*** Review*** Ghost Town (Morganville Vampires #9) by Rachel Caine

On the Back of the Book

The fragile peace between humans and vampires in Morganville is in trouble, and when Claire takes drastic action, she’s put under serious pressure to re-establish the barriers that keep the town residents inside, and wipe the memories of those who leave.

But working with her half-crazy vampire boss Myrnin means that things don’t always turn out as planned... and as the people of Morganville begin acting strangely, Claire and her friends must solve the mystery and try to put things right. But one by one, her allies are turning on her... even the ones she trusts most.

Pre Read Thoughts

I’m choosing this because:

I’m still working my way through these and my excitement and anticipation grows with book I read. I originally only picked these up because I was going through a vampire phase but I got bored of them before I reached Morganville. So at the start of the year when I decided to launch an attack on Spencer (my TBR pile, remember I named him!) I decided to start with this whole series and I’m really not regretting it.

Judging a book by its cover:

The thing that draws me to this cover every single time I look at it are the girl’s eyes. They call to me and I fall into them (too dramatic? Maybe a bit? Oh well I love a bit of drama!). The title and other shiny bits are in silver this time and while they look so stunning I find they blend in more than stand out. Normally the shiny stands out and I miss that about this cover. Although if we’re being honest it’s still better than the US covers, they really don’t do anything for me.

Pricing the (possible) awesomeness:

I keep pointing out that I got these as part of a 3 for £5 offer because I’m awesome and it’s true. However if you don’t have that option you can buy this on Amazon for £5.19 in paperback or £4.31 on Kindle. They’re reasonable prices and the series so far has definitely been worth reading so it’s time for an investment if you haven’t got them.

Post Read Thoughts

‘Fade Out’ just got topped. Morganville just keeps getting better. This book felt longer than the others but that really didn’t affect the story, if anything it enhanced it. There were so many times when I thought I was getting to the climax of the story then something would happen and I’d be sent back reeling, wondering how on Earth Claire was going to pull off her task. The writing is still keeping me interested in the story, even though we’re 9 books in and I get bored more easily than Claire gets herself into a spot of bother. (Oooh! I said a spot of bother! How British of me!)

This book gave me the chance to see what Eve, Michael and Shane were like before Claire came into their lives and I really liked having that opportunity. We got to see different sides to them all and we get to see how Claire can cope on her own, well I say on her own, that girl got skillz to make people believe in her! (I’m never spelling skills like that ever again.) Seeing the guys (and gal) as teenagers (well their minds anyway) really makes me appreciate and love them more, I think I actually prefer fifteen-year-old Shane. I don’t mean that in a dodgy way!

We also got to see a lot of other Morganville regulars revert to three years previously and I really did enjoy that! This means we get crazy Myrnin from previous books!! Oh he’s so hot when he’s murderous! *swoons* (I have pointed out that Myrnin’s my boy right?) It’s awesome to see backward character development and the whole idea of it is a stroke of genius!!

Special shout out goes to Frankie boy aka Frank Collins – His role in this book is so intriguing and I have to say it was refreshing to see a side to him that wasn’t Captain Douche Bag. Can’t say that it made me warm to him though, there’s too much water (and bad parenting) under the bridge. Also I only put Frankie boy because I can imagine the controlling jerk guy in him really hating that and I’m a meanie.

Overall this book has seen the bar, walked up to it, raised it a couple of notches then still sailed over it. It’s that awesome! This whole series has so much to offer teens and adults alike. While there is romance it doesn’t overwhelm the action and there is plenty of action going on for those that really don’t like the whole series about two people in love type thing. Finally I feel it delivered on my prediction of new giant story arcs. If you’ve read the last paragraph of the book you’ll know what I mean.

My Rating

 4.5 stars – Amazing, faultless, just incredible. I love this book, this series and I want everyone to read them I think I’d like Morganville to go on forever! *bows down to the genius that is Rachel Caine*

A Final Note

It is with a heavy heart that I report that I’m leaving Morganville, but only to get on with my review requests and ARCs! So my next few books won’t be what the page says what they are! We’re taking a detour! TO INFINITY AND BEYOND! (well that’s Toy Story but I can’t think of a book related let’s do this type thing.)

*** Review*** Winter Rose by Rachel A. Marks

On the Back of the Book

A dark and haunting tale of a young girl trapped in winter, longing to be free. When Rose and her sister are left to fend for themselves and an ailing mother, they must fight both nature and the darkness of the soul to survive. And perhaps, along the way, they will find the strength to love.

Pre Read Thoughts

I’m choosing this because:

I found this while searching for free books on Kindle. Two things made me stop and click buy 1. The cover. Let’s be honest, it’s stunning but more on that later. 2. The synopsis. It intrigued me and you know what happens when I get intrigued, I end up buying and that doesn’t always go well. Hopefully this will.

Judging a book by its cover:

I just touched upon the cover. I think it’s beautiful. The simplicity is what makes it special. The girl staring over her shoulder with a haunted expression draws you in. The black and white makes you feel the bleakness of the story just from one look and the touch of pink on the “R”, I swear it’s one of those covers I could stare at all day.

Pricing the (possible) awesomeness:

Well I got this for free; I’m good at finding freebies. The price of it now though is £1.98, which still isn’t bad when you think about it. Paperbacks are way more! So yes, after you’ve read my review you can go buy it... maybe.

Post Read Thoughts

Wow, this as an incredible story. I was immediately drawn into the story and felt the desperation that Rose and Becca must’ve felt. In my opinion this novella is beautifully written and it felt achingly real to me, it was haunting. I’m actually having trouble describing how much I truly loved this. The only thing I needed more of was the story. I could’ve read the story forever. I really was immensely disappointed when I reached the end.

Rose – Rose is such a brave character and I admired her so very much. She’d been through a lot so I didn’t blame her when she did finally snap. I think anyone would’ve. I really enjoyed being a part of the experience of her walls coming down, as the realisation that not every guy was like the ones she’d encountered in her life.

Becca – Becca is such a sweet girl and she wants to make it better for her sister but she wasn’t sure how to do that. I love how she didn’t judge Rose, and allowed her the chance to overcome her demons in her own way.

Luke – I can’t explain Luke’s entrance but I love how he waited for Rose, even though she thought he was in love with her sister. I’m glad that he didn’t force himself on Rose and found a way to help her overcome her demons.

Overall this is a stunning novella. I wish that it was a full length novel because then there could have been even more depth to the story and the characters. It’s beautiful and haunting and I loved the way it was written. I’ve fallen so completely in love with it that I can’t fault a single thing.

My Rating

5 stars – This is perfection for me, I cannot tell you how much I adore it. I recommend this to everyone. Just so long as you don’t mind a bit of violence. I can’t say what the violence is though – I try not to use spoilers in my reviews.

A Final Note

I originally wrote this review in 2012 and have just found it in my book of lost reviews.  So this is what I felt after reading this book and I haven’t re-read it so we’ll all have to take 20 year old me’s word on its quality.

*** Review*** Kiss of Death (Morganville Vampires #8 by Rachel Caine

On the Back of the Book

Claire Danvers has a few things on her mind. First of all there is the laundry, which is now an unfortunate shade of pink. Then there is her boyfriend, Shane, who is never too far from her thoughts. Finally there is her best friend Eve’s relationship problems. As if life as a student wasn’t complicated enough, Claire just happens to be studying in Morganville. A town run by vampires. Trouble seems to follow Claire and her friends like a shadow and tonight is no exception to the rule. They must find the most difficult documents for a vampire to acquire; people passes that will allow ‘bad ass’ Morley and his friends to leave Morganville. But it’s proving incredibly difficult, and with the odds seemingly stacked against them, the biggest question of all is…Will they survive?

Pre Read Thoughts

I’m choosing this because:

‘Fade Out’ was incredible, I won’t deny it but now the time has come for me to move on to the next book. I’m a mixture of excited and nervous: excited because this series is so good and I’m enjoying it more than I imagined I would. Nervous because a part of me is worried that ‘Kiss of Death’ won’t live up to previous books, it’d hurt to get so far into a series for it to suddenly not be as good. I know it sounds silly but let’s be honest, it’s happened to us all.

Judging a book by its cover:

The cover feels dark and dangerous, all that black and red and the intenseness of the girl’s eyes. The shiny accent of this book is a rather lovely shade of blue and really stands out in the prettiest of ways. They draw you to the book and make you want to pick it up and take it home with you, well that’s what happened to me but I’m a sucker for shiny things.

Pricing the (possible) awesomeness:

3 for £5 at The Works!! Just saying that I’m a bargain hunter. Or cheap skate. Whichever way you want to look at it. It’s also available on Amazon £4.54 for the paperback, £4.31 on Kindle. There’s no reason for you not to save your pennies and buy it!

Post Read Thoughts

So, the ending is dark. The climax of the action lets you know that this is definitely a series that you’d be better off reading close together. These are good things. They keep you interested. However I bring bad news, fellow Myrnin fans: he’s not in this one much. *grabs tissue and sobs into it*I’m now in withdrawal!! Anyway, back to the book, overall I still liked it. A lot.  It has some dark elements, a stack of adventure, a dash of romance and ROAD TRIP!!! *packs bags* (What?! I’m only small, they won’t know I’m there!)

So the characters. I love good characters with depth and Morganville has them with spades. However with the action being away from town I’m having a hard time coming up with relevant people/vamps.

Oliver – Vampire 2^nd in command, half good, half evil with just a dash of hippie about him. He’s got so many layers to him that we’re now eight books in and I still don’t know where I stand with him. He’s a puzzle but that’s definitely one of the things I like about him. Possibly the only thing actually. I hate being to guess the motives of a character but there’s no chance of that with Oliver.

Morley – Morley’s been doing a bit of creepy, evil loitering with intent for a while now but this is his climax, I think, it felt like it to me anyway. He’s not a likeable character but I understand his frustrations and that makes him slightly less of an idiot, but only slightly. His actions have consequences and I’m not sure that he realises that. (I wanted to call him something stronger than an idiot but all the words I could think of were rude.)

Claire, Shane, Eve & Michael – Our heroes and heroines have such banter and the chemistry between them all makes reading this such a pleasure. With some books I’ve read books with characters sniping at each other and those were the MC only cares about their eternal love leaving the rest of the world out in the cold which really does grate on me. This bunch feel real and that’s part of what keeps me coming back for more.

This is another great book in this series. Not as good as ‘Fade Out’ but I’m missing my favourite character so I was always going to say that. Rachel Caine has weaved another exceptional tale and proved that you can take the guys and gals out of Morganville but even in the real world there’s danger. I think that in some sense this story is kind of pulling you in ready for the big guns. It feels filler-ish but good filler... like chicken mayo. I love chicken mayo... okay getting distracted again.

My Rating

4 stars – Another solid, action packed book that leaves me wanting more. My only complaint I’ve made numerous times already *makes I need Myrnin protest banner*. I’m still happy to tell you to read this series. I recommend it whole heartedly. I mean it. It’s wonderful.

*** Review*** Adventures of a Wimpy Werewolf: Hairy but Not Scary by Tim Collins

On the Back of the Book

Luke Thorpe is a fifteen-year-old wimp. Excellent at maths and terrible at sport, he'd rather keep his head down and get on with his schoolwork. Yet, mysterious and uncontrollable changes in his behaviour and appearance - patches of hair growing rapidly, howling rather than singing the hymns in assembly, sudden growth spurts causing his clothes to rip off - are threatening to rocket him out of obscurity. Join Luke on a journey of discovery, embarrassing mishaps and hilarity as he gets to the bottom of his werewolf roots, joins a pack, and finds himself en route to war against the vampires (whose number include a rather wimpy, but familiar face) ...

Pre Read Thoughts

I’m choosing this because:

I found this by accident when I was shuffling around on Amazon for Kindle books when I found this. I loved both of the wimpy vampire books so instantly knew that I wanted this one in my life. 

Judging a book by its cover:

The cover for this is similar to the vampire ones except it has werewolf type things on it. It’s a lovely colour and fairly eye-catching. I definitely took notice when I saw it.

Pricing the (possible) awesomeness:

Well when I bought this it was a mere 99p on Kindle but now it’s £4.79 or if you want a paperback it’s £5.99. So I guess you missed out on the whole 99p thing maybe next time!

Post Read Thoughts

I loved this. I was in stitches as I read it. It’s a really quick read, I actually forgot how quick and easy these are to read. The writing is simple and it’s a very current book. A lot of the jokes are very 2011 meaning kids of today are going to feel included but I’m not sure what future generations will think of Poundstretcher, TOWIE (The Only Way Is Essex) and Justin Bieber. Actually, I’m so ashamed to live in the UK knowing that I share a country with them. Justin Bieber... let’s not go there. As for Poundstretcher. I love there, the duvets are a bit cheaply made though. Okay, off topic. Back to the book/ The plot is very simple but once again very amusing and incredibly easy to follow. I love how many series this books parodies and the thing is – it does it well. So many parodies take themselves too seriously but this one doesn’t make that mistake.

Luke – He’s our wimpy werewolf and boy is he geeky! I do like him though, he gets into some right old scrapes before he realises that he’s actually a werewolf. There were quite a few of my favourite Luke moments right there. I also loved his reaction to everyone’s favourite wimpy vampire, Nigel.

Chloe – Nigel’s ex girlfriend was of course turned into a werewolf in ‘Prince of Dorkness’, so I shouldn’t have been surprised to see her, but I was. In a good way of course. I love Chloe and the fact that she hasn’t changed is awesome. My favourite Chloe scene is near the end but I can’t tell you what it is because I don’t want to spoil it for you.

Nigel – I was so happy to see the return of Nigel and his, quite frankly, horrific poetry. I obviously adore Nigel (or I wouldn’t have bought this!) and I definitely think he’s hilarious. He’s the worst vampire to exist in the entire history of them but it’s part of his charm! My favourite Nigel moment is definitely that poetry. It’s so bad you just have to love it. (Although I want to know if it’s hard to write something that bad.)

Overall this is a hilariously funny, quick, entertaining read. I can’t think of one thing that I didn’t like about it. Actually I can. It’s too short. I need more Luke!! I need more Chloe!! Most of all though I need more Nigel!! They make an excellent trio and I for one enjoyed every moment of their latest escapade. I wish I was fictional so I could join them.

My Rating

5 Stars – For me this book is perfection. I loved everything. This book is aimed for readers younger than me but 22 year olds still need childish amusement!! I recommend this to parody fans, vampire and werewolf fans, people who like amusing books as a nice break from serious stuff. Actually, I recommend it to the world! Everyone needs to read this (and the Wimpy Vampire books) at least once.

A Final Note

Hi! This is one of the reviews I wrote before I lost misplaced my review book. So I was 20 when I wrote this but I know what I said still stands because as I’m writing this I’m remembering what fun I had reading it.

Also there’s a NEW Wimpy Vampire book on the way in a few MONTHS!! This is my discovery of the day and I may be SLIGHTLY INCREDIBLY EXCITED!!