Series Reviews #2

Series review #1

Fifty Shades

Series Review

Fifty Shades by E. L. James

By Charina SM

Fifty Shades of Grey

AMAZING!!!!!!! I said before that I mostly read Urban Fantasy, so I was a little hesitant when I started this book. I had a very pleasant surprise. I love this book. I could feel all the emotions and it was so easy to read. This book was sexy, sad, happy, controversial, hot, and sad again. In the end all I could think was “I NEED THE NEXT BOOK!” I will totally recommend it. I think I will read this book again, because is one of those books you’ll never get tired of reading.

Fifty Shades Darker

I’m officially in love with Mr. Fifty! This book has everything. It is funny, sexy, hot, sad, happy, and a bit controversial. All I wanted to do while I was reading was: take Mr. Fifty to bed and coddle with him and tell him that everything was going to be ok. This book is so amazing! We get to see a whole different side of Mr. Fifty. There are also more hot scenes; it gets even hotter in this book. We sort off get a happy ending but we also know that there is more to come, so I’m waiting like crazy for the next book to come out. Just like the last one this is an easy read. Everything flows so well that is hard to notice how much time you been reading. It is hard to put the book down. I think that if you want to relax one afternoon while you eat something this is totally the book for it. I will read it again. I don’t do this with a lot of book, but this one I will never get tired of reading.

Fifty Shades Freed

          It was the perfect ending to an amazing beginning. With every book of this series my love for Mr. Fifty increase. This book was hot, happy, hot, sad, then hot, then extremely happy again. The characters were amazing. They pulled me in. Just like in the other books, I could feel everything. I could also see how much the characters' personality grew with the story. In some series the plot changes but the characters personalities remain the same. Fifty Shades Freed actually shows you that the characters had mature. Christian is the same hot megalomaniac from the first book; but he is also less fucked up. I don’t think he has “fifty shades” anymore. He has some issues but they are not as many as before. Ana is the same sweet, crazy in love, and willing to do anything for her Fifty; but she is also more sure of herself and she can stand up for herself. The sex is still hot. There were some very sad parts, but the ending makes up for all of it. I love the ending. I said it before I’m a sucker for the happy endings and that is not going to change. It was adorable. Also the bonus material at the end of the book was awesome. I wish there was a fourth book on the series from Christian’s point of view. If you’ve read the first two books then you need to read this one. You’ll love it just like the first two books.

          Over all I love this series. I recommended to everyone. I’ll definitely re-read in the future, fact is I already re-read all of the books like five times. If you haven’t read “Fifty Shades” you should.

The Absolutely Amazing Adventures of Agent Auggie Spinoza

Book Review

“The Absolutely Amazing Adventures of Agent Auggie Spinoza” by Steven Stickler

By Charina SM

Goodreads Synopsis: “Auggie Spinoza is a ten-year-old boy with a secret: he is a special agent who can travel through time. Now, he finds himself locked in a desperate battle against evil forces trying to change the course of history. To defeat them, Auggie must pursue a dangerous quest to find a set of mysterious clues hidden in the past.

With the help of a clever new friend and advice from a cast of famous characters with names like Jefferson, Darwin, and Plato, Auggie fights to fulfill his destiny and save his world from ruin.”

Clever.

        I love this book! I don’t know if it is because my inner child is a nerd, just like I was as a child, but I love this book. I was a little nervous when I started reading it. The author told me that the book was aimed at kids in the 10-11 yr. old age range. After I started reading, I couldn’t put the book down.

Characters: I love the characters! Talk about creativity; they pulled me in. I also like how the villains had a tangible distinctive trait. It was not just the fact that they were evil. It was also the way Auggie felt around them, even without knowing that they were evil. I love the side characters. That was creative.

Story: I love the story. It was creative. It had fights, time travel, history lessons, code breaking, bad guys, good guys, and exotics places and eras. I couldn’t put this book down. It was such an easy read. It took no time to finish. I think this book should be made into an animated movie. I could see everything in my head just like a movie.

Romance: There was no romance in this book, and it was not needed. People who read my reviews know that I love romance; this time I couldn’t care less about it. This book is perfect as it is. It is a kid’s book, so it doesn’t need romance.

Typos: None! I couldn’t find any typos. If there are any typos I didn’t saw them.

        Overall I recommend this book. You should read it. Your kids should read it. And if there is ever an animated movie about this book, I’ll go see it. Then I’ll buy the DVD.

Shepher's Moon

Book Review

Shepherd's Moon (The Shepherds #1) by Stacy Mantle

By Charina SM
 

Goodreads Synopsis: “It’s taken twelve years to earn the official title of Shepherd but she’s now mostly trained, fairly effective, and the first female in over two centuries to hold the position as protector of animals. All animals...

The Territorial Council isn’t thrilled with her new title of Shepherd, but they don’t have any more control over the appointment than they have over her. All they can really do is wait for her to screw something up – which Alex is determined not to do. Everything changes when a chance encounter with a genetically modified Shifter leaves Alex shaken and initiates a quest to locate its maker.”

This book took me a long time to finish. When I first started reading I thought, secret government agencies and shape shifters, this is going to be awesome! Unfortunately my hopes were a little too high.

Characters: The book has some interesting characters, but I couldn’t feel a connection to them. I felt as if I had some insight to the main character’s emotions then all of the other characters were just there. They didn’t pull me in. Sometimes I got so lost that I didn’t understand what they were doing or why. I finished the book and I’m still confused about some of the characters and their behavior.

Story: I liked the main idea. The book started kind of slow, but it was OK. Then it got a bit better and I started to pick up the pace. Then it got extremely slow. This book has some really good parts but too many boring parts. I think that’s the reason it took so long to finish, it has too many boring parts. It does have some sweet moments. Every time the cubs appear it becomes a sweet amazing moment on the book. I don’t care what was going on at the moment; those cubs would melt my heart. I want to adopt them – although I’m not sure other members of my family will feel the same. It has some funny moments. The fights are OK. Towards the end the pace starts to pick up again. It gets a little better and the book gets somewhat of a happy ending. It does end with a cliffhanger, but because there is a second book coming out, it is not such a bad thing.

Romance: There is not romance in this book. Towards the end of the book we kind of get a hint of maybe a possible romance for future books, but it is just a hint. And it happens so fast that some people may even miss it.

Typos: I saw a lot of typos. I have to be honest and say that I don’t mind some very small typos, as long as they don’t actually affect my understanding of what I’m reading. But, with this book I had to go back and re-read a few paragraphs. They happened a lot, and way to often for me to just ignore them.

        Overall I think this is an Ok book. It is not the worse I’ve ever read but it is also not the best. I’m very glad that I was able to finish it. Because it took me a long time to finish this book, I got behind on my other readings. If and when the next book comes out, I may read it, but it will not be at the top of my TBR pile.

Dragon Wish

Book Review

Dragon Wish by Judith Leger

By Charina SM

Goodreads Synopsis: “Cold, desolate cliffs and a white dragon’s blue gaze captures Seren Jordan in a terrifying vision. A universe away, Paladin Fulcan--prince, captain, and sorcery-shadowed seed of dragonkind--struggles to overcome his grief during the long journey to where he must bury his wife and son. Seeing a shooting star, he violates the most sacred law of the dragonseed: he makes a wish.

A dragonseed's wish can open the gates between realities, can alter fate. But has fate itself decreed this wish? For the throne-less dragonseed's destiny is entwined with that of a mortal mate; their son is fated to be the One True Dragon King to rule over all the dragons. But not all dragons are content to accept one rule, and the rebels quietly gather allies to prevent the birth of Seren's baby.”

This was the first time I read a book about dragons. It was a very nice first time. I really liked it. I like the plot. I love the details; I could picture everything in my head. I love the romance. There is no love triangle, which was nice, there were enough complications in the story and the relationship of the characters that there was no need to add a third party to the mix.

I have to admit that it took me a little longer than it should to read the book. Once I only had about a hundred pages left I had to stop because I was busy. It took me about a week to retake my reading again. I was more than happy with the action in the book. I love fight scenes. And because the author was so good with the details, it was easy for me to picture the scenes in my head. I always had been a sucker for the happy endings so I was more than happy with the ending. I think this book should become a movie. This is the kind of movie my friends and I go see together on movie nights. Will I recommend it? Absolutely. Will I ever read anything else from this author? Absolutely, with this attention to details, I can't wait to read something more.

Darkness And Lies: A Brotherhood Novel

Book Review

Darkness And Lies: A Brotherhood Novel By Brandi Salazar

By Charina SM

Cheyenne is an adventurer. She and her friends decided to climb the top of a mountain to uncover a legend that will make their names known to the world. Erias is a man that is being force to serve with his life and soul to the Goddess, Persephone. When he is sent to stop the expedition from reaching the top of the mountain; Erias is torn between his duty and the feelings he has for Cheyenne. Will they ever act on their feeling for each other? Will this attraction be the death of them all?

I like the plot. I love the characters. Some of the characters reminded me a little of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, but not too much. The book has some typos. It is nothing too big, but they are there. Sometimes I wasn’t sure about how much time has passed in the book I kept asking myself, has it been days or weeks. Also, the book has some parts where it goes slow. Other than that, I like that I could feel how the characters were feeling at the moment when I was reading. I think that was good. The ending was sad. I said it before; I’m a sucker for the happy endings. But I also felt that it was more of a cliffhanger than an ending. I’m hoping that there is a second book with a continuation to this story. If and when the next book comes out I will definitely read it. Because I’m like that, I need to know what happens next.

Fallen Angels

Book Review

Fallen Angels by Judith Post

By Charina SM

Veronika is a vampire that is running away from her maker. She lives in the shadows, hiding from everyone. Enoch is an angel send to Earth to complete a mission and go back home when it is done. But as the centuries pass, he is losing hope of ever going back. When a serial killer starts to kill women in their homes Enoch agrees to help his friend Danny, the lead detective on the case, to solve the murders. Veronika's and Enoch's path crossed in the middle of this investigation. Soon they’ll find out that they not only have to worry about a serial killer; but also about a very psychotic vampire who is willing to go any length to get Veronika back. How many women will have to die before they get the killer? Can Enoch protect Danny and Veronika from all of the attacks coming at them? Will Veronika lose her life in her quest for freedom?

I love the plot. I love the part about investigating the murders and I love the war with the vampires. The book felt long. It has some parts that I felt like I could just skip them. I kept asking myself, why is this here? I think some parts where just too much. That was the only thing I didn’t like about this book. It went too slow. I like the characters. It had some funny parts. Again the story line was great. I love the happy ending. I think I solved the mystery about why the women were picked by the killer before they did. It felt obvious to me.

Awakening the Nightmare

Book Review

Awakening the Nightmare by Lanie Malone

By Charina SM

ENJOYABLE.

Corinne owns a bar where all the employees are preternatural creatures. She herself is a preternatural, but none of the people who live around her know what she really is. They all live and work on the same building where they feel safe; because every one of them is hiding from something or someone.

When vampire Councilman Agostino is murdered, Nick is forced to run with his guards in order to protect the Councilman’s daughter. The vampires are in the middle of a civil war the only way to protect their freedom is by making sure that Councilman Agostino’s daughter take his place after his death, but because of this her life is also in danger. Fate and Nick’s father, lead him and his man to hide at Corinne’s place. Can they survive the dangers that come upon them? Can Nick’s feelings for Corinne survive after he discovers her dark secrets?

When I first saw the title of this book, I was expecting a horror book. I don’t get to read many horror stories, and this one had me really excite. If there was any horror in the book; I couldn’t find it. However what I did find were very interesting characters and a unique plot.

This was an enjoyable read. This book has a lot of interesting characters. They are very different from each other. They all come from a different kind of preternatural. They all have their own troubles. They all have their own story.

I like the plot. It was different. I’m a sucker for the happy endings, so I did like the happy ending. I like that it sort of kept me guessing. I wanted to know what Corinne really was. By the time the book revealed it, I kind of had an idea about it already.

In some parts the book felt like it was going too slow. There were parts were the details just felt a little too much. I also would have liked to get to know some of the characters better. Because the book was so focus on a number of characters; we didn’t get to see what was going on with some of the other characters that seemed important. By the last chapter we find out about a romance between two of the important characters and we never know why, where, or when did it happened. We just know it is happening.

Over all is a good book. I recommend it. It has a little bit of everything. It has werewolves, vampires, demons, fae, romance, fighting, and kidnapping.

Allesandra's Bequest

Book Review

Allesandra's Bequest by R. M. Fraser

Review by Charina SM

BITTERSWEET SURPRISE

Allesandra is a woman that takes her own life at a very desperate moment. Throughout the book we get to see what drove her to that point and the struggles that she and her husband went through. We also get to see what happens to the ones left behind after a tragedy. This book deals with a lot of strong topics. It talks about child abuse, domestic violence, rape, depression, and suicide.

        When I first started reading this book I didn’t know what to expect. I was very nervous because not only was I stepping away from my reading comfort zone; I also never read anything by R. M. Fraser before. I had a bittersweet surprise. Bitter, because the book was so sad that it made me cry near the end. Sweet, because I loved the way it was written. To be honest I didn’t expected to like it this much.

        The book has very little dialogue. You can probably find about five lines or less during the whole book. But to make up for the missing dialogue, the book has these beautiful lyrics in between the paragraphs on each chapter. I never read anything like it before. I was very surprise that I understood every word without problem. I usually have a hard time with poems when they are in English.

        I really like this book. It is a very sad, very strong book, from the beginning. But I loved the way the lyrics told the story so well. I made me think of what music is really about. Music tells a story. Music shows someone’s feelings. If the author made a CD with all the songs from the book, I’ll buy it. I can honestly say that R. M. Fraser just won a new fan.

Nordic Fairies

BOOK REVIEW

 Nordic Fairies by Saga Berg

Review by Charina SM

Svala is a Nordic fairy pretending to be a normal girl. Nordic fairies used to be humans that made some kind of deal to be fairy. The Nordic fairies are divided in two: the light fairies and the dark fairies. Svala and her boyfriend Viggo are part of the light fairies and they have some kind of job to do in the human world. One day Viggo showed up as a big movie star and everyone is wondering what heck is going on. It is up to Svala now to find out what is going on and if the love of her life decided to switch sides.

Over all I liked it. But I felt like I was reading the first few chapters of a great book, then someone came and took the rest of the pages and I couldn’t finish the book. I like the story line. From the beginning I couldn’t put the book down. I wanted to know what came next so bad. The whole book keeps you wanting more. It ended with a huge cliffhanger. When I got to the end of the book my reaction was: “WHAT? BUT I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!”

Now what will happen is that I’m going get the next book; because I NEED TO KNOW. What did they do in the past that have them so afraid of punishment? Is the old lady their daughter? What is the light fairies job exactly? What is the dark fairies job exactly? What the heck is going on?

To be fair at least I get one of my questions answered by the end of the book. Did Viggo switch sides? But that, my friends, I will not tell you. You’ll have to read the book to know ;-)