The Tears of Elios by author Crista McHugh + Kindle giveaway!

The Tears of Elios, written by Crista McHugh, is the first book in her new series called 'The Elgan Chronicles'. A fantastical world of magic sucks the reader in for a journey stretching across a mystical action packed realm.

Synopsis:

Shape-shifters’ Rule #1: Don’t let the humans know you still exist. Rule #2: If a human finds out about you, silence them. Some rules were meant to be broken… Ranealya ruthlessly plays by the rules and has outlived most of her race because of it. If she wants to survive, she’ll have to stick to them, especially with a genocidal tyrant hell-bent on destroying all the non-humans in the realm. But everything falls apart when a human saves her life. Gregor knows he’s inviting trouble when he helps a wounded shape-shifter, but he can’t pass up the opportunity to study one before they become extinct. She disturbs the quiet order of his scholarly existence, vexes him in more ways than he can count, and encourages him to break enough of the kingdom’s laws so that not even being the king’s cousin will save his head. The problem is, he’s already lost his heart.

First I'd like to say that a few editing errors unfortunately got missed before the book was published. I've spoken personally to Crista and she's on top of getting the problem rectified. But for those that get a copy before any changes can be address please make note of this. This was one of the only drawbacks to the story. It's a little frustrating to get caught up in a story then have words missing or used in the wrong places. I also would have liked to get a bit more character description and backstory which would allow me to get invested in the characters more. I felt that, without the backstory, the characters in the books seemed a little less fleshed out.

The story has a wonderful twist in which you get two different sets of main characters who end up intermixing their storylines towards the end. I was blown away by the creative world Crista has compiled in her novels. It takes some new ideas about magic and mixes in old folklore and other more traditional ideas. I'm not sure if I could call this story is UF or High Fantasy, but it's definitely one that the young adult crowd would also be able to dive into. For those needing some smut in their lives *cough me cough* you wont get much of that here. And while I understand some people think that it draws away from the story *cough Ben cough* it's always a great bonus to a good book in my opinion.

Fairies playing nasty tricks and humans wanting to take over the realm keep the reader turning the pages to find out what could possibly happen next. Characters dealing with choices from the past and moving forward into the future keep the book relevant and relateable to our own lives while still having fantastical elements. Overall the story is a great first start with some kinks that will inevitably get worked out I look forward to more books from this series.

Getting 2 and 1/2 Hellhound Sheep

KD

***Giveaway***

Would you like to win a Kindle for the Holidays? Crista McHugh is giving away a Kindle this Holiday season!

Check out her blog HERE each Monday morning from October 31-December 5, 2011, for a question about one of her titles. The answer can either be found in the blurb or the excerpt. Email Crista the answer using the contact form on the webpage (because you don’t want to be sharing the answer with everyone on the blog). Each correct answer is an entry into the grand prize drawing. Every Sunday evening, a winner will be chosen from that week’s responses to receive a giftcard.

Hexed, nice butt!

Hexed, by author Kevin Hearne, is the second novel in The Iron Druid series. To check out my review of the first novel, Hounded, please click here. This UF series has sucked me in and for the life of all the undead in the world it just wont NOT let me go. And ya know what? I love it! A good mix of humor, action and witty dialog make Hexed a great read. :)

Plot:

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, doesn’t care much for witches. Still, he’s about to make nice with the local coven by signing a mutually beneficial nonaggression treaty—when suddenly the witch population in modern-day Tempe, Arizona, quadruples overnight. And the new girls are not just bad, they’re badasses with a dark history on the German side of World War II.
With a fallen angel feasting on local high school students, a horde of Bacchants blowing in from Vegas with their special brand of deadly decadence, and a dangerously sexy Celtic goddess of fire vying for his attention, Atticus is having trouble scheduling the witch hunt. But aided by his magical sword, his neighbor’s rocket-propelled grenade launcher, and his vampire attorney, Atticus is ready to sweep the town and show the witchy women they picked the wrong Druid to hex.

Hexed picks up 3 weeks after Hounded leaves off. Atticus *dreamy sigh* comes under magical assault by a group of deranged German witches. After all the drama in Hounded you would really think the better choice would be for him to shake a leg and plant roots somewhere else. But Atticus has a mess to clean up in his adopted home town and no one is going to stop him from doing what needs to be done. With his new apprentice and a little help from some friends, and the Sisters of the Three Auroras, he sets out to vanquish the blood thirsty witches and carry on with his once peaceful life. Or so he hopes....

Some new appearances from Native American lore add a fun twist to the mix. As mentioned in Hounded, Thor is apparently a jerk and my Vampire dream boat Leif wants to recruit Atticus to help take down the Norse god. Some twists and turns take place, but by the end of the book there will be a BIG lead-in to the next story. I was pleased to have a bit more sexual activity going on this time around but the person who was doing it......um let's just say it was a wee bit violent. Kevin throws in a bunch of comic book and pop culture references throughout the series, which I loved. It's always cool to hear a 2000 year old Celtic dude talking about anime and LOTR. :)

Overall this book is very well written, laced with loads of different folk lore and laugh out loud moments. I personally like Hounded just a little bit more then Hexed BUT do NOT get me wrong, both books are extremely well done. They're both a fun read that I highly recommend. Book three, Hammered comes out July 5th so make sure to get caught up on this series before then!

Getting 4 Gravy Sheep

KD

Hounded, hit the spot! Joygasim!

Hounded, by author Kevin Hearne, book one in new the series called The Iron Druid Chronicles. A wonderfully well written UF packed with Celtic lore, hunky men, action and witty dialog that will suck you in and keep you entertained! LOVED IT! :)

Plot:

Atticus O’Sullivan has been running for two thousand years and he’s a bit tired of it. After he stole a magical sword from the Tuatha Dé Danann (those who became the Sidhe or the Fae) in a first century battle, some of them were furious and gave chase, and some were secretly amused that a Druid had the cheek to defy them. As the centuries passed and Atticus remained an annoyingly long-lived fugitive, those who were furious only grew more so, while others began to aid him in secret.

Now he’s living in Tempe, Arizona, the very last of the Druids, far from where the Fae can easily find him. It’s a place where many paranormals have decided to hide from the troubles of the Old World—from an Icelandic vampire holding a grudge against Thor to a coven of Polish witches who ran from the German Blitzkrieg.

Unfortunately, the very angry Celtic god who wants that sword has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power, plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good, old-fashioned luck of the Irish to kick some arse and deliver himself from evil.

A manipulative group of witches has teamed up with a fierce enemy to kill our toe-curling honky druid protagonist, Atticus. The ultimate lesson in this story: Never trust a witch. Atticus has found a home in the Arizona desert and no one is going to make him pull up stakes again. Tired of running from dangerous Fae, Atticus and his trusty Irish Wolfhound take on the dangers lurking around his normally quiet suburban neighborhood. And Atticus is quite the fighter, you don't live to be over 2000 years old without having some serious powers to draw upon. Unfortunately his powers may not be enough to stop his enemies from taking what they want. I loved the whole thing, from beginning to end this book was a very tasty treat I plan to enjoy for months to come.

Hearne came so very close to mentioning the title of this blog I had to do a double take at the line: "I smelled the sheep scent on the night air.." Pretty cool indeed! Atticus's fun loving Irish neighbor Mrs. MacDonagh has quiet a few memorable lines but my favorite was this gem:

"A friend will help ya move, Katie, but a really good friend will help ya move a body."

Definitely my new motto! *evil laugh* The only thing missing was details in the romance department, I am such a sucker for an Irish hunk that I wanted all the juicy play by plays. Alas, I had to use my imagination for our yummy Irish druid. Hopefully upcoming books will satisfy me just a wee bit more. Aside from that, this book is chalked full of so many different characters from folklore you are sure to find a few you enjoy. Vamps, Werewolves, Thor (who apparently is a jerk), Fae, Sorceress, witches and lots more!

Book 2 Hexed will be out June 7th, and the final book Hammered comes out July 5th! I for one cannot wait!

Getting 4 and 1/2 Leif Lovin' Sheep

KD

Rogue Oracle, crime fantasy fun!

Rogue Oracle, by author Alayna Williams, is the second book her UF series. While I didn't get a chance to read book one, Dark Oracle, I didn't feel lost in any areas; this book did a really great job as a stand alone. Outside of my usual PNR I was a bit leery about trying something new as I have often been let down in the past. Fortunately, this book contained a really intriguing story that held me until the climatic end. :)

Plot:

Tara Sheridan is the best criminal profiler around—and the most unconventional. Trained as a forensic psychologist, Tara also specializes in Tarot card reading. But Tara doesn’t need her divination skills to realize that the new assignment from her friend and sometime lover, Agent Harry Li, is a dangerous proposition in every way.

Former Cold War operatives, all linked to a top-secret operation tracking the disposal of nuclear weapons in Russia, are disappearing. There are no bodies and no clues to their whereabouts. Harry suspects a conspiracy to sell arms to the highest bidder. The cards—and Tara’s increasingly ominous dreams—suggest something darker. Even as Tara sorts through her feelings for Harry and her fractured relationship with the mysterious order known as Delphi’s Daughters, a killer is growing more ruthless by the day. Soon, a nightmare that began decades ago in Chernobyl will reach a terrifying endgame that not even Tara could have foreseen. . . .

Throughout Rogue Oracle, Tara is dealing with emotional and physical scars from her previous case which almost ended her life. Left torn and battered, she takes a much need break, but her lover boy Harry steps back into her life in dire need of her help. She can't refuse, and frankly neither could I. Harry is quiet strength wrapped up in power and sex appeal, throw this sexy agent in a suit and call it a day. The sparks between Harry and Tara are incredibly tangible, combined with her painful past and a killer on the loose the sexual tension rises dramatically.

The storyline itself is amazing; all the nuclear events revolve around Chernobyl, making this book feel very present. If you like murder and mystery wrapped up in an UF package you will REALLY enjoy this story. Just a few downsides for me first being, not enough sex. lol. Hey, I like my sex and I'm not ashamed to admit it! With all the sexual tension I wanted more details and felt a tad ripped off when I couldn't get the play by play. And the tarot cards, I get that Tara is an Oracle AND I get that the cards are her "power" BUT too much time was dedicated to going over each card and what they meant throughout the entire story. One or two times is fine by me but the repetitive explanations of the cards got to me a bit.

Aside from the things I mentioned, this was a really good story, you do get completely sucked into the plot. If I had to put into words, the story feels a lot like if CSI/NCIS met Charmed on the set of Bones. :)

Getting 4 Kahuna Sheep.

KD