Ramblings of an Avid Reader

Holly Jennings first novel, Arena, is a bit of a dystopian look at the potential future of gaming. Kali Ling is one of the best players in RAGE, the tournament that hosts a full on VR game of capture the flag. There are a few catches with VR in 2054 though. Your avatar in the game is yourself. Anything you can do in the real world, your avatar can do in the VR world, and vise versa. Your avatar is only as good as your real world self.

When one of Kali's teammates dies from a drug overdose, something that's much more common in the VR gaming world than any of the sponsors will admit, it's up to Kali to step up and take the position of team leaser. Not only is she the first woman leader in RAGE, she's now responsible for pulling together her team, complete with the new guy, and in the middle of one of the biggest tournaments on the US circuit as well. Will Kali be able to step up to the plate, or are her addictions going to lead her on a downward spiral?

Arena is geared to a YA audience, but there are a couple themes that may not be particularly appropriate for youth. Drug addiction, violence (in game, not in the real world), implied sex (between consenting adults), and the subplots (which become major plot points) of manipulation by corporations. There are also some points that could be an awesome jumping off point for youth and adults to talk about. There are some veiled references to GamerGate, to media manipulation, to the effects that media corporations have on information that we receive, to sexism/racism in the gaming world, and to addiction. I think that these could lead to some great conversations, and possible "teaching moments". 

Would I recommend Arena? Yes, I certainly would. My friends who are gamers would like it, my friends who have teens would enjoy it (especially because they could read it with their teens), I think it could be interesting for a book club to read in order to discuss the themes that are affecting women and minorities in gaming currently. I give it four stars because it's well written, fast paced, and fun, but the characters are a little flat, there isn't too terribly much character development, and beyond Kali & Rooke, the supporting characters could be switched out for anyone. All in all though, it was good, and I'm looking forward to what Mx. Jennings has in store for us next.

I did receive an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the book, it's pretty obvious that Mx. Jennings is a gamer. They also assume that you have at least some knowledge of gaming, both of current VR tech and of some of the old school console games.

Just Fall, the first novel by Nina Sadowski, was promising. With a tagline of "How can you find out that the person you love is a killer...and continue to love him anyway?" it seemed just up my alley.

Ellie and her new husband Rob have fallen into a trap of Rob's making. Lying about his entire life to Ellie, and then his past showing up at their wedding to ruin their lives. The book is told in chapters named NOW and THEN. A big problem with that is that the THEN chapters are not in sequential order, so trying to piece out the timeline is difficult, and while they eventually explain what is happening in the NOW chapters, they're confusing and just blah.

In fact, blah if the exact word I've used in describing this book to friends. Nothing about it stands out or was interesting. The characters were totally flat, the plot was flat, the "action" was flat. The whole book was flat. It's one of the very few books that I've almost dropped out of reading in the middle. (One that hasn't smashed into my "disgust walls" of content to make me stop reading.)  I forced myself to finish the book, hoping that it might get a little better, that it might redeem itself. It never did.

I think the writing was ok, there weren't any glaring issues. It was probably well edited, all that jazz. It was just blah. Who would I recommend it it? Nobody. I don't want to encourage people to blow that kind of money on a book that just isn't interesting. I gave it three stars because it wasn't bad, it had some great potential (maybe), it just wasn't any good. There wasn't anything at all that stood out in the book. Nothing horrible, nothing good. Just blah. Blah blah blah.

In the interest of disclosure, I did get an ARC of the book in return for a review.

Yet again, Setta Jay has written a satisfying piece of delicious smut. And yes, the pun was intended. Denying Ecstasy has a main theme revolving around Dorian, the guardian, and Rain, a Mageia.

**Potentially triggering book for borderline psychological abuse/Stockholm Syndrome**

Dorian's life was shattered when his best friend was brutally murdered in front of him. He's considered this the ultimate betrayal, and has refused to let anyone near him in the intervening years. Until he scents Rain. He knows that she's his mate, and is bound and determined to never get close enough to her to allow a mating to happen. After all, what if he causes her death too?

Rain has been taken to Tetartos when it is discovered that her best friend is in incredible danger of being kidnapped by Cyril, (which is detailed in the book just before in this series. It is mentioned in this book, and summarized a bit, just in case you need a bit of a refresher.) In Tetartos, Rain is safer. At the Guardian's mansion, she's safer still. But she's still far too close to Dorian for her comfort. She knows he's her mate, but he only has scorn for her. He only wants to wound her, not mate with her. But Dorian has his reasons to stay away, to not let Rain into his heart.

So, Denying Ecstasy is good smut. There's a few good plot lines, one of which is a little confusing, but I'm quite certain it'll be explained in the next book, as the ending is a bit of a neon sign pointing to it. There was some totally hot sex in this one. More than the last in my opinion. Dorian still falls prey to the "Me Alpha male, you weak woman, me dominate you" trope. It is a little off-putting that all the males, every single one, are the super dominating type. Overly protective, not wanting anyone to get close to their mate, being very jealous of everyone even looking at their mates. It's getting where some of the situations are bordering on abusive. The isolation from friends and family, the manipulation, the control of every minute of the partner's life...It's edging towards psychological abuse/Stockholm Syndrome. Overtly disturbing in real life, kinda alarming in Fantasy.

That being said, I am enjoying the books a little more as I read more of them, but I am having to detach myself emotionally during parts of the books due to the actions of the Guardians in regards to their mates. Yes, they're loving and doting at times, but it's like the lull between the storms in any abusive relationship. And that needs to be said fairly clearly.

Would I recommend this book? If you're looking for good smut, yes. If you're looking for some interesting plot lines, yes. If you're looking for Fantasy that pushes all the "hot" buttons, yes. If you're squicked out by overly dominating men, with actions that border on abuse, well, that's a resounding nope. I will be finishing the series, as I've committed to it. I'm certainly enjoying parts, mostly the great smut, but parts are getting more disturbing.

The 2nd book in Setta Jay's Ecstasy series, which is actually called The Guardians of the Realm series, has all the high points of the first book, but not the rape low points. Sooo much better. There's still the tension, because Cyril, the nasty icky, kidnaps even more Mageia to work on his serum, but it's at an entirely different level.

Ecstasy Claimed is the story of Gregoire and Alyssa. They're both Hippaeus, which is a half war-horse Immortal breed. Alyssa spends her entire life convinced that she'll never be mated, she's met the Immortal men in Tetartos, and none of them have been the right one. Then she finds out that she's actually had a mate the entire time, he just didn't bother to come claim her in the five years since she turned twenty, when she came of age. Which Immortal is he, and is he just a jerk, or is he ashamed of her because she's the smallest Hippaeus?

Alyssa decides not to dwell on that topic too long, taking herself and her best friend to a pleasure island, where Gregoire tracks her down, and takes her back to the Guardian compound. Typical Guardian behavior, they're super Alpha Male, and when they start to bond with their mate, nothing will keep them apart. On the pleasure island, there's a rather hot MFFM scene, one that Gregoire gets furious about, knowing that someone other than himself has touched his precious mate.

In the meantime, female Mageia are being kidnapped from around the realm of Tetartos, and being taken to Cyril's lair to be experimented on. He's trying to find a serum to break the mating spell, so that he can mate with any female and take on her powers. Yeah, not a good thing at all.

The Guardians rescue the Mageia, fortunately only losing one. But her loss hits too close to home for Alyssa, as she was friends with her. But she was able to kill Cyril before he could keep working on his nefarious plan.

I liked this book much better than the first one. There wasn't the ugly rape scene, and there weren't all the flashbacks. There were still a couple flashbacks, but they were few & far between. The sex wasn't quite as hot either, but there was more of a love story between Gregoire and Alyssa, which was nice. Gregoire is still a total Alpha Male, but he's not quite as much of a raging asshat as some of the others. Not saying a whole lot, but he's a little better. Like I said, there isn't quite as much ragingly hot sex. There are a couple scenes that are steaming, which are incredibly enjoyable, but fewer than the first. So if you're not quite as hot for the smut, you may like this one better.

Still recommending the series for people who like lovely smut, who like Alpha Males being all Alpha and dominant in that non-power exchange way, for people who like a little fast paced, medium-high tension in their smutty romance novels, those who like shape shifters, and those who like a nice alt-universe filled with impossibly gorgeous Immortals. I like it, and you very well might too.

**TRIGGER WARNING rape, explicit sex, D/s theme, mfm sex***

Uri, an Immortal Guardian, is deeply, thoroughly, completely overwhelmingly in lust with a mysterious woman. One whom he is sworn to send to Tertatos, should he ever get close enough to touch her. This could be quite the problem, so he'll have to make do with sexing up random women while Alex watches.

The Guardians are tasked with protecting Mageia, and other supernatural beings, from the Tria. The Gods have been put to sleep, their children walk Earth, and other realms, doing the things that their families set out doing. Confused yet? Yeah, so was I, and many other readers. There's a lot of history packed into this book, and in order to get a grasp on the convoluted story, you need that history. And convoluted is an understatement. There are the Guardians, Demi-God/esses, Aletheias, Geraki, Sirens, Hippeus', Kairos's...etc. And each "race" has different powers, control over different elements, so on and so forth. It's rather confusing, and Ms. Jay has included a short glossary with mini blurbs about the different races and characters. Which helps a little.

This book was almost a DNF, there is a present rape scene, and flashbacks to another rape in the very beginning of the book. That's normally a total stop for me, but as I'd already committed to reading a number of additional books in the series, I felt obligated to finish it. That being said...This book was *great* smut with some story in between. If it hadn't contained the rape scenes, I'd have enjoyed it much more. The sex was very hot, and quite D/s as well. The Alpha male character of Uri exerts that unwavering dominance very strongly in the bedroom as well as out of it. I'd hoped Alex would be less submissive, as she's a very independent and ass kicking heroine. But as soon as she falls under Uri's spell (which is called Mating Frenzy in the series), she looses all of her tenacity.

Did I enjoy the book? With mixed emotions, I did. It's got a good setup to be an awesome supernatural smut series. I can't call it romance, because there isn't any, it's all animal lust. There's a great D/s thread that runs through the book, but it's very decidedly one sided. Which was a bit of a disappointment. However, as in most books of this nature, it's the Alpha male who controls everything, so it wasn't surprising in the least. But the rapes were referenced numerous times, and that's a big trigger.

Will people enjoy the book? Hell yes! Very explicit sex scenes with abnormally hot paranormal creatures. It's not the most well written book, but if you like the awesome smut, you're willing to overlook some of the abrupt POV changes, the predictable plot and characters, and the overabundance of history.

In the interest of disclosure, the publisher provided me with a copy of the book for a fair review. Which is the reason I felt obligated to finish the book and read the rest of the series.

Dani is a cleaner, learning to wield the tools of her trade, mops, squeegies, pails, sponges...Why training you ask? Because becoming a cleaner isn't about making a building sparkle, it's about cleansing the Scum out of a place. After all, cleaners, janitors, window washers, handy men, maids...They are more special than you'd imagine.

Dani is a special version of a cleaner, one who can access all the elements to help her combat the Scum, most cleaners can only effectively use one. Her training is rudely interrupted by a maid going berserk, trying to kill another maid. Her trainer Ben, lost his special abilities in an accident that cost Ben his powers and his arm, but his wife as well. But it's up to Dani, Ben, Ben's former partner Lucy, and the twins Laurel & Hardy, to stop whatever sickness has infected the cleaners, and save the world.

Josh Vogt's latest work is a race against time to purge a new kind of Scum, one that is undetectable from every measure the cleaners employ. It's filled with action, unlikely friendships, and a rather icky antagonist. And he's icky in every sense of the word, from the convoluted depths of his mind, to the raising of his dead family, to his role in trying to bring down all of humanity.

It's a highly enjoyable read, well paced, and very descriptive. The characters are well developed, but I do want to know more about them, especially Dani. There's not much revealed about her past, and it made me want to read more, to see what else I could glean about her. I'm assuming that was intentional, to reel the reader in, and leave them wanting more. 

*EDIT* Mt Vogt's previous book in the series, Enter the Janitor, contains much of Dani's backstory. It tells how she learned of the cleaners and joined their ranks. It's not necessary to read them in order, as evidenced by my being able to pick up the second book and find it a complete story, but I'm sure it'll make The Maids of Wrath that much better. 

The book wrapped itself up neatly, not solving *all* the mysteries, but to a satisfactory conclusion. If it were a standalone novel, I'd be happy. But as part of a series, I'm intrigued. I want to know where the characters go with the bits and pieces of information they've discovered. I'm sure that the next book will be as engrossing as this, and will be just as entertaining to read. I'm going to pick up the first book this afternoon, and will be waiting expectantly for the next book to drop.

In the interest of disclosure, Mr. Vogt provided me an ARC of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Imagine being a regular High School student, confident that your life is normal. Then just days before your 16th birthday, you find a chest that turns your entire world topsy-turvy. That's just what happens to Crystal Miller, or rather Crystal Wynter to be more correct.

Crystal learns that her mother struck a bargain with local witches to allow her to conceive a child. But her mother may not have known just what she would have to trade for her miracle.

Crystal has always had unwavering faith in God, after all, he answers her prayers. Well, most of them. Which is one reason she has such a difficult time coming to terms that she is of magic. Not just a practitioner of magic, like the witches or the shamans, but made up of magic itself. Is there place in religion for magic, and a place for God in magic? This is a question Crystal must answer for herself, there is no one else like her to help her answer this.

Shortly after learning she is magic, things begin to go wrong in Mount Claymore. There is the accident that almost kills her boyfriend's mother, then the mugging of her mother/aunt. Just which is Crystal supposed to think of her as? Patricia Miller did raise her, but Patricia is also her aunt. Yet another question for Crystal to sort out.

Then the new boy in school comes clean that he is the latest son in a long line of witch hunters. A witch hunter who is in town to "cleanse" the world of the witches responsible for Crystal's existence. And then there are the shamans, who want to use Crystal to further their purpose. Crystal is enmeshed in a drama centuries in the making.

I really liked A Question of Faith. I'm avowedly an agnostic Heathen, but the question of reconciling faith in a singular omnipresent God with the practice of magic is an interesting one. And not one I've seen posed this way before. Faith in something beyond you, and faith in yourself and your powers, makes for an interesting premise, and one that is handled very deftly by Ms. Zoltak. It's also not guilty of being "preachy" about the religious elements, and that takes a light hand. Books heavy on the religious side don't sit well with me, but the threads of the different kinds of faith wove together quite seamlessly.

I'd very much recommend this book. It's aimed at YA readers, but it does certainly have an appeal to adult readers as well. There isn't much focus on HS, and it's daily grind. The focus is on the characters as opposed to the physical HS setting, so it's not tightly marketed there. There is some lovely character development in Crystal, and I genuinely care for her. She's having a crisis of faith, in every possible way, but she picks everything up and mends it into armor to help her fight. The supporting characters, at least the "main" supporting characters have some development, but the book is strongly about Crystal, as it should be.

I'd recommend it to YA readers, adult readers who like light fantasy, readers who like a touch of Christian faith in a fantasy novel, readers who like having strong female protagonists. I'd actually recommend it to most of my friends, there's a bit in it that will appeal to just about everyone.

I did receive an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an unbiased review, in the interest of disclosure.

Missing Pieces starts of with some unanswered questions, and just piles more and more of them on.

Sarah Quinlan's husband Jack has been called back to his hometown, Penny Gate, Iowa. His aunt has had a horrific accident, and is in a coma. When Aunt Julia suddenly dies, Jack's family, most notably his sister Amy, are the first person the sheriff suspects of her murder.

As Sarah starts to look into Julia's murder, she discovers that Jack and Amy's mother was brutally murdered in their childhood home. Not killed in a car accident as Jack has maintained for twenty years. Sarah finds a way to get a hold of the case files in Jack's mother's murder, and finds that Jack was not only a suspect, but he was acquitted in the murder. And with Amy jailed for suspicion of Julia's murder, Sarah has to find the murderer before it's too late.

I'll admit, this wasn't my favourite murder mystery. Jack came across as a selfish jerk who puts his comfort ahead of telling his wife the truth. Jack's cousin Dean and his wife Celia had awkward roles, mostly revolving around Celia and Jack being deeply involved with each other before Jack's mother's murder. That's yet another thing that Jack lies to Sarah about. Everything about his past Sarah has to drag out of the past and throw it into Jack's face, where he continues to deny it until enough proof is given that he finally has to grudgingly admit that he's lying yet again.

The twist at the end, where they murderer is revealed did surprise me. It shouldn't have, in retrospect, but I was surprised. All in all, it wasn't a *bad* book, just not on the list of books I'll read again. The first 3/5's had a plodding pace, just rehashing things over and over again. Then the pace began to pick up, but it really didn't redeem the beginning. I picked up and put down this book at least half a dozen times, even reading another book in the middle of it.

If you like murder mysteries that have interesting twists, you may like this. If you like suspenseful books where things build and build slowly to an extreme climax, you may like this. I'm not highly recommending it, but I'm also not saying don't read it. It just wasn't my favourite.

I was provided an ARC of this book by the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

Ask a Queer Chick is a natural extension of Lindsay King-Miller's popular "Ask a Queer Chick" advice column at The Hairpin. This column has been invaluable in the coming out and dating world for emerging queer girls all over. 

This book is fantastic. I've been reading Ms. King-Miller's column for a few years now, and her advice is always heartfelt, and delivered with a nice dose of irreverent humour. With chapters containing guidance on things from Coming Out, to Don't Stare at Her Rack Too Much, a Queer Chick's Guide to Heartbreak, and Advice for Straight People, this book is a great jumping point for fledgling queer ladies.

Yes, some of the suggestions could be used in any relationship, it is very much geared to relationships with two ladies. It is from the point of experience, almost a "I went through this and it sucked, try this tactic and maybe it won't suck as badly for you", which is always welcomed in this queer chick's life.

One of my favourite quotes from the book is "Love is a weird & inexplicable combination of hormones and luck and maybe some witchcraft or something, and every one of us if just stumbling around hoping to get lucky." This so resonates with me, that love is this awesome ephemeral thing that we're all looking for, and hoping to grab.

I really love this book. It's not for everyone, and I'll grant that. Not every girl is into other girls, and if that's not your bag, don't read it. But if you're freshly out, or on the verge of coming out, or you've been out for years and are looking for some help in getting your girl groove back on, this is a great reference manual. Note, it's not a "How To" manual, it's more like having a queer big sister taking you under her wing. And that, for me, is the best kind of advice to get.

I'll certainly be buying copies of this for several of my queer girlfriends, I think it's something every queer girl needs in her toolbox. Along with some Indigo Girls albums, Sleater-Kinney shirts, and softball equipment. (Just kidding, unless you like Indigo Girls, Sleater-Kinney, and softball, then knock yourself out.)

The Complete Double Dead is a compilation of Chuck Wendig's book Double Dead, and the novella Bad Blood.

Coburn wakes from a "nap", not of his own choosing mind you, only to find that the world outside has gone to hell in a handbasket. See, Coburn is a vampire, and vampires need blood of the living to survive. All that he sees outside are zombies, which make no meal at all. So how's a vampire to live out there?

Coburn has to follow his nose, literally. He scents some people, alive people, and knows he needs to track them down to continue his undeath. And he realizes that he has to be the shepherd to his new flock, his walking Capri Sun. And that's not as easy as it sounds either. Especially when your cows attempt to abandon or kill you. Or both.

Coburn and his flock try to get across the country, because they've been told that's where there is a lab working on curing the zombie problem. On their journey they encounter the shuffling zombies, the cannibals, the Juggalos who own the midwest, and the new zombies. Faster, stronger, smarter than any other zombie. Ones created accidentally by Coburn when he gets distracted and can't move fast enough to evade the bites of the shuffling hordes. They are the hunters, fearsome predators who are the only real challenge to Coburn, aside from himself.

Coburn is an ego driven force, one who constantly reminds his snack pack that the only reason they're still alive is because he allows it. He's not very likable for most of the story, but he does begin to grow on you, and in the novella, you are given his backstory. You learn about him, and begin to understand why he is the way he is. Most of Double Dead focuses on the trek across America, while Bad Blood focuses on San Francisco, and the challenges presented there.

I really enjoyed having both pieces together in one place, it felt a bit more complete and answered some of the questions you were left with at the end of Double Dead. While you *could* read either as a standalone, you're much better off reading them together.

Wendig is a great author, combining tongue in cheek humour with horror, and making the humour scary and the horror funny. This was a fun read, and I definitely recommend it to fans of horror, to fans of irreverent humour, fans of the absurd, and anyone who likes a good old vampire vs zombie tale. As long as they like some oddball twists in their reading. I give it four stars, it's written in a style that is all Wendig. The cadence of the book cries to be read outloud, and I had a hard time not reading some of the sillier bits verbatim to my furry overlords. They were not as amused by the phrasing as I was, much to my dismay.

Anyway. Read this book. You'll laugh, you'll chuckle, you'll wrinkle your nose in reaction to the vivid descriptions of things better left said by Chuck via Coburn. Trust me, it's worth the nose wrinkling and the laughs.

I was given a copy of the book by the publisher to review, in return for an honest review.

Alice Petherton knows well what happens when you displease the King, she's seen the rise and fall of numerous people during Henry's reign, after all.

Alice is the king's current favourite, his mistress of several years. She enjoys the protection and luxuries that are provided for her, but she must be careful for she has seen the fates of Henry's first wives and her predecessors as mistress. Henry can be a doting King, but is very dangerous when crossed.

Very Like a Queen, that latest novel from Martin Lake, is a beautifully woven story of one woman's desires to live the live she desires, while being tightly confined by the whims of a tyrant. Alice loved the King, or so she believed, until she met the Frenchman Nicholas Bourbon.

When Alice's only true ally and confidant is killed on Henry's command, Alice must flee England to protect herself. But will she ever truly be safe from the long arms on Henry? Alice hopes so, as she tries to find safety under the protection of Emperor Charles of France. But she finds herself never truly safe, as she must flee France to return to England and again put herself at the capricious whims of Henry.

Very Like a Queen is rooted soundly in history, with a number of true historical figures guiding the story. Alice is an amalgam of several of Henry's mistresses, and is portrayed quite realistically. There is a great secret in Alice's past that is hinted about, but never actually revealed, which makes her even more human. I've read a number of books about the varying women in Henry's life, and this one is a little different. I feel that it's a little more human, that it plays upon the emotions and desires more than some others.

I'd certainly recommend it to others who like historical fiction, historical romance, and the general time of Henry VIII's reign. It's not a deep historical book, so it may not be great for scholars, as it's not completely historically accurate. However, for the casual Tudor fan, it was highly enjoyable.

I was provided an ARC of this book by the publisher for an honest review.

Kat Preston has seen ghosts from the time she was a child. Well, she did, until she was taught by one of how to refuse to believe in them. This kept the ghosts away until she gets invited to Castle Creighton to investigate a curse on the family.

On their wedding night Cassie Mallory and Sebastian Radcliffe disappear without a trace. Cassie's room was covered in blood, leaving most people to suspect that she was killed by Sebastian. But why, and where did he go after that tragic night?

Kat, and the team from her school, including her research partner Evan Kingsley start investigating before they leave for the remote Isle of Acacia. They begin to uncover the story of the grisly murder, the curse that befalls the first born son of each generation, and the hauntings in the castle. 

Kat is repeatedly drawn to a mirror, and one night she, accompanied by Evan, is pulled into the mirror. Waking up 129 years in the past, just before the wedding, possessing the bodies of Toria and Alastair, two of the guests at the castle. Knowing they have a short time to solve the mystery of the disappearance, the curse, and try to get back to their bodies, the game is afoot!

There are a number of enjoyable plot twists, and the mystery was a complete surprise to me, I wasn't able to figure it out beforehand due to layers upon layers of obfuscation and intrigue. This was a well played novel from K.C. Tansley. It is the first in a new series, and I'm looking forward to reading more of this series. This book was filled with mystery, time travel, curses, witchcraft, and a dash of romance.

Totally recommended for YA readers, about 8th grade and up. Adult readers will enjoy it as well though, but some of the teen drama may be unfamiliar. Those who like time travel, the paranormal, mystery, witchcraft, and light romance will enjoy this book.  Four stars for the style, the characters, the story, and the execution of the plot. This is a great book.

Cecelia Tan's latest book, Taking the Lead is a fast and furious voyage into the lives of the rich, famous, and kinky.

Riki Hamilton is a self proclaimed ice princess. She won't let anyone into her life, for fear that they'll learn her families "dirty little secret", that they own the most renowned and exclusive BDSM club in LA.

Axel Hawke, the newest bad boy of rock & roll meets Rick, and immediately sees past her ice princess exterior, straight through to the genuinely passionate woman she is. He kidnaps her from an awards show, and thus begins their hurricane of a relationship.

There are the normal twists and turns of such a high intensity relationship, and one that is overly visible in the eyes of the public. Riki is terrified the relationship will ruin her's, and her families reputation, and Axel just wants Riki any way that he can have her.

Cecilia is an award winning author of a number of highly acclaimed novels, and Taking the Lead is no different. Lots of steamy sex, a beautifully accurate representation of a D/S relationship, and a passionate love story all wrapped up into one perfect package. I recommend this wholeheartedly to people who have an interest in BDSM, in hot steamy romance, and in gentle kink. I've already preordered copies of this for several friends who I want to introduce to Cecilia, and her visceral writing style. I'm looking forward to the second novel in this series, Wild Licks.

I received an ARC of this book from Cecilia's publicist, and this in no way influenced my review. 

Cameron was born Soulless, as are all children in the Territory of Malm. Parents keep faith in the Office of Souls to make sure that their children will receive souls as soon as possible, but sometimes they have to wait months or years. And occasionally, they never get a soul at all.

This review is going to be a bit different, as I read the books in a boxed set, instead of standalone books, so the review will be of the series rather than individual sections.

Cege Smith weaves a tale of a post-apocalyptic world that has begun to knit itself back together into society. Due to a lack of souls, brought about by the mysterious "Before", all prospective parents must be chosen carefully, so that there are enough souls for each of the children. But one Soul Implantion Day, things go horribly awry.

Cameron strangely ages about 18 years in the 6 months that she, her father Malcom, Bishop, and the new Head Master of the Office of Souls Samuel, take shelter from the creatures that are created on that fateful day. As Samuel and Cameron begin to have prophetic dreams about going back out into "outside", the group prepares for the journey ahead of them.

It's a difficult escape, and an even more difficult journey across the territory to the last surviving outpost of Alanstown. There are several twists and turns during the journey, and a few defining moments to both Cameron and Samuel about what their roles will be in the coming showdown of good against evil.

While our protagonists are hiding, and then fleeing the abominations, Chim and Marius have been busy creating their monsters across the territory. Chim has been preparing for this showdown all his life, and knows exactly what needs to be done to defeat the Champion and destroy all of humanity.

The final showdown did not go at all like I thought it would. I had expected that there would be no happy ending, there never in in a situation like this, and I wasn't disapointed in that regard. But the way that it played out was quite novel and unexpected. I was very happy with this book, there were a few pacing problems in the middle, but when things started hurtling towards the conclusion, it more than made up for the boggyness.

I'd highly recommend this to people who like dystopian fiction, people who like bleak fantasy, and those who like light SciFy. I'd keep it to about 8th grade and above, I think younger children might be a little frightened by some of the scenes, and the tone is a little dark and adult. I gave it 3 and 1/2 stars because I greatly enjoyed it, but it did have the slowing in the middle. But all in all, certainly worth reading.

Tor, and her best friend Owen Bloch are on the fringes of High School society, until the night that changes their lives for good. On her way home during a storm, Tor hits and kills a boy. Fueled by guilt and driven by scientific curiosity, Tor brings the dead boy to her late fathers laboratory and is finally successful in her attempts to reanimate a dead body. Adam (because what else do you name someone who has no recollection of anything prior to waking up in a saline bath) becomes Tor's greatest triumph, but one that she can't share with anyone besides Owen.

Tor and Owen try their best to help Adam fit into High School, but it's not the easiest thing they've ever done. Adam imprints on Tor, relying on her for everything from his history to the need to "recharge his batteries" by being electrocuted. And when Adam gets involved with the football team, which is a second religion in small town Texas, it becomes even harder to pretend things are normal. Until the murders start happening. Body parts being harvested from High School aged boys gets plenty of attention, and Tor begins to wonder if she could have a part to play in the murders.

Teen Frankenstein has a great story, but there were some very, very slow parts which failed to keep my attention. There is also a scene in which Tor is drugged with the intention of being raped, and the entire community dismisses Tor's being drugged as her fault. The scene was pretty disturbing, and perpetuates the belief that when someone is drugged and raped, they did something wrong, and it is the victim's fault. I was very disappointed to see this in a book marketed towards HS aged people.

I can't recommend this book in good faith, knowing that a rape stereotype is being perpetuated. The book was well written, but that scene ruined it for me. I wanted to stop reading, but I felt I had a responsibility to finish, so that I could give an honest review.

I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Zane Clearwater wakes up the day after being fired from his job at the zoo, hungover from the night before, and learns that his mother perished in a house fire the night before. Zane blacked out, and can't remember anything from the night before, could he actually have killed his mother, like the police believe? Or is he innocent like he and his young sister believe?

In trying to discover who really was behind the murder of his mother, Zane meets his father. A man Zane had been told had died before he was born. A man his mother left for reasons only she knew.

Zane and Lettie, his young sister, start asking deeper questions about their mother's murder, and find themselves in danger. Not only from the murderer, but from Zane's father as well.

Bloodlines is a fast-paced, enjoyable read from Lynn Lipinski. The characters are easy to relate to, and while they do seem to take some rather serious risks, the risks do seem natural for two young people trying to find their mother's murderer when the police have stopped looking any farther than Zane. The assorted "shady characters" who appear throughout the book are fun, and do have some actual menace written into them. I'd very much recommend the book to anyone who enjoys mystery, thrillers, and dramatic books. It's very appealing, there are several plot twists, and not all of them were the expected ones.