Book Review- The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Immortal Rules

 Author: Julie Kagawa

Series:  Blood of Eden #1

Published:  24 April 2012 by Mira

Length: 480 pages

Warnings: violence and romance, 13+

Source: Netgalley

Other info: Julie has also written the Iron Fey series.  

Summary : In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity. Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters. Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad. Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike. But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

Review: Allison was once an Unregistered-refusing to accept food and healthcare so she would not have to feed the vampire masters that rule the city. But, after an attack on her home, she has a choice-to die as a human, or to live as one of the creatures she spent her life trying to avoid. Choosing the latter, Kanin changes her and trains her-how to live, how to fight. And then they get split up. Allison is on her own, until she come across a band of humans searching for Eden. A place free of vampire control. Under the pretense of being a human, allie goes along with them. But for how long can she pose as one of the creatures that they are trying to escape? Especially when she’s falling in love with Zeke-the son of the man who everyone’s trusting to guide them.

I’ve never read any of Julie’s books before, but I’d heard good things about them. And after reading this, I’ll try and get hold of them.

Allie was a really strong main character. As well as being a vampire, she has many other facets to her personality. It’s nice having a girl being a vampire who has to control her urges for a change. The thing I liked best about her was the fact that she’s always thinking about when she was human, of what she left behind, and such. It added depth to Allie, and changes the way she thinks. Coming a close second is the way she handles a katana.

I lov e the variety of characters that she meets after leaving Kanin. Zeke is really nice, the romance is sweet, and there’s a refreshing lack of a love triangle. It was nice how not all the characters liked Allison straight away-it made it seem more real. I also liked Caleb, Darren and Ruth, for various reasons.

The communities that you come across are well structured, and the writing made you feel as thorugh you were there. The dystopian world before Allison got changed, whcich as well as being interesting, gave context to Zeke’s group.

The very ending was predictable, but good. It’s so open ended, that anything could happen-I’d really like to see the sequel.

Overall:  Strength 4 tea to a really good vampire novel that makes a change to the kind we normally see-this has action and romance in perfect proportions. 

Mass Reviews- DNFs

Another instalment of negativity! I had a large amount of DNFs that I should have reviewed from Netgalley, but didn’t, because I never got through them. So...I thought I should do a roundup of them. There’s also some from other sources too. Links to goodreads.

Title: The Peculiars
Author: Mareen Doyle McQuerry
Brief summary: On her 18th birthday, Lena Mattacascar decides to search for her father, who disappeared into the northern wilderness of Scree when Lena was young. Scree is inhabited by Peculiars, people whose unusual characteristics make them unacceptable to modern society. Lena wonders if her father is the source of her own extraordinary characteristics and if she, too, is Peculiar.
How far I got: 50%
My thoughts: I really liked the idea-goblins plus Victorians should be my thing. But it was so slow! The characters were annoying and Lena, I just didn’t care about at all. Plot-wise, not much seemed to happen, and nothing was really a surprise. Chapter title- Lena makes a pact. What happens- Lena makes a pact. There were a few of these over-revealing chapter names that kind of ruined it.

Author:  Kristen Callihan
Brief summary: Miranda Ellis is a woman tormented. Plagued since birth by a strange and powerful gift, she has spent her entire life struggling to control her exceptional abilities. Lord Benjamin Archer is no ordinary man. Doomed to hide his disfigured face behind masks, Archer knows it's selfish to take Miranda as his bride. Yet he can't help being drawn to the flame-haired beauty whose touch sparks a passion he hasn't felt in a lifetime. When Archer is accused of a series of gruesome murders, he gives in to the beastly nature he has fought so hard to hide from the world. But the curse that haunts him cannot be denied
How far I got: 53%
My thoughts: Archer was boring, and not much plot developed. Also, neither Goodreads nor Netfgalley nor other reviewers told me it had certain... scenes in it. So I gave up. I loved Miranda’s powers though.

Title: The Adoration of Jenna Fox
Author: Mary E Pearson
Brief summary: Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a coma, they tell her, and she is still recovering from a terrible accident in which she was involved a year ago. But what happened before that? Jenna doesn't remember her life. Or does she? And are the memories really hers?
How far I got: 70 pages in
My thoughts: Not much seemed to be happening and I generally didn’t enjoy it. It was a really nice idea though-maybe I’ll have another go with it in the future.

Title: Luck of the Devil
Author: Patricia Elmer
Brief summary: Being the youngest daughter of the Devil isn't all it's cracked up to be. The days of teenage rebellion and vows of chastity made just to tick off her father are over, and now all Faith Bettincourt wants is a nice, quiet life. Unfortunately, thanks to the unexpected arrival of her demonically-downsized sister, a ditzy succubus roommate, and dear old Dad himself, Faith's plans for a relaxing vacation spent watching reruns go up in flames.Now it's all Faith can do to keep the family reunion from Hell (literally) under wraps, and the angelically-inclined hottie across the hall from realizing there's something weird about his neighbor. 
How far I got: Can’t remember
My thoughts:  I was told so many amazing things about this! But I just couldn’t get into it. The characters weren’t interesting and it wasn’t funny or sarcastic, how I’d hoped it would be. Maybe I’ll try again one day. In the far far future.

Title: Gorgeous
Author: Rachel Vail
Brief summary: She's looking good...but Allison Avery can't believe it. Growing up with beautiful, blond sisters, Allison has always been the dark-haired, "interesting-looking" Avery. So when the devil shows up and offers to make her gorgeous, Allison jumps at the chance to finally get noticed. But there's one tiny catch, and it's not her soul: The devil wants her cell phone.
How far I got: 60 pages
My thoughts: I like the idea of a girl selling her mobile, and not her soul, to the devil. But that aspect didn’t get much attention. I also didn’t realise that it was part two in a series that I hadn’t heard of before. oh well.

Title: Lost Souls
Author: Poppy Z Brite
Brief summary: At a club in Missing Mile, N.C., the children of the night gather, dressed in black, looking for acceptance. Among them are Ghost, who sees what others do not. Ann, longing for love, and Jason, whose real name is Nothing, newly awakened to an ancient, deathless truth about his father, and himself.

How far I got: a little over halfway
My thoughts:  I read Exquisite Corpse and loved it, but I couldn’t get into this. Too much sex and er...other stuff.  Maybe when I’m older...

Title: Mechanique-a Tale of the Circus Treasulti
Author: Genevieve Valentine
Brief summary: Outside any city still standing, the Mechanical Circus Tresaulti sets up its tents. Crowds pack the benches to gawk at the brass-and-copper troupe and their impossible feats: Ayar the Strong Man, the acrobatic Grimaldi Brothers, fearless Elena and her aerialists who perform on living trapezes. War is everywhere, but while the Circus is performing, the world is magic.
How far I got: 64%
My thoughts:  Steamunk circus! Yay! I was all ready to love this, but there were so many confusing things about it. Mainly the writing-multiple narrations without warning of person change, and random out of character insertations in brackets. I also don’t understand how the mechanical parts all fit together and work in somebody’s body, and character deaths were hard to keep track of. Good points-I loved Boss. And the illustrations.

So....yeah. Books I really couldn’t get on with. Have you read and enjoyed (or not) any of these? Or are there any others you just couldn’t  get through? Comments are always welcome. :-) 

Book Review- Dead Rules by Randy Russell

Title: Dead Rules

 Author: Randy Russell

Series:  N/A

Published:  29 March 2012 by Quercus

Length: 232 pages

Warnings: 12 +

Source: Publisher

Summary : When Jana Webster dies in a tragic accident, she finds herself transferred to 'Dead School' in the afterlife, where students fall into distinct cliques. Risers (good kids who died innocently), Sliders (bad kids, who have one foot tied to earth) and Virgins (there are fewer than Jana would expect). Jana's boyfriend and love of her life - Michael - is still in the land of the living. Michael is Romeo to Jana's Juliet and as the story goes... even death can't keep them apart. Tired of waiting for him to kill himself over his grief of losing her, Jana decides she needs to do it for him. To kill Michael she'll need the help of a dangerous and sexy Slider - Mars Dreamcoate. But Mars has a goal of his own: he wants to save a life to atone for having taken one in a drunk-driving accident. And to complicate matters, he was trying to save Jana when she died and saw what was really going on when her 'accident' happened. Jana decides to do whatever it takes to get Michael back, and nothing - not even Mars' warm touch or the devastating secret he holds about her death - will stop her

Review: Jana and Michael are so far in love that saying Webster and Haynes is as natual as Romeo and Juliet. So when Jana dies and ends up at Dead School, where teens that died end up before moving on, she misses her boyfriend. Badly. So badly that she’s willing to kill for it.

I really liked the idea of a Dead school. Ok, it’s overdone (at least in what I tend to read), but I still like reading different author’s takes on the subject. The original Riser and Slider idea (where good kids get closer to Heaven and bad ones closer to Earth) is a great idea too. So far, so good.

And then I started reading it. And it was so hard to get through. This was almost a DNF. If it had been a kindle or library copy, I’d have definitely put it down. But I didn’t, and I struggled through...and so....yeah.

My first problem with this was the writing. It was extremely simple, and at points, patronising. Attempts to build suspense really didn’t work out, and it got annoying.

Second problem, and probably my biggest, was Jana. She is so annoying. She compares herself repeatedly to her mother and fusses over little things for no reason. And then she decides that she’ll kill her boyfriend, because she can’t stand the idea of being away from him. Yes, what a delightful way of expressing love for somebody. I know I’d prefer roses.

Third problem, Mars, the half-love interest. He’s annoying too, but not to the point of Jana. I also feel a little bad for him over the fact the he and his efforts to do things for Jana are not appreciated.

Fourth problem, not much really happens until you get to the end. Well, things do happen. but they’re really boring and it doesn’t build up and some things seem pointless.

The only thing that I enjoyed was the character deaths. Even still, they weren’t amazingly written, and they were unrealistic without any irony. Irony, for me, is the only way that excuses random methods of leaving life-see the Final Destination films.

I get there’s a lot of  romance to it, and a nice paranormal idea. But it just didn’t work for me.

Overall:  Strength 1 tea to a book with a nice concept, but is generally boring throughout.

Links:  | Goodreads | Author website | 

Happy World Goth Day!

Aww....it seems like forever since I've done a post like this where I talk to you, instead of just provide a review. Anyway, it's 22 May-so it's World Goth Day. Yay!
So, in celebration, I'm going to share with you 1. Classic gothy books, 2. My favourite gothy books that I have read, and 2. Those books that are on my miles long wishlist.
Links to Goodreads

---

The Classics

1. Anything by Edgar Allan Poe. His poems and stories are both beautiful. If you can, get hold of one of those huge editions-so pretty.
2. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice.
   Here are the confessions of a vampire. Hypnotic, shocking, and chillingly erotic, this is a novel of mesmerizing beauty and astonishing force --- a story of danger and flight, of love and loss, of suspense and resolution, and of the extraordinary power of the senses. It is a novel only Anne Rice could write.I  think everyone's in love with Lestat. Well, everyone who I'm friends with anyway. Plus, it's generally a good story. And also has a really good film. 
3. Dracula by Bram Stoker
   The aristocratic vampire that haunts the Transylvanian countryside has captivated readers' imaginations since it was first published in 1897. Hindle asserts that Dracula depicts an embattled man's struggle to recover his "deepest sense of himself as a man", making it the "ultimate terror myth".
   The classic. Everyone should read this, even if they aren't into the Goth scene at all.
4. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
   Frankenstein, loved by many decades of readers and praised by such eminent literary critics as Harold Bloom, seems hardly to need a recommendation. If you haven't read it recently, though, you may not remember the sweeping force of the prose, the grotesque, surreal imagery, and the multilayered doppelgänger themes of Mary Shelley's masterpiece.
   The other classic, and another must read.
5. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscare Wilde.
   After having his portrait painted, Dorian Gray is captivated by his own beauty. Tempted by his world-weary friend, decadent friend Lord Henry Wotton, he wished to stay young forever and pledges his very soul to keep his good looks. As Dorian's slide into crime and cruelty progresses, he stays magically youthful, while his beautiful portrait changes, revealing the hideous corruption of moral decay.
   I'm reading this at the moment, and really enjoying it. I love the fact that everyone's really cynical, and the concept behind this book is great.

Contemporaries that I've read

1. Lenore by Roman Dirge.
   A collection of the first four issues of the popular Lenore comic book series. Lenore: Noogies is a romp into the dark, surreal world of a little dead girl. Featuring stories about limbless cannibals, clock monsters, cursed vampire dolls, taxidermied friends and obssesed would be lover and more fuzzy animal mutilations than should be legal. Lenore is one of the funniest, darkest comic books on the marketplace today.
   It's a really cute comic series about a dead girl (Lenore) and her friends.
2. Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schrieber
   The mansion on top of Benson Hill has been empty and boarded up for years. But a new family has moved in. A family that never ventures out during the day. Who are these creepy people -- especially the handsome, dark, and elusive Alexander Sterling? Or rather, what are they? Could the town gossip actually be true? Are they vampires? Raven, who secretly covets a vampire kiss, both at the risk of her own mortality and Alexander's loving trust, is dying to uncover the truth.
   It's not amazing in a literary sense, but it's really fun and with a cute little romance.
3. Gothic Charm School by Jillian Venters.
   From the creator of the online advice forum about how to be strange and unusual, comes the ultimate guide to dark decorum and etiquette for goths and the non-goths who love them. Illustrations throughout.
   Full advice on the Goth subculture, with some pretty illustrations. Oh, and Jillian is so much fun if you stalk her in other places on the internet.
4. Death- At Death's Door by Jill Thompson & Neil Gaiman 
   A member of the Endless, a family of beings who have existed longer than the gods, Death enjoys manifesting herself in the persona of a young Gothic girl. Along with her siblings, she interacts and influences the lives of humans on a daily basis. In this manga-style adventure, Death's little sisters, Delirium and Despair, have thrown a party at her apartment for hell's escapees. But as the festivities get out of control, it falls on Death's black-clad shoulders to regain order and save the afterlife. Printed in black, white, and gray tones, this trade paperback weaves an eccentric tale of danger, romance, humor, and fun
   Or indeed, most things by Neil Gaiman. Especially The Sandman and The Graveyard Book. Oh, fun times. This book especially for younger readers because the art is more accessible and more...happy. Yeah.
5. Nemi by Lise Myhre
   Meet Nemi Montoya, the vegetarian, cynical/romantic, hilariously honest twenty-something goth, in this brand new collection from artist Lise Myhre! Hang out in the pub with Nemi and her friends, including her flatmate, the blue-haired Cyan; hear her opinions on romance and dating; watch her watch TV in her untidy flat; learn how she feels about birch trees, spiders and blondes; and generally experience the highs and lows of being Nemi in the modern world!
   Ridiculously funny in the way that some people won't get. I like the way that it's in full colour-all the volumes. And it's ongoing. And really popular in Norway. Yay! (On a side note, I share my birthday with Lise!) 
6. Godchild by Kaori Yuki (review here)
   Deep in the heart of 19th century London, a young nobleman named Cain walks the shadowy cobblestone streets of the aristocratic society into which he was born. Forced to become an earl upon the untimely death of his father, Cain assumes the role of head of the Hargreaves, a noble family with a dark past. With Riff, his faithful manservant, and Mary Weather, his 10-year-old half sister, Cain investigates the mysterious crimes that seem to follow him wherever he goes.
   Victorians, murder, tortured hero, unrequited love...everything! And the first volume has mysteries based on Alice in Wonderland. And the art is beautiful throughout.

Gothy books that I really have to get hold of some time soon.

1. Johnny the Homicidal Maniac by Jhonen Vasquez.
   The series focuses on the 20-something year old anti-hero Johnny C, also known as "NNY" (pronounced 'knee'). He is a deranged serial killer, mass murderer, and spree killer who interacts with various other characters, generally by murdering them. He elaborately kills anyone who even slightly irritates him, then drains their blood and paints one of the walls in his house with it. Johnny is also willing to murder "innocent" people who, in his twisted mind, deserve their fate for some reason or another. The number of Johnny’s victims is in the dozens, if not hundreds — or perhaps even thousands. Authorities are unable to capture Johnny and seem unaware of his existence, even though his crimes are often witnessed in public and reported by the few who manage to survive.
   Look at the title. Now look at me. Do you see why I want to read it?
2. What is Goth by Aurelio Voltaire
   What Is Goth? is a humorous, self-deprecating look at Goth culture from the inside out. Imagine The Preppy Handbook colliding with Charles Addams. Then add a lot more melancholy and a lot more spooky. What Is Goth? dispels the false stereotypes and reinforces the true ones surrounding Goths and Goth culture. "To the mundane," Voltaire writes, "Goths are weird, black-clad freaks who are obsessed with death; they are sad all of the time. Take a closer look at the Goth scene, however, and you will find a rich tapestry of ideas and practices and a menagerie of colorful characters. Oh, dear. I said 'colorful.'" 
   I'm very familiar with Voltaire's music, and from his vlogs, this will be fun. 
3. The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls by Emilie Autumn
   Positively packed with hand-written memoirs, photos, and paintings, this profoundly empowering epic not only deserves a place on your tea table, it is also one of the most complete accounts of bipolar disorder ever penned, and will take readers behind the doors of both modern day psych ward and Victorian insane asylum in this true life horror tale of madness, murder, and medical experimentation. But reader beware: It's much easier to get into the Asylum than it is to get out.
   Another music-y related book, this time following Emilie and Emily and their lives in mental hospitals. 
4. The rest of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman and many other people's works. There's just so many gothy books out there, ready to be devoured.

So, there you have it. My picks of gothy books. Now go get your goth on!

Book Review- Undead by Kirsty McKay

Title: Undead

 Author: Kirsty McKay

Series:  Undead #1

Published:  by Chicken House

Length: 294 pages

Warnings: fantasy violence 12+

Source: Publisher

Other info: The sequel, Unfed, should be out sometime later this year.

Summary : Being new at school bites. But at least it doesn't kill you. Mostly.Bobby thinks she might well be on the School Trip from Hell. Too bad she's a noob, too bad her classmates don't rate her weirdo accent and too bad that Scotland is having the worst blizzard since the Ice Age. Looks like she's going to be on this school bus for a quite a while; could things get much worse?  Yep. They could. Inexplicably, her classmates start dying...and then they come back to life again...and what's more, they're very, very hungry. With nowhere to run and no contact with the outside world, Bobby is thrown together with a raggle-taggle group of survivors at a roadside café. There's indie kid drop-out Smitty, the class beauty queen Alice, dweeby Pete and two near useless adults: a half-conscious bus driver and a volatile petrol station attendant. The frenemies struggle to stay alive - through explosions, deadly battles and a breakneck chase through the snowbound wilderness. Somehow they have to make it to safety - and get some answers - no matter what the cost. Can they survive the Undead? And each other?

Review: It’s a normal school trip, so when the majority of a class go into a cafe, and Bobby and Smitty stay on the coach, they don’t think anything of it. But when Alice returns, crying that everyone’s dead, they realise that it really isn’t a normal ski trip. With a small group of survivors they pick up along the way, Bobby and Smitty must work out what’s happening, how to stop the zombies, and whether or not they’ll get out of this alive.

Another teenage zombie story. Yay! There really should be more of these things. It starts quite quickly, giving us a good idea of Bobby, Smitty and the class, before the change. By the end of the second chapter, we have a solid zombie attack setting us up for the rest of the book. and the pace is set up for the rest of the book too.

Pacing throughout is good, with a couple of boring bits, but mainly action. Every chapter ends on a cliffhanger, a good technique and keeping everything moving. The chapters are about ten pages each, nice and consistent, and easy to get along with.

Bobby and Smitty and Alice and Pete and everyone else all have their own distinct personalities, creating good amounts of conflict between the characters, as well as versus-zombie conflict. It’s amazing how seeing a character put through certain situations(ie a zombie attack) can make you like them. Alice, to start with, was a complete bitch. By the end of it...only half.

I liked the fact that we kept meeting new characters. Aside from getting stuck places and learning odd things about these zombies, it’s a good way of moving story along. And there were some that I wasn’t expecting to turn up at all. Yay for unpredictability!

What didn’t I like about htis? At times, every single one of these characters was at least a little bit stupid, annoying, or, most likely, both. I also felt a bit detached from the action at various points in the novel. Aside from that, this is a great zombie book.

Finally, I love the use of Carrot Man and Veggie Juice. I assure you, this is not completely random.

Overall:  Strength 4 tea to a fun zombie book. Definitely want to read Unfed.

Links: Goodreads | Author website | 

Book Review- Crave by Melissa Darnell

Title: Crave

 Author:  Melissa Darnell

Series:  The Clann #1

Published:  6 April 2012 by Mira

Length: 416 pages

Warnings: 12+

Source: Publisher

Summary : When Savannah Colbert returns to school after a mystery illness, the fact that she has changed is clear to everyone. None more so than every school girls golden boy Tristan Coleman. Ever since their first kiss in fourth grade, Savannah and Tristan have been cruelly and inexplicably banned from associating with each other. Now, as the pair navigate the tricky social life of high school, the truth is about to be revealed. As Savannah learns of their paranormal ancestry and Tristan deals with the repercussions of her new powers, the relationship they have been denied for so long becomes utterly irresistible and all consuming. Like Romeo and Juliet centuries before them, Savannah and Tristan’s love is destined to fail; and Tristan’s powerful magical family, the Clann, are watching.

Review: In the wake of Twilight, forbidden romance boomed in popularity. And another crops up on the market? Let’s go for it. Savannah Colbert learns that her father is a vampire, making herself a dhamphir (half vampire). And then she finds that she’s becoming even mor9e attracted to her fourth grade boyfriend, Tristan Coleman. But this time, they’re being watched. Both the Clann, a powerful group of witches, and the vampire council are making sure they don’t endanger the peace between the species. But to do that, they can’t be in love...

In the interview at the back, it says that Melissa wanted a female vampire at the heart of the book. Good. she thought it would be cool if her hero was a witch. I like. The species being mortal enemies...a little overdone, but can be done well. So a good premises.

It starts off well, introducing the Colberts and the Colemans quite soon, and filling in the background. There are a lot of sideplots in this that get kicked off soon, such as Savannah’s longing to dance with her school.

It’s quite a relatable novel.  With Savannah not getting everything to work her way all the time, being bullied and having another boyfriend before settling down with Tristan, it’s a bit more believable and adds depth to her character.

I would have liked to see a bit more of the vampires and magic. It get that this is a paranormal romance orientated novel, and don’t mind that. But the vamps and witches are important to this and should get a little more significance. Oh, and I approve of the lack of lycanthropes.

Tristan and Savannah work well together and make a good couple. Their powers develop along with their relationship, and the backstory between them is really nice. A note for Tristan-your grounding was funny. *casually steams up tap* My favourite character was Emily, Tristan’s sister. She’s smart, she’s funny, and a much more relaxed Hermione Granger.

I liked the dual narration, because we saw a lot of scenes from two perspectives. However, some things did seem drawn out, and important events came quite slowly. The book could easily have been shorter without losing any of the plot.

Overall:  Strength 3 tea to a nice romance with side elements of magic, that just doesn’t leave me craving more.

Links: | Goodreads | Author website |