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Geekius

Geekius

has 332 followers and is following 177 people

Over 18's only please. Also note: I will only follow back if we have a decent number of books in common.

Warning to all readers: A mind once expanded can never return to its original dimensions. #trufax

My blog: http://www.thedemonlibrarian.com/
Goodreads:... more »
  • Away with the Faeries, UK
  • member since February 19, 2011

Reviews

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Displaying 31-40 of 417 reviews
  • Redemption
    • Rated 4 stars

    “A pleasant surprise.

    This is another one of those paranormal romance series that seems to be just that little bit more refined, the characters a tad more sophisticated and mature, and the focus slightly less on sex and action and more on relationships, science, communities and...you know, grown up stuff. AND sex and action! There are plenty of PNR series out there following groups of hulking warrior-types who live together that would appear quite juvenile in comparison. More like a group of Frat Boys (to borrow an American term) than centuries old men born in a more dignified era. That's not to say one is preferable over the other, I've read and enjoyed both, I just thought it worth noting that this falls in the former category rather than the latter. If you've enjoyed series such as [a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/56171-immortal-guardians"]Dianne Duvall's Immortal Guardians [/a]and maybe even [a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/41627-love-at-stake"]Kerrelyn Sparks' Love at Stake series,[/a] then you should like this series.

    As well as being a Paranormal Romance, it's also got a Post-Apocalyptic thing going on. Something I wish had been detailed a touch more, actually. The setting was very insular—all set it Penton, as the series title would suggest—and the community [span id="freeText18351598198597691077"]Aidan Murphy has tried to build there. Yet we're told that the world has suffered a massive loss to its population through a virus. A virus that people are now vaccinated against, which for vampires is a disaster because it makes their blood poisonous to them.[/span]

    This is the reason behind Aidan's newly-formed community in Penton. A nice place to be for the vamps who live there, but the ones out there starving, unable to find enough unvaccinated humans to survive on, aren't happy about it. They see the Penton vamps, each with their own blood-bonded human, well-fed and happy, and seek to destroy them out of jealousy and fear of Aidan's increasing power. Aidan, on the other hand, couldn't give a flying fig about power or any of their dominance games. He just wants a quiet, peaceful life. To provide for his humans and make sure his vampires are taken care of. That is all. In the search for this, he tries to employ a new doctor for the community after the last one was killed. Enter Dr. [span id="freeText18351598198597691077"]Krystal Harris.[/span]

    Krystal was a pretty good heroine—Level-headed, a touch insecure—but really it was Aidan who stole the show for me. A sweet-natured man who doesn't seem to realise his own appeal. I enjoyed the relationship between the two and thought the background plot was strong even with the setting being so limited. Perhaps we'll see more of the the world and this elusive 'Vampire Council' in the next book, which I will definitely be reading:)

    4 Stars ★★★★”

    Geekius wrote this review Monday, January 21, 2013. ( reply | permalink )
  • Amy and Roger's Epic Detour
    • Rated 3 stars

    “Strangely compelling.

    I say strangely compelling, because really, not a lot happens in this book. It's a simple road trip story featuring two young people who come to know and like each other. Amy, during the trip, has some stuff to work through, having suffered a recent loss. Roger also has some stuff going on but nothing as serious as Amy's issues. To be honest, I wasn't really happy with the way Amy's family problems were resolved, or not resolved, as was the case. And I was really hoping for much more romance and a less ambiguous ending.

    Even so, I kept reading (or listening, as it were) because the book seemed to be promising a reward if I did so; If I just listen a little longer, I'll finally get to the the flashback I want about her father. If I listen a bit more, eventually some romance will happen... Those were the only reasons I kept going and, as I said, I ultimately wasn't satisfied with either of them by the end of the book.

    From an audiobook point of view, it was enjoyable. The reader was very good and sounded about the right age for the character, which is always a big sticking point with me. She had quite a tough task as well, having to read endless lists of songs and artists, text messages and emails and other bizarre things that were thrown in a random to mark the passing of the miles.

    Would I read this author again....? Probably not. There are more interesting, more dynamic books out there. Still, it was a pleasant way to pass a few hours on audio.

    3 Stars ★★★
    ”

    Geekius wrote this review Monday, January 21, 2013. ( reply | permalink )
  • Shadow's Claim
    • Rated 4 stars

    “Classic Cole

    Fans of the IAD series will have no trouble getting into this new spin-off. Other than it not being set in the human realm, and having a new type of "misting" vampire to learn about, it was pretty much business as usual. Which in Cole's case means a wonderful mix of outrageously alpha males, feisty yet strangely vulnerable females, off-the-charts sexual tension, and plenty of humour, which is about the only thing that makes these over-the-top men tolerable! They do and say some pretty jaw-dropping stuff, let me tell you!

    This time, we have a half Sorceress Bettina in one corner, and Trehan, Prince of Shadows in the other, and, somewhat annoyingly, Caspion, her best friend since childhood whom Bettina thinks she's in love with, in the middle. Complicated, sure, but then these cross-species matings always are, which is part of the charm of the series. Seeing the conflicts, the seemingly immovable obstacles, the head-smackingly aggravating misunderstandings, all battling against overwhelming base instincts and primal urges. But nothing is ever a strong enough barrier against true love. Awww.

    This story features an immortal contest which brought me back to the days of the Talisman's Hie from books two and three of IAD. During it, we caught glimpses of several werewolves which has me so excited for MacRieve, the next IAD book, which comes out in July. It's about time we were back with the Weres, don't you think? Yummy.

    My only complaints were that this book was over-long and had slow parts. The Caspion thing dragged on a bit, and the mystery of her Sorcery powers fizzled out into nothing. So, while not one of my favourites, Cole simply doesn't know how to write a truly bad book, and I still found much to enjoy.

    4  Stars ★★★★”

    Geekius wrote this review Friday, January 18, 2013. ( reply | permalink )
  • Easy
    • Rated 4 stars

    “Easy does it.

    In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have read this straight after reading Slammed by Colleen Hoover as it has a similar storyline, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I thought it was quite steamy for a New Adult novel! Emphasis more on sexual tension than actual sex, but it was still pretty high on the smut-o-meter. The romance side of things was good and often sweet, but, being the twisted sister I am, I would have dearly loved for there to have been more emotional drama and turmoil. From the blurb, I was expecting it to be more of a gut-kicker than I ultimately found it to be. Oh well.

    I enjoyed both main characters, Lucas and Jacqueline, and indulged in a nice bit of righteous indignation on Jacqueline's behalf when her ex delivered his "It's not you, it's me" speech right at the top of the story. Oyyy, what an asshat he was. [/span][/span]As we join Jacqueline in the present[/span], it's been about 3 weeks since this happened and she's still feeling a very raw and is having to adjust to the fact that all her friends were actually all his friends, so the split has disrupted her world in more ways than one. [/span]But, on the plus side, this leads her to attend a party where she meets someone who thankfully wasn't an asshat, and that was Lucas. He was an interesting character with a mysterious, troubled past that is slowly uncovered by Jacqueline. While I enjoyed reading Lucas' story as it unfolded, I thought the ultimate reveal, the big showdown conversation, was incredibly rushed causing it to lack any real impact. I thought he forgave very easily and it was resolved too quickly.

    I would definitely recommend the audio version. The reader was very good and sounded age-appropriate. I should also warn that it features an attempted rape that is described in detail, so definitely a book for older teens.

    3.5 Stars ★★★1/2”

    Geekius wrote this review Friday, January 18, 2013. ( reply | permalink )
  • Slammed
    • Rated 4 stars

    “A sweet and endearing New Adult read.

    In keeping with my pledge to try new genres in 2013, I decided to pick up this book; a Contemporary New Adult Romance. New Adult is a pretty new genre category all together, I've only really seen the term bandied about this last couple of months. It's basically an older version of YA, characters are generally 18 years or older, and if it's set at any kind of school it would be college drama rather than highschool drama. (Yay!) For adults reading the genre it makes that walk back down memory lane slightly more tolerable. Bridging the gap between the often explicit, sex-oriented adult romances, and the sweet, shy hand-holding variety of YA books, falling somewhere in the middle.

    Slammed was a sweet, gentle story following the romantic fumblings of twenty-one-year old Will and eighteen-year-old Lake. Having lost her father and moved to a new State with her mother and younger brother, Lake meets new neighbour Will the very first day and there's an instant and strong attraction between them and a connection that surprises them both. There's also a massive complication that no one saw coming. Sadly, as much as I enjoyed the shock revelation of said complication, it effectively drew a halt to the progression of the romance for much of the book.

    Aside from romantic woes, there was also a nice and rather thought-provoking family drama that unfolded. As I mentioned before, Lake has a younger brother, Kel, and he and his new buddy Caulder (Will's younger brother of the same age), were a great addition to the story. The antics of these two were really cute and also provided a reason to stay in contact with Will when times were tough, as well as just making me smile at their shenanigans.

    Another big 'character,' if you will, in this book was the poetry. I'd be lying—big fat fibs—if I professed to be a fan of poetry of any kind, BUT, I would be telling the truth to say I enjoyed all the poetry in this book. A pat on the back to Hoover for writing every piece for everyone who got up to compete in the Slam Poetry events. Maybe this is something else I need to explore more in the future (**makes notes for 2014**). And the letter at the end... while not a poem, exactly, just about killed me. It was perfect.

    All in all, I would have liked more romance and less complications, but I enjoyed the book and some of the quotes from it will stay with me for a while to come. One of my favourites was...

    [blockquote class="tr_bq"]
    Keep an open mind; it's the only way new things can get in.
    [/blockquote]

    How true is that?

    I'd assumed this book was a stand alone as I read it, but it seems not. Book two, Point of Retreat, looks set to re-rock the boat for Will and Lake. I'll let you know how true that is if/when I decide to read it. I'm just not sure I want to disturb my happy place right now...

    3.5 Stars ★★★1/2”

    Geekius wrote this review Friday, January 11, 2013. ( reply | permalink )
  • Sealed With a Curse
    • Rated 4 stars

    “After a shaky start, I really enjoyed this.

    Despite taking a while to grab me and a few minor complaints about the characterizations of the Wird sisters, this ended up being a really fun urban fantasy romp with some great action scenes, sizzling sexual tension and really fun magical elements.

    Told from eldest sister Celia Wird's POV, she and her three sisters are introduced to us in the opening scene already in hot water with master vampire, Misha, having been summoned to "vampire court" on charges of murder. This introduction—which was used as a convenient way to tell us about each sister's unique supernatural abilities—raised instant warning flags for me as it became apparent the sisters had all been given personas so large and so extreme as to be bordering on the ridiculous. I realize the need to make it easy for us differentiate between them, to make each stand out, but for someone like myself who appreciates more subtly nuanced characters, the Spice Girl-like qualities of the sisters' personalities made me baulk.

    There's the brash, crude and loud sister—Taran (Scary Spice).

    There's blonde-haired, timid and shy sister—Emme (Baby Spice).

    There's fun-loving, bouncy, calls everyone "dude" sister—Shayna (Sporty Spice).

    The protagonist, Celia, however (who must be some amalgamation of Posh spice and Ginger Spice since that's all that's left) was a much more complex character (thank heavens!) and I grew to like her a lot. As the eldest sister, she's taken on the role of protector/defender of the family, having also the strongest physically ability when it comes to fighting. She's a Tigress shape-shifter with some other... interesting... abilities as well, all derived from a curse that was put on all mother Wird's unborn children. A badass when it comes to fighting, but totally hopeless when it comes to relationships and those "men" thingies, I really enjoyed discovering these two very different sides to her nature. I also felt quite sorry for her since she was quite a lonely character as well. Having an inner "beast" that people—whether they know it not—can sense, has always caused them to give her a wide birth. Her sisters are the ones that go on dates and get noticed by the opposite sex, not Celia. Until, that is, very Hot and very Alpha werewolf, Aric, who is her beast's equal in every way, comes on the scene!

    I loved Aric. He was the perfect blend of strong manly man and total sweetie-pie. The romance was one of my favourite things about this book, actually. That and the action! It's not just the personalities that are big in Robson's world! Oh no. Even the Big Bads were Marvel comic book-like in their size, strength and descriptions. They could give Hulk a run for his money any day of the week! I found myself glued to these sections and up rather late at night finishing the book as I just couldn't put it down. Which is always nice.



    So overall, while not perfect, this book was Fun with a capital F once it got going and I will definitely be reading the next one, A Cursed Embrace, when it comes out in July 2013. If you can accept some larger than life aspects in your Urban Fantasy, you should enjoy this book, as I did.

    4 Stars ★★★★
    ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

    ”

    Geekius wrote this review Thursday, January 3, 2013. ( reply | permalink )
  • Shadowland
    • Rated 5 stars

    “It's the amazing disappearing reappearing novella! But I have to say it was worth the wait and a great follow up to A Family Affair. John is a great character and the scenes with Casanova and Cassie were priceless!


    You can snap this up for free on the author's website”

    Geekius wrote this review Tuesday, January 1, 2013. ( reply | permalink )
  • Buying Trouble
    • Rated 4 stars

    “A novella chronicling Claire's adventures from auction house to Faerie and how she met Heidar for the first time and discovers surprising facts about herself.

    This would be ideally read before Dorina Basarab book #1 Midnight's daughter. ”

    Geekius wrote this review Tuesday, January 1, 2013. ( reply | permalink )
  • An Iron Fey Valentine
    • Rated 3 stars

    “A cutest of cute little story of Ash and Meaghan's first Valentine's day. ”

    Geekius wrote this review Tuesday, January 1, 2013. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Gauntlet
    • Rated 3 stars

    “ The Gauntlet.

    The Gauntlet introduces us to a witch named Gillian who is currently in gaol awaiting execution. In steps a familiar (to us, anyway) curly-haired, be-goateed vampire with an offer she would really like to refuse. Madness and mayhem naturally ensues, along with some nice background information on the formation of the Silver Circle in the British Isles. I know it was in the The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance 2 originally, but it's not really a romantic story at all. It's more like one big action scene full of spells, magic and....chickens.

    All in all, it was a fun read, but nothing to write home about and not necessary to read for the Cassandra Palmer series to make sense.

    3 Stars ★★★

    This book is free either on the author's website or Smashwords.”

    Geekius wrote this review Monday, December 31, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
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Displaying 31-40 of 417 reviews

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