Dark is the Night by Mirriam Neal ~ Book Spotlight + Review

Graphic Credit: Morgan G. Farris

Skata has only one goal in life--to seek out the vampire who turned his wife and kill it.  When he finally tracks the vampire to the small nowhere town of Salvation, South Carolina, he realizes he has stepped foot into something bigger than himself.  He's going to need help--and that help may come in many forms.  Between the vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters and an unusual preacher, Skata may be in over his head.

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Colton eyed Skinner in the rearview mirror.  “You do anything to screw this up, and I’ll gut you with a screwdriver, you got that?”

  “That,” said Angel, “Is not a very heavenly attitude.”

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Of all the vampire books I've read - which don't number many - this is my favorite.  It's the perfect mixture of sweetness, snark, sass and adventure with incredible wisdom and a few touches of sadness thrown in.  My favorite character was not a werewolf, but the above mentioned, Angel, a vampire.  But it's from a lack of werewolves, not because my loyalties are shifting.  Yes, pun intended.

What I loved most about this book.

I honestly loved everything about this book...okay, not true, there was something I very much disliked, but more about that later.  The characters were well written and connectable for the most part, the plot never dragged or bored me, the descriptions were vivid and realistic and the whole thing captivated and enthralled, leaving me with begging for more...literally.

I would begin with speaking about Angel and everything I loved about him, but I've found I can't accomplish that without giving away massive spoilers.  So that's that.

If it wasn't for Angel's just pure awesomeness, the Preacher Man would have been my favorite.  I mean you've got to read this book just for him!  The gems that fall from this man's lip are honestly mind blowing at times, and most definitely thought provoking.  A problem I constantly run into is finding novels that incorporate God and Christianity without being 'preachy', thankfully, that was not a problem with Dark is the Night!

The Girl in this novel and her relationship with the men was refreshingly different and I adored the way in which Ms. Neal handled the usual "Guy reveals something, Girl gets mad and can never forgive him but then she comes to realize something so she goes to him" trope, was perfect.  Actually, she twisted a lot of old tropes new ways and that is one of the things that makes this book such a delightful read.

Also, I can't say much about him because of spoilers, but Gideon is so cool.  I know, I know, I keep saying they're all awesome, but Gideon is really fascinating.  He's very much not my type though, rather an intimidating fellow, which is why he is not my favorite.  No, precious sweet Angel with his very ironic name is way more my type.

Ms. Neal packs in plenty of suspense and action, I was so on edge and engrossed that I didn't even know when I finished a chapter.  I literally went from chapter 14 to 30 without even realizing chapter 14 had ended.  Honestly!  

There's just so much to love and enjoy that it's hard for me to find the words to tell you about it.  And who wants to go poke around in a South Carolina swamp with me?  Well stocked on Wolfsbane and Vervain of course, because as much as I like them, I have no desire to become a werewolf!
I also had the distinct pleasure of ARC-ing this with my dear VampKat, only I finished it before she did and spent several hours gleefully tormenting her.  I actually had her thinking that someone we loved was going to die.  It was so much fun!!  Yes, yes, I'm a mean person.  

What I didn't like about this book.

 Someone dies.  Well, many someones die, but there was one death in particular that I really, really didn't like.  I wanted to see the person kicking butt with everyone else, but he can't do that if he's dead!!  I must admit though, his death was a good plot point.

I didn't connect with Skata very well and he felt rather vague at times.  I don't know if that was just me or if that was the writing of his character.

There's nothing else I disliked, well okay, I did wish at one point that there had been more particular werewolves involved much earlier, but I hear they play a larger part in the second book, so I'm okay with that.

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I know that quite a few of my blog readers don't read vampire novels, so why should you read this one?  The best answer I have is that in this novel, so many questions that everyone asks are answered in a new way that can be greatly enlightening and comforting.  I'd describe it more as a good novel that has some vampires in it, than a vampire novel with a good plot.  Plus Ms. Neal doesn't shy from truth or reality no matter how uncomfortable it might be.  So I ask you, please trust me and even if you don't usually read this type of story, hold your skepticism and give Dark is the Night a shot.

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WARNING!!!

Contains some gore and violence.
Not recommended to anyone under the age of 18.

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MIRRIAM NEAL is an author frequently masquerading as an artist.  When she's not scrubbing paint off her hands, she's thinking about writing (actually, if she's being honest, she's always thinking about writing).  A discovery writer, she tends to start novels and figure them out as she goes along and likes to work on several books at the same time--while drinking black coffee.  She's a sucker for monsters, unlikely friendships, redemption arcs, and underdog protagonists.  When not painting fantasy art or writing genre-bending novels, she likes to argue the existence of Bigfoot, rave about Guillermo del Toro, and write passionate defenses of misunderstood characters.

To learn more about her fiction and art visit her website: HERE where you can find a full list of her social medias, or join the Citadel Fiction newsletter: HERE

Dancing & Doughnuts: Book Release ~ Book Revew

  Today, I bring you my review of Rachel Kovaciny's Twelve Dancing Princesses re-telling, Dancing & Doughnuts!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I very much enjoyed this story.  It was a light and easy read, amusing, and even a bit thought provoking.  I love westerns and fairytales so I am always delighted when someone mixes them together.  

I liked how Ms. Kovaciny wove in the themes from the original Twelve Dancing Princesses tale.  Mixing fairytale aspects into a non-magical world isn't always an easy thing to achieve, but she did a very good job.  My favorite element was the silver and gold forest.

I felt the characters could have been more well rounded. 

Sheriff Walbridge, Mr. Kitteridge, Clara and Felicity were my favorite characters and I wish we would have gotten more of Trouble and More Trouble.  

Though not my favorite character, the mental processes of the hero (the book is portrayed through his first person POV) brought me the most laughter.  Especially when he is facing down twelve pretty girls. 

I also wish we could have gotten to know the girls a little more.  But maybe they will appear in later books.

It is a clean read and a good book that I will definitely recommend and will gladly turn over to my younger siblings when it is released.

I give it 3 of 5 stars (according to the Goodreads rating system) because there were a few times when it seemed needlessly wordy and a bit rambling.

Water Princess, Fire Prince: Kendra E. Ardnek ~ Review

When Clara Mandras and Andrew Stevenson are thrown into the world of Rizkaland and told they must save it from an evil Sorceress, neither one is very happy.  But as they come to know the people of Rizkaland, they find themselves wanting to help.  Clara and Andrew must go through many things together and alone, before they achieve their goal...banishing the Lady Dragon to her island.

A lover of Portal Fantasy, I found Water Princess, Fire Prince a very well done portrayal that had depth without being a deep read.  The main characters were well written and easy to connect with.  I liked Clara's spunk and strength- mental and physical - but that she also had fears to overcome.  Her personality is similar to mine, and it was easy to put myself in her place.

With Andrew, I have younger siblings so I understood very well the sense of responsibility he feels towards them and then the panic when he realizes he is no longer there for them.  I really admired how he rose "from the ashes" of his old life, and became a strong, dependable Fire Prince.

My favorite minor characters were Jasmine, the Leaf Princess, Jill Anna and Jakob.  I enjoyed Jasmine's non-stop chatter, the Leaf Princess's sweetness and mischievousness, Jill Anna's quiet, but strong and loyal personality, and how understanding, caring and protective Jakob was of the women in his life.

The science-y side of things was very intriguing: the cylindrical world, the seven different colors of water and their uses, and the leaves aren't green.

There was also a strong faith in Alphego (God) that underlined everything without being preachy.  On the whole, I think what i liked the most was how Kendra realistically portrayed the struggles - emotional, mental and physical - that we all go through at different time in our lives.

I give this book 4 stars and I would not recommend it to anyone under 14.

Three Sleeping Beauties Blog Tour: Twisted Dreams ~ Review

My apologies everyone.  First off, I was supposed to post this review on Wednesday, but I mixed up the days and posted Poison Kiss that day.  Secondly, this is super late because the power went out and with out it, I have no internet.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

“I, Calandra, of the Wingans, do bestow upon you, the Princess of Hanover, a gift. You have been given long life. I cannot interfere with that, but when you are sixteen years of age, you will prick your finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into an everlasting sleep.” She stepped closer so that she could be heard only by Liesel and her parents. “Then you will at last see the truth. Be wary. Be wise. Your fate rests upon yourself.”

On her sixteenth birthday, Princess Liesel Rosanna falls victim to a sleeping curse—but wakens in another world, a prisoner of war. As the bait in a trap for her fiancé, the crown prince of Hanover, Liesel longs to escape back to the fairy tale world. The world where she is only wanting a true love’s kiss to set everything to rights.

As situations quickly grow dire, Liesel must choose which story to live, which life is real. The fate of her country rests on her decision.

This was a well done re-telling.  Rather unexpected at times too.  It took a while for me to figure out what exactly was going on, but that was a good thing.  I felt that the characters and plot were well balanced and the plot was completely unique...or at least, I've never heard of another re-telling done in this manner.  My favorite character was Matthew, and I would love to see him get a fairytale re-telling of his own. 

 *hint hint, Morgan*

This was also the first of Morgan Huneke's books I have ever read and I am looking forward to reading more.

Morgan Elizabeth Huneke is a homeschool graduate who lives in Georgia. She has enjoyed creating characters and writing stories since early childhood. Books have always been a big part of her life, never more so than when working at the local library. Her other interests include reading, playing and teaching piano and violin, and politics. She is the author of Across the Stars and The Experiment as well as the Time Captives fantasy trilogy.

You can connect with Morgan on her website, blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.  

You can find Twisted Dreams on Goodreads and Amazon.

To learn more about this blog tour, visit Kendra's blog, Knitted By God's Plan.

 

Three Sleeping Beauties Blog Tour: Poison Kiss ~ Review

 

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

  

Sleeping Beauty doesn't always go the way you expect.  In this amusing retelling, the heroine is cursed to die by True Love's first kiss.  And the Hero isn't exactly your normal 'fairytale Prince' either.  Mixed in are also a few other fairytale characters you might recognize!

This was, as I said, a very amusing retelling.  Kendra has a delightful talent of taking multiple fairytales and mixing them together in a very unique way.  I did feel like she focused more on plot development then character development, but it's a short story so that doesn't bother me very much.  It was simple, but complicated, clean and sweet and suitable for all ages.  My little siblings loved it and it's one that I'm definitely going to keep around.

Kendra E. Ardnek is a homeschool graduate who picked up a pen at an early age and never put it down. The eldest of four, she makes her home in the Piney Woods of East Texas with her parents, younger siblings, giant herd of giraffes, and honor guard of nutcrackers. 

You can connect with Kendra on her website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

“Ah, now you’ve done it, boy,” came a silky, unfamiliar voice, and the princess’s large, blue-gray cat bounded onto the arm of the couch.

“You – did you just talk?” asked Edmund. First a sleeping princess, and now a talking cat?

“I did,” said the cat, licking his paw. “My vow of silence is at its end.”

“Are – are you a shapeshifter?”

“Oh, dear me, no!” The cat started preening its whiskers. “I am the Great Puss of the Boots. Perhaps you’ve heard of me? I eat shapeshifters for breakfast.”