28 Feb 2018

WWW Wednesday #6

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words

WWW stands for three questions:
 
What are you currently reading?
 
by Melissa Lenhardt


Synopsis:
 
Outlander meets post-Civil War unrest in this fast-paced historical debut.

When Dr. Catherine Bennett is wrongfully accused of murder, she knows her fate likely lies with a noose unless she can disappear. Fleeing with a bounty on her head, she escapes with her maid to the uncharted territories of Colorado to build a new life with a new name. Although the story of the murderess in New York is common gossip, Catherine's false identity serves her well as she fills in as a temporary army doctor. But in a land unknown, so large and yet so small, a female doctor can only hide for so long.
 
I'll be honest: I'm having a hard time getting into this one, but I've only read 10%, which is not much. Anything can happen later, I won't give up on it just yet.
 
 
What did you recently finish reading?
 
by Khaled Hosseini 
 
 
This book caused me so much pain, and still, I could hardly put it down. 
My review is coming in a few days.


What do you think you'll read next?

Honestly? I don't know yet. I'll give myself a little bit of freedom this time and I'll go for whatever calls out to me when I finish Sawbones :)


I hope you're all having a great reading week, guys!
Please leave a link to your WWW post below, so I can visit your blog later.

27 Feb 2018

Review - We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson


Title: We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Author: Shirley Jackson

Synopsis:

Living in the Blackwood family home with only her sister Constance and her Uncle Julian for company, Merricat just wants to preserve their delicate way of life. But ever since Constance was acquitted of murdering the rest of the family, the world isn't leaving the Blackwoods alone. And when Cousin Charles arrives, armed with overtures of friendship and a desperate need to get into the safe, Merricat must do everything in her power to protect the remaining family.


My Thoughts:

Shirley Jackson's intriguing short novel about a not-just-slightly disfunctioning family sent chills down my spine. This dark and somewhat eerie tale is not so much about a haunted house as the making of one.

The Blackwood family hasn't been whole for a while. Most of its members are dead, simply because they liked sugar on their berries. The ones who live – Constance, Merricat and Uncle Julian – do so in the constant shadow of that unfortunate evening when everything ended... and began.

Being poisoned by arsenic is not a painless way to go they say, but being the talk of the village is not a painless way to live, either. Although the sisters and their uncle are outcasts, they are also the biggest sensation in the village they're trying to stay away from. 

Their dark and scandalous past baffles yet at the same time excites the people. They are local legends of the spooky variation; even children singsong the Blackwoods' sin in the ear of poor Merricat twice a week when she has to do her run in the village to make sure she and her sister won't go hungry up in the house.

Like it wouldn't be enough, one day Charles, their cousin arrives to rekindle old family bonds. He is pushy about matters like their returning into society, and his eagerness to wheedle himself into Constance's confidence unnerves Merricat. He talks too much about the money the sisters keep shut away in a box upstairs. In the end Merricat decides to turn to drastic measures to make Charles disappear from their lives.

The dialogues in the book are brilliant. The information about the fatal dinner comes to the reader in small drops through broken conversations and sentences cut in half. It really is like a jigsaw puzzle that you place together with the turning of the pages.

Shirley Jackson creates a very peculiar atmosphere while describing the three remaining members of the Blackwood family in their isolation. I as reader felt the setting claustrophobic at times, especially towards the end. The deliberate attempt of Ms Jackson to put you in the shoes of the girls works out very well.

I also have to mention the black humour that is sprinkled all over the pages of this quaint story. We Have Always Lived in the Castle is darkly entertaining in its morbidity. The kind of comical quality it represents may not be for everyone, but if you enjoy dark jokes I would definitely give this book a try.

While it only takes a few hours to read the novel, it will stay with you much longer than that. I can only recommend picking it up if the synopsis or what I've just told you about it appeals to you.


26 Feb 2018

Goodreads Monday #7

 Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren @ Lauren’s Page Turners. To participate, choose a random book from your TBR and show it off! Don’t forget to link back to Lauren’s Page Turners and link up to the inlinkz so others can see what you picked!


The following book is intended to be my first ever Christopher Isherwood experience. Now, you have to know that Christopher and his kind – Isherwood's autobiography has been sitting on my shelf for ages, however I promised myself I'd read a novel by him before diving into that. 

A Single Man is an LGBTQ modern classic about a middle-aged man who is grieving for the love of his life. I expect it to be very emotional but all in all I feel it conveys a positive message to the reader.

I've come across this book many times in second hand bookshops, yet never purchased it, because I always find it with the ugly green Penguin Vintage Classic cover (click here to see). I usually love the cover of these vintage classics; not this time. One day when I'll buy it, I'll buy it with the cover you can see below.

by Christopher Isherwood


Synopsis:

When A Single Man was originally published, it shocked many by its frank, sympathetic, and moving portrayal of a gay man in midlife. George, the protagonist, is adjusting to life on his own after the sudden death of his partner, determined to persist in the routines of his daily life. An Englishman and a professor living in suburban Southern California, he is an outsider in every way, and his internal reflections and interactions with others reveal a man who loves being alive despite everyday injustices and loneliness. Wry, suddenly manic, constantly funny, surprisingly sad, this novel catches the texture of life itself.

What gem do you have on your Goodreads TBR? Please leave a link to your Goodreads Monday post below if you have one, if not, just say hi :)

25 Feb 2018

Showtime #2 - Black Sails

In Showtime I feature TV shows that I'm currently watching, in the hope that I will find fellow fans among you or that I can turn you into a fan, so I'll have someone to talk to about my favourite shows, haha.

This is my second Showtime post, read the first about NBC's Timeless here.

Today the show I'd like to bring your attention to is:

http://s18.postimg.org/5ongydtrt/resizedimage.jpg 

Creators: Robert Levine, Jonathan E. Steinberg

Stars: Jessica Parker Kennedy, Toby Stephens, Hannah New ...

 IMDb

Yes, I'm heavily into pirates now, I won't deny it. I'm having a phase it seems.

Black Sails is on Netflix at the moment and I've been planning to watch it for some time. After my little brother lured me into watching The Pirates of the Caribbean with him for the umpteenth time the other week (just when I happened to be reading Pirate's Curse) I realised there was no reason to break the pattern, so I went with the flow and clicked on the first episode of Black Sails on Netflix. I couldn't stop after that.

The show is basically a Treasure Island prequel. I confess I didn't read the book as a child or as a teenager but of course there is no need to know it in order to understand the happenings in Black Sails (its story preceeds Treasure Island's plot after all).

I finished the first season the other day and proceeded with the second immediately. There are four seasons altogether, there won't be more unfortunately.

In season one Captain Flint and his crew are trying to track a Spanish treasure galleon that – once defeated could make all of them very rich. When they finally get hold of the shipping schedule that could lead them to the galleon and the money, it turns out a page is missing. They have to find the thief in order to be able to continue with their quest.

John Silver, young mischief-maker, who took the page off the original thief knows he's in trouble but if he has some skill at all, it is his aptitude for survival. He commits every detail on the page to memory and burns the piece of paper, thus he becomes indispensable for the pirates. The question is: can he convince Captain Flint it's worth to keep him alive after they've found the ship they're looking for?

Flint has problems of his own. He is not very popular among his crew at the moment, not to mention he has to solve a lot of problems related to the preparations for the treasure hunt. Nassau, the port that many pirates frequent to do business is a place presently overheated with politics and rivalry. Luckily, Eleanor Guthrie the woman in charge of all business transactions on the island is on his side.

Pirates are a savage lot, especially if they're after a great prize. After having seen season one, I say it's no wonder people often compare this show to Game of Thrones.


Why do I enjoy the show?

It's not solely set at sea
I often get bored with nautical stories in which the characters never see land. There are a limited number of tropes that can be used related to the ship and the sea (like illness, woman on board, sea battle, mutiny etc.). I've seen all of them, that's why I prefer if there is some action on land as well. I like the balance regarding this matter in Balck Sails

The costumes are gorgeous
The beauty is in the details; the accessories breathe life into the costumes. After all, what is a badass pirate without an earring? I'm madly in love with the coats too, and the men's V-necked long shirts, aww.
Captain Flint

He is grumpy all the time and he is the worse captain I've ever come across, I swear. No, really, he sucks at captaincy, big time :) Despite this fact he has to cling to his position to reach his goal and his journey is an interesting one. 

(By the way, did you know that Toby Stephens is the son of Dame Maggie Smith?? I've found this out only a short time ago and it was a great surprise. How did I not know this before?)

Cool women characters
Eleanor, Max and Anne Bonny are strong, fierce and beautiful women that fight for a meaningful place in a world of men. Respect.

These two
https://media.giphy.com/media/l2R00GMs5jUujJtx6/giphy.gif 

I usually roll with laughter whenever Jack is on screen. And then there's Anne. She is so raw and unapologetic, she doesn't give a damn. She always does what she wants. Way to go, girl!

The opening title sequence


The music, the aesthetics... I can't get enough of it!

Have you watched Black Sails? Or are you planning to? Don't be shy, drop me a few lines if you have any thoughts about this show :)

24 Feb 2018

Stacking the Shelves #7


Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that makes it possible to share with other bookworms what books you added to your shelves physical or virtual during the week. 

Hello Lovelies! Weekend is finally upon us and my library has grown again during the weekdays.

I purchased two ebooks this week, one of my requests got accepted on NetGalley, I recieved a blog tour e-ARC and I also downloaded a new Eighth Doctor audio adventure. I don't have a reason to complain, none whatsoever.

Without further ado, behold this week's newcomers:

Purchased: 

Title: Blackmail, Sex and Lies

Author: Kathryn McMaster 

Source: Amazon

Goodreads

Blackmail, Sex and Lies is a Victorian murder mystery that is based on true events. 

Frankly, I've never heard of Madeleine Smith before, but people has apparently believed her to a be a murderess since 1857. All we know is that a love triangle got resolved with a murder in that year and it probably came naturally to people to blame a girl who had the indecency to show interest in a working class fellow... But I'm jumping ahead, making guesses. I'll read this book to get to know the story and Kathryn McMaster's opinion on who dun it.

Title: The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls

Author: Emilie Autumn

Source: Amazon

Goodreads

I say I purchased it, but that's not entirely true. The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls was free on Amazon a couple of days ago so if you check, there is a chance you can still download it, and it won't cost you a penny.

Two girls, both shut away in an asylum share a special bond through time in this book. I'm curious how the author connected the two worlds!



Title: The Natural History of Fear

Writer: Jim Mortimore

Source: Big Finish Productions

Goodreads

I decided to continue listening to the main range Eighth Doctor Audio Adventures. If some of you don't know yet, I'm a Whovian and Eight is one of my favourite Doctors. I actually met Paul McGann at one point, so yeah, I'm a fan.

I quit listening to these a while back, but I'm in the mood again, which means you can expect to see a few audio adventure reviews later on the blog.


ARCs:

Title: Song of Blood & Stone (Earthsinger Chronicles #1)

Author: L. Penelope

Source: NetGalley



I've read excerpts from Song of Blood & Stone and I know it's beautifully written. The protagonist, Jasminda, falls in love with an enemy spy and together they try to stop the war that threatens to tear their world apart. There is also magical singing involved according to the synopsis. I can't wait to see how Jasminda and Jack work together towards their mutual goal.


Title: Hiding

Author: Jenny Morton Potts 

Source: b00k r3vi3w Tours


I'm excited to be part of this tour because I haven't read a psychological thriller in a while.

Hiding tells the story of two families whose story is somehow intertwined. It has an intriguing premise and its cover is breathtaking. It's partly set in Scotland. Need I say more? I've only read the synopsis and I'm already hooked... The tour is scheduled between April 2-6, so you can expect a review from me around that time period.


What books did you put your hands on this week?  Let me know in a comment below!

Happy reading!

23 Feb 2018

Book Beginnings on Friday and the Friday 56 #5


Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56 are weekly memes hosted by Rose City Reader and Freda's Voice.

Rules: 

Book Beginnings: Share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. 

The Friday 56: Grab a book, turn to page 56 or 56% in you eReader. Find any sentence (not spoilery) and reflect on it if you want.

This week I'm reading:

by Khaled Hosseini 


Synopsis:

Amir is the son of a wealthy Kabul merchant, a member of the ruling caste of Pashtuns. Hassan, his servant and constant companion, is a Hazara, a despised and impoverished caste. Their uncommon bond is torn by Amir's choice to abandon his friend amidst the increasing ethnic, religious, and political tensions of the dying years of the Afghan monarchy, wrenching them far apart. But so strong is the bond between the two boys that Amir journeys back to a distant world, to try to right past wrongs against the only true friend he ever had.

The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

A sweeping story of family, love, and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic.


Book Beginning:

I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975.

It is a foreboding beginning and it instantly creates an atmosphere, I like it a lot!


The Friday 56:

My legs ached and my neck was stiff. But with each defeated kite, hope grew in my heart, like snow collecting on a wall, one flake at a time. 

Such beautiful wording, isn't it? Mr Hosseini is a talented writer, indeed.


I'm curious about what you're reading at the moment, so please leave a link to your Friday post below! Happy reading! 

21 Feb 2018

WWW Wednesday #5

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words

WWW stands for three questions: 

1. What are you currently reading?

by Khaled Hosseini 


Synopsis:

The Kite Runner is an unforgettable story of honour, courage and betrayal set in war-torn Afghanistan as two small boys test their friendship to its limits. Compelling, heartrending, and etched with details of a history never before told in fiction, The Kite Runner explores the ways in which we’re damned by our moral failures, and of the extravagant cost of redemption.

I've been planning to read this book for ages, the time has finally come. I have plenty of tissues at hand, don't worry.


 2. What did you recently finish reading? 

by Leigh Anderson and Rebecca Hamilton


Click here to read my review.


3. What do you think you'll read next?
(Sawbones #1)
by Melissa Lenhardt


Synopsis:

Wrongfully accused of murder, Dr. Catherine Bennett is destined to hang... unless she can disappear.

With the untamed territory of Colorado as her most likely refuge, she packs her physician's kit and heads West. But even with a new life and name, a female doctor with a bounty on her head can hide for only so long.

 

 Western, anyone? I'm in the mood for a desert setting after finishing a pirate story. To keep the balance, ya know :)


What is your bookish past, present and future? Don't forget to leave a link to your WWW post below! 

20 Feb 2018

Review - Pirate's Curse by Leigh Anderson and Rebecca Hamilton

Title: Pirate's Curse (The Berkano Vampire Collection, Division 1)

Author: Leigh Anderson and Rebecca Hamilton

Rating: 4/5 

Synopsis:

In the Division of NOLA, Catheryn Beauregard fears her burgeoning magical powers. Hiding as just another slave in the home of the Hoodoo Queen, Catheryn hopes her simplistic powers will simply go unnoticed. And her plan seems to be working...until the Hoodoo House is attacked by a ruthless band of vampire pirates.

Captain Rainier Dulocke and his crew need humans to feed on. In an act of desperation, they beset the Hoodoo House and take ten slaves to sustain them. Rainier takes a girl named Catheryn for himself, but her blood is giving him terrible side effects. Still, he refuses to give her up. Even when the Hoodoo Queen demands her return.

The NOLA Division is in danger. The waters are rising. Food is running out. And the Hoodoo Queen is about to destroy everything that's left if the pirates don't meet her request. Now Catheryn must choose who will die: the humans who sold her, the witches who bought her, or the vampires who stole her. If she fails to decide, everyone could die.

My Thoughts:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

When Leigh Anderson agreed to send me an e-copy of the Pirate's Curse I was over the moon. I'm positive that vampire stories will never stop attracting me and this book seemed special because there aren't only vampires in it, there are vampire PIRATES and that fact just doubled the level of my excitement.

With Pirate's Curse I received a nicely packed bundle of adventure with twists and turns at every corner. It was a highly enjoyable read.

Catheryn has been a slave to the Hoodoo Queen most of her life. However, when the pirates come to ransack the Hoodoo House she'd rather stay, because there are worse fates than serving the Queen. But when she catches the eye of the famous Captain Rainier she doesn't have a choice. She is dragged onto Rainier's ship and she is expected to give her blood to prolong the Captain's life.

She doesn't expect him to be as civil as he is.

He doesn't know that she cannot satisfy his hunger.

What I enjoyed the most was that the story never slowed down, there wasn't a boring part in it. One moment Catheryn and Rainier are battling at sea, the next they are stranded on a deserted island, the next they are fighting off a pair of giant spiders in the jungle... And all the while we get to know more and more about both characters. It turns out Catheryn has starnge abilities and she has to learn how to use these new-found powers. Rainier starts feeling worse and worse and he has to come to terms with the changes that are going on inside him...

Of course eventually the girl and the vampire will have a joined purpose but in the beginning they don't know that and they bicker a lot, obviously. Later, when they realise they should work together, Catheryn and Rainier support each other through every hardship and are so open towards one another that I became addicted to reading about the relationship that formed between them.

I especially approved of how Rainier mentored Catheryn when her abilities surfaced and how lovingly concerned he was because the girl couldn't see herself for who she was. He wished Catheryn to believe in herself like he believed in her and that was extremely romantic.

I loved the feminist undertone that manifested itself throughout the book. Catheryn saves Rainier's life countless times and by the end of the book she is physically stronger than the Captain and the writers made sure we notice that. Yet, this doesn't influence the quality of their relationship in any way, on the contrary, Rainier is proud of Catheryn's achievements.

A world where humans, vampires and witches live together must not be the safest place ever, nevertheless I liked to escape to NOLA from my safe little nook whenever I had the chance to push reality in the background. 

Even though the ending felt a bit rushed, I had so much fun reading through this story that I found it didn't really matter after all. Once again, thank you, Ms Anderson!

Goodreads | Amazon

Pirate's Curse is a standalone contribution to the Berkano Vampire Collection. Stories can be read in any order. To learn more, visit http://fallensorcery.com/

19 Feb 2018

Goodreads Monday #6

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren @ Lauren’s Page Turners. To participate, choose a random book from your TBR and show it off! Don’t forget to link back to Lauren’s Page Turners and link up to the inlinkz so others can see what you picked!

Since there are witches in the book I'm currently reading, I thought I'd intorduce you to another series-starter that includes witches. It's very fresh on my Goodreads TBR, I came across this title only a few days ago. I can't wait to read it!

(How to Hang a Witch #1)
by Adriana Mather


Synopsis:

The more things change in Salem, the more they stay the same.

Salem, Massachusetts is the site of the infamous Witch Trials and the new home of Samantha Mather. Recently transplanted from New York City, Sam is not exactly welcomed with open arms. She is a descendant of Cotton Mather, one of the men responsible for those Trials—and almost immediately, she becomes the enemy of a group of girls who call themselves The Descendants. And guess who their ancestors were?

If dealing with that wasn’t enough, Sam finds herself face to face with a real, live (well, technically dead) ghost. A handsome, angry ghost who wants Sam to stop touching his stuff.

Soon Sam discovers she is at the center of a centuries-old curse affecting everyone with ties to the Trials. Sam must come to terms with the ghost and work with The Descendants to stop a deadly cycle that has been going on since the first alleged witch was hanged. If any town should have learned its lesson, it’s Salem. But history may be about to repeat itself.

What do you think? Have you ever read a book about the Salem witch trials before? 
Can you imagine yourself curling up with this book on a rainy day?

18 Feb 2018

The longest book tag

Don't worry, this is a short tag about long books and not the other way around. The original idea is from Bewitchingly Paranoid.

What you have to do is very simple:

1) Make a list of the 5 longest books you’ve ever read
2) Select 2 of the longest books on your TBR
3) Discuss
4) Tag others

I wasn't tagged by anyone, but that doesn't stop me from doing this because I'm a rebel, haha. 

The longest books I've ever read are the following:


Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer 754 pages

The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett 782 pages

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell 1037 pages

Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon 1088 pages (kindle edition)

A Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin 1184 pages


The two longest books on my TBR are:


The Cider House Rules by John Irving 730 pages

The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough 1076 pages


Long books don't intimidate me, I actually cherish long novels that are well-written and have a good plot because they last longer and I as reader have more time to immerse myself in the story.

Of course you have to invest more time to finish them but in my experience it is more often worth it than not. Many of my favourite books are over 500 pages long and that's why I'm among those who encourage people to pick up thicker works. There is a chance that more pages hold more magic, you know...

People I tag:



  

 How do you feel about long books? Do you often go for them or do you rather tend to put shorter novels on your to-read list?

17 Feb 2018

If a genie were to grant me three bookish wishes...

https://media2.giphy.com/media/NwmdhClL0Upck/giphy.gif 

 
 If a genie were to grant me three bookish wishes...
 
I would be in trouble, guys.
 
https://media2.giphy.com/media/NwmdhClL0Upck/giphy.gif  
 
 
 
 My initial reaction would be: 
 
Who? Me? Really?????
 
 
 
And then my brain would do this:

https://media.giphy.com/media/l0MYJZbQQ8vFmmdLq/giphy.gif    
I'd be excited, of course, but I have a lot of bookish wishes... A LOT, and it would be insanely hard to prioritize.
 
The three wishes I'll list here for you are my decisions at this very moment but if you asked me tomorrow, I'd probably come up with new ones.
 
So here's my here-and-now-list of potential wishes:

 
1. To have an only-English library in my town full of books from my TBR.

I've recently moved back to Hungary from England and even though there are a few English books in my local bookshops, they are expensive and not the ones I'd like to own. If I purchase a book online, it takes two weeks for it to get here. So yeah, I wish I'd have the luxury of having an only-English library or bookshop nearby. It might seem to be a small thing, but it'd make me very happy.


2. To spend an afternoon with Neil Gaiman

He is my favourite contemporary writer. It would be nice to have a coffee with him, chat, ask him to give me some writing advice, have my copy of Stardust signed etc.

I once heard him speak about his work in person at an event (he was touring with his non-fiction book, The View from the Cheap Seats you can read about that amazing evening here), but there was no opportunity to have a conversation with him there unfortunately. Anyway, just to hear him talk was a treasured experience for me.


3. To have enough money to go on a literary tour in England.

I like visiting places where famous writers/poets lived, because in many cases I'm interested in their lives as well as their work. I'd be so excited if I had the opportunity to visit Haworth (where the Brontë sisters lived) or go on a guided Jane Austen tour. The village of Helpston where John Clare, the 'peasant poet' lived is also on my list of places to visit. 

I know that in time I'll be able to make this wish of mine come true, but I am so impatient, I want to go now, haha.


That's three, and now I have to stop my hands because they want to go on writing...

What would YOUR three wishes be? You can let me know in a comment or if you like challenges you can write a similar post yourself. I'd be happy to read it!
 
Have a nice weekend!

16 Feb 2018

Book Beginnings on Friday and the Friday 56 #4


Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56 are weekly memes hosted by Rose City Reader and Freda's Voice.

Rules: 

Book Beginnings: Share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. 

The Friday 56: Grab a book, turn to page 56 or 56% in you eReader. Find any sentence (not spoilery) and reflect on it if you want.

The book I'm currently reading is:


Division 1: The Berkano Vampire Collection
by Leigh Anderson and Rebecca Hamilton


Synopsis:

In the Division of NOLA, Catheryn Beauregard fears her burgeoning magical powers. Hiding as just another slave in the home of the Hoodoo Queen, Catheryn hopes her simplistic powers will simply go unnoticed. And her plan seems to be working...until the Hoodoo House is attacked by a ruthless band of vampire pirates.

Captain Rainier Dulocke and his crew need humans to feed on. In an act of desperation, they beset the Hoodoo House and take ten slaves to sustain them. Rainier takes a girl named Catheryn for himself, but her blood is giving him terrible side effects. Still, he refuses to give her up. Even when the Hoodoo Queen demands her return.

The NOLA Division is in danger. The waters are rising. Food is running out. And the Hoodoo Queen is about to destroy everything that's left if the pirates don't meet her request. Now Catheryn must choose who will die: the humans who sold her, the witches who bought her, or the vampires who stole her. If she fails to decide, everyone could die.


Book beginning:

Don't breathe, Catheryn thought. If you breathe, you're dead.

I like a good in medias res start when we land right in the middle of a tough situation. The main character's Catheryn's life is already in danger at the beginning of the story. There is a good chance that the girl is a real trouble magnet.

The Friday 56:

Rainier kicked the body over the side of the ship but picked up the head by its hair and showed it to the crew. 

"Who's next?" he asked.

This vampire pirate captain isn't joking. That's just as well, because I expect the vampire pirates to be fearsome. Since they are vampires AND pirates anything less wouldn't do.


What do you think of these lines? Do you have a similar post? Please share it with me by leaving a link below.

15 Feb 2018

(Short) Review - The Dark Unseen by Andrew C. Jaxson

Title: The Dark Unseen  (Unseen Series #0.5)

Author: Andrew C Jaxson

Rating: 5/5 

Synopsis:

Hud and his friends are camping in the mountains to celebrate finally finishing school. Tonight, he can finally make his move on the girl he’s been in love with for four long years. But something lurks in the darkness, something Hud has encountered before and can't quite remember. When tragedy strikes the night turns to chaos, and Hud makes a terrifying and world-shattering discovery. As the teens run for their lives, old memories resurface, and an impossible evil will reveal itself. 


My Thoughts:

The Dark Unseen is a teaser novella that introduces Andrew C. Jaxson's new series, The Unseen. And what a fantastic prequel it is! It will chill you to the bone and once you are finished with it, you will want to seek answers!

Hud goes camping with his best friend and the girl of his dreams but he never dreamed the night would end the way it does. Something is out there; among the trees, in the night something unexplainable with an unappeasable hunger.

I am hooked! I guess these days I'm craving horror, I can't help it. This little taste of Andrew C. Jaxson's writing convinced me I need to read the first book in the series. The way the night was described, how he built the tension slowly, then led us through a series of unexpected actions... it was like a roller coaster ride that you want to repeat over and over again. It sure gave me an adrenaline rush... I loved it!



Good news!

This prequel novella is now available for free on the author's website!


Next in the series: 

The Fire Unseen


Happy reading!