On McPig's Wishlist - The Inventor's Secret

This book sounds so cool, but the hardcover is too expensive for me. I'm hoping there will be a paperback version soon.


The Inventor's Secret (The Inventor's Secret #1)
by Andrea Cremer

Sixteen-year-old Charlotte and her fellow refugees have scraped out an existence on the edge of Britain’s industrial empire. Though they live by the skin of their teeth they have their health (at least when they can find enough food and avoid the Imperial Labor Gatherers) and each other. When a new exile with no memory of his escape from the coastal cities or even his own name seeks shelter in their camp he brings new dangers with him and secrets about the terrible future that awaits all those who have struggled has to live free of the bonds of the empire’s Machineworks.

The Inventor’s Secret is the first book of a YA steampunk series set in an alternate nineteenth-century North America where the Revolutionary War never took place and the British Empire has expanded into a global juggernaut propelled by marvelous and horrible machinery.

Dark Currents - Book Review

Dark Currents (Agent of Hel #1)
by Jacqueline Carey

What is it about:
The Midwestern resort town of Pemkowet boasts a diverse population: eccentric locals, wealthy summer people, and tourists by the busload; not to mention fairies, sprites, vampires, naiads, ogres and a whole host of eldritch folk, presided over by Hel, a reclusive Norse goddess.

To Daisy Johanssen, fathered by an incubus and raised by a single mother, it’s home. And as Hel’s enforcer and the designated liaison to the Pemkowet Police Department, it’s up to her to ensure relations between the mundane and eldritch communities run smoothly.

But when a young man from a nearby college drowns—and signs point to eldritch involvement—the town’s booming paranormal tourism trade is at stake. Teamed up with her childhood crush, Officer Cody Fairfax, a sexy werewolf on the down-low, Daisy must solve the crime—and keep a tight rein on the darker side of her nature. For if she’s ever tempted to invoke her demonic birthright, it could accidentally unleash nothing less than Armageddon.

What did I think of it:
This is a fun read.

I loved the word building in this book. It's very diverse and even though it lends from all kinds of mythologies it felt unique.

Daisy was a cool character with an interesting back-story. She of course does attract the attention of multiple men, because she's so special, but it wasn't annoying. The annoyance will probably come in upcoming books when she will pick the wrong guy(s) in my opinion.

That aside: The story was both funny and suspenseful. I kept trying to guess what would happen next, and how Daisy would solve things. I loved how a lot of different supernatural creatures get involved and introduced. I especially liked the ghouls, and Daisy's friend Lurine.

Although the murder mystery is resolved in this book, there are some things happening in this book that lend themselves for more intrigue and suspense for the next book, so you bet I will be getting my trotters on it to find out what's next for Daisy.

Why should you read it:
It's an entertaining Urban Fantasy read.

TBR Orphans Challenge - Update

March was a slow reading month, (although I managed to catch up a bit in the last week and a half) so I only read one Orphan:
Under Nameless Stars by Christian Schoon

That brings my total to six Orphaned books read in 2015 so far.

How did your challenges go?

Hellbender - Book Review

Hellbender (Fangborn #3)
by Dana Cameron

What is it about:
I-Day is near at hand, and soon the Fangborn will reveal themselves to humankind. As a member of this secretive race of werewolves, vampires, and oracles, will archaeologist Zoe Miller be prepared?

Still grappling with the newfound powers she gained after opening Pandora’s box, Zoe shares the responsibility of protecting “Normal” humans. Having long preferred to keep to the shadows, she knows the pending revelation of the Fangborn will set the world on fire. With Fangborn enemies in the Order of Nicomedia forcing their hand, Zoe and her supernatural Family have no choice but to step into the spotlight. But that decision has garnered the attention of the powerful and otherworldly beings known as the Makers. They claim to have created the Fangborn—not as saviors, but as predators. And it seems they have their own plans for Zoe…and for the fate of all the Fangborn.

Filled with stunning twists, Hellbender takes the Fangborn series to a thrilling new dimension.

What did I think of it:
This series is so awesome!

The last book ended on quite a cliffhanger, so I was thrilled when I got my trotters on an early copy of Hellbender for review.

The story continues where Pack of Strays left off and soon Zoe is in the middle of action and danger again. She has quite a lot on her plate this time: The Makers are contacting Zoe, forcing her to make decisions she might not be ready for.

I love how Zoe stays so down to earth and caring, even with all the power that is thrown her way. She keeps trying to do what she thinks is right. She manages to gather people (and creatures) around her who help her stay strong and on course.

The romance in this book is mostly on a back burner - there's so much going on in Zoe's life, it would be a surprise if she managed to fit in a passionate affair - but there are still some scenes between Zoe and her two love interests. I can tell you I'm still hoping that Zoe will find happiness with Adam.

The events and action in this book feel epic and world changing. Often I lose my interest when stories take the DOOM! route, but Cameron manages to make me believe in the unfolding events, and care. I was rooting for Zoe and her allies to survive and safe the day.

And the ending: Argh! I need the next book! I want to know what's next.

You can bet I'll be stalking Dana Cameron's website for news on the next book. In the mean time I'll be giving her Emma Fielding series a try.

Why should you read it:
It's an awesome, action packed Urban Fantasy read

World folklore and the Fangborn - Guest Post by Dana Cameron + Giveaway

Today a guest post by Dana Cameron, the author of the awesome Fangborn series.


*

World folklore and the Fangborn

I use a lot of real-world folklore and mythology in Seven Kinds of Hell, Pack of Strays, Hellbender, and the Fangborn short stories, so I can explain how my heroic werewolves, vampires, and oracles have influenced humanity from behind the scenes for as long as there's been...well, for as long as there's been humanity to protect and stories to tell. Since every culture has stories about shapeshifters, I figured that indicated something about the prevalence of the Fangborn and their exploits. Plus, it's fun to make the most of my anthropology and archaeology training, and explore things I find intriguing.

One of the problems I initially encountered was that in a lot of the European shapeshifter stories, the shapeshifters are really terrible creatures. How can my Fangborn be the good guys, when so many European stories about werewolves and vampires involve predation, soulless carnage, and damnation? And how could I reconcile the facts that dragons are often considered emblems of evil in the West and symbols of strength, fertility, and order in the East?

I don't draw from any one tradition. If I happen across a cool image or a description of a supernatural creature in a museum, it goes into my Fangborn folder. I don't try to reconcile all the world's cultures either. For one thing, I'm writing fiction, not a scholarly work. For another, it can't be done: Even if there are similarities between two or three (or a dozen or two dozen) traditions, that's not necessarily proof that there is a real-world cultural connection. In my business as an academic archaeologist, I had to be very careful to demonstrate with a lot of proof of every sort, that similarities were actually direct cultural connections. How do I make this work in my novels and short stories?


**
It's easy: I behave like a bad academic. I do all the wrong things. I pick whatever suits my fancy and use that, figuring, if I think it's neat, the reader will think so too. I hand-wave about the history, and then...don't try to formulate any hypotheses. I get back into the story. So Zoe, my protagonist, sees these artifacts and observes that a snake or wolf may not indicate that the Fangborn were too visible in their tracking of evil, and found their way into local folklore. Or if she sees a contradiction, she muses that perhaps it was part of their camouflage: Who wants to go looking for a bloodthirsty creature that will tear you're throat out? This bad publicity gives the Fangborn a smoke-screen to hide behind, while they fight evil in secret.

This is getting to have it both ways. You can do that in fiction.
On the other hand, I do make my descriptions about what exists in the real world as accurate as possible, so the reader will get into the story. If I use an artifact, I research it. If I use a character from Greek (like Pandora's Box or Heracles), Norse (Jörmungandr, the Midgard serpent), Japanese (yokai), or Maya traditions, I'll do the research (I'm still a good academic in that respect!).

In fiction, you tell the truth, as best you can, all of the time. In fantastic fiction, you do this so that at the moments you need to make something up, you will have convinced the reader that your creatures are not only possible, but believable.

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* = The statue with the bib is an Inari-Fox or kitsune, a messenger or symbol of Inari. Notice there is candy beneath him, as an offering!
** = The snake is a detail from a 2nd c AD statue of Antinonus, Hadrian's lover. Clearly, a vampire!

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About Dana Cameron:
Dana Cameron can't help mixing in a little history into her fiction. Drawing from her expertise in archaeology, Dana's work (including traditional mystery, noir, urban fantasy, historical fiction, and thrillers) has won multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards and earned an Edgar Award nomination. Her third Fangborn novel, Hellbender, will be published in March 2015 by 47North. Her most recent Fangborn short story is a Sherlockian pastiche; "The Curious Case of Miss Amelia Vernet.” Her story, "The Sun, The Moon, and The Stars," featuring Pam Ravenscroft from Charlaine Harris's acclaimed Sookie Stackhouse mysteries, appears in Dead But Not Forgotten: Stories from the World of Sookie Stackhouse.
www.danacameron.com



About Hellbender:
I-Day is near at hand, and soon the Fangborn will reveal themselves to humankind. As a member of this secretive race of werewolves, vampires, and oracles, will archaeologist Zoe Miller be prepared?

Still grappling with the newfound powers she gained after opening Pandora’s box, Zoe shares the responsibility of protecting “Normal” humans. Having long preferred to keep to the shadows, she knows the pending revelation of the Fangborn will set the world on fire. With Fangborn enemies in the Order of Nicomedia forcing their hand, Zoe and her supernatural Family have no choice but to step into the spotlight. But that decision has garnered the attention of the powerful and otherworldly beings known as the Makers. They claim to have created the Fangborn—not as saviors, but as predators. And it seems they have their own plans for Zoe…and for the fate of all the Fangborn.

Filled with stunning twists, Hellbender takes the Fangborn series to a thrilling new dimension.

Buy from Amazon

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Giveaway:

Dana Cameron kindly provided me with a signed copy of Hellbender and some bookmarks for one of my readers!

For a chance to win this book:
- Leave a comment for Dana on this post
- Leave a way for me to contact you
- Do so before April 12, 2015
- Open internationally to anyone who's legally allowed to enter.

Winner is Erin!

(Pearls Cast Before a McPig is not responsible for things getting lost in the mail.)

Pride Mates - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

Pride Mates (Shifters Unbound #1)
by Jennifer Ashley

What is it about:
Collared and controlled, Shifters are outcast from humanity, forced to live in Shiftertowns. But waiting within are passions that no Collar can contain.

Like most Shifters, Liam Morrissey has learned that trusting humans leads to no good. But when a beautiful attorney enters Shiftertown alone, Liam's alpha nature leaves him no choice but to offer his protection.

Tasked with defending a Shifter accused of murder, attorney Kim Fraser is completely out of her depth in the mysterious world of Shifters. To prove her client's innocence, Kim will need the help of someone on the inside, even though relying on Liam goes against everything society says about Shifters.

And when an un-Collared Shifter threatens both Kim and Liam, the young attorney will have to learn to trust her unlikely protector and face the passion she feels for a man who can't be tamed.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
This is a nice read.

I will confess I read this right after I read a book that totally blew me away, so that might be why this was just a nice read for me.

I must say I didn't feel the attraction between Kim and Liam. There was a spark missing for me. It made it hard to lose myself in the romance. The action part of the story was a bit wobbly in its setup as well I thought.

Still I really liked the writing and the story overall was nice enough to keep me entertained. I'm not sure if I would pick up another book in this series though. The next book is about one of the side characters from this book, and I can't say I thought he was interesting enough to want to read his story.

I might try something else by Jennifer Ashley if I run into it though.

Why should you read it:
It's an enjoyable Paranormal Romance

On McPig's Wishlist - Toads and Diamands

An original sounding retelling of one of my favorite fairytales. It's not available anymore on bookdepository though, so chances of me getting my trotters on this book are low.


Toads and Diamonds
by Heather Tomlinson

Diribani has come to the village well to get water for her family's scant meal of curry and rice. She never expected to meet a goddess there. Yet she is granted a remarkable gift: Flowers and precious jewels drop from her lips whenever she speaks.

It seems only right to Tana that the goddess judged her kind, lovely stepsister worthy of such riches. And when she encounters the goddess, she is not surprised to find herself speaking snakes and toads as a reward.

Blessings and curses are never so clear as they might seem, however. Diribani’s newfound wealth brings her a prince—and an attempt on her life. Tana is chased out of the village because the province's governor fears snakes, yet thousands are dying of a plague spread by rats. As the sisters' fates hang in the balance, each struggles to understand her gift. Will it bring her wisdom, good fortune, love . . . or death?