[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Escape Clause

John Sandford was born John Camp on February 23, 1944, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He attended the public schools in Cedar Rapids, graduating from Washington High School in 1962. He then spent four years at the University of Iowa, graduating with a bachelor's degree in American Studies in 1966. In 1966, he married Susan Lee Jones of Cedar Rapids, a fellow student at the University of Iowa. He was in the U.S. Army from 1966-68, worked as a reporter for the Cape Girardeau Southeast Missourian from 1968-1970, and went back to the University of Iowa from 1970-1971, where he received a master's degree in journalism. He was a reporter for The Miami Herald from 1971-78, and then a reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer-Press from 1978-1990; in 1980, he was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize, and he won the Pulitzer in 1986 for a series of stories about a midwestern farm crisis. From 1990 to the present he has written thriller novels. He's also the author of two non-fiction books, one on plastic surgery and one on art. He is the principal financial backer of a major archeological project in the Jordan Valley of Israel, with a website at www.rehov.org In addition to archaeology, he is deeply interested in art (painting) and photography. He both hunts and fishes. He has two children, Roswell and Emily, and one grandson, Benjamin. His wife, Susan, died of metastasized breast cancer in May, 2007, and is greatly missed.

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Escape Clause

Virgil Flowers Book #9

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Whenever you hear the sky rumble, that usually means a storm. In Virgil Flowers’ case, make that two. The exceptional new thriller from the writer whose books are “pure reading pleasure” (Booklist)

The first storm comes from, of all places, the Minnesota zoo. Two large, and very rare, Amur tigers have vanished from their cage, and authorities are worried sick that they’ve been stolen for their body parts. Traditional Chinese medicine prizes those parts for home remedies, and people will do extreme things to get what they need. Some of them are a great deal more extreme than others -- as Virgil is about to find out. 

Then there’s the homefront. Virgil’s relationship wi th his girlfriend Frankie has been getting kind of serious, but when Frankie’s sister Sparkle moves in for the summer, the situation gets a lot more complicated. For one thing, her research into migrant workers is about to bring her up against some very violent people who emphatically do not want to be researched. For another…she thinks Virgil’s kind of cute.

“You mess around with Sparkle,” Frankie told Virgil, “you could get yourself stabbed.”

“She carries a knife?”

“No, but I do.” 

Forget a storm – this one’s a tornado.

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Scholastic Siren - Sara:

Book 9 in the Virgil Flowers series can be read as a stand-alone, the mystery is inclusive, but I think you would miss getting to know all the characters. 

Virgil works for the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) which is basically the state version of the FBI. They deal with some very strange cases, none stranger than this. 

Virgil gets a call in the middle of the night about a kidnapping, the victims, two rare tigers missing from the zoo. Personally, Virgil’s life is a little wonky, too, Frankie’s sister moves in with her for the summer causing all manner of upset. 

As always, the story is cohesive and the mystery wraps up in one book, rather violently. 

This series is not for the faint of heart. If you are an animal lover, like I am, this book has a serious rough spot rather early on, once you get past it, it is worth continuing. 

Escape Clause

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Crimson Death

Laurell K. Hamilton is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of two series that mix mystery, fantasy, magic, horror and romance. Her Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter novels from Berkley Books began with GUILTY PLEASURES and continues to thrive with over sixteen volumes to the series and an comic adaptation. There are now more than 6 million copies of Anita in print worldwide, in 16 languages. Hamilton's Ballantine series features Fey princess and private investigator, Merry Gentry and there are now six novels exceeding one million copies in print. She lives in St. Louis County Missouri with her husband Jonathon Green, daughter, two pug dogs and one boxer/pug dog.

Keep up with Laurell at her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.

Crimson Death

Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #25

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In her twenty-fifth adventure, vampire hunter and necromancer Anita Blake learns that evil is in the eye of the beholder...

Anita has never seen Damian, her vampire servant, in such a state. The rising sun doesn’t usher in the peaceful death that he desperately needs. Instead, he’s being bombarded with violent nightmares and blood sweats. 

And now, with Damian at his most vulnerable, Anita needs him the most. The vampire who created him, who subjected him to centuries of torture, might be losing control, allowing rogue vampires to run wild and break one of their kind’s few strict taboos.

Some say love is a great motivator, but hatred gets the job done, too. And when Anita joins forces with her friend Edward to stop the carnage, Damian will be at their side, even if it means traveling back to the land where all his nightmares spring from...a place that couldn’t be less welcoming to a vampire, an assassin, and a necromancer.

Ireland.

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Scholastic Siren - Sara:
 This is the 25th entry in a series, I would not start here. However, if you stopped reading a few books ago, which many of you did, start again with DEAD ICE then read this. Well worth your time. 

This was like two books rolled into one, before Ireland and during Ireland. Anita’s triumvirate with Damian and Nathaniel isn’t working as it should and needs to be fixed. This is the first half of the book, and the magic and inner workings of the triumvirate are very interesting. 

The second half of the book, is pure, old-school, kick-ass Anita solving crime with Edward. 

The reason for 4 stars instead of five, the two book feel left me wanting in the beginning, I was ready for the travel and it kept not happening. The ending was a little flat but still satisfying. I really enjoyed reading this, in fact, I devoured it and will read it again, much more slowly, at a later date.  Looking forward to 26!

Crimson Death

 
 

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of All the Little Liars

Charlaine Harris has been a published novelist for over twenty-five years. A native of the Mississippi Delta, she grew up in the middle of a cotton field. Now she lives in southern Arkansas with her husband, her three children, three dogs, and a duck. The duck stays outside.

Though her early output consisted largely of ghost stories, by the time she hit college (Rhodes, in Memphis) Charlaine was writing poetry and plays. After holding down some low-level jobs, she had the opportunity to stay home and write, and the resulting two stand-alones were published by Houghton Mifflin. After a child-producing sabbatical, Charlaine latched on to the trend of writing mystery series, and soon had her own traditional books about a Georgia librarian, Aurora Teagarden. Her first Teagarden, Real Murders, garnered an Agatha nomination.

Soon Charlaine was looking for another challenge, and the result was the much darker Lily Bard series. The books, set in Shakespeare, Arkansas, feature a heroine who has survived a terrible attack and is learning to live with its consequences.

When Charlaine began to realize that neither of those series was ever going to set the literary world on fire, she regrouped and decided to write the book she’d always wanted to write. Not a traditional mystery, nor yet pure science fiction or romance, Dead Until Dark broke genre boundaries to appeal to a wide audience of people who just enjoy a good adventure. Each subsequent book about Sookie Stackhouse, telepathic Louisiana barmaid and friend to vampires, werewolves, and various other odd creatures, has drawn more readers. The Southern Vampire books are published in Japan, Great Britain, Greece, Germany, Thailand, Spain, France, and Russia.

In addition to Sookie, Charlaine has another heroine with a strange ability. Harper Connelly, lightning-struck and strange, can find corpses… and that’s how she makes her living.

In addition to her work as a writer, Charlaine is the past senior warden of St. James Episcopal Church, a board member of Mystery Writers of America, a past board member of Sisters in Crime, a member of the American Crime Writers League, and past president of the Arkansas Mystery Writers Alliance. She spends her "spare" time reading, watching her daughter play sports, traveling, and going to the movies.

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All The Little Liars
Aurora Teagarden #9

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#1 New York Times bestseller Charlaine Harris returns to her Aurora Teagarden mystery series with a fabulous new book featuring the small-town Southern librarian.

Aurora Teagarden is basking in the news of her pregnancy when disaster strikes her small Georgia town: four kids vanish from the school soccer field in an afternoon. Aurora’s 15-year-old brother Phillip is one of them. Also gone are two of his friends, and an 11-year-old girl who was just hoping to get a ride home from soccer practice. And then there’s an even worse discovery—at the kids’ last known destination, a dead body.

While the local police and sheriff’s department comb the county for the missing kids and interview everyone even remotely involved, Aurora and her new husband, true crime writer Robin Crusoe, begin their own investigation. Could the death and kidnappings have anything to do with a group of bullies at the middle school? Is Phillip’s disappearance related to Aurora’s father’s gambling debts? Or is Phillip himself, new to town and an unknown quantity, responsible for taking the other children? But regardless of the reason, as the days go by, the most important questions remain. Are the kids still alive? Who could be concealing them? Where could they be?

With Christmas approaching, Aurora is determined to find her brother…if he’s still alive.

After more than a decade, #1 New York Times bestseller Charlaine Harris finally returns to her fan-favorite Aurora Teagarden series with All the Little Liars, a fabulously fun new mystery.

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Scholastic Siren - Sara:

Book 9 in the Aurora Teagarden series was a nice treat. The series last installment was in 2009, so you might need a light refresher. Aurora is a librarian in the smallish town of Lawrenceton, Georgia. She is a widow with no children, although her half-brother, Phillip, is living with her and her significant other, a true crime writer named Robin Crusoe. This book opens a few days after their wedding. Phillip seems to be making friends and fitting in quite well. They are finally a happy family until Phillip and a few other local kids go missing. The police are investigating, but Roe feels she needs to do something, and she has information the police don’t have. The mystery is great and does wrap up in one book. It is also totally plausible, which I really appreciate. This book feels like really good friend coming home. I really enjoyed it.

All the Little Liars

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of The Forbidden Library

Django Wexler graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh with degrees in creative writing and computer science, and worked for the university in artificial intelligence research. Eventually he migrated to Microsoft in Seattle, where he now lives with two cats and a teetering mountain of books. When not writing, he wrangles computers, paints tiny soldiers, and plays games of all sorts.

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The Forbidden Library

THE FORBIDDEN LIBRARY #1

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Alice always thought fairy tales had happy endings. That--along with everything else--changed the day she met her first fairy...

When Alice's father goes down in a shipwreck, she is sent to live with her uncle Geryon--an uncle she's never heard of and knows nothing about. He lives in an enormous manor with a massive library that is off-limits to Alice. But then she meets a talking cat. And even for a rule-follower, when a talking cat sneaks you into a forbidden library and introduces you to an arrogant boy who dares you to open a book, it's hard to resist. Especially if you're a reader to begin with. Soon Alice finds herself INSIDE the book, and the only way out is to defeat the creature imprisoned within.

It seems her uncle is more than he says he is. But then so is Alice.

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Scholastic Siren - Sara:

If I were ten, this would have been a 5 skull book for sure! Buy this for all your middle-grade readers. It has a few scary scenes, but I would even read this to littles. It is the first book in a series.

It is a fun story about a girl named Alice who finds out magic is real. "Alice always thought fairy tales had happy endings. That--along with everything else--changed the day she met her first fairy." The fairy in question is threatening her father, who disappears shortly after. Alice must go live with her Uncle, who she's never met. She has the run of the house but is told to stay out of the library. Sure, that's going to happen....

The Forbidden Library

 

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of The Guns of the Empire

Django Wexler graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh with degrees in creative writing and computer science, and worked for the university in artificial intelligence research. Eventually he migrated to Microsoft in Seattle, where he now lives with two cats and a teetering mountain of books. When not writing, he wrangles computers, paints tiny soldiers, and plays games of all sorts.

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The Guns of the Empire

THE SHADOW CAMPAIGNS #4

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As the “audacious and subversive”* Shadow Campaigns novels continue, the weather is growing warmer, but the frosty threat of Vordan’s enemies is only growing worse...

As the roar of the guns subsides and the smoke of battle clears, the country of Vordan is offered a fragile peace…

After their shattering defeats at the hands of brilliant General Janus bet Vhalnich, the opposing powers have called all sides to the negotiating table in hopes of securing an end to the war. Queen Raesinia of Vordan is anxious to see the return of peace, but Janus insists that any peace with the implacable Sworn Church of Elysium is doomed to fail. For their Priests of the Black, there can be no truce with heretics and demons they seek to destroy, and the war is to the death.

Soldiers Marcus d’Ivoire and Winter Ihernglass find themselves caught between their general and their queen. Now, each must decide which leader truly commands their loyalty—and what price they might pay for final victory.

And in the depths of Elysium, a malign force is rising—and defeating it might mean making sacrifices beyond anything they have ever imagined.

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Scholastic Siren - Sara:

*Copy received by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I'm not giving any extra plot overview here, because I don't want to spoil Price of Valor (review can be found HERE).

This book was truly fabulous; the only reason I'm not giving it 5 skulls is it did drag in a few places. Everything is finally coming together, including why Janus really wanted The Thousand Names! The battles are epic, the magic is really interesting, and we get to know our favorite characters even better. Some of the minor characters from previous books have much bigger roles, and this book is chock-full of strong women! I just loved it. My only regret in reading so fast is having you wait a year for the conclusion of the series.

The Guns of the Empire

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Price of Valor

Django Wexler graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh with degrees in creative writing and computer science, and worked for the university in artificial intelligence research. Eventually he migrated to Microsoft in Seattle, where he now lives with two cats and a teetering mountain of books. When not writing, he wrangles computers, paints tiny soldiers, and plays games of all sorts.

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Price of Valor

THE SHADOW CAMPAIGNS #3

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In the latest Shadow Campaigns novel, Django Wexler continues his "epic fantasy of military might and magical conflict"* following The Shadow Throne and The Thousand Names, as the realm of Vordan faces imminent threats from without and within.

In the wake of the King’s death, war has come to Vordan.

The Deputies-General has precarious control of the city, but it is led by a zealot who sees traitors in every shadow. Executions have become a grim public spectacle. The new queen, Raesinia Orboan, finds herself nearly powerless as the government tightens its grip and assassins threaten her life. But she did not help free the country from one sort of tyranny to see it fall into another. Placing her trust with the steadfast soldier Marcus D’Ivoire, she sets out to turn the tide of history.

As the hidden hand of the Sworn Church brings all the powers of the continent to war against Vordan, the enigmatic and brilliant general Janus bet Vhalnich offers a path to victory. Winter Ihernglass, newly promoted to command a regiment, has reunited with her lover and her friends, only to face the prospect of leading them into bloody battle.

And the enemy is not just armed with muskets and cannon. Dark priests of an ancient order, wielding forbidden magic, have infiltrated Vordan to stop Janus by whatever means necessary...

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Scholastic Siren - Sara:

*Copy received by the publisher for an honest review

Raesinia Orboan is queen in name, but not so much in power. The deputies-general are running the country, and the country is at war. Raesinia decides to go back to her persona of Raes, a commoner, to help the war effort. Raes and Marcus stay in the city. Winter is off on campaign, the armies are under command of Janus bet Vhalnich, but the deputies-general think they are pulling the strings.

This is a nice steady middle book. There is quite a bit of action and intrigue! The war is interesting because we aren't in the head of the main commander, just Winter and Marcus. I think this read much smoother with only three POV characters and some church interludes. I have to be honest, I did skim through some of the battle scenes, just not my thing. Since the book is about war, I expected that and was not upset by the violence.

Price of Valor

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Blue Moon III: Call of the Alpha

A.E. Via is an author in the beautiful gay romance genre and also founder and owner of Via Star Wings Books. Her writing embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to adventure, to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.

When she’s not clicking away at her laptop, she devotes herself to her family—a husband and four children. Adrienne Via has tons of more stories to tell, but she really would like to hear yours. Via Star Wings Books is currently accepting submissions for established and aspiring LGBTQ authors.

Go to A.E. Via’s official website http://authoraevia.com  for more detailed information on how to contact her, follow her, or a sneak peak on upcoming work, free reads, VSWB submissions, and where she’ll appear next.

Keep up with A.E online at her Website, her Blog, on Facebook, on GoodReads, on Twitter, and on Amazon. 

Blue Moon III: Call of the Alpha

BLUE MOON Book #3

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THIS IS THE THIRD INSTALLMENT IN THIS SERIES and CAN STAND ALONE. 

Book 2 is recommended to read first. 

The Story of ALPHA, CALL, OMEGA & LION ALONG WITH A COUPLE OTHER FAVORITES

It’s been a couple years since Commander John Marion – the US Navy’s most decorated SEAL – hung up his dog tags, choosing his cherished Alpha over war.

Call and Alpha have settled comfortably into their carefree lives nestled in the mountains of South Carolina. No more combat for the Commander and no more ordered killings for the deadliest assassin in the world.

However, nothing stays peaceful forever.

When Alpha’s brother Omega comes to their secluded home with a distressing message from their Order, Alpha has to answer the call. But what neither of them expect is for the Order to send them a new assassin, one just as deadly as both of them, to seek their counsel and bring them back Persia.

Lion’s commanding presence was not at all what any of them anticipated. Especially Omega. Lion realizes what Omega is to him right away, but the stubborn man fights his every advance. Lion knows he and Omega have to connect if they’re going to be victorious. He was sent to bring back an army but if he can’t get his cherished to yield to him, they are sure to fail.

Call refuses to let Alpha fight a gang of rebel assassins without him. Omega will fight by his brother’s side, no matter what… and Hawk saw them coming for his help before anyone else. Together they’ll fight the toughest opponents they’ve ever faced. As always… these badass warriors are up for the challenge.

This book ends in an HEA and does not end in a cliffhanger.

This book contains graphic violence.

Our Review of Blue Moon III: Call of the Alpha by LITERAL ADDICTION's Reckless Reaper - Shawnie:

Blue Moon 3 was given to me by the author to do an honest review, the fact that I love the author has no standing on how I felt about the book.

I have been waiting since Blue Moon 2 to read this book and while it wasn't the book I thought it was 

going to be... it ended up being so much more. There was so much depth and emotion with this book and I honestly couldn't have asked for a better read. When I found out about BM3 I thought that it was going to be Call and Alpha's the beginning, but it was actually their dynamic as a couple and how it worked between them. This book was Lion and Omega's beginning and dare I say everyone else were more like supporting characters in a way.

Lion and Omega were hot front the first meeting and you could almost feel the need, the tension, the chemistry coming off the pages between the two of them. Nothing was held back and I think that was an important thing with this book. Nothing was done with these two or any of the other characters in half measures. There was no instant love or anything like that with this book. It was like a slow burning fire that simmered until it couldn't be contained anymore and then it just exploded outward sweeping you up into its flames and burning you alive... but in a good way.

Omega was my favorite because he represented a lot of people in that they tend to fight... I guess destiny in this instance. We know what will happen in the back of our minds but we look for any and everything wrong with it happening when it reality it's what you need and that was it for Omega. He needed it, but had misconceptions about what it would mean for him and Lion. He had so much feeling locked up and pushed away that it all came bubbling to the surface and spilled over. It was raw and it was intense and it made me cry.

Lion... Oh man... He is a new character we are introduced to and he is our Alpha male in this story. Everything about him screams Alpha and its in your face and powerful. I liked that he didn't try to bully Omega into anything and he took his time with the man. It was almost like he treated Omega like he was a wounded animal... except this wounded animal could kill someone without breaking a sweat. He was sweet, yet firm and when he realized what the real problem was he didn't play games, he got right to the point with Omega. No bullshit, no filler. It was refreshing to read.

This book like I said wasn't the book I was expecting, but it was the book we needed as readers of this series. The twist in this book was both heartbreaking and obvious in some instances. But I think a lot of readers will look past the obvious parts because you don't want to believe its true. I am sorry for how she rips those blinders off your faces, but it will get better.

I honestly loved every second of this book.

Blue Moon III: Call of the Alpha

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Blood of the Earth

Faith Hunter, fantasy writer, was born in Louisiana and raised all over the south. The Skinwalker series, featuring Jane Yellowrock is taking off like a rocket withSkinwalker, Blood Cross, Mercy Blade, Raven Cursed, Death’s Rival, Blood Trade, and Black Arts. Her Rogue Mage novels, a dark, urban fantasy series—Bloodring, Seraphs, and Host—feature Thorn St. Croix, a stone mage in a post-apocalyptic, alternate reality, urban fantasy world. These novels are the basis for the role playing game, Rogue Mage.

Under the pen name Gwen Hunter, she writes action-adventure, mysteries, and thrillers. As Faith and Gwen, she has 20+ books in print in 28 countries.

Hunter fell in love with reading in fifth grade, and best loved SiFi, fantasy, and gothic. She decided to become a writer in high school, when a teacher told her she had talent. Now, she writes full-time and works full-time in a hospital lab, (for the benefits) tries to keep house, and is a workaholic with a passion for travel, jewelry making, white-water kayaking, and writing. She and her husband love to RV, traveling with their dogs to whitewater rivers all over the Southeast.

Keep up with Faith online at her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.

Blood of the Earth
Soulwood Book #1

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Set in the same world as the New York Times bestselling Jane Yellowrock novels, an all-new series starring Nell Ingram, who wields powers as old as the earth.

When Nell Ingram met skinwalker Jane Yellowrock, she was almost alone in the world, exiled by both choice and fear from the cult she was raised in, defending herself with the magic she drew from her deep connection to the forest that surrounds her.

Now, Jane has referred Nell to PsyLED, a Homeland Security agency policing paranormals, and agent Rick LaFleur has shown up at Nell’s doorstep. His appearance forces her out of her isolated life into an investigation that leads to the vampire Blood Master of Nashville.

Nell has a team—and a mission. But to find the Master’s kidnapped vassal, Nell and the PsyLED team will be forced to go deep into the heart of the very cult Nell fears, infiltrating the cult and a humans-only terrorist group before time runs out…

Our Review by LITERAL ADDICTION's Alluring Angel - Kathy:
*Copy gifted by the Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Faith Hunter's new A Soulwood Novel series starts off with Blood of the Earth. We met Nell Ingram in Ms. Hunter's Jane Yellowrock series. Raised in a compound of God's Cloud of Glory Church, Nell is now living on her own, trying to make ends meet and stay out of the clutches of the violent churchmen. Life for females of the church is servitude and punishment, and Nell will do anything to stay free. When Special Agent Rick LaFluer (yes, Jane's Rick) shows up on Nell's property accompanied by Paka, asking for help in a investigation, Nell is torn. Help and take the chance of bringing more attention of the church upon her, or help and earn some much needed money and maybe stretch her wings a little. But Nell has a secret. She is not quite sure what she is, but she know that she is different. Maybe not fully human. Nell has a power rooted in her woods. She can sense thing through the earth. And if someone bleeds on her land, that person's life is hers. Then local girls go missing, and Nell knows that she can not do nothing. So Nell becomes a consultant for PsyLED, and dives head first into a world she couldn't have imagined.

As a hard core fan of the Jane Yellowrock series, I was thrilled to find this new series is set in the same world. Nell is completely different from Jane. But as Nell gains personal growth in herself and her powers, she becomes just as kick-ass as Jane, only in her own way.

Blood of the Earth

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Paper and Fire

Rachel Caine is the #1 internationally bestselling author of fifty novels, including the New York Times bestselling Morganville Vampires young adult series. Her novel Prince of Shadows won multiple awards, and was named to the prestigious Spirit of Texas Reading List.

Her Great Library series launched in 2015 with Ink and Bone, an international bestseller and critical success and winner of multiple nominations and awards. Ink and Bone was named to the Lone Star List for 2016 by the Texas Library Association. Paper and Fire, the second in the series, releases July 2016.
In 2014, in partnership with Blake Calhoun of Loud Pictures and Felicia Day of Geek & Sundry, she wrote and produced a Morganville Vampires web series, DVDs, and downloadable and streaming video. http://www.morganvilletheseries.com/

Rachel has also written bestselling urban fantasy (the Weather Warden, Outcast Season, Revivalist and Red Letter Days series), as well as innovative paranormal romantic action/adventure for Silhouette Bombshell.

She also published an original novel for the television show Stargate SG-1 (Sacrifice Moon) under the pseudonym of Julie Fortune in 2005. She previously published horror and suspense novels under the names Roxanne Longstreet and Roxanne Conrad.

Her contributions to short fiction anthologies number in the dozens, and in 2015/2016 alone her works include stories in X-Files: The Truth Is Out There, Unbound, Scary Out There, Gods of H.P. Lovecraft, and Out Of Tune.

In March 2016, she released Midnight Bites, a collection of Morganville Vampires short fiction, to great success.

One of Rachel's mystery novels, Exile, Texas, has been optioned for film by Khartoum Films, and she has also written the script.
Rachel Caine and her husband, award-winning artist and comic historian and actor R. Cat Conrad, live in Fort Worth. 

Keep up with Rachel at her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads. 

Paper and Fire

The Great Library #2

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In Ink and Bone, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine introduced a world where knowledge is power, and power corrupts absolutely. Now, she continues the story of those who dare to defy the Great Library—and rewrite history…

With an iron fist, The Great Library controls the knowledge of the world, ruthlessly stamping out all rebellion, forbidding the personal ownership of books in the name of the greater good.

Jess Brightwell has survived his introduction to the sinister, seductive world of the Library, but serving in its army is nothing like he envisioned. His life and the lives of those he cares for have been altered forever. His best friend is lost, and Morgan, the girl he loves, is locked away in the Iron Tower and doomed to a life apart.

Embarking on a mission to save one of their own, Jess and his band of allies make one wrong move and suddenly find themselves hunted by the Library’s deadly automata and forced to flee Alexandria, all the way to London.

But Jess’s home isn’t safe anymore. The Welsh army is coming, London is burning, and soon, Jess must choose between his friends, his family, or the Library willing to sacrifice anything and anyone in the search for ultimate control…

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Scholastic Siren - Sara:

This is a series with very complex characters, plot and world building. Therefore, I highly suggest reading these in order. This review may contain spoilers for the first book.

Jess is back in Alexandria at the library and has been assigned to a guarda company. Morgan is still locked away in the tower, but she has found a way to safely communicate. When Jess and his company are almost killed in what is supposed to be an exercise, he realizes none of them are safe. Can Jess, Scholar Wolfe, Morgan, and the rest escape the library while the rest of the world is at war? Can they even keep each other safe?

This is a strong entry in the series. There is even more character development than Ink and Bone. The story is full of action, but also a great depth. The theme of the story is very timely even though this is a fictional version of our world. Knowledge may be power, but should that knowledge be shared?

Paper & Fire

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Struck

Amanda Carlson:  I’m a Minnesota girl, born and bred. I started writing stories about teenage girls and their social missteps when I was in high school. I still have the handwritten spiral notebooks to prove it.

I started writing FULL BLOODED. because kickass heroines rock and I love shifters of all kinds. There aren’t enough warm-blooded girls to go around, in my opinion. I fell into Jessica’s story and had such a great time writing it and now I couldn’t imagine writing anything other than urban fantasy and paranormal romance. When you’re creating a story in this fantastic genre, it can contain almost any elements you can dream up. Creatively, for me, there’s nothing better.

Amanda is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, with a BA in both Speech and Hearing Science & Child Development. She went on to get an A.A.S in Sign Language Interpreting and worked as an interpreter until her first child was born. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and three kids.

Keep up with her on her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.

Struck

Phoebe Meadows Book #1

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When Phoebe Meadows gets struck by a strange light in the stockroom of Macy’s, life as she knows it flies out the window. As if being hit by lightning isn’t bad enough, she’s accosted in the subway by a man with a missing hand, arrives home to find a raven on her kitchen counter, and her neighbor, Ingrid, shows up dressed like a gladiator hell-bent on protecting her.

Before Ingrid can shuttle her to safety, Phoebe is kidnapped and tossed into one of the Nine Worlds where she’s quickly forced to come to terms with what she is: A valkyrie. The only problem is, she has no idea what that means.

After a narrow escape, she finds an unlikely ally in Loki’s son, Fenrir. Together the valkyrie and the wolf must battle their way back to New York City and reach the valkyrie stronghold where Ingrid is waiting for her. But with danger and obstacles at every turn, she might not live long enough to learn the full truth about who and what she really is…

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Nocturnal Nymph - Michelle:
*eARC gifted in exchange for an honest review

Phoebe Meadows thinks she is just a normal small town girl living in NYC until she is struck by lightning in the storage room at Macy's. When she gets home, she finds that her neighbor, Ingrid, is actually her aunt, and they need to get out because someone is after Phoebe. After that, Amanda Carlson takes us on an incredible journey filled with Norse Mythology, Valkyries, gods and demigods. But that isn't all that is involved in this story. Phoebe's character is one kickass heroine, she isn't afraid to get in there and fight. And I loved that she was sarcastic, witty, strong, and wasn't afraid to fall for Fen, the demigod she just happened to encounter.

From the very beginning of this book, we had twists and turns, action and sarcasm. This was seriously a fun book to get lost in. I love books where there is so much action going on that you literally can't put the book down. That is what happens with Struck. You don't want to do anything else but see what these characters will get into next, or see what happens to them. The spin Amanda put on the mythology was perfect, I don't know much about it, but the information she gives along with the character's stories makes you want to know more.

I can't wait to read the next book to see what happens with Phoebe, Fen, and Fen's brother, and her human friend Sam.

Struck