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Saturday, February 23, 2013

Random Violence (Jade de Jong #1) by Jassy Mackenzie

Random Violence (Jade de Jong, #1)
 
Summary:
 
In Johannesburg prosperous whites live in gated communities; when they exit their cars to open the gates, car-jackings are common. But seldom is the victim killed, much less shot twice, like Annette Botha. Piet Botha, the husband of the wealthy woman, is the primary suspect in his wife's murder.

P.I. Jade de Jong fled South Africa ten years ago after her father was killed. Now back in town, she offers to help her father's former assistant, Superintendent David Patel, with his investigation of this case. Under apartheid, Patel, of Indian descent, could
never have attained his present position. But he is feeling pressure from his "old line" boss with respect to this investigation and fears lingering prejudice is at work.

As Jade probes into this and other recent car-jacking cases, a pattern begins to emerge, a pattern that goes back to her father's murder and that involves a vast and intricate series of crimes for profit.
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 336 pages (Hardcover)
Available Formats: Print/E-book
Publication Date: April 1st 2010 by Soho Crime
 
About a year ago I stumbled across the Jade de Jong series but it took me until a couple weeks ago to finally get around to reading the first novel in the series a try. I'm always on the look out for great South African authors and I have to say Jassy Mackenzie is a new favourite of mine.
 
Random Violence was a fast past intricate novel with a wonderful female sleuth as the lead character. Jade de Jong returns to her homeland of South Africa after 10 years away working all over the globe. Upon her return she's met with all the changes that have happened in her country including in the lives of the one person she cares about the most.
 
I loved the mystery behind the slue of murders that seem to be occurring as well as the relationship between Jade and David who was once her father's right hand man and her best friend. I really enjoyed seeing the ups and downs as they got used to be around one another again after such a long time apart as well as seeing how much respect they had for one another. I have to say that Jade and David are probably two of my favourite crime solving partners after reading Random Violence. Both are intelligent, witty and savvy and they both have different skills plus the chemistry between them is great.
 
I thought that the fact that the author also took the time to touch briefly on the political background of the country post-apartheid with the referral of David's "old line" boss. I think that it was an important touch especially for the readers who aren't really versed in the history of the country and it plays a rather large part in the novel because of the actions and histories of individual characters mostly those of the bad guys.
 
I was very surprised at how enjoyable Random Violence was as strange as it might sound it was a fun read because Jassy Mackenzie kept me on my toes. There were far more plot twists that I had expected and many of them didn't even become obvious until the the end when everything came together and I was left with my jaw on the floor in shock.
 
Overall, I thought the writing was fantastic. The author used a perfect balance of drama, action, intrigue, deception and plot twists to create a wonderfully well written who dun it novel. In a genre that is still very much male dominated Jassy Mackenzie makes sure that her unique voice is heard and for me her gift in the genre was very well received by me. Everything fit together so well and the way she wove the story in such subtle ways sometimes was amazing and I can't wait to read the second book in the series. As first novels go Jassy Mackenzie's Random Violence is a hit and has earned a place on my favourite's shelf.
 
I would highly recommend Random Violence to everyone who enjoys a mystery set in a foreign country. I think the fact that it is written by a South African writer and takes place in South Africa is a unique offering in the mystery genre and the story is one that you can get wrapped up in and is a great way to expose yourself to a new writer and a new series in a place you may never have had a book take place in before.
 
Loved It!
★★★★★
 
To become a "Fan" of Jassy on Goodreads CLICK HERE
To visit Jassy's Website CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Chapters Indigo CLICK HERE
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Friday, February 22, 2013

The Atlantis Code (Thomas Lourds #1) by Charles Brokaw


The Atlantis Code (Thomas Lourds, #1) 
 
Summary:
 
A thrill-seeking Harvard linguistics professor and an ultrasecret branch of the Catholic Church go head-to-head in a race to uncover the secrets of the lost city of Atlantis. The ruins of the technologically-advanced, eerily-enigmatic ancient civilization promise their discoverer fame, fortune, and power… but hold earth-shattering secrets about the origin of man.

While world-famous linguist and archaeologist, Thomas Lourds, is shooting a film that dramatizes his flamboyant life and scientific achievements, satellites spot impossibly ancient ruins along the Spanish coast. Lourds knows exactly what it means: the Lost Continent of Atlantis has been found. The race is on, and Lourds' challengers will do anything to get there first.

Whoever controls the Lost Continent will control the world.
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 432 pages (Hardcover)
Available Formats: Print/E-book/Audio
Publication Date: November 10th 2009 by Forge books    
 
Atlantis.
Not many words inspire so much wonder and mystery as that one which is why I'm rather obsessed with the myth. I can't help it I love adventure novels that feature the legend so when one of my many library searches led me to The Atlantis Code I was stoked. It sounded awesome and it got reasonably good reviews on Goodreads so as soon as I brought it home from the library I dove into reading it. 
 
Unfortunately diving into it was similar to diving into a pool empty of water. Right from the beginning I was off put by the writing. I hate when author refer to their main characters by their last names, especially when the name is something that sounds kind of pretentious like Lourds (no offense to anyone bearing that last name) but it irked me to know end that the author of the Atlantis Code referred to Thomas the hero of the novel by his last name. I know it may seem like a little thing to people but we all have our pet peeves and the last name referrals are some of my biggest. 
 
Anyways, from the beginning of the novel I was struck by how slow the plot moved. I'm used to my adventure/thriller novels being adrenaline pumping reads pretty much from the get go with expected lulls in the action factor mingled into the plot line which was what I was expecting in this one. While there was some major action in the first 30 or so pages I wasn't satisfied how the first major action scene played out it was very sterile and lacking any feeling which was a feeling that was carried on through out the telling of The Atlantis Code.
 
The writing was very dense. The story was very detailed, too detailed it was as though the purpose was to explain every little thing to the reader. I like when an author explains certain things in more detail but those things are usually major plot points and things that are extremely relevant to the story but in this case I felt things were needlessly being explained which made the book a very tedious read at times.
 
The characters were another thing I had issues with and that is because they were all very one dimensional and over the top. Thomas Lourds is a linguist and I do understand that while he is a professor that he doesn't have the typical look of a stuffy old professor but he was far too aloof and unconcerned with his role as the romantic interest to not one but both of the female side characters and was a bit of a playboy but in the stuck up kind of way so there was a ton of eye rolling from me due to his behaviour as well as his overall holier than thou attitude he had about his abilities to solve the code to discover Atlantis.
 
The other characters were very one dimensional as well. As I mentioned the female leads were overly dramatic and over the top when it came to their character flaws and personalities just like Thomas and it was as though they were ripped from the set of a bad direct to DVD movie. Even the bad guys in the book came across as being inadequate and useless. They were some of the worst villians that I've ever come across in my reading.
 
The story line though is my main bone of contention. The book was praised as being the next Da Vinci Code while I saw the potential for the story about the myth of Atlantis in the beginning and was willing to look over some things in the beginning by the time I finished the book I felt like I had read a horribly inadequate rip off of The Da Vinci Code. There were some changes but the basic template of that bestseller was one that I saw used in the telling of this book. There were so many things that were similar to the story that they just started piling up in my head and made me more and more anxious to finish the book which I might add had one of the most anti-climatic endings I've ever come across and was such a huge let down but for me the main thing was that my ordeal with the novel was over.
 
The plot had so many holes that the amount of details used were pretty much used in place of an actual plot line and the poor characters, dialogue, lack of adventure and the lack of imagination of the actual story line drove me to have a great dislike for this first novel in the Thomas Lourds series.  While the book is entitled  The Atlantis Code I feel like Atlantis was touched on very little considering that and I felt that that lead to much of the deterioration of the plot and characters. However I do realize this was the author's first attempt at a novel so despite my obvious disappointment for it I can see that the bones of a good story were there and I am willing to give the second book in the series a chance and hope that it has more action and less mindless detail than this book.
 
Overall, I don't think this is one I would read again but I do see how the book does appeal to readers so I'm only going to recommend this on the basis of my believing a book is only as good as the individual reading it thinks it is. While I didn't like it others may find that it's a gem so if you think despite of my review that you make like to try the book out for yourself I say go for it!
 
 
Not for me!
 
To visit Charles Brokaw's Website CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Chapters Indigo CLICK HERE
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To purchase the book via The Book Depository CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Barnes & Noble CLICK HERE
 
 
 

Thursday, February 21, 2013

*[Book Blast & Giveaway] Baked Alaska by Josi S. Kilpack


Baked Alaska by Josi S. Kilpack

An Alaskan cruise is the setting for amateur detective Sadie Hoffmillers latest adventure. Sadie plans to spend time relaxing with her two grown children, Breanna and Shawn, and her boyfriend, Pete, while enjoying the luxury and cuisine of an elegant cruise ship and helping to plan her daughters upcoming wedding. But even as the crew prepares to leave port, Sadie has suspicions about the voyage ahead and the relationship between her normally easygoing son and a mysterious female passenger he obviously knows but refuses to discuss. When the woman is discovered unconscious during the second night at sea, Sadies apprehension escalates. Over the last few years, Sadie has developed an extreme dislike for secrets and it would seem her son is keeping one from her. *Includes eight new mouthwatering recipes, tested and approved by the official bakers of Sadies Virtual Test Kitchen.

Praise for Baked Alaska

Josi Kilpack has done it again. You would think that all these events that occur in Sadie's life wouldn't be natural, but Josi Kilpack has a way of making you believe that it just "happens" and it is normal. I have grown to love Sadie's character, even if she is a busybody, you can't help but cheer for her as she attempts to solve a mystery or crime. One of my favorite series. :)
~Goodreads Reviewer Lacey McNeill









Author Josi S. Kilpack

Josi S. Kilpack grew up hating to read until she was thirteen and her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and credits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began her first novel in 1998 and hasn’t stopped since. Her seventh novel, Sheep’s Clothing, won the 2007 Whitney Award for Mystery/Suspense, and Lemon Tart, her ninth novel, was a 2009 Whitney Award Finalist. Josi was the Best in State winner in literature for 2012 and currently has two books (Banana Split and Tres Leches Cupcakes) as finalists in the 2012 Whitney awards.

Josi currently lives in Willard, Utah, with her family.




Tour Schedule



Book Blast Giveaway
 
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 3/17/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.



Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #51

 



Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine and is where we can talk about books we are looking forward to being released!
 

Here are my picks for the week

 
The Falconer (The Falconer, #1)
 
Summary:
 
Lady Aileana Kameron can sing, paint prettily, and murder the fae as easily as dancing a waltz. But how far is she prepared to go for vengeance?

Edinburgh, Scotland, 1844

18-year-old Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was destined to a life carefully planned around Edinburgh’s social events – right up until a faery kills her mother.

Now it’s the 1844 winter season. Between a seeming endless number of parties, Aileana slaughters faeries in secret. Armed with modified percussion pistols and explosives, every night she sheds her aristocratic facade and goes hunting. She’s determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother, and to destroy any who prey on humans in the city’s many dark alleyways.

But she never even considered that she might become attracted to one. To the magnetic Kiaran MacKay, the faery who trained her to kill his own kind. Nor is she at all prepared for the revelation he’s going to bring. Because Midwinter is approaching, and with it an eclipse that has the ability to unlock a Fae prison and begin the Wild Hunt.

A battle looms, and Aileana is going to have to decide how much she’s willing to lose – and just how far she’ll go to avenge her mother’s murder.
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 368 pages
Expected Publication Date: September 19th 2013 by Gollancz
 
Why I'm Waiting:
 
The cover is absolutely stunning for this one and I'm always up to the challenge of starting a new series especially one with a SCOTTISH debutante fae hunter. It's jus got awesome read written all over it.
 
Not a Drop to Drink
 
Summary:
 
Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water.Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.

Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.

But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….

With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own.
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length:352 pages
Expected Publication Date: September 10th 2013 by Katherine Tegen Books     
 
Why I'm Waiting:
 
I haven't really read a book like this one before and I am loving the intensity of the cover and the summary. Unfortunately September is way too far off to wait patiently so I doubt this is the last time I'll be mentioning this one.
 
 

 
What are YOU waiting for this Wednesday?

 

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Baby Laughs: The Naked Truth About the First Year of Mommyhood by Jenny McCarthy


Baby Laughs: The Naked Truth About the First Year of Mommyhood
 
Summary:
 
Jenny McCarthy’s hilarious, no-holds-barred personality has made her an instantly recognizable TV personality and a bestselling author. In Baby Laughs she examines the full range of challenges that new mothers face, including:
* The humiliations of postnatal �numbing spray,” Tucks medicated pads, and adult diapers; jelly belly, balding, and gum disease; and becoming a five-foot puke rag” for the baby
* Heart-stopping terrors, such as baby manicures, breathing checks, and burp failures
* Inadequacies, such as lullaby illiteracy and the need for a heavy rotation” of toys, videos, and mobiles
* Daddy antics, such as infant wrestling, home-movie mania, sleeping like a log, and expecting sex
* Dueling grandmas, germ-ridden guests, Olympic-class competitive mommies, anorexic pets— and much more. Mothers and fathers will find much-needed relief and insight in this sometimes touching, sometimes gritty, but always perceptive and outrageously funny account of what it truly means to have your very own small bundle of joy.
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 224 page (Hardcover)
Available Formats: Print/E-book
Publication Date: April 4th 2006 by Plume
 
I'll admit it. In January I went a bit overboard with reading Jenny McCarthy's books but I really couldn't help myself. In case you missed it I reviewed her first book Belly Laughs last week and you can see my review by clicking HERE.
 
In Baby Laughs Jenny leads us through her first year of motherhood in her typical true to form raunchy way. From the ups and downs of bringing her little bundle of joy home to battling post partum depression to changing her baby's diapers she used her unique sense of humour to tell her story.
 
While this isn't the typical memoir we do get a unique glimpse into the life and times of a Hollywood mom and even though she may not be one of those in your face celebrities who appear in magazines every week she is a recognizable name in Tinsel Town.
 
I loved how she wrote about a lot of different scenarios she went through that are plausible enough to have happen to the average new mom. She talks about family, sex, getting her body back and going back to work. She shares the ups and downs ins and outs and even some things you may not want to read if you have a delicate stomach but she makes it hilarious.
 
Just like when I read her first book Belly Laughs this book had me hooked from the first page and had me laughing from the first page to the last. I can honestly say that I'll probably read anything that Jenny McCarthy writes because she's got the ability to get me out of a slump and have me laughing so hard I have tears running down my face.
 
I would recommend Baby Laughs to everyone not just moms or moms to be. Although now that I think about it, Baby laughs would make the perfect shower gift for expectant moms. I think it's one that I might just buy for my friends when they're expecting just for a laugh.
 
Really Liked It!
★★★★
To "Like" Jenny on Facebook CLICK HERE
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To visit Jenny's Website CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Chapters Indigo CLICK HERE
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Monday, February 18, 2013

*[Book Blitz] Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play by Ellen Mansoor Collier

PictureFlappers, Flasks and Foul Play
"Boardwalk Empire" meets "The Great Gatsby" in this soft-boiled "Jazz Age" mystery, inspired by actual events. Prohibition is in full swing in 1920s Galveston, Texas: the "Sin City of the Southwest." Jasmine Cross, a young society reporter, feels caught between two clashing cultures: the seedy speakeasy underworld and the snooty social circles she covers in the Galveston Gazette.

During a night out with her best friend, Jazz witnesses a bar fight at the Oasis--a speakeasy secretly owned by her black-sheep half-brother, Sammy Cook. But when a big-shot banker with a hidden past collapses there and later dies, she suspects foul play. Was it an accident or murder?

Soon new Prohibition Agent James Burton raids the Oasis, threatening to shut it down if Sammy doesn't talk. Suspicious, he pursues Jazz, but she refuses to rat on Sammy. As turf wars escalate between two real-life rival gangs, Sammy is accused of murder. To find the killer, Jazz must risk her life and career, exposing the dark side of Galveston's glittering society.
Publication Date: July 1, 2012

Excerpt:

A loud bang sounded, a crash, a door cracking. Heavy footsteps pounded down the stairs and three men in dark suits entered the Oasis, holding badges. Their guns raised high, the trio circled the room like Wild West lawmen. We had no place to hide. A stocky man shoved Dino against the wall and for once, he didn’t fight back. Sammy must have warned him to be on his best behavior. Frank crept towards the back like a spy, trying to disappear into the woodwork. I’d never been in a raid before, but I’d seen them on news reels. My heart throbbed in my chest as I braced myself for the worst: What if we all got arrested and thrown in jail?

“Federal Agent James Burton, Treasury Department. Don’t move and no one will get hurt!” yelled the tallest of the trio. Over six feet, he wore a fancy three-piece beige suit and felt hat. I didn’t know flatfoots got paid so well.

Cool as ice, Sammy sauntered out from the kitchen, smiling at the men as if they were regulars. “Welcome! How can I help you gentlemen?”

“You can tell us where you keep your booze,” Burton said, scanning the room.

“Booze? You’re in the wrong place, boys. All we serve here is good food and soda pop.” Sammy wiped his hands on a dirty red apron he’d thrown on for effect. “Hungry? How about today’s special—home-made spaghetti?”

“We need a drink to quench our thirst,” said Burton. “On the rocks, since we’re on duty.”

Sammy feigned surprise—not a bad job of acting for an amateur. “How about root beer or a Coke? The only cold drinks we serve here are soda pop. We’re bone dry.”

“That’s not what we heard—Mr. Cook, is it? We hear this place is full of hooch.”

I held my breath, trying to quell a bad case of the screaming meemies. How’d he know Sammy’s name? Who mentioned any hooch? Agent Burton and his men slid between the tables, his eyes dancing back and forth, studying each customer, as if memorizing their faces.

A burly cop in glasses pointed to an older bald man cowering in his chair. “You there! What’s that poison you’re drinking?”

“It’s lemonade,” the man stammered. “I swear.”

“Looks like a cocktail to me.” The agent stuck his finger in the glass, tasted it, then threw it down. Glass splintered into tiny slivers as liquid seeped into the wood floor....

Dropping his friendly facade, Sammy marched over to Burton, his boots crunching on broken glass. “I told you it’s a diner, not a bar. Leave him alone. Who do you think you are?”

“Like I said, name’s Burton,” he said, as if talking to a dim-witted child. “I’m the new head of Galveston’s Prohibition enforcement office.” He held up his badge like a shiny trophy. The two men were polar opposites: With his tanned skin and thick honey-blond hair, Burton resembled a golden retriever ready to attack a Doberman. No contest, if you ask me.

“You’re wasting your time here. No need to harass my help or my customers.”

“Seems your customers must like to play rough.” Burton tapped his own cheekbone, indicating Sammy’s black eye.

I nudged Nathan under the table, impressed by Sammy’s bravado. But maybe this wasn’t the best time to question authority. His big mouth could earn him a fat lip.
“What’s going on?” I whispered to Nathan. My throat was so dry, I could barely speak.

“Who knows? Never been invited to a raid before.”

Burton must have heard us because he strode over to our table, and draped an arm over my chair. “Evening, ma’am. What’s a classy dish like you doing in this crummy gin mill?”

How dare he! “Get your hands off me!” I shrugged off his arm, shoulders stiff. He backed away, surprised. Up close, I noticed how young he was, late twenties, face smooth and tanned.

Nathan stood up, a full head shorter than Burton. “Back off, buster. Leave my date alone.” Obviously Burton’s gun and badge failed to impress Nathan. What he lacked in stature, he made up for with attitude.

“Your date?” Agent Burton smiled. “Lucky guy.” He took a sip from my cup, then spit it out.

“If you’d asked nicely, I could’ve told you it was Coca-Cola.” Watch it, Jazz. In school, I’d often gotten in trouble for talking back to my teachers, but they hadn’t carried a badge or a loaded gun.

“Excuse my manners, miss. I can’t resist a pretty face and a smart mouth.”

Author Bio:





Ellen Mansoor Collier is a Houston-based freelance writer/editor whose articles, essays and short stories have been published in several national magazines.She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Magazine Journalism, and was active in Women in Communications (W.I.C.I.), serving as president her senior year. FLAPPERS is her debut novel, and she’s currently working on the sequel, BATHING BEAUTIES, BOOZE AND BULLETS, due out this Spring.

Tour Schedule

Links
To become a "Fan" of Ellen on Goodreads CLICK HERE
To visit Ellen's Website CLICK HERE

purchase the book via Barnes & Noble CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Smashwords CLICK HERE



Picture








Darker Still (Magic Most Foul #1) by Leanna Renee Hieber


Darker Still (Magic Most Foul, #1)
Summary:
I was obsessed.

It was as if he called to me, demanding I reach out and touch the brushstrokes of color swirled onto the canvas. It was the most exquisite portrait I'd ever seen--everything about Lord Denbury was unbelievable...utterly breathtaking and eerily lifelike.

There was a reason for that. Because despite what everyone said, Denbury never had committed suicide. He was alive. Trapped within his golden frame.

I've crossed over into his world within the painting, and I've seen what dreams haunt him. They haunt me too. He and I are inextricably linked--bound together to watch the darkness seeping through the gas-lit cobblestone streets of Manhattan. Unless I can free him soon, things will only get Darker Still.
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 317 pages (Paperback)
Available Formats: Print/E-book
Publication Date: November 8th 2011 by Sourcebooks Fire
After sitting on my enormous tbr pile since October 2011 I finally had the chance to read Darker Still in January and I am still kicking myself over taking so long to finally read it but at least now I can say I did.
Darker Still is the story about a mute girl named Natalie who by various circumstances comes to meet a cast of characters that alter the course of her life forever and it all starts with a painting of the young and not so deceased Lord Denbury.
Leanna Renee Hieber offered up a wonderful piece of young adult historical fiction with a lot of mystery, a dash of romance and a proper serving of supernatural to make the story one that I found completely addictive. Once I started the book I couldn't stop reading it and stayed up to the wee hours of the early morning to finish it because I could not get enough of the story between Denbury and Natalie and the mysterious forces behind Denbury's imprisonment in his portrait.
I though that the plot was very good. At just over 300 pages long thing flowed quickly and seamlessly without seeming as though the story was rushing. It was perfectly paced and I didn't find myself lulled by a ton of plot filler. I loved the sense of adventure Darker Still gave and it definitely kept me at the edge of my seat. Like the title suggests it is a bit darker but not so much so as to make the book seem dreary.
The characters were wonderful I loved how each of them developed throughout the novel especially Natalie. She's one of my favourite heroines now because she was able to overcome so many obstacles like her selective mutism. She was both serious and funny, grown up and at the same time very much a little girl.
Denbury was good too. He had his rakish moments in the book but I liked him. As much as he was attracted to Natalie he is trying to do right by her and I find the chivalry and gentlemanly manor he possesses quite refreshing and I really like Natalie and him as a couple.
The side characters whether they were the good or the bad guys were interesting although I wish there was more to learn about the bad guys in Darker Still because I did feel that there could have been more explanation as to them and their origins. However I still liked how the book played out.
Overall, I really enjoyed this first novel in the Magic Most Foul series and I highly recommend it to fans of the young adult genre. If you haven't read it already go get your hands on a copy as soon as you can! It has a lot to offer and it's a very quick read. I think it's one of the better young adult novels I've read and I can definitely see myself reading the author's other books.
Really Liked It!
★★★★
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It's Monday What Are You Reading #42


It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Book Journey and is a great way for others to find out what you are planning to read this week and, best of all, see what others are reading.
 
What I read last week:

The Hunt For Atlantis (Nina Wilde & Eddie Chase, #1) Sandstorm

Currently Reading:

Deep Fathom Shadow of Time


Up Next:

Nothing Comes Close The Mist on Bronte Moor
 
What are YOUR reading plans this week?