My Soul to Take Review

Imagine possessing the knowledge that someone is about to die in a couple minutes, but being physically unable to warn them of their impending death. For sixteen year old Kaylee Cavanaugh, this is her life. When she has premonitions that someone is about to die after seeing a black shadowed shroud surrounding them, a scream erupts in her throat that is so loud and frightening if ever let out.

Last time she screamed, she couldn’t stop for hours and was sent to a mental hospital for evaluation. Kaylee tries her best to blend in and act normal but lately death has been popping up everywhere she goes and triggers her attacks.

After losing her mother at only three years old, Kaylee’s father sent her to live with her aunt and uncle. She knows there’s something wrong with her but has no idea what it is. When teenage girls start dropping dead for no medical reason, Kaylee knows she has to figure out what is going on.

With the help of the gorgeous and super popular Nash, Kaylee discovers there’s more to her life then she’s ever known before. Her family has been keeping secrets from her for a long time and if she doesn’t discover the truth soon, it could put her life in grave danger. Will Nash and Kaylee be able to uncover why she senses death and what it means? Will they be able to find out why teenage girls are dropping dead like flies?

My Soul to Take is the debut young adult novel for Harlequin Teen’s new line of books by popular adult paranormal novelist Rachel Vincent. The concept behind this book is so unique and original that it was such a pleasure to read. While this book is classified as young adult, I adored it more then most of the adult books I’ve read! It isn’t dumbed down for kids and reads just like an adult novel, but yet is suitable for teenagers also. There is no cursing or sex so it is appropriate for teenagers who are on a Twilight kick and are dying to dive into the paranormal genre.

While this book is published by HQN it is not a happy and cheerful romance novel. My Soul to Take is dark, mysterious and emotional to the core. Death is a prominent theme in this book and it hits on a lot of topics that are interesting. If you were able to predict your death and know when you were going to die, would you want to know? Should people be saved once they have been chosen to die and is it against the natural order of things to bring people back?

My Soul To Take is a breath taking, heart pounding, intense story that will deeply move readers. The subject matter is so fascinating and executed brilliantly. Rachel Vincent has created a fresh new take on the paranormal genre and has given adults and teenagers a superb and absolutely outstanding novel to cherish. The second book in the Soul Screamers series is titled My Soul to Save and will be published in 2010. Overall, I was blown away and thrilled with this beautiful novel and will treasure it on my keeper shelf with many rereads to come.

Order from Amazon or B&N

Read the free prequel My Soul to Lose at this link

Visit Rachel Vincent's site

Forget Me Knot Review

Abby Crompton is about to have the worst night of her life. She is on her way to meet her fiancé’s mother and is desperate to make a good impression. Unfortunately, on her way to catch the train to meet for dinner, she ends up stuck on an elevator with a man named Dan.

After hyperventilating and breathing into a paper bag, Dan finds a way to calm Abby down, he offers her some of the wine he had with him. But after a few too many sips to calm her nerves, Abby opens up to Dan about her personal love problems with her fiancé Toby. When the elevator opens and the two part ways, Abby is embarrassed by talking so frankly with a stranger, but she has no worries since she will never see this man again.

The dinner with Toby’s mother goes horribly wrong and Abby learns that her future mother in law is truly a nightmare. She’s demanding, controlling, rude and just every woman’s worst fear when it comes to mother in laws. So shortly after when Abby finds out that a film crew wants to use her flower shop Fabulous Flowers as their filming location, she is thrilled with the good news. But when Dan walks in and Abby learns he is the director of the film, she is utterly mortified. While Toby and Abby’s relationship starts to fall apart, Abby realizes that sometimes the perfect man doesn’t come in a little package complete with a bow. Sometimes you have to give love a try, a couple times, before you get it right.

Forget Me Knot is a contemporary romance set in London revolving around a florist’s love life. There is a healthy dose of humor, eccentric characters and plenty of surprises to keep romance readers riveted until the exciting conclusion. Abby’s nosy friend was hilarious as was her mother striking while on a cruise. I would say the abundance of humor is what was most enjoyable about this book and would definitely recommend it to readers who enjoy a sweet romance with plenty of laughs.

Demon Mistress Review

The D’Artigo Sisters are half human, half Fae and work for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency as operatives. The oldest sister is Camille who is a Moon Witch and has three lovers; Trillian, Smokey and Morio. The middle sister Delilah is a werecat and shifts when scared or upset. She is in an on and off again relationship with Chase. The youngest sister Menolly is a vampire and is involved with Nerissa but also has her eye on Roz and Vanzir.

While cleaning out one of the rooms at her bar, Menolly finds an old journal that used to belong to a bartender there, an elf named Sabele. It’s written in Melosealfor, a rare language from the Otherworld. Discovering the journal leads Menolly to look for Sabele’s boyfriend to give it to him and find out what ever happened to Sabele. But when Menolly finds out that he hasn’t seen her in years and that she left him right before they were supposed to get married, she starts to wonder if something more dangerous happened to the elf.

When Chase calls the sisters to help him figure out what happened to two Faes that were found dead without any apparent reasoning, the three sisters come running to the rescue. Apparently something is feeding on the life source of Faes until it drains them and they die. While trying to fight this ghoul, Delilah is attacked and her life becomes in grave danger.

If things weren’t complicated enough, Menolly discovers a frat house of FBH (full blooded humans) who seem to have a lot of connections to the Otherworld. When their connection is linked to Shadow Wing, the sisters realize these kids must be stopped. They have no idea what they are messing with and are going to cause catastrophic destruction if Shadow Wing is released on Earth.

Will Menolly be able to find out what happened to Sabele, defeat the soul sucking ghoul, protect Delilah from the ghoul, and prevent Shadow Wing from taking over? Will Menolly’s sisters and friends make it out of this mission alive?

Demon Mistress is the sixth story in the Otherworld Series and the second book starring Menolly D’Artigo, half Fae, half human, vampire. The first book that I started with was Darkling, Menolly’s story, so I was very excited to read Demon Mistress since it stars my favorite D’Artigo Sister. I adore Yasmine Galenorn’s writing and found this book to be a lot of fun even though nothing big really happens to shake up the sisters’ lives. The story moves along at a fast pace with plenty of fight scenes and romance to keep things interesting. I enjoyed the frat boys’ story since it’s interesting to see evil can happen with mere humans and not just vampires and Otherworld beings.

Menolly is still dealing with her pain over Dredge and trying to figure out her feelings for Roz. Nerissa is back and still in Menolly’s life but she still has a need for a man also. The imaginative world that comes alive for me when I open a Yasmine Galenorn book is endless. There’s always something new to be discovered with each new installment and I loved every page of Demon Mistress. I highly recommend reading this series in order starting with the first book Witchling. Overall, The Otherworld Series is fantastic and if you haven’t read a book in this series yet, you are seriously missing out!

Reviewed for Night Owl Romance

Giveaways

I just found out about a new blog. There's going to be makeup giveaways in the future. Right now is the first giveaway which is for a nail file. Head over and enter! Let her know RachaelfromNJ sent you!

Winner of Water Witch

The winner of Water Witch is #4 donnas! Please email me through the link in my profile with your name and address! Thanks for playing everyone!

One Lovely Blog Award

Thanks Caffey from Caffey's Reads for awarding me with this award! That was so sweet of you!

1. Accept the award, along with the person's name who gave it to you and their blog link.
2. Pass the award to other blogs.
3. Remember to contact the other bloggers to let them know they've been chosen for the award.

I would love to award this blog to three people!

1. Jackie from Literary Escapism
2. Wendy from the new and beautiful blog The Book Lush
3. Doug from SciFiGuy.ca

Don't forget my Water Witch contest. You have until 5:00 pm EST on Wednesday July 22nd to enter.

Seducing the Moon Review

Two years ago, Declan O’Connell was working for a firm that was investigating Pelicia Cobb’s grandfather for being involved in an international document forging organization. Declan and Pelicia were dating until Declan betrayed her by causing her to get arrested in conjunction with her grandfather.

Pelicia was released and ended up being innocent of any crimes. But as a result of the ordeal, Pelicia’s name was badly tarnished causing her to have a hard time finding work and keeping friends. With her grandfather in jail, Pelcia decided to move from London to St. Mary’s, the largest of the Iles of Scilly, to run his Bed and Breakfast, Nola.

Four months ago, Declan traveled to the Iles of Scilly to visit his longtime friend Ryder along with his friend Taite. Declan’s life was changed dramatically when he became infected by a werewolf. Ryder is guiding Declan through the changes, but with Pelicia living close by, Declan decides he needs to see her.

When Declan visits Pelicia, he ends up crashing into the Bed and Breakfast when a sniper shoots at them. Without knowing if the sniper is after Pelicia or himself, Declan jumps into commando mode. He doesn’t care if Pelicia is ready to let him back into her life yet, he just needs to protect her! With his professional experience plus strong werewolf senses, Declan is the only man who can properly guard Pelicia. Why would someone shoot at them? Will Pelicia refuse Declan’s protection and put her life jeopardy?

How will Pelicia react when she finds out Declan is now a werewolf? Will she ever forgive Declan for ruining her reputation and lying to her two years ago? Will they be able to rekindle their live or will a killer take one of them out before they can even consider reconciling?

Seducing the Moon continues the story of Declan O’Connell and what happened to him after he was bitten by a werewolf in Daring the Moon. The romance sizzles, the suspense is exciting and the paranormal elements make this a very entertaining book. I highly recommend reading Daring the Moon first so you are aware of the full storyline and for better reading pleasure.

While I enjoyed Seducing the Moon, readers may find certain plot points a little too similar to the previous book. If you can look past that, there is a fabulous story to enjoy within the pages of this novel. The characters from Daring the Moon are back and there’s a lot of mystery and excitement.

Seducing the Moon is the perfect length for my short attention span and makes it a book that you can read all in one sitting. Overall, I greatly enjoyed reading this book and can not wait for the next installment. Look out for Sherrill Quinn’s short story City of the Dead in the Belong to the Night anthology due out August 25, 2009.

Seducing the Moon releases July 28, 2009.
Pre -order now from Amazon or B&N

Visit Sherrill Quinn's site

Don't forget to enter my contest for a copy of Water Witch by Deborah LeBlanc! Ends Wednesday July 22nd!

Water Witch Giveaway

Book Info:
Water Witch
By Deborah LeBlanc
Published by Leisure Books
September 2008
$7.99US/$9.99CAN
978-0-8439-6039-6
Order from Amazon or B&N

Book Description:
Dunny knew from an early age what it meant to be an outsider. Her special abilities earned her many names, like freak and water witch. So she vowed to keep her powers a secret. But now her talents may be the only hope of two missing children. A young boy and girl have vanished, feared lost in the mysterious bayous of Louisiana. But they didn't just disappear; they were taken. And amid the ghosts and spirits of the swamp, there is a danger worse than any other, one with very special plans for the children -- and for anyone who dares to interfere.

Contest Details:
I have one brand new copy of this book to give away to one lucky reader. US ONLY PLEASE, sorry. To enter please post a comment telling me the name of the last book you read and if you liked it or not. One entry per person. . Contest will end Wednesday July 22nd.

Contest on The Eclectic Reader Blog!

Thanks to Literary Escapism for posting about this awesome contest!! The Eclectic Reader is having a contest to win one of these three books. Contest ends July 31st so hurry over and enter now!!!

Contest Winners!

Thanks to everyone who entered my contest or helped spread the word. I really appreciate it. The winners of a copy of Dying for Mercy are:
ChrisLawson725
jdean1986

Please email me your full name and address through the link in my profile! Congrats!

Crouching Vampire, Hidden Fang Review

Don't forget the contest on the previous post to win a copy of Dying for Mercy by Mary Jane Clark! Contest ends Sunday.

When Pia Thompson went on a cruise, she never expected to end up a Zorya and married to a Dark One. When she met Alec, she though he was the one for her but in the end Pia is the Beloved to one man and one man only and that is Kristoff, Alec’s friend. After finding out that she is meant to be with Kristoff, Pia returns home to her old life in Seattle. Kristoff isn’t communicating telepathically with Pia anymore and she feels he’s closed himself off to her. Since he’s washed his hands of her, she decides to do the same.

But when people from the Brotherhood show up at Pia’s door demanding that she come with them, Pia has had enough. She doesn’t want to be a Zorya anymore and she lets that be known. The Brotherhood informs her of the steps she needs to take to give up her title. Without any other choice, Pia goes along with them so she can be done with all of this nonsense once and for all.

While negotiating with Dark Ones to free members of the Brotherhood, Pia runs into Kristoff being held captive for crimes he’s accused of committing. The crimes are so outlandish and Pia knows they’re not true but when they start accusing Pia also of a list full of crimes, things become scary. Will Pia be able to return to her life in Seattle or will she be forced into being a Zorya once again?

CROUCHING VAMPIRE, HIDDEN FANG is the seventh book in the Dark Ones Series and is the continuation of the previous story Zen and the Art of Dragons. When we last left Pia, she found out the truth that she is Kristoff’s Beloved, not Alec’s. In this installment their relationship grows and they finally admit their true feelings for each other.

The story moves along at a fast pace with plenty of mystery and suspense to keep readers riveted. There’s a ton of secrets to be uncovered and Pia is about to learn a whole lot more about Kristoff then she ever did before. Overall, Crouching Vampire, Hidden Fang is an excellent new installment by the very talented Katie MacAlister. Paranormal romance readers will eat this book up like a delectable dessert and crave for another helping of this hilarious, romantic and suspenseful series.

Dying For Mercy Giveaway!

Book Description:

When death shatters the serenity of the exclusive moneyed enclave of Tuxedo Park , New York , Eliza Blake, cohost of the country's premier morning television show KEY to America, is on the scene. While attending a lavish gala at her friends' newly renovated estate, Pentimento, Eliza's host is found dead—a grotesque suicide that is the first act in a macabre and intricately conceived plan to expose the sins of the past involving some of the town's most revered citizens.

Determined to find out the truth, Eliza and her KEY News colleagues—producer Annabelle Murphy, cameraman B.J. D'Elia, and psychiatrist Margo Gonzalez—discover that Pentimento holds the key. Nestled in the park's sprawling architectural masterpieces, picturesque gardeners' cottages, and lush, rolling landscape, the glorious mansion is actually a giant "puzzle house," filled with ingenious clues hidden in its fireplaces, fountains, and frescoes that lead them from one suspicious locale to another—and, one by one, to the victims of a fiendish killer.

As Pentimento gives up its secrets, it becomes clear that no amount of wealth or privilege will keep the residents of Tuxedo Park safe. But just when Eliza unearths one final surprise, she comes face-to-face with a murderer who believes that some puzzles should never be solved.

Book Details:
Dying for Mercy
By Mary Jane Clark

ISBN-13: 978-0061286117

On Sale July 28th

Pre- Order from

Amazon or B&N

Trailer for Dying for Mercy:

Contest Details:

I have two brand new copies of Dying for Mercy by Mary Jane Clark to give away to two lucky readers. To be entered in this contest, just post a comment here telling me the name of the last mystery book you read and why you would recommend it to me. Contest ends this Sunday July 19th with the winners being revealed that evening. One entry per person please. If you don't have a blog to link to with an email address in it, then please leave your email address in the comments. Good luck everyone!

This contest is now over. Thanks to everyone who entered.

Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun Review

M.J. Holliday is a gifted psychic medium who is in business with her best friend Gilley Gillespie, a gadgets expert. Gilley acts as M.J.‘s manager and books her gigs as a ghost buster of sorts ridding haunted houses of their unwanted ghosts. M.J.’s latest job is to appear on a television show called Haunted Possessions as a psychic and will use her skills to tell people if their family heirlooms are truly haunted or not.

The show consists of four mediums, two of which seem like frauds. The only medium M.J. believes in is a young man named Heath. They quickly form a bond and end up shooting a segment together. But when a knife mysteriously shows up as the next heirloom to look at, no one knows what they’re getting into until it’s too late.

This mysterious knife is extremely dangerous and leads M.J. and her friends on a chase for a killer. It doesn’t help that the hotel they are all staying in is extremely haunted and everywhere M.J. turns, there’s a ghost popping up. When one by one people in the haunted hotel start turning up murdered, M.J. realizes this isn’t going to be an easy case.

Along with the help of her boyfriend Steven, best friend Gilley, medium Heath, and the rest of the crew from the TV show, they embark on their scariest adventure yet to catch a killer before he can take another victim. But is their killer a ghost or a living person, they do not know. All they do know is that this ghost hunting job is getting to be really dangerous and even though they are getting paid handsomely, they don’t think it’s worth losing their lives. Will M.J. and her friends solve the case before another person is hurt?

Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun is the third book in the Ghost Hunter Mystery Series starring M.J. Holliday, a psychic medium. This was the first book that I’ve read by Laurie and I found it to be so much fun! The story is full of suspense, ghost hunting, and a mystery that you won’t be able to figure out. I enjoyed all of the characters but Gilley by far was my favorite. He was hilarious and shined through in all of his scenes. M.J. is a fearless woman who won’t stop her investigation until it’s solved. I found her character to be strong willed and I enjoyed that she didn’t need a man to rescue her in scary situations.

If you loved Wendy Roberts’ books you are going to be in heaven with Victoria Laurie’s series. As soon as I started this book, I found it impossible to stop reading it! Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun is a carnival ride of fun with ghosts, spirits, haunted houses, villains, mystery, telepathy, and psychics! I look forward to the next book in this series Ghouls Gone Wild due out March 2, 2010.

Love at First Flight Review

Juliana Gregorio and Michael Maguire are both headed to Florida to spend time with their significant others. They’ve never met before and coincidentally are both in long distance relationships. During their flight, they get to know each other and plan to talk again on their return trip home.

Juliana is a hair stylist and has been with her high school sweetheart Jeremy for ten years. Although she is happy with Jeremy, she wonders when he will take the plunge and ask her to marry him; after all it has been ten years! Michael is a prosecutor for the state’s attorney in Baltimore City and has been with his girlfriend Paige for the last four years. They are engaged and due to be married once all of the insane overzealous planning is done. Michael would like a simple wedding and doesn’t care for all of the extravagance that Paige insists on.

Juliana and Michael’s chance meeting turns into a friendship when they reunite once again on their flight home. Both of their relationships suffered changes during their trip and they are both free to explore other options. Will Juliana and Michael find love together and leave their significant others for good?

During their time together, Michael is prosecuting a high profile case and the defendants will do anything in their power to make sure the star witness does not take the stand. Juliana and Michael’s lives are constantly in jeopardy and they now have a police escort at all times. Will Juliana decide that life is too dangerous with Michael and leave him for Jeremy or will she discover happiness like she’s never known before?

Love at First Flight is a beautiful heart warming story that any woman could relate to. We have all been at a crossroads at one time in our life where we had to make a tough decision that will forever impact us. Juliana thought she was in love with her boyfriend of ten years but when she meets Michael, she realizes what true love really feels like. Love at First Flight is a story about love at first sight. It’s what every woman dreams of, meeting a man and knowing from the instant you meet him that he is the one. Along the way Juliana struggles with her emotions while she has to make a big decision and will break one man’s heart in the process.

Love at First Flight is a contemporary romance with a touch of suspense mixed in. If you are looking for a great love story that will make you smile and cry; this is the one. Juliana and Michael came alive in this book and I felt their love and their heartbreak every step of the way. Love at First Flight is an excellent book that romance readers will quickly devour and yearn for more. Overall, Marie Force is an outstanding writer and I look forward to reading more books by her.

Order on Amazon or Barnes and Noble
Visit Marie Force's site

Blue Moon Review

Ever Bloom’s life has dramatically changed ever since she met Damen Auguste and lost her whole family in a tragic car accident. She’s become an immortal and is adjusting to her new found powers. Damen has been right by her side along the journey and is teaching Ever what it means to be an immortal. But with the arrival of a new kid in school named Rogan, everything changes and not for the better.

Suddenly, Damen doesn’t want anything to do with Ever, her friends reject her, and she is constantly being taunted by everyone at school. Without Damen to provide her with her immortal juice and to teach her about her new life, she is left all alone, confused and terrified. Why is Damen acting so oddly? Why does he look like he’s becoming human and losing all of his powers? Why does Damen not love Ever anymore?

Ever travels to the other dimension of Summerland to find answers on how to save Damen. He is quickly deteriorating and she is convinced that a rogue immortal is the reason. While in Summerland, Ever discovers that there is a way to turn back time and get her old life back. Will Ever leave Damen and return to her old life and family? Will the rogue immortal get to Damen and kill him before Ever can save him?

Blue Moon is the second book in a paranormal young adult series called The Immortals. Ever is on her own in this installment and needs to figure out how to save Damen before his time runs out. Without having enough immortal knowledge this leaves her enlisting the help of a psychic and some friends in Summerland to help her. But the ultimate decision as to whether she is there to save Damen or if she tries to return to her old life is up to Ever and only Ever to decide. Will her decision cause catastrophic consequences or will she finally get her own happily ever after?

I adored the first book Evermore and was very anxious to read Blue Moon to find out what happens next with Ever and Damen. I enjoyed the scenes in Summerland as they were very imaginative and the imagery was nice. The conclusion to Blue Moon is very shocking and I still feel conflicted on whether I liked it or not.

Now despite some nuances, I really do love reading this series. The writing flows well and even though this book reads a little younger then the previous one at times, I still couldn’t put it down and was excited to see what would happen next. Overall, The Immortals is a great new series that is full of surprises and secrets to slowly be uncovered one by one. Look out for the third book in The Immortals Series, Shadowland due out February 2010.

Order Blue Moon on Amazon or Barnes and Noble

Visit Alyson Noel's Website for The Immortals Series

HQN Teen Books

I found this great list of some of the upcoming HQN Teen books on an Amazon ''So You'd Like To...'' List written by a reader. She has tons of great recommendations. Scroll down to HARLEQUIN SERIES to see the list of HQN Teen books list. And check out all her other recommendations. Go here to see it! And here's another list by her also. If you look to the right hand column while looking at a list...you will find more lists by other people. And then when you look at their lists..you will find more. I can browse going list to list for hours! LOL Have fun! :) Let me know if you find anything really good. I'm interested in upcoming books that haven't been mentioned on any blogs. Some that I might not know about. And if anyone knows anymore of the HQN Teen books coming out, I'd love to know! Especially covers!!

Phantasm Review

Zoe Martinique was a Wraith but lost her powers and doesn’t know how to get them back. She isn’t able to travel the astral world out of body anymore and this leaves her as a defenseless human while the Phantasm is out to kill. Zoe’s mother is still in a coma and her soul is lost somewhere on the Abysmal plane. Without the ability to become a Wraith, Zoe has no way of traveling to the Abysmal to look for her mother’s soul.

Rhonda, her best friend, betrayed her and even though she is a valuable source of knowledge, Zoe refuses to talk to her. Zoe’s boyfriend Daniel hasn’t talked to her since that traumatic incident at the warehouse that exposed him to a world that he never knew existed.

Joe still makes Zoe’s knees go weak but nothing much has been happening with them. But Dags is back so that’s good so he can help her with this case. TC is around and he seems to be Zoe’s new partner in crime. Without TC aka The Archer, there is no Wraith Zoe so she must work together with him to figure out how to become her old self again. TC can not be trusted but for this one case Zoe must put her life and her closest friends and family in his hands or she will never find her mother’s soul and save her.

Will Zoe become a Wraith again or will she be stuck as a regular human being? What will happen to her mother Nona? Will Daniel ever talk to Zoe again or will he break her heart by finally moving on? Will Zoe and her friends make it out of this mission alive?

PHANTASM is the third book in the Zoe Martinique Series that follows the life of a unique woman named Zoe who has the ability to travel out of her body because of a traumatic experience years ago. She is able to possess a person’s body, communicate telepathically with them after a possession, travel to the Abysmal and communicate with ghosts. But all of these abilities seemed to have left her out of nowhere and she has no idea how to get them back. She lost her voice, has been in a coma, almost died, and suffered so much because of being a Wraith, but yet she misses being one once it was taken from her.

This series must be read in order or the reader will be completely lost for details. It’s been a year since I read Spectre so it took me a little while to remember some of the events from the previous book, but the author does a good job of giving some background on the other books to refresh readers’ memories.

Phaedra Weldon has become my favorite author in the urban fantasy genre after reading Phantasm. I adored Wraith and Spectre but Weldon has topped those two books in her latest release. The first person point of view flows beautifully and all of the characters are well developed and unique.

I did not want Phantasm to end and was so sad when I turned the last page. Weldon is an amazing talent and her series just gets better and better with each new book. I LOVED Phantasm. I loved every word, every scene, and every character. I would HIGHLY recommend Phantasm and Weldon’s series to readers who love an intense story with lots of excitement and adventure from the first sentence to the last.

Happy 4th of July!

The Dark Hunters Volume 1 Review

The Dark Hunters Volume 1
Story by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Art by Claudia Campos
St. Martins Griffin
July 7, 2009

Summary from Amazon:

In the war against vampires, mankind has only one hope: The Dark-Hunters. Ancient warriors who died of brutal betrayal, the Dark-Hunters have sworn themselves into the service of the goddess Artemis to protect us.
It’s a pact with pretty good perks. Immortality, power, psychic abilities, wealth and a cool wardrobe. But it comes with a few drawbacks: fatal sun poisoning and a new, irreparable dental problem. But aside from the fangs and nocturnal lifestyle, it’s not so bad.

Until Kyrian meets the most frightening thing imaginable. An accountant who’s being hunted by one of the most lethal vampires out there. If Amanda Devereaux goes down, so does he and no offense, he doesn’t want to die (hence the whole immortality thing). And he doesn’t want humanity dead either which is a good thing for us since he and Amanda are all that stands between us and oblivion. Let’s hope they win.

Review:
My father is a huge comic book collector and used to buy me Barbie, Archie, Little Mermaid, and Jem comics when I was a kid. Despite my comic book upbringing, I have never read a manga book until now! I was very pleasantly surprised to get this little gem in the mail for review. I have never read Sherrilyn Kenyon before so I knew nothing about her Dark Hunters Series besides what I read in this manga novel.

The Dark Hunters Volume 1 is exquisitely drawn and really brings the story to life. I enjoyed the interactions between Kyrian and Amanda, and was even laughing at their arguing in some of the scenes. The drawings of her expressions were hilarious and I enjoyed reading about the Greek mythology. It’s a little hard to fully understand a whole series of books by just reading about it in a manga novel but I am intrigued now to check out her full length novels.

The way to read a manga is kind of confusing at first but there are handy instructions in the front of the book, which is actually the back. This book is put together in traditional Japanese style so that means the book opens backwards, you read pages right to left, and you read the bubbles from the top right hand corner, to the left as you go down the page. Surprisingly as complicated as that sounds, it’s not that hard.

The illustrator, Claudia Campos, really did Kenyon’s writing justice and I had so much fun reading about The Dark Hunters. The book ends with a cliff hanger and I can’t wait for the next manga so I can continue the saga that I started! Overall, The Dark Hunters Volume 1 is definitely worth the buy and is great for paranormal readers who want a break from a full length novel.

The Neighbor Review

When a twenty-three year old mother vanishes in the middle of the night, leaving her four year old daughter home alone, the media goes crazy with theories on what could have happened to her. Sandra Jones was young and beautiful and this story has happened so many times before that immediately everyone suspects the husband.

Sandra’s husband Jason Jones is handsome in the Dr. Mc Dreamy way and is a bit older then her. He works nights; she works days, so they hardly ever see each other. Could Jason have had enough of his loveless marriage and put an end to it by murdering his wife?

Jason doesn’t help the cops search for his wife and seems to be playing a part in a play, ‘’the grieving husband.’’ Their daughter witnessed what really happened but Jason doesn’t want her talking to anyone. When the cops dig deeper into the Jones’ lives, they discover there’s more to them then your typical family of three living in South Boston. They have dark secrets and the last thing they want is for it to be played out in the media.

Will Sandra Jones be found alive or will she turn into another statistic, killed by her handsome husband who thought a divorce would be too much trouble to deal with?

The Neighbor is an extremely tightly plotted mystery with plenty of suspense and red herrings. My only complaint is that the overall reasoning and conclusion to the mystery didn’t live up to my extremely high expectations. As an avid mystery reader, I just wanted to be surprised or shocked but the ending was rather predictable for me.

The story alternates in narration giving the reader a peak into the suspects’ mind and motives. The wife tells her story in a foreshadowing that slowly puts the pieces of the puzzle together. This book is loosely connected to Say Goodbye which I recommend reading first so you are aware of certain plot points. Overall, The Neighbor is an exceptional book that kept me up until 4 am, saying just one more page…