Catherine Anderson - Indigo Blue

Born of two worlds, Indigo Wolf was as free and proud as the noble Comanche blood flowing through her veins. No man has ever possessed her elusive spirit--until a magnificent stranger came to work in her family's mine. Jake Rand's bold caress ignited the flames of a searing desire that bound her to him. Yet, he was a man she dared not trust.

Comment: The third book in the Comanche series by Catherine Anderson. I must say this is currently my favourite. I have hopes for the last one, but this one I liked a lot.
This is the story of Indigo, the daughter of Hunter and Loretta, from the first book. Indigo decided to live and dress like a comanche and despite being in th white world, she doesn't compromise her ideals and takes care of wild animals and has the company of a wolf.
Jake Rand is a wealthy man, who had a miserable youth dur tho his mother's death. Now, together with his brother, they have the suspition their father is guilty of provoking accidents in order to force miners to sell. Hunter's mine is next on their father's plans so Jake goes there, undercover, to check things out. He and Indigo start working together in the mine and because of gossip he proposes to her, to avoid ruining her reputation...
I think this was the best because we have a staright story without all the drama and desillusion that we got from the first two books. I say this because in those we are foced to see the huge difference between the two worlds and how it makes the protagonists to fight each other and see their lives going through so many changes. In this one things are settled, we know what to expect so it's not so hard in terms of understanding the plot and facing their feelings on the world they live in.
Jake and Indigo don't click right away and he takes care of her fears before she admits she is falling for him. I found the story both sweet and tender and I wanted to see them together. As the tone of the book seemed softer too, the story got much more appealing to me.
It was a journey I enjoyed watching and in the end I believed they were really in love.
I'll wait for the next book and hope it's the perfect end for the series.

Bernhard Schlink - The Reader

Hailed for its coiled eroticism and the moral claims it makes upon the reader, this mesmerizing novel is a story of love and secrets, horror and compassion, unfolding against the haunted landscape of postwar Germany.
When he falls ill on his way home from school, fifteen-year-old Michael Berg is rescued by Hanna, a woman twice his age. In time she becomes his lover--then she inexplicably disappears.
When Michael next sees her, he is a young law student, and she is on trial for a hideous crime. As he watches her refuse to defend her innocence, Michael gradually realizes that Hanna may be guarding a secret she considers more shameful than murder.

Comment: I've read this book because of a book club I'm included in. This month this was the book chosen and to be honest I wasn't very eager to read it because I've heard about the story and it didn't appeal to me.
The one thing that gave me some hope that I'd read it fast is that the book is small. It doesn't have many pages and the space between sentences isn't the minimum.
The story, well... it bothered mea bit that the age difference was so big, it seems almost improbable that at that time a woman would risk something like that with such a younger boy.
Then there's the time when the story hapens, the post war, all those references to the nazis..I think this was the most interesting part of the book, to see a german talk about those times and what it meant to live with guilt and doubts about actions done in the nazi concentration camps. I found that part of the story interesting abut also the strongest point.
I also think the relationship between the two main characters didn't have to be sexual in order to accomplish the same result. I mean, in the end we understand a bit why Hanna, the main female protagonist, behaved the way she did but if we didn't see the sexual part we'd realize the same and to be honest the book wouldn't have the same the feeling, it would be as hard but not as unconsequential as it made it look like.
The end of the book was a surprise, not the main character's reasons exactly, but her actions. I was left with the doubt if it was shame or emptiness that led her to her choice.
It's a nice read but it wasn't amazing to me, I confess I don't understand all the acclamation over it. It's nicely writen and presented but that's it, for me.

Angel Martinez - Finn



 Sanity is relative and the world has room for more than one truth.

When Diego rescues a naked man from the rail of the Brooklyn Bridge, he just wants to get the poor man out of traffic and over to social services. He gets more than he bargained for when Finn turns out to be an ailing pooka, poisoned by the pollution of the city. To help him recover, Diego takes him north to New Brunswick where Finn inadvertently wakes an ancient, evil spirit, the wendigo.

While Diego and Finn struggle to find a way to destroy the wendigo before it can possess Diego or kill nearby innocents, Diego wrestles with his growing passion for Finn. Can they succeed in destroying the monster and in navigating a relationship between a modern man and a centuries-old fairy?

Comment: Another book for the m/m challenge. This is a fantasy story... I mean it has several fantasy elements, but the action isn't exclusive to the woods, so I'd say this is just a paranormal story.
Diego helps a strange man and stops him from jumping from a bridge and takes him home. He likes to help others even if the ones he rescues don't prove to be that thankful. This makes him vulnerable and always in need of help himself, which is why his boyfriend ends things with him.
Finn is a pooka, something out of a Fae legend and in Diego he sees a hero and someone who wants to be needed and who deserves to be loved.
In the end Diego is so much more than he looks like and Finn can't let go.
I enjoyed the story mainly because the writing. It's smooth and blends legend and fiction quite well. We can feel things for the characters, I was sad because of the way Diego was treated by others and I wanted to see Finn experience the good things about human life. I think the author did a great job with the characterization. During the book, we discover more and more things about both protagonists and what it means to be with the other, to fall in love with each other. It's a very unusual plot, usually when books focus on Fae legends it's always about how beautiful and aloof they are, but in this case Finn cares for Diego in a very special way and he's a pooka, not the average Fae. Only for this the is book worth it.
The end was rather rushed, I think. But I've seen there are sequels, I hope to read them one day, only next year, but one day.

Karen Marie Moning - Spell of the Highlander

It's taken him eleven centuries to find the right woman.
He's not about to lose her now.
Jessi St. James has got to get a life. Too many hours studying ancient artifacts has given the archaeology student a bad case of sex on the brain. So she figures she must be dreaming when she spies a gorgeous half-naked man staring out at her from inside the glass of an ancient mirror. But when a split-second decision saves her from a terrifying attempt on her life, Jessi suddenly finds herself confronting six and a half feet of smoldering, insatiable alpha male.
Heir to the arcane magic of his Druid ancestors, Cian MacKeltar was trapped inside the Dark Glass eleven centuries ago. And when the Dark Glass is stolen, an ancient enemy will stop at nothing to reclaim it. For Jessi, the sex god in the mirror is not only tantalizingly real, he's offering his protection--from exactly what, Jessi doesn't know. And all he wants in exchange is the exquisite pleasure of sharing her bed....

Comment: This is the last book in the highlander series by this author. At the end of the book she left a note saying there would be more stories to be told, but I guess the fever series took hold and she won't return to straight romance.
This is Cian MacKeltar's story. He is trapped in a mirror since the 9th century and only now he is close to be set free. To help him there's Jessi St James, an acheologist without any free time and..loooking to get rid of her virginity. Seriously?? All the heroines ending up with a MacKelter are virgins at first, but that's not the problem, the thing is, they all must stop being virgins soon! Please, this really ruined things a bit for me, it's repetitive and stupid.
While looking for a way to help solving Cian's problem, the couple is fighting the attraction (yeah, right) between them and also running from Lucas, the bad guy who trapped Cian in the mirror. He is a dark wizard and wants more power.
I think, apart from the virginity issue, this was a balanced story. We have romance and action and also we see other characters from previous books. The author shows she did her research and inserts several points on traditions and legends.
In this book there aren't many references to the fae, or at least not in a clear way. In the end the queen shows up and I assume by the way it was, that more stories would come and that would be important to them. As it is, without more books about the highlanders, we are left with a curious feeling on what would mean her presence there. Of course we could speculate because of what happens in the fever series, but someone who doesn't read those books, perhaps it's a bit of a disappointment.
All in all, I enjoyed the books, I liked most things and the connection it has to the fever series, it's done very lightly, in order not to be noted in case someone doesn't read the other series but like I said, it can leave an empty feeling for some readers. It was good to read, yes, but in my opinion, her attempt in urban fantasy worked better. Nevertheless, I finish this series with a happy feeling.

Gail Carriger - Blameless

Quitting her husband's house and moving back in with her horrible family, Lady Maccon becomes the scandal of the London season.
Queen Victoria dismisses her from the Shadow Council, and the only person who can explain anything, Lord Akeldama, unexpectedly leaves town. To top it all off, Alexia is attacked by homicidal mechanical ladybugs, indicating, as only ladybugs can, the fact that all of London's vampires are now very much interested in seeing Alexia quite thoroughly dead.
While Lord Maccon elects to get progressively more inebriated and Professor Lyall desperately tries to hold the Woolsey werewolf pack together, Alexia flees England for Italy in search of the mysterious Templars. Only they know enough about the preternatural to explain her increasingly inconvenient condition, but they may be worse than the vampires -- and they're armed with pesto.

Comment: The third book of Alexia Tarabotti's series by Gail Carriger.
I just had to read this book right after the previous one because the way it ended. I was so furious with Lord Maccon because of what he did and said to Alexia. He accused her of betrayal and it was something so shocking I just couldn't wait a month to see how things would develop after this.
I was sad because they seemed such a great couple and I wouldn't expect something like this from him. Obviously, the author didn't mean to separate them, so the whole book shows us how sad and miserable they both are without the other and how out of character they seem because they miss the other. These clues made me believe we would have a great scene when they finally meet again and made peace. I was slightli disappointed whrn Alexia forgave Conall rather quickly, like all the words were explained by his personality. I think it would be better for both of them if we could have seen some more emotion into that scene.
Anyway, apart from this small detail, I enjoyed the book, it has an interestinf take on how to measure a soul even in the middle of all those problems Alexia faces in her trip to Italy (in order to find an explanation to fact she's pregnant and Conall doesn't believe her).
I also loved seeing some other characters and I was very surprised to what happens to one of them. I can't wait to see what hapenns next.
The author has said the series will only have 5 books. I can't believe there's only two missing for me to read, this is a great series and I'm enjoying myself a lot with it. By the way, I love the covers so far and this third one is amazing, I love the strong red with the gray behind, very beautiful.

Gail Carriger - Changeless

Alexia Tarabotti, the Lady Woolsey, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears - leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria.
But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can.
She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.

Comment: This is the second book in Gail Carriger's series. It's a mixture of romance, steampunk and paranormal. I enjoy it quite a lot.
In this book Alexia is married to Conall and they married life seems perfect, even with the yelling when waking up. I was very happy to see them so well, I was anxious to see them together now that the courtship was over and they were a married couple. I'm happy to say the chemestry between them keeps steady.
In this book Alexia is faced with the issue of shapeshifters not being able to change shape, so after her husband leaves for Scotland, she follows and it's there that she finds out why the problems have started and how to end them.
I'm used to the language now so it no longer seems awkward to me. This bothered me a bit in the first book but it's something one gets used to. I was also happy to see Lord Akeldama again, he's amazing. In this book Ivy, Alexia's friend also does something out of character but in the end I was happy for her.
Some new characters showed up in this book and were an important part of the plot. I'm satisfied to see the world won't revolve around Alexia and Conall.
The world is very funny and its very interesting to watch things happen and imagine them in victorian times, all the machines and way of behaviour, an excellent mix.
In the end of the book something so unexpected happened and I was so shocked I couldn't believe what I was reading so I couldn't wait and had to read the 3rb book right away.
Comment is next.

Deborah Smith - Charming Grace

Grace Bagshaw Vance's life has always been an extraordinary mix of the tragic and whimsical. Among the wealthy Bagshaws of Dahlonega, Georgia-a mountain town honeycombed with romantic pioneer gold mines but built on solid tradition-Grace, thirty-four, is a beautiful, wisecracking misfit, summed up fondly by friends and family: "She's crazy, bless her heart." An ex-beauty queen and former host of a popular morning show on Atlanta TV, she now spends her days grieving for her husband, Harp, a GBI agent whose heroic death in the line of duty has made him a national hero. Harp and Grace's poor-boy/rich-girl childhood friendship is the stuff of Dahlonega legend, and Grace fiercely guards the poignant history that brought her and Harp together.
Now Harp and Grace's painfully private life is about to be turned into a public spectacle, thanks to the biggest action-movie superstar in the world: Stone Senterra. Known best for starring in blockbuster films such as Viper Platoon and Death Squad Patrol, the good-hearted but clueless movie star sees the Harp Vance story as his ticket to a respectable career as a director, in the same vein as his nemesis, Mel Gibson-but only if Stone can keep his outrageous action-movie instincts under control (doubtful!).
When Stone and his media circus invade the peaceful environs of Dahlonega to begin filming Hero, Grace sets out to sabotage the film through any means necessary. The only obstacle she can't overcome is Boone Noleene, Stone's wry and unflappable bodyguard, who quickly earns Grace's affectionate respect-and just as quickly, her passion. Boone, an ex-con with a brother still in prison back in his native Louisiana, has a personal story just as painful and compelling as Grace's, and has just as much to lose. Boone soon has his own dilemma-doing the job entrusted to him by Stone or falling in love with Grace while she wrecks Stone's cherished film project.
In a "bless your heart" world where intimate secrets can become just another TV show and fame is often mistaken for success, Boone and Grace struggle with the real-life consequences of love, desire, loyalty, respect, and family devotion.

Comment: Another great book by this author. Charming Grace is a beautiful story and it leaves us with a taste of fun and rightness.
This story follows the same style and pattern of Sweet Hush for instance. Isn't overly dramatic or difficult to read. It's softer even when dealing with more demanding situations and past emotional fears. It's easier to read because it has many funny moments and beautiful scenes without the deep drama we've seen in other books.
I enjoyed it a lot and it's now one of my favourites.
Grace is a woman who lost her husband, considered a hero and now a hollywood actor wants to direct a movie about him, so she's decided to make it a disaster so he gives up.
With the actor comes his body guard, Boone, and as always in a book by this author, the moemnt they see each other they recognize waht they will mean for the other in the future. It's always beautiful to watch, the author does this love at first sight ideal quite well.
While reading the book we learn a lot about each protagonist's past and how connected they are to the ones around them However, in Boone's case the bonds in his past are much more deep than we might think.
I loved Boone's character, the fact he was in prison and tried having a decent, steady life and it's wonderful to learn his dreams and when Grace finds out and helps him...very, very romantic.
The writing is very appealing, like usual. The author seems to easily grab the reader with passionate and funny sentences. The story flows and it makes the reading easier. It also helps when good things happen and not only bad ones. It makes the book more sweet instead of just relief to have a happy ending. In this book's case, both the story and the end are sweet. I loved reading it. It's now my 3rd favourite book by the author.

Willa Okati - Lovers, Dreamers and Me

Tolliver’s buried his own life in taking care of his sister and the independent bookstore his grandmother left him. The minute Noble steps into his life, that changes. Tolliver wants him, but he doesn’t know what to do about it.

Comment: The moment I've read the blurb for this book I decided this had to be the one I'd pick for the challenge.
This is the story of Tolliver, a young man who works on a antique bookstore and never goes out because he has to take care of his younger sister. Then, one day, Noble shows up. He seems to "see" Tolliver in a very special way and that same night night, Tolliver dreams about Noble. Things seem a bit strange for a while, but soon, Tolliver can't hide the attraction and the enchantment Noble has on him.

Since I've read the book I've read some reviews where people couldn't get past Sarah's personality (the sister) or the strangeness of the story. I agree to a point.
Sarah is the one who meets Noble first and he sees in her something but only after meeting Tolliver does he realize he was the one with all the appeal. However, Tolliver isn't thrilled to meet Noble and thinks he doesn't have the time for someone, much less a guy. When things change between them, Sarah proves to be a bit childish and fears Tolliver no longer would care for her and makes some scenes which are, for a 15year old, a bit too much. I think we can understand her if we think about what she went through.
The thing I had more trouble with was the lack of confidence in Tolliver, I get it, yes but while it's understandable inreal life and excusable at times, in a romance I like it when it's in smaller doses, so all the insecurities Tolliver had were a bit too much, not because he had them (that I understand) but because he expressed them all the time, even after saying I love You.
What I loved...well, the initial descriptions, the writing. And the sexual tension. Before Tolliver admits to Noble he feels something, there are amazing scenes charged with sexual tension.
I also loved to see Tolliver realize people care about him and there's more around than his bookstore...it might seem a contradiction but I enjoyed seeing his insecurities change to more confindence. Not all the time, perhaps not at the moment where it should, but in the end it made a good HEA.
This wasn't the first book I've read by the author but so far it was the best.

Lynsay Sands, Jeaniene Frost - The Bite Before Christmas

In Lynsay Sands' "The Gift," Katricia Argeneau knows grey-eyed cop Teddy Brunswick is her life mate. She just needs to convince him they belong together, and being snowbound in a secluded cabin will make this a Christmas neither will forget.
It's "Home for the Holidays" in Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series. Cat and Bones may long to wrap presents and set up a tree, but this Christmas, an evil vampire and long-buried family secrets will threaten to take a bite out of their holiday cheer.

Comment: When I realized this anthology featured two authors I like, I didn't think twice before buying it. It arrived and I was very happy with it, it has a shiny cover, perfect for christmas and the hardcover underneath has a beautiful design and colors. I know gorgeous covers don't mean good stories but hey, this is two authors I like, so I was on the mood for christmas right away.

The Gift - Lynsay Sands
In this story we see Teddy Brunswick again. He appeared in several Argeneau books, in one way or another. He is an old man and thinks he doesn't have anything else to give thw world, so he spends his christmas alone, after all most his friends have someone or are vampires themselves.
In comes Katricia Argeneau, she heard about Marguerite's matchmaker powers so whn she is told by her that Teddy might be her mate, she goes to the cabin near the one where Teddy is staying to see if it's true.
When they both realize he is indeed her mate, they must overcome Teddy's issues about being too old and the fact he had been in love with someone else.
I liked this short story because it brings many beloved characters, and we see Teddy having an HEA, after all he's done to help the Argeneaus he deserves it. When Katricia is putting a move on him he's confused because he can't understand what she sees in an old man, and his reasons seemed valid. I think the author portrayed well someone wanting to be happy but cautious. It warmed me how happy they got and it gives us hope too.

Home for the Holidays - Jeaniene Frost
In this short story Cat tries to make a surprise christmas/birthday party to Bones but in the end Annette is the one who comes up with the best present.
However, the present reveals soemthing deeper and it's not exactly what it looks like. With the help of Ian (of all people), Denise and the ghost Fabian, she has to help Bones and their friends before the present "wins" them all.
As always, I enjoyed a Cat and Bones story, it's wonderful to see their relationship is strong and tight. In this short they face an unknown enemy and things could have gone bad for them, but with the help of friends, Cat will avoid a bad end for Bones and herself. I really enjoyed knowing a bit more about Bones and Ian and in the end we have a surprise too.
I'm very happy with the story and we get a surprise, this is a great gift to the reader.

Both stories are set in worlds we've come to love so it's never a waste of money to get this great anthology, full of hope and promises, even after some bad things.

Miza izanaki - Riding the Tiger

Sometimes life deals you a bad hand. No one knows that more than Evan does. Battered and locked out by his abusive boyfriend, Evan finds himself at The Body Shop. There he finds a safe haven with his long lost twin and his brother's friends. Evan also meets Varian, a weretiger and the newest bouncer at the club. Varian is brave and sweet and the perfect person to help Evan start over. They become fast friends but a run in with his ex brings up the uglier parts of Evan's past. Will Evan's insecurities get the better of him or will Evan find a new life with his handsome weretiger?

Comment: This is a short story about Evan, a young man who is abused by his boyfriend. In the beginning I felt realy sorry for Evan because of the way he was treated. After leaving, Evan is alone and bruised and ends up in an alley, where the meets again his twin brother. He then helps him and welcomes him to the club where he works and the book, Kale, offers him a job.
Evan later meets Varian, a weretiger that will help heal and face his ex again.
I think this story had a lot of possibility to be a larger novel. I think things were a bit to rushed for the kind of issues at hand (abuse and the world of weres) but in the overall, it worked. Nevertheless, I wish I could have seen a bit more about how Evan really dealt with the fact he was abused, I'm sure it takes longer than a few days and one doesn't jump into bed with someone else just because they seem trustworthy.
My only real critic is the fact evan is a bit twink. Nothing against twinks but usually I don't enjoy stories with twinks because they are always in need of help and can't work out things for themselves. i know it's hard to ask for help and that isn't exactly thr problem, it's the whole "poor thing" characterization. I wish I could see a book where one of the guys doesn't want to ask for help, has problems to solve and gets that help but doesn't behave like a twink.
The writing style is good, I think. It simple and fluid and doesn't complicate. Anyway...for the size of the story I'm glad things worked out, but like I said it could be a bigger story.

Tess Gerritsen - Vanish

A nameless woman appears to be just another body at the morgue--until Boston medical examiner Maura Isles sees the corpse open its eyes. The now-frantic Jane Doe is rushed to the hospital, where with cool precision she shoots a security guard and seizes hostages, one of whom is pregnant homicide detective Jane Rizzoli. As the tense hours tick by, Maura joins forces with Jane's husband, FBI agent Gabriel Dean, to track down the killer's identity. But this case goes far deeper than just an ordinary hostage crisis, and Jane, trapped with the armed madwoman, is the only one who holds the key to the mystery.

Comment: Another book by this author. I really like the way she writes, simple, concise, to the point. But with enough flavour to make it perfect and also with interesting characters to make the books alive.
In this book we finally see Jane Rizzolli having her child. It's so good to follow a series where the characters lives go forward and we can see them agaian and again, we see their lives happening and normal things can have a special taste too.
However, the theme in this book is awful. It deals with human traffic, more specifically women that are going to be used in prostitution. It's horrible and it makes me feel so mad and hopeless that it does happen in real life in the world and people know about it but it still can't be stopped because there are people - if they can be called that - who use others like this, who ignore their rights and dignity in such a blatant way to gain money.
The book has the narrator voice and sometimes we see things from one of the abused woman's thoughts. It's terrible to read and I can't even imagine what it's like for them in reality, it seems unbelievable that there are human people doing this do other humans, so the book is both true and despairing. I think the author does a great job in portraying real things, and in this case it makes the theme so much more horrid.
So this book is a mixture of rancid reality and happiness, which makes it more of a challenge to read. I loved reading some parts while dreading to get to the others. It ends well, though and it's a clear message of hope because we all know in relaity things aren't like this.
Anyway, great job by the author in telling this story and making the reader feel things.

Sherrilyn Kenyon - The Guardian

Dream-Hunter Lydia has been charged with the most sacred and dangerous of missions: To descend into the Nether Realm and find the missing god of dreams before he betrays the secrets that could kill her and her kind. What she never expects is to be taken prisoner by the Realm's most vicious guardian...
Seth's time is running out. If he can't hand over the entrance to Olympus, his own life and those of his people will be forfeit. No matter the torture, Seth hasn't been able to break the god in his custody. Then there's the beautiful Dream-Hunter Lydia: She isn't just guarding the gates of Olympus -- she's holding back one of the world's darkest powers. If she fails, an ancient curse will haunt the earth once more and no one will be safe. But evil is always seductive...

Comment: After many books that didn't seem to follow the same storylines we had from lots of previous books, here we got another one where we actually see characters and things familiar to what we wanted to read about.
I say "we" because I believe many fans are eager to see some things solved or, at least, advancing in its solving.
Anyway, so this book centers in Seth, a demigod Noir has and doesn't release. Seth has been in Noir's dungeons since he was a teenager and that happened a long time ago, withour ever leaving and being there because Noir has the power to bring him back if he ever dared to go. Solin is another prisioner Noir recently got because he believes Solin will give him the Key, something that would unlock the powers from the Gods in the Olympus. Solin, however, doesn't give him the Key and Seth is set to make him get it for Noir.
At the same time shows up Lydia, a dream-hunter with lots of secrets, to set Solin free because he is important to her. While dealing with all the things happening, Seth trusts someone else for the first time and they fall in love.
I was so glad to see beloved characters like Solin and Jaden! they both make a strong appearence in this story. We believe this is Jaden's arc because the author said so a long time ago and perhaps it really is, because in this book we finally see jaden and learn a little bit more about him and his past. We meet new characters (as we do all the time) and maybe it mean more than we think. I do feel this book is similar to the first novels because Seth suffered a lot and doesn't think much of himself but he gets his HEA and I'm so happy for him.
I hope after the next book (a kind of continuation from Retribution) she will get back to this plot and will solve something orat leat present a book with these characters we want to know more about.
Despite all, The Guardian is a good book.

Filipe Faria - The Fate of the Shadow

The gods are dead, and their fall leaves Allaryia on the brink of a spiraling descent into chaos and destruction. The seeds of the Scourge’s plans are now bearing fruit, and Aewyre Thoryn and his companions are the only ones aware of the insidious threat, as well as the only ones with any hope of fighting it.
The race against time has begun, as renegade servants of the Scourge scheme towards Ul-Thoryn’s downfall. A threat from times immemorial approaches the Pearl of the South, threatening to nip the resistance against the Scourge in the bud. This is the turning point of the Eight Age, after which nothing shall ever be the same again in Allaryia.

Comment: For those who didn't read the other post I have about this author, he is portuguese and writes fantasy books. He recently finished the series Chronicles of Allaryia, a tale about a group of people from different races who start to look for what happened to the father of one of them and end up fighting to save the world where they live in.
It's very fun to read and I've been a fan since the first book. However I like to space things in order to not become bored and this is why I only read this book now.

This book is the 6th in the series and everything looks bad for the group. I knew this book would be darker because of what happened in the last one and also because the villain is alive and we're not very clear on what he really intends to do. After this one, there's only one final book in the series.
In this one we finally see most of the group reunited again after their private journeys end. Only two of them are still away and..well, they have to be. But I hope to see them in the final book together again.
In this story Awyere still has to find a way to get the power of the essence of the blade from Kror and now he has to worry about this brother too, all because of the terrible actions Dilet has done. I hate Dilet, how annoying he has managed to live throughout so many books. Anyway, things don't work out as he thought and only with the help and support of Liannah can he go on. Allumno, another member of the group says goodbye to his master and tries a plan that doesn't work out the way he wanted. I felt sorry for him.
Aereth also does something completely surprising that I never, ever, imagined would happen to him, I still can't quite understand it. Quenestil and Slayra are still at odds with each other and after she confessed her children aren't his, I just...it's so unfair, he loved her and now is holding on to the belief everything in his journey was a test to his ability to be a great warrior and it just...ahh I wanted them to be happy, I hope they still can be.
In the end two things happen that can change the whole fate and I'm not sure what it will mean to the group.
I liked reading this book a lot, even despite all the bad things in it, the only thing a little bit annoying is the extensive battle scenes and descriptions. Apart from this, the series is great.
I'm going to read the final book next year...in a way I can't wait to see how it all ends, but it makes me a bit sad to know it will be over. Let's see how it ends.

Dianne Duvall - Darkness Dawns

Once, Sarah Bingham's biggest challenge was making her students pay attention in class. Now, after rescuing a wounded stranger, she's landed in the middle of a battle between corrupt vampires and powerful immortals who also need blood to survive. Roland Warbrook is the most compelling man Sarah has ever laid hands on. But his desire for her is mingled with a hunger he can barely control...
In his nine centuries of immortal existence, no woman has tempted Roland as much as Sarah. But asking her to love him is impossible -- when it means forfeiting the world she's always known, and the life he would do anything to protect...

Comment: A friend of mine has read this book and told me it reminded her of Sherrilyn Kenyon's dark-hunter series. I was quite anxious to see if I thought the same but only this month I could get to it.
Well, I must say I didn't find it that similar to SK's series, because the writing and style are so different I only thought about the closeness of plots because she has said so...
Roland is an Immortal someone whose DNA code makes him a good host for being a vampire without the blood lust of the madness. Like him there are others and al of them meet Seth, a very old immortal that trains them and helps them dealing with the new aspects of their vampire lives. Does this remind you of something? Right. But the similarities stop there, I think.
The author's style is simple but I don't think the world is developped at its maximum, so it feels like there's something missing in there, which means it looks like it's too plain. I'm sure it's not and we'll see more in the following books. Well, I hope we will because the storyline in this book has everything to work out.
Sarah is the human who helps Roland and there's instant attraction between them. Iliked they didn't have sex the first day they met - is that believable in any genre?? - and their romance was both sweet and interesting. I can't wait to see more of them in the next books.
I think the descriptions of all the main charaters are well done, and all have some mystery to make us eager to read more.
This book didn't dazzle me like it did to my friend, who told me about it in a very enthusiastic conversation, but to me it's good enough to keep reading.

Jacquelyn Frank - Adam

Hunted by magic, beset by evil, the Nightwalkers face their darkest hour yet. And when the unthinkable happens, only one legendary male has the power, the will, to save them: Adam...
For 400 Years He Was Lost To Her, But He Is Hers Tonight...
From their first tantalizing touch, Jasmine knows he is different. What other lover could unlock her tight control, flood vampire senses jaded by a lifetime of decadent self indulgence? Centuries ago, when he disappeared without a trace, she had given up hope of ever fulfilling the promise of incomparable passion. But here he is, against the very laws of nature, ready to bring down their most vicious enemy, ready to bring her blood to the boiling point...if she will only let him.

Comment: I was very happy to see the author would be coming back to the world of Nightwalkers, a series I truly enjoyed. She made a pause of two years since the last book, Noah, was released. Noah is my absolutly favourite so it was with both eagerness and trepidation that I pre-ordered this one and hoped for more of those characters.
When I started reading I got the shock of my life, I can't believe the author went through that path! I was getting more and more depressed as the pages went by. I mean, she did something completely...shocking. There isn't a better word for it. However, things started to happen and in the fight against Ruth (one of the villains we knew from the other books), something radical happens and I finaly understood where the author went with this.
I can't I enjoyed it, though. In the end we have a HEA, but it's not like I thought it might be. Sure everyone ends up happy, but after reading soem not so good things, I can't avoid thinking about them and I admit it ruined things a bit for me.
I'm a bit disappointed, the romance between Adam and Jasmine was meant to be the focus but considering what happens in the beginning, I didn't think of them as the major issue in the story.
I'm still not sure what to say about this book...I think all the delicious feelings I got while reading Noah, even despite some bittersweet stuff that happens there, all that was gone in this book. I won't say more, because I could enter into spoilers, but personally, I am sorry to see the series like this. I liked the other books so much, and it's not exactly this book itself that is bad, because someone who never read the others certainly gets an interesting read out of this one, it has a plot and a romance, but...to me, this book just ruined the whole experience a bit.
I think the bigger part of me thinks it would be better if the author doesn't continue the series, it would have been better to have stopped with Noah actually.
Anyway, like I said, as a randomly read book it's ok, for for those who expected some close to Noah...it's not that good, not even close.

Pamela Palmer - Ecstasy Untamed

Shattered by recent nightmarish events, Hawke feels his bond with his animal spirit weakening -- and once it breaks, he's finished. The arrival of Faith sends his life spinning even further out of control, for although she delights him and enflames his deepest primal passions, she's promised to Maxim, the newest Feral Warrior.
Faith is drawn to Hawke from the start, but Maxim holds her in his thrall and has secretly bent her to his malevolent will. Though gravely damaged, Hawke is the only one who can end Faith's slavery and protect the Feral Warriors from Maxim's evil designs. But first they both must embrace the wild . . . and surrender body and soul to a forbidden, all-consuming ecstasy.

Comment: The most recent installment in the Feral Warriors series. In this book we have Hawke's story, after the problems both Tighe and him had in the previous book. After waking up again, Hawke finds out more feral Spirits have been released and there is actually one more on the way to the Feral House. With him, arrives Faith and although she is promised to another, Hawke feels very attracted and wishes he were the one she was going to belong to.
I think this book's major point is the story. Several things happen, continuing the ocurrences started in previous stories, which I think it's amazing. The reader can't help wishing some more Ferals could exist and in this book we have the proof they do and perhaps they would help the already known Ferals in the fight against the Mages. I'm very pleased to have seen some more warriors arriving anf becoming part of the good guys. Only for this alone would this book be worth it. However, the romance between Hawke and Faith frees not only Hawke and helps him unite with his animal, but it brings a huge novelty in the development of the story too.
I think the overall storyline is advancing at a good pace, things are shaping up and this is no longer a story where the romance has the only focus.
I'm very happy to have read this book and if the next one is as good - as I hope so considering the tidbits we have in this book about future love matches - then I'll be a devoted reader to the series, more than I already am.

ML Rhodes - Lords of Kellesborne

A hundred years ago, the high sorcerer of Velensperia launched a swift and deadly attack against the draegans—a race of dragon shapeshifters who’d always lived in harmony with the humans. The draegans were all but destroyed, with the few who remained, scattered and in hiding. But after a century of cruel repression, a group of them have united and begun to fight back. Their leader, Keiran Hareldson, is determined to free his people from the high sorcerer’s tyranny.
Gaige Rizik used to be the captain of the sorcerer’s High Guard, and known for his lethal ability to hunt down his prey with no remorse. His last assignment was to infiltrate the draegan rebel’s camp, identify the leader, and eliminate him. But the more deeply Gaige became entrenched with the draegans and their passionate, compelling leader, the more torn he became over his mission. Keiran sparked powerful emotions in Gaige and stirred a longing in him he couldn’t deny. No one, least of all him, expected him to fall in love with the very man he’d sworn to kill. When he chose to defect to the draegans’ side, his betrayal to the sorcerer came at a high personal cost. Left for dead in the sorcerer’s dungeon, Keiran barely found him in time.
Now, the hunter has become the hunted. With the high sorcerer bent on annihilating every last draegan and all those who support them, a secret revealed from Keiran’s past becomes their best hope for survival. From the deep forests of Velensperia to the ancient draegan stronghold of Kellesborne, only the strength of two determined men and their fierce love for one another stand between the people they protect and an evil conjured from the bowels of hel itself.

Comment: What's not to like about this book? The first was great and this one is even better!
In this new book we see more developments in Keiran and Gaige's relationship. We also see how it affects others around them and Gaige is finding new things about himself over time. I'm loving the series.
I think the characters are stronger in this second book. Their feelings are also stronger, more solid and heartfelt. The connection between them is eternal and to prove that is the bond they keep creating between them. I love the dialogue between them, I feel the romance, the love between them as true and beautiful. I always look for more scenes where they both are because I just know it will have wonderful dialogue and love declarations...
I think the author has created a great world, wit many surprises allt he time, which means the story doesn't get boring. She also has managed to insert amazing twists that seem different from everything else, perhaps because they work in her book or because she just writes it well or even due to the fact they're things we actually want to see there. I don'r know if it's one of these things or al of them, but the thing is, the book is wonderful to read, to savour and I loved it!
I felt sorry to finish it but I still have the 3rd to read. I hope the 4th isn't a long time coming because I just can't wait to read more about the world and the beloved characters in there.
Those who like fantasy and romance and read m/m...go for it!

Elizabeth Edmondson - The Art of Love

Polly Smith is struggling to make a living as an artist when her friend and patron, Oliver, invites her to his father′s house in the South of France. Thrilled to escape cold, wet London, Polly asks for her birth certificate to get a passport. Her world changes. Her mother is in fact her aunt; her father is unknown; even her name isn′t right.
Fleeing to the Riviera, Polly finds the serenity and sunshine bring her painting to life as never before. But all is not well in the grand house. Oliver′s father was forced to leave England in a cloud of scandal and despite the sophisticated, cosmopolitan crowd of friends with which he has surrounded himself, his past is about to catch up with him. Yet even though Polly will find herself at the centre of a web of deception, her own future begins to take on a new and fascinating shape...

Comment: A family member offered me this book in my birthday so this is the mainreason why I read it now. I've read another book by the author before (Villa in Italy) and despite its great premise, the story was boring and uninteresting.
I was afraid the same thing would happen with this one, so I had a really low expectancy towards the book. The beginning is slow and to be honest it just seemed too boring to go on, but I eally wanted to finish it so I could give a real opinion to the person who gave it to me, and I kept going.
I'm glad I did, because the story gained some force and interest and it was quite addictive in the middle. The characters seemed more alive and the things happening to them and because of them was good to follow. I believed it was going to be a great book....
But then the author ruined it all with the end. It was too fast, too rushed and too easy. I mean, I wish I could see how some things were going to work, the villain didn't have a very conclusive end and I felt let down. I don't understand why the author would do that, the story had vitality to the that poit and then...ehh, what a disapointment!
It's too bad, because I don't think this is a bad book, although it's set in a time I don't particularly like reading about (the 30/40s) and it has a style I think it's a bit boring, but it's a interesting book. Then the end just makes it all ruined, I think.
I recommend it but with caution, after all the end leaves a lot to be desired.

Challenge almost completed

So, the challenge is almost at its end. I'm happy to say I'm easily going to finish the number of books I decided to read back in january. I guess I could have read more but with such a huge TBR list, it's really easier to just read a few at a time.

Anyway, this month I'll read books from the following authors:
I from Miza Izanaki
O from Willa Okati
M again, a repeated letter, from Angel Martinez

Next month will be the end, with only two authors remaining...

Alexis Morgan - Darkness Unknown

Gwen Mosely's life changes forever when she stumbles across a handsome stranger, bleeding and left for dead in the woods behind her farm. But the real shock is how his wounds heal overnight -- a trait he shares with Gwen's teenaged half-brother Chase.
Jarvis Donahue can't keep his eyes -- or his hands -- off the sexy redhead who rescued him. Gwen's warm smile and lust-filled eyes are impossible to resist...but Jarvis immediately recognizes Chase as a fellow Paladin, a warrior born to defend mankind in the relentless battle against the Others. Although Gwen may hate Jarvis for it, he is dutybound to introduce Chase to the Paladins' dangerous lifestyle.
As the barrier between the two worlds weakens, the threat grows perilously close to Gwen's farm. Jarvis is determined to protect his lover -- but if he reveals his identity, he not only betrays his people's secret, he risks losing her forever...

Comment: I've decided to read this book because I've had it here for a long time now and these days, the series no longer say anything to me. It's something I got interested when my eagerness for the paranormal first started, but after some years and many books read, my tastes are more precise and I know better what to look for among all the paranomal out there, so this series are no longer on my love list. However, for a while they were and I wouldn't want to say goodbye just risking the author from my auto buy list, I did read the only book I had here yet to read and to be honest it was better than the others. Just not that good to the point of changing my mind.
The story was more interesting because the author focused on something not yet seen in the series, the hows of recruiting a new paladin. It was interesting to see a situation where it ocurred.
This book #5 in the paladin series and this book focuses on Jarvis, from another paladin fighting place along the barrier, different from the place in the first 4 books. I think the romance was ok, a bit too fast as in most paranormals, but what I think is worth reading is the character's interaction and the hows of recruiting a new paladin, as we see in the book. It's quite interesting and something the author hadn't tried yet.
The overall story seemed more focused on how things were working than in the couple itself, which was good, because there's just something in the writing that makes the love business lacking...probably why I disconnected from the series, but not just that. It's a promising world but not...addictive.
I think another big issue is the world itself, it feels too confined, very black and white (although the story presents situations opposite this) and I feel there's a bubble around the world the author created and things can't work outside it, I'm not sure how to explain, only comparing to authors whose fiction worlds seem bigger than life.
Well, it's a goodbye, but who knows, perhaps in he future when I'm out of books to read (doubtful, but...) I can return to this world...and enjoy it.

Christine Feehan - Dark Predator

As brutal as the undead he hunted, Zacarias De La Cruz was a master executioner. Now his stark and savage journey has ended. For his brothers, Zacarias had walked to the edge of madness, but with centuries as a killing machine now left to the past and without a hunt to define him, Zacarias wonders, for the first time in his life, who he really is.
The answer awaits him back home, in Peru, in the betrayal of a woman who is readying her trap, in the vengeance of an old enemy, in the inevitable consequences of a bloody family legacy-and in the deliverance of a lifemate he never could have imagined...

Comment: This is a series I'm getting too tired of. It's always the same thing and the novelty of seeing the couple admitting they love each other is no longer a winning point to make me faithful to the series.
After so long, I think the author can't offer anything new at this point. Fro 25 books, we've seen always the same problems, we read over and over how things are difficult for the Carpathian people and how close to extinction they are. After 25 books we know something that will help them. 25 books.
I wonder if another 25 will be needed for us to see something more happen in the Carpathian world.
I understand the series, the dedication the author feels for and gave to it, but it's repetitive. Too repetitive.
Right now, only the story of Skylar compels me. I'll read that one, when it comes out but to be honest nothing else is making me eager to read. I won't buy anymore books, I'll wait for friends who like them to borrow them to me, because I've spent a lot of money already but I no longer feel it's being well spent.
About this book, as usual, the male is possessive, a caveman, he doesn't let the woman do anything and I no longer see it as romantic and a need. The girl excuses him for almost everything and even accepts what I see as rape because she loves him. This no longer feels right to me, so I'm thinking of giving up before I really hate the series. It's too bad because I've dedicate hours to the books I've read and I feel sorry but I don't want to hate them. I'll wait and hope for Skylar's anyway....and I wish it actually brings something good.