Review: Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

Book one in The Horseman of the Apocalypse: The Rider's Quartet

About Hunger

“Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.”

Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home: her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power — and the courage to battle her own inner demons?

Source: Goodreads

Review

This is a chilling look into the life of a girl with an eating disorder.

We follow Lisa who is anorectic and we watch her struggle with life, her problems and how she has to learn the balance of knowing herself.

The way the eating disorder is described is very realistic and her "friend" Tammie who is bulimic and who helps Lisa to stay in her downward spiral did that you as a reader really felt with her and some places in the book I would have to stop and take a deep breath before I continued reading.

I like how the book managed to blend so serious a tropic with fantasy it really worked and the way she became Famine and learned how much the world needed her was great. She really got a new perspective on food and that insight she had to use in her own life in her battle, with her food issues.

In all the seriousness there was still time for humour in the book, that made the story a little lighter some places and I think that it made the book more balanced.

Hunger was really well written it had an original plot and it was a very interesting book.

I give Hunger 4 out of 5.

Next books in the series:
2# Rage (April 8th 2011)
3# Loss (2012)
4# Breath (2013)

Review: This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Book five in the Night Huntress series

About This Side of the Grave

Danger waits on both sides of the grave.


Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they've triumphed over the latest battle, Cat's new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance . . .
 
With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing. A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage. Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous "ally"—the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war . . .
to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.


Source: Goodreads

Review

I feel like I have waited forever for this book to be released and now I finally get to read it.
I love Cat and Bones and I can't get enough of them and I really looked forward to this next adventure.
I really need to give Jeaniene Frost some points she has managed to create a fantastic world and characters I don't think I ever can get tired of.

I like how Cat has matured and how she really think about the consequences to her actions instead of just jumping into the fire, but I still miss the old Cat who was reckless and thought jumping into the fire was the only way to save the people she cared about.

The book had a great plot; it takes on some of the problems which started in Destined for an Early Grave.
We have seen Marie in some of the previous books but she has a bigger role to play in this one and I think in the next one too, it's very intriguing how she manipulates people into doing what she wants and I'm very interested to see what her plan is.

It's a book full of a lot of action, romance and humour and I don't think I can put a finger on anything I didn't like in this book. As with all the other Night Huntress books this one was full of great quotable lines.
A fantastic read.

Now the wait for One Grave at a Time begins...

I give This Side of the Grave 5 out of 5.


Other books in this series:
1# Halfway to the Grave
2# One Foot in the Grave
3# At Grave's End
4# Destined for an Early Grave

6# One Grave at a Time (August 30th 2011)

Cover art (9)

I'm a big fan of Jeaniene Frost's books and I love the stories and characters.
The covers has always been great but I think this is my favourite cover of them all, I like the new model on the cover and that Cat finally has her hair down (it looks good;-)
Great Halloween theme with the colours and the cat.

(Night Huntress book  #6)

Expected publication: August 30th 2011

Do you like/dislike the cover?

"Waiting On" Wednesday (5) The Gathering and Bite Club

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


My picks this week are:

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
(Darkness Rising #1)
Expected publication: April 12th 2011

Strange things are happening in Maya's tiny Vancouver Island town. First, her friend Serena, the captain of the swim team, drowns mysteriously in the middle of a calm lake. Then, one year later, mountain lions are spotted rather frequently around Maya's home—and her reactions to them are somewhat . . . unexpected. Her best friend, Daniel, has also been experiencing unexplainable premonitions about certain people and situations.
 
It doesn't help that the new bad boy in town, Rafe, has a dangerous secret, and he's interested in one special part of Maya's anatomy—her paw-print birthmark.


Bite Club by Rachel Caine
(The Morganville Vampires #10)
Expected publication: May 3rd 2011

After discovering that vampires populate her town, college student Claire Danvers knows that the undead just want to live their lives. But someone else wants them to get ready to rumble.

There's a new extreme sport getting picked up on the Internet: bare- knuckle fights pitting captured vampires against each other-or humans. Tracking the remote signal leads Claire- accompanied by her friends and frenemies-to discover that what started as an online brawl will soon threaten everyone in Morganville...


What are you waiting for this week?
Leave your links and I will check them out.

In My Mailbox (6)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme created and hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren for bloggers to show all of the great books or book related things that you have gotten over the past week!  It can be books bought, gotten from the library, received for review ect.
Go HERE to read more about IMM.

Won
Spy Glass by Maria V. Snyder
Thank you Bitten by Books for your great site!

Borrowed
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
(I'm very excited to start this series!)

Brought
Embers by Laura Bickle
(Yah finally I can start this series, Sparks has been sitting on my shelf for far to long).

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

On My Wishlist (5)

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday.

It's a place where you can list all the books you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet.

They can be old, new or forthcoming.

Read more about it HERE.

My wishlist:

 

I have heard a lot of great things about these two series and I really want to read them so now they are here on my wishlist.

 

 

Pleasure Unbound

Larissa Ione

(Demonica #1)

Published June 20th 2008

 

 

 

 

In a place where ecstasy can cost you your life . . . She's a demon-slayer who hungers for sensual pleasure-but fears it will always be denied her. Until Tayla Mancuso lands in a hospital run by demons in disguise, and the head doctor, Eidolon, makes her body burn with unslakable desire. But to prove her ultimate loyalty to her peers, she must betray the surgeon who saved her life.
 
Two lovers will dare to risk all.
Eidolon cannot resist this fiery, dangerous woman who fills him with both rage and passion. Not only is she his avowed enemy, but she could very well be the hunter who has been preying upon his people. Torn between his need for the truth and his quest to find his perfect mate before a horrific transformation claims him forever, Eidolon will dare the unthinkable-and let Tayla possess him, body and soul...



Unholy Ghosts
Stacia Kane
(Downside Ghosts #1)
Published May 25th 2010

THE DEPARTED HAVE ARRIVED.

The world is not the way it was. The dead have risen, and the living are under attack. The powerful Church of Real Truth, in charge since the government fell, has sworn to reimburse citizens being harassed by the deceased. Enter Chess Putnam, a fully tattooed witch and freewheeling ghost hunter. She’s got a real talent for banishing the wicked dead. But Chess is keeping a dark secret: She owes a lot of money to a murderous drug lord named Bump, who wants immediate payback in the form of a dangerous job that involves black magic, human sacrifice, a nefarious demonic creature, and enough wicked energy to wipe out a city of souls. Toss in lust for a rival gang leader and a dangerous attraction to Bump’s ruthless enforcer, and Chess begins to wonder if the rush is really worth it. Hell, yeah

Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Book one in the The Infernal Devices series

About Clockwork Angel

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

Source: Goodreads

Review

Another great, mysterious and action packed steam punk story from Cassandra Clare a great first book in a new series.

This series takes place in the same world as the Mortal Instruments series, Clockwork Angel is a prequel and this story happens years before the events in city of Bones.

Tessa was annoying to me at first but her very interesting ability and her strength to fight for what she loves had me warming up to her and the plotline.
The two boys Will and Jem are characters I really like and I don't know who’s my favourite, they are very different and both of them very mysterious and I found myself wanting to know more about them and getting to know them better.

All the side characters worked very well for me I enjoyed how well all of them contributed to the story in different ways and I like how Cassandra Clare has a special talent for giving even the bad guys something that you find intriguing.

This isn't a really quick read, the book is slow at first with a lot of descriptions but that really makes it great visual you imagine yourself standing in the street of London, England, at the time of the reign of Queen Victoria.
It picks up speed about 2/3 into the book and my head was almost spinning with all the things that happened.
I'm very excited for the next book.

I give Clockwork Angel 4 out of 5.

Next in the series:
2# Clockwork Prince (Expected publication: December 6th 2011)
3# Clockwork Princess (Expected publication: November/December 2012)