: March 1, 2010

Pages: 400

ISBN - 10: 0778327604
ISBN - 13: 9780778327608

From the Publisher:

Trouble is in the air…

Being the first female werecat enforcer isn't easy. Scars accumulate, but I'm stronger in so many ways.

As for my personal life? It's complicated. Choices worth making always are. Ever since my brother's death and my father's impeachment, it's all I can do to prevent more blood from spilling. Now our Pride is under attack by a flight of vicious thunderbirds. And making peace with our new enemies may be the only way to get the best of our old foe.

With the body count rising and treachery everywhere, my instincts tell me to look before I leap. But sometimes a leap of faith is the only real option...

Review:

I find reviewing books that are a part of a series difficult because I if you haven’t read the previous book(s) I don’t want to spoil anything for you.  I have seen many bloggers add “spoiler warnings” before their review however as a curious reader I always ignore that message so I am left with the same dilemma.  So bare with my hopefully spoiler free review and forgive me if it is not as in depth as others but this series is a gem of the urban fantasy genre so what I leave out you will hopefully gain when you read the series yourself!

I began reading this series when the first book, Stray was released in June of 2007.  I had read quite a few novels featuring shifters but never a novel focused on were cats.  I was and still am enamored with Rachel Vincent’s magical and descriptive writing style, characters full of depth and genuineness, and ability to leave me screaming, “WHAT!” at the end of every novel.  The fifth and second last book in the Shifter series titled, Shift is the best novel in the series so far; which is saying a lot since the entire series is by far one of the best in the urban fantasy genre.  Now is where this review gets difficult as one of the best parts of this book is the romantic relationship(s).  Without giving anything away this book had me with my face pressed against the pages, drinking tea out of a straw so I didn’t spill on myself (I don’t have good hand eye coordination when my eyes are focus on the pages), closeted in my room for three hours with a do-not-disturb sign on my front door, and my phone on silent.  The relationship dynamics between Faythe, Marc, and ******* (see no spoiler) had me freaking out in books four and five and I am not yet over having to wait to find out more until Alpha, the final installment in this series is out.

There are some truly fan-frickin-tastic authors out there in the Urban Fantasy genre; Laurell K Hamilton, Kelley Armstrong, and Kim Harrison to name a few, but with Shift, Rachel Vincent established herself as one of the top writers in her genre.

My Rating

New Look & More For Monday

Today is a very exciting day in my little piece of online book blogging heaven!  Big shout out to blog designer extraordinaire Parajunkee  who is a very well known book blogger herself.  She gives out a discount to book bloggers, completes the preliminary design and any changes you want in a very timely manner, her designs have depth and personality, and she can do the install for you!  I am very happy with the process and final product, I hope you love it as much as I do!  If you are interested in getting some design work done I highly recommend you check her out.

Onto books!

I was very confused by the release date for Shift by, Rachel Vincent.  Originally Chapters had it listed at February 18th and then it was changed to March 1st however I made a rather large "squeeeee" when I realized my bookstore had three copies available.  Whatever the reason for the confusion I am very excited to be a few chapters in to Shift.  Being that I am still sick I hope to have this book finished in record time.

It was my original intent to have part two to my Canadian author post done on the weekend but being that I am still sick I am playing a bit of catch up so I am a little behind! I still can't wait to do a review of Juliet as it is one of the best books I have read outside of my normal genre in a long time.  Because it was so fantistic I don't want to rush the review but I do promise to get that up soon!

Exciting News!  The cover for the next book in the Shifter series, Alpha has been revealed!  For more information about Rachel, the Shifter Series, and about what she thinks of the new cover click here.