Jasmine Walt & Rebecca Hamilton: Shadow Born

In the first of the series, Jasmine Walt and Rebecca Hamilton shows you never know who lurks in the shadows in both your present and the past:

Brooke knows that the supernatural exist and while during the day she works as a Chicago PD Detective by night she is a Vampire hunter along with her Fiancé. When her Fiancé dies while tracking down a lead in Salem, she knows that something supernatural is at play. When Brooke arrives in Salem, she is not welcomed with open arms but she is hoping her special talent will help shed some light of Tom's last few days there. What Brooke doesn’t realize is that the darkness that is in and around Salem and her coming there she is going to have to get dirty.

I had not heard of Walt and Hamilton before but I’m always looking for UF series to delve into and hope that the authors are able to do something new and fresh with the series and I think that Walt and Hamilton were able to put some aspects in that I do not normally see in this Genre.

I loved that it was more Fae based, as I haven’t read too many Fae urban fantasy books, they tend take a sideline in UF to other more common creatures, like vampires, which are also featured in this book and not just side characters, you can tell that they are going to play major roles in future books. 

Brooke was a good female character but as a detective she seemed quite reckless at times, and not doing enough questioning as she should be. Almost like just burst in their guns blazing when that is not always the answer. I just don’t understand with all the training she claims to have she uses very little of it. It also seemed like I as the reader knew more than the main character and this annoyed me. I found Brooke's ability to touch objects and see the impressions or last moments on them interesting, but it is something that I have read before.

I did not see one of the twists coming, i was stunned and it was awesome. One of the best aspects on the books, it takes a lot for me to not figure something out beforehand, so I applaud Walt and Hamilton for being able to do this.

I like that the world building was explained, did not drone on and was enough there for me to understand it but not take me out of the overall story.

I really enjoyed the start of this series and I look forward to not only continuing on with this series but seeing what else these authors have written. If you are looking for an Urban Fantasy Series, check this one out. I will say that I hope that Brooke grows on me more in the future books.

Enjoy!!!!

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Abby Jimenez: Yours Truly

Abby Jimenez shows the power of a good old fashioned letter:

Bri's life is not in the best spot; Her divorce is finally coming through, her brother is still searching for a kidney donor and he's getting worse each day and the promotion she thought she was going to get is probably going to a new doctor who just transferred to the hospital. And this new Doctor all the nurses hate and patients seem to be dying on him every which way. Jacob knew it would be hard to transfer to a new hospital, he knew that he may struggle for a bit, but he can tell that the nurses hate him and his patients keep dying, plus a run in with another Doctor here, he is struggling and his anxiety is at a 10. He knows he needs to do something, so he decides to write her a letter. And its a really good letter one that is set to change not only his life but Bri's as well.

This is the first book that I have read by Jimenez and it was really cute and well done. Although this book is part of a series, I did not read the first one but did not feel like I needed to in order to enjoy this book. The friendship between Bri and Alexis is explained with them being best friends. And while there are hints back to the first book it was nothing major that made me put down this book to read that one first.

I really enjoyed the banter between Bri and Jacob and to me it is crazy that they did not realize their soulmate material when they first met. Granted that could have gone better but man they just seemed to click. It was like the truly understood each other from the beginning even when they were mortal enemies for the short period of time.

I loved the letter writing aspect of the book as that is such a lost art. But I really appreciate how Jimenez incorporated it into the novel, with Jacob being a journal writer and that is how he gets his thoughts out, especially with dealing with anxiety.

Jimenez did mental health in a way that felt real and not like she was using it as a butt of a joke or the comedic relief for the story or having it overshadow all of the story. She made it a part of Jacob, part of who he is which is okay, and this was showcased by Bri every time they enter into stressful situations

The Miscommunication trope is not my thing, it makes me want to pull my hair out any time i read a book that one has it and if it goes on too long. For this book i think the miscommunication went on way too long and it was this that also made the book longer than i think it needed to be. 

This book has cemented that I need to try more books by Jimenez, as this was really cute, but it still had some substance to it by tackling harder topics that many shy away from when writing romance books. I look forward to reading more books by Jimenez

Enjoy!!!

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Jay Kristoff: Empire of the Vampire

In the first of a series, Jay Kristoff shows what happens when Vampires rule the world:

It has been 27 years since the sun became nothing more than a faint light on the horizon, that barely anything that is still alive can grow. This does not mean the darkness has not brough new "life" to the world. The Vampires are now able to move about at any time of the "day" and they take advantage of every aspect of the new lack of sunlight. Vampire and Humanity have been waging war with very little light of hope left. Gabriel de Leon is half man, half monster and the last remaining Silversaint from the brotherhood of the Silver Order, who had dedicated their lives to destroying the creatures of the night. But at last he has been captured by the enemy and before he meets his death, A mistress of death wants his story in the hope that he will reveal where the only hope of Humanity remains, with the Holy Grail. 

In the illustrious words of Gabriel "Fuck My Face" this book was awesome. I did not know what to expect when going into this book, so i was extremely happy with where Kristoff took the story and characters in this book. I was just looking for a down and gritty vampire book and this book fucking delivers (there are a lot swears in this book so I am just reciprocating). I don’t think I can state how good this book was, and it will take you through all the emotions not only as a reader but for what Gariel goes through in the book, both the highs and the lows and lets say there are quite a few lows.

Gabriel as a character is gruff to say the least, but at the same time he lives up to the attitude that he had. He has lived more lives in his one than many of the people we meet along this quest and that includes the vampires. Yes, he is gruff a lot of the book, but once you hear all of his story it makes sense. One thing that Gabriel is good at is surviving and surpassing all the odds.

I really enjoyed that Kristoff has this world set in a more medieval world with the weapons, beliefs, some culture and religion that are more common in this time. The world that Kristoff created here is immersive but no overwhelming which I appreciate. The idea of the Holy Grail being the savior of this time is not something new, but how Kristoff presents it in this book is, and while the book does center around the idea of the Silver Brotherhood and the circle I did not find that this book was preaching God to me (which I appreciate).

I like that Kristoff had Gabriel tell his story and there are the slight interludes with the current timeline. Though we do not get a round POV this way, I think that the story is so well done that we do not need multiple POV to fill it out. The book does jump around a bit with the timeline but i never felt lost or didn’t know which part of Gabriel's history that we were being told about. As you learn more about Gariel it makes sense why he would not want to talk about certain aspects of his life.

I also liked Kristoff's take on vampires, in the sense that not only the type of vampire you will be depends on which line turns you but also how long you stay dead after you are killed. So if you have stayed dead and your body is rotting away you are basically a mindless vampire set on killing anything in your path, but if you arise not long after being killed you will be more deadly. 

This is a chunky book and i was able to read the physical copy as well as the audiobook at the same time and this saved me lots of time when i could not have the physical book with me. I will say that Damian Lynch brought the book to life with his voice and when i was reading my physical copy it was his voice I heard in my head. Also I was not expecting the illustrations in the book these were a nice surprise and beautifully done

This will easily be one of my favourite reads this year and start the car, I'm on my way to get the second book as not only was this book fantastic but there is still so much that needs to be told. Highly recommended book.

Enjoy!!!

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J.D. Barker: The Fourth Monkey

The first in a series, J.D. Barker gives new meaning to See No Evil, Hear No Evil and Speak No Evil:

Det. Sam Porter receives a phone call that he never thought that he would, the 4MK killer is dead. As the lead detective on the task force, Porter knows that he has to go to the scene and Porter knows that even in death he is going to cause problems. He has a victim that is still missing and within the 4MK's pocket is a dairy that unravels the twisted history of them. Porter hopes that understanding the killer will help him find the missing, victim but time is running out for that has been done to the victim is not something one can survive.

WOW, I do not know why I slept on this book for so long, but I totally regret it as this book was simply fantastic, and one of my favourite reads this year. This book 100% lives up to its hype, and I think more people should read this book, and I will keep recommending this book. It grabs ahold of you from the very beginning and never lets you go. I mean how can you not be hooked when the beginning starts with the death of a serial killer that our lead detective has been chasing for 5 years.

This book is dark and descriptive when it comes to the bodies found and how the victim dies and who the killer chooses as a victim is just downright disturbing. This book had the mystery and thrills that I look for in these types of books. Barker knows how to flirt with the line that takes this book from thriller to horror and I am here for it.

I really enjoyed that Barker included a POV from the killer in this book, even if it is in dairy form from when the killer was a young boy. This gave an insight in where they came from and the whole idea of nature vs nurture aspect of creating a serial killer.

I love that the main detective, Porter, he is very real and is not made pretty by the book but just an old grizzled detective who is great at what he does. Porter just feels real throughout the book, from what he is dealing with the case, as well as in his personal life. Porter and his partner Nash, have a really good rapport with each other and it does add some comedic relief in the book. I like how Porter treats his teammates and does what he thinks is best for the team, investigation and the victim have been taken.

Barker keeps the reader guessing throughout the book and I will completely admit that I did not see all the twists coming in both the present time as well as the diary one. This made me turn the pages faster and faster as I got further and further into this book.

I was so engrossed I did not want to put it down, and I don’t think that you will want too either. I highly recommend this book if you like mystery, thriller books with serial killers. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Enjoy!!!

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Carissa Broadbent: The Serpent & the Wings of Night

The first book in a series, Carissa Broadbent pits a lone human against the vampires in the fight for one wish:

Oraya is the adoptive daughter of the Nightborn Vampire King and while she has carved out some sort of existence surrounded by Vampires, she wants more. Her only chance is to enter the Kejari, a tournament where the winner is granted one wish by The Goddess of Death. Oraya knows that to stay alive she cannot trust anyone but herself but she needs allies as well. Raihn is not only ruthless and dangerous but a threat to her father’s crown as he from a different vampire kingdom. Oraya will be pushed past her limits, past her guards but she must always remember to guard her most important thing, her heart.

This is the first book that I have read by Broadent and I personally think that this book deserves the bype that it has received. You will want to make sure that you are able to dedicate some time to this book as I bet that you are going to want to read it in one sitting. This book grabs you from the beginning and takes you on a great ride. 

I loved the games and trails (though I thought they felt over a bit too quickly for me, I wanted more of that action). I loved the relationships that were formed and the heartbreak that occurs not only to the main character but side/enemy characters as well as more people die in the trials and awaiting the next game. I acutally thought this book would be a bit darker than it was, though carnage is there, it was either over really quickly or not expanded upon.

I like both main characters, but I am sure that I am not the only one who wished to have a POV from Raihn. I understand why there is not but man i wish i could have known what he was thinking for quite a bit of the book. Oraya and Raihn are very similar characters, and probably why they butt heads alot, they are determined and know what it means to fight to survive.

We have shiny vampires in this book but damn are they ruthless. The maiming of their children so that they are unable to take their place at head of the family is just dark and the whole idea of when one Vampire line is in control the others all suffer. Also human are basically cattle in this book, they are needed to stay alive but that is about it so they suffer deplorable conditions and situations.

I was able to predict the twist at the end (I actually thought it was a bit obvious but that may just be me) but this did not make me enjoy the book anyless, especally what happens right before things are revealed and after. I would have like some sort of backstory as to what started the games, as we know the games represent trials that God went through but why did she start the games? Was it jsut to ensure there was always a way to transfer power from one Vampire Type to another? I guess more world build a bit and information would have been nice.

This book was great and with the ending how can one not pick up the next book in the series. I know I cannot resist. Highly recommened if you like vampire with bite, games/trails and fantasy.

Enjoy!!!

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B.R. Spangler: When the Sky Falls

In the first in a new series, B.R. Spangler show what happens when humans mess with the environment:

The machines were supposed to help, they were supposed to save the world from Climate change, reverse the damage that humans had caused to Earth. When the machines are turned on, the unthinkable happens, the Machines do the opposite of what they were supposed to do and release a toxic fog that not only burns those who touch it but it has the ability to tear apart anything that was made from organic material. Emily has one job given to her by her parents is to take her sister Sammi to the mall, where they will be safe. Her father is trying to fix the machines make the fog go away and he would meet them there. But you can never see anything Fog and something the Fog is the safer than humanity.

As the first in a new series, I think that the premise that Spangler has presented here is one that had me instantly sold. I will say I did not realize that it was a YA book, so that took me a bit by surprised and I had to readjust my expectations for the book and this did take me a bit. The majority of the book also takes place in about few days after the Fog emerges and a lot happens in that time, frame very fast paced as everything is going to shit, which i feel is very realistic, but then when get a huge time jump.

I'm on the fence with the 15-year jump in time that occurs, part of me wishes that we got to see how Emily and Peter were able to survive but at the same time, I'm happy for the time jump to see how far the colony has come. However, there are some Significant events that happened in those 15 years that are not addressed. Also the time jump occurs around the 75% mark of the book, so it was almost like a teaser for the next book especially with the cliffhanger at the end.

I liked the idea of the Fog coming from a man mad machine that was supposed to help but the opposite happens. I feel like this is the premise of many dystopia books, so not that original but I appreciate that Spangler took the route of Fog causing the earth to be uninhabitable outside and trying to find places that the Fog could not eat through.

As with any end of the world type book there are tragedies in this book, and most of them I did not see coming. Spangler did a great job of showing that no one is safe and heartbreak can happen to anyone.

I liked the characters and felt the heartbreak with them but never really knew the characters as the reader is with each of them for only a short amount of time between the two timelines. This is more of a plot driven book than i thought it would be.

There are A LOT of unanswered questions by the end of this book, from the Outsiders to the Machines, there are many things that need to be resolved or explained further. I have so many questions and I don’t really like that Spangler left so much unresolved/unexplained.

This book was okay. I think if you like plot driven books, end of days and YA book then you will enjoy this book. I am unsure if I will continue on with the series, I mean the cliffhanger is pretty big but I don’t like all the unanswered questions in this one and if Spangler continues this, I know I would not enjoy the second book.

Cheers!!!!

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