The Demon Librarian

Meeeehhhhhhh.

OMG that ending!

This book was just as cute as its cover and surprisingly creative and plot-rich. It's touted as an alternative to Sookie Stackhouse. Personally I see absolutely no similarities in theme, writing style or plot. In fact about the only similarity I can see is the cartoon-like cover. Which, by the way, once you've read the book all the things on it make a lot more sense. The seal, the coffin etc.. And they even got her 'like Cleopatra's only longer' hair right.The story is about a twenty-something girl named Jane True who, although lovely, witty, intelligent and beautiful, is the town pariah because of something that happened in her past. Her strange affinity to water and the memories of her mother's naked exploits, only further her status as small town gossip fodder.This naturally has an effect on her confidence to some extent, but I still thought she was fabulous. After she stumbles across a dead body during one her her bracing early morning swims, she soon realises that there is a reason for her unusual habits. Add in a sexy vampire investigator, a two-foot gnome, a mysterious barghest, and many hours of humorous shenanigans ensue."So I did what any brave warrior would do when confronted with an awful task: I squeezed my eyes shut and squealed, “Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ewwwww,”If I were to compare this to any other series I've read, I would be more inclined to choose something like Molly Harper's Naked Werewolf series. It's that kind of paranormal-lite, funny, sexy (although not gratuitous) and with an engaging plot and nicely rounded secondary characters. It's not a HEA book, there is more to come on that score I think, but for an Urban Fantasy there was quite a fair amount of mattress dancing going on. Which never hurts, does it?A great start- 4 Stars! ★★★★

Find this and more reviews at The Demon Librarian.I doona believe it. Kresley Cole's only gone and done it again. For me, the IAD series stands apart from all other paranormal romance series as one of the most reliable, trustworthy, guaranteed good time reads there is. No matter the couple, no matter the improbability of a love match between them, Cole always manages to deliver the goodies (Mmm, except maybe that one about the French ballerina chick, that one was kinda sucky). The paranormal romance genre can get incredibly formulaic, and it would only be fair to admit that Cole's stories also follow a distinct pattern—fated mates thrown together from opposing factions fall hopelessly in love—yet after 13 books, Cole's still managing to keep things fresh, introduce new ideas and yet more new races in a world already crammed to the rafters with fun supernatural species, as well as maintaining the cleverly intertwined and overlapping background stories that make up the overarching series theme regarding the war with Order, and the Accession, which is of course the catalyst behind all the unexpected mate pairings.For the most part, MacRieve was no different to the usual formula, although with perhaps a little less action and adventure than other instalments have had. This one was really all about the romance, and it was a romance filled with lots of lovely anger, hatred, bitterness, spite... You know, all those really sweet, romantic feelings that just make your heart sigh. Except not really. And I'm afraid I can't even tell you why it was like that to assuage your concern since the cause is a spoiler. But I will say it was one of those reads that made me wonder more than once just how on earth they would ever reconcile with each other. Naturally, I needn't have worried; Cole does these misconceptions amazingly well. And although the hurtful words and actions may pinch at the time, watching these big, braw males—especially the Scottish Lykae variety. Rawr!—fall to their knees and grovel once they realise what humongous asshats they've been, is soooo very worth it.Main character MacRieve is of course Ullieam MacRieve, whom we've met before in other books. He has a yummy identical twin called Munro, and the pair are affectionately nicknamed "Hot and Hotter" among the Lore. Much to their chagrin, I might add. MacRieve has had an awful time of it (understatement), and his long life has been affected by a tragedy that took place when he and Munro were but thirteen—nearly nine centuries ago. Then, more recently, he had the privilege of being an unwilling guest at the Order compound—Chez Torturé—that's been a feature of the last several books. There's nothing like a bit of fully concious vivisection to mess with a person's mind. Does that excuse his behaviour towards Chloe in this book? Eh, I suppose it just might. Just.Chloe was a great character. Perhaps not the most thrilling or exciting the series has ever seen being but a mere mortal, but she was quietly awesome just the same. In fact, she brought nearly all of the lightness and levity to the book, which was a lot to ask of one character. That was largely due to the fact that MacRieve and Chloe were secluded in Scotland for much of the book, or at this new werewolf compound setting (which introduced us to some great new personalities, incidentally), resulting in a distinct lack of Witches and Valkyries apart from a very brief glimpse of Nix right at the beginning who was up to her usual matchmaking shenanigans. The absence of all those crazy and hilarious female characters this series does so well was disappointing, and even though Chloe did her best to provide that attitude and sass all on her own, bless her, I still missed them and am hoping to see them back in the next book in full force!To sum up, MacRieve is a welcome addition to the IAD line up of hot hotties, and Cole is in fine form. And although the plot was perhaps not quite as exciting as previous books have been, there's definitely still enough going on to keep readers more than satisfied. And after that tantalising epilogue, the next book simply can't arrive soon enough!4 Stars ★★★★

Oh, dear. I hope Knight likes the taste of humble pie.

A slight change of pace this time. The plot was not based around a mystery, but was more of a problem solving affair. I prefer a mystery if I'm honest, but, if you've been following this series in order, you'll be nicely invested in the characters by now and so will be pleasantly surprised and delighted by some of the progress made in this instalment. There are some very interesting developments. Some people will impress you, some really, really won't. The setting of the Netherworld didn't make as much of an impression on me as I'd imagined after reading Dulcie's glimpse of it. But, to be fair, she really didn't get the chance to see a whole lot of it, so I will look forward to seeing more of that setting in future books. And judging by certain events, that's a distinct possibility.4 stars! ★★★★

Find this and more reviews at The Demon Librarian.An engaging read with a realistic male POV—LOSING HOPE is another win for Hoover.Holder's POV. That what it's all about, peeps. Holder's side of all the crazy events from HOPELESS, as well as extras from his childhood, the years in between, and the sweetest part of all—his letters to his sister Les that are threaded throughout in "handwritten" sections, which I thought was an absolutely perfect touch and a very clever idea from Hoover.During HOPELESS, you'd have been forgiven for being slightly weirded out by Holder and his often confusing, and sometimes disturbing, behaviour. I know I was. He seemed to blow hot and cold without warning, and perhaps even had a little anger management problem sprinkled on the top. But that was before we knew about the thing. You know, the thing? Of course you do. Now that we do know about the thing, those exact same scenes as seen here in LOSING HOPE through Holder's eyes, suddenly make a whole truck load more sense, and were very enjoyable to read. Not to mention well-written, and with a very authentic sounding "boy" voice.The only complaint I have about LOSING HOPE is that the end chapters—which really are all about Sky's character—felt slightly choppy and rushed when told from Holder's POV. Since he was only on the periphery during much of it, he had to do a lot of summarising, which of course isn't as satisfying as living it in all its pain-filled glory like we did in HOPELESS. Still, it's only a minor quibble, and didn't really detract from the book's appeal.So basically, if you loved HOPELESS, you're going to love LOSING HOPE—and Holder—all over again. Enjoy!4 Stars ★★★★ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Well now. I've gone from 'like' to 'love' over the space of two books. I 'liked' the plot for book one, but I 'loved' the plot book two. It wasn't that it was better written either because the standard was already high, but it was just more interesting because it had such devastating repercussions for Duclie's personal life. I also loved the new characters that were introduced. Dea, for example, was a nice surprise. I'd grown quite attached to her by the end. I hope she's a regular feature from now on. And getting to know the characters we'd already met before more... intimately was fun too. Especially Knight and Bran. Bran has his moments, but ultimately always ruins it for himself by being a total narcissist. And Knight....ah, Knight. I love Knight Vander!!! (Extra exclamations marks were required- you have no idea). I just can't hide it any longer. I need to confess it to someone. He's too cute/hot/sweet/arrogant/funny/sexy for words. And I think we saw a different side to him in this book, too. Okay, the Knight that we met in book one- the self-confessed "cocky bastard"- is still very much there, but we discovered new depths in A TALE OF TWO GOBLINS and were it a test, he would have passed with flying colours in the "is also a pretty freaking nice guy" department.This book wasn't perfect. The BIG BAD was unguessable (my red squiggly line maker says unguessable isn't a word, but it so should be) and there were also some pretty major time discrepancies going on between what was said in book one, and what's said here in this one, which in the end I just decided to overlook and make it up for myself. So I was perhaps a bit generous giving it a full five stars (which is not like me at all!), but I enjoyed it so much it seemed mean to mark it down.So here they are, a full house: 5 Stars! ★★★★★Now go out and pick up this series right now!

I thoroughly enjoyed this. I found myself quite taken with Ms Mallory's writing style right from the offset. It's light, conversational in tone, funny. But please don't be fooled by that nor by the cartoon-like cover. This is not as fluffy, or 'paranormal-lite' as you might be expecting once you get into the meat of the story. It was actually surprisingly dark and sexy in places and had violent scenes, but those scenes were usually described off page rather than experienced first-hand. Mallory herself describes her writing as "a blend of suspense, humor, light horror, and romance with a sprinkle of fantasy to tie everything together" and that's pretty accurate. And I loved it! It's written first-person through Dulcie who is a faerie. She's a pretty fabulous character; intelligent, good at her job, witty and attractive (although she has a tendency to fixate on the bits she doesn't find attractive and ignore the rest). There are plenty of other people that have no issues seeing her full level of attractiveness, however, and there are some very interesting possibilities set up in the romance department. But that will be for future books. Dulcie isn't running into anything after being put through the wringer by her last boyfriend. No matter how persistent her potential suitors get!One thing I really enjoyed was the variety of supernatural species. You've got Faries, Werewolves, Vampires, Trolls, Elves and Goblins to name only a few, as well as some more that I'd not heard of before. I like Urban Fantasies with a nice diversity like that. And this time, refreshingly, they all seem to get along pretty well. There's no inbred animosity between any two species. Nope, any animosity found between charatcers is earned all on its own. Such as between rival potential love interests for example...The mystery plot was well-executed, with some big twists and turns. The pacing was excellent and moved at a good clip throughout. The sexual tension was almost off the charts, and overall I'm just very excited for this series.My only complaint would be that the best friend character, Sam, was slightly underwritten. She could have been put to better use and maybe displayed the level of closeness between her and Dulcie more. Especially if she's going to be an important character in future books. All together, a very impressive 4.5 Stars! ★★★★(At the time of writing this, the first book is free on Amazon. You would be totally cray cray not to snap it up!

Find more reviews at The Demon Librarian.Nun on the run.Seven books in and McCarty manages to produce yet another delicious Scottish hero for readers to devour. One of my favourite species, in fact—the strong, silent type—Ewen was an absolute delight. You know, when he wasn't being a giant pain in my ass.Famed throughout Scotland for his incomparable tracking skills which earned him the moniker "The Hunter" within Bruce's elite guard, his prowess as a warrior is without question. His social skills on the other hand, particularly where the fairer sex is concerned, are somewhat lacking, to put it mildly. He's brusque, abrupt, has no discernible soft edges, nor charm... and I absolutely loved him!Big, gruff bear characters who find all that "mushy love stuff" uncomfortable and awkward are a bit of a weakness for me, it has to be said. There's often a soft, squishy side under all their bluster that I find irresistible, and usually only one special li'l lady capable of bringing it to the surface. Ewen is no exception to that sweeping generalisation. You know what they say, the bigger they are, the harder they fall, and it's very satisfying as a reader to watch that transformation. Of course, the fact that Ewen was hummuna hummuna hummuna drop dead gorgeous, certainly didn't hurt matters.Speaking of ladies, ever wonder what happened to Janet, Mary (heroine from The Recruit) of Mar's sister after the big bridge explosion? Well, I can tell you she's still alive and kicking here in THE HUNTER, and is still as fearless—some people, *cough*Ewen*cough*, might say needlessly reckless, but that's beside the point—and is currently living life perilously close to the edge by being one of Bruce's "Couriers of the Cloth" (Members of the Church, or in Janet's case, big, fat fake members of the Church, who carry messages between informants back to Bruce to help with the war effort). Disguised as an Italian nun, she first meets Ewen when her life is in imminent danger, causing his protective— and worryingly for him, his possessive—side to rear its head, along with a big can of wuppass for those who are threatening her. It's not long before the two are thrust together on a journey that tests Ewen's sense of honour to the limits. I mean, she's a nun, but she sure doesn't act, speak, or look like any nun he's ever met. I actually felt really sorry for Ewen during this deception. Bless him, he thought he was going to burn in hell for sure. But it was also kinda fun being in on the secret.THE HUNTER was a satisfying read all in all. There was plenty of action, conflict, sexual tension, and even some pretty heavy emotional scenes. While it's probably not my favourite McCarty book (I tend to like the really gut-kicking ones that have me sobbing all over my Kindle), it's certainly a great addition to the series and maintains the high standard of those preceding it. The next book is set to be called The Raider and is Robert Boyd's story. I'm hoping we'll soon be getting a "The Striker" book because after this one, I'm entirely fascinated by the sham marriage of Eoin MacLean and want to know how McCarty plans to handle that one.I hope I've convinced you to give THE HUNTER a try, and if you haven't started this series yet and want to get the full experience, you can start with The Chief and meet each gorgeous hunk of man in chronological order, as well as enjoy learning about the historical events surrounding Robert the Bruce's reign during this time period.My rating: 4 Stars ★★★★ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Find more reviews at The Demon Librarian.Hopeless.I've been dipping my toe in this New Adult genre quite a lot lately. Maybe a bit too much in fact, because I'm starting to see patterns and familiar themes all over the place. This one had a lot of similarities to The Sea of Tranquility, for example (which is no criticism since I loved that book), but maybe it means it's time for a breather before they all start to meld into one big homogeneous mass in my brain.That said, I really enjoyed HOPELESS. It actually wasn't my first book from this author; I've also read her book Slammed with all the awesome poetry and enjoyed it a lot, so I felt in fairly safe hands when I decided to give this a try. And sure enough, I found the writing to be of an equally high standard and very evocative and poignant in places. I particularly enjoyed the way Hoover let the story unfold so naturally. They way both characters each held half the answers (whether they knew it or not), but they had to use each other to bring it forth. And just when I thought I'd predicted everything and was just waiting to see it play out, there was yet more to it that I hadn't considered and I really appreciated that unpredictability. It made me forgive the sameness that had been bugging me at the beginning.HOPLESS is narrated by Sky. She was a pretty great protagonist all in all. My only real complaint about her would be the sluttiness she portrayed early on, although that did become more tolerable once I discovered the source of it. She's a smart, pragmatic girl who has her emotions pretty well in check as the story begins, and seemed quite worldly wise and grounded for someone who's had such an unusual and sheltered upbringing— being home-schooled and without access to any technology or communication devices. I found her reactions to Holder's presence initially reassuring. Stalk much? I was glad to see her calling him out on it and trying to stay detached. My appreciation for her as a character grew as I read, but as the story revolves around her, I'll refrain from saying much more. Best for you to discover Sky for yourself and make your own judgements.Speaking of Mr. Holder, his reactions in the first part of the book are definitely odd and confusing. Disturbing, even. Now that I know him, I almost want to go right back to the beginning and look at all his weirdo scenes again with my new enlightened eyes. But of course I'm not really going to do that, because wahoo! There's an entire book from his POV coming up instead called LOSING HOPE, which I'm reliably informed not only fills in all of those blanks, but also provides much more background and depth to Holder's character. I can't wait to read that to get the full telescopic view of events and more importantly, find out just what was going on in his head at the beginning!Coming soon: LOSING HOPESo do I recommend this one? You betcha! I especially enjoyed the audio narration as well so if you're audibly inclined, you might want to go that route as it was really well produced.My rating: 4 stars! ★★★★ Yuri

Ah funny, funny.

This wasn't a bad story by any means, but the romance just did not happen for me at all. William and Randa should have had buckets of chemistry - they were all set up for it perfectly from the first two books with their bickering banter and combative personalities. I'm not sure where it all went. Maybe the dog ate it?

Find more reviews at The Demon Librarian.Shadow and BoneWith its interesting and original magical premise, realistically drawn characters, and a well-constructed yet cleverly divided world, SHADOW AND BONE was a very pleasant surprise that kept me entertained from page one to the very end, with nary a slow spot in between.  On the surface, it may have occasionally seemed reminiscent of other books I've read in this genre, and even had a few ideas/tropes that are perhaps starting to become a bit too predictable within it—ordinary girl discovers she's a super special snowflake with gargantuan powers she knew nothing about, being the most obvious one, but there were others, too. But thankfully, there was just enough of a new spin on them, and, more importantly, the characters were interesting enough, that they suddenly seemed fresh and revitalized somehow. Even for someone who's, admittedly, read more than her fair share of this genre's offerings.What I particularly enjoyed was the conflict regarding the magic users versus the non-magic users. The way they were either revered of feared depending on which side you were on. Those without power covet it. Those with power just want yet more power. And of course, there's always some nutjob who just wants to TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!! It just wouldn't be the same without one, really, and this book is no different. The bad guy, though....he/she/they were the perfect kind of bad guy—my favourite kind. The kind that you find yourself wavering over and occasionally even agreeing with, despite your better instincts. The baddie with the slight chance of redemption is like the sweetest of temptations that this reader simply cannot resist. I just love me a good antihero. A villain you love to hate and hate to love. So I enjoyed that aspect a lot.As well as personal conflicts on the small scale, the split kingdoms are also set up perfectly for future epicness and large scale battles, and the whole idea of the Shadow Fold and the Unsea captured my imagination wonderfully. I can't wait to see what Bardugo plans to do with it all. It's the perfect rough canvas to drop a young heroine with brand new powers on and say "Now fix it, missy!". So I'm sure there is a lot more to come because, as with most first books in a series, this one had a lot of character and world set-up to do, but the potential is huge.So, as you can see there was a lot to enjoy, so why only 4 stars? Well, it really boils down to just one thing—my lack of connection the the main character.Now, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the heck out of Alina, and don't actually have anything negative to say about her at all (perhaps with the exception of some occasional childish stubbornness, but even that I can forgive). And, like I said up top, she is a well-written and realistic character (even with the super special snowflake aspect, she was still likable). BUT, if I'm being totally honest, I felt ever so slightly detached from her. She was all things a nice heroine should be; brave, selfless, even self-deprecating and funny. But for whatever reason, I didn't find myself wanting to champion her like I have with other heroines from similar titles (Neryn from Shadowfell by Marillier being the first to come to mind—Egads, I loved that frickin' book!). For me, Alina was just "okay", but didn't inspire me further than that.Still, if you normally like this kind of YA historical fantasy whatchamawhosit, or if you just enjoy a good old magical adventure with a sweet little dash of romance thrown in, you should definitely give SHADOW AND BONE a go. It has a lot going for it, and with more time I'm sure Alina could work her little wily way further into my heart to take this from a good read, to a really great one. The kind you finish and want to start right back at the beginning. That's what I'm hoping for when I continue with the next book, Siege and Storm, and I will of course let you know how I get on:)My rating - 4 Stars ★★★★

Find more reviews over at The Demon Librarian. Come Alive All Ye Faithful Oh, it was so good to be back with EIT! I think absence really had made my heart grow fonder because it took precisely no time at all for me to be grinning from ear to ear, in my happiest of happy places, savouring the wondercake that was COME ALIVE.What made it so good? Well, many things, but the top of the list for me would be the awesomeness that was DEX'S NARRATION! It was certainly a different reading experience after enjoying six books from Perry's POV, but it was a good different. I was rapt instantly, poring over his every word, every thought. For a character whose motives and feelings have always been somewhat muggy, to get an entire book written from his POV—not just a scene or a novella, but and entire freakin' book so we could really dig in deep and scramble things around to see just how his brain works—was just beyond delicious and I savoured every single morsel of it!Now, granted, a lot of Dex's thoughts do revolve around sex and his favourite parts of Perry's anatomy. But come on, now. This is Dex we're talking about. Would you love him if he were any other way?Didn't think so.To be fair to the lovely Perry, I did miss her narration at times, it's true. Particularly since she's currently the most conflicted of the two characters. I would have dearly loved to have known what thoughts were whirring around in that little head of hers at certain points. Dex, on the other hand, is being clear as a bell and I loved seeing him be so wonderfully honest about his feelings for Perry, and about everything that's gone down between them in the past. Even without the pleasure of his POV, he's so open that we (and Perry) would have known where we stood with him anyway. The man says what he means and means what he says, and believe me when I tell you he says some heartmeltingly swoony things in COME ALIVE! I'm so very excited to read the next book after the ending of this one!I haven't gone over the synopsis or anything, but I assume everyone knows by this point that Karina Halle simply doesn't know how to write a bad story, so there's absolutely nothing to worry about on that front. We even get some long-awaited answers about certain characters as well, so all in all, a really fantastic book, not to be missed (as if you would have anyway).So go forth and purchase, book lovers! You will regret nothing. I swear on my hair.5 Stars ★★★★★

Find more reviews at The Demon Librarian.Deadpan: Oh, look. Here I am reviewing a YA Historical Fantasy book. I hardly ever do that. Actually, just to totally throw you with a drastic change to my routine, BORN WICKED would probably be more accurately described as a Historical Paranormal, which is totally different—shut up—rather than the usual Swords & Sorcery fantasy fare that I love so well. Featuring witches, young love and a coming-of-age story, it's a slow-burner with the emphasis on the characters and their internal conflicts, more than any great showy magical abilities. A quiet, understated read with a fairly prim and proper heroine, it won't be for everyone for that reason. But for those who persevere past the slow beginning, there is a payoff to be found.Cate Cahill, the main character, is the eldest of three sisters (witches all), who lost her mother a few years back and is now facing the prospect of, a) suddenly becoming the matriarch of the family at only 16 and having to care for her younger—and much more reckless—sisters, b) reaching the age where, in Spotswood's alternate England, she has only about six months left to choose a husband or one will be appointed to her by the Brotherhood (think zealous pseudo-priests who preach anti-magic propaganda and have become the governing body in charge of, well, everyone), and c) having to hide her magic and that of her sisters for fear of being caught by said Brotherhood, in which case she/they would be taken away, likely never to be heard from again.So, all together, a lot to take onto young shoulders. Add to that the reappearance of a former childhood crush, and the most surprising romantic about turn, and you've got one confused young lady. Add to that the discovery of her mother's old journal, and it's a pivotal time in Cate's life, to say the very least.BORN WICKED is one of those quiet and sneaky little stealth ninja books. You know the kind that creep up on you unsuspectingly, and you don't quite realize just how much you've been enjoying it until it suddenly STOPS? With, I might add, one motherclucking doozy of a cliffhangery ending. And then you find yourself having to curtail a temper tantrum the likes of which the world has never seen over a book that started out so unassumingly you were barely paying attention.Okay, that last part may be an exaggeration—I have three kids, I've seen some pretty cataclysmic temper tantrums. And in the grand scheme of things, I've read worse cliffhangers, too. (The Cliffhanger-Cliffhanger double whammy from the end of Dreamfever will probably forever been the mothercluckingest of them all. The cliffhanger against which all future cliffhangers are measured and found lacking). But, I digress. And either way, it really was a "wicked" (Heh, see what I did there?) place to end things for Cate. Especially since it was such a slow starter. I felt like I'd only just got invested fully in her as a character, then poof! Finito.Leave 'em wanting more? Maybe that works, I don't know. What I do know is instead of rushing off to Amazon to buy book two, I sort of went, "Harumph! Stoopid cliffhangers! *grumble, grumble, grumble*" and slunk off with a superior, disinterested look on my face that only one of my two cats could outdo.Sooooo.... does that mean I'll be reading book two or not? *Sigh* Yes. Yes I probably will. Okay, so you got me, the cliffhanger ploy worked, I admit it. Happy? I was just trying to convince myself it didn't so I wouldn't look so pathetically and tragically weak, okay? Doesn't mean I have to like it, though! And I did really like the love interest she ended up with and I do really need to see her turn those Brotherhood muppets into toads or something, so yes. Star Cursed... here I come.4 Stars ★★★★