All posts by skyebjenner

Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

caressed-by-ice

Title: Caressed by Ice
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling #3, Psy-Changeling Season One #3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: Most changelings hate the Psy.

Synopsis

Explore new heights of sensuality in this return to the world of the Psy – where two people who know evil intimately must unlock the good within their icy hearts…

As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now a defector, his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins – cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna…

Breen Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted – and had her mind violated – by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives.

Thoughts

I’m really enjoying how every book in this series follows a different couple – they are all interrelated and have been mentioned in passing in the previous books, but it is a totally new love story, with all of its own challenges and difficulties. Singh manages to weave these seemingly unrelated tales together into a glorious whole that not only makes you fall in love with the world of the Psy-Changeling again and again and again, but also continuously furthers their battles and tale in a completely natural way.

There’s something about seriously damaged beings finding health and solace in one another that has always appealed to me – and Brenna and Judd’s story is the perfect example of this. Although Brenna’s plight is introduced within Slave to Sensation, it is so satisfying to revisit her in Caressed by Ice. The very real consequences of abuse and victimisation are investigated, and her strength, but also vulnerability are beautifully unpacked. She isn’t perfect, and there are lasting damages from what was done to her. Singh doesn’t sugar coat the serious consequences of her violation, and it just endears her work to me all the more.

The overarching plot and consistently intensifying friction between the Psy and Changeling also begins to gain traction. There are more sections which investigate the Psy Council’s reactions to the goings on in the world of the Changelings, and a sense of trepidation and suspense is slowly being built. Not only does it make me itch to pick up the next book in the series, Mine to Possess, but it also ties the storylines into one another. Instead of feeling like a series of books that are simply based in the same world, Singh pulls together the stories so that one tale can’t exist without the other.

<- Echo of SilenceMine to Possess ->

Image source: Open Book Society

Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

visions-of-heat

Title: Visions of Heat
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling #2, Psy-Changeling Season One #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: She was playing with a very interested cat and when that cat got interested in things, it didn’t like to be denied.

Synopsis

Used to cold silence, Faith NightStar is suddenly being tormented by dark visions of blood and murder. A bad sign for anyone, but worse for Faith, an F-Psy with the highly sought after ability to predict the future. Then the visions show her something even more dangerous – aching need & exquisite pleasure.

Thoughts

Visions of Heat left a tantalising hint of rejection in the air – something that helped to make the story all the more enticing. Although it is, in a way, obvious that Vaughn and Faith will eventually become mated, the idea that Vaughn could actually be rejected makes it impossible to put this book down. It also heightens the awareness of Singh’s amazing talent to create a story that will batter the senses and expand the heart. This fear also helped to make the eventual happy ending all the more sweet and tear-jerking.

Forsight is often ported as the epitome of special powers – being able to see into the future and predict what will happen would be invaluable in almost every endeavour of our lives. However, it is also potent with pain and suffering. Seeing the future and being unable to stop it, even though you are desperate to must be a special kind of hell. To withstand these glimpses into the future, a balance of practicality (and acceptance of the inevitable) and emotional strength must be obtained. Something which Faith finally begins to understand with the slow collapse of Silence.

Singh beautifully expands on the ideas of the PsyNet, the ways in which the Council have become monsters and the fracturing of the NetMind in Visions of Heat. The dual nature of hiding from one’s emotions is beautifully illustrated through Faith’s investigations, and the future repercussions of its fracturing are alluded to. It is within this story that Singh really starts to set up the upcoming storm on the horizon and filtering through the more complex tales which are to follow.

<- Slave to SensationEcho of Silence ->

Image source: Booktopia

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

slave-to-sensation

Title: Slave to Sensation
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling #1, Psy-Changeling Season One #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2006
5th sentence, 74th page: The man wasn’t so certain.

Synopsis

In a world that denies emotions, where the ruling Psy punish any sign of desire, Sascha Duncan must conceal the feelings that brand her as flawed. To reveal them would be to sentence herself to the horror of “rehabilitation” – the complete psychic erasure of everything she ever was…

Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy coexistence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice-cold Psy is very capable of passion – and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities – or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation.

Thoughts

This is an amazing start to a fantastic paranormal romance series. The fact that it is written by a woman who is from New Zealand simply further endeared it to me. After all, they are our neighbours! But I digress, Slave to Sensation is everything that a good paranormal romance should be – it is full of steamy passion, but this is balanced by incredibly complex characters, a vivid new world and an intricate storyline which doesn’t simply rely on the story’s raw sensuality.

I love the idea of mating for life – a bond so deep that it is impossible to shake and will leave the remaining partner bereft and untenable should anything happen to their mate. The idea of this depth of connection is a fascinating way in which to explain the connectivity between two beings in love. And the idea of never truly being alone again is a great way to pull at the heart strings of even the most cold hearted reader.

Although this story is primarily about the creation of love and bonding between two completely different individuals, it is also filled with great themes that focus upon the separation of ‘them’ vs. ‘us’. The story highlights how placing somebody as the ‘other’ can help people to justify the most atrocious and cruellest of acts – something that can be seen in human nature throughout the ages. This, partnered by a race of people who have removed all emotion and, thus, compassion from their lives drives home the ways in which we are able to isolate ourselves from others, and the dangers of a lack of accountability in the treatment of others.

<- Whisper of SinVisions of Heat ->

Image source: Reviewer

Whisper of Sin by Nalini Singh

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

burning-up

Title: Whisper of Sin
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling #0.6, Psy-Changeling Season One #0.6
In: Burning Up (Angela Knight)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: I guess people must assume they’re cats.

Synopsis

A woman in lethal danger finds an unlikely protector – and lover – in a volatile member of the DarkRiver pack.

Thoughts

This was a really nice short story that helps to place the unrest and political wars of the Psy-Changeling world into context. It was also a great way to meet new characters that are peripherally present in some of the other novels in the series. Whisper of Sin is a great short story and reminder of the protective nature of the Changelings – although it is a tantalising story of love and lust, it is also about protecting the people from gangsters and predators who care nothing for the people under their care.

The opening scene alone of Whisper of Sin was really powerful, and strong. It illustrated Ria’s confusion and inner strength at her attack, and beautifully showed the protectiveness of the DarkRiver pack. I loved how Ria’s perceived softness and vulnerabilities hid an inner core that allowed her to stand up to Emmett, but also overcome her attack. Her ability to hold together her family in times of trouble was also an immensely enviable quality that worked gorgeously on the words of the page.

Emmett’s protective ruggedness worked as a great contrast to Ria’s vulnerability, and although it provided a core of protection, his insecurity at his very ruggedness worked with her vulnerable nature. The quickness and simplicity with which both characters fell into one another’s lives was incredibly sweet and endearing – where most of the Psy-Changeling love stories involve a lot of fight to overcome the obstacles in their way, Whisper of Sin was a quick and simple falling that left my heart beating and a smile lingering on my lips.

<- Beat of TemptationSlave to Sensation ->

Image source: Nalini Singh

Abhorsen by Garth Nix

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

abhorsen

Title: Abhorsen
Author: Garth Nix
Series: The Old Kingdom #3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Fantasy, Necromancers
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: And what part did his friend Nicholas have to play in it all?

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

Synopsis

WHEN THE NINTH GATE CALLS, WHO CAN RESIST ITS SUMMONS?

An ancient evil has arisen – freed from its subterranean prison and seeking to escape the binding silver hemispheres which prevent it from finally unleashing its terrible powers.

Lirael, newly come into her inheritance as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, knows that the fate of the world is in her hands. With only a vision from the Clayr to guide her, and the uncertain help of her companions – Sam, the Disreputable Dog and Mogget – Lirael sets out on her perilous mission. The answer must be found somewhere in Life or Death – but can a former Second Assistant Librarian possibly discover the means to defeat the Destroyer… before it is too late?

Thoughts

To me, Abhorsen is all about duty and honour; it’s importance and how difficult it can truly be to pursue such a calling in life. Saving the world from certain doom is a great calling, if you are not the one who has to shoulder that responsibility. Lirael grabs this responsibility and her birthright with both hands and clings on. The way that she takes on a world of pain and obligation that she never thought was hers is inspiring and beautiful. It is a great reminder of the ways in which we should all grow a backbone and take charge of our own lives and destinies.

Abhorsen, like Lirael, is very much a story about Sameth and Lirael. Sabriel and Touchstone appear occasionally, but it is Lirael’s footsteps that we follow in. Since Lirael is the character that I most identify with, this perfectly suits me. Likewise, Sameth’s new-found courage and place in life help to build upon this and the way that the two are able to relate to, and support one another is one of those great and seamless relationships that seem to only happen in books.

Throughout The Old Kingdom series, The Charter, The Beginning and Free Magic are elusive concepts that are briefly touched upon, but never truly explained. Abhorsen goes a long way to changing this, although there are no hard and fast rules outlined, the story goes back to The Beginning and allows a window into such a complex world.

This tale feels like an end of a series (which it was for a long time), so I can’t wait until I receive my copy of Goldenhand, and find out more about Lirael’s life after Orannis.

<- Lirael Review Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case Review ->
Image source: Garth Nix

Lirael by Garth Nix

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

lirael

Title: Lirael
Author: Garth Nix
Series: The Old Kingdom #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Fantasy, Necromancers
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Year: 2001
5th sentence, 74th page: But in the course of her regular duties, she often passed interesting-looking corridors sealed off with red rope, or doors that beckoned to her, almost saying, “How can you walk past me every day and not want to go in?”

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

Synopsis

WHEN THE FUTURE IS HIDDEN, WHO HOLDS THE KEY TO DESTINY?

Lirael has never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. She doesn’t even have the Sight – the ability to See into the present and possible futures – that is the very birthright of the Clayr. Nonetheless, it is Lirael in whose hands the fate of the Old Kingdom lies, while Abhorsen Sabriel is engaged in conflict elsewhere.

As an ancient evil casts its shadow – one that opposes the Royal Family, blocks the Sight of the Clayr, and threatens to break the very boundary between Life and Death – Lirael undertakes a desperate mission. With only her faithful companion, the Disreputable Dog, to help her, Lirael sets out upon a perilous journey and comes face to face with her own fate…

Thoughts

Lirael has long been one of my favourite literary heroines. She doesn’t quite fit in with her family, is immensely insecure, and is seriously struggling to find her place in life. Her multi-layered creation and the vulnerability in her tale pulls at the heart strings, and makes her all the more relatable to everyone who has struggled to find their place in life. From their teens to adulthood.

Not only does Lirael tell the story of its namesake, but it also follows Sabriel and Touchstone’s youngest child, Sameth. He is the epitome of a spoilt Prince. Whilst he isn’t a bad character, he is spoilt and naïve in his own talents. Like Lirael, he is trying to find his place in a world of expectations and political pressures. He’s still kind of whiney though, and it’s only towards the end when he faces up to his own sense of self and courage that he becomes more tolerable and admirable.

The complexities of The Charter and its creation continue to build in Lirael, and this, alongside the beautifully complex and intricate characters make it an unbelievably loveable book. This is one story that will sit on my bookshelf to be read again and again and again.

<- Sabriel Review Abhorsen Review ->
Image source: Garth Nix

Sabriel by Garth Nix

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

sabriel

Title: Sabriel
Author: Garth Nix
Series: The Old Kingdom #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Fantasy, Necromancers
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Year: 1995
5th sentence, 74th page: I will help lure others to you.

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

Synopsis

WHO WILL GUARD THE LIVING WHEN THE DEAD ARISE?

Sabriel is the daughter of the Mage Abhorsen. Ever since she was a tiny child, she has lived outside the Wall of the Old Kingdom – far away from the uncontrolled power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who won’t stay dead.

But now her father is missing and Sabriel is called upon to cross back into that world to find him. Leaving the safety of the school she has known as home, Sabriel embarks upon a quest fraught with supernatural dangers, with companions she is unsure of – for nothing is as it seems within the boundary of the Old Kingdom. There she confronts an evil that threatens much more than her life, and comes face to face with her hidden destiny.

Thoughts

I love that this is a series about necromancers – it is different and unique in a way that no other series I have read is. The binary distinction between life and death is echoed in the wall between ‘The Old Kingdom’ and ‘Ancelstierre’. The anti-necromancer, or Abhorsen, just made the entire tale all the more entrancing – partner this with beautiful writing and an entrancing storyline, and I dare you not to fall in love with Sabriel.

Nix uses Sabriel’s lack of knowledge and understanding to slowly feed through the details of the Charter, the Old Kingdom and the Abhorsen’s role in the world. This, combined with her innocence at the beginning of the tale takes the reader on an amazing journey. Her love for her father acts as a great driver in the story, undertaking a battle that she knows nothing about in his name. But, the character grows and as she does, so do her motivations.

The changes, both physical and mental that these characters go through within Sabriel are fantastic. Nix brilliantly takes the human’s psyche and places it under pressure, creating a diamond of a character.

<- Clariel Review Lirael Review ->
Image source: Garth Nix

Biting Cold by Chloe Neill

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

biting-cold

Title: Biting Cold
Author: Chloe Neill
Series: Chicagoland Vampires #6
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: New American Library
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: “Good luck,” he said, then disappeared across the field.

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

Synopsis

Turned into a vampire against her will, twenty-eight-year-old Merit found her way into the dark circle of Chicago’s vampire underground, where she learned there was more to supernaturals than met the eye – and more supernaturals than the public ever imagined. And not all the secrets she learned were for sharing – among humans or nonhumans.

Now Merit is on the hunt, charging across the stark American Midwest to tail a rogue supernatural intent on stealing an ancient artifact that could unleash catastrophic evil on the world. But Merit is also the prey. An enemy of Chicagoland is hunting her, and he’ll stop at nothing to get the artifact for himself. No mercy allowed. No rules apply. No lives spared. The race is on.

Thoughts

Things went seriously wrong in Drink Deep, (although, there was a silver lining at the end) and Biting Cold is all about fixing these mistakes. Chasing down Mallory, coming to terms with Ethan’s return and just generally pursuing the personification of power gone wrong leads to an incredibly fast paced book that starts as soon as you break the spine of the book.

The troubles which Merit goes through to right the wrongs of Mallory are a poignant reminder of the fact that there is sometimes no excuse for one’s actions – no matter how uncomfortable and sick they may be. Merit’s inability to forgive her former best friend and difficulties in overcoming her mistrust are a great way in which to highlight the true consequences of Mal’s selfish actions – her isolation from and destruction of her own relationships.

Many stories focus on the duality of good and evil; the black and white separation of peoples and their actions. However, Neill reminds us that this isn’t the way to view the world – everything is coloured in shades of grey, and nothing is inherently good or inherently evil.

<- Drink DeepHouse Rules ->

Image source: eBook Bike

Drink Deep by Chloe Neill

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

drink-deep

Title: Drink Deep
Author: Chloe Neill
Series: Chicagoland Vampires #5
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: New American Library
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: Are they holding weapons?

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

Synopsis

Clouds are brewing over Cadogan House, and recently turned vampire Merit can’t tell if this is the darkness before the dawn or the calm before the storm. With the city in turmoil over paranormals and the state threatening to pass a paranormal registration act, times ahven’t been this precarious for vampires since they came out of the closet. If only they could lie low for a bit and let the mortals calm down.

That’s when the waters of Lake Michigan suddenly turn pitch-black – and things really start getting ugly.

Chicago’s mayor insists it’s nothing to worry about, but Merit knows only the darkest magic could have woven a spell powerful enough to change the very fabric of nature. She’ll have to turn to friends old and new to find out who’s behind this, and stop them before it’s too late for vampires and humans alike.

Thoughts

Neill has been brilliantly unfolding her supernatural Chicago throughout the Chicagoland Vampires series. As Merit slowly unfolds her new supernatural reality, we too are able to find out more about the world of things that go bump in the night. And in Drink Deep, Merit’s (and our) awareness of this world is expanded tenfold. This slow filtering of information and unfurling of their world slowly, but surely draws me into the reality of the world of Cadogan.

Drink Deep is very much about reaching deep – Merit is forced to reach deep inside herself to move past grief and loss. She is forced to transform herself and her very being to begin to exist in a world without Ethan, and without his unerring support. A race to save the city from certain destruction only puts extra pressure on her to come to terms with her loss and new place in a new world.

Neill has a fantastic grasp of relationships – although they can be solid and seemingly unshakeable at one moment, drifting between friends seems to be fairly common. As we grow older, and follow our own pursuits, people drift, just like Merit and Mallory. It is painful and difficult though, and Neill captures their drifting and Merit’s confusion at it beautifully. A poignant reminder that relationships don’t last forever, and should never be taken for granted.

<- Hard BittenBiting Cold ->

Image source: Goodreads

Hard Bitten by Chloe Neill

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

hard-bitten

Title: Hard Bitten
Author: Chloe Neill
Series: Chicagoland Vampires #4
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: New American Library
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: What kind of black magic are we talking?

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

Synopsis

Times are hard for newly minted vampire Merit. Ever since shapeshifters announced their presence to the world, humans have been rallying against supernaturals – and they’re camping outside Cadogan House with protest signs they could exchange for pitchforks at any moment. Inside, things between Merit and her Master, green-eyed heartbreaker Ethan Sullivan, are… tense. Then the mayor of Chicago calls Merit and Ethan to a clandestine meeting and tells them about a violent vamp attack that has left three women missing. His message is simple: Get your House in order. Or else.

Merit needs to get to the bottom of this crime, but it doesn’t help that she can’t tell who’s on her side. So she secretly calls in a favor from someone who’s tall, dark, and part of an underground vamp group that may have some inside intel on the attack. Merit soon finds herself in the dark, heady heart of Chicago’s supernatural society – a world of vampires who seem ready to fulfill the protesting humans’ worst fears, and a place where she’ll learn that you can’t be a vampire without getting a little blood on your hands…

Thoughts

The ending of Hard Bitten shocked me in a way that no other book has – Neill did something to her main character that I have always wanted to do in my own work. The amazingly unpredictable finish to this story made me grab for the next book immediately – I just couldn’t believe that Neill would actually do that in her story. But, I digress, you’ll just have to read this book yourself to gain a true understanding of how amazingly potent and powerful a finale Hard Bitten had.

The first three books in this series focused mainly on Merit and Ethan’s relationship and their work together. The constant push and pull of their attraction and their fight for their people. However, throughout Hard Bitten, Merit is primarily acting on her own and autonomously of Ethan. Revisiting her independence and ability to hold her own throughout her actions was refreshing, and helped to further endear this uniquely loveable vampire to me.

It is in Hard Bitten that Merit truly embraces her place as Sentinel for Cadogan house and her place amongst the fellow vampires. She finally finds the place in which she truly belongs and becomes comfortable in her new body. Something that we all ultimately strive to achieve – a sense of belonging in a chaotic world.

<- Twice BittenDrink Deep ->

Image source: Goodreads