All posts by skyebjenner

Forbidden by Kelley Armstrong

November 4, 2017Book ReviewDark Fantasy, Kelley Armstrong, Otherworld Secrets, Paranormal Fantasy, Strong Women, Women of the Otherworldskyebjenner

Title: Forbidden
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #10.3
In: Otherworld Secrets (Kelley Armstrong)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Orbit
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: It still wasn’t easy.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

The team-spirit sign by the side of the highway seems a good omen to loner Morgan Walsh, as he drives to what could be the most important visit of his life — a chance to join the North American Pack. Then he wakes naked in the woods, surrounded by wolf tracks and a ring of suspicious cops. The situation only gets worse when he’s bailed out by Alpha-elect Elena Michaels and Clayton Danvers, her terrifying enforcer and mate.

Disappointed that such a promising young werewolf risked exposing them, Elena isn’t expecting anything from the pesky retrieval job except some much-needed alone time with Clay. Instead, she finds a different kind of evil stalking the streets and forests of Westwood, New York. Trapped in town by a snowstorm and sabotage, Elena, Clay and Morgan must find the mysterious threat before it sets its sights on them.

Morgan’s introduction to the Pack was certainly an interesting one – after all, he’s the first known werewolf to choose to spend all of his time as a wolf. But, now he’s decided to join the human world again and in doing so, is considering joining the Pack. But, as with everything in Kelley Armstrong’s world, nothing happens easily and nothing is as it seems.

Elena and Clay’s attempt to escape cabin fever and their over enthusiastic toddlers leads to their intersection with Morgan and a serial killer. Life in a small town just got a lot more dangerous. Although, eventually, it can be seen that the small town mentality is probably what caused the spate of ritualistic, weird, weird, weird killings.

Ultimately, this is a great test for Morgan’s ability to join the Pack. He is forced to accept Clay and Elena’s dominance and work in a team. Both things which he just isn’t used to doing. The fact that Clay is grouchy and unable to gentle him into the role just makes it all the more entertaining to watch their relationships evolve and unfold.

<- Hidden

Counterfeit Magic ->

Image source: Goodreads

Hidden by Kelley Armstrong

November 3, 2017Book ReviewDark Fantasy, Kelley Armstrong, Otherworld Nights, Paranormal Fantasy, Strong Women, Women of the Otherworldskyebjenner

Title: Hidden
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #10.2
In: Otherworld Nights (Kelley Armstrong)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Orbit
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: Who am I?

Hiking through the snow, holiday baking and playing board games by the fire – what’s not to love about an old-fashioned family Christmas?

Werewolves Elena Michaels and Clayton Danvers want to give their four-year-old twins, Kate and Logan, something their parents never had: a nice, normal holiday. No Pack responsibilities, no homicidal half-demons or power-hungry sorcerers to deal with – just the four of them, alone, at a chalet outside Ontario’s Algonquin Park.

Then a strange werewolf shows up at their door…while the town is buzzing about a young man, back from college, found half-eaten in the woods. And there’s the missing little girl …

With all the signs pointing to a rogue mutt with a taste for human flesh, Elena and Clay have no choice but to investigate. But are they the hunters – or the hunted?

I love those nights that I stay up late to finish a story. Whether it is short, long, or somewhere in between (like this one), those impossible-to-put-down tales always linger in my mind long after I’ve turned the last page. And Hidden did this for me.

Hidden is not only a great new story about Elena, Clay and their twins, but also a beautiful Christmas story. Trying to get away and just be a normal family for the holiday season doesn’t work out as planned. Although, nothing ever seems to for Elena and Clay. But, this time instead of being faced down with the dangers of a man-killer, they are forced to face up to something much, much worse.

The twins are now four years old in this series. They are everything you’d expect from such unique parents and more. So one of the biggest challenges that is faced in this novella (other than the rogue mutt) is when to tell them how special they are. It’s hard enough to grow up different, but I can’t imagine growing up knowing that I was that different. It takes a lot of internal and external torment for Elena to finally decide when the right time will be.

<- The List

Forbidden ->

Image source: Goodreads

The List by Kelley Armstrong

November 2, 2017Book ReviewDark Fantasy, Evolve II, Kelley Armstrong, Paranormal Fantasy, Strong Women, Women of the Otherworldskyebjenner

Title: The List
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #10.1
In: Evolve II (Nancy Kilpatrick)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: And I don’t plan to pay for this one either.

Zoe Tanaka and her vampire-hunter turned sidekick Brittany find a man who claims to know who the vampires of Toronto are. The list gets him in all kinds of trouble until they rescue him.

Although Zoe has only appeared in one of the Women of the Otherworld novels (so far), this is her second short story, and I loved her as much this time as I did the first and second. She is cute, sweet and dangerous. But this is so well hidden, that unless you had read Learning Curve, you wouldn’t pick up on all of the subtle nuances that Armstrong uses to construct her persona.

Zoe’s new protegee also makes an appearance as they both track down the man who claims to have found all of the vampires in Toronto. And then they proceed to save him.

I love this look into the ways in which media and subcultures can impact on peoples’ views. The dangers of upsetting people are always real, but when you’re dealing with the supernatural. Well, let’s just say that it’s lucky that Zoe was there to save the day.

<- Frostbitten

Hidden ->

Image source: Amazon

Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong

November 1, 2017Book ReviewDark Fantasy, Kelley Armstrong, Paranormal Fantasy, Strong Women, Women of the Otherworldskyebjenner

Title: Frostbitten
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #10
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Orbit
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: I motioned to the phone.

Gripping, intense and deeply satisfying, Frostbitten is a brilliant novel of suspense with a supernatural twist.

After years of struggle, Elena Michaels has finally accepted her life as a werewolf, and learned how to control her wild side.

At least, that’s what she believes when she sets off to investigate a series of gruesome murders outside Anchorage. The truth, however, is more complicated. Trapped in a frozen, unforgiving terrain, Elena is forced to confront a deadly secret, and her own, untamed nature…

I always love revisiting Elena and Clay in the Women of the Otherworld series. Although I have so far loved every couple and character throughout this series, there is something especially precious about Elena and Clay. Maybe because they are the couple that first started everything. Which is why Frostbitten was another Women of the Otherworld book that I read in a very short space of time.

Frostbitten also reintroduced a character from Chivalrous, which was a novella that I loved, but I couldn’t quite fit into the series. Reese’s catalytic appearance into the story and the instigator of the events of Frostbitten helped to fit this into the timeline, and (which led me to my happy place) bought the first Australian into the tale.

One of the things that I loved about this tale is that it not only takes our characters to Alaska, a place that seems both beautiful and terrifying, but it also introduced Native American folklore as well. The seamless integration of another supernatural into Armstrong’s world helped to up the stakes on the battle that Elena and Clay are forced to fight, but also expanded the idea that we don’t truly know what is out there. Elena might have access to a much larger world than we do, but she is still completely unaware of some of the mysteries that surround her.

Elena is also forced to face up to some of her past in this story. The horrors of what happened to her as a child threaten to repeat themselves as she chases down a mutt and justice. It actually gave me goosebumps and I had to put the book down once or twice to shake the feeling of horror that kept on creeping up my skin. Yet, ultimately, it doesn’t really seem to matter. What matters is that she has a fantastic mate and loyal family to fall back on. Something that we all truly need.

<- Recruit

The List ->

Image source: Amazon

October 2017

October 31, 2017ListAngela Carter, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, Delia Sherman, Derek Landy, Ellen Kushner, Emily Rodda, Eva Ibbotson, Ilona Andrews, Jade Parker, Jennifer Fallon, Jim Butcher, Kate Forsyth, Meg Cabot, Neil Gaiman, October, Patricia A McKillip, Yami Lesterskyebjenner

October has been a super weird month, I’ve had a tonne of assignments due (finals here we come), quit a job and just generally felt a little lost and aimless. It’s meant a bit of reading since I tend to read when I’m overwhelmed, but I’m still feeling a little lost…

Image source: Van Vorst Park Association

Yami by Yami Lester

October 30, 2017Book ReviewAustralian Authors, Biographies, Indigenous Australians, Yami Lesterskyebjenner

Title: Yami: The Autobiography of Yami Lester
Author: Yami Lester
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Biographies, Indigenous Australians
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Jukurrpa Books
Year: 1993
5th sentence, 74th page: Tjitji kungkatja.

This is Yami Lester’s story: from stockman to stirrer. Beginning in the heart of the Western Desert, Yami tells of his early years learning the country and the Law from the Ones Who Know. Of his years as a stockman, learning his trade on the vast, unfenced cattle stations of the Centre. Of this years living in the world of white people. And of the childhood memories stirred by a voice on the radio – memories of the day when the ground shook and a black mist came up from the south and covered the camp. Of the sickness that followed, and the blindness that changed his life for ever. Yami’s is a unique life of challenge and change, courage and humour. From the remote Centralian outback to the handback of Uluru, from bomb tests at Maralinga to the Royal Commission in London, Yami’s memories are aout the making of modern Australian history.

It was suggested that I read this because of my course in Indigenous Australians in environmental management and my interest in what our First Nation people have experienced. And let me tell you, I am so incredibly glad that I did. This story is just awe inspiring and fascinating. It not only entails part of our history, but also shows the strength, compassion and drive of people who have, quite frankly, not been treated as they should have been.

If you’re interested in Australian history, and more specifically, Indigenous history, this is certainly a book that is worth reading. I was kind of expecting a story that highlighted all of the many negative things that happened when white man decided to declare terra nullius, but this story was nothing like that. Yami’s love for the country and his people is clear. His experiences are told across the board and there is this really beautiful hope and care for the country and its people. All of its people.

The main reason that I decided to buy this story was because of Yami’s presence during the Maralinga bombings. What I didn’t realise was that he was instrumental in the fight to find out what truly happened there. Actually, he was very involved in a few moments in our past that I hadn’t expected – land rights movements, Indigenous education and health… he fought for a lot of things and, in many cases, he succeeded (or at least, he did mostly).

Yami takes you on an adventure through his life. Starting with the early years in central Australia and his work as a stockman, he took me on a journey through his life. One that I don’t think I’ll ever forget.

<- Scar Tissue Review

The Blind Side Review ->

Image source: Black Mist Burnt Country

Failed Readings

October 29, 2017BlogFail, Failure, Fun Anyway, Reading Challengeskyebjenner

As those of you who read this know (if, there are in fact, any of you), I have been trying to partake in reading challenges. October has been my second month. And honestly, it was a failure. Probably because the sheer volume of reading challenges I decided to attempt, and probably because of the amount of study and work that I’ve had on. Really, October has just been a lost month all round.

Firstly, I have about 4 books that will be finished in November and not October. I’m going to add them into my October challenge because I started them then. And really, no one is actually checking up on me. BUT. I still kind of feel like a cheat and a failure. That’s completely balanced out by the fact that I don’t like to fail at a challenge…. this may just be enhancing the confused feeling / trend of the month though.

Why so confused? I think it’s partly the fact that I’ve been super busy. And most likely bitten off WAY more than I can chew. It’s not really a new phenomena for me, but actually having to write about and reflect on my choices over the past few months is a little overwhelming. It is also a good indicator of how damn stubborn I am. I knew a few months ago that I was probably doing too much and my grades were going to suffer (I got quite sick for a while there), but I wanted to win.

Instead of winning, I’m now doing a sub-par, confused job of most things… not really impressed with myself here…

Image source: Clipart Library

Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews

October 28, 2017Book ReviewDystopia, Ilona Andrews, Kate Daniels, Paranormal Fantasy, Shapeshiftersskyebjenner

Title: Magic Binds
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels #9
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dystopia, Paranormal fantasy, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ace fantasy
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: “Yes.”

Mercenary Kate Daniels knows all too well that magic in post-Shift Atlanta is a dangerous business. But nothing she’s faced could have prepared her for this…

Kate and the former Beast Lord Curran Lennart are finally making their relationship official. But there are some steep obstacles standing in the way of their walk to the altar…

Kate’s father, Roland, has kidnapped the demigod Saiman and is slowly bleeding him dry in his never-ending bid for power. A Witch Oracle has predicted that if Kate marries the man she loves, Atlanta will burn and she will lose him forever. And the only person Kate can ask for help is long dead.

The odds are impossible. The future is grim. But Kate Daniels has never been one to play by the rules…

As always, Ilona Andrews has created an amazing story in the world of Kate Daniels. I was so disappointed that it was over. And now I have to wait I don’t know how long for the next story in this series. I waited for this one though, so I think I can wait for the next one… plus, there’s a few other Ilona Andrews series that I have in my shelf to start…

Kate continues to experience personal progress throughout this book. In this case, she not only has to battle the new desire to conquer the world, but also the restrictions placed on her by others. Although the battle with the need to conquer is more terrifying, I found her feeling of rubbing up against her restrictions all the more powerful. After all, she has continuously put herself in harms way to protect others, and now that she is expanding in her role as city’s protector, she is being warned to not do what she has always done. There is a beautiful point that she makes in the story that it is okay to almost kill herself when others need it, but the rest of the time, she is expected to not use her considerable powers. Rather than being treated like a person by certain members of her circle, she’s merely used as a tool that can be bought out when needed and hidden the remainder of the time. This double standard echoes in all of her relationships and is a reminder that it’s important to accept people – all of them, or none of them, not just the bits that work for you.

As with the other Kate Daniels books, this is kind of a dark story. But the books seem to constantly get darker as the series continues. This time Kate isn’t only forced to face her own demons in a battle to save herself and her city. But she is also in a race against time to save Curran and their unborn (unconceived) son. The stakes continue to get higher and higher as the battles rage around and through her.

<- Magic Stars

Iron and Magic ->

Image source: Penguin Random House

Wolf Alice by Angela Carter

October 27, 2017Book ReviewAngela Carter, Classics, Dark Fantasy, The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories, Werewolvesskyebjenner

Title: Wolf Alice
Author: Angela Carter
In: The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories (Angela Carter)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Dark fantasy, Werewolves
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Vintage
Year: 1979
5th sentence, 74th page: She grew up with wild beasts.

A feral child, whom some nuns have attempted to “civilize” by trying to teach her standard social graces, is left in the house of a monstrous, vampiric Duke when she cannot conform. She gradually comes to realise her own identity as a young woman and human being, and even develops compassion for the Duke, going far beyond the nuns’ stunted views of life.

Sometimes we just can’t conform to others’ beliefs of “normal”. But, that’s not always a bad thing, it’s just something that happens. And, in the case of this short story – that non-conformity led to a young, feral girl child being abandoned to an older, vampiric gentleman. What a way to punish someone for not doing as you expect them to! And, you know, there’s a lot of symbolism in the fact that the young, untrained girl is literally given away to an older man. One that is a blood-sucker to be more precise.

This was a great way to finish The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories – it is vivid, descriptive and just as wickedly twisted as the rest of the stories in this collection.

<- The Company of Wolves Review

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories Review ->

Image source: Goodreads

Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews

October 26, 2017Book ReviewIlona Andrews, Paranormal Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Strong Women, The Edgeskyebjenner

Title: Bayou Moon
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: The Edge #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Paranormal romance, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ace Fantasy
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: A tiny light flared in her eyes.

The Edge lies between worlds, on the border between the Broken, where people shop at Walmart and magic is a fairytale–and the Weird, where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny…

Cerise Mar and her unruly clan are cash poor but land rich, claiming a large swathe of the Mire, the Edge swamplands between the state of Louisiana and the Weird. When her parents vanish, her clan’s long-time rivals are suspect number one.

But all is not as it seems. Two nations of the Weird are waging a cold war fought by feint and espionage, and their conflict is about to spill over into the Edge—and Cerise’s life . William, a changeling soldier who left behind the politics of the Weird, has been forced back into service to track down a rival nation’s spymaster.

When William’s and Cerise’s missions lead them to cross paths, sparks fly—but they’ll have to work together if they want to succeed…and survive.

I loved the love story of Rose and Declan in On the Edge. It was sweet, and like all of Andrews’ lead females, filled with someone who wasn’t willing to just give herself away to a man and love. And Bayou Moon wasn’t any different. Cerise is competent, capable and incredibly independent. She is the matriarch of her family and completely driven to find a way to rescue and restore them. Plus, Cerise’s family is kind of insane and mental. Everything that you both want and don’t want in a family – large, loud and filled with love. The perfect place for William to finally find his own family.

Although On the Edge was about Rose and Declan, William really plucked at my heartstrings throughout their story. He was so obviously alone and an outcast. It was nice that he gets his happy ending in Bayou Moon. Plus, it was a great way to not only discover more about his past, but also to understand his loneliness and drive. His quest for revenge may start out a little dark, but, Andrews manages to weave in the humour and wit that makes her work so enjoyable.

The Edge is an interesting dichotomy between worlds. There are the laws that we all recognise, but they are overlayed by a lawlessness and savagery that goes beyond my understanding. It was overwhelming enough in On the Edge, but Cerise’s home in the Mire is much worse and more cut throat. It’s a fantastic method through which to deliver the idea of what could happen in a lawless world. The Broken is about the rules and guidelines that govern us in this life, the Weird is a throw back to ancient understandings of honour, mages and knighthood (with a modern twist). But the Edge? It’s an intimidating and cutthroat world that raises the stakes of any story.

<- On the Edge

Fate’s Edge ->

Image source: Ilona Andrews

Earth and Skye

The ramblings of a bibliophile.