Spirit Bound: Vampire Academy #5 of 6 - Spoilers

SPOILER ALERT! Read no further unless you want to know what happens in the second-to-last book in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series.

Overall, I'm very happy with a couple of developments in this book, but what a cliffhanger ending! I didn't expect anyone to assassinate Queen Tatiana. Sure, she was a bit of a difficult woman, and she and Rose naturally clashed - Rose Hathaway isn't the most easygoing of heroines either - but I never anticipated that someone would kill her. Much less that Rose would be accused of the murder!

The book begins with awful, awful Strigoi!Dimitri renewing his vow to find Rose and kill her. Rose is still harboring the hope that she can invoke the magic that will turn Dimitri back into the Dhampir she knows and loves. In fact, she'll go to any length just for a chance to make it happen.

Even if it means traveling to Alaska to break Victor Dashkov out of Moroi prison.

It isn't enough for Rose and a small cohort of her trusted friends to break Victor out, though - they also have to travel with him to Las Vegas. There he meets his brother, who claims to have changed a Strigoi back to her living form. Rose and Lissa learn the secret: a Moroi must stake the evil, dead vampire with a silver stake charmed with the fifth element, spirit. Good thing Lissa is a spirit user.

...As is Rose's current sort-of-boyfriend, Adrian Ivashkov. One must have a bit of sympathy for the beautiful, clove cigarette-smoking Vampire Academy graduate, who gets treated rather shabbily in this installment. He loves Rose, but she can't get over the possibility of having Dimitri back. Rose and Adrian come close to having sex in this book, but due to the lack of a nearby condom, she offers him her blood to drink instead.

Evil Dimitri kidnaps Lissa, as well as Christian Ozera, in a bid to lure Rose to him. Bloody mayhem and murder ensue - but Lissa eventually manages to drive her charmed stake into Dimitri. The magic works. He goes from murderous undead fiend to Dhampir with a heartbeat again. The Moroi are skeptical at first, and keep him locked in a guarded cell until an explanation can be found.

He refuses to see Rose. She sneaks in to see him anyway. On her second visit to him, he tells her, "Love fades. Mine did." Shut up, Dimitri - you still love Rose. You're just trying to run her off because you're scared of hurting her. We know he still loves her because when the Queen's guard comes to arrest her for murder, he throws his all into trying to defend her - until she literally screams for him to stop, that she won't resist.

Rose didn't kill Tatiana - she was sleeping beside Adrian at the time, post-blood donation - but I don't know who did. I anxiously await the next book, Last Sacrifice.

A Bulgarian edition

Oh, and it appears Lissa and Christian are back together, or at least on their way to being. I hope they get married - but even if they don't, it seems she has a long-lost sibling and will no longer be the only Dragomir. Will Lissa become the next queen?

I purchased this book with my own funds at my brick-and-mortar Barnes and Noble and was not obligated in any way to review it.

P.S. I saw the trailer for The Fault in Our Stars during the Vampire Academy movie. Tit Elingtin and I finally watched TFIOS on DVD on Monday night. I am emotionally devastated - and impressed with the performances by Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, and Nat Wolff all.

P.P.S. I can't believe my sweet Rose from the VA movie, Zoey Deutch, plays that awful Emily in Beautiful Creatures, now that I'm listening to the BC audio book. Emily in the book is a mean girl. Zoey, that doesn't sound like you! Rose is snarky, but not mean.

'City Nights: One Night in Edinburgh' by Charlotte Howard (@Shy_Tiger)

Blurb:

Chloe Shard has traveled to Edinburgh to meet up with a potential client, and has just twenty-four hours to convince them to sign her contract. But when she meets the delicious Ethan, he proves to be so much more than an enticing distraction. It’s not long before Chloe has some life changing decisions to make, and less than a day to make them in.

Buy Links:

http://tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Howard_Charlotte/one-night-in-edinburgh.htm

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00P9RTNC0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00P9RTNC0&linkCode=as2&tag=lucyfelthouse-21&linkId=2CDX6PQLLDVUNISD

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P9RTNC0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00P9RTNC0&linkCode=as2&tag=lucyfelt-20&linkId=AZV4J6VLHC277D6B

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/490676?ref=cw1985

Excerpt:

Chloe squeezed her eyes shut as the plane’s wheels bumped along the tarmac, and her stomach lurched into her chest as the brakes were applied. Her ears flooded with the sound of her own heart beating louder than the squealing and screeching of the landing gear. Pressure built in her cheeks as she clenched her teeth together.

The worst hour in her life was almost over.

“Welcome to Edinburgh,” said the captain over the speaker system. “We hope you had a pleasant journey and enjoyed the flight. Please remain seated with your seat belts fastened until the light is turned off.”

A chuckle emanated from nearby. Chloe opened one eye and peered at the man in the seat across the aisle from her.

“You can breathe again,” he said in an American accent, flashing her a grin.

“I think I’ll wait until my feet are actually on the ground if it’s all the same to you,” she replied, leaning back into the headrest.

A loud ping was followed by a Mexican wave of clicking as the passengers released their seat belts and fought to get their bags and rush off the plane. Chloe undid her own belt then hurriedly squished herself into the seat as an oversized belly, violently stretching at a pale green shirt, began its invasion of her breathing space. Her shoulder was nudged as the impatient woman beside her stood up, hunching under the overhead compartment.

She waited for the plane to empty. The impatient woman started huffing and tutting. Chloe looked up apologetically, but was met with a hardened glare.

“Here,” said the man from opposite. She turned her gaze towards him and was grateful to see him holding back a herd of cattle desperate to depart. She drank him in for a second. He was broad enough to act as a barrier between her and the crowd. A very attractive barrier. From the way his T-shirt stretched over his biceps, she could tell that his width was certainly not due to being overweight. Ink spiralled around his skin from beneath the short sleeve, tracing down to his elbow.

“Thank you.” She stepped into the aisle. Immediately, the woman from beside her shoved herself through the gap, knocking Chloe into the man’s chest with an oof!

“I’m so sorry!” she said, stepping back and turning to the overhead compartments, feeling her cheeks heat. Her fingers tingled with the memory of his muscular chest beneath them.

Charlotte Howard

Author Bio:

British author Charlotte Howard was born in Oman and spent much of the first part of her life flitting between Oman, Scotland, and England. Now settled in Somerset, Charlotte lives with her husband, two children, and growing menagerie of pets.

Her career as a writer began at an early age, with a poem being featured in an anthology for the East Midlands. Since then Charlotte has written many short stories and poems, and finally wrote her first full-length piece of fiction in 2010.

During what little spare time she has, Charlotte enjoys reading and writing (of course), spending time with her family, and watching action movies whilst eating curry and drinking tea.

Charlotte is an active member of Yeovil Creative Writers.

Social Media / Website links:

http://www.charlottehowardauthor.co.uk \

http://choward2614.wordpress.com

http://facebook.com/charlottehowardauthor

http://twitter.com/Shy_Tiger

Instagram: Choward_author

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/choward2614

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy a Traditional Pasta with Jam Sauce

It's Thanksgiving! I finally have a day off from my Exciting New Day Job, editing things in the corporate world, and I'm thankful for so many things. First of all, I'm thankful for the love of my life, Tit Elingtin.

I'm thankful for my parents, grandmother, and nieces. I'm also thankful for my furry little companion, James the cat. He's six years old now and in very good health.

He's in the white laundry, when clearly he belongs in assorted colors. 

I'm thankful for having a place to live, a good job, and a brand new car to get to work in. (It's a '14 Honda Civic LX. We just got it on Tuesday.) I'm thankful for having food and clean water whenever I want them.

As I am every year, I'm thankful for all the little things that make life fun and interesting. Some of them are:

- Books
- Living near a library
- Hot coffee and tea
- Chocolate
- Sunsets
- Netflix
- Tumblr
- music

At this time of year, it's important to spend time with friends and family. It's also quite nice to have a good laugh.

Picture it: Thanksgiving. The year is 2034. Kanye West proudly walks his daughter North down the aisle. North West joins hands with her husband-to-be, West Collins. She beams at him, happily pregnant with their twins, daughter North West-Collins and son South West-Collins. Equally proud and excited are the groom's polyamorous quad of parents Jensen and Danneel Ackles + Misha Collins and Victoria Vantoch.

I future-ship it.

Victoria Vantoch is a pretty amazing woman, by the way. She's a journalist, historian, college professor, and author, and I think I have a crush on this sexy woman of intellect independent of the fact that her lips touch Dimitri Collins.

In one of her books, The Threesome Handbook, she uses anecdotes from a three-way relationship she and Misha had with a third person. Which, I must say, sounds incredibly hot.

 

Did you know that if you use a SNAP EBT card for food benefits, you can buy your fresh fruits and vegetables from Amazon Fresh? I didn't know that until I, as I'm in between day jobs, signed up as an Amazon affiliate.

https://amzn.to/43ZVu9a

American Girls Beforever: 'The Roar of the Falls' by Emma Carlson Berne #kidsbooks

The Roar of the Falls: My Journey with Kaya by Emma Carlson Berne

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is exactly the kind of book I hope my 10-year-old niece will read. She'll like it because it has horses. I like it because a) it emphasizes the qualities that go into making a good leader and teaches girls (and boys who read it too) how they can effectively become leaders, and b) it's a realistic depiction of what life was like for the Ni-Mii-Puu (or Nez Perce, using the French term) people in the late 1700s.

This is the second Beforever book I've read (see my review of the Rebecca book The Glow of the Spotlight), and I really liked the way these stories help 21st-century girls step into the shoes of girls just like them who lived in different historical times and places. I wasn't a fan of the "choose your own adventure" books when they first became popular, but these are a lot more fun.

I received this book at no cost to me in exchange for a review through the Amazon Vine program. This review represents my own honest opinion.

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Jane Slayre: The Literary Classic with a Blood-Sucking Twist

Jane Slayre: The Literary Classic with a Blood-Sucking Twist by Sherri Browning Erwin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've long been a fan of monster mash-ups; you get all the fun of rereading the classic, plus the fun of the supernatural twist. This is an especially good one. I started reading this around Halloween.

I love that it includes the whole Jane Eyre story - unlike the erotica mash-up Jane Eyre Laid Bare: The Classic Novel with an Erotic Twist, which disappointingly excludes the St. John Rivers story. In Browning Erwin's telling, St. John is the Daryl Dixon of the tale, slaying vampires and werewolves with a crossbow of his own invention. Zombies have also come into play, but their fiercest slayer is Jane herself. Saving people and hunting things is the Slayre family business.

This book does include the line "Reader, I buried him," causing me to laugh out loud - but fear not, the happy ending is still intact. In short, this is the monster mash-up done right.

View all my reviews on Goodreads

I purchased this book with my own funds from Better World Books and was not obligated in any way to review it.

Next, I'm going to read Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead. It's the fifth book in the Vampire Academy series.

I think this is supposed to be Adrian and Rose, but keep in mind Rose is half Turkish and described as being olive-skinned. 

Vampire Academy

Frostbite

Shadow Kiss

Blood Promise

Sadly, the Frostbite movie campaign failed to find funding, so even if I enjoy Spirit Bound (doubtful, since I hate Strigoi!Dimitri), I'll never see it reach the big screen. 

You know what I think could have saved the Vampire Academy movie franchise? Letting Misha Collins play Dimtri. He already answers to the name Dimitri, because it is his name. I don't even care that he's 40 and not 25. Let Dimitri Belikov be older; let his relationship with Rose seem that much more inappropriate. 

No offense to Danila Kozlovsky (age 29); I still think he's gorgeous. 

Допускается использование материалов и фотографий в соответствии с лицензией Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike 3.0. При использовании обязательна ссылка на сайт.

It's just that American audiences aren't all that familiar with Russian actors, even if I really wouldn't mind getting familiar with Danila. 

Oh, well, Maybe the Vampire Academy series can do what A Series of Unfortunate Events is doing and continue on as a Netflix web series. (Squee!)

'Pray the Gay Away,' Despite Its Title, Is a Pro-#LGBTQIA Romance

Pray The Gay Away by Sara York

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this young adult/high school romance novel about the new kid in town who gets involved with a popular football player. The edition I read has some typos, but I didn't think they distracted me too much from the story. The author can also get a little heavy-handed with the "prejudice against gay teenagers is bad" message, but that's okay too, because I really liked Andrew (the new kid) and Jack (the jock) as characters.

But I also understand why these kinds of stories are important, because sadly, abusive parents are still an issue faced by LGBTQIA youth. (ALERT: Jack's father is physically abusive toward him, and Andrew's parents punish him by starving him. This book may be a trigger if you are sensitive to reading about abuse and/or issues around eating.)

This is only the first book in a series, though. I hope Jack and Andrew get the happily-ever-after they're planning for and dreaming of. They're really a good couple. What York has written especially well in this novel is the gradual way the guys go from physical attraction to falling in love. It's realistic and it makes for a satisfying reading experience too.

I downloaded this book to my Barnes and Noble Nook when it was available for free on the B+N website. I was not compensated for this review, which represents my own honest opinion.

Bonus: You can change the name "Jack" to "Dean" and "Andrew" to "Castiel" and read this as a Destiel high school AU.

View all my reviews on Goodreads and check out Sara York's blog

Paranormal Romance: 'Caressed by Ice' (Psy-Changeling #3) by Nalini Singh #FridayReads

Goodreads Summary: "Nalini Singh explores new heights of sensuality, returning 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 he is a defector, and his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins - cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna...

"Brenna 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..."

When I read the first book in this series, Slave to Sensation, I thought, "Wow, Nalini Singh is REALLY talented." I wrote on Goodreads:

"More, please! I could totally get hooked on the Psy-Changeling series. It's like the movie Equilibrium, but instead of the entire society having no emotions, the Psy co-exist with humans and changelings. This book introduces us to DarkRiver, a pack of big-cat shifters (mostly leopards) and SnowDancer, the werewolf pack. This is a PNR, so it's a foregone conclusion that panther Lucas and Psy Sascha (who shouldn't have feelings, but does) will end up together, but there's also a thriller element: a serial killer has Brenna, a member of the wolf pack, and Sascha is desperate to help find her and bring her back alive. Everything is at stake for Sascha and Lucas, which made this a very compelling read. It was one of those books I read slowly because I didn't want it to end."

However, I wasn't nearly as impressed with the second book, Visions of Heat. I was afraid I would have to abandon the Psy-Changeling series because I got so bored with that book. My faith in Singh was restored with this third novel, though, and I think it's because this time, the Psy is the man and the changeling is the woman. It seems much less formulaic than the second book.

Plus, Judd Lauren is a hot, hot wounded hero. I like the boys when they're badly damaged. I didn't imagine Judd looking at all like the cover model above, on the edition that I own. The French edition shows him as looking a little more like I imagined.

...which is to say, a little bit like Jeremy Renner.

Shapeshifters are always fun, and a werewolf heroine makes for a sensual twist. But it's almost too bad I started the Psy-Changeling series instead of Singh's Guild Hunter series. That series has vampire hunters and angels. The Goodreads description for the first book, Angels' Blood, ends with, "For when archangels play, mortals break." So like Destiel fan fiction (my latest obsession), but hetero.