Flesh and Fire by Laura Ann Gilman

Posted By: JMom  //  Category: Books, Fantasy

Flesh and FireTitle: Flesh and Fire
Author: Laura Ann Gilman
Release Date: October 2009
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 384
ISBN-10: 1439101418
ISBN-13: 9781439101414

Summary
Once, all power in the Vin Lands was held by the prince-mages, who alone could craft spellwines, and selfishly used them to increase their own wealth and influence. But their abuse of power caused a demigod to break the Vine, shattering the power of the mages. Now, fourteen centuries later, it is the humble Vinearts who hold the secret of crafting spells from wines, the source of magic, and they are prohibited from holding power.

But now rumors come of a new darkness rising in the vineyards. Strange, terrifying creatures, sudden plagues, and mysterious disappearances threaten the land. Only one Vineart senses the danger, and he has only one weapon to use against it: a young slave. His name is Jerzy, and his origins are unknown, even to him. Yet his uncanny sense of the Vinearts’ craft offers a hint of greater magics within — magics that his Master, the Vineart Malech, must cultivate and grow. But time is running out. If Malech cannot teach his new apprentice the secrets of the spellwines, and if Jerzy cannot master his own untapped powers, the Vin Lands shall surely be destroyed.

In Flesh and Fire, first in a spellbinding new trilogy, Laura Anne Gilman conjures a story as powerful as magic itself, as intoxicating as the finest of wines, and as timeless as the greatest legends ever told.

About the Author
Laura Anne Gilman was born in 1967 in suburban New Jersey. She has Liberal Arts education from the Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. She started her career in publishing as an editorial assistant in NYC. After publishing several short stories (Her first professional fiction sale was 1994 to Amazing Stories), some media tie-ins, and a job as an Executive Editor she published her first original novel Staying Dead a “Cosa Nostradamus”-universe “Retrievers” book. Gilman continues to write and sell short fiction. She currently lives in New York City, where she also runs d.y.m.k. productions.

My Thoughts
I haven’t read this book yet because my daughter snatched it up and has been engrossed in it. So what I write is based on my interview with her. The first impression of this book is that it reminds her of her favorite author, Tamora Pierce, who also writes fantasy novels where magical power is harnessed from forces of nature. She says there are strong parallels between this book and the Pierce books which she is enamored with.

This was a nice and easy read for her, she is 17 years old, and she said that she couldn’t put it down once she got started. She liked the background information on wine making woven throughout the story; again, much like how Pierce gives great information on crafts like glass making and glass blowing in her novels. My daughter loved this book so much that she asked to keep it with her collection of books.

I told her she can keep it but I get to borrow it :)
Read more…

Lucan by Susan Kearney

Posted By: JMom  //  Category: Books, Fantasy

Lucan Blog Tour
LUCAN by Susan Kearney
Publish Date: 9/5/2009
Price: $6.99/$8.99
ISBN: 9780446543316
Pages: 368

Summary
Healer and high priestess of her people, Lady Cael is fated to life without a mate. But a mysterious explorer named Lucan Rourke doesn’t know her secrets, and his touch makes her crave a future that her extraordinary birthright has forbidden her. . .

Lucan has just one mission on Pendragon: to find the mythical Holy Grail, Earth’s only hope for survival. His powerful attraction to Cael is a distraction he can’t afford, unless he convinces her to join forces with him. Yet working so closely together only heightens their passion . . . even when the terrifying truth of Cael’s heritage threatens to shatter Lucan’s every belief-and the galaxy itself.
Read more…

Book Review & Giveaway - Dark Hunger by Rita Herron

Posted By: JMom  //  Category: Books, Fantasy

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

The winners are:

Ann, Natalie A., Wanda, Kristine Michell & pixie13

Emails have been sent out to notify the winners. Please reply within 48-hours or another winner will be chosen.

Thanks to everyone who participated!
************************************************

DARK HUNGER by Rita Herron
Edition: FOREVER SPECIAL RELEASE
Publish Date: 8/1/2009
Price: $6.99/$8.50
ISBN: 9780446199483
Pages: 320

Summary
Reporter Annabelle Armstrong will go to any lengths to deliver a story, even track down Quinton Valtrez, a man she believes is a coldhearted assassin. Quinton has fought his demonic powers since he was a child. Now using his gifts for the good of national security, he can’t let himself be distracted by the beautiful, determined Annabelle. A wicked enemy is out for vengeance, a demon who wants to draw Quinton into a life of pure evil and is willing to use Annabelle as bait. To save her, Quinton must achieve the near impossible: tame the sinister force that is both his inheritance and his curse before it claims him forever.

For additional information about this book, read an excerpt, read Five Fun Facts from the author and watch the video below.

Read more…

Book Review & Giveaway: North or Be Eaten! by Andrew Peterson

Posted By: JMom  //  Category: Books, Fantasy, Young Reads

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

and the winner is…
North Or Be Eaten winner
Comment number 5 is from Linda from One Desert Rose’s Blog. Congratulations!

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway and left comments. Stay tuned for more giveaways!

***********************************************************************

Book: North Or Be Eaten
Author: Andrew Peterson

Summary:
Readers thrilled to the phantasmagorical adventures in On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, Book One of the Wingfeather Saga. Now in Book Two, Janner, Tink, and Leeli Igiby, mom Nia, ex-pirate grandfather Podo, Peet the Sock Man, and trusty dog Nugget flee north to rebel headquarters.

Their escape brings readers to the very brink of Fingap Falls, over the Stony Mountains, and across the Ice Prairies, while villains galore try to stop the Igibys permanently. Fearsome toothy cows and horned hounds return, along with new dangers: a mad man running a fork factory, a den of rockroaches, and majestic talking sea dragons.

Andrew Peterson’s lovable characters create what FantasyBookCritic.com says made Book One “one of the best fantasy novels in a very long time,” and Book Two contains even more thrills, exploring “themes universal in nature, ranging from the classic good versus evil, to the importance of family, and burdens of responsibility.”
Read more…

Untamed (House of Night book 4)

Posted By: JMom  //  Category: Books, Fantasy, Young Reads

At the end of book 3 in the House of Night Series, Zoey Redbird has totally messed up and pissed off all her friends and all her boyfriends. Yes, you heard right, all her boyfriends. She had three. Except that one died so really, only two boyfriends are mad at her. That’s still way too many boyfriends mad at you if you ask me. But, that’s how Zoey’s life is. Like it’s not complicated enough being a fledgling vampire who happens to be extraordinarily gifted and trying to fit in to a new school.

Untamed is the fourth book in the House of Night series by the mother/daughter team of authors, P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast about the House of Night which is a school for young vampires. The main character is Zoey Redbird who first becomes Marked as a vampire in the first book and so had to leave her human family and friends to go to the House of Night. Since she’s moved to the school, Zoey has had one paranormal adventure after another all the while still dealing with teenage issues that plague all teens, vampire or not.

This is the book I took with me to California last week. It was an easy read and interesting enough to keep me going. If you’d like to learn more about the House of Night series, check out our previous posts on the earlier books:
The Chosen
Betrayed
Marked

You may also be interested in learning more about the series straight from the authors:

Watch a video of the authors talking about the series and Untamed
.

Narcissus in Chains

Posted By: JMom  //  Category: Books, Fantasy, Fiction

This book just happened to be on the aisle when I was browsing the library so I decided to veer from the Jane Austen genre I’ve been reading and go for something different.

This was something different alright. Going from Mansfield Park to Narcissus in Chains is a hundred times worst than 180 degrees. LOL!

I didn’t know it when I started, but this is the 10th book in the Anita Blake, vampire slayer series by Laurell K. Hamilton. I saw on the Amazon page that some people did not like this book. I for one enjoyed it. I suppose coming off Mansfield Park, I enjoyed the easy reading. Besides, I liked the plot; it was interesting. Of course, anything to do with vampires and werewolves interest me. I still can’t get off the Twilight kick and I’m just looking anywhere I can get more sexy vampire lore!

Anita Blake is actually a necromancer, one who has an affinity with the dead or one who can bring back the dead. In the book, she is described as being hot, petite and a bad ass and she is all that and more. In this tenth volume, she has decided to go back to her two boyfriends; one is a vampire and the other a werewolf (sound familiar? - this is how Twilight would be if it had gone Rated R. LOL!). She went away from them from six months to do some introspection and now she’s back and she’s decided she wants both of them back. Lucky girl.

Unfortunately, before she can rekindle the menage a trois, she was called to rescue a wereleopard under her care and this is where the adventure, the gore, the sex and everything else begins. Now you know, I’m not going to go through and re-tell the whole story for you. Get the book and get reading.

Seeing as this is the first book of the series that I’ve read and it seems that some of the earlier volumes were way better than this tenth volume, I may read back starting on book one and see how much I can stand to read of the series. This was also the first time I’d heard of Laurell K. Hamilton and I’m intrigued. So despite the bad reviews and cautions I read online, some threatening to consult with cerebral palsy injury lawyers due to the injury inflicted by the bad writing; I am not discouraged. I’d still like to see for myself.

I was just curious how this book ended up in the teen fic section of the public library which is where I normally get my books since that’s where the girls go. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed reading soft porn for a change, but I certainly would not recommend this book for my teenage girls. This book is worst than rated R, it’s like a NC-17 rated movie. It has it all, violence, very mature content and graphic sex scenes. Definitely not for young readers.