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Liked It “I enjoyed this book but didn't get to the computer in time to review it while all was fresh in my mind. Still love the characters. The rockabilly lifestyle described is interesting and adds to the book nicely. I'm glad it is a series and look forward to more books. I loved Ms. Pettersson's Zodiac...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“I enjoyed this book but didn't get to the computer in time to review it while all was fresh in my mind. Still love the characters. The rockabilly lifestyle described is interesting and adds to the book nicely. I'm glad it is a series and look forward to more books. I loved Ms. Pettersson's Zodiac series and am enjoying this one as well. She has quite an imagination!”
Monika R wrote this review 5 hours ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This was the second in the Celestial Blue series following The Taken. This was a good series and I hope that the author has something to add in mind however, it's one that could end right here and not lose any substance. The characters are very interesting and the plot was well thought out. Since this was totally different from my typical genre, I was surprised at how much I did enjoy both of these books. The reading was a little "light" but it turned out that I was drawn in and couldn't wait to see what happened next. I thought the author did a good job with the story line and I could tell that she had done her research on many aspects of some of the subject material. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a bit of paranormal in their life and is open to a different view of the afterlife.”
Sheri M wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“~Reviewed by FRANCESCA & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog
Under The Covers Book Blog wrote this review Monday, April 22, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“The author does an amazing job at drawing out the world and the scenes, it just felt as if I was watching things happen.” ~Under the Covers
There is something sort of magical about this series. I’m not sure if it’s the dark and gritty world, the fallen angels mixing with the humans, or just the Rockabilly feel of the story. It perfectly blends two eras by having a fallen angel that is kind of stuck in the clothes and mentality of the 50s (he’s the original), and the human girl he’s dating in the present, who has embraced the Rockabilly lifestyle (the wannabe).
I love both of their characters. Griffin Shaw, the Centurion, is just tortured by so many things. He’s on earth looking for his killer (well, his and his wife’s killer) while also trying to solve cases assigned to him. In between all that he sometimes has to transport souls of the recently deceased to the Everlast. He has a lot on his plate and in this book, I think he showed he was having a hard time prioritizing.
Kit on the other hand is awesome! She always shows an air of happiness and a tough exterior. However we come to realize it’s not all roses underneath. She’s in love with Griffin but deep down is hurting to have to compete with his dead wife’s memory. She tries to be happy, and she tries to do the right thing, and what’s good. And sometimes, in that search of justice and righteousness, she finds herself in the center of trouble. Her vulnerability made me cry at times.
In this book, Kit tries saving Grif’s takes. And by trying to save the ones marked for death they discover a new drug circulating that needs to be stopped, and they also find a fallen angel who is out stealing souls before the Centurions can take them to the Everlast. Of course, once the fallen angel sees Kit, he zeroes in on her and makes it his mission to possess her.
The storyline was very interesting and the author does an amazing job at drawing out the world and the scenes, it just felt as if I was watching things happen. This was also an emotional book for Kit and her search of what makes her happy and how to deal with what’s bringing her down.
I’m looking forward to the ending of this trilogy in the next book and finding out ….Who killed Griffin Shaw?
If you want to try an urban fantasy that is new and fresh, with a touch of old charm, angels and mystery, then this is the series for you!
*ARC provided by publisher
”
“The second book in Pettersson’s Celestial Blues series is a pretty fast and fun read. This follow-up to The Taken continues to blend an interesting and unique mix of genres. This one is less of a murder mystery, but still shines a light into the dark underbelly of Las Vegas. Kit Craig, investigative reporter and rockabilly chick, and her half-human, half-angel lover, Griff Shaw have been together now for a few months and the honeymoon phase has begun to crumble. More of Griff’s past comes in tantalizingly small pieces, but the focus here is largely on a new (and shockingly horrific) drug loose in Naked City. Many new characters appear here (including a rather jarring shift in perspective and verb tense) and there is little carryover from the previous novel. But the bulk of Pettersson’s unique urban fantasy setting is laid out in The Taken, so reading them in order is ideal.
Victoria K wrote this review Friday, April 12, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
This is not my favorite fantasy series - Kit, despite everyone else (humans, angels, demons) being desperately in love with her, fails to charm me and tends more towards the annoying (and self-pitying) than truly sympathetic or relatable. And Griff, though marginally more likable, has more flaws than strengths. But the side characters - like Sarge and Scratch - along with the setting and different premise, make this an entertaining read. And the cliffhanger at the end definitely has me looking forward to the next installment!”
“This is a plain-text version of the review. To see formatting, links, etc, please visit my blog at this link:
Katy wrote this review Sunday, March 31, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
http://katysozaeva.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-lost-celestial-blues-2-by.html
Book Info: Genre: Urban Fantasy/Noir
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: fans of urban fantasy, Noir, Rockabilly lifestyle, paranormal romantic suspense
Trigger Warnings: drug use, abuse, and overdose; gangster/mobsters; murder
My Thoughts: I have to say that I think I would probably kill for a car like Kit's. I looked it up and the Duetto is just a gorgeous piece of machinery.
I was really impressed by a bit of detail I noticed in the story, and that is Sergei and Yulyia Kolyadenko. Sergei is described as being from Kiev, and Kolyadenko is a proper Ukranian name. Not every author would take the time to make sure they had the correct regional name!
The drug mentioned in this story, krokodil (street name for desomorphine) is just as nasty as described. If you do a Google image search, you will find image after image of people with the flesh literally rotted off and exposing their bones. It's a truly nasty drug. You would think, “why would someone do that to themselves?” but this drug is the type that is almost instantly addictive. It takes about a half hour to cook it up, and the high lasts only 90 minutes, so once a person has taken that first hit, they're pretty much doomed unless they have the stamina to last through the month it takes to clear out of their system. The fact that people created this thing just blows my mind, and that fact that other people are willing to make their living by basically destroying other people with this sort of drug... it's a terrible thing. I found a very interesting video (and short article), which I've linked here (for sites that allow links and formatting) if you're interested in learning more.
As to the story itself... like the first book, this sort of crossed the urban fantasy/noir/romantic suspense genre lines. However, this book is much more action-based than the first, since most of the characters have already been established in that first book, and the romance aspect is even more subdued, since Grif and Kit are actually together in this book. It's an enjoyable story, and I'm definitely liking the overall story arc of the series, in addition to the specific stories in the books. This is a series I will absolutely be continuing! Recommended!
Series Information: The Lost is the second book in the Celestial Blues series.
Book 1: The Taken , read and reviewed in September, 2012. Review linked here where formatting allowed.
Disclosure: I received an ARC copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Griffin Shaw and his wife were both murdered fifty years ago. Now a minor angel, Grif's been granted permission to solve the mystery of his own death... if he helps the Pure angels guide those souls who might otherwise be Lost.
Souls like Jeap Yang, a drug addict in his final moments of life. Grif knows that death is coming, but he cannot intervene. However, Grif's mortal lover, reporter Katherine "Kit" Craig, isn't constrained by angelic protocol. If she can stop a death, she will.
But as Kit is about to find out, there are things more traumatic and evil than murder. A strange new drug is literally eating tweakers' flesh from their bones, and Kit's crusade to get it off the streets is set to propel her and Grif into a battle with a vicious drug cartel. They'll have to scramble to stay alive, stay together, and choose their own fate... before it's chosen for them.”
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