Review of Piper by Leona Carver

Piper by Leona Carver 5*
BLURB: To combat the voracious rats that have adapted to space age living, powerful resonance technology was developed and implemented by a League of pipers, who lure the rats out of hiding and send them into open space.
Master Piper Atmosphere is the most talented piper in the League, but when he meets a young scientist in the course of his latest assignment, he finds himself caught in an entirely different kind of lure. His new relationship leads him to secrets of the resonance technology the League has carefully hidden—secrets worth killing for, and which drive him to dark, drastic measures of his own



My Review: Do you like the tale of The Pied Piper? Do you like modern day takes on old fairy tales? Do you like m/m romance? If, like me, the answer is a resounding 'yes' then this book is for you. I have stated in the past that the way to tell a good author is when their words move you to tears and Leona Carver did that more than once to me with this story, but the ending more than made up for it. It is full of action, pathos, peoples greed and all sorts of wonderful twists on the tale of the rat catcher who is wronged by the people of Hamlin. I loved it and read it in one sitting, even though it was so late at night I should have been sleeping.

So sorry for the lack of reviews lately

I have been reading and in fact I've read a plethora of short stories! They've all been good to excellent and well worth the reading but with everything else going on I just haven't bothered with taking the time out to review any of them. There have been so many mixed emotions for me over this first Christmas without hubby. Sadness at being without him, worry over cooking my very first Christmas dinner (he has done it all in past years) and joy at the love I received from friends and family. No way was this rollercoaster of emotions conducive to reasoning reviews!

So for now I will just hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that 2014 will be a great year for all.

Review of Mindscape by Tal Valante

Mindscape by Tal Valante 2*
BLURB: The truth will set you free.
Mark Sayre joins the Interstellar Navy for the money—his only goal is to keep his little brother out of the colony mines that sent their father to an early grave. With concepts like duty and honor floating high over his head, he hardly expects to fall for the serious, idealistic Shane Cawley. Not to mention that Shane is his commanding officer . . . and his Resonance partner, a one-in-ten-thousand mental connection so profound that they can travel in each other’s mindscapes.
Shane Cawley is carrying on the family tradition by serving in the Interstellar Navy. He hardly expects to fall for the quirky, happy-go-lucky Mark Sayre. But as the Resonance between them grows, neither can deny what he feels for the other.
When war breaks out, Mark and Shane find their military training and their Resonance link tested to the edge of sanity. Shane is haunted by memories and flashbacks, and Mark becomes trapped in his own mindscape. But with help from an unlikely ally, they may be able to salvage their futures and the love they share
My Review: Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley. On reading the blurb I thought this was going to be a great Science Fiction story - what I got was a mediocre one - the only 'science fictiony' thing about it was that mind meld. Other than that it could have been any story set at any time in today's world. There were a few problems with the plot too - like how was Mark rescued and what was with the constant jumping around about? Now you want to know what I mean by jumping around, don't you? Well I can take a story jumping into flashbacks or jumping from one person's POV to another's but not both in one book!! It might be worth noting at this time that this was an ARC from netgalley so changes might have been made so don't let my poor opinion put you off giving it a try for yourself.

Phylogenesis by Alan Dean Foster

Phylogenesis (Founding of the Commonwealth #1) by Alan Dean Foster 5*
BLURB: In the years after first contact, humans and the intelligent insect like Thranx agree to a tentative sharing of ideas and cultures despite the ingrained repulsion they have yet to overcome. Thus, a slow, lengthy process of limited contact begins.
Yet they never plan for a chance meeting between a misfit artist and a petty thief. Desvendapur is a talented Thranx poet who is bored with his life and needs new inspiration for his work. Venturing beyond the familiar, Desvendapur runs into Cheelo Montoya, a small-time criminal with big dreams of making a fast buck. Together they will embark upon a journey that will forever change their beliefs, their futures, and their worlds .
My Review: Alan Dean Foster's Pip & Flinx books have been favourites of mine for many years but it dawned on me that I have never read book one of the Humanx Commonwealth. Well I am delighted to have rectified that omission as it was just so wonderful. I loved every word and the characters were so well written I was sorry to reach the end and have to leave them behind. Guess my bank account is going to take a big hit in the near future as I get the rest of his Commonwealth books.

Not something I would normally do. . .

. . . but I am requesting that if you know the author Eric Arvin or his fiance T J Klune that you go to this Link and donate a little something to help them out. Eric has been diagnosed with a serious medical problem and his fiance and family need all the help they can get to finance them staying near the hospital to give him emotional support. Any excess funds will be going directly to Eric and TJ for use in Eric’s recovery as it is likely to be a long and difficult one.

Review of Heart Of Obsidian by Nalini Singh

Heart of Obsidian (Psy-Changeling #12) by Nalini Singh 5*
BLURB: Step into New York Times bestseller Nalini Singh’s explosive and shockingly passionate Psy-Changeling world…
A dangerous, volatile rebel, hands stained bloodred.
A woman whose very existence has been erased.
A love story so dark, it may shatter the world itself.
A deadly price that must be paid.
The day of reckoning is here.
From “the alpha author of paranormal romance” (Booklist) comes the most highly anticipated novel of her career—one that blurs the line between madness and genius, between subjugation and liberation, between the living and the dead.

My Review: I've been looking forward to reading Kaleb's story for some books now and I wasn't disappointed at all. Nalini Singh did it again with her heart rendingly intense story and I was both relieved and disappointed to reach the end. Relieved that my emotions were no longer on the roller coaster of her writing and disappointed at having reached the end of a wonderful story. If you are a long time reader of the Psy-Changling series you know to go and read this one immediately (if you haven't already), if you are not yet a reader of the series may I recommend that you go out and start reading at once? You can't go wrong, as the series is both entertaining and intense, as well as being full of action and romance. In fact it has everything you could ask for from a series.

Review of Snowballs by Tara Lain and two books by Amber Kell

Snow Balls by Tara Lain 5*
BLURB: Big, handsome and hunky, JJ LaRousse looks like an alpha male but acts like an interior decorator. And he’s trying to be happy about it -- until a robbery at the famous Laguna Winter Fantasy brings JJ face-to-face with tough cop, Ryan Star. JJ hears Ryan likes guys who are manly men, so he drops his voice an octave, colors over his pink hair, and tries to pass as a football fan.
Ryan Star may be tough but he hides in the closet at work since he learned in New York that being a gay cop can cost you your life. His attraction to that big, handsome kid threatens his anonymity, but he can’t seem to resist. JJ is just his type. But then JJ goes skiing and comes face to face with his greatest nemesis-- and all the secrets come out of the closet. Can Ryan love JJ for who he really is? More important, can JJ?
My Review: I loved it - Tara hit the mark again with this one. JJ was a beautiful character and Ryan ended up as the perfect partner even if it did take a while to get there :D

The Two books by Amber Kell:


To Bite a Bear (Banded Brothers #4) by Amber Kell 4* & To Kiss a Killer (Banded Brothers #5) by Amber Kell 4*
BLURBS: TBAB: Sometimes you need a grand gesture to prove your love, and sometimes a bear hug will do.
Harris Bender had a crush on vampire leader Rohan, so when the alpha male requests him to paint a mural, he can only say yes. However, after a passionate encounter, Harris discovered Rohan is his mate. Is the carefree artist ready to settle down with one man even if he’s extremely hot?
Rohan had been looking for his blood bonded for centuries. One taste of the bear shifter’s blood and he knows he’s found the one. However, outside forces threaten to tear the couple apart. It will take more than a flash of fang to put them in their place
TKAK: What would you do to protect your family? For Aden the answer is anything.
Aden Gale has always protected the boys he chose as his. Gallen Theos refuses to become another one of Aden’s projects. He might have been bespelled by his father but he was Aden’s mate and he refused to take anything less than a full partnership. If the cool-eyed killer thought he could wiggle away for Gallen’s own safety, well he had a lot to learn about the tenacity of sorcerers
My Review: A nice couple of stories that finished of an enjoyable series and set up things for a new one that looks like it might be another good one.

Review of Bastion by Mercedes Lackey

Bastion (Valdemar: Collegium Chronicles #5) by Mercedes Lackey 5*
BLURB: Mags returns to the Collegium, but there are mixed feelings--his included--about him actually remaining there. No one doubts that he is and should be a Herald, but he is afraid that his mere presence is going to incite more danger right in the heart of Valdemar. The heads of the Collegia are afraid that coming back to his known haunt is going to give him less protection than if he went into hiding. Everyone decides that going elsewhere is the solution for now. So since he is going elsewhere--why not return to the place he was found in the first place and look for clues? And those who are closest to him, and might provide secondary targets, are going along. With Herald Jadrek, Herald Kylan (the Weaponsmaster's chosen successor), and his friends Bear, Lena, and Amily, they head for the Bastion, the hidden spot in the hills that had once been the headquarters of a powerful band of raiders that had held him and his parents prisoner. But what they find is not what anyone expected
My Review: I have to admit to being a little bit biased towards any Valdemar story as they are my favourite fantasy series books. This one, as the fifth in the collegium storyline, is exactly what I expected it to be. A nice simple tale that continues with the trials and tribulations of Mags and his friends. There weren't many surprises and the story flowed easily. Over all I enjoyed it and look forward to any new collegium stories in the future. Mind you any stories about Valdemar are automatically on my to buy list.

Review catch up

I have been doing a lot of listening and a lot of reading but haven't felt in the mood to review any of the books as they have all been meh!

That is until yesterday when I opened up Amber Kell's Banded Brothers series and ended up reading three of them in one day!


To Have a Human (Banded Brothers #1) by Amber Kell 4*
BLURB Sometimes it’s the family you choose that loves you the most.
Carey Gale always knew about shifters. It was difficult not to know when your best friends could turn into some of the deadliest beasts. When he gets a daytime job to support his band working at a shifter owned business, he doesn't expect to fall hopelessly in lust with Broden Lyall, the company’s alpha. Sadly, Broden thinks little of humans. He considers them helpless and weak. But when hunters come after Carey’s friends, Broden learns that not all humans are alike, and he will do anything to have one slim, blond human.
To Catch A Croc (Banded Brothers #2) by Amber Kell 4*
BLURB: Protect those you love, annihilate everyone else.
For as long as he could remember Denton Stills has followed his friend Carey around. When Carey gets a mate Denton starts to consider maybe it is time for him to find his forever man. However the only one sniffing around is an obnoxious puma who seems to think Denton is as good as his. When saltwater crocodile shifters try to move into Denton’s territory he takes a page from Carey’s father “protect those you love, annihilate everyone else. Will Denton be able to hold back a shifter invasion with his friends or will he have to ask for help from the one man who makes him thinks happily ever after might be possible?
To Enchant an Eagle (Banded Brothers #3) by Amber Kell 4*
BLURB: When love is on the line, crossing it is the only path to take.
Eaton Franks has had his eye on Marty, the leader of the hawks, for a long time. After he rescues the bad boy, things take a tragic turn and it looks as if the gang leader might never fly again. When Eaton has the chance to use a sorcerer to fix the love of his life, little does he know it will lead to his own abduction.
Marty is beside himself when his eagle shifter is stolen. He knows they are mates and he’s willing to do anything to get him back. However, now he has to decide if he is willing to give up his hawk half in order to save his eagle. Sometimes love makes a man do crazy things.
My Review: These books are really good. The characters are well rounded and the storyline kept me intrigued to the last page. They seem to be able to be read as stand alone's but I'm not too sure seeing as how I read them one after the other! I liked the fact that paranormals are an accepted part of society in these books and that the band has both human and shifters in it. In fact my only critique would be that Amber needs to make her books longer so that I don't eat them up so quickly :D

Duke Betrayed by Amber Kell

Duke Betrayed (Thresl Chronicles #5) by Amber Kell 4*
BLURB: Book Five in the The Thresl Chronicles series.
When Duke Hellbur is accused of treason against his people, he bonds with medic Balaze to keep his human form and prove his innocence.
When Duke Hellbur is accused of smuggling Thresls and selling them off to interested buyers, he undertakes a trip to prove his innocence. In order to retain his humanity, Hellbur bonds with a medic named Balaze…who didn’t exactly give his assent to the binding of their souls.
Balaze admired the duke whenever he visited the castle, but finding someone attractive and wanting to be theirs for eternity aren’t the same thing. After surviving the death of his first Thresl mate, Balaze isn’t exactly eager to go through that pain again. However, the duke doesn’t take no for answer.
Those who are guilty will have to be uncovered if the two men ever plan on finding peace with each other. When Hellbur and Balaze go off on an interplanetary adventure, can they find common ground or will their enemies tear them apart?
My Review: Well the Thresl story continued but still not with Saint's story :( However putting that disappointment aside I really enjoyed Duke Betrayed. There were glimpses of Saint and his mate but mostly it was about Hellbur and his romance with Balaze whilst trying to clear his name and help save the Thresl people. So naturally there was plenty of hot loving, all the usual misunderstandings, action and of course a little bit towards the longer Thresl storyline.

Some more audio books

I've been doing a lot of crocheting for Christmas and customers of my new shop so I have listened to a number of audio books lately. I am adding a short review of them here:

Fuzzy Nation (UNABRIDGED)by John Scalzi
Narrated by Wil Wheaton , John Scalzi 5* for story and narration
The storyline was excellent and, having read the book it was based on, I was pleased with how well John Scalzi adapted his story. It made me laugh and cry and gasp aloud and I was very emotionally involved throughout. The part when Fuzzy spoke was done so well by the narrator that I could almost see him stood there.

The Vortex Blaster: Lensman Series (UNABRIDGED) by E. E. 'Doc' Smith
Narrated by Reed McColm 4* for story and narration
I really enjoyed the narration on this one - the vivid images I got from it were so much better than what I remembered the book to be like. In fact, just like in the original story I read so long ago, I still enjoyed the character of Dr. Neal "Storm" Cloud the best. The idea of someone being so good with maths still fascinates me. I also think that hearing it narrated was so much better. The narrator gave such wonderful pronunciation to all the alien planet names and words I had so much trouble with back then.

Alpha and Omega: A Novella from On the Prowl (UNABRIDGED) by Patricia Briggs
Narrated by Holter Graham 5* story 4* narration
I bought this to compare it to the print book and was pleased that I did as it was so well done and now I can listen to it any time I want instead of reading the book until it falls apart. The visual imagery I got from the good narration made this an audiobook that I would rank near the top. I certainly had a more emotional response to the story than I had reading the original print version. Overall it was a good experience.

Review of How I Met Your Father by L.B. Gregg

How I Met Your Father by L.B. Gregg 4*
BLURB: The man of your dreams could be sitting right next to you.
Former boy band member Justin Hayes isn’t looking for a man. He just wants a quiet, scandal-free Christmas at home in Chicago, out of the public eye. But his best friend and bandmate is subjecting everyone to his destination wedding, and Justin can’t dodge the “best man” bullet. All he has to do is get to the island on time, survive the reunion, and get Chuck to the altar with as little drama as possible. What could possibly go wrong?
Jack Bassinger’s own plans for a quiet Christmas have been dashed by the summons to his daughter’s hasty wedding with a man Jack has hardly met. On the bumpy flight to the island, he finds himself comforting a nervous—and extremely attractive—young man. One hasty sexual encounter in an airport bathroom later, they both feel much better. No one ever has to know, after all.
Now Justin and Jack must find a way to explore their attraction, despite the distractions of disapproving family members, unexpected announcements, an impromptu concert, and an island paradise that proves there’s no place like home.
My Review:Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley. I enjoyed this story from the start. It was amusing, hot and heartwarming. I especially loved Justin's internal dialogues with himself, I found myself giggling over them a lot. This dialogue actually gives the reader a wonderful insight into his character and I just wish i had had more of an insight into Jack's to balance it out. Between that and the shortness of the story (which I feel had plenty of scope for expansion) I could only give this a four star not the five star it probably deserves for the writing skills and storyline. I certainly recommend buying it as it's a good story and it's for a good cause too (I will more than likely go and buy my own copy just so I can give to the cause.)

Reviewing Graphic Novel Ghoul Goblin by Jim Butcher

Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: Ghoul Goblin (The Dresden Files Graphic Novels)by Jim Butcher 4*
BLURB: Harry Dresden, a Chicago private investigator and wizard, heads to a small, isolated Missouri town terrorized by Nevernever monsters. The singularly unfortunate Talbot family has suffered a curse that has decimated their number for generations, and only our hero can save them... that is, if he can survive hostile lawmen, the dark secrets of townsfolk, an ancient guardian spirit, and two deadly carnivores! Can Dresden cleanse the Talbot bloodline of its curse without a blood sacrifice of his own?
My Review:Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley. This was a well drawn and beautifully written story about Harry Dresden the Wizard P.I. I have read a number of the books in the past but seeing it in full colour was so much better. The artist even managed to keep all the scrapes and bruises accurate throughout, no mean feat in the battle scenes! If you are a fan of Harry Dresden then you need no encouragement to go and buy this graphic novel and if you are a graphic novel fan I advise buying this one so that you can become a Harry Dresden fan.

Reviewing two books by Andrew Grey

Love Comes Silently (Senses #1) by Andrew Grey 5*
BLURB: Caring for a loved one with cancer is tough. Doing it alone is overwhelming—especially when that loved one is a child. But ever since Ken Brighton’s partner left him, Ken has spent his days at the hospital with his daughter, Hanna, hoping for a miracle. Maybe the mysterious care packages that appear for Hanna don’t qualify, but they bring a spark of hope into his and Hanna’s tired life—and so does Ken’s neighbor, former singer Patrick Flaherty.
For two years Patrick hasn’t been able to focus on anything but the life he should have had. An injury robbed him of his voice, and the idea of introducing himself to new people intimidates him. But over the past months, he’s watched as his neighbor nursed his sick child, and once he meets Ken, Patrick starts to crave a life with him—a life he isn't sure he can have.
Ken doesn’t realize he’s fallen in love until the doctors send Hanna home, saying there’s nothing more they can do: Hanna will either recover or succumb. Ken’s heart is set on a new beginning—with both Patrick and Hanna. But Patrick's silence leaves Ken wondering what Patrick wants.

Love Comes In Darkness (Senses #2)by Andrew Grey 5*
BLURB: Howard Justinian has always had to fight for his freedom. Because he was born blind, everyone is always trying to shelter him, but he’s determined to live his life on his own terms.
When an argument with his boyfriend over that hard-won self-reliance leaves Howard stranded by the side of the road, assistance arrives in the form of Gordy Jarrett. Gordy is a missionary’s son, so helping others is second nature—and he does it in such an unassuming manner that Howard can’t say no.
Life is barely back on track when Howard receives shocking news: his sister died, leaving him her daughter to care for. Howard now faces his greatest challenge yet: for Sophia’s safety, he’ll need to accept help, but will he learn to accept it from Gordy, the one man who will not curb his independence?

My Review (on both books: )
I have found an author that has managed to transport me to some unlikely places. His books are wonderfully empathic and whilst reading them you find yourself experiencing all the problems that come with the inability to talk (Senses #1) or being blind (Senses #2). In Love Comes in Silence there was the added heartbreak of Hanna and her terrible ordeal with Cancer. I loved the characters and the way they overcame what most would see as insurmountable problems. To top of the great emotional ride there is the lovely romance. In Love Comes In Darkness there is another little girl who pulls at the heartstrings plus we get to meet all the characters from book one as well. I loved catching up with them but the romance of Howard and Gordy takes centre stage and is as good as book one. I can't wait to see what Mr Grey will give us next in this series. I for one have it on my wishlist already (under not yet written?).