Review: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Paranormal Element: Ghosts
Series: Anna Dressed in Blood #1
Order Online:  Amazon.com
Stalk the Author: Web | Facebook
Review copy provided by publisher

PJ's QUICKIE POV:
A spectacle to behold, ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD is a darkly intense thriller that will leave you breathless – not knowing which way to turn. Kendare Blake’s words burn from the page, her writing style perfectly crafted with a darkness and odd sense of humor that made for an engrossing read. I was won over by the characters, blown away by the plot and enchanted by the progression. I did not expect this novel. To say this book is a thriller and leave it at that is like saying Romeo & Juliet is a romance. ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD needs to be experienced and Ms. Blake needs to hurry up and write more because I am hooked and I need my next fix.


REVIEW:
Theseus Cassio Lowood is one of a kind. Armed with an anthame that he inherited from his murdered father, Theseus, better known as Cas, kills the dead. The dead he sends “away” aren’t your garden-variety spooks, either. These are no chain rattlers, or table shakers that he stalks. Cas goes after the killers. The ghost that haunts the highway, hitching and then killing unwary do-gooders, the girl that haunts her old house and rips anyone to shreds that sets foot inside – these are who/what Cas hunts. He moves from town to town, following, tracking and hunting. His only companions - his mother and their cat. When he gets a tip that leads him to the ghost called ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD, Cas is instantly drawn to the story. Cas and his mother move to Thunderbay and almost instantly he is told the story of Anna Koslov and how she has killed and dismembered anyone that has set foot within her home. By befriending the a-typical popular girl, Carmel and pissing off Mike, the a-typical meat-head jock, Cas finds himself on Anna’s porch, being whacked over the head by a 2x4 and thrown into the house…when he comes to he sees Anna. She is a goddess of death, drenched in blood – and she spares him. She has never spared anyone…


From the character development to the smart writing style of Blake, to the gothic setting and back-story, this novel had it all. Full of thrills, blood and guts, hinted romance and quirky side characters, ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD had me riveted from page one. This is not your typical young adult novel, in fact this is the most intensely portrayed ghost story that I’ve read in any age range. Cas is a larger than life character and ANNA - well, there is no describing ANNA. She is everything, feared, pitied, revered, sympathized, horrified…her character was so well depicted that she could almost come alive (even though I would run screaming like a wuss!) and walk into the room. This book scared me and comforted me and entertained me…I’m ridiculously pleased and I can’t wait for more.

Full of thrills, blood and guts, hinted romance and quirky side characters, ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD had me riveted from page one.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
Recommended for mature teens, there is descriptive violence and mature language. Recommended for horror and thriller fans. Fans of Koontz and King – if you are looking for a YA title this is the one for you! It also reminded me a bit of I AM NUMBER FOUR stemming from the fact that it has a strong male lead with a quirky, nerdy side kick and a hottie popular chick floating around in it.










Like this Like That

1. Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
2. White Cat by Holly Black
3. Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

Dead World Quickie Review & Winner Announcement

Quickie Review

Genre: Adult, Urban Fantasy
Para Element: Ghosts, Vamps
Series: DeadWorld #1
Order Online:  Amazon.com
Stalk the Author: Web | Blog | Twitter

Review copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review.

PJ's QUICKIE REVIEW:
Always a fan of the damaged and prickly Urban Fantasy heroine, Duncan delivered with a unique storyline and an interesting plot. His writing took me by surprise and so did the plot as the mystery was revealed and each intricacy was peeled back, layer by layer. On the surface this was just another Urban Fantasy, with a kick-ass and slightly deranged heroine...but if you settled down deeper into the writing you find a lot more. I think Duncan's writing was more subtle than most Urban Fantasy author's, and the character development wasn't as quickly laid out as we are used to, but I think it added a unique quality to the writing and left me focused on the mystery instead of focusing on emotional reactions and character interactions. Some readers might not like this particular trait in this book, but I found it different...and I can't wait to read more of JN Duncan's writing.

Guest Post: Ghost Stories by Amanda Stevens

Please give a warm welcome to Amanda Stevens, author of The Restorer the first book in a haunting new Urban Fantasy series. After the guest post, stick around there just might be a ghost lurking around...or at least a giveaway.

GHOST STORIES

In the Graveyard Queen series, I write about ghosts. Greedy, grasping netherworld parasites that prey on human warmth and devour the life force of their hosts. Truth be told, my own supernatural encounters have been fairly benign. The scent of cherry pipe tobacco emanating from the backseat of my car. A phantom music box playing in the middle of the night. Hardly the stuff of nightmares. But people close to me have had far more harrowing experiences. The following accounts are real-life ghost stories, gleaned from a series of interviews I conducted with friends, family and acquaintances. The names have been changed, but the incidents are exactly as they were told to me. (Warning: not for the faint of heart.)

Morpheus Road: The Light by D.J. MacHale

The Light (Morpheus Road) by D.J. MacHale
Review copy provided by Big Honcho Media

PJVs QUICKIE POV: Rollercoaster! This book was a macabre rollercoaster through a week of one boys life. Entertaining and spine chilling, The Light, flung me from one impending and near death experience to the next, never letting me up for breath. Not often does a book leave me chilled, but this one almost had me sleeping with the light on.

REVIEW: Marshall Seaver is in a bad place when we are introduced to him in The Light. Dealing with the repercussions of his mother's death, Marsh has become rather reclusive, content to get lost in books, movies and games revolving around fantasy and science fiction.  Marsh has one friend, Cooper Foley and that relationship is a bit tenuous. Cooper is everything that Marsh is not. Cooper is popular, a risk taker, a boy who doesn't care about what people think. Coop and Marsh are the exact opposites, yet have been friends forever. Lately Cooper has been getting into trouble, taking risks that aren't minor league anymore.  The latest spot of trouble involved some counterfeit tickets and a few policemen.

Because of the trouble, Coop is sent up to his parents lake house for the summer and Marsh is left at home with no friends and even his father is on a business trip.

This is when the haunting begins.  At first Marsh thinks it is all in his head, he's hearing things... he must be having hearing problems from the loud music.  Then he starts to see things.  Is he going crazy, is he seeing hallucinations?  When these hallucinations have him fleeing his home, desperate to save his life from something that can only be made up in his head, Marsh is desperate for any kind of help.  He finds that help in Coop's, older, ice-queen sister, or at least she helps him get in touch with her parents, only to find out that Cooper is missing.  Desperate to find his friend, Marsh heads up their to find answers and hopefully to escape the ghoul that is chasing him.

Along the way, discoveries are made, and the game goes from a simple haunting to a desperate fight for his life, the life of his friends and maybe the world as he knows it.

The Light is a high impact read that will keep the adrenaline pumping and wanting more.  This book never stopped it's forward motion.

Things I liked about The Light:
Intense action sequences
Well laid plot lines
Creepy bad guys
Supporting characters
Main characters growth

Things that I didn't like:
The main character was a bit of a pain in the beginning all whiney and whimpery, but he transitioned, so I guess that was the point
I'm not a big fan of foreshadowing and the prlogue was a foreshadow reminsicent of Twilight it was intriguing but I wasn't really that big a fan of it
There was a lot of stereotyping, which is rampant in YA fic/movies, sometimes I wish authors would step out of it.  Stop with the bully/jock, the snarky/pop/hot chick, the dorky/star wars geek/rocket builder geek...

Bad points were few and far between though...definitly worth the time to read. I've been on a roll lately, both YA and adult. Go me.

RECOMMENDATIONS: For teens and adults. It is a bit scary but nothing inappropriate. Horror fans and thrill seekers should enjoy.

Stop by the Morpheus Road: The Light Blog tour that I am hosting April 16th and you could win a $50 Gift Card.

Question? What scares you?
My answer...Aliens! I have a bizarre fear of being abducted by aliens. Odd right?