After Reading Silver Borne By Patricia Briggs

At first I thought that I have already read Silver Borne since the first chapter was so familiar but for the life of me, I cound not remember what happened in the the book. As I continued to chapter 2, I then realized that what I had read was only an exerpt from the book. Good thing I did not stop reading or else I would have missed a really great part of Mercy's exciting life with the wolves and the fae.
Mercy always seems to attract trouble one way or another. As if her precarious position as the Alpha's mate and her being a coyote and not pack which in itself built resentment from the pack is not enough, she once again innocuously involved herself from power-hunger faes. Not just your ordinary magic weilding fae but the Fairy Queen no less.
This time the limelight was shared with Samuel. And I can't wait to know what had really happened with Samuel and his tragic love with a particular fae. The enigmatic and dominant Samuel stammering in front of a girl..precious! I have always wanted Samuel to find his HEA. I didn't realized he already found it and lost it and now, found it once more and I know this time, he won't let it go.
I don't want to spoil it all but this time Adam and Mercy's mating bond finally, finally became solid and strong. How the bonds between the pack and the mated pack were beautifully described and were actually witnessed by Mercy in her magic-induced state.
What I would like to know about next is The Marrock's. I hope he'll get his own HEA in a separate book soon!
My rating: *****5 stars

After Reading Unholy Magic By Stacia Kane

Okay, I was already liking book 1 Unholy Ghosts (see my previous review here) but book 2 totally blew me away!  It was fast-paced, edgy, gruesome and brilliant all-over.  Sorry the next paragraph contains spoilers..mostly rants and just me needing some outlet to vent.

So, same old Chessy.  Drug-addict and conflicted.  She is just a tortured soul always sinking way too deep for her to emerge clean.  I get how she protects herself with drugs in order to forget and put a strong facade so that others will never see how truly vulnerable she is, how little and unworthy she sees herself. Unholy Magic revealed how truly drug dependent she is.  A few hours without her pills, she goes crazy! Ms. Kane's thorough description on Chess' horrific hours of withdrawal made me want to scratch myself till my 'nails come out bloody' as well. It was like watching Chess convulsing right in front of me. I don't get how the Church could not suspect about her addiction.  They should have seen her eyes, how it would dilate or how she'd have mood swings and all, the same way Chess had suspected Mr Roger Pyle, the actor was doing some drug.  But in spite of it, Chess has great magic.  She believes in her obligation to protect man from the killing spree of these murderous ghosts.  That's what I like about Chess, how she would sacrifice herself in order to save other's lives.
I didn't like that Chess sleeps with Lex just to get some free drugs and that with him she expects nothing, no strings attached, no emotional bond, just the way she wants it.  With Terrible on the other hand, who if I may say so, is the most ugliest male 'romantic interest', for lack of a better word, of a book's protagonist I have ever encountered, she felt this strange connection and attraction.  To quote Chess description of Terrible "..astonishing ugliness of his profile. His crooked nose-it must have been broken several times- the way his brows jutted like a cliff over the ocean, the set of his jaw."  But whatever feelings they have for each other were buried by the traumatic lives they lead. Now that Terrible knew about Chess and Lex and why she's sleeping with him, I don't think he'll be able to trust Chess ever again especially after he revealed his feelings for her. I don't know if they'll ever get through this.  It's just so sad how Chess finally realized too late that she can't live without Terrible.
After writing this, I can finally let go of Unholy Magic.. until the next book.  Just 7 more days till the release of City of Ghosts! Will be counting the days!

rating  *****

My Take On Magic Bleeds

If you have been browsing through my blog, you may have noticed that I got a lot of Kate snippets.  I have been so looking forward to the release of Magic Bleeds and have been expecting a lot. And truly, Ilona and Andrew 's Kate 4 have certainly lived up to my expectations and more. This book was a turning point in both the lives of Kate and Curran.  It's either they're together or they're not.  After all their cat and mouse relationship (Curran being the cat for obvious reasons ;) ), after all The Beast Lord and Kate had gone through to save each other, I would be thoroughly disappointed if they won't get their Happily Ever After. It was so funny with Kate giving The Beast Lord's a taste of his medicine, upping each other with pranks as their mating ritual. That's were the goofy smile was stuck on my face.
Aside from the romantic side of the book, Kate's mysterious past will caught up with her and her perilous bloodline will be revealed to Curran.  With a powerful goddess with unlimited powers as her enemy, it would seem that Kate's sword skills won't be enough to save herself and her loved-ones.
The book was so good that I was deliberately reading slowly just to savor the words and events in the life of Kate. I don't want to reveal too much this is an absolute must read.  If you haven't read the series yet, grab a copy else you'd miss half of your life!

Rate: *****

Powerbook Recommends This April

One of my favorite author Ms. Nalini Singh has released her 2nd installment of her Guild Hunter series, Archangels' Kiss. Although released in the U.S. (per amazon.com) last Feb 2010, this is now available in Powerbooks Philippines this April. Yipee! just 2 months delayed! I hope local bookstores will be more updated next time, a month delayed after US release dates is not really asking too much. :D

Read on for book synopsis from www.goodreads.com :

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find herself changed—an angel with wings the colors of midnight and dawn—but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, is used to being in control—even when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority…

They’ve barely begun to understand each other when Raphael receives an invitation to a ball from the archangel Lijuan. To refuse would be a sign of fatal weakness, so Raphael must ready Elena for the flight to Beijing—and to the nightmare that awaits them there. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan holds a power that lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena…

I rate this as 5 stars *****
See below my comments at Goodreads.com

** SPOILER ALERT ** 

 

amazing! I totally love how Raphael is becoming more human in his emotions. Elena still kick-ass even with an additional appendage she's still trying to get used too. But I wouldn't complain, if I were her, it more than tips up the scale with her being able to fly now.
Book 3 can't come out fast enough!