A Review Long In Coming!

I read Eyes Of Crow by Jeri Smith-Ready a long while ago. I actually read it before it was officially released because I had won an arc of the book from the author. I totally loved it but I had never written a review for it. I just re-read the book to prepare for it's sequel, Voice Of Crow and it's even better than I remembered it to be. So I am now correcting my oversight.

In the world Rhia inhabits, all people are bestowed with a gift from their totem animal. Powers of insight, strength, cunning and artistry just to name a few. But the rare few are given a most powerful and terrifying gift. Those who bear the crow as their totem animal can foresee the approach of death. Rhia is one of the chosen few. But her terrible gift asks for an even greater price than just knowing when someone will die. Her gift demands she die again and again only to be reborn.

I truly loved this book. I felt so much for poor Rhia. Knowing that someone is going to die is a hard enough burden, but add to it when you know someone you love is going to die and her burden becomes even more so. It's not a gift I'd want. Yet, in spite of really being a harbinger of death, Rhia is full of life and love as well. This book was totally amazing and is one I will re-read many times. If you haven't read it, you should. It's fantastic. Jeri Smith-Ready paints a beautifully real world and characters you truly care about. Eyes Of Crow totally rocked. I am eagerly waiting for Voice Of Crow. I'll blog about that one much quicker I promise.

The Fall Conspiracy

Do you know what I hate most about the fall? All the good books, games, and dvd's come out at the same time. Far too many come out for me to afford at once. I swear it's a conspiracy. All throughout the summer, mostly stuff nobody wants to watch, read or play comes out. Then comes October and BAM! 100 really great things come out within the space of a week of each other. I can't afford to get everything coming out that I want.:-( Boo hoo. Which means lots of things in fall go into my TBB pile. I might actually get everything by next fall when it will be time to start all over again. It's so unfair! And I swear it's all a diabolical plot by publishing and marketing companies to drive us all insane.

Oh how I wish I were rich. Sadly however, I'm not. So I have to watch all these great things come out and dream about them while I try desperately to juggle the budget numbers so I can get all these great things. I knew I should have joined the circus.:-)

Summer Reading Round Up!

Well, the summer is coming to an end. All the kiddies are back in school and it's time for the summer reading round-up! I only have a couple of books in my reading round-up this time. As most of you know, I was dealing with some serious issues this summer and I just haven't been reading much. Now that that's all past, I should be able to get reading again. But the few books I have in my round-up were all fantastic and I think you'd enjoy them. So here goes my short list for my summer reading.

Safe Harbor: This book by Christine Feehan is by and large my favorite book that I read this summer. As I said in an earlier post, this book got both my mom and I through what was really a very difficult time and I am totally in debt to Ms. Feehan for that. Plus, it's a totally awesome book. I loved this story and had been waiting for five years for it.

Dark Possession: I just finished this book also by Christine Feehan and I loved it. I'm a total Christine Feehan fanatic and her books NEVER disappoint. Check my last post if you'd like a description of the story.

What's A Ghoul To Do?: This is a brand new series by Victoria Laurie. I first got onto her works through her Psychic Eye mystery series. This new series is great and so funny. It's all about a ghost-hunting parapsychologist and is absolutely hilarious.

That's my reading round-up. Told you it wasn't much but for the little bit I have read this summer, it was great. I loved all these books and will read them all again. What's in your reading round-up?

She Did It Again!

I just finished reading Dark Possession by Christine Feehan and it was awesome. It's the latest installment in her Carpathian series. This was Manolito and Maryann's story. In truth, their story began in the special reunion book that came out at the end of last year, Dark Celebration. And Dark Possession follows just how these two learn to come together.

Manolito is very much an alpha male. His already dominant personality is just made even more so by being sent out with his brothers to South America alone and far from his people by his prince to hunt and protect the world from the vampire. Maryann is a city girl and successful business woman who has dedicated her life to counseling and helping to hide battered women. The one thing she doesn't want is an arrogant, domineering man. And these two worlds are about to collide.

But Maryann has her own painful secret, and that secret just may change the face of the Carpathian world forever, if it doesn't destroy her and Manolito first. Only truly accepting the bond of love she shares with Manolito might save them all.

I read this book in 7 hours and loved it. I couldn't put it down. Manolito and his four other brothers are used to being a law unto themselves. And their women are often far more dominated than most Carpathian women because of this. But Maryann is a truly unique woman with gifts every bit as powerful as any fully developed Carpathian male, and her work as a counselor for battered women has given her a will of steel. Manolito and his brothers are about to come face to face with a storm they can't control.

I give this book 5 stars. It rocks and you'll love it. Though, as I said, their story truly begins in Dark Celebration, this book can stand alone because all that happens in Dark Celebration is covered in this book. Dark Possession is out in stores now. If you like vampire stories, you gotta read Christine Feehan's Carpathian series.