Otherworldly

Trapped (The Condemned Book 1) by Alison Aimes

 in Book Events / Books / Fantasy / Hot Off The Press / Interesting / Older Readers / Otherworldly by

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Trapped book cover

Summary

“When Bella West crash lands on prison planet Dragath25, the only thing standing between her and a mass of brutal criminals is one of their own, a ruthless loner known only as 673. But what starts out as a desperate trade based on protection and raw lust soon blossoms into a scorching need that will push them both to the edge….

Cadet Bella West has one simple objective when she joins the scientific mission to Dragath25, the notorious penal planet housing Earth’s condemned. Earn the credits necessary to save her family from starvation. But when her shuttle crashes and the majority of her crew perish, her simple mission becomes complicated fast. Now, to stay alive she’ll have to depend on one of Dragath’s own. But such protection doesn’t come free.

Convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, 673 has become more beast than man after eight grueling years on an unforgiving, hazardous planet of dirt and rock—and even more treacherous inhabitants. He doesn’t look out for anyone but himself and he certainly never grows attached. So when the bold female offers him pleasure in return for protection, he takes the deal without hesitation. He never expects how her touch will alter him. Or the growing realization that saving her may be the key to his own salvation.

But as dangers mount and their ‘simple’ deal unravels will he prove to be her surprise savior or her ultimate downfall? Because caring for someone on Dragath25 may prove the greatest hazard of all.

A tale of unbridled desire, stunning sacrifice, and unwavering love, Trapped is an action-packed, sexy sci-fi romance that takes you to the brink of oblivion on a prison planet where only the strong survive.

The first book in the Condemned Series, Trapped has a HEA [happily ever after] and can be read as a stand-alone.”

-From Amazon.com

Review

One of the exciting things about being a book blogger, who has been around for quite a few years and is slowly getting recognized, is that people come to you asking you to review their books and promote books as well and this was one of them and I’m quite happy that I received an ARC to review ! Trapped was actually a really good book and I didn’t expect it to be as I usually don’t read main stream romance stories. This is, once again, considered to be an erotic romance novel and I never would have picked it up if I wasn’t contacted to ask to review the book and I have to say it was quite enjoyable. While there will be other books in the series, I don’t know if I’ll check them out as while the book was good, it isn’t my kind of story exactly and I’m happy with the HEA, but it was a decent novel to read and easily fitted into the bodice ripper category.

While there was the romance going on, there was a whole other story there too as it was set on another planet, which was also kind of cool too. Not many romance stories have that quality in them. Sure, maybe vampires or some fantasy creatures, but not based on another planet. But all of the people in the story were human, save for some of the animals which the main male protagonist fought.

The whole scene that the book was set in was interesting as well. The planet was actually where criminals were sent and so it was an extremely harsh planet, like lots of sand and hot and dangerous. Except 673 found some nice oasis’ that had water and nice plants. I did feel that there could have been more to the story, like maybe a little more character development because 673 kept going forward and then regressing back to his old ways but in the end he was suddenly different, but it still worked for the story so it wasn’t a down side. I just always like character development as you all probably have figured out by now.

Based on the picture of the cover, which is usually used to represent a character, I did have a different visual of the guy in my mind. I was thinking of more Conan the Barbarian kind of feel but like much much bigger, like 7 feet tall, but he apparently was more like 6 or so and more of a normal guy. I just felt he had a bigger than life quality which was kind of cool and he was sooo badass.

I also really liked the female, Bella, because she was a strong female character and attempted to kick some ass and was stubborn and strong-headed which I really like. I hate when the main characters are simpering females (as you all know) and I liked how she would go head-to-head with this guy who was a lot stronger than her and she wouldn’t back down which was awesome.

This is definitely mature literature so not for 18 and under, but if you’re looking for something a little steamy and a quick read (I read it in only a few hours), this is definitely what you’re looking for. It fits the bill perfectly.

It comes out in March of this year and I do recommend that you check it out and I hope that more books will be coming out because I would love to see how this story develops.

Happy Reading!

Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles) by Kresley Cole

 in Adult / Adventure / Book Reviews / Books / Creative / Fantasy / Older Readers / Otherworldly / Young Adult by

“Watch your six, Reaper, I’m on the hunt.”
A rasping chuckle. -Your Death awaits.-

-Page 368

Poison Princess cover Summary

“22 Arcana cards. 22 Chosen Teens. Let the cards fall where they may.

Sixteen-year-old Evie Greene’s horrific hallucinations predicted the apocalypse, and the end of the world brought her all sorts of new powers. With the earth scorched and few survivors, Evie teams up with handsome and dangerous Jack Deveaux in a race to find answers. They discover that that an ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of teens have been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it’s not always clear who is on which side… “

-From Kresley Cole’s website.

Review

Okay, this is just going to be an absolutely love fest. Because this book was absolutely fantastic! It was nothing like any of the other YA books I have read and it was just so well written. I will start off by saying that this is definitely an older YA book because of certain themes as well as some of the violent content. There are no curse words, and the few curse words that are used, Cole cleverly changes up so that she switches letters around to make the word something different. If you know the word then you’ll know what it should be, but if you don’t, it will just look like some made up curse word, which is extremely clever.

The violence in the book is a little graphic at times. Especially when it jumps to the present day. How the story is set up is that the main character, Evangeline, is telling the story to someone who welcomes her into the home and by the end of the story, the past has been told and her arriving in the home is the present and that is where the book ends to set up for the next book in the series. Parts of the themes in the book, especially the guy who she is telling the story to in the present, is extremely creepy and pulled on some nasty themes. There are a lot of implications of rape, though nothing happens. A younger reader wouldn’t completely get that but as an older reader, you know exactly what is being implied. Then the guy who she is telling the story to, think of like one of the creepier episodes of Criminal Minds (I hope most people know this show) and think of how twisted they get with dungeons and torture. That is kind what the guy is like, so it gets a little brutal.

Now the rest of the story is just lots of apocalypse stuff. Something happens, called The Flash, and everything goes to shit, essentially. You’re never clear exactly what The Flash was, but you’re told it was a solar flare, though it’s never clear exactly what caused it, and leaves questions to be answered later on in the series. Out in the world, there are some horrible people, and some nasty themes brought up again. Mentions of cannibalism as well as the enslavement of women too. It seems like during The Flash, when most people were killed, a lot of them were women, so women were scarce, so they were wanted by slavers and stuff. Younger readers would just think that women were special though older readers would know exactly what was going on.

The two main characters, Evangeline and Jackson, are traveling together and it follows them from when they met before The Flash to surviving together after it. There is some great character development between the two of them and a lot of advances as well as steps back too, though I did sometimes want to smack Jackson so damn hard. There was definitely some sexual undertones going on, sometimes a little more prevalent, so you can definitely say that there is a romance theme to the book, but it is by no means a major theme in the book at all.

I also really like the fact that this is called The Arcana Chronicles. I have never once read a book about the Arcana cards. I have once seen an anime about the Arcana cards, Arcana Famiglia and it was really good, but besides that I have not seen anything about these cards and this was totally awesome!

Overall this was a fantastic book and I definitely do recommend it. I can’t read the second and third book for a little bit as I have to wait for my next school break, so I’ll have to wait for the new year, and until then it’s going to kill me, this wait.

But until then, definitely check this series out and enjoy it!

Happy Reading!

Archangel’s Enigma by Nalini Singh

 in Adult / Adventure / Book Reviews / Books / Older Readers / Otherworldly by
Book cover Archangel's Enigma by Nalini Singh a forest scene slashed with eyes peering through

Archangel’s Enigma Nalini Singh

Summary

“Naasir is the most feral of the powerful group of vampires and angels known as the Seven, his loyalty pledged to the Archangel Raphael. When rumors surface of a plot to murder the former Archangel of Persia, now lost in the Sleep of the Ancients, Naasir is dispatched to find him. For only he possesses the tracking skills required – those more common to predatory animals than to man.

Enlisted to accompany Naasir, Andromeda, a young angelic scholar with dangerous secrets is fascinated by his nature – at once playful and brilliant, sensual and brutal. As they race to find the Sleeping archangel before it’s too late, Naasir will force her to question all she knows…and tempt her to walk into the magnificent, feral darkness of his world. But first they must survive an enemy vicious enough to shatter the greatest taboo of the angelic race and plunge the world into a screaming nightmare…

– From Amazon.com

Review

Oh.My.God!!!!! LIKE YOU DON’T EVEN UNDERSTAND!!!!!!! This book arrived at my University at like 11 in the morning and I got all my homework done so that I could read this book and I read it in like literally 5 hours. All my friends are like ‘what? how?!’.

But like UGH! I have to wait about 2 years to get the next book and that is like so depressing! So much character love and I’m literally in love with Naasir because he’s so adorable! He’s like a damn cub and I just want to meet him and nuzzle him and just like…UGH!!!! My fangirling with this book, and the series, is strong.

So overall this story followed on from where the last one left off with Lijuan destroyed Manhattan and Lijuan was partially destroyed. So, essentially it followed that Lijuan was a complete bitch and then became more of a bitch and then this followed her wanting to prove herself to others and take over the world. Again.

But this time the main characters are Naasir and Andromeda (and I completely love that name by the way!) and how Naasir is looking for a mate but Andromeda has a vow of celibacy and so it follows the two of them on their journey to save an Ancient (if you read the books you’ll know what that is) from Lijuan. It had all the traditional story points which came up in the other books but there was also a twist with Illium which I can’t spill, but in the end I just sat there like “WHATTTTT?!” I’m dying and I cannot wait until the next book comes out.

I honestly cannot give high enough praises to this book. There was a lot less violence in this book, compared to the other ones where there was a lot of dead bodies. I mean there was violence and such, but it wasn’t as bad and graphic (not like the sex was graphic before-ish but the violence was more gruesome), and the sex didn’t come until towards the end of the book which was a change. It was similar to the last book in the series, Archangel’s Shadows, how there was not a lot of sex and that it was really quite tame. Teasing, yes, but explicit sex, not really, which was nice.

Overall my praise cannot be higher for this series. Yes, I am biased, but if you find the Facebook groups which are filled with follows of Ms. Singh and her books, you’ll find that I am not the only person who loves her books (granted they are all women). I give this book a million out of 5 stars! As I did with all the other books. Definitely check this book out and let me know what you think of it! I hope you like it as much as I do.

Happy reading!

>Goes off to cry as she realizes she has to wait about 2 years until the next book comes out<

Fracture by Megan Miranda

 in Book Reviews / Books / Hot Off The Press / Older Readers / Otherworldly / Young Adult by

* Note: This book is an Advance Reading Copy and it will not be out until January 2012.

Summary

“A lot can happen in eleven minutes. Decker can run two miles easily in eleven minutes. I once wrote an English essay in ten. No lie. And God knows Carson Levine can talk a girl out of her clothes in half that time.

Elven minutes might as well be an eternity under water. It only takes three minutes without air for loss of consciousness. Permanent brain damage begins at four minutes. And then, when the oxygen runs out, full cardiac arrest occurs. Death is possible at five minutes. Probably at seven. Definite at then.

Decker pulled me out at eleven.”

-From the back of the book.

Review

Quite a good book. I still have not figured out how the title fits in with the story but you never judge a book by its cover. I thought that the synopsis on the back of the book was quite intriguing. I read it and was instantly intrigued and I wanted to know what happened.

There is not a lot of say about this book just because it was not one of those stories where there were action. The characters were described pretty well and I could visualize them. But it is hard to describe this book. The story was fiction and it was more magical than anything. It was based on earth, but there was a magical quality to it. But I have to say, when this book comes out in January, it is a must read.

The exact date that it comes out (according to the book cover) is January 3rd, 2012 – but this may change.

Obviously,  this cover is not the final one…not too interesting. Hopefully when it is published they will have some great cover art that might link the title to story. This one doesn’t give a clue!

So, when the book comes out get it and give it a read. Hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Die For Me by Amy Plum (Revenants)

 in Book Reviews / Books / Hot Off The Press / Interesting / Otherworldly / Young Adult by

Summary

“When Kate Mercier’s parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life–and memories–behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate’s guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he’s a revenant–an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.”

-Amazon.com

Review

Quite a good book. The title might seem a little – how should I put it – disconcerting? You may think that it is going to be about vampires. Well you are not entirely correct, but you are not entirely incorrect either. This book is about undead people. But they are not zombies and they do not eat your flesh (as zombies are supposed to do.) What they are are people who died in the place of someone else. The theory is (in this book) is that if you die in the place of someone else (for example is is that if you take a bullet for someone else) and in the course of destiny, the other person was supposed to die, the dead person comes back to life. They stay dead for 3 days and then they come back to life again. They are immortal but they eat like we do but they don’t need any sleep. Except every 3 or 4 weeks, they are in hibernation for 3 days so they can get their energy back. Yes, it is a little confusing but I am not great at explaining that type of thing. It was very interesting though. I would recommend for you to pick this book up because the theory of what happens is quite interesting and the idea makes the story that bit more exciting.

The story kept you interested and kept you turning the pages. I read it in one day and might read it again. The characters were described very well and you could picture what the characters looked like and that added to the whole effect of the story.

You can visit Amy Plums website by clicking here.

It says that it is the first in a trilogy so I am excited for the other two.

Read the book and tell me what you think.

Enjoy!!!