Review: Cold Fire - Kate Elliott

Series: Spiritwalker #2
Genre: Steampunk /Alternate history/romance
Pages: 640
Published: Sep 2011
Publisher: orbit
Source: Bought

Only one thing is certain: when Hallows' Night comes, the Wild Hunt will ride - and it feeds on mortal blood. 

Cat and her cousin Bee are caught in a maze of intrigue, treachery, and magic. Everyone seems to want something from them: the Cold Mages are trying to take them prisoner, and the warlord who wants to conquer all of Europa seems sure they have a special destiny to aid him whether they want to or not. Worse, hidden powers deep in the spirit world are rising, and they are the most dangerous of all. Cat must seek allies and figure out who she can trust in order to save the ones she loves. For if she doesn't, everything will be lost.

My thoughts:

It was not as good as book 1 and it took a while for me to get into the book. I really can't put my finger on it. maybe it was how sudden we were thrown into book 2 from book 1. It felt like I turned a page and then it continued, which can be a good thing but not since it was months since i read it. Perhaps it was the flow of direction, sometimes it seemed to flow to fast, in too many currents and I could not catch the right stream. Which led me to feel confused and unfocused. Whatever it was it went away, but it did come again here and there. 

Don't get me wrong, yes it took me a while, but then I started to enjoy the book. But I do feel that it lost something that made book 1 so great. But still good enough for me to want book 3.

The story takes a turn and instead of Europe it takes place in the Caribbean. Where kingdoms rule and these people are not afraid of progress, so here it is more steampunk (not that we see much), but Europe is just ice and magic. Here we have zombies, Cat being lost, we finally learn who her dad is, we meet the general again who wants to conquer Europe, can Cat escape her marriage, does she want to? And Bea learn about the path of dragons. I can't say much, since everything is more or less a spoiler. But yes I was happy about the turn of events, some things made me wonder, and some made me want to kick a certain person.

It was a good book, it held my attention (after the first part), and the world is just fantastic. A true creation in its fullest. 

And I must mention that I love Rory! I sure do.

Conclusion:

I would recommend it, because it is for everyone. Whether you like steampunk, fantasy or paranormal, and there is romance to be had too.

Cover Thoughts: pretty


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My flash fiction for this week

Author Guestblog and Giveaway: Mary Lydon Simonsen - Mr Darcy's Bite

More Austen goodness coming up now, I have Mary Lydon Simonsen over for a guestpost and you can win her new book Mr Darcy's Bite.

Hi Linda. Thank you for having me at Book Girl. You asked that I write about superstition in Regency England and how I came to write a paranormal variation.

If someone had asked me if I would ever write a werewolf story, I would have shook my head and laughed. Even though my daughter reads every werewolf and vampire novel out there, I simply had no interest in either subject. However, two years ago, a story appeared on A Happy Assembly, a Jane Austen fan fiction site, where Mr. Darcy was a werewolf. I was really pulled in by the sinister atmosphere the author had created. With Halloween approaching, I decided to write a short story, “Mr. Darcy on the Eve of All Saints’ Day.” The story got so many hits and comments that I expanded it until it was the length of a novel, and much to my surprise, I had a good time doing it.

You asked about superstition in Regency England. Did people of that era believe in werewolves? Possibly. But they weren’t a real threat as wolves had been eradicated from England by the time of Alfred the Great (circa 900 A.D.). By early 19th century, old-growth forests had disappeared from the British Isles because of the need for fuel and housing as well as for the ships of the ever-expanding British Navy. (They needed those tall trees for their masts.) As a result, there was no place for a pack of wolves to hide from a population bent on their destruction. Although these creatures of the night would not have been seen looping about the English countryside, in the great forests of the Continent, there was still a belief that a man/beast existed, and such tales were told throughout Europe.

Even though there were no wolves or werewolves in England, that didn’t mean that an author with a good imagination couldn’t reintroduce them into the wild. In Mr. Darcy’s Bite, I do just that. As with wolves, who are hunt in packs, werewolves congregate near each other for protection. For the same reason, they usually marry another werewolf, and Darcy was preparing to do just that when he met Elizabeth Bennet. However, after the Meryton assembly, all thoughts of marrying another went out the window. But can Lizzy love a man who was also part beast? After his first transformation, Darcy wonders what Elizabeth will think about his dual nature and what information she would need to know before making her decision.

The question Darcy feared most was that Elizabeth would want a detailed description of his transformation. She would be repulsed by a vision of a man dropping to his knees as his arms became legs, followed quickly by the thickening of his neck, an emerging muzzle, and the change in his teeth that were designed to tear an animal apart. The metamorphosis was completed when his hair became fur. She would want to know all of that, and his stomach churned at the idea of speaking of such things to the woman he loved.

I hope you will want to read Mr. Darcy’s Bite to find out Elizabeth’s answer to Darcy’s second proposal. (You can probably guess.) Please keep in mind that this is primarily a love story.

So tell me, what would you do if you knew Mr. Darcy was a werewolf and he proposed marriage to you? I’d love to know. Thanks for stopping by.

Giveaway:

1 copy of Mr Darcy's Bite

1. Open to US and Canada

2. Ends October 27

3. Go ahead and enter :) As easy as that.

But be free to answer Mary's question if you want to :D

OUT NOW - Mr Darcy's Bite

In this fresh, original paranormal Jane Austen sequel by bestselling author Mary Lydon Simonson explores Mr. Darcy as the leader of a secret world of werewolves threatened with extinction.

Elizabeth comes to realize that she loves him in both his incarnations, and all his servants protect his secret. But then Elizabeth must confront a shocking danger to her beloved with every full moon, when Darcy is alone and exposed to those who hate wolves...

Mary's webpage 

Review: The Darkest Night - Gena Showalter +guestblogging

Series: Lords of the Underworld #1
Genre: Paranormal romance
Pages: 374
Published: 2008
Publisher: HQN
Source: Bought

All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member -- a man trapped in a hell of his own.

Neither can resist the instant hunger than calms their torments . . . and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction -- and a soul-shattering test of love . 

My thoughts:

Poor little, D at Paperback DayDreamer forced me to read this book, aye she said she would kick my ass if I did not do it before the end of October. And I being a scared little rabbit did as she told me.

Ok in reality it was more that she read the series and every time I commented how I meant to start it..again and again. Then finally she asked me and I confessed to needing that kick in the butt to get started ;)

And I am happy to finally have started this series because Maddox was a hottie. He is the kind of man that in reality I would knee him in the groin and tell him that he is not the boss of me. But in the books, all the mine mine mine, just makes me melt. He is truly alpha, a bit of a cave man, tormented by the demon inside him, and come on what more can a girl ask for?!

The heroine, oh whatever, who cares about the heroine when I have a alpha caveman, demoninfested hottie to read about ;) A guy who dies every night and is tormented in hell. But yeah yeah, good heroine, they sparked.

The concept of the series was good too. Pandora's box was open and now they house the demons inside and it is pure hell. They are also people after them and have been for a long time. But of course all these men will find their sweethearts and live happily ever after.

I should say something about what happened, Maddox meets Ashlyn, it does not take long for him to want her, trouble with his brothers, trouble with bad guys, the Gods are up to no good, and Ashlyn and Maddox has some hot passion before them. There you go, and I must say that the last 100 pages were thrilling.

Conclusion:

I hope the rest are as alpha, cos you know I love that. I would read more.

Rating:

Good

Cover:

ok

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And I am over at Cookies, books and bikes today and talking about the best romance books I have read since I started blogging 

Come say hi :D

Guest post and giveaway: Abigail Reynolds - Mr-Darcy's Undoing

Today I have Abigail Reynolds over for a guest post and she talks about Mr Darcy ;) There is also a giveaway at the end.

Why women love Mr. Darcy 

There’s no lack of reasons to love Mr. Darcy.  He’s handsome, wealthy, generous, honest to a fault, and he owns a beautiful estate.  What’s not to like?  But that doesn’t explain why generations of women have considered Mr. Darcy the perfect romantic hero.  There are other handsome, wealthy , honest and generous men in the world.  Why does this one man in particular hold such a fascination for women? To my mind it comes down to two things: his devotion to Elizabeth and his taste in choosing her.

Mr. Darcy is devoted to Elizabeth Bennet.  Once he falls in love with her, nothing can change  his affections – not her angry refusal of his proposal, not her family’s low connections, not his family’s disapprobation.  He loves her and he’ll always love her, no matter what.  That is the essence of Mr. Darcy.

Mr. Darcy’s  loyalty and devotion aren’t limited to Elizabeth Bennet, which tells us that it is part of his character.  He’s devoted to his sister, his family, his friend Mr. Bingley’s happiness, his tenants’ well-being and his estate.  Jane Austen tells us that he gives offense wherever he goes, and there’s some evidence of that in his close friendship with Mr. Bingley whose good natured acceptance is well-known.  It’s an odd friendship from Darcy’s point of view, since Bingley wouldn’t be considered a particularly appropriate  candidate for a social connection.  Darcy is well above him in social station.  That always makes me wonder how many of Darcy’s social equals don’t care to spend time with him because of his tendency to give offense.  But what few friends Darcy makes, he keeps close to his heart, and we know the same will be true for his love for Elizabeth.  

Mr. Darcy doesn’t hold anything  back.  Disguise of every sort is his abhorrence.  Now, that can be a problem, since  his life would probably be easier if he’d learn to tell a few white lies, but in terms of his love for Elizabeth, it makes him more admirable.  We don’t worry about Darcy wondering if he could have done better for himself, or whether he has a hidden cruel streak or some grave character flaw.  If he did, he wouldn’t be able to hide it because he’s such a terrible liar.  We can trust his devotion for the same reason.  

Darcy’s choice of Elizabeth Bennet tells us a great deal about him.  In the normal course of affairs, we would expect a man of his stature to choose a fashionably languid lady with no opinions of her own.  Not Mr. Darcy, though – he chooses an unfashionably pert and energetic country girl.  Most importantly, he doesn’t fall in love with her for her beauty or her wit.   Austen tells us, “Mr. Darcy had at first scarcely allowed her to be pretty; he had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticise. But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she had hardly a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes.” [italics are mine].  Note that it isn’t actually her fine eyes or the beautiful expression in them, but that they render her face uncommonly intelligent.  What a dream man!  In a world where women are constantly pressured to measure up to unattainable beauty and told in many subtle ways that their appearance is the most important measure of their worth to men, here we find the exception to the rule.  Mr. Darcy loves Elizabeth because she’s smart!  It’s the fantasy of every girl who feels she doesn’t measure up in one way or another to cultural expectations – that there’s a man out there who will value her primarily for her mind.  

Mr. Darcy is a true dream man.  He loves Elizabeth for her intelligence rather than her beauty, he is truly devoted to her, and she can trust him to be honest and loyal.  It certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s rich and handsome,  but it’s in the nature of his love for Elizabeth that Mr. Darcy proves himself a most extraordinary man.  

Thank you Abigail :=)

GIVEAWAY

1 copy of Mr. Darcy's Undoing

1. Open to US and Canada

2. Ends October 27

3. Just enter :)

Or tell me why you think Mr. Darcy is so loved

OUT NOW  Mr. Darcy's Undoing

A passionate new Pride and Prejudice variation explores the unthinkable-Elizabeth accepts the proposal of a childhood friend before she meets Darcy again. When their paths cross, the devastated Mr. Darcy must decide how far he'll go to win the woman he loves. How can a man who prides himself on his honor ask the woman he loves to do something scandalous? And how can Elizabeth accept a loveless marriage when Mr. Darcy holds the key to her heart? As they confront family opposition and the ill-will of scandal-mongers, will Elizabeth prove to be Mr. Darcy's undoing?