Tag Archives: Easy Reading

Green-Eyed Envy by Kasey MacKenzie

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Green-Eyed EnvyTitle: Green-Eyed Envy
Author: Kasey MacKenzie
Series: Shades of Fury #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ace Fantasy
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: My overactive imagination the night before had delighted in reminding me over and over again that Scott had been involved with Harper, however briefly, which meant that he very well could be in danger from this lunatic

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Synopsis

As a Fury, Marissa Holloway belongs to an arcane race that has meted out justice since time immemorial. As Boston’s Chief Magical Investigator, she’s responsible for solving any crimes committed by or against supernaturals.

Months have gone by since Riss discovered some unwelcome truths about her past – and managed to stop a supernatural war. Since then, tings have been quiet. Too quiet. But that all changes when the bodies of Bastai, shape-shifters also known as Cats, begin piling up in Boston’s magical underbelly – even though the legendary shifters are supposed to have ninety-nine lives.

One common thread ties the victims together: All were old flames of FBI Agent Harper Cruz. And since Scott Murphy, Riss’s lover, enjoyed a long-ago one-night stand with Harper, the Fury has twice the incentive to crack the case wide open, before the killer’s green-eyed gaze turns in Scott’s direction…

Thoughts

Everyone can get a little jealous at times. But, when that jealousy turns to something completely different that it can become dangerous. And in this case, downright deadly. Although Riss isn’t necessarily the one in danger, her own jealousy throughout this tale puts her in a decent amount of danger. And as two parallel conspiracies unfold around her, she is not only in a race to save the next victim of a serial killer, but also a race to save her own family.

Although one of these tales (the issues with her family) doesn’t actually get solved during Green-Eyed Envy, the fact that there is an extra complication in Riss’ life helps to increase the fast pace of this tale. Her ties to her family also help to not only ground her when things start getting a little bit too weird, but also create a larger issue. One that I can’t wait to see solved (hopefully) in the next Shades of Fury novel.

Serial killer tales and the race to stop them can always be interesting but adding in a supernatural spin on this murder spree, I just lapped it up. Add in Scott’s ex, racial prejudice and wedding bells in the future… well, you know that this is going to be good fun. I also love the way that issues such as racism and maddened possession are built upon to create a better understanding of the world. That, and it makes some of the issues that Riss is facing a little more relatable and realistic. I doubt anyone has seen a Fury, but we’ve all seen racism…

 <- Red Hot Fury Review Blackhearted Betrayal Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Red Hot Fury by Kasey MacKenzie

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Red Hot FuryTitle: Red Hot Fury
Author: Kasey MacKenzie
Series: Shades of Fury #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Slow, Medium, Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ace Fantasy
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: No less than the truth.

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Synopsis

As a Fury, Marissa Holloway belongs to an arcane race that has avenged wrongdoing since time immemorial. As Boston’s Chief Magical Investigator for the past five years, she’s doing what she was born to do: solving supernatural crimes.

It’s far from business as usual when the body of a sister Fury washes up in Boston Harbor. But when Riss reports that the corpse’s identity has been magically altered, she’s immediately – and inexplicably – suspended from her job. Then a human assassin makes an attempt on her life, and Riss realizes that someone is trying to stir up strife between mortals and arcanes.

When a Fury gets mad, she gets even, and Riss is determined to uncover the truth. Without the support of the mortal PD, she turns to the one man she can trust to watch her back: shape-shifting Warhound Scott Murphy. But since Scott is also Riss’s ex, she’ll have to keep a short leash on more than just the supernatural rage that feeds her power as they try to solve a murder – and stop a war…

Thoughts

When I moved out of home, a lot of my books got boxed up. And sadly this was one of them. But, recently I was able to unpack all of the amazing books that I have stashed over the years and really sink my teeth into them. I read the majority of this in one night. Even though I knew what was going to happen (kind of, it’s been a long time), it still completely swept me away and pulled me in from the very first moment. So much so that I picked up Green-Eyed Envy immediately afterwards. Like I said, it’s just that good.

Furies in the folklore are something that fascinates me – really, anything paranormal and feminine is going to fascinate me if I’m honest. And I really like how this paranormal paragon of justice is also a cop in the story – it helps to layer the paranormal on top of the reality. It’s also a little fun to read a story that starts as a paranormal murder mystery. It quickly turns into something far more complex and intense, but at the very beginning, it lulls you into thinking this is going to be a little bit of a paranormal crime type story.

As with most stories, there is a romantic entanglement throughout Red Hot Fury. However, instead of being a budding romance, it is Riss’ ex that provides the emotional entanglements that raise the stakes of the story. As much as you kind of know that they will eventually end up together (because they always do, and we always enjoy it), I liked the added complication of a past breakup and all of the hot headed words that that entails. The past really informs all of the relationships throughout this tale and the slow unravelling of what is happening along both timelines makes you want to turn each and every page as quickly as possible.

 <- White-Knuckled Fear Review Green-Eyed Envy Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Oracle by Margo Maguire

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

The Mammoth Book of Irish RomanceTitle: Oracle

Author: Margo Maguire

In: The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance (Trisha Telep)

Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)

My Bookshelves: Celtic, Easy reading, Romance

Pace: Slow

Format: Short story

Publisher: Running Press

Year: 2010

5th sentence, 74th page: It was more vivid than any I’ve ever had.

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Synopsis

A future oracle of her people travels to save the world. But she finds herself and her future instead.

Thoughts

I don’t get the obsession with virgins. The idea that a virgin woman (it’s always a woman) has some kind of mythical powers or prowess. It’s not something that’s ever made sense to me, and when I started reading this short story, part of me was going oh god, here we go again. And it was kind of like that… she has to be a virgin to become an oracle. She finds a temptation. But it wasn’t anywhere near as horrifying as I was expecting.

The immediate attachment between the two main characters was fun and potent. Although a little too predictable. The battle that they have to fight, and the storyline, were really well written and developed. Although I didn’t have much of an interest in the romance aspect of this tale (which is kind of new for me), I did like the rest of the story.

 <- The Ballad of Rosamunde Review The Trials of Bryan Murphy Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Ballad of Rosamunde by Claire Delacroix

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

The Mammoth Book of Irish RomanceTitle: The Ballad of Rosamunde

Author: Claire Delacroix

In: The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance (Trisha Telep)

Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)

My Bookshelves: Celtic, Easy reading, Fae, Romance

Pace: Slow

Format: Short story

Publisher: Running Press

Year: 2010

5th sentence, 74th page: Rosamunde felt her heart skip and feared her maidens would hear its tumult.

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Synopsis

Padraig thinks that the love of his life has been taken away from him forever. But, then he finds out that she amongst the fae and that there might be a way to save her after all.

Thoughts

I loved this short story. It took the beauty of an old Irish ballad, and partnered it with a battle against the fae, true love and pirates. Really, you can’t go wrong with such a mix.

I really liked how if you read the ballad that is throughout this, it would form its own beautiful story that you could completely lose yourself in. But, Delacroix takes the stanzas and fleshes them out. She layers emotion onto emotion and takes you on a wild journey that you just can’t escape.

There are almost three storylines interwoven throughout this tale. There is the ballad. There is Padraig’s battle to save Rosamunde. And there is the tale of how Rosamunde found herself in such a dire predicament. Each story is amazingly sweet and heart-wrenchingly beautiful.

 <- The Blue Pebble Review Oracle Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Jodie’s Journey by Colin Thiele

Book Review, , ,

Overview

Jodie's JourneyTitle: Jodie’s Journey
Author: Colin Thiele
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Classics, Easy reading
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Walter McVitty
Year: 1988
5th sentence, 74th page: It wouldn’t be ready until four o’clock so she probably would not be home until five.

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Synopsis

When Jodie Carpenter won the Greenvale Junior Show Jumping Championship there were tears of happiness in her eyes. It was a moment that nothing could ever take away from her. She was not to know that she was about to be cruelly struck down by a crippling disease, and that the hurdles which lay ahead of her would be more challenging than those she had just overcome…

Thoughts

I have been hunting for this book for ages. It was the first tale that through me into the world of novels and that I completely loved. This book is honestly the very reason that I became so obsessed with reading. So the fact that I have finally found a copy to revisit this made me one of the happiest girls in the world. And reading this again, also made me deliriously happy. And it also made me cry.

Colin Thiele is such a great Australian writer and one that I have long admired. The fact that Jodie’s Journey is based near my home just made it all the more thrilling. I can see the places in which he talks about, because I’ve been there. I’ve breathed the air and experienced the terror of bushfires. I remember going to a small school, and the town I live in is even mentioned in the book. It all hits so wonderfully close to home and draws this amazing world that sweeps you along as Jodie fights to overcome her illness.

I wasn’t alive when Ash Wednesday swept across the state, but I have experienced that same overwhelming terror and confusion bought about by the presence of a bushfire. The fact that Jodie is crippled and on a farm makes everything all the more scary, but the powerful message in her strength and journey help you to believe that you can do anything. At least, that’s what it did for me as a kid, and it served as a great reminder now that I’m an adult.

<- More Australian author reviews More Classic reviews ->
Image source: AbeBooks

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Frankenstein

Title: Frankenstein
Author: Mary Shelley
Series: Word Cloud Classics
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Easy reading, Gothic
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Word Cloud Classics
Year: 1818
5th sentence, 74th page: Yet my heart overflowed with kindness and the love of virtue.

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Synopsis

Horror. Romance. Science. A classic tale that would be a fright to miss!

The idea for the story came to the author, Mary Shelley, in a dream she had about a scientist who had created life and was horrified by what he had made. This Gothic-style romance is among the first of true science fiction novels, if not the first. A young scientist named Victor Frankenstein, after going through his own near-death experience, decides to play God and create life in the form of a grotesque creature, which turns into a nightmare. Through his experience, he learns that the gift of life is precious, not disposable. His journey and personal transformation has deeply affected readers.

Thoughts

I’ve never read Frankenstein. I’ve not really spoken to anyone who has. And it was one that I’ve wanted to read for curiosities sake but wasn’t completely desperate to read like some others. All that changed when I started on the first page of this book. I can completely understand why this has stood the test of time and captured so many readers’ imaginations and fascinations.

I really enjoyed how this tale started off with a series of letters that helped to foreshadow what was to come. It highlighted the dark nature of the tale, and the sense of total and utter devastation of Frankenstein as his story unfolded. Even though I knew that this wasn’t going to be a sunshine and roses kind of tale, it still broke my heart a little as the tale unfolded. Not just for Frankenstein, but there was a few moments when I felt genuine sorry for his monster too. Although, not enough to accept the horrors of his actions.

The foreshadowing that is layered throughout this story is brilliantly done. It gives this horrifying sense of dread and an uncomfortable feeling that sits in the pit of your stomach. The commentary on social injustice and assumptions that cause his monster to completely lose his mind just add to that feeling of uncomfortableness. But it’s a good uncomfortable, it acts as a way to open your eyes, even in this modern day that makes you question all of the assumptions that you make about others. And to remind you that sometimes the worst monster in the world is the one of your own creation.

<- Shakespeare’s Sonnets and Other PoemsStrange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde & Other Stories ->

Image source: Amazon

The Blue Pebble by Shirley Kennedy

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

The Mammoth Book of Irish RomanceTitle: The Blue Pebble

Author: Shirley Kennedy

In: The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance (Trisha Telep)

Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)

My Bookshelves: Celtic, Easy reading, Magic, Romance

Pace: Slow

Format: Short story

Publisher: Running Press

Year: 2010

5th sentence, 74th page: He gazed around the tiny room and frowned.

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Synopsis

A young, Irish woman granted with a gift moves to England and finds deceit, passion and a whole new life.

Thoughts

This was such a sweet short story. I knew from the very beginning who would end up with who, but there was a moment that still made me doubt it. Which of course made me read through the tale even quicker than I was before.

My family is English, and Irish, and Welsh… and every time I read a story that uses any of these three countries and groups, I feel myself getting swept away. I have never been, and I may never get the chance, but there is something about these settings that seems to speak to me. Or maybe it’s just my obsession with where my family originally came from. Regardless, the setting for The Blue Pebble completely swept me away. It was picturesque, sweet and everything that I wanted in a before-bedtime story.

I enjoyed how this story highlighted the injustices and cruelty of class systems and the judgements that people make. Poor Evleen was forced to contend with this, alongside her growing emotions and insecurities. This is such a sweet tale and one that I will probably pick up every time I feel low and alone.

 <- The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance Review The Ballad of Rosamunde Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Must Love Hellhounds by Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews & Meljean Brook

Book Review, , , , , , ,
Overview
Must Love Hellhounds

Title: Must Love Hellhounds
Author: Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews & Meljean Brook
In: Must Love Hellhounds (Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews & Meljean Brook)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy, Short story collections
Pace: Fast
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Berkley Books
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: She might control his cock, but nothing else.

Synopsis

Follow paranormal bodyguards Clovache and Batanya into Lucifer’s realm, where they encounter his fearsome four-legged pets in The Britlingens Go to Hell.

Seek out a traitor in the midst of a guild of nonlethal vampire trackers, one intent on eradicating members of the species of bloodsuckers, in Angels’ Judgment.

Find out why the giant three-headed dog that guards the gates of Hades has left the underworld for the real world – and whose scent he’s following – in Magic Mourns.

Embark on a perilous search for the kidnapped niece of a powerful vampire alongside her blind – and damn sexy – companion and a hellhound in Blind Spot.

Thoughts

I feel so much love for this collection. Not only does it feature two of my already loved series, but it has introduced me to two more that I just have to get my hands on. The fact that all four novellas also feature a hellhound of some description… well, it just made me all the happier. And giddier. And just in general thoroughly enjoying this collection.

Although there was a great common thread throughout these four novellas, the styles and tales were completely different. I liked that they might all be paranormal fantasy, and they all had something to do with hell and demons, but they didn’t actually have all that much else in common with each other. I both loved and hated the fact that each of these tales is also part of a greater series – loved it because I have more books to fill my shelves now. Hated it because I can’t really afford to be purchasing said books.

 <- The Britlingens Go to HellBlind Spot ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
The Sword of Summer

Title: Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer
Author: Rick Riordan
Series: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Mythology, Urban fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Puffin
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: He nodded and smiled.

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Synopsis

MY NAME IS MAGNUS CHASE. I’M ORPHANED AND LIVING ROUGH ON THE STREETS OF BOSTON. AND THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET MUCH WORSE.

My day started out normally enough. I was sleeping under a bridge when some guy kicked me awake and said, ‘They’re after you.’ Next thing I know, I’m reunited with my obnoxious uncle, who casually informs me that my long-lost father is a Norse god.

Nothing normal about that. And it turns out the gods of Asgard are preparing ofr war. Apparently, if I can’t find the sword my father lost two thousand years ago, there will be doom. Doomsday, to be precise.

A fire giant atatcking the city?
Immortal warriors hacking each other to pieces?
Unkillable wolves with glowing eyes?
It’s all coming up.

But first I’m going to die.
This is the story of how my life goes downhill from there…

Thoughts

I keep meaning to read this (which is kind of the story of my life), but I just haven’t found the time to pick it up as of yet. Until I needed to complete it for a reading challenge, and this gave me a beautiful excuse to drown myself, yet again in the world and writing of Magnus Chase. You would have thought that the name Chase would have clued me in on the relationship to Annabeth and Percy. But it took Annabeth’s actual appearance to make me understand… and then finally start grinning with joy.

I love how Magnus is a homeless child, with a bad two years and a mother that he has fond memories of. He has a completely different background to anyone else I’ve met so far in Riordan’s worlds and I found that this, once again, outsider was a great insight into the difficulties of a rough past. As the novel unfolds, you find out more and more of Magnus’ life on the streets, and his pre-street life with his mother. The slow unfolding and release of memories throughout help to really build his character and give a great structure to the battles that he not only faces in this book, but those I’m sure he is about to face in future stories.

I am vaguely familiar with the Norse Pantheon, enough so that I know the names of the major gods. So I was completely expecting Magnus to be the son of Odin or Thor, two of the most famous Norse Gods. He isn’t. And his father was completely unexpected, but so much more exciting in the discovery. I can’t wait to see how the son of a Norse God will develop further. Although I might have to dig out some of my books on mythology to find the tales behind this modern adaptation.

<- 9 from the Nine WorldsThe Hammer of Thor ->

Image source: Amazon UK

Rookwood and Mrs. King by Lilith Saintcrow

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Dark and Stormy KnightsTitle: Rookwood and Mrs. King
Author: Lilith Saintcrow
In: Dark and Stormy Knights (P.N. Elrod)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Easy reading, Vampires
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: Rookwood coughed twice, rackingly.

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Synopsis

Rookwood is almost one of the undead. And he finally has the bait to set his trap, but is he the one really being lured to his end?

Thoughts

This was a really fun detective / vampire / I’m-not-sure-what story. Actually, although this was a vampire tale, I’m not really sure where else this fits into the scheme of genres. Or really into my shelf in general. I suppose the fact that it is in Dark and Stormy Knights – a collection of dark fantasy stories kind of helps me put it into context.

I liked the idea that the bait is acting as bait. The convoluted way in which this works, and the grotesque things that follow were actually a lot of fun. I’m almost disappointed that this isn’t actually part of a greater series. Yet, the idea that Rookwood and Mrs. King get to walk off into the sunset and their not-so-happily-ever-after is thoroughly enjoyable and made me have a bit of a smile at the end.

 <- Shifting Star Review God’s Creatures Review ->
Image source: Goodreads