The Crimson Road by A. G. Slatter

(Thank you to Titan Books for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

A captivating dark gothic fantasy set in the same universe as the award-winning author's All The Murmuring Bones, The Path of Thorns and The Briar Book of the Dead. A tale of vampires, assassins, ancient witches and broken promises.

Violet Zennor has had a peculiar upbringing. Training as a fighter in underground arenas, honing her skills against the worst scum, murderers and thieves her father could pit her against, she has learned to be ruthless. To kill. 

Until the day Hedrek Zennor dies. Violet thinks she’s free – a rich young heiress with a world of possibilities in front of her. Then, to her horror, Violet learns that her father planned to send her into the Darklands, where the Leech Lords reign. Where Violet’s still-born brother was taken years ago after Hedrek sold him to a man bearing the mark of the mysterious Anchorhold.

Her father’s solicitor and the city’s bishop are insistent she fulfil her duty, but Violet steadfastly refuses. Until one night two assassins attempt to slaughter her – and it becomes if she wants to enjoy a future free of the interference of either solicitors, bishops or assassins, she’s going to have to clean up the mess her father made.

On her journey, Violet seeks the help of Miren O’Malley in the hidden estate of Blackwater, whose family once produced the purest, strangest silver; Ellie Briar of Silverton, the Briar Witch who guards the gateway to the realm of the Leech Lords; and Asher Todd of Whitebarrow, who did terrible things and found The Three Who Went Beneath.

Ultimately, Violet must go alone. Into the Darklands. To the Anchorhold where it all began. Where it will all end. To do what must be done.

By turns gripping and bewitching, sharp and audacious, this mesmerising story takes you on a journey into the dark heart of Slatter's sinister and compelling fantasy world, where blood is currency and magic is a weapon.

my thoughts:

The Crimson Road by A. G. Slatter is my first foray into her popular Sourdough Universe - people rave about this collection, along with her other books. When it comes to fantasy, Slatter is a defiinite must-read. So, of course I was thrilled to get my hands on a copy of this book - how could I not be thrilled, right? It's chock full of magic, Leech Lords, witches, and so much more. What's not to like? Suffice it to say, I dove right in and could not stop reading. The book was just too much fun and way too good to put down for anything. Talk about a delicious read!

Violet Zennor knows how to fight. I mean it. She can defend herself and even kill if her hand is forced. Why? Her dad. He made sure that his daughter was trained to kill. The only thing is, the two don't exactly have the best relationship. So, when he passes away, Violet feels like she is finally free to live her life her own way. Except, that's not going to be the case. Yep, looks like her dad has left her one last mission and it's going to take everything she has within her to win. Yikes! 

And that is all I will share about this awesome story. Just know that it is thrilling, exciting, fantastical, and so much fun. You are going to LOVE it to bits! Plus, you'll be inspired to read the rest of the Sourdough Universe collection - I know that I'm excited to read those books. So, make sure to get your hands on a copy of The Crimson Road ASAP - you won't want to miss out on this terrific book! 

Thank you to Titan Books for providing me with a copy of this book!

All The Hearts You Eat by Hailey Piper

(Thank you to Titan Books for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book: (summary from Goodreads)

A visceral and heartbreaking work of gothic horror about small town mysteries, local folklore and the things we leave behind when we're gone, from the Bram Stoker Award winning author of Queen of Teeth.

What really happened to Cabrina Brite?

Ivory's life changes irrevocably when she discovers the body of Cabrina Brite on the sands of Cape Morning, along with a mysterious poem. How did she die, and why does it seem she was trying to swim to Ghost Cat Island, the centre of so many local mysteries?

Desperate to uncover the answers surrounding Cabrina's death, and haunted by her discovery, Ivory begins to see the pale ghost of Cabrina, only to shake it off as a mere hallucination. But Ivory is not alone. Cabrina's closest friends have also seen a similar apparition, and as they toy with occult possibilities, they begin to unravel the truth behind Cabrina's death.

Because Cape Morning isn't a ghost town, but a town filled with ghosts, and Ivory is about to discover just what happens when you let one in.

my thoughts:

Wow! All The Hearts You Eat by Hailey Piper is AMAZING! It is truly gothic horror at its very best! I loved it! The writing was fantastic! The characters unforgettable and the story unputdownable! This book is definite MUST-READ!

So, what is this awesome story about? Well, it's about ghosts, vampires, small town secrets, and so much more. I don't want to give anything away, because believe you me, you need to experience it for yourself. It's just that damn good. I know that I fell in deep with this story and the characters - I couldn't help it. I wanted to know about Ivory, Sabrina, and Cape Morning. I wanted to know what was going on - what were these apparitions that everyone was seeing - what did they mean? I wanted to know everything. And let me just say, whoa! I'm so glad I read All The Hearts You Eat - it was disturbing, beautiful, raw, and wonderful. Such a treat to read. 

I would happily recommend All The Hearts You Eat to everyone looking for their next great read - you won't want to miss out on this lovely! Make sure to check it out ASAP!

Thank you to Titan Books for providing me with a copy of this book!

Just released...

(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

I love the title and I love the cover - definitely intrigues me. And then I read the book summary and knew that I had to get my hands on a copy. 

"Across two different time periods, two women confront fear, loneliness, mortality, and a haunting yearning that will not let them rest. A breakout, genre-blurring novel from one of the most exciting new voices of Latin America’s feminist Gothic.

It is the twilight of Europe’s bloody bacchanals, of murder and feasting without end. In the nineteenth century, a vampire arrives from Europe to the coast of Buenos Aires and, for the second time in her life, watches as villages transform into a cosmopolitan city, one that will soon be ravaged by yellow fever. She must adapt, intermingle with humans, and be discreet.

In present-day Buenos Aires, a woman finds herself at an impasse as she grapples with her mother's terminal illness and her own relationship with motherhood. When she first encounters the vampire in a cemetery, something ignites within the two women—and they cross a threshold from which there’s no turning back.

With echoes of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and written in the vein of feminist Gothic writers like Shirley Jackson, Daphne du Maurier, and Carmen Maria Machado, Thirst plays with the boundaries of genre while exploring the limits of female agency, the consuming power of desire, and the fragile vitality of even the most immortal of creatures." - Goodreads

I love vampire stories and this one sounded interesting to me. Buenos Aires, female agency, vampires - what more could I want? Especially when the book is described as "feminist Gothic" - seriously? How cool does that sound? Anyhow, I grabbed a copy and I'm excited to start reading. Let me know if you read Thirst and what you thought of it.

Hope you are having a great week! Happy reading!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!

Vampire Weekend: A Novel by Mike Chen

(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book:

Being a vampire is far from glamorous...but it can be pretty punk rock.

Everything you've heard about vampires is a lie. They can't fly. No murders allowed (the community hates that). And turning into a bat? Completely ridiculous. In fact, vampire life is really just a lot of blood bags and night jobs. For Louise Chao, it's also lonely, since she swore off family ages ago.

At least she's gone to decades of punk rock shows. And if she can join a band of her own (while keeping her...situation under wraps), maybe she'll finally feel like she belongs, too.

Then a long-lost teenage relative shows up at her door. Whether it's Ian's love of music or his bad attitude, for the first time in ages, Louise feels a connection.

But as Ian uncovers Louise's true identity, things get dangerous--especially when he asks her for the ultimate favor. One that goes beyond just family...one that might just change everything vampires know about life and death forever.

my thoughts:

Love, love, loved this family-centric tome about vampires. In Mike Chen's latest novel, Vampire Weekend, we get punk rock music lover, Louise Chao, who happens to be a vampire. She LOVES concerts, wants to join a band, drinks blood from blood bags, works nights, and is pretty lonely. Yep, she's all alone since she fled from her family ages ago. Except, now, a long lost nephew has shown up and her life has grown complicated. First, there's a blood shortage, so she's had to join an app. Second, a vampire seems to have taken an interest in Louise. Third, her nephew has figured out her BIG secret - vampirism. Fourth, he wants a HUGE favor. And, that is all I will write about this fun and engaging story.  Just know that the writing is engaging and entertaining; the characters are intriguing; and the story itself will have you hooked right from the start - family drama is always a MUST-READ. 

Make sure to check out Vampire Weekend - you are going to fall in LOVE with this book!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!

Big Bad: A Novel by Lily Anderson

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book: (summary from Goodreads)

Demondale, Callifornia, 1999...Like Sunnydale, but a whole lot more evil. 

Step into this alternate reality, where chaos reigns supreme. The Mayor’s sun-shade has created permanent darkness over Sunnydale, fully opening the Hellmouth once and for all. Now the newly christened Demondale has become a safe haven for vampires, beasts, and all types of ruffians. It's never been better to be bad.

Aspiring supervillains (and super nerds) Jonathan and Andrew attempt to hold their own in a town full of monsters, while three-hundred-year-old vengeance demon Anya is just looking for something to give her life purpose again, spending her days working at an evil juice bar. But soon word gets out that there’s a new Big Bad on the scene, one more powerful and more destructive than anyone who has come before. She, of course, is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And she’s hell-bent on rooting out all of this reality's evil by any means necessary. 

Now Jonathan, Andrew, and Anya must recruit a team of Demondale’s most notorious villains—including Angelus, Spike, Drusilla, and even Ripper the malevolent magic shop owner—in order to save their world. But it’ll be no easy feat to put their pride and differences aside and stop the worst thing that has ever come to town: good. 

Written by acclaimed author and Buffy super fan Lily Anderson, this novel brings together Buffy's most devious and beloved villains from the Trio to the Whirlwind to Anya, Glory, and Vampire Willow. This is one apocalypse Buffy fans are not going to want to miss!

my thoughts:

A book about Buffy the Vampire Slayer - how could I resist? I loved that show! The vampires! The Hellmouth! The magic! Willow, Zander, Cordelia, Angel, and Giles - loved them all! Such a fun and thrilling series! I was so excited to get my hands on a copy of Lily Anderson's book, Big Bad. A book that takes us to an alternate reality called Demondale where evil rules - seriously, how could I not read this book!?! And, the Big Bad being Buffy - say what?! How awesome is that idea? I loved it! Buffy will have to face off against all of the evil in Demondale - can she handle it? Will she prevail? Or will familiar foes finally defeat the Big Bad? As if I would even have to query that ridiculous notion, right? I mean, c'mon, she's the Slayer. Her name says it all, right? Anyhow, I was thrilled to sit down and read Big Bad - what a fun and entertaining treat! Talk about a nostalgic read. Made me want to re-watch Buffy for the umpteenth time. 

I just loved this book so much! Demondale is thriving, as it would where evil is concerned. Anya is trying to figure out how to make her life have purpose, whilst Jonathan and Andrew want to make a name for themselves. Vampires and demons play by their own rules. It's a lawless world. And it's so interesting to read all about it from their perspectives. Of course, things change once Buffy makes her appearance. Yep, it's the best to see her be the Big Bad in Demondale's world. Such a fun twist! Plus, who doesn't love it when Buffy kicks butt - fighting evil left and right. I really loved this book - it was so much fun to read!

I would definitely recommend Big Bad to fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer - you will LOVE this book to bits!! Make sure to check it out, because you won't want to miss out!!

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!
 

The Passage by Justin Cronin

Alright, so my next read was going to be something French for the Paris in July challenge, but I got sidetracked.  On Friday, my Amazon order came in and well I couldn't help but look over my new book purchases - one of those being The Passage. I had barely read the first few sentences when I knew that I was not going to be reading anything French this weekend. 

From the book flap:

IT HAPPENED FAST.

THIRTY-TWO MINUTES FOR ONE WORLD TO DIE, ANOTHER TO BE BORN.

First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret U.S. government facility unleashes the monstrous product of a chilling military experiment.  Then, the unspeakable: a night of chaos and carnage gives way to a sunrise on a nation, and ultimately a world, forever altered.  All that remains for the stunned survivors is the long fight ahead and a future ruled by fear - of darkness, of death, of a fate far worse.

As civilization swiftly crumbles into a primal landscape of predators and prey, two people flee in search of sanctuary.  FBI agent Brad Wolgast is a good man haunted by what he's done in the line of duty.  Six-year-old orphan Amy Harper Bellafonte is a refugee from the doomed scientific project that has triggered apocalypse.  Wolgast is determined to protect her from the horror set loose by her captors, but for Amy, escaping the bloody fallout is only the beginning of a much longer odyssey - spanning miles and decades - toward the time and place where she must finish what should never have begun. 

My thoughts: WOW!!!

What a gripping and fantastic read! I just could not put this book down at all! The Passage is a must read book that tells the story of a group of people journeying towards survival and answers.  You have a world that is no more because of a military experiment gone awry - the virals (vampires) they created have gotten loose and have destroyed the world.  People are scarce and therefore history, culture, society, laws, etc. have pretty much been forgotten.  The Colony we happen upon has their own governmental system that consists of a hierarchy and lineage based on who was here first.  As for the virals that are roaming the earth, well they all follow their thirst.  I don't really want to write much about the plot, because there is just so much that happens and its better for you to read it yourself to fully get the picture of all the events that lead to 'the passage'.  Plus, it has been noted that Cronin will be writing 2 more books to follow The Passage - thereby making it a series. I cannot wait to find out what happens next to Peter and Amy and everyone in the book. Will they survive? Will they succeed?  What happened to The Colony?  Where is everyone? Hmmm.

As for the writing - excellent!  And by excellent, I mean the kind where you refuse to sleep, eat, leave the house, etc. because you are so involved in the book that aside from breathing, everything else can fall to the wayside.  Yes, I was that consumed by my book!  It was just so easy to fall in step with the writing and follow along on this journey being taken by a group of characters that are so engaging , you can't help but cheer them on when they succeed and shed a tear when they don't.  I found myself completely immersed in this world of virals, corrupt government officials, The Colony, nuns, and the Girl from Nowhere.  I also found myself wondering where Cronin got the idea for this book, because, though it is a vampire book, it really isn't.  There's more to it then just virals that need to be killed - its a book about humanity, love, hope and despair.  Its a book about a world that can be mended.  

And I would most definitely recommend The Passage. Even if you aren't into vampire books, it is a fun book to read - it has action, suspense, thrills and love. Definitely one of my favorite books of 2010.     

the short second life of bree tanner: an eclipse novella by Stephenie Meyer

This morning I finished reading Stephenie Meyer's, the short second life of bree tanner: an eclipse novella and I must admit that whilst it wasn't a great book, it was a fun read.  I liked the idea of reading a book from the perspective of a vampire that wasn't a Cullen and who was still learning all the tricks of the trade of being a vampire.  Plus, I did remember the character of Bree from Eclipse and was interested to see what Meyer would tell us about her in this new book.  Basically, we find Bree living among Riley's pack of newbie vampires (he's building a small army of vamps for Victoria who is out to avenge her lover's death) and trying to survive by living under the radar - meaning doing as she is told and hiding behind a vampire named Fred.  In this novella, we learn that human Bree was abused as a child and that she ran away from home at the age of 15.  She was starving on the streets when Riley found her.  He offered her a hamburger and she thought she'd have to pay him with sex, but wound up paying him with her life.  Well actually, Victoria made her a vampire, but Bree wasn't allowed to see her or know her, so she didn't even know that her maker's name was Victoria.  We begin with Bree out hunting for blood with some other newbies.  She is trying to stay out of their way and remain a bit distant, because of their habit of creating chaos on the streets of Seattle.  Diego, a somewhat older vamp who is close to Riley (their leader) has come along on this outing.  Unsure of his motives at first, Bree is reluctant to trust Diego, but soon enough they are sharing stories about their past lives as humans and figuring out that Riley has a secret that involves them all.  Feelings of romance begin to blossom between Diego and Bree, but they are short lived once they return to their coven's hideout.  Because Bree and Diego have decided that they need answers and they need them quick.   From this point on Bree and Diego find out the following information: there is an upcoming battle with the Cullens, the four vampires who visited Riley and Victoria are powerful and uphold the vampire law, and that their life span is about to be shortened.  Soon enough the battle has begun and we find ourselves seeing the Cullens from Bree's perspective.  And then Bree shuts her eyes and faces the inevitable - death.

Overall, it was nice to escape into the Twilight world for a short time. The writing was the same as the previous Twilight novels- not bad.  There were times where it seemed like I was reading the same sentences over and over and over again, which was a bit tedious.  The vernacular that Meyer chose to use to illustrate a contemporary and youthful feel was a bit dated and didn't flow as naturally as it was intended to.  The romantic nature of Bree and Diego's relationship seemed rushed and a bit forced, as if it was thrown in the story in order to check off an item on the list of what should be included in the book: battle = check, deception = check,  love = check, etc.  The bit with the Volturi visiting Victoria and Riley was a bit much.  I mean, we already knew that they were duplicitous and that they want the Cullens destroyed, so to have them go and encourage Victoria in her plot to kill off the Cullens was unnecessary.  I suppose in the end, this novella about Bree Tanner was not really integral to the Twilight saga, because it didn't really provide us with any new information.  At the end of the day, it was still fun to read about vampires and escape into the silliness of it all.  I wouldn't really recommend  this  book to non-Twilight fans; and as for Twilighters I would just say that if you pass on this book, its not a big deal, because there really isn't much to be gained from reading the short second life of bree tanner. 

Happy reading! I'm off to figure out which book to read next.