VENOM by Jennifer Estep

Venom
Jennifer Estep

Rating: A+
Synopsis:
What kind of assassin works pro bono?

It’s hard to be a bad ass assassin when a giant is beating the crap out of you. Luckily, I never let pride get in the way of my work. My current mission is personal: annihilate Mab Monroe, the Fire elemental who murdered my family. Which means protecting my identity, even if I have to conceal my powerful Stone and Ice magic when I need it most. 

To the public, I’m Gin Blanco, owner of Ashland’s best barbecue joint. To my friends, I’m the Spider, retired assassin. I still do favors on the side. Like ridding a vampire friend of her oversized stalker—Mab’s right-hand goon who almost got me dead with his massive fists. 

At least irresistible Owen Grayson is on my side. The man knows too much about me, but I’ll take my chances. Then there’s Detective Bria Coolidge, one of Ashland’s finest. Until recently, I thought my baby sister was dead. She probably thinks the same about me. Little does she know, I’m a cold-blooded killer . . . who is about to save her life.

My thoughts on the book:
So far Venom is my favorite book of the Elemental Assassin series. The character growth, again, is amazing. The plot is ridiculously suspenseful, the romance is steamy, and the pacing is perfect. This book blew me away. I'm completely in love with this series. I love it as much as I love the Women of the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong, and that is my favorite series of all time. Estep is a fantastic writer, and this installment does not disappoint. 

Gin keeps evolving, and I really like who she's turning into. She's still a bad ass, but she's also showing more heart. Yes, she's still cold, logical, and brutal, but she also has a soul. She's definitely a heroine I can get behind. I love reading things from her perspective, too, and I really admire the lengths she's willing to go to in order to keep her friends and family safe. She's selfless in many ways, but she's still a fighter. She's one of the best female characters I've ever read. 

The secondary characters are all amazing, and I am enjoying getting to know more about all of them. I still adore Finn, but Owen has really grown on me too. He's pretty much perfect for Gin, and I hope he sticks around for a few books (if not the rest of the series). He's a ton better than Donovan, that's for sure. Violent is another pleasant surprise. She's a tough girl, even though she didn't seem like it when she was first introduced. Also, Roslyn is an impressive character, and so is Bria. This series just has an amazing cast. Even the bad guys are complex and intriguing. Each character is an individual with his or her own voice, and none of them are stereotypes. Each character is fleshed out and interesting in his or her own way. 

The plot is action-packed and full of suspense. There isn't a ton of mystery, but I was kept on the edge of my seat the entire time. The pacing is perfect, and I didn't get bored at all. I'm not completely clear about how Gin gets the knives to stay in her sleeves, and I keep trying to figure out the schematics of it. I think I'm going with she has them strapped up in there, though nothing like that has been mentioned... Random, I know. Anyway, I couldn't put this book down, and it was a super quick read for me. I really like where this series is going. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book and series to everyone who enjoys kick ass female leads and urban fantasy/supernatural novels. I'm not a huge fan of a lot of supernatural series. I only read Patricia Briggs, Jeaniene Frost, Chloe Neill, and Kelley Armstrong. That being said, I am completely in love with this series. If you like any of these authors, then I'd definitely recommend giving this series a try. 

Buy Venom!

NEVERFALL + EVERNEATH winner!

The winner of the NEVERFALL + EVERNEATH e-book giveaway is Veronika! Congratulations! An email has been sent to the address provided with your entry. Thank you to all who entered! Stay tuned for more giveaways.

MOONGLOW by Michael Griffo

Moonglow
Michael Griffo

Rating: F-
Release Date: 02/26/13
Synopsis:
From the author of the acclaimed Archangel Academy vampire trilogy comes a stunning new series about a girl determined to defy her fate—and reclaim her future…

Something strange is going on with Dominy Robineau. All her friends in Weeping Water, Nebraska, have noticed—and it’s way beyond teenage blues. As weeks pass, Dom grows consumed by anger, aggression, and violence, and she seems powerless to stop it. Then she turns sixteen, and things get really dangerous.

When her best friend is murdered, Dominy’s father is compelled to reveal the truth behind the darkness that threatens to both overtake and empower her. Her boyfriend, Caleb, swears they’ll find a way to change her destiny. But others are hiding secrets too, and gifts that are far more terrifying than hers. And even as she struggles to control her new abilities, Dom must contend with an enemy who wants her to use the beast within to destroy all those she loves, before she destroys herself…

My thoughts on the book:
Moonglow is the most racist piece of crap that I have ever read in my entire life. I am so offended by this book that I'm not even sure if I can get through this review without cursing up a storm. I am appalled that this book is going to be released since it is so blatantly racist and insensitive. It makes me sick, honestly. Since the awful racism was directed toward American Indians, as usual, it's looked over and treated as acceptable. Well, let me make something clear right now... Racism against any group of people is not acceptable and neither is publishing books for teens that condone and promote blatant hate. 

I really went back and forth on whether or not I should even review this book. I don't enjoy writing bad reviews, and I have never hated a book more than I detest this one. However, American Indian rights are so important, and not many people know anything about them. I had to say something. Thanks to settler colonialism at its finest, America's Master Narrative has omitted American Indian history to the point that people don't know the difference between a Cherokee and a Navajo. This is problematic. Education is the only way to combat this, so I hope that something good can come out of this racist garbage I had to read, and that I can share a little of what I know about what's happening in Indian Country today. 

Griffo is also the worst writer that I've ever read. Let me be clear on this... The guy can't write to save his horribly racist life. He's probably too consumed with hate to write anything worthwhile, but still. This book was the biggest waste of time I've ever read. He describes things way too much, which runs everything into the ground. The language is clunky, and the sentences do not flow. I could barely make myself finish it. 

The character development is non-existent and the plot is boring and predictable. This is the most yawn-worthy book I've read all year. The only emotion I felt while reading this was increasing anger at the horrible racism. 

And while I'm at it, let me just remind Griffo and all the other racists out there... You are living on stolen land. This country is not yours. America's Indigenous peoples have been here for thousands of years and they are still here. They have survived. They have adapted. They are now distinct nations within the United States, and they are human. They deserve respect, just like any other group of humans does. The fact that racism against Indigenous peoples continues simply because of the horrendous Hollywood and sports mascot stereotypes does not make it okay. It is not okay, and these stereotypes are extremely harmful to Indigenous peoples. By condoning and perpetuating these stereotypes and this racism, you are continuing the genocide that the US government started in 1776, and that is disgusting. 

Here are some facts:

1 in every 3 Native American women is sexually assaulted, mostly by non-native men who come onto their reservations and rape them. The Indian Nations cannot press charges because the US government believes that they are incapable of handling the "seven major crimes," which include rape and murder. Therefore, their rapists get off scot-free. 

American Indians only make up one half of one percent of the US population. Therefore, it's extremely difficult and time consuming for them to fight off these horrific stereotypes. 

Blatant racism not only hurts American Indians' identities and sovereignty (it makes it seem as if no Native Americans are left and all of the "real Indians" are dead, which makes it harder for the nations to hold onto their federal recognition), but it also perpetuates the sexualization of American Indians, which leads to more rape and sexual abuse. 

All of these things are due to colonialism, and that's still going on today. 

This book and all other forms of racist literature perpetuate colonialism and genocide.  The videos below are results of the same type of racism that's portrayed in this book. The last residential school closed in 1996, just so everyone knows how long this horrific practice went on.

Dominion by Melody Manful promo stop + giveaway!!

Dominion

Guardian Angels Book One

Melody Manful

Genre: YA paranormal fantasy.

ISBN: 0615739458

ISBN13: 9780615739458

Book Description:

I Dare You.

Look Over Your Shoulders.

Do You See Them?

They are behind you...

They are always behind you.

Abigail Cells had a nightmare the day before she met Gideon, the new guy in school who has every girl drooling just to be near him. In her nightmare, she was murdered by a magical creature. As she gets to know Gideon, she begins to remember pieces of her nightmare, and was shocked when Gideon turned out to be the creature from her nightmare. Who is Gideon really? Should Abby allow herself to fall completely for him, or is he the next disaster waiting to happen?

About the author:

Melody Manful was born on June 8, 1994, in a town in Ghana called Tema. She started writing at a very early age and has been doing it ever since. Melody has two siblings and lives in Denmark with her family. She loves music, reading, and writing, and she puts a great deal into making her friends happy.

Author Links:

Website: www.melodymanful.com

Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9747943-dominion

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/guardiananagelsaga

Twitter: @melodymanful

 Click "read more" for an excerpt and to enter the giveaway!

WEB OF LIES by Jennifer Estep

Web of Lies
Jennifer Estep

Rating: B+
Synopsis:
Curiosity is definitely going to get me dead one of these days. Probably real soon. 

I'm  Gin Blanco.

You might know me as the Spider, the most feared assassin in the South. I’m retired now, but trouble still has a way of finding me. Like the other day when two punks tried to rob my popular barbecue joint, the Pork Pit. Then there was the barrage of gunfire on the restaurant. Only, for once, those kill shots weren’t aimed at me. They were meant for Violet Fox. Ever since I agreed to help Violet and her grandfather protect their property from an evil coalmining tycoon, I’m beginning to wonder if I’m really retired. So is Detective Donovan Caine. The only honest cop in Ashland is having a real hard time reconciling his attraction to me with his Boy Scout mentality. And I can barely keep my hands off his sexy body. What can I say? I’m a Stone elemental with a little Ice magic thrown in, but my heart isn’t made of solid rock. Luckily, Gin Blanco always gets her man . . . dead or alive.

My thoughts on the book:
Web of Lies is an excellent follow-up to Spider's Bite. While I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as the first one, I did like it a lot. Like all of Estep's books, the characters grow and change over the course of the novel. The plot is action-packed and full of suspense, and the pacing is perfect. Like the Spider's Bite, I found Web of Lies difficult to put down. It definitely held my interest, and I can't wait to read Venom to see what Gin and company get into next. 

One of my favorite things about this novel is how Gin changes as a character. She really grows and turns into someone who is more caring, yet still hardcore. She doesn't let her emotions get in the way, but she's learning that she can do good with her skills instead of always doing other people's dirty work. I enjoyed watching her learn more about Fletcher's past and more about herself through the process of helping the Foxes. 

Speaking of the Foxes, I also like how Estep had Warren Fox be a Cherokee character, but she doesn't make a big deal out of it. The Qualla Boundary (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians' reservation) is right outside of Asheville (or Ashland), in the mountains, and I'm glad she acknowledges that the land is and always has been theirs. However, she doesn't depoliticize the EBCI or any of the other American Indian nations. She just states that he's Cherokee, and he states that the land has been in his family over 300 years and that he's not willing to part with it. No weirdo New Age/Pseudo-Powwow culture junk that a lot of authors try to throw into their novels when they have Indigenous peoples in them. Warren T. Fox is simply a mountain man who's trying to hold onto his family home. He's very much a contemporary mountaineer, and he illustrates that American Indians are still present and functioning in present-day society. I commend you, Ms. Estep, for handling this with such grace. 

My main complaint about this novel is that Finn isn't present as much. I missed him, haha. Also, Donovan really pissed me off. He's just a jerk. One of my commenters mentioned she didn't really like him when I reviewed the last book. I have to admit that I fully agree with her. I did love Owen Grayson, though, and I can't wait to learn more about him. He seems like he may actually be man-enough to handle Gin. 

The plot and pacing are perfect, as I've come to expect from Estep. I don't feel like things are as mysterious in this novel as they were in the last, but there is plenty of action and a little bit of romance thrown in. Again, there were times when I wasn't sure Gin would make it out alive, even though I knew the series continued. Estep is really good at keeping the reader on the edge of his or her seat. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book and series to anyone who loves good Urban Fantasy material. I've really enjoyed both books in the series so far, and I'm looking forward to reading Venom in the next day or so. 

Order Web of Lies!

For the Love of Hades Promo Stop + Giveaway!

For the Love of Hades 
Loves of Olympus, Book 2

Sasha Summers

Genre: Romantic Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Crescent Moon Press

ISBN:  978-1-937254-83-4

ASIN: 978-1-937254-84-1

Number of pages: 309

Word Count: 78,500

Cover Artist: Jeannie Ruesch

Book Description:

 Hades, God of Death, has no heart. Persephone is determined to prove otherwise…

Hades, the Lord of the Underworld, has no patience for living things or his Olympian brethren. His purpose is order, administering justice to those who enter his realm, and keeping the balance decreed by the Fates. Meeting Persephone sways his focus, her gentle sweetness threatening his control. But he will not be tempted.

Poseidon’s scheming wreaks havoc upon Persephone. Hades has no choice - he must rescue her.

Hades awakens something within the Goddess Persephone. She feels no fear from his brooding presence. In truth, she’s never felt so alive. Every stolen moment together only confirms her instinct: he is meant to be hers. Such a powerful union suit will face opposition – from Olympus, her troubled betrothed, the Fates, even Hades himself – but she is determined to win his heart.

Medusa A Love Story

Loves of Olympus Book One

By Sasha Summers

Book Description:        

 It's said love can change a person. Medusa wasn't always a monster...

Medusa is ruled by duty, to her Titan father and the Goddess Athena. She's no room for the tenderness her warrior guard, Ariston, stirs. When Olympus frees her from service, her heart leads her into the arms of the guard she loves... and curses her as the creature with serpent locks.

Ariston goes to war with a full heart... and dreadful foreboding. He learns too late of the danger Medusa faces, alone, and a Persian blade sends him into the Underworld. But death, curses, nor the wrath of the Gods will keep him from returning to her.

Poseidon will use Greece's war to get what he wants: Medusa. He does not care that she belongs to another. He does not care that she will be damned. He is a God, an Olympian, and she will be his.

"This tragic and beautiful retelling of one of the world's oldest stories tackles the eternal battle between duty and happiness. Medusa, A Love Story broke my heart then filled in the cracks with joy. Sasha Summers is simply a mesmerizing new talent."  ~Stephanie Dray, Author of the critically acclaimed Song of the Nile

About the Author :

Sasha Summers is part gypsy. Her passions have always been storytelling, history, and travel. It's no surprise that her books visit times past, set in places rich with legends and myth. Her first play, 'Greek Gods and Goddesses' (original title, right?), was written for her Girl Scout troupe.

She's been writing ever since. She loves getting lost in the worlds and characters she creates; even if she frequently forgets to run the dishwasher or wash socks when she's doing so. Luckily, her four brilliant children and hero-inspiring hubby are super understanding and supportive.

Sasha is an active member of RWA and several Texas Chapters. A self-proclaimed movie-addict, she is full of all sorts of useless movie tidbits and trivia.

Links:

Website   Twitter   Goodreads  Facebook  Blog   Pinterest

Click "read more" to enter the giveaway and to read a teaser from For the Love of Hades! 

SPIDER'S BITE by Jennifer Estep

Spider's Bite
Jennifer Estep

Rating: A
Synopsis:
My name is Gin, and I kill people.

They call me the Spider. I'm the most feared assassin in the South — when I'm not busy at the Pork Pit cooking up the best barbecue in Ashland. As a Stone elemental, I can hear everything from the whispers of the gravel beneath my feet to the vibrations of the soaring Appalachian Mountains above me. My Ice magic also comes in handy for making the occasional knife. But I don't use my powers on the job unless I absolutely have to. Call it professional pride.

Now that a ruthless Air elemental has double-crossed me and killed my handler, I'm out for revenge. And I'll exterminate anyone who gets in my way — good or bad. I may look hot, but I'm still one of the bad guys. Which is why I'm in trouble, since irresistibly rugged Detective Donovan Caine has agreed to help me. The last thing this cold-hearted killer needs when I'm battling a magic more powerful than my own is a sexy distraction...especially when Donovan wants me dead just as much as the enemy.

My thoughts on the book:

Spider's Bite offers a unique take on urban fantasy. I'm a huge fan of Estep's Mythos Academy YA series, so I figured I'd give her adult series a try as well. I was not disappointed! The characters are likable and decently developed for the first book in a series, the writing is top notch, the world-building is fantastic, and the plot is intense and suspenseful. I couldn't put this book down! My only regret about this series is that I waited so long to start it. Oh well, at least now I won't have to wait on the next book to come out!

Gin is an assassin, yes, but she is also someone you can sympathize with and relate to. She mostly kills people who do awful things, so in my mind she's doing the world a favor anyway. Gin's a strong and tough character, but underneath it all, she has a good heart. I know that sounds weird, but it seems to be true. I really liked reading from her perspective, and I can't wait to learn more about her. 

Finn is an amazing secondary character. I completely fell in love with him. I know he's Gin's friend and they're like siblings (even though they've slept together, so I'm going to go with there's just a lot of denial there or something), but I really wish they'd get together... back together... whatever. They just care about each other so much. It's sweet. 

Speaking of relationships, Detective Caine is a pretty good love interest if Gin refuses to make a go of it with Finn. See their names even rhyme! Ahem. Anyway, I liked Donovan, and I really liked how he balanced Gin out some. He is extremely good and moral, and in a way, I think that might be good for her short-term. However, his constant judging of who she is and what she does would get old after awhile, I would think. We'll see where that goes. 

The plot is intense and action-packed. I couldn't put this book down! This novel has everything I love in a book. A mystery, action, romance, and suspense. While the story is light on the romance, there is enough to at least keep me interested in the characters' personal lives. The mystery kept me hooked as well. Even though I know the series continues, I still was so lost in the story that I didn't know whether or not Gin would make it out alive. 

The world-building is top-notch as well. I feel that I understand the world of the elementals and what kind of town Ashland is. Estep uses terrific descriptions and she explains things without being redundant or boring. The pace is fluid, and the information is intertwined with the story, so it doesn't mess with the pacing. No info dumps, thankfully. Also, Estep doesn't use dialogue to relay information, which is good. That really irks me when there are pages and pages of dialogue explaining things. It just doesn't seem natural, and I feel like I'm being lectured at in a classroom instead of reading a book. Also, Estep is a master of showing instead of telling. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves a good urban fantasy read. It's a bit dark and gritty, but not to the extreme. If you love Kelley Armstrong, Kim Harrison, and/or Laurell K. Hamilton, then you're sure to adore this series. Give it a try, you won't be sorry!

Order Spider's Bite!