Short Story Review No. 1 - Giovanni's Farewell

Giovanni's Farewell
Enthralled:  Paranormal Diversions

By:  Claudia Gray
Publisher:  HarperCollins - Sept. 2011
Pages:  464 Softcover (ARC)
Read:  Sept. 2011
Genre:  Fantasy Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Anthologies, Supernatural

Morbid Romantica Challenge 2011

By the Mad Scientist

First Line:  Before I was awake or aware, before my heart began to beat, Cairo was there.

Black Disaster Fairy's Take:

Anthologies do make me a bit weary.  Some short stories are amazing and then lets face it... some are just so lacking after enjoying a pile of books with huge long plot twists and handfuls of characters.  Let me just say that this story was a shocking start to this anthology.  


Ravenna and Cairo are twins who just happen to be extremely close.  They are on a class trip to the wondrous European city of Rome.  Instead of enjoying a bowl of pasta or a Italian soda Cairo has a rather unusual freak out & flips over the hotel mattress.


Huh... 


Being overseas is not the reason for Cairo's unsettling behavior.  This duo is well traveled and they have a unique background that makes me extremely jealous of them.  No worries it also made me love them even more!


The class is being entertained by a tour through one of the famous must see tourist spots, Catacombs of Saint Cecilia, when Ravenna meets a Italian boy, Giovanni. 


Now Italy is romantic but the obvious location of them being in a ancient cemetery I was waiting for something to happen.  I wasn't expecting for Ravenna to figure out she had a unique power. 


I do kind of enjoy it when characters think themselves CRAZY!

I looked up into the dark chambers above us and felt a shiver that had nothing to do with the cold.
 --- Page 15

This is the first time I have read anything by Claudia Gray.  I enjoyed her small side note tidbits that gave the story something extra.


Overall, Giovanni's Farewell was short and cute.  A small inky package that wrapped up nicely.  However, I would love for her to turn this into a series.  The well traveled background of these twins is just the sort of thing I would enjoy!

*Received from BEA 2011.  This in no way has hindered my weird but honest review.*

Book Review No. 3 - Beautiful Creatures

Beautiful Creatures

By:  Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Series:  Caster Chronicles #1
Publisher:  Little, Brown - Sept. 2010
Pages:  563, Paperback (Own)  
Plot Rating:  5
Character Rating:  4.5
Read:  Aug. 2011
Genre:  Fantasy Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Magic

First Line:  There were only two kinds of people in our town.

Zakiya LadyWings's View:

I've finally started reading this series after feeling like I was missing out on something big for the last two years. Now I can see why everyone is so crazy about these books!


The main character, Ethan Wate, lives in a small town named Gatlin, South Carolina. The town's shut-in, Macon Ravenwood, hasn't been seen around town in years. He stays in his house and doesn't want to be bothered with the rest of Gatlin's residents.  


Macon's niece Lena moves into town at the beginning of a new school year. Lena is immediately the town's outcast. She doesn't belong there, and it seems that everyone in Gatlin is making sure she knows it very well.


The plot was absolutely bloody ahmazing! I really liked the addition of witchcraft (of some sorts). Casters just might end up being the world's next obsession! Okay, well, maybe not, but still. I wish I was a Caster; they're fantabulous.

Lena was standing on my front lawn in her pajamas. The neighbors would have a field day, and Amma would have a heart attack. . . . A heart attack, and then a stroke.

The characters in Beautiful Creatures were awesome, too. Lena, before she went into depression mode, was most assuredly my favorite character. Once her depressing mood set in, though, Ethan was "all the rage."


Kami and Margaret portrayed a lot of grief through Ethan's father. He was a shut-in of the town as well, only he was accepted by Gatlin's people, and Macon was feared.


Amma was probably my third favorite character; she cares so much for Ethan and his father. She did anything and everything she could for them. She always had one of those old souls that reminded me of my mom and great-grandmother. She's pretty humourous, too!



I just bought Beautiful Darkness Saturday, so I should be starting it really soon! So anxious to start it!

Aunt Mercy put down her tiles. . . . I-T-C-H-I-N. "That's not how you spell it. There's no T in itchin'."

Zakiya LadyWings totally recommends this novel! Whether you're a paranormal person or simply looking for a great book, Beautiful Creatures has it all!

A Peak of Tempest by Julie Cross

Tempest Synopsis From GoodReads:

This year is 2009.  Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy... he's in college, has a girlfriend... and he can travel back through time.  But it's not like the movies - nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there's no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors - it's just harmless fun.


That is... until the day strangers burst in on Jackson, Holly is fatally shot.  In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps.  Now he's stuck in 2007 and can't get back to the future.


Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.


But it's not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these "Enemies of Time" will stop at nothing recruit this powerful young time-traveler.  Recruit... or kill him.


Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he's willing to go to save Holly... and possibly the entire world.

Click here for the four chapters!

I hope you enjoy the first four.

Stop back and let us know what you think of it.

Book Review No. 2 - Firelight

Firelight

By:  Sophie Jordan
Series:  Draki #1
Publisher:  HarperTeen - Sept. 2010
Pages:  323 Hardcover (Own)  
Rating:  5
Book Cover Rating:  5
Read:  Sept. 2011
Genre:  Fantasy Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Dragons

Morbid Romantica Challenge 2011

By the Mad Scientist

First Line:  Gazing out at the quiet late, I know the risk is worth it. 

Black Disaster Fairy's Take:

Dragons?  Really Dragons?


WOW!  I can't smirk at the concept of dragons no longer.  Sophie Jordan had me deeply enthralled with the draki world she created.  Added bonus... The cover is beautiful!!  


Draki's are descendants of dragons, their secrets must be kept at any price.  They shapeshift into a human form, however, some of their talents are still available.  Jacinda is the first Fire Breather in centuries and she struggles to control her life.  As the soul fire breather her pride has made plans for her future for her.  A future of mating with Cassian, the next alpha, to create more little fire breathers.  Honestly, I think there is a spark between Jacinda and Cassian... Maybe I'm hoping for more in the next book.  *Fingers crossed*


Of course, this leads to the hot headed Jacinda to rebel.  Except she puts her life on the line and risks revealing the secret of the pride.    


She is takes a huge risk... one that changes her life quickly.  Jacinda's mother is pushed into drastic measures, whisking her and her twin Tamra to a town in the desert where they live among the humans.  Against her will she starts to lose her draki side, she will risk even more to keep this part of her alive. 


The chemistry between Jacinda and Will, a draki hunter, is flaming hot.  Smoldering!  LOL!  Will awakens her dying draki senses which is clearly dangerous if she cannot learn to control herself around him.  She has to keep her secret from him, at least for her family and draki everywhere.


Ah, a Forbidden Love!

A hunter in love with his prey. 

It is more then that.  Jacinda struggles to find where she fits in.  What her life is about and where she belongs?  A basic internal conflict of personal identity and purpose that young adults go through.

Sophie Jordan's world flowed wonderfully.  Her characters were diverse with many layers.  I enjoyed finding out about them throughout the book, ALL THE WAY TO THE END!!  Literally!  What an amazing way to end the book!!

Overall, Firelight has wonderful characters and a beautiful world for you to get lost in!  Jacinda will surprise you, the vivid description of the draki's will intrigue you, and a girl fight in the bathroom will draw you in while the uniqueness of the book will keep you reading.

After running for my life from hunters, a girl with too much lip gloss doesn't register on my fear radar.

BDF highly recommends this book!! It is defiantly for more then just the paranormal fan.  Dragons, hunters, and boys!  Oh, My Goodness!

*Recommend by Jen at In The Closet with a Bibliophile*

Book Review No. 1 - Once In A Full Moon

Once in A Full Moon
Full Moon #1

By:  Ellen Schreiber
Publisher:  Katherine Tegen Books - 2010 
Pages:  292 Hardcover (Own)  
Rating:  3
Book Cover Rating:  4
Read:  Sept. 2011
Genre:  Fantasy Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Werewolves

Morbid Romantica Challenge 2011

By the Mad Scientist

First Line:  It began underneath the haunting flow of a full moon.

Black Disaster Fairy's Take:
Once in a Full Moon has not received the best of reviews throughout the blog-o-sphere and GoodReads.  Nonetheless, I decided to push the concern aside and give this book a shot.  It looked like a short read and I couldn't let this signed book sit on the shelf any longer. Too bad the shortness of the book affected the overall quality.


Our cookie cutter good girl is Celeste.  She is lives on the right side of the city, hangs out with the in crowd, and dates the quarterback of the school - Nash.  Celeste's best friends date Nash's friends naturally... it is an ideal sixsome.  Her bland life is launched into a whirl wind of confusion when the mysterious bad boy Brandon shows up at school.

Brandon and his bad rep launch the students into a rumor rage based on a old town legend.  Celeste might just find out how true the werewolf legend is. 


What I didn't like...


I found Celeste to dote on Brandon too much.  All of the obsessive inner monologue bored me and was obnoxious at the same time.  They didn't even know each other!  Her friends did not care for her happiness.  Fitting in and upholding the highest popularity status was more important. 


The werewolf mythology behind this particular lore just does not work for me even if it is original.  It is more cute then scary.  The werewolf is just... hairy.  He speaks like a person and is not destructive.


Once in a Full Moon is just predictable.  


What I did like...


Brandon!  He was very likable and made the book worth reading.  I wish there was more about information about him.  I was on edge whenever he let Celeste treat him badly (it was disappointing a bit actually).


Mr. Worthington.  He was a lovable old man who made his home at the local nursing home.  His manner was great, such a grandpa.


It was a very quick read :)


Overall, Once in a Full Moon is not a book I would recommend.  Ellen Schreiber does not grab my attention or make me enjoy the characters as much as one would hope.

However, this book might make a good Tween book.