Archive for August, 2012

“Delusion in Death”, J.D. Robb

Monday, August 20th, 2012

Pros: Trademark snappy dialogue; fascinating mystery; continuing character development
Cons:
Rating: 5 out of 5

Review book courtesy of Penguin Group

 

Eve’s latest case is a terrifying one. A toxic brew of chemicals was released into a bar, and everyone went mad. The death toll was horrific, and the deaths themselves more so. The chemicals are fast-acting and deadly, allowing the killer to strike quickly and decisively—anywhere, anytime. It’s an act of terrorism by its very definition, but when the killer strikes a second time, targeting people who overlap strongly in their occupations, employers, and area of residence with the first victims, Eve becomes convinced that the killer is going after personal enemies, despite the wide swath of destruction.

(more…)

“Archangel’s Storm”, Nalini Singh

Friday, August 17th, 2012

Pros: Enthralling story, entrancing romance, and lush, evocative setting and characters
Cons:
Rating: 5 out of 5

Review book courtesy of Penguin Group

 

Jason is Archangel Raphael’s spymaster, and he has a most unique affinity for shadows and whispers. When Archangel Neha’s consort is viciously murdered, Jason agrees to bind himself to Neha’s niece, Mahiya, while he helps to figure out who could have and would have gotten away with such an act. Mahiya seems to be a quiet, powerless princess who fears Neha and refuses to stand up to her—but there’s much more to her than there seems, and Jason, as the spymaster he is, can’t help but notice. For the first time in hundreds of years, he’s found something that fascinates him.

The killings don’t stop when Jason arrives, and they seem to make no sense. They’re horrifying in their nature, and the killer is impossibly quick and powerful. Jason and Mahiya are running out of time—Neha won’t tolerate failure for long, and with each killing she becomes more agitated and dangerous. The unexpected feelings that develop between the two angels only make things worse, endangering them both.

(more…)

“Angel’s End,” Cindy Holby

Thursday, August 2nd, 2012

Pros: Super sweet and fun
Cons: Predictable and a little over-the-top in places
Rating: 4 out of 5

Review book courtesy of Penguin Group

 

Cade Gentry is, more or less, a bad guy. His life has led him to bad places, and about the only good thing he can say about himself is that for once, he did the right thing. His boss wanted him to do something terrible, and instead he warned a young couple and saved their lives. Now he’s on the run, shot, nearly dead on his feet in the Colorado snow—when he has the good fortune to meet Timothy Key, a pastor on his way to take up residence in the tiny town of Angel’s End. Key saves Cade’s life, and in turn ends up losing his own. With his last words he urges Cade to look after his flock, and Cade, hoping to throw off his pursuers, takes Key’s identity and sets off in the direction of the town.

Leah Findley’s husband was the sheriff, but he was killed several years ago, and now she struggles to raise her young son on her own. She had agreed to take on the pastor as a boarder in return for some money from the town, but she certainly didn’t expect him to show up half-dead in the middle of a snowstorm. She can’t put off the feeling that the preacher isn’t who he seems to be, but she becomes less inclined to look too hard as she starts to fall in love with him.

Soon the town will expect Cade to take up his work as the pastor, and he knows he can’t keep up the charade. He also knows that if he stays, eventually his old employer will catch up with him, putting Leah in danger. But the longer he remains in Angel’s End, the harder it gets to leave Leah and her son behind.

(more…)

“Alliance Forged,” Kylie Griffin

Wednesday, August 1st, 2012

Pros: Wonderful world; entrancing exploration of romance/friendship/attraction within the context of war and racism; good characters
Cons: Somewhat predictable; the book is slower than implied by the back cover text
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Review book courtesy of Penguin Group
Also posted on Epinions.com.

 

Varian is the leader of the Na’Chi—the half-bloods nobody believed existed—who have come seeking sanctuary among humans. The Na’Chi came to the Light Blade council because in the world of their demonic Na’Reish parents, their existence alone is a death sentence. However, while the leader of the Light Blades and the Lady’s Temple Elect are willing to offer the half-breeds an alliance, many others aren’t so sure. The Na’Chi need a certain amount of blood to survive. They also possess physical attributes that make them quite dangerous to the average human, which angers and frightens many of those around them. It doesn’t help that there are years of racial hatred to contend with.

Varian and Kymora, the blind Temple Elect, spend a lot of time together. Everyone else can see what Varian wants to deny—that there’s no stopping the feelings developing between them. He’s afraid that if he allows himself to care for Kymora, she’ll become an even greater target for those fomenting discontent against his kind’s presence in the city. It doesn’t help that among the Na’Reish, anyone with such a physical imperfection as blindness would have been killed for the defect, and the Na’Chi on the whole have picked up a few Na’Reish prejudices. It isn’t only the humans who aren’t entirely unified.

Of course, Varian won’t have time to handle everything carefully and slowly. There are those determined to drive the Na’Chi away, or preferably, kill them all—even the small children. And they don’t care if their own Temple Elect stands in the way.

(more…)