Review: Her Dark Curiosity (The Madman's Daughter #2) by Megan Shepherd

Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Summary from GoodReads

To defeat the darkness, she must first embrace it.

Months have passed since Juliet Moreau returned to civilization after escaping her father's island—and the secrets she left behind. Now, back in London once more, she is rebuilding the life she once knew and trying to forget Dr. Moreau’s horrific legacy—though someone, or something, hasn’t forgotten her.

As people close to Juliet fall victim one by one to a murderer who leaves a macabre calling card of three clawlike slashes, Juliet fears one of her father’s creations may have also escaped the island. She is determined to find the killer before Scotland Yard does, though it means awakening sides of herself she had thought long banished, and facing loves from her past she never expected to see again.

As Juliet strives to stop a killer while searching for a serum to cure her own worsening illness, she finds herself once more in the midst of a world of scandal and danger. Her heart torn in two, past bubbling to the surface, life threatened by an obsessive killer—Juliet will be lucky to escape alive.

With inspiration from Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this is a tantalizing mystery about the hidden natures of those we love and how far we’ll go to save them from themselves.

 BUY ON AMAZON (click the covers for the affiliate link)






REVIEW

 Welcome to the second installment of Megan Shepherd's "The Madman's Daughter" which features a slight remake of Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

After one year of pain and many tries to live with her nightmares, Juliet finds herself admist London as a murder targets people she knows. When Edward and Montgomery start to appear, then tragedy arises.

I had high expectations for the second book. I liked the general idea of testing the boundaries of humanity and self preservation but Juliet felt very off in the story. She appears too weak, too docile and in a point she makes easy choices which result on inflicting pain to the others. Istead Iliked Lucy and Baltazar. Despite being secondary characters they are strong and help Juliet in every way they can.

While the story ends in a pecurial cliffhanger, I am relucant to read the final book. The male characters are flawed but Edward is the one who suffers much, maybe too much. I hope this will change on the final book.



About the author:

Megan Shepherd was "born" into the book world, growing up in her parents' independent bookstore in Western North Carolina. 

She is the author of THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER trilogy (Balzer+Bray/2013), and THE CAGE trilogy (Balzer+Bray/2015). 

 When Megan is not writing, she can usually be found horseback riding, day dreaming at coffee shops, or hiking in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains. She is represented by Josh Adams at Adams Literary.

Feature and follow #249

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow me and them to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code at the host blogs and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

                              Question of the Week: 

Here is €/£/$100,000. Buy something. Anything at all! What would be the first thing you choose, and why? - Suggested by Journey Through Fiction. 

 

                                                        My answer:

 

100,000 euros? Firstly, I would buy a big bookcase (if I had the appropriate space of course)! Not like this one:

 

Then I would go on the books and fill my shelves with titles I really want to finish and have in hardback.
Like: Newsoul trilogy by Jodi Meadows, Winner's Crime by Marie Rutskoski, all the book by Jennifer Armentrout, Laini Taylor, Nalini Signh and most of the 2015 titles which are published so far!

 

Now for the Follow Fun!

                                                 FOLLOW ME ON GFC ON YOUR LEFT!!

Alison Can Read

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Cover Reveal: "Bounce" (Boomerang #3) by Noelle August

 Welcome to the cover reveal of BOUNCE the third and final novel on the BOOMERANG series!!!

BOUNCE: A BOOMERANG NOVEL By Noelle August Coming to you August 25th, 2015!

 William Morrow Trade Paperback; August 25, 2015; $13.99; ISBN: 9780062331106

                                                         SUMMARY:

Following in the bestselling tradition of Molly McAdams and J. Lynn, this final chapter in the fun and steamy New Adult trilogy by Noelle August (authors Veronica Rossi and Lorin Oberweger) features two aspiring musicians who must choose between their careers…and their sizzling attraction for each other. Playing the occasional club gig just isn’t cutting it for twenty-two-year-old cellist Skyler Canby, who’s trying to support herself and her mother back home in Kentucky. Persuaded by her best friend Beth to accompany her on an audition for the first feature film launched by Blackwood Entertainment, she figures why not? Beth’s a shoe-in for the lead, but maybe Skyler’s newly dyed pink hair will help her stand out enough to score a small speaking part. Never in her wildest dreams does Skyler imagine she’ll land the lead role or that she’ll have her shoes knocked off her feet by the kiss her audition partner, Grey Blackwood, plants on her—a kiss that feels very real and not at all “acted. ”

After throwing a party that causes thousands of dollars of damage to his older brother’s home, reckless musician Grey Blackwood gets roped into working off his debt on the set of his CEO brother’s newest project. Grey spends his days fetching coffee and doing odd jobs around the studio, but he lives for nights when he performs with his band. He knows if he can stay focused, success as a singer is just around the corner. But that’s tough with a distracting pink-haired girl occupying his every waking thought. Skyler and Grey have every reason to resist each other. But, like a song neither of them can get out of their minds, they have no choice but to go where the music takes them.

BUY LINKS: Barnes & Noble / Amazon / IndieBound / Books-a-Million  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  

Question: What do you get when friends pen a story with heart, plenty of laughs, and toe-curling kissing scenes?  

Answer: Noelle August, the pseudonym for renowned editor and award-winning writer Lorin Oberweger and New York Times bestselling YA author Veronica Rossi, the masterminds behind the Boomerang series.  

You can visit them at NoelleAugust.com, @Noelle_August,  

and facebook.com/NoelleAugustBooks.

Audiobook Review: "Murder of Crows" (The Others #2) by Anne Bishop

Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summary from GoodReads

Return to New York Times best-selling author Anne Bishop’s "phenomenal" (Urban Fantasy Investigations) world of the Others - where supernatural entities and humans struggle to co-
exist, and one woman has begun to change all the rules.… 

After winning the trust of the terra indigene residing in the Lakeside Courtyard, Meg Corbyn has had trouble figuring out what it means to live among them. As a human, Meg should be barely tolerated prey, but her abilities as a cassandra sangue make her something more. 

The appearance of two addictive drugs has sparked violence between the humans and the Others, resulting in the murder of both species in nearby cities. So when Meg has a dream about blood and black feathers in the snow, Simon Wolfgard - Lakeside’s shape-shifting leader - wonders if their blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or a future threat. 

As the urge to speak prophecies strikes Meg more frequently, trouble finds its way inside the Courtyard. Now, the Others and the handful of humans residing there must work together to stop the man bent on reclaiming their blood prophet - and stop the danger that threatens to destroy them all.

BUY ON AMAZON





REVIEW

Continuing the great, for me, success, of "Written In red" Anne Bishop continues with the stories of Meg, Simon and the Others as more problems arise in whole Thasia. The Controller is out there; and he has plans for both species.

The story goes slow mostly in the whole book, but the author manages to deliver the characters both new and old with equal attention. Alexandra Harris as a narrator is also one of the best I've heard so far in the audiobooks I've listened.

As for the protagonists, Meg and Simon are the best couple since they are both trying to understand their growing feelings for each other while the residents of the Courtyard have already find out about their growing relationship. Only Monty mentions later (in his thoughts of course) about Simon falling in love with Meg.

Meg becomes stronger and braver as she interracts with the Others and helps a lot in the progress of the story. The ending was a little rushed, quick but it didn't diminish the importance of the new enemy who will appear or the last sweet scene with Simon and Meg.

Overall, I want more which I hope to get my grabby hands into soon! :)

About the author:

Anne Bishop lives in upstate New York where she enjoys gardening, music, and writing dark, romantic stories. She is the author of fourteen novels, including the award-winning Black Jewels Trilogy. Her most recent novel,Twilight’s Dawn, made the New York Times bestsellers list. She is currently working on a new series, which is an urban dark fantasy with a bit of a twist.

Crawford Award (2000)

ON SALE: "The Murder Complex" by Lindsay Cummings

 

ON SALE! The Murder Complex is on sale on the known retailers! Make also sure to pre-order the next book!

THE MURDER COMPLEX Synopsis:

An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young’s Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.

Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.

The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?

Action-packed, blood-soaked, and chilling, this is a dark and compelling debut novel by Lindsay Cummings.

BUY LINKS:

THE MURDER COMPLEX (The Murder Complex, #1)

Amazon:The Murder Complex
B&N: bit.ly/1CHXvls

Kobo:  bit.ly/1O7m3ee

iTunes: apple.co/1Ev62OH

THE FEAR TRIALS (The Murder Complex, #0.5)

Amazon:The Fear Trials: A Murder Complex Novella
B&N: bit.ly/1FOpAfu

Kobo: bit.ly/1zaAQhF

iTunes:  apple.co/1FGQXef



THE DEATH CODE (The Murder Complex, #2)
Amazon:The Murder Complex #2: The Death Code
B&N:  bit.ly/1FOpbtC

Indiebound: bit.ly/1zaAwPY

iTunes:  apple.co/1yoKHWc

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Lindsay Cummings is the 24-year-old author of THE MURDER COMPLEX series from Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins, and the MG trilogy THE BALANCE KEEPERS, from Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins.

Lindsay deals with chronic fatigue, can’t get enough of her two pesky German Shepherds, wolf cub, and two horses. She's still waiting on her letter from Hogwarts--it was probably just lost in the mail. You can follow Lindsay on twitter @authorlindsayc


Author Links:
Blog: http://www.lindsaycummingsbooks.com/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/authorlindsayc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindsay.cummings.758
Author Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5805483.Lindsay_Cummings

Cover Reveal: "Truthwitch" by Susan Dennard

Susan Dennard's subscribers (yes, I am one of them hehehe) had the chance to see first the new cover of her new series! fter the success of "Something Strange and Deadly" series, comes a new tale of magic and adventure!

 On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery,” a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.
Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

Add Truthwitch on GoodReads and be patience until 2016...

Review: "The Assassin's Blade" by Sarah J. Maas

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summary from GoodReads

Contains all five novellas.

Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas - together in one edition for the first time - Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.

BUY ON AMAZON (click the cover below!)




REVIEW

Novellas are hard to read. First because you already know the story of the first book and second because many major characters are missing.

Reading "The Assassin's Blade" was a litle hard. I enjoyed Celaena and her adventures and even more I got to like Sam. We got more inside the lands of "Throne of Glass" from the Pirate Lord to the Deserts and back to the capital. In a sense I would prefer if the novellas had been published first and then the book.
The ending was the one which brought us to the begining of the first book. I really can't wait for the fourth book, since we will get to see more of our favorite characters.

And one more thing which made me rate the book with five stars, apart from everything else. A certain captain of the gurad was quite displeased because he lost Celaena's trial. Even the faint mention of him was a nice add to the ending of all the tragedy Celaena had on the final story.


DON'T MISS THE RST OF THE BOOKS ON THIS AMAZING SERIES! (click the covers for more details)







About the author:

Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series (Queen of Shadows, Book 4, will be out in September 2015), as well as the A Court of Thorns and Roses series (out 5/5/15).

Sarah lives in Bucks County, PA, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much tea, and watches an ungodly amount of TV. When she's not busy writing, she can be found exploring the historic and beautiful Pennsylvania countryside with her husband and canine companion

"Love, in" Duology by Karina Halle --> Surprise Release‏!

 

LOVE, In ENGLISH

He’s thirty-eight. I’m twenty-three.

He speaks Spanish. I speak English.

He lives in Spain. I live in Canada.

He dresses in thousand-dollar suits. I’m covered in tattoos.

He’s married and has a five-year old daughter.

I’m single and can’t commit to anyone or anything.

Until now. Because when they say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, boy ain’t that the f*#king truth.

***

To a restless dreamer like Vera Miles, it sounded like the experience of a lifetime. Instead of spending her summer interning for her astronomy major, she would fly to Spain where she’d spend a few weeks teaching conversational English to businessmen and women, all while enjoying free room and board at an isolated resort. But while Vera expected to get a tan, meet new people and stuff herself with wine and paella, she never expected to fall in love.

Mateo Casalles is unlike anyone Vera has ever known, let alone anyone she’s usually attracted to. While Vera is a pierced and tatted free spirit with a love for music and freedom, Mateo is a successful businessman from Madrid, all sharp suits and cocky Latino charm. Yet, as the weeks go on, the two grow increasingly close and their relationship changes from purely platonic to something…more.

Something that makes Vera feel alive for the first time.

Something that can never, ever be.

Or so she thinks

LOVE, In SPANISH

“She sat beside me on the bus – and she changed my whole life.”

Successful, wealthy and absurdly handsome – Spanish ex-football player Mateo Casalles seemed like he had it all. A high-society wife, an adorable little girl, and flashy apartments in Madrid and Barcelona only sweetened the deal. But there was more to Mateo than met the eye – a life of uncertainty and regret that colored his black and white world.

That was until Vera Miles came into his life like a shooting star. Tattooed, wild and young, Vera seemed like Mateo’s polar opposite at first. But you can’t choose who you fall in love with and the two lost souls did everything they could to be together, all while suffering the grave consequences.

Now with Mateo divorced and living in Madrid with Vera, there is a whole new set of challenges and setbacks facing the couple and rocking the foundation of their star-crossed relationship.

Unfortunately for them, the brighter the star, the faster they burn. (click the banner below

AMAZON

With her USA Today Bestselling The Artists Trilogy published by Grand Central Publishing, numerous foreign publication deals, and self-publishing success with her Experiment in Terror series, Vancouver-born Karina Halle is a true example of the term "Hybrid Author." Though her books showcase her love of all things dark, sexy and edgy, she's a closet romantic at heart and strives to give her characters a HEA...whenever possible.Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse with her fiancé and rescue pup.

LINKS: FACEBOOK TWITTER GOODREADS AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Cover Reveal: "Off Book" by Jessica Dall

Welcome to the cover reveal of OFF BOOK the new novel by Jessica Dall. A story about the story characters and...their authors!

 

About OFF BOOK: Twenty-year-old Eloise has learned all she can from the School, where characters live until joining their novels. No one knows genre and plot structure better than her, but despite her knowledge, she’s yet to be assigned to her own story. All her friends are off starting their lives with their authors—and if Eloise doesn’t get assigned soon, she’ll fade away, forgotten by all.
When she is suddenly offered a job at the Recording Office, she takes the chance to write her own future. Suddenly living among the post-storied, Eloise meets Barnaby Fitzwilliam, a former romance novel hero who hasn’t lost any of his in-story charm. But just as their relationship begins to get serious, everything Eloise has been taught gets turned upside down when she’s sucked into a novel she was never meant to be part of.
Now, caught where the only rules are made by the authors and truly anything is possible, Eloise must find her way back home—or else her life might end before she ever gets the chance to live it.
Set in a world dictated by Authors, OFF BOOK explores the story beneath the stories we all know and love, taking readers and characters alike on an adventure just waiting to be written.


Add OFF BOOK on goodreads or request to be part of upcoming blog tour.

About the author: 

Jessica Dall finished her first novel at age 15 and been writing ever since. She is the author of such novels as Grey Areas and The Bleeding Crowd, the Broken Line Series, and a number of short stories which have appeared in both literary magazines and anthologies. When not writing, she works as a freelance editor and creative writing teacher in Washington, DC.

Find Jessica Dall on twitter, facebook, and goodreads.