Tuesday, March 27, 2012

REVIEW: Cirque du Freak #10: The Lake of Souls by Darren Shan

My Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

In The Lake of Souls, the 10th book in the Cirque du Freak series, Half-Vampire Darren Shan and Little Person Harkat Mulds set off on a quest to discover the person that Harkat used to be, before Desmond Tiny remade him into a "Little Person". As they step through the mysteriously glowing arched doorway, suspended midair in the middle of a field, to the strange world beyond, they have no idea of the kinds of odd and fantastical creatures they will soon encounter in the land beyond, nor if they'll even make it back alive.

This was another great but fast read in the Cirque du Freak series, which is very nearly at the end. Book 12 is the last in the series. Though it's been several years since I read my last Cirque du Freak book, the author is great about dropping in extra description at appropriate points to remind you of past events when necessary. It may even be easy enough for a new reader to pick up any book in the series without having read the previous ones, though they wouldn't know the characters nearly as well as someone who's followed the story from the beginning. As usual, the writing style is swift and the action is quick, which I believe makes it quite suitable in the young adult genre, and definitely had a hard time putting it down once I started reading. I have a library book I have to tend to now, but I look forward to returning to the world of Darren Shan again really soon.

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Friday, March 23, 2012

REVIEW: The Ghost Shrink, the Accidental Gigolo, & the Poltergeist Accountant by Vivi Andrews

My Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

As a consultant to the dead, Lucy Cartwright receives nightly visits from the dead, usually from horny or sexually frustrated ghosts who have trouble moving on for one reason or another. But when she's visited by a live, hunky PI named Jake Cox who's investigating a murder and believes one of Lucy's ghosts has the answers he seeks, the sexual sparks between them are immediate and potent. Unfortunately, until Lucy's Cassanova ghost pays her a visit, the hookup between her and Jake is an itch that just can't be scratched since it would mean no more visits from the hornball ghosts.

This was a cute little short story. Some of the dialog seemed a bit cheesy at times, but mostly that was in the ghosts, and of course that's how they were supposed to be. As a short story, it held my interest even if the eventual outcome was a bit predictable and happily ever after. :)

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

REVIEW: From Dead to Worse (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 8) by Charlaine Harris

My Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

This is the 8th book in the True Blood/Sookie Stackhouse series. Sookie has returned home to Bon Temps and is hoping things can finally get back to normal after all the horrible events that took place at the Vampire Summit in Rhodes. The Queen is on the mend but several of her lieutenants are still MIA, and though Sookie's boyfriend Quinn did make it out alive, she has yet to hear from him.

But there's plenty else going on in Sookie's life to keep her from dwelling too much on her failed relationship. For starters, wars have broken out in both the Vampire and Were communities and as usual, Sookie is caught smack dab in the middle of all the ruckus, with lots more killings going on all around her. When the dust settles, it brings with it some some major leadership changes in both the Vampire and Were communities, and the lives of a few more supernaturals are lost in the uproar. But when one life is lost, another is introduced, or so they say, and to that end, Sookie is introduced to a new family member whose existence had remained secret up until now.

As the story progresses and Sookie grows more accepting of her blood bond with area 5 sheriff Eric Northman, I can only hope their relationship goes back to the way it was when Eric had amnesia, especially since Quinn no longer seems to be in the picture. I'd rather see Sookie with Eric anyway. Mmmmm Eric.... *drool*

I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series, which according to the author herself, is slated to end after book 13. I will be sad to see Sookie go but hey, there will always be True Blood reruns to relive, in addition to the other projects Charlaine Harris is working on. :)

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