Immortal Review

IMMORTAL:LOVE STORIES WITH BITE

Short Stories Written by: Cynthia Leitich Smith, Kristin Cast, Rachel Caine,Tanith Lee, Richelle Mead, Nancy Holder, Rachel Vincent and Claudia Gray

Edited by:  P.C. Cast

Publication date: October 6, 2009 (first published August 1, 2008)

4 stars

Synopsis: find full synopsis at here at Goodreads.com

How I Came to Read This:  When I picked it up in the store, I saw that most of the contributing authors were some of my faves!

My Review:  Haunted Love by Cynthia Leitich Smith - This story was good - and it turned out to be pretty sweet.  It was like a whole novel in 30 pages; it had all the components.  You had your main character, new friendship/possible love interest, action and happy ending. What else do you need?

Amber Smoke by Kristin Cast - This one surprised me. It was something completely different. I quickly fell in love with the characters and when it finally sunk in that there wasn't going to be anymore, I was sad.  Spin-off??

Dead Man Stalking: A Morganville Vampires Story by Rachel Caine - If you're already reading the Morganville Vampires series, then you know who Shane is ad his relationship with his father. If you're not up on it, don't worry, this is still a story you can enjoy. It's about the last two surviving members of the same family - father and son - on opposite sides of a war.  Having to choose between the family you were given and the family you've made.

Table Manners by Tanith Lee - I didn't exactly enjoy this story.  It was a little difficult to want to continue.  For too long in the beginning, it was too vague.  The suspense was held for so long, it frustrated me.  I think it had potential, it was just a little too sloppy - and I really do hate to use that word; I'm sorry. I liked the ending though!

Blue Moon by Richelle Mead - Ladies and gentlemen, she does it again! Richelle Mead, in my book, is flawless. Even in a short story she can create a world that sucks you right in. I would have loved a whole book on these characters. I love everything Mead does - she can't miss!

Changed by Nancy Holder - This story had a great concept. A post-apocalyptic, overrun by vampires world.  It had a great main character that you wanted good things to happen to. I'm happy to have read this story. Maybe I'll even look for other stories by Nancy Holder.

Binge by Rachel Vincent - This is what I like about Rachel Vincent: she doesn't do it like anybody else.  She doesn't write about vampires or werewolves or even fairies. She focuses on beings we never read about, that we know nothing about. That was, when you're reading, there's no way you can stop. No way you can predict what's going to happen.

Free: A Story of Evernight by Claudia Gray - I absolutely love Evernight! This story had a pretty rough start for me. But shortly thereafter, it really took off and there was no longer any doubt i y mind that this was going to be good. You think it's going one way but the Gray switches it up on you! Strong ending.

Who Should Read This: If you're already familiar with these authors, it's a fun way to get a little more from them. However, I wouldn't use this book as a way to get into these authors. I don't think an author can really shine, really show her all, in a short story.

BLOOD OATH

Blood Oath (The President's Vampire, #1)

Written by: Christopher Farnsworth

Publication date: May 18, 2010

Released in Hardcover

5 stars

Synopsis: Zach Barrows is an ambitions young White House staffer whose career takes an unexpected turn when he's partnered with Nathaniel Cade, a secret agent sworn to protect the president. But Cade is no ordinary civil servant. A vampire bound by a special blood oath. Cade has spent more than 140 years in service to the president, battling nightmares before they can break into the daylight world of the American dream.

Immediately Zach and Cade receive their first joint assignment; one that uncovers a shadowy government conspiracy and a plot to attack the United States with a gruesome new biological weapon. Zach soon learns that the world is far stranger, and far more dangerous, than he ever imagined...and that his partner is the least of his problems.

How I Came to Read This: I came across this book on Goodreads.com and saw the originality of it and knew I had to have it!

My Review: Sometimes when I switch books too quickly, it's hard to adjust to the different type of narration. That's what happened when I started reading Blood Oath - I went from first person to third - but it only took a few chapters and I was in it.

I read this book and saw the whole thing in my head like a movie. After the first night I started reading, I went to bed and woke up the next day with the feeling that I'd watched a really good movie the night before. I kept trying to remember the name of it. It was kind of like watching one of those movies where you meet several different people, seemingly unconnected, right in the beginning. You know eventually they cross paths with each other, but you're never given enough information to figure out how.

This was no young adult vampire love story...it was historical and modern, witty, and fun. I couldn't put it down. The central character, Cade, is more in tune with the nature of his kind, than he is to humanity. However, he's not a monster and he has his "human moments". He's a great character to follow and different than all the rest in a non-indulgent kind of way. Let me explain what I mean. He's a vampire, he's got all this amazing strength and ability but yet, he doesn't abuse it - oath or no oath. He doesn't try to break or bend the rules. He has duty and he respects it. One hundred and forty years serving Americas presidents and he didn't seem the least bit bitter. I think it gives him a purpose he doesn't exactly revel in, but he doesn't despise either.

The other main character, Zach, was the one of the best things about this book. The humor he brought to the story really made it fun, kept it grounded. Zach's found himself in a very unique, very strange situation and the way he handled it, the way he coped was really believable.

Blood Oath had action, excitement, humor and that stuff books are made of when you can't put them down. Yeah, that. I just realized  a few minutes ago that Blood Oath is a series! I don't know how I missed that. Well, I won't be missing the sequel, because when the whispers start - I'll be waiting!

Who Should Read This: Definitely mature teen to adult. A great distraction from faeries and pixies falling in love. This was fast-action, fast-paced hardcore good stuff!

BALLAD by MAGGIE STIEFVATER

BALLAD: The Gathering of Faerie (Books of Faerie, #2)
Written by: Maggie Stiefvater
Publication date: October 1, 2009
Released in Paperback

5 stars - Both books are great!

Synopsis:  In this mesmerizing sequel to Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception, music prodigy James Morgan and his best friend, Deirdre, join a private conservatory for musicians. James' musical talent attracts Nuala, a soul-snatching faerie muse who fosters and feeds on the creative energies of exceptional humans until they die. Composing beautiful music together unexpectedly leads to mutual admiration and love. Haunted by fiery visions of death, James realizes that Deirdre and Nuala are being hunted by the Fey and plunges into a soul-scorching battle with the Queen of the Fey to save their lives.

My Review: In this sequel, I wasn't expecting a change in narrators, and it was kind of a hard transition since I read Lament and Ballad back to back. It went from Deirdre and Luke to James and his new friend Nuala. Initially, I thought I was going to be mad about the change in narrators, but it turned out much better than I could have hoped for.

I love James' sarcasm, his quick-witted quips and his unique way of viewing the world. He's wise beyond his years, which is probably why the supernatural gods chose him to be a seer! When reading James' interactions with his teachers and superiors, I always felt like they were the ones who could learn something from him.

Nuala is a fascinating creature. She has well within her full power to force James into submission, but I believe his strength, will power and courage to refuse her, draws her to him. My favorite thing about Nuala are the things she gets into when she's invisible!

For the longest time, neither of then ever see what's between them. They're little kids in the sandbox picking on each other. Translating snarky remarks as jabs instead of what they really are: flirting!

At first, the little unsent text messages from Deirdre irked me. I felt like, "Why can't we just let her narrate? A little? Once in a while?" But that was just me stuck in the way Lament was told. Ballad is James and Nuala's story and the texts turned out to be a pretty cool way f keeping tabs on Deirdre. Taking a peek at what she's up to without leaving the true narrators.

By the time I finished this book, I was in love with James and Nuala - and I felt kinda bad for Dee. She was a bit of a jerk but she was pitiful too. Without Luke she was just a mess.

The big finale was good. I read with a smile on my face the whole time. But the very end, during the play, when Sullivan and James see each other - that was the highlight of the ending for me.

Does this mean sequel?? Book Gods, I hope so!!

Who Should Read This: Any fan of Maggie Stiefvater will be able to truly appreciate this series. It was beautifully written and saddening when it ended.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a topic brought to life by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. With Waiting on Wednesday you get to introduce to everyone upcoming books you're excited about!!

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner - An Eclipse Novella

Written by: Stephenie Meyer

Coming to a store near you on June 5, 2010!!!

Synopsis: Fans of the Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.

The release of this was such a shock to a lot of people - and I think that's exactly how Stephenie Meyer intended to be! She knows we're all heartbroken over the leak of Midnight Sun and the possibility of it never being released. So, it's almost like she felt bad and wanted to give us something - so she gave us this very exciting in between novella!

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading in which one grabs her current read, opens to a random page, and gives two "teaser" sentences from that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!! You don't want to ruin the book for others!

Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

MY FIRST TEASER TUESDAY COMES FROM

BLOOD OATH by CHRISTOPHER FARNSWORTH

Inside, hanging on hooks, like a cannibal's meat locker, were rows and rows of body parts. Legs. Arms. Torsos. A chain full of hands, another of feet.

A Fair Trade

Because I was in the middle of Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater when Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead was released, I decided to let my bestie read my copy of Spirit Bound first. Since she won't be done by the time I finish, I'll be able to start Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth! So it all works out.

I'm on my way to get started now! Happy reading!

The possibilities are endless!

Today I checked the inbox of my Goodreads account and found that CYN BALOG, author of Fairy Tale and Sleepless (coming out July 13, 2010), responded to an email I sent her inviting her to take a look at my blog - this blog!

A response, in and of itself, was enough to make me glow, but then she offered me an interview and I almost blinded myself! 

I can't say when this interview will happen - but it would be my first and I'm already nervous about it! When the time is right for this interview, I'll be posting notices, so stay tuned!

Books by Cyn Balog

Morgan Sparks and Cam Browne are a match made in heaven. They've been best friends since birth, they tell each other everything, and oh yeah - they're totally hot for each other.

But a week before their joint sweet sixteen bash, everything changes. Cam's awkward cousin Pip comes to stay, and Cam starts acting distant. Morgan is stunned when her formerly perfect boyfriend seems to be drifting away.

When Morgan demands answers, shes shocked to discover the reason for Cam's distance. It isn't another girl - it's another world. Pip claims that Cam is a fairy. No, seriously. A fairy. And now his people want Cam to return to their world and take his rightful place as Fairy King.

Determined to keep Cam with her, Morgan plots to fool the fairies. But as Cam continues to change, she has to decide once and for all if  he really is her destiny, and if their "perfect" love can weather and uncertain future.

Witty, original and unexpectedly touching, FAIRY TALE will captivate fans of TWILIGHT and WICKED LOVELY.

Eron De Marchelle isn't supposed to feel a connection. He is a Sandman, a supernatural being whose purpose is to seduce human charges to sleep. While he can communicate with his charges in their dreams, he isn't encouraged to--after all, getting too involved in one human's life would prevent him helping his other charges get their needed rest.

But he can't deny that he feels something for Julia. Julia, with her fiery red hair and her sad dreams. Just weeks ago, her boyfriend died in a car accident, and Eron can tell that she feels more alone than ever. Eron was human once too, many years ago, and he remembers how it felt to lose the one he loved. Eron has always felt protective of Julia...  but now, when she seems to need him more than ever, he can't seem to reach her...

Sandmen are forbidden from communicating with humans outside their dreams. But will Eron be willing to risk everything for a chance to be with the person he loves?

Also Out Today

Written by: Christopher Farsnworth

Release date: May 18, 2010

Hardcover

Zach Barrows is an ambitious young White House staffer whose career takes an unexpected turn when he's partnered with Nathaniel Cade, a secret agent sworn to protect the President. But Cade is no ordinary civil servant. Bound 140 years ago by a special blood oath, Nathaniel Cade is a vampire. He battles nightmares before they can break into the daylight world of the American dream, enemies far stranger - and far more dangeorus - than civilians have ever imagined.

This amazingly cool sounding book was released today for all to enjoy! I went and got my copy! And how cool is it that the author, Christopher Farsnworth, friend requested me on Goodreads, right out the blue! I felt so special! I can't wait to get to this book!!!

The wait is over! Almost.

For those of us not lucky enough to have already read an ARC copy - Are you ready? Spirit Bound can be ours in just one more day!

My pre-ordered copy from Borders will be in tomorrow and I can't wait to get my hands on it! Enjoy everyone!

LAMENT by MAGGIE STIEFVATER

LAMENT: THE FAERIE QUEEN'S DECEPTION (Books of Faeries, #1)

Written by: Maggie Stiefvater

Titles in Series: Lament and Ballad

Publication date: October 1, 2008

4 stars

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand - one who can see faeries.

Unexpectedly, Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy named Luke who enters her ordinary life, seemingly out of thin air. But his interest in her might be something darker than summer romance. When a sinister faerie named Aodhan shows up with deadly orders from the Faerie Queen, it forces Dee right into the midst of Faerie. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend.

Deirdre had been wishing her summer weren't so dull, but taking on a centuries-old Faerie Queen isn't exactly what she had in mind.

How I Came to Read This: I read Shiver and knew that I wanted to read everything Stiefvater has already written and all her future work. Everyone was talking about this series and I felt so out of the loop. I found the sequel Ballad first and had to wait and wait until I found this one.

My Review: WARNING: Some strong language, which I don't mind but some of you might.

There's something about the way Maggie Stiefvater writes that I just love. To me it feels relaxed and easy-going. It seems I can always just fall into her books and nuzzle up, get all cozy and enjoy the story. I've read a lot of reviews that refer to her style of writing as lyrical and after this book, I think I finally understand what they mean.

When strange things start happening to Deirdre Monaghan, she doesn't just chalk it up to an overactive imagination. She doesn't exactly freak out (like I would) but she doesn't ignore it either and that's what I like about her. Instead of pretending nothing is going on, she keeps a cool head and very carefully snipes out the information she needs.

Luke steals the show. In my mind's eye, I'm mesmerized when he speaks. All I want to do is hear what he has to say to see what he reveals next.  Even what he doesn't say - or can't say - says a lot too!

Somewhere around the middle of the book was when it really took off for me. There is so much unknown in this book that you are compelled to keep reading.  Stiefvater keeps throwing little tidbits your way that make you think, "Okay, maybe now I can figure out what's going on." But you can't - because it's just a tease! The lure on the end of the hook.

Who Should Read This: A fun read for anyone!