Wicked Game - Jeri Smith-Ready

Wicked Game (WVMP #1) - Jeri Smith-Ready
Grade: Adult - UF
Rating: 5/5 stars

LATE NIGHT RADIO YOU CAN SINK YOUR TEETH INTO

Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin is trying to live the straight life, even if it means finding a (shudder!) real job. She takes an internship at a local radio station, whose late-night time-warp format features 1940s blues, '60s psychedelia, '80s goth, and more, all with an uncannily authentic flair. Ciara soon discovers just how the DJs maintain their cred: they're vampires, stuck forever in the eras in which they were turned.

Ciara's first instinct, as always, is to cut and run. But communications giant Skywave wants to buy WVMP and turn it into just another hit-playing clone. Without the station — and the link it provides to their original Life Times — the vampires would "fade," becoming little more than mindless ghosts of the past. Suddenly a routine corporate takeover is a matter of life and undeath.

To boost ratings and save the lives of her strange new friends, Ciara rebrands the station as "WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll." In the ultimate con, she hides the DJs' vampire nature in plain sight, disguising the bloody truth as a marketing gimmick. WVMP becomes the hottest thing around — next to Ciara's complicated affair with grunge vamp Shane McAllister. But the "gimmick" enrages a posse of ancient and powerful vampires who aren't so eager to be brought into the light. Soon the stakes are higher — and the perils graver — than any con game Ciara's ever played...(Description from Goodreads)


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I love Jeri Smith-Ready. Just thought I’d put it out there. There are some authors that can just do no wrong and, for me, Jeri is one of those authors. I know vampires and con artists aren’t exactly new these days, but I never considered putting the two in the same story. The mix of the supernatural and deception circulating throughout ‘Wicked Game’ made it a more engaging story that I could ever have hoped for.

My favourite part of ‘Wicked Game’ had to be the main character: Ciara Griffin. Like all good Urban Fantasy characters, she has a troubled past that we’re introduced to throughout the story. There are so many layers to Ciara and she hides herself so well – probably because she grew up pretending to be different people in order to con them, because that’s who she is: the daughter of two con artists; bending the truth comes naturally to her. We get to see Ciara grow and change throughout the book. Her skills are used in many tricky ways and her idea of the world gets modified drastically – who wouldn’t have their mind changed slightly when they discover vampires exist? But I really enjoyed seeing how strong Ciara is. She’s sceptical and doesn’t instantly believe in the idea of vampires; more often than not she thinks before acting (which is more than some UF characters can claim) and she doesn’t let herself get pulled into things she doesn’t believe in such as religion and, like I mentioned earlier, the existence of vampires themself. I found these all added up to make an extremely strong leading lady. I love her.

I also love vampires. Not in an I-want-to-be-one way, but if I had to pick a favourite supernatural being it would definitely be vampires. I’m always a little surprised – and insanely happy – when I came across a new vampire story that puts a unique spin on the vampire myth. That’s not to say the traditional cape wearing “I want to suck your blood” vamps aren’t interesting, but I love when there’s a bit of a creative spark that makes the author’s vampires stand out in the crowd. ‘Wicked Game’ has that spark for me. Jeri Smith-Ready’s vampires – upon undeath – become frozen in the era they were turned in. While the world changes around them, they’re unable to adapt and learn the new ways of the new age...at least not without some serious help and a lot of struggle. That’s not their only quirk, but it’s the one that hooked me onto their crazy awesomeness. I really liked the idea of these vampires from all over the last century being stuck in their different times, bringing their personal histories and experiences to the present while fighting to not “fade” – another vampire quirk where the vampire’s mental stability starts to lessen as they move further away from their own era.

Speaking of history, a lot is displayed in the book through the music mentioned. Jeri is my go-to author when it comes to music. If anyone could bring such a strong focus on musical influences and turn it into an essential part of an amazing story, it’s Jeri Smith-Ready. Music is obviously an important part of the story, with the main 6 vampires running a radio station, each hosting separate shows based on the era they grew up in. Jeri gives the vampires an outlet to fight the possibility of fading through their DJ-ing and through music. What better way to allow the vampires to connect to their past and unique eras than through the music they would have listened to while alive? It works so well and gives them something to hold onto. I loved it and it also gave me a chance to expand my own music knowledge. I don’t actively seek new music, but I’m really tempted to look up every song mentioned in ‘Wicked Game’ because I know they’d be awesome tracks to add to my ipod. Entertainment and musical education, only part of what ‘Wicked Game’ brings to its audience.

An important and major part of the story revolves around the vampire DJs and hiding their true existence from the world, while also marketing on it. This is where Ciara’s past comes into play. She’s perfect at creating a new image for the DJs and finds many ways of selling that image to the public without actually revealing who or what they really are. I love the excitement and sense of danger that comes with this risk – and it is a risk, as they could be discovered at any moment. It makes you sit on the edge of your seat hoping nothing will go wrong, but knowing something’s going to pop up to put a spanner in the works.

I loved every moment of ‘Wicked Game’ and can’t wait to see what trouble Ciara gets up to next.

5/5 stars


Kim
(Originally posted on Goodreads)

Winter's Shadow - M.J. Hearle

Winter's Shadow (Winter Saga #1) - M.J. Hearle
Grade: YA
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Blake Duchamp...

He's all that Winter Adams can think of. Ever since their fateful meeting at Pilgrim's Lament. Ever since he looked at her with those emerald eyes. Ever since he saved her life.

But Blake isn't all that he seems. There is a strangeness about him, something dark and otherworldly. Something dangerous. In his attic is a secret he would kill to defend, but Winter seems to have a special ability to make him forget his duty. And he is her only protection against the gathering darkness.

The only problem is, to protect Winter, Blake must risk exposing her to an even greater danger. Himself. (Description from Goodreads)


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I know everyone says "never judge a book by its cover" but I have to admit I'm always drawn to pretty covers, and Winter's Shadow most definitely has a pretty cover. The striking red hair just drew my attention from the moment I saw it and I was excited to read this novel.

It's love at first sight when Winter spies Blake outside a crumbling church. Unfortunately, Blake isn't what he seems and Winter finds herself in the middle of a thousand year old war. But that's not the only thing Winter has to worry about. When Blake saves her life on that fateful first day, it starts a chain of events and now there are "things" after Winter and they won't stop hunting her until they get her soul.

This book was mostly about building Winter's world. Strange things happen and it isn't until 3/4 of the way through that you start to get some answers. This is helped by having chapters set in the past, as they give a glimpse into "what" Blake is, and how things came to be.

I'll admit I did find myself getting a little freaked out at times. The start reminded me of a scene from the movie Final Destination (a movie which scared me as a kid), and then there are these "things" that reminded me of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode (and of course it was the one episode that gave me nightmares).

Winter's Shadow is a tale of love and loss. There's enough action and fright to keep me completely engaged and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Kerrie

A big thank you to Pan Macmillan for the review copy.

The Golden Lily - Richelle Mead

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) - Richelle Mead
Grade: YA
Rating: 4/5 stars

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she's been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California–tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age–old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi—the fiercest vampires, the ones who don't die. But it's her fear of being just that—special, magical, powerful—that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else—someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney's loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists—or her heart?(Description from Goodreads)
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I feel like I’ve been waiting forever to dive back into my favourite Richelle Mead world. ‘The Golden Lily’ takes us on another crazy ride discovering parts of the world we never got to see in the first series (Vampire Academy) and for me, that just makes the series more exciting – finding something new.

We learn a lot more about the Alchemists and not all of it is good. I always knew they had a strict and hard lifestyle, but we never really saw what it is that actually happens behind the scenes in the Alchemist life. We get a chance to see more in ‘The Golden Lily’ and I can safely say it’s not a lifestyle I’d pick for myself. I really liked this new glimpse of the Alchemists, they’re no longer just a random secret group.

It was bad enough that Sydney and the gang were looking out for rogue Moroi groups and random Strigoi attacked, but when they discover evidence of Vampire Hunters, everything jumps to a whole new level. I had a feeling the vampire hunters were going to make an appearance in the series. After so much talk about their secret existence it was only a matter of time before Sydney was faced with them and the trouble they’d bring. There’s also more to the hunters than meets the eye – but that’s all I can say without giving too much away.

I loved being around the characters I know so well again. There are some people you just can’t get out of your head and Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy characters do that for me, especially when it comes to her male characters. There is nothing better than seeing Dimitri Belikov on the page again and he brings out his super awesome Guardian skills just to prove he hasn’t lost his badass touch just yet. But he’s not the only guy to rock the page. Adrian grew so much in this book. I was so touched by his strength and loyalty and, as always, he never fails to make me smile. The Vampire Academy men stole the show.

And finally, Sydney. I love her awkwardness in the book. She’s faced with something completely new in her life, something more difficult than looking after moroi and dhampirs in the human world. Sydney gets asked on a date. Her social skills are still lacking a bit, so it’s fun to see her work through this new situation. She also explores her magic side a bit more – despite her aversion to magical performances. It’s here that I had my biggest issue with the book. Sydney seems to have a few problems with the subject of magic and vampires. She makes so much progress throughout the book to overcome the Alchemist prejudices against the unnatural vampires and shudder-worthy use of magic, but there are moments when she falls back into old ways of calling moroi and dhampirs “evil monsters” and freaks out when magic is being used – even though she using her new magical talents quite a bit. I kept hoping she’d move forward, take charge, and stand up for what was in front of her – that vampires aren’t all evil. It didn’t have to be giant leaps, it just had to happen. But she seemed to take more steps back than forward.

All-in-all, another interesting and smile-producing addition to the Bloodlines and Vampire Academy world. Looking forward to seeing what happens to Sydney, Adrian and the rest of the gang next.

4/5 stars


Kim
(Originally posted on Goodreads)

Showcase Sunday #3

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits & Tea where bloggers show off what goodies they received throughout the week.

I haven't shared my goodies for a while, mostly because there hasn't been much to show off. But I finally have a stack I want to show off. So check them out below. 

A Witch in Love - Ruth Warburton 

I read A Witch in Winter earlier this year and loved it. It helped to fuel my witch obsession for this year. Managed to snag a copy of A Witch in Love from Hachette and I can't wait to see what trouble Anna will get caught up in this time.

The Golden Lily - Richelle Mead 

A book I've been waiting so long for, ever since that epic cliff-hanger ending for Bloodlines. Ok, probably not the biggest cliff-hanger ever, but it made me pretty anxious to get my hands on The Golden Lily. So glad to own this one, I'm a big Richelle Mead fan. 

Shadow Bound - Rachel Vincent

I've had this one for a couple of weeks now and I'm so angry at myself for not finding the time to read it yet. I hope to get around to it soon. Another sequel that I've been dying to read for quite some time. Can't wait for the danger, the power and the chance to explore Rachel Vincent's latest novel. 

Bad to the Bone & Bring on the Night - Jeri Smith-Ready 

Jeri has become one of my favourite authors in the last year. She rocks. I wanted to read her adult vampire series for so long and I've had book #1 (Wicked Game) on my shelf for months. Some of my lovely Twitter friends convinced me that it was necessary to have all 3 books nearby when I dive in. I plan to start them very soon. 

Deadlocked - Charlaine Harris 

The latest Sookie Stackhouse book. I've heard mixed things about this book, but I do want to see what happens. 

And that's my Showcase Sunday for this week. 

Kim

Bared to You - Sylvia Day

Bared to You (Crossfire #1) - Sylvia Day

Grade: Adult
Rating: 5/5 stars

Our journey began in fire...

Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness—beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I'd never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily...

Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other's most private wounds... and desires.

The bonds of his love transformed me, even as I prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart... (Description from Goodreads)

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If you’re a fan of Fifty Shades then you'll like Bared to You.
If like me, you didn't mind the first Fifty book, adored the second but was then left disappointed by the third, then you'll LOVE Bared to you!

You will notice a lot of similarities between the two series, but it's the differences that make me love Bared to You.

By just comparing the first Fifty book to Bared to You, both have an intense "lust at first sight” scene, where you can see, not fire-works but flame throwers, being let off when they stare at each other.

Both male characters are extremely good looking, multi billionaire's with haunting childhoods. This means they both don't "do relationships". Both have women in their past that try to cause drama. They are controlling, dominating, possessive, alpha males but where Christian had a coldness to him (especially in the first book); Gideon has a warmth that had me melting at the words that left his mouth.

Then there are the female character's who couldn't be more different. Eva is not Anna. She's had a traumatic childhood herself, which means she is not naive or innocent like Anna. But Eva is also so strong. She knows what she wants and doesn't want and isn't afraid to voice, or apologise for what she wants (in fact Gideon was the one doing most of the apologising). Eva also had a vulnerable side that made me love her even more. There is nothing better than having a strong female character in a novel.

There are other similarities, story wise, as well, but I was able to ignore them and just enjoy this story for what it is. And it is an amazing romance that at times, had me swooning.

Bared to You largely focussed on Gideon and Eva's relationship. There were plenty of ups and downs that made the story interesting and had me flipping the pages in desperation to find out what happened next. Many of the story threads are left open at the end (for example, we learn about Eva's past but not about Gideon), which means you are left feeling anxious for the next book.

Kerrie

(Originally posted on Goodreads)

Heist Society - Ally Carter

Heist Society (Heist Society #1) - Ally Carter
Grade: YA
Rating: 5/5 stars

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

For Kat, there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way. (Description from Goodreads)


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It is no secret that I have a slight Ally Carter obsession. After finishing the Gallagher Girls series I could not wait to get my hands on ‘Heist Society’ and fuel my Carter fire. I had extremely high expectations – not just because it was an Ally book, but because I’d heard fantastic things about the leading male (Hale). My expectations were definitely met.

Katerina ‘Kat’ Bishop is in trouble. Despite trying her hardest to escape the family business, she finds herself pulled back in when he father’s life is in danger. What is this family business? Why, thieving of course. Professionally! Kat grew up in a world where you plan around your latest job: bank robbery, picking pockets, jewellery theft, museum break-ins...the list goes on. But thieving is a dangerous job and it’s a tough game when your life is on the line. I really enjoyed Kat. I loved her torn lifestyle. She doesn’t believe she’s completely cut-out for the life of a thief, but can’t seem to escape it for long. We get to see her question her position within her family and the community she belongs to and it’s interesting to see her work through her issues. Kat also has a pretty tough personality. She faces many dangerous turns and still manages to push her way through them – and comes out relatively unharmed too.

The book is all about family – what you would do to protect them and who you can trust to get a job done right. I loved this part of ‘Heist Society’. Despite their questionable occupations, Kat’s family sticks together through almost anything. It’s nice to see a YA book that has family members so involved with each other; it’s not done very often.

‘Heist Society’ is a sneaky book. There’s a lot of lies and surveillance undertaken in order to pull off the biggest con – the biggest Heist – Kat and her crew have ever had to face. I really enjoyed the behind-the-scenes portion of the heist. This was made easier to experience because the book was told in third person. So many different POVs were explored – particularly towards the end of the novel – that you felt like you were really involved in the action. It worked so well for the story. There’s something crazy-fun about seeing all their plans fall into place and the epic action that followed kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last line.

And finally, Hale. He needs his own paragraph. I fell in love with him from the very first smile and the tension that formed between Kat and Hale was enough to make me crazy. I adored his concern, loyalty and superman boxer-shorts. He’s definitely a character to keep an eye on.

Amazing start to what I’m sure will be another amazing series. Can’t wait to see what sneaky trouble Kat and Hale get up to next.

5/5 stars


Kim
(Originally posted on Goodreads)

ReVamped - Ada Adams

ReVamped (Angel Creek #1) - Ada Adams
Grade: YA
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

A simple mission turned deadly.

Nineteen-year-old vampire Dawn has led a sheltered life within the confines of her father’s presidential headquarters. Upon being sent on a mission to revamp four goofy misfits into guardians of a peaceful little town of Angel Creek, Dawn believes that all her dreams have finally come true. What starts off as a simple task, turns into something unexpected, changing Dawn’s life forever and leading the action-loving, thrill-seeking vampire teen on a path of mystery, danger and intrigue.

When a human girl is kidnapped by a group of rogue vamps, Dawn discovers that there is more going on in Angel Creek than meets the eye. And it all connects to Ethan, the cute newcomer who seems too perfect to be true, Sebastian, the mysterious vampire with a turbulent past, and even Dawn herself. Dawn must not only succeed in revamping the troubled recruits, but must also prevent the vampire race from being overtaken by a malevolent villain who has a strange and obsessive fascination with her. As threat escalates, romance blooms, and ghosts from her past begin to surface, Dawn is sure of only one thing: her life will never be the same. (Description from Goodreads)

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When I was asked to join the ReVamped Relay I was instantly intrigued, and not just because I’ve been craving more vampire stories lately. Ada Adams’s ‘ReVamped’ looked like the perfect story for me. A tough, but cool female lead, protecting humans, solving mysteries and falling in love? Who wouldn’t want to read this one! I couldn’t wait to dive right in.

I love a good mystery and ‘ReVamped’ did not disappoint. Trouble arrives when Dawn, our main character, moves to Angel Creek to train a new group of vampires to guard the town. Dawn expected everything to go smoothly; what she didn’t expect was to be attacked by rogue vampires who want to kidnap her. The struggle to discover why Dawn is wanted and the action and shocking revelations that follow make for an exciting story that moves so quickly towards the end of the novel. There were quite a few twists that left me with my mouth hanging wide open, which is always a plus in my books. I like when novels throw curve balls into the plot that you never saw coming, it definitely raises the action to a new level.

There were two parts of this novel that stood out for me above everything else – the main character, Dawn; and the vampire world. It might be a little strange to say the main character was something that was exceptional for a story – you’d hope that the main character has spark – but I really liked her position in the story. Dawn is a 19 year old vampire. I don’t mean she’s been a vamp for 19 years, but that her age is 19. This shocked me. How often do you find a main character in a YA story that is 19? It’s an age range that is often skipped. Characters miss the 19-22 years – it’s just not done. I really liked that from the start Dawn’s character pushed the boundaries. Combine that with the fact that she’s a fighter, a vampire, comes from an important family and cares deeply for the people she works with and you have yourself a really neat leading lady.

Then we have the vampires – they’re not the type that hides...not anymore. Vampires are out in the open and most of them are trying to protect the humans. But what grabbed my attention was the fact that there are two ways to become vampires: be turned by another vampire’s blood or be born a vamp (in a complicated and rare way that’s best explained in the store by Ada) I really liked that there was more than one type of vampire in Ada’s world. It gave the story more of an edge.

And of course – what would a book be without a little romance. Dawn has a tough choice with two hot guys thrown in her path: Ethan, the human bartender who stumbles into the vampire world in an unexpected way; and Sebastian, the unknown vampire with a mysterious past who seems to know more than he lets on. The choice might be difficult for Dawn – but I couldn’t help falling for Sebastian immediately. He’s one cool vampire.

I did have a few issues with the language. At times it was very simple and seemed young. It matched the teen feel very well and made it easy to get through, but I found it harder to connect to the characters when their personalities were so overly Hollywood-teen like. But it wasn’t enough to put me off the book; I was able to move past it. The characters go through quite a few changes during the story, you see them evolve a bit; I noticed the teen-feel less by the end.

I’ll be interested to see what Dawn gets up to next.

3.5/5 stars


Kim
(Originally posted on Goodreads)