***Review*** Untouched by Jus Accardo

Untouched by Jus Accardo

Released: 28th March 2012
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Series: Yes #1.5 in the Denazan series
Format: Kindle e-book
Source: Bought
Find At: Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon  | Barnes & Noble
Author Site: Jus Accardo

Goodreads Synopsis:

Until he met Dez, Kale’s days were filled with violence and death. He was used as a weapon of destruction by the power hungry men of Denazen. He’s a Six. A person with an abnormal ability. Some people call them gifts, but not Kale. Kale’s touch means instant death.

But now there’s Dez, the girl he can touch, and they’re hunting down Sixes and warning them about Denazen. Kale is learning about the world outside captivity and trying to put his dark past behind him. But they underestimated how badly Denazen wanted him back.

When Dez sacrifices herself to save the new Six they’d rescued from falling into the corp’s hands, Kale is lost. Denazen has brought out its best to get the job done. Samsen, a nightmare from Kale’s past—the only person he’s ever truly feared—has come for them, and it soon becomes obvious he has his own twisted agenda.

Kale will need all his training to get Dez back and ensure they make it out, free—and alive. But will it be enough?

My Review:

I have to say when this novella was released I jumped for joy. I was really pining for the next book in the series and it’s not released for a couple of months. So when I saw Untouched I did a little dance on the spot. I absolutely loved Touch! Understatement really, let me say this again I LOVED Touch. So when I found out that Untouched was being told from Kale’s POV, I was really excited. Kale has to be one of my favourite boy characters of the century. It was good to see all the action through fresh eyes, you could really see into his mind and his way of thinking. 

This story ties in wonderfully after the first in the series. I’m not going to give too much away about the plot, just in case you haven’t read Touch. And by the way if you haven’t read Touch, well what are you waiting for!!! 

Review Copy Cleanup

 Review Copy Cleanup is basically an event taking place through the whole of August, it is the perfect opportunity to blitz the review copies lurking on the bookcase.  It's being run by Vicky @ Books Biscuits & Tea and also Celine @ Nyx Book Reviews. 

This is the first time I will be participating in this event, so I'm really excited!  I have a few review copies to get through, I haven't quite decided which ones to choose.  I have a few weeks to decide, my main aim is to try and blitz my pile.  I have physical and kindle review books, so I will be working my way through both formats.

If you fancy taking part click HERE and it will take you to the sign up post at Books, Biscuits & Tea.

***Review*** Frost Moon by Anthony Francis

Frost Moon by Anthony Francis

Released: 6th April 2010
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books
Series: Yes #1 in the Skindancer Series
Format: Digital ARC
Source: Netgalley for review
Find At: Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository | Barnes & Noble
Author Site:  Anthony Francis

Goodreads Synopsis:

 In an alternate Atlanta where magic is practiced openly, where witches sip coffee at local cafes, shapeshifters party at urban clubs, vampires rule the southern night like gangsters, and mysterious creatures command dark caverns beneath the city, Dakota Frost's talents are coveted by all. She's the best magical tattooist in the southeast, a Skindancer, able to bring her amazing tats to life. When a serial killer begins stalking Atlanta's tattooed elite, the police and the Feds seek Dakota's help. Can she find the killer on the dark fringe of the city's Edgeworld? Among its powerful outcasts and tortured loners, what kind of enemies and allies will she attract? Will they see her as an invader, as a seducer, as an unexpected champion ... or as delicious prey?


FROST MOON is Book One of the SKINDANCER fantasy series by debut author Anthony Francis. Filled with unforgettable characters, spine-tingling action, kinky rebellion and edgy love, FROST MOON is classic storytelling at its best, and Dakota Frost is an irresistible new star of fantasy fiction.

My Review:

I can’t say that I was overly keen on this book. It had some good places, but equally I did feel my mind wandering. I think mostly it’s because I didn’t really gel with the main character, this is really really important to me.

We Have Some Winners #10

Thank you so much to everyone who entered, be it new or existing followers :D There have been a few competitions going on recently. I have the greatest pleasure in announcing the winners of the Chocolate Chunky Munkie Blogoversary Giveaways. Drum roll please.............

The winner is:

Tanychy @ Ja čitam, a ti? (I'm a reader, what about you?)

Congratulations on winning Tanja, I hope you enjoy your copy of Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta .

 

The winner is:

The Blonde Zombie

Congratulations on winning Louise, I hope you enjoy your signed copy of Timeless by Gail Carriger.

The winner is:

Aleksandra @ Aleksandra's Corner

Congratulations on winning Aleksandra, I hope you enjoy your signed copy of A Witch In Love by Ruth Warburton.

The winner is:

Beth DeRenzis

Congratulations on winning Beth, I hope you enjoy your signed copy of The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper FForde.

Wishlist Wednesday #38

Every Wednesday, Dani at Pen To Paper features Wishlist Wednesday, a meme in which you can list a book that you really want to read or keep meaning to get. These are books that you want to add to your wishlist, and believe me there are plenty!  I've decided to use Dani's feature every Wednesday :)

So what do you need to do to join in?

• Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
• Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.
• Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.
• Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of her post.
• Put a link back to pen to paper (http://www.pentopaperblog.com/) somewhere in your post.
• Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

So here is my book for this weeks Wishlist Wednesday:

 

 

  Blind Spot by Laura Ellen

Goodreads Synopsis:

There’s none so blind as they that won’t see.

Seventeen-year-old Tricia Farni’s body floated to the surface of Alaska’s Birch River six months after the night she disappeared. The night Roz Hart had a fight with her. The night Roz can’t remember. Roz, who struggles with macular degeneration, is used to assembling fragments to make sense of the world around her. But this time it’s her memory that needs piecing together—to clear her name . . . to find a murderer. This unflinchingly emotional novel is written in the powerful first-person voice of a legally blind teen who just wants to be like everyone else.

 

 

 

 I thought this one looked different and interesting.  It's not out until October, but I have seen it about already in the blogosphere.  I really want to know what happens to Roz, it sounds like she has a tough time ahead of her.  The cover is certainly eye catching, no pun intended :P   I shall have to write a reminder of this one in my diary, so I can get my hands on a copy when it comes out!

***Review*** Scarlet by A C Gaughen

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Released: 12th February 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books/ Walker Books For Young Readers
Series: No
Format: Kindle e-book
Source: Netgalley for review purposes
Find At: Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble
Author Site: A C Gaughen

 

Goodreads Synopsis:

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the evil Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only Big John and Robin Hood know the truth—the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. It’s getting harder to hide as Gisbourne’s camp seeks to find Scarlet and drive Robin Hood out of Nottinghamshire.

But Scarlet’s instinct for self-preservation is at war with a strong sense of responsibility to the people who took her in when she was on the run, and she finds it’s not so easy to turn her back on her band and townspeople. As Gisbourne draws closer to Scarlet and puts innocent lives at risk, she must decide how much the people of Nottinghamshire mean to her, especially John Little, a flirtatious fellow outlaw, and Robin, whose quick smiles and temper have the rare power to unsettle Scarlet.

Full of exciting action, secrets, and romance, this imaginative retelling of the classic tale will have readers following every move of Robin Hood and band of thieves.

My Review:

  Overall I have to say that I did enjoy this book. I’m not going to lie, it did take me about a quarter of the way through to get really into it. After the halfway stage I really flew through it as the pace of the story really took off.

 The main reason I struggled at the beginning of the book was because of the way it was written, it is seen through the main protagonist’s eyes and you could really hear her voice through it. Not a bad thing, but obviously there is a heaviness of local dialect and colloquials. This made it a bit tougher for me to get into the book. I don’t dislike this style of writing but it did hinder my progress a little. 

The characters were really rich and varied; you could see the true tale of Robin Hood shine through in this book but with an added twist of Will Scarlet being a woman and not a man. I loved the character Scarlet, she was a true fighter and she really won me over. It’s not easy being a girl in a band of men. But she held her own and she did it with a certain finesse. 

There is a good amount of scenery description and this helped the imagination flow. I certainly felt like I could be there in the Sherwood Forest and in Nottingham castle. I do really appreciate it when an author takes time to describe scenery. 

It’s a shame this book is a standalone as I would have liked to have read more in the series, I do think there could be more development for Robin and Scarlet.

 I would recommend this book to people who love the tale of Robin Hood, it does certainly have a different angle to it, but you can still feel the richness of the scenery and characters.

 Story Rating: 4/5 – Just lost marks for the writing style.
 Cover Rating: 4/5 – this is a really striking and eye catching cover, it is lovely. 

 *** Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for supplying me a copy of this book for review.***

Musing Monday #10

Musing Mondays is a weekly feature hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.  Each week MizB asks a book related question and we have to give our answers.

This week’s musing asks…

 When you’re stuck for a book to read next, what do you do?

I had to chuckle to myself when I read this weeks question.  I am never stuck for a book to read next, not with over 2,000 books on my bookcases; that figure doesn't even include my kindle books either.  I have two bookcases at home filled with books of many genres and also I have three bookcases at my Mum's house -that is what I call my overflow library.  It's more a case of wanting to read so many books at one time and only having one pair of eyes to do it.  I also have some lovely friends who like to give me books every time I see them :D  They normally come highly recommended, so they get bumped up the tbr pile.

At the moment I have a little rule where I read two review books  and then choose one book that is a non review book.  It seems to be working fine with me.  I always have two books on the go - one physical book and one book on the kindle.  So generally I swap between the two books.

I have been known to spend half an hour just wandering between my bookcases trying to choose a non-review book.   

At the end of the day a girl can never have too many books and it also means I never get stuck what to read.