PJ Review: Ascension (Dark Breed #1) by Sable Grace

Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance
Paranormal Element: Everything! Mythology, Gods, Vampires, Shifters...
Series: Dark Breed #1
Order Online:  Amazon.com
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Digital copy from Netgalley.com for Review

PJ's QUICKIE POV:
Ascension strikes fast, hits you hard as it thrusts you into a very dark world that had my imagination spinning. It wasn’t a world I want to visit anytime soon, either. Despite the darkness, I was quickly taken in, I wanted to find out more about this violent and scary place. There was so much going on in this novel, new breeds of paranormals, mixed races...it was quite fascinating. And then with the intermix of the Greek gods and goddesses I thought it might be too much, but it worked and made for one of the most creatively spun Urban Fantasy novel that I’ve read in awhile. The one drawback of the novel was that it really did drag towards the end of the novel. It was fast fast fast --- and then came to a screeching halt. It would have been PERFECT if it would have kept up that high intensity pace. And the thing about pace - if you don't get it right it will bring a good idea crashing.

REVIEW:
Kyana is half Vampyre, half Lychen a dark breed of an unholy joining for two species. Her kind, the dark breeds are overrunning the world after the gates of Hell opened and released madness into the world. Yet, Kyana has forced herself to step out of her kinds usual evil nature and joined the Order of Ancients to fight the dark breeds and protect the mortals. Kyana is highly ambitious and when she is given one of the most important missions of her career she sees it as a chance to prove herself. But, she is quickly deflated when she finds she’ll be paired with Ryker, a demigod who knows how to push all the wrong buttons where she is concerned. Together they team up, but with a lot of reservations, because there mission is a lot more important then their personal problems.

A highly imaginative Urban Fantasy. Ascension is over-run with uniquely formed paranormals. It had my head spinning. And on top of the crazy world-building the sexual tension between Kyana and Ryker was enough to have me salivating. It was one of those romantic episodes where you want to beat both their heads against the table and scream “Get it on already!” Those are always fun...but, Sable Grace took it to a whole new level. This is definitely one you should look out for.

Now for the not so fun parts. The dragging almost killed me, at some point I was ready to just put the book down. The anticipation was gone, because Kyana and Ryker had already somewhat settled their differences and then there was just so much more book to trudge through and clue finding and things like that. I also found the patsy rather convenient and I also found it hard to understand how different the dark breeds were from Kyana...I don’t think there was enough explanation. Was it just that if she drank human blood it would drive her to a crazy hunger that she couldn’t control? Then how did she stop in the first place? Besides that the book was an enjoyable read and highly creative (I keep saying that!). I can’t wait to see what Ms. Grace has in store for us next.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
Recommended for fans of darker Urban Fantasy series like the series written by Kelly Gay and Jennifer Esteps. There is a lot of violence, bad language and sexual interaction in this novel, recommended for adults only.







Like this Like That

1. The Better Part of Darkness (Charlie Madigan, Book 1) by Kelly Gay
2. Bitter Nights by Diana Pharaoh Francis

PJ Review: Last Sacrafice by Richelle Mead

Home > Review > Last Sacrafice by Richelle Mead

Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy
Paranormal Element: Vampires
Series: Vampire Academy #6
Order Online:  Amazon.com | BookDepository.com
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Audiobook Review copy bought at Audible.com

PJs QUICKIE POV:
The emotional conclusion of Richelle Mead’s young adult Vampire Academy series had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. At it’s whirlwind finale I was left with supreme satisfaction by the events that occurred but heart-broken that this was the end. The series was a wild ride, that invoked an almost bi-polar emotional reaction throughout that I highly recommend for mature teens and adults alike.

Do not read further if you have not read up to Spirit Bound.

REVIEW:
Rose has finally attained what she has set off to accomplish since her lover was turned Strigoi so long ago. Yet, as her goal has been reached nothing is working for Rose and to make matters worse political upheaval has left the Moroi world in disarray. In the midst of this upheaval laws are passed that could devastate the ranks of dhampir and endanger the Moroi even more. Unable to hold her tongue, Rose openly defies the Queen and pays for it when the Queen’s body is discovered with Rose’s stake buried in her heart.

Accused of murder, her former lover Dmitri won’t even speak to her, and the whole Moroi court ready to execute her, Rose seems to be backed in a corner that she won’t be able to escape. But, Rose, ever defiant will not go down without a fight...but this time she is fighting for much more than just her life.

I am so terribly saddened that this series is over. It is wonderful to see one to it’s conclusion but after six books I felt like I really knew these characters and the conclusion is like seeing them go away -- not even email accessible. And while the conclusion was everything I could ever ask for in it’s entirety there was also some bitterness in the end because of how Mead chose to portray the events. Unlike most authors that gloss over the tragedy and heart-ache that belies any climatic event, Mead shows it to you in all it’s glory. There is no “convenient imprinting” or sudden change of mind scenarios like some author’s use. I have to give her props for this, she chose to go the hard route, to show that every ‘Happily-Ever-After’ doesn’t necessarily have the same outcome for everyone involved.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
For mature teen audiences, there are sexual references, violence and questionable moral actions.






411 on the series:

1. Last Sacrifice is the last Vampire Academy book, but there is a spin-off series, call the Bloodlines Series releasing this August.Info from RichelleMead.com
2. Last year it was announced that Preger Entertainment acquired film rights to Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series. Don Murphy (Transformers) has also been named as producer. IMDB has it listed as in-production with a schedule date of 2013. This still does not mean anything, but it is hopeful that it will become a movie series.
3. Richelle Mead has stated that she will write a short story involving Rose & Dmitri if she won the CBC's best teen book of 2010 award
4. There is a Vampire Academy graphic novel in the works. View Preview of Vampire Academy graphic novel.

If you like VAMPIRE ACADEMY:

1. Glass Houses (Morganville Vampires, Book 1)
2. Strange Angels (Strange Angels, Book 1)
3. Evernight (Evernight, Book 1)
4. The Summoning (Darkest Powers, Book 1)

9/20

PJ Review: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy
Paranormal Element: Vampires
Series: Vampire Academy #5
Order Online:  Amazon.com | BookDepository.com
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Audiobook Review copy bought at Audible.com

PJs QUICKIE POV:
These books turned me into one big Hot Mess. I've never been such a bipolar reader, in one instance I was begging Rose to just give up on her stupid quest and stick with a sure thing and on the other hand screaming at her to "do it!" Find Dmitri so this whole mess can be over with. Then I'm yelling again at her to stop being such a selfish wench...look what she is doing to Adrian! I'm completely befuddled. These books have turned me into a lunatic and I blame Richelle Mead. Yup. All your fault Ms. Mead, I won't send you my psychiatric bill, but a few well-meaning postcards from the looney bin might get my point across.  This is the fifth book and they are meant to be read in order. There are cliffhangers that have you pulling your hair out and emotionally charged scenes that will have you sobbing in your pillow. You will never love/hate main characters as much as you do in this series (oh wait --- yes you will, in Mead's adult series, Dark Swan). Go Now! Run! Grab Vampire Academy...and fall in love with the writing, the characters and the world that sprung from the genius that is Richelle Mead. Please don't read any further if you have not read the Vampire Academy series yet.


REVIEW:
I'll not bore you with casual details. Spirit Bound picks up where Blood Promise left off. Rose is a mess, but being Rose she gets back on her feet quickly. She knows Dmitri is out there, still strigoi and still obsessed with her and the only place she feels safe is back at St. Vladimir’s and with her friend Lissa. While her friends hold it against her that she left them, it quickly fades and they are back to their old tricks again...but this time Rose has a very far-fetched plan. 

She can not let Dmitri go and the rumor that their is a way to return a strigoi back to his former self eats away at her. If there is any way to save Dmitri, she has to find out.  Yet, the problem with Rose, and I have a big problem with this part of her personality, is that she will use other's to accomplish what she needs. She let Adrian finance her trip to Siberia and now because of this she basically begins dating him. I never thought how this could possibly work out for good...and I always thought Adrian was an idiot for letting Rose do this to him. But, the heart overpowers reason, right? This one sided view of the world - eyes on the prize that Rose has, makes me not like her a little bit. Love conquers all in her mind and she will do anything, to anyone, to get what she wants. It became glaringly obvious in this book what really lays underneath her intentions. Deep down inside I really thought it was best for her to give up. How many people does she need to hurt emotionally, hurt physically and damage their future, for her to be with Dmitri? Is it worth it?

POSSIBLE SPOILERS ****

Besides my moral indecisiveness concerning Rose's actions the novel was very compelling and emotionally trying. I found a few flaws with the construction of the book, thinking some of the things that Rose, Lissa and their band of merry men, did to "get information" was rather ridiculous and not very believable. It could have been constructed a bit better, than having a few teenagers break into a maximum security prison and being successful...really what was that?  And then these same geniuses that attempt this, later just "lose" the prisoners. What was that? All of Mead's other scenarios have been rightly believable - this just struck me as unbelievable and dropped the rating a bit. Let me know what you think!

RECOMMENDATIONS:
For mature teen audiences, there are sexual references, violence and questionable moral actions.

Review: Darkness Dawns by Dianne Duvall Review

Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance
Paranormal Element: Vampires
Series: Immortal Guardians #1
Order Online:  Amazon.com | BookDepository.com
Stalk the Author: Web |  Blog | Facebook
ARC Provided by Author for review

PJ's QUICKIE POV:
Not your ordinary Paranormal Romance, Dianne Duvall took an old story and made it fresh. Her characters were uniquely original and thought provoking. Duvall stepped out of the box with Darkness Dawns and made me reevaluate what I thought made a good Paranormal Romance hero. Though, like all habits and stereotypes, some are hard for me to get used to when stepping out of that self-erected comfort zone, so at some points in her story I was a little thrown off, but in general I enjoyed it and overall it was a very compelling read.



REVIEW:
Sarah Bingham is minding her own business, trying work off her insomnia with a little yard work, when out of the blue she is faced with a life and death situation. There is a wounded man being hunted by a group, practically in her backyard and they are casually discussing murdering him. She does what any self-respecting person would do...she sneaks up behind the bad men and whacks them in the head with her shovel. As Sarah takes the wounded man into her home and nurses him back to health, she realizes a little too late that she might be in over her head. Especially when the truth of what he is begins to come out.

Roland Warbrook is a 900 year old immortal. He is hunted by vampires and has lived as a recluse for most of his 9 centuries, never letting anyone close. Sarah is the first woman to make him want in a really long time. He desperately wants to let himself go and fall into the arms of Sarah, but to do so would damn her to a life of heartache. Yet, as the one that hunts them closes in, Roland can’t seem to stay away from Sarah. Will they be able to overcome the obstacles that keep them a part?

Vampires, Immortals and organic living oh my! Duvall introduces us to a new kind of a vampire, a 21st century type of vampire. He can kick ass like the best of them, hulking, big and moody like the vamps we dream about, but he also has a softer side that likes to adopt kittens, eat organic pizza and drive energy efficient cars. It made me rethink my stereotypes and I thought it was fun! Would I necessarily picture my perfect male vamp driving a Prius and making sure his chicken was Free-Range and organic? Probably not, but that is the fun thing about novels they take us to places that we don’t expect. And believe me, there have been enough written about black leather clad biker boys that guzzle Whiskey and drink blood - to make Duvall’s take on the immortal blood-drinkers highly creative and refreshing.

Check this book out and let me know what you think. Did Roland the sexy, yet sweet vampire do it for you? Or are you stuck on the stereotypical paranormal romance vamp?

RECOMMENDATIONS:
This book is recommended as a good transition paranormal romance. Pretty good for readers wanting to break into para romance from contemporary romance. Give it try you might want to check out this genre a bit more.

The 411:

1. Book 2 in the Immortal Guardian Series is called Night Reigns
2. Book 2 is scheduled for release December 2011

5/20