Magic and Martial Arts

My Rating: 4/5

Review: This book was both fascinating and magical. I was immediately drawn in by the very intriguing story about a healer who was also a protector, a thief who was also a murderer, and the world of martial arts and tattoos.

Book Description:
Mia Lockheart has a secret. Her mother was a Keeper, as was her grandmother—women who were warriors, healers, and protectors. As Mia practices her craft among the boxers and martial artists of South London, and begins a romance with her childhood friend, the fighter Nick Duffy, she has no idea that a man who calls himself “Dragonfly” is watching from the shadows.

Adrian Ashton is a brilliant scientist, an expert in the breaking field of biophoton emissions from cells within the human body. He is also a skilled martial artist—and a modern-day vampire. With the aid of the enigmatic Book of Life and Death, written in the thirteenth century by the legendary Chinese physician Zhang Sanfeng, he preys on other martial artists and drains them of their chi—the vital energy that flows through the body.

Mia finds herself drawn to his dark genius, but when he targets Nick as his next victim, she is forced to choose between the two men. It becomes a fight to the death in which love is both the greatest weakness and the biggest prize.

Vampire for Hire

I received this as an ARC though the Goodreads giveaway.

Rating: 3.5/5

My Review:
I was all set to hate this book a few chapters in, but before I knew it, I was eagerly turning pages and on the edge of my seat towards the end. As far as Vampire stories go, it's not exactly unique, but it did have a premise that was new to me. A vampire blinded by military experimentation hiring another vampire to help him out is quite intriguing after all. Raylene, also known as Chesire Red in the crime world, came across as an obnoxious teenager at first. Her attempts at being funny were just plain annoying, and she wasn't likable to me at all. Towards the end of the book, however, I began to like her more and more. She has spunk, she's brave, and well, she can actually be funny some of the time. I will most likely read the sequel, since I am curious by nature, and there is still a mystery to be solved.

Book Description: Raylene Pendle (AKA Cheshire Red), a vampire and world-renowned thief, doesn’t usually hang with her own kind. She’s too busy stealing priceless art and rare jewels. But when the infuriatingly charming Ian Stott asks for help, Raylene finds him impossible to resist—even though Ian doesn’t want precious artifacts. He wants her to retrieve missing government files—documents that deal with the secret biological experiments that left Ian blind. What Raylene doesn’t bargain for is a case that takes her from the wilds of Minneapolis to the mean streets of Atlanta. And with a psychotic, power-hungry scientist on her trail, a kick-ass drag queen on her side, and Men in Black popping up at the most inconvenient moments, the case proves to be one hell of a ride.

Subtle Suspense

My Rating: 5/5

Review: Mary Stewart has such a magical way of creating suspense without much violence and very little evidence of a threat aside from the initial greeting by Conner Winslow to the woman he thought was his long lost cousin. But Mary Grey states quite convincingly that she is not Annabel Winslow, and Conner soon hatches a scheme to get the inheritance he's always felt he deserves. There are secrets buried at the Winslow farm, however, secrets that threaten Conner's plan. Will he turn to murder after all, or will things get turned on him in the end. The build up at the end was quite intense, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Book Description: As she savored the ordered, spare beauty of England’s northern fells, the silence was shattered by the shout of a single name: “Annabel!” And there stood one of the angriest, most threatening young men Mary had ever seen. His name was Connor Winslow, and Mary quickly discovered that he thought she was his cousin—a girl supposedly dead these past eight years. Alive, she would be heiress to an inheritance Connor was determined to have for himself.

Assassins, Stollen Arrows, and a Mysterious Relic

My Rating: 5/5

Review: I loved this second novel in the Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Series! Jeri Westerson has certainly made her mark in the mystery genre, and given it it such a wonderfully new spin. I love the idea of Medieval Noir. It has such a nice ring to it, and there are so many places to go with it. Of course, I am looking forward to Crispin's next adventure. He's such an intriguing and noble character. He comes across a crown of thorn in this book. Could it truly be "the" crown of thorns? Who murdered the courier in charge of it? Who is trying to assassinate the king? Will Crispin find the answers in time? Will he save the day and finally regain his title? You'll have to read the book to find out, naturally, and what a romp it will be!

Book Description: Convicted of treason, Crispin Guest was stripped of his title, his land, his money and his friends. Now with only his considerable wits to sustain him, Guest works the mean streets of 14th century London, building a small reputation for his skill. In 1383, a simple-minded tavern girl comes to his door—a body was found where she works and she’s the only person who could have killed him. Except for the fact that the man was killed in place by a precisely aimed crossbow bolt. Making matters worse, the murdered man was one of three couriers from the French king, transporting a relic intended to smooth the troubled relations between France and England. Events quickly spin out of control and Guest now finds himself the prime suspect in the murder, one with terrible diplomatic implications. As the drumbeat of war between the two countries grow, Guest must unravel the con spiracy behind the murder to save not only his country, but himself as well.

The Hunger Games End

My Rating: 5/5

Review: This was a powerful ending to a very intense trilogy. Of course, upon first reading The Hunger Games, you had to know that there wasn't going to be a tidy little happy ending. There's excitment, heartbreak, triumph, failure, and shocking moments that will leave you reeling. Katniss is definitely a character that should be remembered for all time.

Book Description: Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12.

Medieval Noir

My Rating: 4/5

Review: This was an interesting and fun take on the mystery genre. I loved the setting, and Crispin Guest is a wonderful and exciting character. He's known as "The Tracker", and he does his job very well. He was once a knight, but treason has brought him down to the slums, and he'd give anything to have his old life back. In the mean time, there are murders to be solved and important items to be found.

Book Description: In the late 14th Century, disgraced former knight Crispin Guest finds himself in the midst of a situation involving a murdered tradesman, a missing religious artifact, a family dispute and a perplexing mystery.

A Town of Super Heroes

My Rating: 4/5

Review: I enjoyed reading this with my six-year-old son. He couldn't wait to get to the next couple of chapters every night at bed time. I guess you can't go wrong with a story about a town full of super heroes. My son doesn't agree with me, but I think O Boy has really does have a super power, his intelligence.

Book Description: hilarious new series that proves superpowers are no match for brainpower.

In the town of Superopolis, everyone has a superpower. Everyone, that is, except Ordinary Boy. He's–well, he's pretty much ordinary. But that won't stop him from taking on supervillains like the sinister Professor Brain–Drain....

This spring, welcome to Superopolis and The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy, a clever, funny new series for kids who've outgrown Captain Underpants or anyone who loves The Incredibles and The Tick. Packed with dynamic illustrations and starring a smart young hero who could hold his own with Charlie Bone, Klaus Baudelaire, and Stanley Yelnats, this is a series that kids will find undeniably super!