Addison Fox - Warrior Enchanted

Pisces warrior Drake Campbell and his zodiac brethren have driven themselves to the edge. He'd love to take comfort in the arms of the woman he cares for, if only she would lift her emotional barriers to him.
White witch Emerson Carano has more to worry about than the Pisces warrior. Their affair may be red-hot, but she keeps the sexy man at arm's length to avoid getting hurt. When her estranged brother, Magnus, suddenly reappears -- wielding a dangerous dark magic -- Emerson has no choice but to ask Drake and his brothers for help.
Long-buried secrets and dangerous alliances will threaten the very foundation of the warriors while striking at the heart of Emerson's carefully constructed world. Can she put aside her fears to join forces with the only man who can help her -- even if her own family must pay a terrible price?

Comment: I've had this book to read for a couple of months but a friend has read it and said it wasn't as amazing as we might hope so I postponed its reading but sometimes you just want to get things done and I've decided to read this one and get it out of my path.

This is the 4th book in the Zodiac warriors series. It's a series about the 12 warriors in the Zodiac that live and work in the US contingent. There are more teams of 12 warriors spread in the rest of the world, divided into continents and regions.
Each warrior has a sign gifted to him, considering his astral sign. The previous books dealt with the warriors of Scorpio, Taurus and Leo. There's also a novella with the Aquarius but to be honest it wasn't very interesting and the couple in there didn't even show up in this book! The stories are full of Greek mythology and characters and the base of this all is the fight of Good against Evil.

This 4th book is the story of Pisces warrior, Drake and the woman he's in love with, the neighbor next door, Emerson, who happens to be a witch and who helped the guys in a previous book. Since then they've been in an affair that everyone knows about but no one comments. However, drake feel in love and Emerson keeps trying to act like it's just friends with benefits. She's had a past not very solid in emotional terms and she avoids stronger feelings fearing it might be a mistake..but Drake won't give up.
The plot revolves around Eris, the sister of villain Enyo, the guys' enemy. This time Eris is trying to prove she's as a vicious as her sister, but she's also the lover of warrior Rogan, their Sagittarius. This obviously complicates things, plus with mafia people and gods' mischief, things don't look so good.

My impressions...well, let me honest. The book is boring. There's really nothing happening in this book. What we might see as plot evolving isn't. It's just an attempt from the bad guys to cause trouble and they do and then things are solved and in the very something bad happens but we know it would be solved for sure, so it's not like we're left with an immeasurable doubt about it. Then the romance happens, but it's not that fascinating because it's the same thing until the end, where Emerson finally accepts that loving someone who loves you back is a gift to be treasured. Well, in real life we have doubts and behave childishly and doubt our own shadows but in fiction if a character does that and there's no conflict to make her struggles more real or more intense until she accepts she's wrong, then it's just annoying. Which happened here. I guess part of my disappointment it's the writing itself. It's just not...so vibrant and interesting and alive like other writers. This means some scenes happen in such a boring way, I feel too detached and uninterested. In the end the book, having so much potential, feels like a let down but we know it could be better..specially considering the storyline, which is very intriguing... it just isn't treated in the best way, I think.

I'll keep reading because some details make me curious, but it's not a priority and it doesn't make me salivate in the prospect of reading another book so soon.

Two more small comments

As Montana Grant struggles to lead her late father's company, her estranged mother suddenly reappears, spouting nonsense about Mount Olympus, immortal warriors, and curses. But after an event that puts the company's future-and Montana's life-at risk, she decides to take her mother's last but of advice.
Quinn Tanner is Montana's security specialist-and a Taurus Warrior. With worldwide peace hanging in the balance, it's up to Quinn to help Montana rise to her destiny-even as they're falling in love.

Comment: I enjoyed this new installment in the series. There's always something new happening in terms of action, but waht I enjoy the most is the connection and interaction betwenn the characters. I loved the fact girls fight too and they are friends, which allows for very good scenes. Still, I wish we'd see more mythology.

* * *

Having narrowly averted an (under)World War, Cat Crawfield wants nothing more than a little downtime with her vampire husband, Bones. Unfortunately, her gift from New Orleans's voodoo queen just keeps on giving -- leading to a personal favor that sends them into battle once again, this time against a villainous spirit.

Centuries ago, Heinrich Kramer was a witch hunter. Now, every All Hallows Eve, he takes physical form to torture innocent women before burning them alive. This year, however, a determined Cat and Bones must risk all to send him back to the other side of eternity -- forever. But one wrong step and they'll be digging their own graves.

Comment: I'm much more happy with this book than the previous one in the Cat and Bones series. The previous book was a disappointment, but this one offered much more interesting scenes and possibilities. I can't wait to see what happens with Cat's mother and what will happen in the next book, considering the things stared in this one.
I love this series, and except for the 5th book, this is one of the best out there.

2 More Mini Comments

For ages, the goddess Nemesis has sought divine vengeance against mortal man, as she awaits her chance for retaliation against Mount Olympus. Now, after making a deal with a dark wizard, she has reinvented herself as a female spy with her own sinister agenda....
Immortal warrior Kane Montague is as lethal as a scorpion -- like the one that marks his powerful form. As an assassin for MI6, he was an ace gun-for-hire until someone very close burned him. Now on the outs with his former colleagues, Kane knows all too well who's to blame: a sexy secret agent named Ilsa.
When their paths cross again, the passion between Kane and Ilsa is irresistible... and possibly lethal. But they soon realize that Ilsa is simply a pawn in a conspiracy aimed at the heart of the Zodiac Warriors. Can Kane trust her? Or is Ilsa the only one who can save him, body and soul?

Comment: In this second installment in the zodiac series, the author has managed to deepen the mythology parts, which I think just add more flavour to the series. It's all good to know what the heroes are doing but to know more about gods and the meaning of things is muc more fun.
The main couple in this book seemed to have more chemestry and their pasts and lives were more intriguing for me to know about.
I think this is a great ideia, about the warriors with characteristics from their zodiac signs, but they're described as a united group and so far, we still haven't met the majority of them. I wish that would happen. I'd gladly give up on the too much romance parts so I ould have more warriors and to see their lives together. Let's see what happens next. So far, I'm still curious and will keep reading.

* * * * *

It is a boiling hot summer in Boston. Adding to the city's woes is a series of shocking crimes in which wealthy men are made to watch while their wives are brutalized--a sadistic demand that ends in death. The pattern suggests one man: serial killer Warren Hoyt, recently put behind bars. Police can only assume an acolyte is at large, a maniac basing his attacks on the twisted medical techniques of the madman he so admires. At least that's what Detective Jane Rizzoli thinks. Forced to reconfront the killer who scarred her--literally and figuratively--she is determined to finally end Hoyt's awful influence. But this time around, the vendetta is more vicious than she ever would have imagined.

Comment: I was so eager to read this book and I wasn't disappointed. The author created a gripping story, with most of the characters from the previous novel and we can see where their lives have gone to. I was very surprised to see the focus center on Jane and her live and I was told it will remain so. Grom now on, the personal parts of the books will be about her and another doctor. I hope I'll keep addicted to know more. The story was very well done, I couldn't stop reading and in evwry page something is revealed in a way that we keep sayng, one more page but then there's 10 more and we still say that. The end is a bit disturbing because it allows the reader to make assumptions about future things, which is very smart; we want to know more, so we'll have to read more. I'll read the next book the following month. This author remains a challenging, but good, one.

Addison Fox - Warrior Ascended

MILLENNIA AGO, THE GODDESS OF JUSTICE CREATED A RACE OF FIERCE WARRIORS, EACH IMBUED WITH A SPECIAL POWER OF THE ZODIAC AND CHARGED WITH PROTECTING HUMANITY FROM THE DARKEST OF EVILS.

Charming, proud, and impulsive, Leo Warrior Brody Talbot is fighting what may be his final battle. Enyo, the Goddess of War, plans to fulfill an ancient prophecy to destroy humanity by harnessing the dark power of the Summoning Stones of Egypt -- and there's only one person who knows enough about the stones to help Brody diminish their strength.

Since her father's murder, museum curator Ava Harrison has continued his research of Egypt's ancient treasures. She's just landed the exhibit of the century: displaying the Summoning Stones at New York's American Museum of Natural History. Used to working alone, Ava is suspicious of the arrogant archaeologist who's been brought in to ensure the stones' safekeeping, but his presence ignites an unexpected blaze of attraction.

Never in all his centuries has Brody met a woman who enthralls him as Ava does. But, bound to protect her, he struggles to deny his passion as they are drawn into a dark and dangerous final reckoning between good and evil.

Comment: Some friends have read this series already (I mean, the books already out) and most critics were good, so I jumped right in and bought the three books without reading the first before. Usually I don't do this, as I'm picky and if I don't like the first book in the series I probably won't read the rest.
Anyway, the story is centered about a group of warriors under the command of the godess Themis, to help humankind against another godess, Enyo, who wants their destruction. There are rules, though and plans to see through.
In this book, we follow warrior Leo, and his attempt to reunite some stones that will give their owner a huge power.
Brody, as leo warrior, disguises himself to get close to the stones and Ava, the person who is the key to them.

I think the romance isn't the most successful one, there were times I didn't feel the seriousness of the things happening because the sex gets in the way, not that there is too much sex, but because the focus on it happens - in my opinion- on the worst times possible. As a first book we are given a lot of information so there are quite some boring moments. Still, I am curious to meet more warriors and what they can do (as leo, Brody can creat an aura of a lion to help him battle the bad guys) and how will they meet their mates.
The end of this book was ok, and I'll read the next ones soon, but I know they will get better, I was told so, otherwise I might read them yes, but not in a near future.