Monday, 30 November 2015

Five Golden Rings - Book Review (repost)


Five Golden Rings
by Jeffe Kennedy

Novella, ebook

What is it about:
On the first day of Christmas, my lover gave to me...

Matilda Campbell's plans to spend Christmas solo in the sun take an erotic turn when she encounters the handsome and enigmatic Miguel D'Oro on the plane to Mexico. As the CEO of a major firm, Tilda's used to being the one in charge--but now she'll have to learn how to take orders instead.

In the spirit of the season, Miguel offers Tilda naughty gifts for each of the twelve days of Christmas. There's just one rule: she must accept them--and fulfill his commands--or face the sensual consequences. Intrigued and aroused, Tilda agrees to let Miguel take control of her pleasure.

What follows is a week unlike anything she's ever experienced. From choosing her sexy new wardrobe and naughty accessories, to pushing her boundaries with BDSM play, Miguel satisfies every forbidden craving. But as their time together runs out, she must decide if there's room in her real life for her holiday lover and her newly discovered kinky side.

31,000 words


What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
Jeffe Kennedy wrote yet another delicious story I fell in love with.

The idea of a naughty twelve days of Christmas is alluring and I loved how Kennedy translated the song into a sensual and intense BDSM romance.

The story starts out uncomplicated enough. Tilda meets the attractive and charming Miguel and decides to take him up on his offer of a kinky Christmas, eager to explore her own sexuality. But what starts as a casual holiday fling, turns intense fast when their emotions get involved.

I love how Kennedy writes her BDSM romances. She gives her readers the hot, steaming bondage scenes as well as a romance you can believe in. As in many of her other stories she shows how submitting yourself to your lover isn't necessarily a sign of weakness, but how it can be one of strength. Tilda sure shows she's strong enough to handle Miguel.

All in all this story is hot, intense and very satisfying, and even though set in a tropical paradise it is a wonderful Christmas read. I can tell you this novella has earned a place on my list of Christmas traditions: bake a Christmas Bundt cake, watch The Sound of Music and read Five Golden Rings.

Why should you read it:
It's a delicious BDSM Christmas romance


Find buy links here

Sunday, 29 November 2015

Seasonal Reading


On December 5th it will be St. Nicholas Eve, and on December 25th it will be Christmas!

Voodoo Bride and me decided to try doing some seasonal reading this year. As St. Nicholas Eve isn't widely celebrated we knew it would be insane to try finding some fun stories about that particular Holiday, so we set our sights on Christmas.

We collected some anthologies and novellas and the next few weeks we'll be posting several reviews of our Christmas reads.


And for those who are curious: Yes, that a picture of me and St. Nicholas.

Friday, 27 November 2015

Happily Ever After - Book Review


Happily Ever After (The Selection)
by Kiera Cass


What is it about:
A companion volume to the bestselling The Selection series - extra stories and never-before-seen extras. Fans should prepare to swoon! The achingly romantic and stylish four The Selection enovellas - The Prince, The Guard, The Queen and The Favorite - together in one irresistible volume. Plus exclusive extra content - Art for each of the novellas, a new intro for each of the novellas and 3 brand new scenes from each of the first 3 novels.

Contains:
-The Queen, Amberly’s novella
-The Prince (with the two bonus chapters), Maxon’s novella
-The Guard, Aspen’s novella
-The Favorite, Marlee’s novella
-Lucy’s scene (bonus scene from The One)
-Three scenes from Celeste’s POV
-The bonus epilogue
-Where are they now?
-A map
-Various illustrations


What did I think of it:
Although I was disappointed by The Heir, I liked the original Selection trilogy, so I was very happy when I got this collection of novellas and bonus scenes.

And this is a fun addition to the trilogy.

I loved The Queen. Queen Amberly is such a nice character in the books. It was great to get to learn more about her and how she got to be picked in her own selection. I think Cass did a good job in showing how easy it can be to make wrong choices out of (misguided) love or devotion.

The Prince and The Favorite were both really enjoyable as well. It was The Guard that was my least favorite. I didn't like Aspen in the books, and in this novella he once more confirmed he's a selfish, petty jerk, in my opinion.

The other scenes and 'Where are they now' bits were a nice extra addition to the novellas. I'd advice this book to fans of the series only. If you haven't read The Selection series you won't get much out of it. I will confess that it's been so long since I read the books that I had no clue who one of the 'Where are they now' girls was, so if you haven't read the books you'll be even more lost than I.

All in all this is an enjoyable and entertaining read, and I will keep it with the other books of the series for possible rereading. And knowing myself I will most possibly cave and buy the next book in the series as well, even though I had serious issues with The Heir. Who knows: maybe The Crown will be just as much fun again as the first three books.

Why should you read it:
If you liked the original trilogy you'll enjoy this book.


buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

Thursday, 26 November 2015

On McPig's Radar - Cottonwood

This is all I know about this book, but I'm intrigued!


Cottonwood
by R. Lee Smith


They never meant to come to Earth. They were never allowed to leave...

Welcome to Cottonwood.



Wednesday, 25 November 2015

Zom-B Angels - Book Review


Zom-B Angels (Zom-B #4)
by Darren Shan


What is it about:
After spending the last few months wandering around London--a city filled with the dead--B Smith has given up hope for any sign of normal human existence. But then B finds strange signs all over the city--a "Z" plus red arrows. Following them, B finds The Angels-- a group gathered in the hopes of combating the evil dead and the forces that introduced them. But all is not as it seems and it's up to B to find out: what battle are they truly waging?

What did I think of it:
This book was the least interesting so far, in my opinion.

It was a bit of an 'in between book'. B found a group of people and spends most of the book resting up, getting to know the others, and training. There are some fun scenes, but mostly this book seems to be meant to give you information about what's going on, and what might be next.

Some of the new characters were cool, others (like the martial arts instructor) were big bullies. I especially didn't like how the martial arts instructor was written. His behavior was just accepted by everyone including B. I'd have hoped that at least someone would have spoken out against his bullying after bullying being such a big issue in the first book.

That aside this is a nice, if a bit uneventful read. I will pick up the next book soon in hope for more cool zombie action.

Why should you read it:
This is a cool zombie series.


Zom-B Angels:

buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

Zom-B Chronicles II (contains Zom-B City and Zom-B Angels:

buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

Tuesday, 24 November 2015

Teaser Tuesdays - Heaven's Queen


"You want to protect me?" I said sharply. "Then stay here and help me see this through. That's what I need from you, not some self-sacrificing bull about leaving me for my own safety. You were the one who promised I wouldn't have to do this alone, right? So prove it. Stay with me." I tilted my head back, smiling up at him. "Please."

(page 88, Heaven's Queen by Rachel Bach)


buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

===

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Monday, 23 November 2015

Alien in Chief - Book Review


Alien in Chief (Katherine "Kitty" Katt #12)
by Gini Koch


What is it about:
The Mastermind has upped his game . . .

As Kitty can tell you, it's not easy being the wife of the vice president - especially not when he's an alien from the Alpha Centauri system. And being a parent of preternaturally talented children, don't even go there. But she and her A-C husband, Jeff, have learned how to roll with whatever life and the bad guys throw at them - they think.

Kitty & Company have been savouring a few months of quiet since they got back from Beta Eight. But suddenly their peace is shattered by the arrival of a mysterious female assassin - who might be Jeff's missing niece, Stephanie. And that's just the beginning of the fun.

When the Alpha Centauri Planetary Council requests a visit with the president and vice president, things look politically dicey. When the most dangerous prisoners in the most secure supermax prison escape with ease, things look bad. But when the Mastermind releases a virus that kills people in a week, things go to Defcon Worse fast.

Now it's up to Kitty to save everyone important in the U.S. government - including her mother, her husband, and herself - before the virsu spreads through the rest of the country, and then the world. Plus she's facing invisible attackers, crazed assassins, a teenager in hiding, the most dangerous train ride ever, the disappearance of her beloved flyboys, and a mysterious alien who could be an enemy or the ally she needs.

and this time, the Mastermind's made it very personal. Either he's going down . . . or Kitty is.


What did I think of it:
I can't believe this is already book 12 in the series. It feels like just a short while ago that I read book 1 and got addicted.

And this book is another great addition. Kitty might have worked herself up from a clueless outsider to the rank of Ambassador, she's still the Kitty I fell in love with, always ready to kick butt and take names.

There's lots of action and intrigue in this book, and the stakes are once again high. I usually don't like these total doom scenarios, but the perfect mix of humor and suspense in these books makes that I don't mind the fact that's it's basically Kitty trying to save everything from total destruction. For this series it fits.

There were some shocking events in this book that left me reeling, I will confess. And although lots of things are resolved at the end of the book, some things are left open, making me worry about what might be next.

All in all I very much enjoyed this book, and I can't wait for the next one. Fans of this series will love this book, and if you haven't started on this series yet: Have you been listening to me at all? Go get Touched by an Alien right now!

Why should you read it:
It's a funny and suspenseful SF read.


buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

Friday, 20 November 2015

PODs - Book Review (repost)

A repost today of my 2013 review of PODs. I'm eager to get my trotters on the sequel, but the paperback is a bit expensive at the moment.


PODs (Pods #1)
by Michelle Pickett


What is it about:
Seventeen-year-old Eva is a chosen one. Chosen to live, while others meet a swift and painful death from an incurable virus so lethal, a person is dead within days of symptoms emerging. In the POD system, a series of underground habitats built by the government, she waits with the other chosen for the deadly virus to claim those above. Separated from family and friends, it's in the PODs she meets David. And while true love might not conquer all, it's a balm for the broken soul.

After a year, scientists believe the population has died, and without living hosts, so has the virus. That's the theory, anyway. But when the PODs are opened, survivors find the surface holds a vicious secret. The virus mutated, infecting those left top-side and creating... monsters.

Eva and David hide from the infected in the abandoned PODs. Together they try to build a life--a new beginning. But the infected follow and are relentless in their attacks. Leaving Eva and David to fight for survival, and pray for a cure.


What did I think of it:

I've been looking forward to reading this book ever since I first heard about it over a year ago. Then I was greatly disappointed when I discovered it released in June 2013 instead of June 2012 as I thought. And then I was disappointed again when on release day my preordered copy wasn't available and I had to wait even longer for the book to arrive.

But it finally arrived and this is what greeted me when I opened the book:


I will confess PODs deserved a place on my keeper shelves right at that moment just for how it looked alone.

And then I started reading and it earned its place on my keeper shelves a second time.

This is a really cool Post Apocalyptic read!

I will confess I had expected a different story. I had thought that the time in the PODs would be glossed over and that the story would only really kick off when Eva leaves the PODs. Instead there's a lot of time spend on Eva being brought to the POD and on the stay in the POD intself. Ony later in the book do Eva and the others leave the POD and discover what's waiting for them outside.

Did I care that I wasn't immediately thrust into scenes where Eva has to fight infected mutants? No!

Pickett did a wonderful job in setting the mood for this story and showing us how Eva and her POD-mates handle the time in the POD. I was engrossed in the story from the start. There were some things that I found a little unbelievable or that weren't really thought through in my opinion, but the story was so intriguing that I was able to suspend disbelieve and let myself go along with it.

All in all I really enjoyed this story and it was well worth the wait. Although it can be read as a standalone (no nasty cliffhangers) there's going to be a sequel and you can bet on it that I'll be getting hold of it.

Why should you read it:
It's a cool Post Apocalyptic YA


buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

Thursday, 19 November 2015

On McPig's Radar - A Fantasy Medley 3

You should get this book just for Laura Bickle's story alone in my opinion! More Sparky!

And if you haven't read Laura's Embers and Sparks yet: What are you waiting for?!


A Fantasy Medley 3
by Jacqueline Carey, Kevin Hearne, Laura Bickle. and Aliette de Bodard


In “Goddess at the Crossroads,” Kevin Hearne shares a thrillingly memorable episode from the past of his popular Iron Druid Chronicles hero Atticus O’Sullivan, revealing how one night’s dark encounter with the cult of Hecate served as inspiration for Shakespeare’s witches in the Scottish play.

With “Ashes,” Laura Bickle revisits Detroit arson investigator and powerful spirit medium Anya Kalinczyk as she, her five-foot-long salamander familiar Sparky, and Hades’ Charon pursue a destructive fire elemental named the Nain Rouge through the city’s festival in his dubious honor.

“The Death of Aiguillon” finds Aliette de Bodard exploring an episode sixty years prior to the start of her latest novel, The House of Shattered Wings, in which the survivors of an ongoing magical conflict in Paris eke out a grim existence, and one woman’s wish for a better life is granted at a terrible price.

And in “One Hundred Ablutions,” Jacqueline Carey, author of the much-beloved Kushiel’s Legacy series, tells the tale of Dala—a young woman chosen by her people’s overlords to be an exalted slave among slaves—and of the twining in her life of ritual, rebellion, and redemption.



Expected publication: December 31st 2015 by Subterranean Press


buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

Wednesday, 18 November 2015

Sexy to Go Volume 10 - Book Review by Voodoo Bride


Sexy to Go Volume 10 (12 Sexy-Short Erotic Tales)
by Allyson Lindt, Tara Quan, Allie Ritch, Pamela Moran, Jocelyn Dex, Jillian Stone, Leigh Ellwood, Shiloh Saddler, Kathryn Lively, Eva LeFoy, Daisy Banks and Virginnia DePart


What is it about:
From billionaires, to voyeurs, to cougars, and even a couple of zombies, Sexy to Go Volume 10 has 12 scorching erotic and romantic quickies to get your pulse racing.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
I will confess this was an impulse buy. I saw a promo tweet about one of the stories, which was called A Zombie Ate My Panties, and I just was so curious that I bought this anthology.

So I read A Zombie Ate My Panties by Jocelyn Dex first. I had hoped it would be a ridiculous and funny erotic short. It was not in my opinion. Instead I thought this story was... awkward. Dex tried to make the zombie too human I think.

I skipped back to the beginning of the book after that and continued my reading with the first story: Unconventional Fling Part 1 by Allyson Lindt. It was here that I discovered that several of the stories in this anthology weren't complete stories, but part of a longer story that's published over several of the Sexy to Go volumes...

Yeah, that'll teach me to buy books on impulse and without further research.

Reading on I encountered many other serialized stories: part 2, part 4, part 5. You get the idea. There were also two m/m romances, which I don't read.

Luckily there were some complete short stories that I did enjoy.

My favorite was Dreamwalker: Illusions of Protocol by Pamela Moran. The story was sexy and fun, and the setting intriguing. I understand Moran wrote more stories in this series, and I might give other stories a try if they're not part of anthologies with more serialized stories.

All in all this was not what I hoped for, but this anthology was a bargain, so no harm done. I will most certainly be more careful about impulse buys in the future though.

Why should you read it:
If you don't mind serialized stories this is a fun collection of erotic short stories.


Buy at Amazon


Tuesday, 17 November 2015

Teaser Tuesdays - Zom-B Angels


Next thing I know, I'm flopping about on the floor of the lab like a dying fish, vomiting up liquid. The room seems extraordinarily bright.

(page 191, The Zom-B Chronicles II - Zom-B Angels by Darren Shan)


Zom-B Chronicles II (contains Zom-B City and Zom-B Angels:

buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

===

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Monday, 16 November 2015

Honour's Knight - Book Review


Honour's Knight (Paradox #2)
by Rachel Bach


What is it about:
Devi Morris has lots of problems - and not the fun, easy-to-shoot kind either. After a mysterious attack left her short of several memories and one partner, she's determined to keep her head down, do her job and get on with her life. But even though Devi's not looking for it this time, trouble keeps finding her.

She sees ghostly creatures no one else can, the inexplicable black stain on her hands keeps getting bigger and she can't seem to stop getting into compromising situations with a man she's supposed to hate. But when a deadly crisis exposes far more of the truth than she bargained for, Devi discovers there are worse fates than being shot - and that sometimes the only people you can trust are the ones who want you dead.


What did I think of it:
Another really cool read.

After reading the first book I just had to continue with book two to find out what would happen next.

And there's plenty of action and conspiracies in this book. I will confess I think book one was better, but that's probably because the stakes seem mighty high in this book. I usually like it better when things that happen to the lead character aren't world or universe changing.

But that grumble aside: I very much enjoyed this book. I loved getting to know a bit more about the alien races, and about some of the characters as well. And once the action starts, it's almost non stop. Devi stumbles from one sticky, life threatening situation in the next. Along the way she needs to decide who is to trust, and what things are the most important to her.

Again this book ends with lots of things still unresolved, and I'm eager to see if Devi can reach a happy ending in the last book in this trilogy, or if things are too bungled up for that. All in all a great story, and I'll be reading the last book soon.

Why should you read it:
It's a very entertaining, action packed SF read.


buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

Friday, 13 November 2015

Pirateship Down - Book Review + giveaway


Pirateship Down: Stories from the World of the Sentinels of New Orleans
by Suzanne Johnson


What is it about:
From award-winning author Suzanne Johnson comes the first story collection set in the Sentinels of New Orleans world, including the all-new novella, Pirateship Down.

French pirate Jean Lafitte is tall, cobalt-eyed, broad-shouldered and immortal. What’s not to love? But New Orleans’ most esteemed member of the historical undead is headed for trouble: He’s determined to reclaim Le Diligent, his gold-laden schooner lost at sea in 1814 and recently found at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico near Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana.

The U.S. Coast Guard might beg to differ.

New Orleans’ wizard sentinel DJ Jaco and her merman friend Rene Delachaise can either lock Lafitte up or save him from himself, joining him on a road trip to Cajun country. Terrebonne Parish—not to mention its jail—might never be the same after the events of the all-new novella Pirateship Down.

Wizards and Cajun mermen, sexy shifters and undead French pirates. Welcome to the world of the Sentinels of New Orleans in this first collection of new and revised stories, along with a little Louisiana lagniappe.


What did I think of it:
I love the Sentinels of New Orleans series, so when I had the opportunity to get a review copy of Pirateship Down I jumped at the chance.

And this is a wonderful collection of short stories and background info.

My favorite story has to be Alex, the Pig, which features a pig! This story was initially written for my blog, so probably no big surprise it is my favorite.

But all pigs aside: the other stories were all really cool as well. I loved getting to know all the characters a little bit better. Most stories contain a lot of humor, but there were some with a more serious tone. All were well worth reading. The novella Pirateship Down was really cool. My favorite character Rene had a big role in this novella. I know lots of people love Jean Lafitte, but Rene outshone both Jean and DJ in my opinion.

Next to the stories there were also articles with background information about Jean Lafitte, the Sentinels world and more. These articles were very interesting to read.

All in all this is a delightful read for fans of the Sentinels series, as well as being a fun introduction for people who aren't familiar with the series yet.

I will keep an eye out for the paperback, because I need to add this pearl to my shelves.

Why should you read it:
It's a really fun and cool UF read.


Buy it here

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thursday, 12 November 2015

On McPig's Wishlist - A Beautiful Friendship

This might be a cool SF read.


A Beautiful Friendship (Honorverse: Stephanie Harrington #1)
by David Weber


Stephanie Harrington always expected to be a forest ranger on her homeworld of Meyerdahl . . . until her parents relocated to the frontier planet of Sphinx in the far distant Star Kingdom of Manticore. It should have been the perfect new home --- a virgin wilderness full of new species of every sort, just waiting to be discovered. But Sphinx is a far more dangerous place than ultra-civilized Meyerdahl, and Stephanie’s explorations come to a sudden halt when her parents lay down the law: no trips into the bush without adult supervision!
Yet Stephanie is a young woman determined to make discoveries, and the biggest one of all awaits her: an intelligent alien species.

The forest-dwelling treecats are small, cute, smart, and have a pronounced taste for celery. And they are also very, very deadly when they or their friends are threatened . . . as Stephanie discovers when she comes face-to-face with Sphinx’s most lethal predator after a hang-gliding accident.

But her discoveries are only beginning, for the treecats are also telepathic and able to bond with certain humans, and Stephanie’s find --- and her first-of-its kind bond with the treecat Climbs Quickly --- land both of them in a fresh torrent of danger. Galactic-sized wealth is at stake, and Stephanie and the treecats are squarely in the path of highly-placed enemies determined to make sure the planet Sphinx remains entirely in human hands, even if that means the extermination of another thinking species.

Unfortunately for those enemies, the treecats have saved Stephanie Harrington’s life. She owes them . . . and Stephanie is a young woman who stands by her friends.

Which means things are about to get very interesting on Sphinx.



buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

Wednesday, 11 November 2015

Wake of Vultures - Book Review


Wake of Vultures (The Shadow #1)
by Lila Bowen


What is it about:
Nettie Lonesome lives in a land of hard people and hard ground dusted with sand. She's a half-breed who dresses like a boy, raised by folks who don't call her a slave but use her like one. She knows of nothing else. That is, until the day a stranger attacks her. When nothing, not even a sickle to the eye can stop him, Nettie stabs him through the heart with a chunk of wood, and he turns into black sand.

And just like that, Nettie can see.

But her newfound sight is a blessing and a curse. Even if she doesn't understand what's under her own skin, she can sense what everyone else is hiding -- at least physically. The world is full of evil, and now she knows the source of all the sand in the desert. Haunted by the spirits, Nettie has no choice but to set out on a quest that might lead to her true kin... if the monsters along the way don't kill her first.


What did I think of it:
This is one of those books I pre-ordered because it sounded really cool. Knowing that Lila Bowen is a pen-name of Delilah S. Dawson only made me more eager to get my trotters on it.

And this is a really cool and gritty read.

Nettie is a strong heroine, forged by the hardships she's endured all her life. Still she feels small and insecure. The world Nettie grew up in is a hard and grim one. Then she gets attacked by a monster, and she discovers the world is even darker than she thought. The creatures that hide among humans are scary and dangerous.

I was hooked from the start and rooted for Nettie to stay on top of things and to stay alive. Luckily she encounters some people along the way who seem to want to help her, because there's lots of nasty things coming her way.

I loved the mythology and how Bowen used it. The creatures Nettie encounters are creepy and scary. Luckily there were also some friendlier creatures to bring a bit of light in a very dark world.

The ending of the book was satisfying, but also made me hungry for more. I want to know what will happen next and I want to know the answers to some of the secrets that Nettie encountered.

You can bet I'll be keeping an eye out for book two!

Why should you read it:
It's a really cool Fantasy read in a Western setting.


buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

Tuesday, 10 November 2015

Teaser Tuesdays - Under Different Stars


"Does it burn more or less than pepper spray?" he asks with an ironic twist of his lips.
"You so deserved that pepper spray, and if I had any more of it, we wouldn't be having this conversation now, Jax," I reply, entirely unrepentant.

(page 50, Under Different Stars by Amy A. Bartol)


buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

===

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Monday, 9 November 2015

Fortune's Pawn - Book Review


Fortune's Pawn (Paradox #1)
by Rachel Bach


What is it about:
Devi Morris isn't your average mercenary. She has plans. Big ones. And a ton of ambition. It's a combination that's going to get her killed one day - but not just yet.

That is, until she just gets a job on a tiny trade ship with a nasty reputation for surprises. The Glorious Fool isn't misnamed: it likes to get into trouble, so much so that one year of security work under its captain is equal to five years everywhere else. With odds like that, Devi knows she's found the perfect way to get the jump on the next part of her Plan. But the Fool doesn't give up its secrets without a fight, and one year on this ship might be more than even Devi can handle.


What did I think of it:
This is an awesome SF read.

Devi is the kind of heroine you either love or hate. She's cocky, brash, and she knows what she wants. Bach gave her enough flaws to keep her human though, and I couldn't help liking Devi in spite of her cockiness.

The crew of The Glorious Fool is a mixed bag. I really didn't like the captain and his sister-in-law, but I loved the two aliens they have on their crew. I also loved Cotter, a merc, and Rupert, the cook. There were some other characters I didn't think much of, but who got more depth later in the story.

The world building was really cool. The different governments, planets, and aliens were well worked out and felt believable. The technology, like Devi's armor and weapons, also felt very real without the story turning too technical minded for my tastes.

The story was suspenseful and full of cool, fast paced action. I loved how Devi, due to her brashness and curiosity, gets drawn into a world full of conspiracies and danger. She uncovers some things, but enough stays hidden to make you anxious to find out more.

The book ends in a way that had me totally frustrated, but also eager for more. Luckily I already have the other books in this series, because I need to know what happens next.

Why should you read it:
It's an amazing SF read.


buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

Friday, 6 November 2015

Zom-B City - Book Review


Zom-B City (Zom-B #3)
by Darren Shan


What is it about:
How many survived the zombie apocalypse?Where do the living hide in a city of the dead?

Who controls the streets of London?

B Smith is setting out to explore...


What did I think of it:
This is yet another cool read.

Where the first two books dealt with some heavy issues, this book is more about B exploring what's left of London. She encounters zombies, humans, and other beings on her journey. There's lots of creepy scenes and some zombie mayhem. I think this book is my favorite so far when it comes to setting. Zom-B is still the best storywise.

B is still trying to do what's right, although she makes mistakes along the way. Mistakes that sometimes have a very nasty outcome.

Near the end of the book some old friends of B turn up, upsetting her carefully laid out plans, and landing her in yet another cliffhanger.

On to the next book to find out what's next for B.

Why should you read it:
It's a cool zombie read.


Zom-B City:

buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

Zom-B Chronicles II (contains Zom-B City and Zom-B Angels:

buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

Thursday, 5 November 2015

On McPig's Wishlist - Waking the Dragon

This sounds like it might be a great read, but it's a bit too expensive for me at the moment.


Waking the Dragon (Vale of Stars #1)
by Juliette Cross


The Gladium Province is on the verge of civil unrest as humans and Morgons, the dragon-hybrid race, clash once more. But amid disorder can also arise passion.

When the bodies of three human women are discovered in Morgon territory—with the DNA of several Morgon men on the victims—it’s just a matter of time before civil unrest hits the Province. But for ambitious reporter Moira Cade, it’s more than just a story, and it may mean risking her own life.

Descending into the dark underworld of Morgon society, Moira is paired with Kol Moonring, Captain of the Morgon Guard, for her protection. Fiercely independent, Moira bristles at his dominance, and defies his will at every turn. Yet resistance proves futile when passion flares between them, awakening powerful emotions within both, body and soul. But as the killings continue, can their fiery newfound bond survive an even greater evil—one that threatens all of humanity, Morgonkind, and Moira’s very soul?



buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery