Cover Spotlight: The Impossible Cube

by on 09. Feb, 2012 in cover spotlight, fantasy authors, fantasy fiction, science fiction, steampunk

I haven’t been keeping up with new covers very well for a while now. I just stumbled on this one after recommending its predecessor, The Doomsday Vault, to a friend on Twitter. I reviewed that one here, by the way, and I’ll be sooper excited to read The Impossible Cube come May 1st. I’m a big fan of the first book and still, to this very minute, wish more people would read it and hopefully enjoy it as much as I did.

I think I love the cover for this second book almost as much as the first – it’s the adorable younger-man-hero, Gavin Ennock! I’m a huge fan of the younger man/older woman coupling in romances, although I need to disclose that the romance isn’t the key factor in the series. While there is a wonderful romantic subplot between him and Alice, the series is very much wildly fun and adventurous steampunk reading. The romance is like a bit of icing on all of that. Let’s see what this one’s about – and yes, you’ll need to read book one, it carries over directly to this one:

source

THE THRILLING STEAMPUNK SERIES CONTINUES…

Declared enemies of the Crown, Alice Michaels and Gavin Ennock have little choice but to flee in search of a cure for the clockwork plague ravaging Gavin’s mind. Accompanying them is Dr. Clef, a mad genius driven to find the greatest and most destructive force the world has ever seen:The Impossible Cube. If Dr. Clef gets his hands on it, the entire universe will face extinction.

Eee! Cannot wait! Yes, there are zombies. Yes, there are mad scientists. Yes, it may seem like many steampunk reads that’ve already been done, but I’m telling you – this series is different in that it does them so well and uniquely. Let’s hope book two keeps up the first book’s incredible story.

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REVIEW: The Thief

by on 08. Feb, 2012 in book review, fantasy authors, fantasy fiction, young adult fiction

Megan Whalen Turner
The Thief (Queen’s Thief #1)
Greenwillow Books
ISBN-10: 0060824972
ISBN-13: 0060824976
Young adult fantasy
December 27, 2005

Blurb via Goodreads:

The king’s scholar, the magus, believes he knows the site of an ancient treasure. To attain it for his king, he needs a skillful thief, and he selects Gen fro, the king’s prison. The magus is interested only in the thief’s abilities.

What Gen is interested in is anyone’s guess. Their journey toward the treasure is both dangerous and difficult, lightened only imperceptibly by the tales they tell of the old gods and goddesses.

This book and I have been eying each other for a while now. I have read many of your wonderful reviews for the series, all you other sly book bloggers. Although it’s been a while (and I avoided rereading reviews so as to not taint my impressions here…not that y’all are taint-er-a-tors…you know what I mean), the overwhelming majority is that the books are made of win. But there’s something I can’t figure out. It’s foremost in my mind about this first in the series and it will not rest. It’s because, as a reader, sometimes I want to try to figure things out, the feelings others feel when they’re falling rather fast and hard for a book. A book that, much to my impatient dismay, I really didn’t find the same love within. In fact, it’s safe to say this book drove me batshit crazy for the longest time.

(more…)

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Urban Fantasy Sooper Packs 3 & 4 Winners

by on 06. Feb, 2012 in contests, fantasy fiction, freebies, urban fantasy

I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to do this over the weekend, everyone. It was so busy with spending time with hubby, which kidlet and I haven’t gotten to do a lot of lately. Lots of pre-birthday celebrating for hubby (as he’ll be gone again this week – sigh) and then we had a guest for Super Bowl Sunday. I even canceled my hair appointment (GASP), and I need a haircut like you wouldn’t believe. Cute little Shetland ponies got nothing in me, I’m much shaggier only in a less cute way. You get me. Lots a-doin’. But I’ve separated out the entries and found the winners. Congratulations goes to…

Pack #3:

Samantha (of Booked on a Feeling)

Pack #4:

Elie

Congratulations to both of you!

And thank you very much, everyone, for your congratulations and all for my blogoversary. I had a good time forking over the books to others, but you know what? I still have so many books to give away! This means there will be more giveaways when I can swing them. Thanks for coming by the blog and reading! Hopefully I’ll keep finding something to say. Shouldn’t be too hard, eh?

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REVIEW: Sins of the Demon

by on 01. Feb, 2012 in book review, fantasy authors, fantasy fiction, urban fantasy

Diana Rowland
Sins of the Demon (Kara Gillian #4)
DAW
ISBN-10: 0756407052
ISBN-13: 978-0756407056
Urban fantasy
January 3, 2012

Blurb via Goodreads:

The homicide beat in Louisiana isn’t just terrifying, it’s demonic. Detective Kara Gilligan of the supernatural task force has the ability to summon demons to her aid, but she herself is pledged to serve a demonic lord. And now, people who’ve hurt Kara in the past are dropping dead for no apparent reason. To clear her name and save both the demon and human worlds, she’s in a race against the clock and in a battle for her life that just may take her to hell and back.

Spoilers, this review has them. Lots of them. I needed to talk about them. That being said…

Up front I have to confess this is my least favorite book of one of my most favorite series to date. I actually finished it a few weeks ago, but I’ve kind of been sitting on my dissatisfaction in hopes of putting it all into perspective. Elements of what’s made me come to love this series are still here somewhat. I still love Kara as a heroine. She’s gutsy and unafraid to face a conflict head on and I love her wit and snark. I like the author’s world and mythology she’s building with the alternate demon realm – a lot. I think it’s just that, for me, I had hoped for a lot more revelations in this installment. (more…)

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