Release Date: 25/04/17
Publisher:
SYNOPSIS:
The sixteenth book in the New York Times bestselling Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series that RT Book Reviews calls, “An extraordinary series…[containing] one of the most intriguing heroines in the genre.”
If you don’t know Gin “the Spider” Blanco, you don’t know dangerous female heroines.
Irony 101—The Spider herself snared in someone else’s web…
Another week, another few clues trickling in about the Circle, the mysterious group that supposedly runs the city’s underworld. Gathering intel on my hidden enemies is a painstaking process, but a more immediate mystery has popped up on my radar: a missing girl.
My search for the girl begins on the mean streets of Ashland, but with all the killers and crooks in this city, I’m not holding out much hope that she’s still alive.
A series of clues leads me down an increasingly dark, dangerous path, and I realize that the missing girl is really just the first thread in this web of evil. As an assassin, I’m used to facing down the worst of the worst, but nothing prepares me for this new, terrifying enemy—one who strikes from the shadows and is determined to make me the next victim.
REVIEW:
I've loved this series since i discovered it a little while ago. Jennifer always gives me a story that is high octane action mixing it with softer emotional elements and brings it all together with a kick ass plot that doesn't let go.
The writing is friendly, crisp and when you throw into the mix a principle character that you love to spend time with alongside a supporting cast that you care about all round means that its hard each time you turn the final page knowing that it'll be a while before you embark on their next story.
All round a great piece of fun although I really want to know whats in Gen's BBQ sauce so I can make some up before embarking on the next tale. Magic.
Release Date: 30/08/16
Publisher: Pocket Books
SYNOPSIS:
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 on. Only one thing is for 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 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 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...
REVIEW:
The latest book in Jennifer’s cracking Elemental Assassin and picks up where the previous outing, Bitter Bite left off, leaving the readers wondering how the events would affect our beloved characters in future outings due to treachery as well as familial bonds were stretched.
Here in this title, readers are taken on the continuing journey as The Circle tries to find ways to get the principle characters to recover monies owed by the deceptive now deceased mother of Finn. Its definitely a book that gets to play with a number of tropes and as a reader I just loved getting a touch of the old west mixed into this cracking series.
As usual there’s top notch action, cracking dialogue and some wonderful twists leaving the reader glued to see how events would unfurl as time and again our heroes look out thought. Well done, delightfully delectable and above all else a book that more than left me sated by the end. Cracking.
Release Date: 01/03/16
Publisher: Pocket Books
SYNOPSIS:
Which is stronger: blood ties or a battle-tested friendship? That's the question Gin Blanco asks when a friend's long-lost relative strolls into town. The suspicious reunion is a surprise for everyone--and a big problem for Gin. Book fourteen in the "New York Times" bestselling urban fantasy series "RT Book Reviews" calls "unbeatable entertainment!" It's not easy being queen bee of an underworld abuzz with crooks and killers. Wielding my potent Ice and Stone elemental magic will only get me so far--my real secret is my tight-knit makeshift family, a motley crew of cops and criminals, dwarves and playboys. My foster brother Finnegan Lane is my right-hand man, but when his suddenly not-dead relative comes back into the picture, I'm the one on the outside looking in. It's funny how life works: one minute your best friend is rock-steady, and the next he's doe-eyed and buying into this whole loving-relative routine to the point of ignoring you. I'd like to be happy for Finn, I really would. But all of my instincts are telling me that beneath the syrupy sweet demeanor and old-fashioned charm, this sudden interloper is planning something. The whole shtick leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. This person might have avoided the grave once, but I'll put anyone who hurts Finn in the ground--for good.
REVIEW:
An author I’ve not had the pleasure of spending time with previously and one that I am more than happy I took the gamble on. The writing is crisp, the characters gritty and if you like high octane, kick ass characters that have emotional connections then this is the book for you.
All round, Jennifer gave me a story that was engaging, pulled at the heart strings and above all else took the reader on a journey that also generated an underlying context for a lot of the problems behind the city’s nefarious dealings. Cracking and a while heap of fun. Great stuff.
Release Date: 14/09/15
Publisher: Pocket Books
SYNOPSIS:
Fan-favorite urban fantasista Ree Reyes and her crew of Geekomancers—humans that derive supernatural powers from pop culture—take on their biggest foes yet in this fourth book of the Geekomancy series.
When Ree’s long time nemesis Lucretia is finally brought to trial and found guilty for the deadly attack on Grognard’s, the Geekomancer community breathes a collective sigh of relief. But Ree and her crew soon discover that Lucretia has three very angry, very dangerous sisters who won’t rest until Eastwood—a fellow Geekomancer—is killed.
What follows is an adventure packed with epic battles, a bit of romance, and enough geeky W00t moments to fill your monthly quota of adventure and fun.
REVIEW:
To be honest a book I wasn’t sure on when I started as to be honest I thought that it felt as if it were just casing in on mixing the essence of geekiness into a lazy, hazy pot and dolloping in a percentage of story just to help fill it out. What occurred within however dissuaded me of that opinion as I found that the more I read, the more engrossed that I became.
Overall what really shines with this book is the characters, both supporting and main as they bring together an unseen world that hides within our own. It’s fun, it’s definitely quirky and when the author throws in a dark evil that seeks to overturn the world in their own way, generates a tale that I found thoroughly enjoyable.
Finally add to this a twist or two that you don’t see coming as well as growth for characters that helped make them more human (as well as identifiable,) all round makes this a series that I’m going to have to read the earlier releases for. Magic.
Release Date: 14/03/10
BOOK BLURB:
A secret sect of the Catholic Church, armed with an ancient book of the undead called The Gospel of Shadows, has been slowly destroying vampires for centuries. Now the book has been stolen, and the sect races to retrieve it before their purpose is discovered: a final purge of all vampires. As the line between saints and shadows grows ominously faint, private eye Peter Octavian is drawn into the search. And he'll do anything to find the book ...for Peter Octavian is also a vampire. Ostracized by his kindred for refusing to take part in the 'blood song', he cannot stand by and watch while they are destroyed. In a deadly game with a driven, sadistic assassin, the trail leads to Venice at the time of carnival, where the Defiant Ones, as the vampires are known, are engaged in a savage battle for their lives. Filled with plot twists, mystery, sex and violent death, Of Saints and Shadows is a spine-tingling thriller which opens the door to the world of The Shadow Saga.
REVIEW:
Fans of the fang will undoubtedly be looking for something a little different compared to a number of the titles out there, and boy, do you get it with this offering from Christopher Golden. There’s a secret war, some literal secrets and above all else a kick ass leading man who the readers will just fall for. He’s got it all, fangs, good looks and above all else demonstrates that a body can morph into the various legends that few other authors feel that they can tackle. Add to the mix a serious supporting cast, some great dialogue alongside some descent pace bound up with a good number of twists and you know that the reader will be more than satisfied with this offering.
Release Date: 14/03/10
BOOK BLURB:
Can the beast seduce a beauty and make her love him...? A promise of pleasure ...from a brutal warrior determined to protect her. Never far from her bow, Lucia the Huntress is as mysterious as she is beautiful. But the secrets she harbors could destroy her-and those she loves-and every day brings more danger. It isn't safe for her to be with Garreth MacRieve, yet whenever she sees the fierce werewolf with his smoldering eyes, she finds herself surrendering to his kiss. An uncontrollable need ...that can only be sated with her touch. From the shadows, Garreth, prince of the Lykae, has long watched over Lucia, the lovely little Valkyrie who alternately maddens him and inflames his lust. He aches to claim the seductive creature as his own and keep her safe from harm, but first he must convince her to accept him as her guardian. To do that he'll exploit Lucia's greatest weakness-her desire for him.
REVIEW:
Having not read Kresley’s work before I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this offering. However what unfurled from what I can gather from friends who are fans is a tale that has been demanded for quite sometime. Whilst the plot is pretty big, I was firstly treated to a huge amount of backstory which put a lot of the events into context, however fans of the author may not be so enthused with this huge infodump. The characters are interesting, the love angle pretty intense and all in was a good bit of escapism for me as a reader. I’ll more than likely look into Kresley’s previous offerings when I get a bit more time.
Release Date: 01/10/10
BOOK BLURB:
Born the third of eight children into a life of rural squalor in a farming community in the south of England, Faith Scott's infant world is already more challenging than most. Bewildered by the bizarre and cruel behaviour of her mother and terrified by the violent outbursts of her perpetually angry father, the only certainty in life is that there is none. So when Granddad 'Pop' gives her sweets and does the horrid things he does to her, how is she to know that isn't what all Granddads do? And if it isn't, why does her mother find it funny? Told with honesty and courage, this is the story of a little girl who never stood a chance - who was regularly abused in the most shocking ways by her family and preyed upon by the worst kind of men. Faith went on to have two children in her teens and endured appalling domestic violence but now, after all the suffering, she has turned her life around. Her decades-long journey out of the darkness tells the truth about what happens to abused children when they grow up, in a story that's horrifying and compelling in equal measure.
REVIEW:
Books like this one are always tricky to review. Firstly you have to applaud the person for having the courage to put pen to paper and allow others to share their life story but in other respects some of the tales that make it to print aren’t as harrowing as a number of articles that have appeared in women’s magazines or the principle storyteller really has a lot of problems that really haven’t been addressed.
The latter is the case in this title as Faith really hasn’t addressed a lot of her own issues. Firstly she demonises her own mother as an uncaring woman, doesn’t recognise an undiagnosed case of a mental disorder and when she suffers a lot of the same conditions in her own life as well as inflicting the same sort of damage on her own children she expects sympathy, almost as a you must feel sorry for me attitude.
Faith also wasn’t the classic case of a downtrodden beaten woman with no self-esteem, she managed to get herself a career, passed exams in order to progress and then went to work for social services where she got to go to other people’s homes and see a lot of the problems that were going on in her own, and yet she still did nothing to change it. The book is also contradictory in a number of ways for example she also laid claim to not being able to have a bath and smelling and then made throw away comments about how wonderfully the teachers thought that she was turned out. It doesn’t make sense; you’re either one or the other.
All in its well written but that’s the best thing I can say about it which I suspect is only due to the talent of established author Lynne Barrett-Lee. As the story progresses you don’t feel as sorry as you think you should for the “victim”, instead you end up wondering why she was able to create the book when other titles lay out the facts about the victim’s life and how they turned themselves around. All in, it felt that this book is all about garnering sympathy for a person who seems set in her ways and appears to enjoy having the attention alongside playing a victim.
Release Date: 13/05/10
BOOK BLURB:
The Morningstar virus. Those infected suffer delerium, fever, violent behaviour ...and a hundred per cent mortality rate. But that's not the worst of it. The victims return from the dead to walk the earth. And when a massive military operation fails to contain the plague of the living dead, it escalates into a worldwide pandemic. On one side of the world, thousands of miles from home, a battle-hardened general surveys the remnants of his command: a young medic, a veteran photographer, a rash private, and dozens of refugees -- all of them his responsibility. Meanwhile in the United States, an army colonel discovers the darker side of Morningstar and collaborates with a well-known journalist to leak the information to the public...
REVIEW:
Fans of the modern zombie material such as the Walking Dead and the modern remakes of classic Romero’s will have the chance to get to grips with these fear causing monsters of legend in this title. Kicking off with a blistering pace, the reader is thrust straight to the heart of the matter as the author really starts at high octane and keeps it going. Unfortunately without any real change of pace for this title, the reader soon loses the part where they can’t put it down and really wishes for a softer scene where they can get to know the characters which are unfortunately fairly flat. So much so, that you lose any real will for them to live through the tale often confusing one for another.
All in, it is OK and worth a punt if you’re a bit short of something else to read, however I’d suggest waiting for it to appear in a bargain bin as whilst it was brave and the dead did have the plus points of being able to run, think and learn, it sadly didn’t build to the full potential that could have been realised which left me feeling disappointed.
Release Date: 19/08/10
BOOK BLURB:
In the eleventh century, a vast Christian army, summoned to holy war by the pope, rampaged through the Muslim world of the eastern Mediterranean, seizing possession of Jerusalem, a city revered by both faiths. Over the two hundred years that followed this First Crusade, Islam and the West fought for dominion of the Holy Land, clashing in a succession of chillingly brutal wars, both firm in the belief that they were at God's work. For the first time, this book tells the story of this epic struggle from the perspective of both Christians and Muslims, reconstructing the experiences and attitudes of those on either side of the conflict. Mixing pulsing narrative and piercing insight, it exposes the full horror, passion and barbaric grandeur of the crusading era. One of the world's foremost authorities on the subject, Thomas Asbridge offers a vivid and penetrating history of the crusades, setting a new standard for modern scholarship. Drawing upon painstaking original research and an intimate knowledge of the Near East, he uncovers what drove Muslims and Christians alike to embrace the ideals of jihad and crusade, revealing how these holy wars reshaped the medieval world and why they continue to echo in human memory to this day.
REVIEW:
History, as they say is written by the victors and with recent event’s being compared to the Crusades the modern man can perhaps learn from what has gone before in order to prevent repeated the errors of the past.
That said, events have to be looked at in mind of the time, place as well as the setting and to get an objective view, accounts need to be available from both sides of the conflict. This is what Thomas Asbridge has done within this title. Beautifully written, this look at the many crusades, their leaders and outcomes is meticulously researched, especially when the author does his best to tread the middle ground, almost as if he were reporting from the front line of a modern war.
It’s detail is staggering, the writing authoritive and to my mind perhaps the most comprehensive account of the crusades to date. For lovers of history this title is going to be a must have title especially when backed with the research to become a prize of capture itself.
Release Date: 03/06/10
BOOK BLURB:
Between the end of Frank Herbert's Dune and his next novel, Dune Messiah, lies an intriguing mystery: how a hero adored by a planet became a tyrant hated by a universe. Paul Atreides is the man who overthrew a corrupt empire and then launched a terrible jihad across the galaxy, shedding the blood of trillions. The now-hated tyrant, the blind emperor Paul Muad'Dib, has walked off into the endless desert of the planet Arrakis, known as Dune, leaving his turbulent empire without guidance. It is up to his mother Jessica, with her daughter Alia, the brave troubadour-warrior Gurney Halleck, the resurrected Duncan Idaho, the Fremen leader Stilgar, as well as Paul's wife-in-name and biographer, Princess Irulan, to try and hold an empire together even as it tears itself apart from within and without.
REVIEW:
Since the series began, many people have often wondered how Paul Atreides went form hero to tyrant. Here in this offering we get this untold offering and when it fits so well into an already well established universe, it’s a tale that many fans will be more than satisfied in receiving.
What Kevin and Brian do is bring a voice to the fore that has long since been silent and whilst it may have differed from what the original author had planned it is something that works well. The characters step from the page, the prose is damn good and the dialogue with the spartanesque descriptiveness is what this tale needed. A treat and definitely one to be enjoyed when you have the time.
BOOK BLURB:
The dust has barely settled in the Holy Land after a terrible raid on Temple Mount when a group of archaeologists in the Judean desert stumble upon a secret room inside a cave. Its walls are covered in Egyptian hieroglyphs and other symbols, including the curious image of a dolphin wrapped around a trident. There they discover an old clay jar, also bearing this unusual symbol, and containing an ancient scroll...Meanwhile, a covert and ruthless sect called The Sons of Light are planning to turn the world upside down. Their ancient secret safe beneath Egyptian sands, they still need a very specific strain of DNA - the DNA from a human skeleton, 2,000 years old, stolen from beneath Temple Mount. When they discover that American scientist Charlotte Hennesey actually shares this DNA, the race begins to kidnap the girl and prepare for the final battle.
REVIEW:
If you like fast paced then there’s very few who do it better than Brynes. Whilst the plot may not always be believable the reader will find it quite easy to displace the sensation for a well told, fast paced action thriller presented to them. Add to the mix a couple of live wire principle protagonists who spend just as much time arguing with each other as escaping the books fiends and you’ve really got a tale that will impress as well as fascinate a large number of readers.
BOOK BLURB:
London, 1196. At the command of Richard the Lionheart, Sir John de Wolfe has lft his beloved West Country for the Palace of Westminster, where he has been appointed Coroner of the Verge. But with the king overseas, embroiled in a costly war against King Philip of France, Sir John is dismayed to discover that the English court is a hotbed of greed, corruption and petty in-fighting. The murder of one of the palace clerks, stabbed in broad daylight and thrown into the River Thames, leads John to suspect that there's a conspiracy underway to overthrow King Richard. And with the visit of the dowager Queen Eleanor fast approaching, the new Coroner must risk his life to prove his suspicions are right, root out the traitors within and prevent a national catastrophe.
REVIEW:
As you’ve come to expect from Bernard by now a well written tale that has a cracking set of clues and puzzles that lead to demonstrate the corruption of those with the opportunities afforded to them by power in Norman Britain. It is, in my opinion, Bernard’s best book to date and one that kept me more than amused as I tried to figure it out before the conclusion beautifully wove its way to its conclusion which I failed to do so much so that it increased my delight upon completion. If you want a mystery that will keep you guessing, a cast of characters that continue to grow and all set in a historical past that’s as mysterious as the crimes within then you really can’t do better than this author. Whilst you don’t have to have read the other books in the series you’ll have sadly missed out on a wonderful set of mysteries.
BOOK BLURB:
Stunning good looks, a gorgeous fiance, a bottomless trust fund, London's leading It Girl, Lola Fitzsimmons, leads a charmed life, a pampered princess whose rich father funds her every whim. Evie on the other hand has had to work her own way up life's greasy pole - literally! But, having hooked herself an indulgent sugar daddy, Evie has been able to give up her pole-dancing career, abandoning New York's seedy strip bars for a luxury Manhattan penthouse. Both Lola and Evie are about to meet their nemesis. Overnight, Lola's credit cards are refused, her fiance disappears and she finds herself locked out of her own Chelsea mews house. That same day, Evie is abruptly thrown out onto the streets. One woman lies behind their misfortune. With Lola's father lying helpless in a coma, her icy stepmother has seized control of the purse strings - and cut off her spoiled stepdaughter without a penny. The same stepmother who happens to be married to Evie's sugar daddy. Although the two girls loathe one another on sight, Lola and Evie must team up if they are to defeat their common enemy: the Ice Queen herself. Let battle commence.
REVIEW:
This book tells the story of an IT girl losing her trust fund, getting arrested for her Fathers death and living off her ex-fiancé who is now gay, sounds like fun? Add a stripper, a wicked step mother and a rather silly relationship and you have this tale rounded up. The twists, if you can call them that, were so transparent that they were not only laughable but made this novel the equivalent of watching a cheap daytime soap with less class, no realistic plot and attempted to be covered with author indulgent sex. Add to the mix a woman who only cared about getting her pasties (and we’re not talking Cornish here) back, which just went to show how lame this novel was. My advice for everyone who reads this review is to ignore this offering, buy Jackie Collins or the Beano as both have much more merit, integrity alongside a believable plot than this offering.
