Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory

So I read this on the recommendation of a friend and I've got to say that to begin with I thought it was good but the more I read the more found Jolie to be ridiculous and silly. Not only is she constantly getting into trouble that could easily be avoided but she has to keep describing the men in the book. How all the good guys seem to be handsome and she can't get enough of how gorgeous they are, not that she does anything about it even when she's dating one of them and that the one bad male character is described as ugly is really annoying.

The way that the magic works is a bit simplistic too, just focus and it will happen. Nothing else, just basically imagine it. Maybe that's just me, I always think that there should be more to it than, you just have to want it, see it and it will happen.

I think this is one series that I'm not going to buy, I may get it out of the library but only if I can't find something else to read.

Deadly Sting by Jennifer Estep

I received this book free from the publishers for the purpose of reading, reviewing and leaving an honest opinion. This has in no way affected my opinion.

Although this is book eight of a series that I haven't read, it in no way detracted from the story. I wasn't wondering what the characters were talking about or why this was happening or that. It certainly stands well on its own and I shall be on the look out for the rest of this series.

Gin Blanco, A.K.A. The Spider is a strong lead character who knows what she's doing and how to go about doing it. No muss, no fuss. Sure there's the fact that she's one of the most deadliest assassins alive but don't let a little thing like that dissuade you from liking her. When she's not out doing her night job then she can usually be found at the Pork-Pit, a local diner which she also owns. She is also proficient in Elemental Magic, mainly Stone and Ice and it's come in handy on more than one occasion.

She's persuaded to go to a museum event, showing the collection of Mab Monroe, mega-rich Fire Elemental and one of Gin's victims. To be fair, she had tried to kill Gin on a few occasions but obviously failed.

Unbeknownst to everyone attending the gala, there's about to be a serious problem in the form of a robbery. All the guards are Giants and one of them has masterminded the heist of the century, unfortunately she hadn't factored Gin into the equation.

When a guest is killed by one of the Giants due to a simple case of mistaken identity, Gin is free to set about scuppering the Giants plans and making sure all the guest are safe. Meanwhile the Giant in charge, Clementine, thinks she's killed The Spider as well as pulling the heist off.

Needless to say things don't turnout how Clementine pictured and with a high body count and everyone else safe, Gin is victorious. She realises that Clementine was working for somebody and not the great mastermind she wanted everyone to think she was and with the help of her friend Finn, Gin finds out who is pulling the strings and the book ends with a great lead into the next.

As I said, I shall now be on the look-out for the first set of books and I would highly recommend this book and series to anyone who loves urban/paranormal fantasy. With a touch of murder thrown in too.

A Shimmer of Angels by Lisa M. Basso

What a crazy life!!! Having to be locked up for three years because you're hallucinating Angels and then when you're finally released to find out that actually, no you're not crazy, you really can see Angels. Now that's a trip.

Poor Rayna has worked so hard the last few years to try and fit in, to be normal and not end up back at the SS Crazy. Now it's all going to pot because she's seeing them again. At the diner where she's got a job and at school, in some of her classes. His name is Cam and all he will tell her is he's there to keep another student safe.

After finding a school friend in a closet at school with her wrists slit and another kills himself, It's a downward spiral from there.

Her dad ships her back to the SS Crazy but it's not safe there either. With another patient dead, she escapes with the help of Kade, one of the Fallen. He explains that another Fallen named Azriel who is influencing these teens to take their own lives. And it seems like he's after Rayna because she can see both the Fallen and Angels.

With a deal made to save the lives of her family and friends, Rayna is being dragged to hell to be used by Lucifer but Cam and Kade join together to stop Azriel from taking her.

With Az in hell, Cam must return to heaven and Rayna is left with no where to go except to stay with Kade. Something she's not entirely comfortable with but there's nothing else she can do if she doesn't want to go back to the nuthouse. Oh yeah, and to cap it all off, she's got wings.!!!!

The torment that she goes through, thinking she's going crazy again then finding out she's not makes her into a very likeable, strong-willed girl. Even when she's scared witless, all she thinks about is keeping her friends and family safe.

Into The Woods by Kim Harrison

Absolutely wonderful. Great little short stories that give a bit more insight into some of the characters in the Hollows series and in to the wonderful and creative mind of Kim Harrison.

I loved the story of Al and his snatching of Ceri. All the stories are great but that's one of my favourites in this book.
The other tales were all unique and interesting, putting a different spin on the tales of Dryads.

And now we wait for the next in the series.

Carved In Darkness by Maegan Beaumont

I really enjoyed this book. I suffered from O.M.C (one more chapter) until I'd finished it. It was one of those books that kept me guessing the whole way through.

Seventeen year old Melissa is snatched off the street and kept for 83 days, during that time she was raped and tortured. She had her eyes sewn shut and was kept in a basement until he finally went too far, killed her and dumped her in a prayer garden.

Moving forward fifteen years and Sabrina is a police officer with a big secret. She's Melissa and no-one knows she survived apart from her Gran, her room-mate Val and her younger brother and sister.

When the man who took her finds out she's alive he will do anything to get her back. He has continued to kill girls but none of them are Melissa and that's who he wants.

The story is gruesome in parts, the torture scenes are very descriptive. With the help of Michael, whose sister was taken the year before, Sabrina must go back and find the man who kept her all those years ago and who has killed again to flush her out into the open.

She's also got to stay out of the reach of her own police precinct as she is wanted on suspicion of murder, which she's being framed for.

Throw in a cop who hates her, one who is in love with her, a murderer who wants her back and Michael, she's not short of men in her life but she doesn't want any. She's built up walls to keep everyone away but finds that with Michael she doesn't need them but Michael isn't good boyfriend material, he's a mercenary.

He's also falling for her but knows nothing can come of it. He will do anything to keep her safe and get his sisters killer though.

I definitely recommend this book but not if you're squeamish. It's well-written, has a good arc and keeps you up reading one more chapter.

The Devil You Know by K.H. Koehler

This is a really good book with a different take on angels, daemons, demons, the devil and god. Nick is the son of the devil and therefore has to watch his back as angels are always gunning for him, even though he isn't evil or bad. Well no more bad than the next guy, he likes to smoke and have sex, nothing wrong with that.

When he meets Vivian, he finds himself falling fast for her but there is a small problem, she's like him. She's also running from Malach, an angel that is known for killing daemons. There's also the case of the missing little girl from a local, well to do family.

When Nick is called in to help, he stumbles on something much more sinister than a child gone missing. Not only is the child suffering from Tay-Sachs disease but her mother is trying to take over the Throne (in heaven) by ascending to the level of God. She's doing this by trapping and eating parts of angels and also her daughter.

The mother turns out to be Vivian's friend from child-hood, who ran away and then re-invented herself as someone else and married her father, who had sexually abused her as a child. It's totally twisted and beyond evil. It's also a little confusing at first until you get your brain around it.

I think there could have been more in the story about Nick's room-mate, Morgana and his relationship with her but I'm hoping that will be covered in the next book.

This story ticks along at a good pace and has a fantastic ending. I would recommend this to any of my friends.

Blackbrooke by Emma Silver

Absolutely brilliant book. I was totally blown away by it. I loved the story and the way it was written. I was in tears several times throughout the book, I was angry, shocked at times and laughed at some of the interactions of the characters in the story.

I found Liberty to be a really likeable person and her friends were a good mix. I didn't like how her friends acted towards Cassius but that's generally what kids and teens do.

The Rules and the division of boys and girls were a little perplexing to begin with, throw in the Crits and you've got a great backdrop to the story.

I was disgusted by the pact that the parents had with the Queens and hope that in the next book some of the parents get what they deserve. I couldn't believe that the Government didn't do anything to get rid of the Crits. And I was really shocked at the end of the book. Cassius being alive, just about, Liberty being made to work for the government instead of going free as was promised and Gabriel being alive.

I really can't wait for book two. I highly recommend this to anyone.