June 24, 2017

Review: The Madman's Daughter

You are now the main character in the last book that you read. Who are you?

I am The Madman's Daughter stuck on an Island with two male prospects

The Madman's Daughter (The Madman's Daughter, #1)

The Madman's Daughter(#1) by Megan Shepherd

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Audiobook narrated by Lucy Rayner

I'm sure you already know that The Madman's Daughter is based on H.G. Wells' Island of Dr. Moreau.
Juliet finds herself 'orphaned' and in desperate need of housing when she runs into Montgomery, a long-time childhood servant of her families, whom she hasn't seen in years. He takes Juliet on a long journey back to an Island far in the Pacific. It is here she meets her father again. She believed, like everyone, that he was dead but she soon finds out that the rumors about him being a madman are true. Her father is doing things to animals he keeps on the Island, turning them into human looking creatures and vice versa. He says he is their god. The animals have a set of commandments they must adhere to even. Only these creatures eventually turn on him. Ajax, in particular, has chosen to regress back to his original animal form.
There is a love interest between Juliet and Montgomery and secrets are revealed about a certain character called Edward Prince. Balthazar is one of Dr. Moreau's creatures who serves his purpose well.
I was glad Juliet was able to escape off that God forsook Island, however, not in the current fashion. Leaving her closest friends behind.
I won't be reading the other books in this trilogy because I am not interested.
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June 7, 2017

Gin Blanco Rocks the Park in Unraveled

Unraveled (Elemental Assassin, #15)

Unraveled (Elemental Assassin Series Book #15) by Jennifer Estep


Genre: Urban Fantasy
Mass Market Paperback, 373 pages
Published August 30th, 2016 by Pocket Books
Audiobook on Youtube
Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang 👍👍👈
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

"The more I tried to uncover the past, the more unraveled I felt myself, like a spiderweb that was slowly disintegrating one strand at a time into nothingness." 
Publisher's Summary 

After the shocking revelations of the previous book, Bitter Bite, the world of Ashland’s become even more sinister, and Gin Blanco (aka Ashland’s most fearsome assassin, the Spider) no longer knows who—or what—she can count an unexpected. Only one thing is certain: danger and new enemies await Gin in Unraveled, Book 15 in the New York Times bestselling Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series that RT Book Reviews calls “unbeatable entertainment!” What could go wrong when you’re trying to unravel a decades-old conspiracy? As the current queen of the Ashland underworld, you would think that I, Gin Blanco, would know all about some secret society controlling things from behind the scenes. I might be the Spider, the city’s most fearsome assassin, but all my Ice and Stone elemental magic hasn’t done me a lick of good in learning more about “the Circle”. Despite my continued investigations, the trail’s gone as cold as the coming winter. So when Finnegan Lane, my foster brother, gets word of a surprising inheritance, we figure why not skip town for someplace less dangerous for a few days? That place: Bullet Pointe, a fancy hotel resort complex plus Old West theme park that Finn now owns the lock, stock, and barrel. At first, all the struttin’ cowboys and sassy saloon girls are just hokey fun. But add in some shady coincidences, and Circle assassins are lurking all around, and vacationing becomes wilder—and deadlier—than any of us expected. Good thing this assassin brought plenty of knives to the gunfight …


The events of Unraveled happen around Christmastime. It's strange to read about cold weather, Christmas trees, snow globes, fireplaces burning and hot chocolate in June. Ah well, any day is a good day for an adventure with Gin Blanco. IF~ just for the food!

Gin is staked outside Jonah McAllister's house in the cold because it's her only lead to uncovering who the Circle members are. When it comes to Hugh Tucker though, the vampire who tortured her and killed her mother and sister Annabella she isn't about to give up because only losers quit and as far as she's concerned Hugh is going to die.


Deirdre Shaw left Finn an inheritance. A cowboy-ish vacation hotel. Bullet Pointe themed park and hid some gems somewhere in and around the Hotel. Nobody knows where they are, so visitors and guests are welcome to go on a scavenger hunt.


That leads to a major gunfight at the OK corral for Gin. It doesn't just happen once. But her friends, Finn, Bria and Owen get captured, and she is on her own to fight the evil. She works best alone anyway. I enjoyed how she took on 14 giants at night in a themed park. Gin you rock girl! In an Elemental kinda way :)

June 4, 2017

Review: Lord of Shadows

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A 2017 New Release Published on May 23rd, 2017
Hardcover, 699 fun pages!
Narrated by:  James Marsters 👍👌💟

Goodreads Synopsis
Would you trade your soul mate for your soul? 

A Shadowhunter’s life is bound by duty. Constrained by honor. The word of a Shadowhunter is a solemn pledge, and no vow is more sacred than the vow that binds parabatai, warrior partners—sworn to fight together, die together, but never to fall in love.
Emma Carstairs has learned that the love she shares with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, isn’t just forbidden—it could destroy them both. She knows she should run from Julian. But how can she when the Blackthorns are threatened by enemies on all sides?

Their only hope is the Black Volume of the Dead, a spell book of terrible power. Everyone wants it. Only the Blackthorns can find it. Spurred on by a dark bargain with the Seelie Queen, Emma; her best friend, Cristina; and Mark and Julian Blackthorn journey into the Courts of Faerie, where glittering revels hide bloody danger and no promise can be trusted. Meanwhile, rising tension between Shadowhunters and Downworlders has produced the Cohort, an extremist group of Shadowhunters dedicated to registering Downworlders and “unsuitable” Nephilim. They’ll do anything in their power to expose Julian’s secrets and take the Los Angeles Institute for their own.
When Downworlders turn against the Clave, a new threat rises in the form of the Lord of Shadows—the Unseelie King, who sends his greatest warriors to slaughter those with Blackthorn blood and seize the Black Volume. As dangers close in, Julian devises a risky scheme that depends on the cooperation of an unpredictable enemy. But success may come with a price he and Emma cannot even imagine, one that will bring with it a reckoning of blood that could have repercussions for everyone and everything they hold dear.

"Warning" Major Spoilers


Oh-My-God! What just happened?!!~ Annabel disappeared!?!!! Annabel, aka Lady Midnight, might be the Queen of Air and Darkness too. On the one hand, she evaporates in a dark cloud of smoke right after Livvy dies. Annabel killed her. She went on a killing spree and killed Robert Lightwood as well and some of the guards. For that, I really don't blame her. It was the Clave and those in power that plotted her death a century ago, to begin with, right?
I think it was Emma who thought Livvy looked like Annabel. What if Livvy comes back as Annabel Lol. Annabel feels scorned as a criminal, maybe she will change herself to look like Livvy? Somehow? You know, like Tessa Gray could do? That is just my crazy theory.
Annabel is a shadow hunter who died, unjustly, a century ago, at the hands of the Clave. She was in love with Malcolm Fade, a warlock who practiced necromancy on Annabel. She ends up killing him. It's a long sad story.

I enjoyed being back in the London Institute, recalling a time when Tessa, Will, and Jem lived there. It kind of even felt the same apparently. Also, Jessamine is a ghost.

The end was exciting and heartwrenching. I know some people are very upset about Livy. Her brother Ty and Mark look like they could become Parabatai, now that Livy is gone. 

The final chapter 29-Ultima Thule is subjected to taking place in Idris. I hate politics, and most of it happens in Idris, where the Clave Consul and Inquisitor are. Magnus has Alicante well warded and safe from unsuspecting enemies, but he is sick. I thought it was because he was out of magic juice, depleted and needed recharging. I don't really know what is happening to him, but I imagine the black book will have the answers they seek. At least for Magnus' sake, and especially regarding Julien and Emma's HEA.
Ever since the Cold Peace sanctions against the Fair Folk, the Unseelie King sought to destroy the Shadowhunters. He isn't happy. He wants all Shadowhunters stripped of their powers and turn them into mundanes. Lol as if.

I loved The Lord of Shadows!! Love love loved it!


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