Monday, December 12, 2011

Review: Dark Seeker by Taryn Browning

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Dark Seeker
Taryn Browning
Released September 27th, 2011

Goodreads / Purchase

For 17-year-old Seeker, Janie Grey, ridding the Baltimore streets of the undead is an inherited duty passed down from her Cherokee ancestors. Seeker Training Lesson #1: Never trust the undead. After her father’s tragic death, Janie creates her own life lesson: Love isn’t worth the risk. Both lessons are easy to follow until she encounters the flawed Kai Sterdam. At first, she believes he is the hybrid she is trained to hunt. But, when he has human traits, she determines she doesn’t know what he is. As Janie’s intrigue over who Kai is pushes her deeper into his mysterious past, she discovers a shocking truth that is even more harrowing than the evil they are up against. It’s a secret Kai wants to keep hidden, especially from Janie.

*A copy was provided by Taryn Browning for review purposes* 

When I first glimpsed at this cover I was sure it was an adult UF book. It’s not. However, it would appeal to the older YA readers. You will find intelligent characters, engaging storylines and strong world building in Taryn’s Dark Seeker.

In the world that Taryn has built, we have Vampires, and these are not sparkly, dancing vampires either. They’re mean and they WILL bite you! We also have Daychildren which are demons turned to vampires (I know, right? Like, totally awesome!). As for Seekers, that’s what Janie is – our protagonist. Basically, if you’re dead and you’re still walking – Janie will kill you! She’s good at it too! Janie is a wonderful protagonist. She’s tough and she’s stubborn; she has known loss and is afraid to love. She’s a well rounded character with flaws and insecurities that make her incredibly likeable as well as realistic.

Kai is introduced shortly after the start of the book and he is one heck of a sexy male! He’s mysterious, protective and often irritating. I love the guy! He’s the perfect supporting character and fits really well with Janie’s personality. We do have a bit of a love triangle, however it’s not a typical “Oh my, who will I ever choose” triangle. It’s original and has a great twist to it that I really enjoyed.

Imaginative and well thought out, the world building in Dark Seeker is deeply satisfying, if a bit complicated at first. Entering a new world with new rules and new lore is often hard to grasp. I had difficulty differentiating between the Vampires and Daychildren at the start. Not what they were per say, but which was more evil, which wanted to rule over the other – those kinds of details always seemed to slip my mind. Fortunately, the politics of the world building are well spread out throughout the book so I was able to get a clear picture of it all fairly quickly. I was also happy to uncover that this first book in the series is most definitely NOT just a set up. It has a great plot, an exciting climactic ending and a glimpse of what is to come. All in all Dark Seeker is fantastic start to a very promising series that will adhere to fans of The Mortal Instruments series.

4 Hot Espressos
Want a peek at Dark Seeker?
Make sure to check out my Dark Seeker tour stop for an excerpt and a giveaway!

In My Mailbox (13)

Posted by on 12/11/2011 • 115 Comments

“In My Mailbox” is a meme, created by Kristi at The Story Siren, that features books I’ve  received/ purchased/ borrowed during the current week.  Are we all ready for Christmas? We’re putting our tree up tomorrow and most of my shopping is done – FYI, I don’t like shopping o_O. So you know how I said I wasn’t buying any books before Christmas, well, Clockwork Prince happened to be at Costco for half price so… yeah I couldn’t very well leave it there now could I? =) Let’s see what else I got this week. I got for review (click on cover or links for Goodreads): 1. Blood Rights by Kristen Painter 2. Flesh & Blood by Kristen Painter 3. Bad Blood by Kristen Painter 4. The Future of Us…

Interview & Giveaway T.P. Boje

Posted by on 12/10/2011 • 13 Comments

TP, author of the Afterlife series, is dropping by Xpresso Reads today for an interview. She has also generously offered up a few copies of Beyond, the first in the series, to some of my lucky readers.

THE BOOKS:

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BeyondTP BojeReleased September 9th, 2011

Add it to your Goodreads to-read shelf

Beyond

Have you ever wondered where you go when you die?

Meghan is 16 when it happens to her. She wakes up on a flying steamboat on her way to a school run by Angels in a white marble castle. She meets Mick who helps her through a difficult time in a different world filled with heavenly magic. One day she finds a mirror in the cellar of the school and goes through it. She…

Fresh Batch (Dec 11th – 17th)

Posted by on 12/10/2011 • 19 Comments

Exclusively titled for Xpresso Reads, Fresh Batch features the hottest releases of this upcoming week. Flavour of the week: =”1″>

Hunted

Cheryl Rainfield Goodreads / Purchase 

Caitlyn, a telepath, lives in a world where all paranormal talents are illegal. She is on the run from government ParaTroopers. When Caitlyn falls for Alex, a Normal, and discovers dangerous renegade Paranormals, she must choose between staying in hiding to protect herself or taking a stand to save the world.

Hunted book trailer:

=”1″> Cheryl’s Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook  

I love to read. Books nurture me, helped me survive the abuse I endured as a child and teen. I also love to write. I write fantasy books and edgy, realistic fiction for teens. My fantasy books often…

Review: Unleashed by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié

Posted by on 12/09/2011 • 22 Comments

UnleashedNancy Holder & Debbie ViguiéReleased November 22nd, 2011by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Goodreads / Purchase

Katelyn McBride’s life changed in an instant when her mother died. Uprooted from her California home, Katelyn was shipped to the middle of nowhere, Arkansas, to her only living relative, her grandfather. And now she has to start over in Wolf Springs, a tiny village in the Ozark Mountains. Like any small town, Wolf Springs has secrets. But the secrets hidden here are more sinister than Katelyn could ever imagine. It’s a town with a history that reaches back centuries, spans continents, and conceals terrifying truths. And Katelyn McBride is about to change everything.

Broken families, ageless grudges, forced alliances, and love that blooms in the darkest night—welcome to Wolf Springs.

*A copy…

Dark Seeker Tour Stop

Posted by on 12/08/2011 • 27 Comments

Today, I am happy to have the Dark Seeker blog tour, hosted by The Magic Attic, drop by Xpresso Reads to give you a teasing excerpt as well as a chance to win a copy!

What is Dark Seeker? Take a look:

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Dark SeekerTaryn Browning

Goodreads / Purchase

For 17-year-old Seeker, Janie Grey, ridding the Baltimore streets of the undead is an inherited duty passed down from her Cherokee ancestors. Seeker Training Lesson #1: Never trust the undead. After her father’s tragic death, Janie creates her own life lesson: Love isn’t worth the risk. Both lessons are easy to follow until she encounters the flawed Kai Sterdam. At first, she believes he is the hybrid she is trained to hunt. But, when he has human traits, she…

Waiting on Wednesday (13)

Posted by on 12/07/2011 • 101 Comments

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  My pick this week:

                                    The Unquiet                                     Jeannine Garsee

                                    Release date: July 17th, 2012

Sixteen-year-old Rinn Jacobs has secrets: One, she’s bipolar. Two, she killed her grandmother.

After a suicide attempt, and now her parents’ separation, Rinn and her mom move from California to the rural Ohio town where her mother grew up. Back on her medications (again!) and hoping to stay well, Rinn settles into her new home and school. She refuses to be daunted by the fact that the previous owner hanged herself in Rinn’s bedroom, or that her classmates believe the school pool is haunted by Annaliese, a girl who drowned there….

Review: Hushed by Kelley York

Posted by on 12/06/2011 • 29 Comments

HushedKelley YorkRelease date: December 6th, 2011by Entangled Publishing

Goodreads / Purchase

He’s saved her. He’s loved her. He’s killed for her.

Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn’t protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he’s never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn’t matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another—Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.

Then along comes Evan, the only person who’s ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.

But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer’s committed and his relationship with Evan,…