Soundless by Richelle Mead

Hardcover, 267 pages

Published November 10th 2015 by Razorbill

Ya Fantasy

Own

Well, this was boring. So very very boring. I ended up skimming.

The premise was so interesting. Chinese Lore inspired. People on a mountain and all are deaf.

What I got was the only Chinese thing was the names.

Fei was dull, her lover was dull.

The lead up was long

The climb took a page. I mean come on, no one else tried this?

The resolution was put together really quickly and was just stupid. Oh please. All these people should be dead.

It felt like a series put together into one book. Also one very boring book.

Though considering I have not liked anything else by the author then srsly, what was I expecting? ;)

For as long as Fei can remember, no one in her village has been able to hear. Rocky terrain and frequent avalanches make it impossible to leave the village, so Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom.

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink. Many go hungry. Fei and all the people she loves are plunged into crisis, with nothing to look forward to but darkness and starvation.

One girl hears a call to action…

Until one night, Fei is awoken by a searing noise. Sound becomes her weapon.

She sets out to uncover what’s happened to her and to fight the dangers threatening her village. A handsome miner with a revolutionary spirit accompanies Fei on her quest, bringing with him new risks and the possibility of romance. They embark on a majestic journey from the peak of their jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiguo, where a startling truth will change their lives forever…

Succubus on Top - Richelle Mead

Love hurts, and no one knows it better than Georgina Kincaid. If she so much as kisses Seth

Mortensen, the shy, sexy writer she's been dating, she'll drain his life force. Admittedly, the shapeshifting and immortality perks of a succubus are terrific, but it's completely unfair that a she-demon whose purpose is seduction can't get down with the one mortal who accepts her for who she is. . .

It's not just her personal life that's in chaos. Doug, Georgina's co-worker at a local bookstore, has been exhibiting bizarre behavior, and Georgina suspects something far more demonic than double espressos. She could use an assist from Bastien, an irresistibly charming incubus and her best immortal friend, but he's giving Georgina some highly distracting come-hither vibes. Georgina is going to have to work solo on this one-and fast, because soon, Doug's life won't be the only one on the line. . .

My thoughts:

I am confused, did the way she works change? I felt the whole demon thing fell apart.

The book was also totally boring, nothing happened! I mean omg, so boring! She did absolutely nothing. Sucked off some guy in a bar, talked to coworkers, spent time with her boyfriend.

And do not even get me started on her relationship with Seth. He must be a saint. I get that this is her work, but uh no you didn't.

I was very disappointed by this instalment. Dull, lifeless, I did not even like her. I will not read more. Calling it quits now. Total second book syndrome. Sometimes I still read book 3 after one of these, but now, nah.

Mass Market Paperback, 333 pages
Published August 1st 2011 by Zebra (first published January 1st 2008)
Georgina Kincaid #2
Paranormal romance
Own

Succubus Blues - Richelle Mead

When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants, the wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical? 

But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid's life is far less exotic. At least there's her day job at a local bookstore--free books; all the white chocolate mochas she can drink; and easy access to bestselling, sexy writer, Seth Mortensen, aka He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can't. 

But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle's demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won't help because Georgina's about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny. . . 

My thoughts:

Funny UF, yes, just what I needed!

Georgina was so not kick-ass. She had luck, she had sex appeal and she could not help letting those dirty innuendos out.

She works in a bookstore (yay) and she loves books (yay). She does have sex for souls and has done so for millenia (job sucks). She has a cat! SO I liked her.

But someone is hunting immortals in Seattle *scary music*

She does care and wants to investigate, but she is also dealing with her favorite author coming to town. Oh what a fangirl she is. And there is a hunky guy on the horizon too. Maybe she can finally let loose a bit.

Conclusion:
I liked this, I read it fast, it was amusing, and I will read more

Cover
SO UF

Mass Market Paperback, 375 pages
Published August 1st 2010 by Zebra (first published February 27th 2007)
Georgina Kincaid #1
UF
OWN

Iron Crowned and Shadow Heir - Richelle Mead

Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham is the best at banishing entities trespassing in the mortal realm. But as the Thorn Land's queen, she's fast running out of ways to end the brutal war devastating her kingdom. Her only hope: the Iron Crown, a legendary object even the most powerful gentry fear...

Who Eugenie can trust is the hardest part. Fairy king Dorian has his own agenda for aiding her search. And Kiyo, her shape-shifter ex-boyfriend, has every reason to betray her along the way. To control the Crown's ever-consuming powers, Eugenie will have to confront an unimaginable temptation - one that will put her soul and the fate of two worlds in mortal peril... 

My thoughts:

These do keep getting better and better, even if I did not like the events in book 2. Why does that always happen?

Also she does change between her lovers...a lot! I am Team Dorian, I know he will loose, but the Fox can not be trusted. Not that Dorian can be trusted either, but he is hot.

And Genie is a mess, sure she can be kick-ass, but she also gets her ass kicked...a LOT.

BUT, I like her, I like the love triangle, even if I am Team Dorian, and even if he only is using her so that their kid could take over the world one day.

And when she is in Faerie she can kick ass, and I like that her dark side wants to take over. I like how fast I could finish the book.

Conclusion:

'All in all, great book. I hope the series ends with a great one too

Cover

Cliché

Mass Market Paperback, US, 375 pages
Published March 1st 2011 by Zebra
Dark Swan #3
UF
OWN

Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham strives to keep the mortal realm safe from trespassing entities. But as the Thorn Land's prophecy-haunted queen, there's no refuge for her and her soon-to-be-born-children when a mysterious blight begins to devastate the Otherworld. . .

The spell-driven source of the blight isn't the only challenge to Eugenie's instincts. Fairy king Dorian is sacrificing everything to help, but Eugenie can't trust the synergy drawing them back together. The uneasy truce between her and her shape shifter ex-lover Kiyo is endangered by secrets he can't—or won't—reveal. And as a formidable force rises to also threaten the human world, Eugenie must use her own cursed fate as a weapon—and risk the ultimate sacrifice. . . 

My thoughts:

Hmmm, what to write. It was still passable for good, but was it a good ending to the series? Not really.

It did not feel like closure, we never got a real ending set in stone. It was more oh time will tell. F time! I want to know for sure what happens. I guess she goes with X but knowing her she might be doing the nasty with X down the road again. She does seem to slip in and out of love easily. Still...Team Dorian!!! :D But he sure mellowed 

The big finale was like over and out! Way too easy.

Most of the book was about something else, there is this blight and the land suffers, so the book is about them going there and trying to fix it and I was all...use the x darn it.

The babies, no real conclusion there either.

Sure, some endings are more open, but it feels like there was meant to be more books and it did not happen.

Oh then there is this one thing XY says. And then something else happens. And I am all why even write that? It was perfect before. Sigh

Cover

Good

Mass Market Paperback, 390 pages
Published December 27th 2011 by Zebra
Dark Swan #4
UF
Own

Urban fantasy Tuesday: Thorn Queen and Dark Alchemy

Eugenie Markham is a shaman for hire, paid to bind and banish creatures from the Otherworld. But after her last battle, she's also become queen of the Thorn Land. It's hardly an envious life, not with her kingdom in tatters, her love life in chaos, and Eugenie eager to avoid the prophecy about her firstborn destroying mankind. And now young girls are disappearing from the Otherworld, and no one--except Eugenie--seems willing to find out why.

Eugenie has spilled plenty of fey blood in her time, but this enemy is shrewd, subtle, and nursing a very personal grudge. And the men in her life aren't making things any easier. Her boyfriend Kiyo is preoccupied with his pregnant ex, and sexy fey king Dorian always poses a dangerous distraction. With or without their help, Eugenie must venture deep into the Otherworld and trust in an unpredictable power she can barely control. Reluctant queen or not, Eugenie has sworn to do her duty--even if it means facing the darkest--and deadliest--side of her nature. . .

My thoughts:

I do think I liked this one better than book 1, with book 1 I liked it, but it never packed a punch. This one was better, but of course those things that I did not really care for where still here, but here they did not bother me for some reason.

Let's start with the love triangle. Now I do not really see it as a love triangle anymore. Sure she is dating Kiyo. All is well. But every time she meets Dorian she goes all dang! And who can blame her, Dorian sounds like sex on a stick, wile Kiyo is so boring. Not to mention about to become a father to a fairy queen's kid. Eh. Maybe they both are wrong for you. She will surely end up with Kiyo in the end, but at the moment he bores me, he turned into the nice guy. While King Dorian is mmmm, and that dark side of his, mmmmmmm.

The smexy scenes I skim, who cares, get to the real action!

She is queen . So lots of things to deal with there.

There is one part that I wish that had not been there...why? Really why?!

Conclusion:

All in all it was good. I wish she would just kill her sister, and I will totally read more.

Cover

ok

Mass Market Paperback, 374 pages
Published August 1st 2009 by Zebra (first published July 13th 2008)
Dark Swan, #2
Urban fantasy
Own

Geologist Petra Dee arrives in Wyoming looking for clues to her father's disappearance years before. What she finds instead is Temperance, a dying Western town with a gold rush past and a meth-infested present. But under the town's dust and quiet, an old power is shifting. When bodies start turning up - desiccated and twisted skeletons that Petra can't scientifically explain - her investigations land her in the middle of a covert war between the town's most powerful interests. Petra's father wasn't the only one searching for the alchemical secrets of Temperance, and those still looking are now ready to kill. Armed with nothing but shaky alliances, a pair of antique guns, and a relic she doesn't understand, the only thing Petra knows for sure is that she and her coyote sidekick are going to have to move fast, or die next. 

My thoughts

I can't decide whether this was a 2 or 3. Yesterday it felt like a 3 for the reason that if the library got book 2 I'd read it. Today I am more like, if the library got book I would just say meh. I'd say 2,5 then, but give it a 2. Because I do not really want to read more. I could just leave it like this and be fine with it.

Petra come to Temperance to find her dad. She meets a coyote. I never got if the coyote is magical or not. She makes friends. She does not do much for her work, the reason why she officially is there. She meets a hunky weird guy. She finds a few corpses.

There is a bad Rancher, a real asshole. There is a bad alchemist, I never really got him,

There are strange...stuff.

Conclusion:

So all in all...meh? Yeah meh. I still read it and all, I was never omg, boring! But still, meh.

c over

meh

Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
Published April 28th 2015 by Harper Voyager Impulse
Dark Alchemy #1
Urban fantasy
Own

Storm Born - Richelle Mead

Just typical. No love life to speak of for months, then all at once, every horny creature in the Otherworld wants to get in your pants. . .

Eugenie Markham is a powerful shaman who does a brisk trade banishing spirits and fey who cross into the mortal world. Mercenary, yes, but a girl's got to eat. Her most recent case, however, is enough to ruin her appetite. Hired to find a teenager who has been taken to the Otherworld, Eugenie comes face to face with a startling prophecy—one that uncovers dark secrets about her past and claims that Eugenie's first-born will threaten the future of the world as she knows it.

Now Eugenie is a hot target for every ambitious demon and Otherworldy ne'er-do-well, and the ones who don't want to knock her up want her dead. Eugenie handles a Glock as smoothly as she wields a wand, but she needs some formidable allies for a job like this. She finds them in Dorian, a seductive fairy king with a taste for bondage, and Kiyo, a gorgeous shape-shifter who redefines animal attraction. But with enemies growing bolder and time running out, Eugenie realizes that the greatest danger is yet to come, and it lies in the dark powers that are stirring to life within her...

My thoughts:

I have been trying to find a new UF series to read and this was a gift. Better get started then.

Eug, ugh, I forgot how to spell her name, Odile as she likes to call herself is a shaman. She is pretty kick-ass and sends and kills fairies off to fairieland. A lot of Others are suddenly after her cos of a prophecy. Ohh, I do like my prophecies, and hers was a dark one.

What I did not really like was this wannabee love triangle. She hooks up with a cutie with secrets. Kyo was nice, but yeah, secrets. And it's not really a love triangle at first. She also meets Dorian, a fairie king who wants to get into her pants. But then he really really wants to get into her pants cos of..spoilers. So it's not like he is all LOVE. But I can not say what the future will bring. Will the love triangle deepen, or will it fade away? *wishes for fade away* I can deal with a love triangle as long as she does not love both.

The book takes place in the real work and in the Fairie lands. And I did like the latter part. They are so lusty, angry and love their games.

Conclusion:

A promising start, as long as she does not keep on collecting men ;) I will def give book 2 a go. 

Cover

ok

Mass Market Paperback, 361 pages
Published August 1st 2008 by Zebra
Dark Swan #1
Urban fantasy
Own

Review: Shadow Kiss - Richelle Mead

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy, 3

Genre: Paranormal romance/YA
Pages: 443
Published: 2008

It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since Mason's death, Rose hasn't been feeling quite right. She has dark flashbacks in the middle of practice, can't concentrate in class, and has terrifying dreams about Lissa. But Rose has an even bigger secret .... She's in love with Dimitri. And this time, it-s way more than a crush. Then Strigoi target the academy in the deadliest attack in Moroi history, and Dimitri is taken. Rose must protect Lissa at all costs, but keeping her best friend safe could mean losing Dimitri forever...

You might remember that I was not that excited over the first 2 books. This one was better, but...I'll just begin.

The first drama was so unnecessary and stupid. if Rose had just said what was up nothing would have happen. And the reason for not saying anything, drama over nothing. I started grinding my teeth and thinking I would be annoyed for the rest of the book. But it got better and in the end I felt this was an ok book.

Rose will get to practice some when they get 6 weeks of intense guarding duty. They can't be attacked by "Strigoi" at any moment and must protect their Moroi. Everything would be fine if Rose wasn't feeling so strange and is not doing so well. Could that mean she will not be able to graduate? She can't mess this up. Then there is those feelings for Dimitri and she wants him more than ever.

Yes she is an immature idiot, but I must say she (after that first idiotic first 100 pages where I wanted to slap her for being so daft) has improved. Yes I do not feel she is such an idiot, or slutty anymore. And the whole mean girls vampire vibe is gone too.

Left it this romance that I just do not see. Yes I see that she wants to jump his bones but I can't feel that he wants anything really. Nope no chemistry. Also she is like 13, well in the way she acts, and he is so much more immature than his age so that puts him at..35, you get my point. It would be fine if she acted her age and he acted his age. But they do not and I get this icky feeling when he wants her. I get why she want him since he is hot.

Other than those things I like Lissa and Christian and now I feel that Rose shoudl just be with Adrian, he seems to be closer to her mental age. Seeing Mia again and how nice she is, not a fan of mean girl gone good.

But it was ok, some danger and some romance. And it ended with such a cliffhanger, what an evil woman. I can't wait for the next book that comes out here in August (cos not loving them enough to buy.)

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: Liking this one more than that other one. On a side note the Swedish covers suck!Let me show you.

They are all the same photo, only the color changes! That is just silly.

Reason for Reading: Library Book

Final thoughts: It was ok, improvement from the other two.

Review: Frostbite- Richelle Mead

 Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy, book 2

Genre: YA paranormal
Pages: 336
Published: 2008

Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose...

It's winter break at St. Vladimir's, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy's crawling with Guardians--including Rose's hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if handto- hand combat with her mom wasn't bad enough, Rose's tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason's got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks.This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price.

So I found book 2, and dived into it without any high hopes, and yes it was ok this one too. I am not into the whole YA paranormal romance stuff.

Rose is worse than ever, honestly are we supposed to like her cos she is such a "rebel"? Because I just thinks she is rude, and horrible. The things she says, she deserves to get slapped. And why does she want to be know as the school slut when she is a virgin, I wish she could get some self respect. And in this one she is very immature too. I can't handle all the angst and teen drama.

But I know people will love the premise of the book. Some fighting with the evil Strigoi, pining over hot Dimitri, sweet love between Christian and Lissa. Mason following Rose around like a lost puppy. The mean girls taking a break, and Rose's mum arriving!

So yes a lot of drama and love angst promised in this book.

But for me I just can't get over ok, it sucks really, I wish I could but for some reason it is the same time with grown up paranormal romance.  It all tends to be ok, fun to read yes, but perhaps not for me to go crazy over and get it to my keeper shelf. of course now when i say that I will surely find something this year and rave about it for months ;)

To sum up the book, Moroi dying, Rose pining, away to a retreat, royals fight, Rose meets strange hunky guy, still pining over Dimitri, and looking at Mason. Pining some more when pretty Tasha shows up. Some Strigoi fighting.

Though, since the library got them, well I will keep on reading, hopefully she will start to grow up some cos I do not understand what Dimitri sees in her when she is like she is.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: Ok it is supposed to look like she is getting bitten or something, but I just thinks it looks like she has neck pains.

Reason for reading: Library book

Final thoughts: Some of you will love it

Review: Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead + guestblogging

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Book 1

Genre: YA paranormal
Pages: 336
Published: 2007

St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school, t's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's, he very place where they're most in danger.

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi, he world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires, make Lissa one of them forever.

This is about teen vampires, and their guardians. Those are so called dhampirs, half human half vampire. There are also the strigoi, those vamps and alike that have gone over to the dark side. I read that she had borrowed these things from Romanian vampire and I liked the different mixes. That the vampires had noble families and how the dhampirs was treated sometimes. The history and those things were ok.

But it does feel so very YA, teen angst, cliques, drinking, sex. Drama and more drama. Those parts just made me realise why I stopped reading YA in the first place.

Rose, well she is just so so, angry, slutty, made me wonder about her self respect at times. I actually liked Lissa more, too bad we didn't see much of her. She had just more of everything.  And I liked the what if she slips to the dark side angle. But yes they worked together, but I still did not like Rose.

As for other characters, I did like Christian. His anti-social status, no on liking him and darkness. He was a good character. Dimitri, well he was hunky, but can't he look at girls his own age.

Oh and then there was drama girl, oh sighs, the drama, too much to bare. They spent the entire book at the Academy so yes a lot of teens, and drama, and mean girls.

It's not that I did not like it, no it was ok, but too much drama more me. Mean girls with vampires .

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner:The girl looks to bitchy, I do not like this cove at all. Oh and she looks like Angelina Jolie, scary.

Reason for reading: My own copy

Final thoughts: If you like vampires, with a bit of romance and drama then yes. It was ok.

I am guestblogging today over at Booklust. Aarti has this fun feature called Rosie's Riverters. 
Go have a look :)