#Audiobook Review: Eye of the Tempest by Nicole Peeler

Eye of the Tempest 

 by Nicole Peeler 

(Jane True #4) 

Khristine Hvam (Narrator)

Source: Purchased audio from Audible.com

 

Nothing says "home" like being attacked by humans with very large guns, as Jane and Anyan discover when they arrive in Rockabill. These are professionals, brought in to kill, and they bring Anyan down before either Jane or the barghest can react. Seeing Anyan fall awakens a terrible power within Jane, and she nearly destroys herself taking out their attackers. Jane wakes, weeks later, to discover that she's not the only thing that's been stirring. Something underneath Rockabill is coming to life: something ancient, something powerful, and something that just might destroy the world.Jane and her friends must act, striking out on a quest that only Jane can finish. For whatever lurks beneath the Old Sow must be stopped . . . and Jane's just the halfling for the job.

REVIEW

The Rant/Spoiler:
I’m starting this review with a small rant and spoiler and it can be summed up with ... cock blocking.

I mean how many times can Peeler stop Jane and Anyan from doing the deed? That part where his dick was knocking on her vagina and Blondie popped in. GRRRR! And then she goes and makes him a dog for 80% of the book. I guess that was better than having more people walking in on them. When they finally get around to it, it better be fucking amazing!

The Plot:

Eye of the Tempest was a little on the weird side. It felt like a bridge book; connecting the previous book and the next book. It's a turning point in Jane's life and I think it sets the tone for the rest of the series.

The weird part is the octopus-like creature that is hiding under Rockabill that has a powerful connection with Jane. Blondie is around a lot in this installment to help Jane with her inner and outer journey in becoming the champion. Actually most of the book is about Jane, Blondie and the creature. Definitely a different feel from the other books. But I felt like it was necessary in order to have a few questions answered even if it only made other questions pop up.

The Series:

Even though Eye of the Tempest had a very different feel to it and it was not my favorite in the series, Jane True is still going strong in my heart and I'm a little nervous for the next two books. I've heard they have some tough moments. But when there looks to be a supe war in the gang's every near future that is to be expected.

The Romance:

Now that it looks like Jane and Anyan might be moving to having a future together I can't wait to see how that part of the story ends. And NO MORE COCK BLOCKING!!

The Narration:

I was so freaking excited when I found out that Khristine Hvam was narrating the rest of the series. She has breathed new life into the Jane True series. Peeler's writing is great but the narration for books 1 -3 was not letting it shine. But the team of Hvam and Peeler is the right fit for bring Jane and crew to live for audio listeners.

Quickie Review: Bound by the Vampire by Chloe Hart

Bound by the Vampire 

by Chloe Hart

(Blood and Absinthe #2)   

Celia Albright, an eighth-blood Fae and a spellcaster, is having a very bad day. She’s being targeted by an unknown assassin, and with most of her friends out of the city fighting demons, she goes to the only other person in Boston who might be powerful enough to help her.

Evan Grant is a vampire who prides himself on his survival instincts. He’s avoided the Fae ever since they killed his maker years ago, and he knows he’d be crazy to take a Faery girl under his protection—especially since it might be the Fae themselves who want Celia dead.

If he were smart, he’d send her away. But when he saves her life instead, Celia and Evan find themselves caught up in an adventure neither of them expected—and an attraction neither of them is prepared for.

Ms. Hart has created a fascinating world. Vampires, Fae, and demons! How can a lover of paranormal romance resist? Bound by the Vampire is the second within the Blood and Absinthe series. This book focused more on the plot and the functions of the Green Fae society than the first book had.

Celia Albright is a spell caster who does not have her power completely under control, but that has not stopped her from stumbling upon some very interesting and ruinous secrets. She had learned that by drinking the Absinthe her people (the Fae) create and draw power from has been thinning the veil between the human world and that of the Dark Fae. She has approached the leaders of her people and pleaded with them, trying get them to stop producing and using the Absinthe. However, without the elixir, their powers and the powers of other such as vampires, would fade. Naturally, she has created enemies - those who fear losing their power and becoming weak like humans. After an attempt is made on her life, Celia asks Evan Grant for protection.

Evan Grant wanted nothing to with Celia and her cause, but he could not allow her death to rest on his conscious. He agrees to hide her and protect her as she gathers more information about the Dark Fae.

This novella was packed with world building and I enjoyed the characters. Evan was delicious and Celia was willing to give her life for a cause she believed in. The reason I did not give this book five of five was that the relationship development was a bit thin and the ending was rather abrupt. It was just over and there was not much closure. So, I will have to pick up the third book, Claiming the Vampire.

Review: Tempest's Legacy by Nicole Peeler

Tempest's Legacy 

by Nicole Peeler 

(Jane True #3)

After a peaceful hiatus at home in Rockabill, Jane True thinks that her worst problem is that she still throws like a girl - at least while throwing fireballs. Her peace of mind ends, however, when Anyan arrives one night with terrible news . . . news that will rock Jane's world to its very core.

After demanding to help investigate a series of gruesome attacks on females -- supernatural, halfling, and human -- Jane quickly finds herself forced to confront her darkest nightmares as well as her deepest desires.

And she's not sure which she finds more frightening.

Jane's world keeps sucking me in with every book. Tempest's Legacy is even better than the last two books. The reason might be that we get a lot more of Anyan this time around.

Anyan comes back to town after being gone for two months only to give Jane some bad news. Jane being up step that she hasn't seen him for so long and now he is bring her the horrible news, she goes off on him. Later she apologizes for shooting the messenger.

True to Anyan's caring nature he forgives her and reluctantly lets her join his and Ryu's investigation into some horrible crimes that has taken place. Speaking of Ryu, he is a real douche bag in this one. If I wasn't team Anyan before I am now. I would totally find if we never saw Ryu again after this book.

But I think our days of a love triangle is over and thank goodness for that. But I think Jane has a long road to go with Anyan. I think she is the one that will have to seduce him. Not that he's not interested but that he is either too shy or thick headed to know what to do with Jane. But it's safe to say that he doesn't see her as a little girl like Jane always thought he did.

To sum up Tempest's Legacy - Ryu, bye bye. Hello Anyan. Jane learns some family secrets that will sure to make for interesting times in the books to come.

Fans of "lighter" Urban Fantasy stories will love Jane and her world.


Narration Note: Still didn't care for the narration so I'm glad that I have the rest of the series in paperback. Because I can't take Anyan's voice from the 12 year old sounding narrator if sexy times are coming.

Audio Review: Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

Dead Witch Walking 

by Kim Harrison 
(The Hollows #1)

Narrated by Marguerite Gavin

The underground population of witches, vampires, werewolves—creatures of dreams and nightmares—has lived beside humans for centuries, hiding their powers. But after a genetically engineered virus wipes out a large part of humanity, many of the "Inderlanders" reveal themselves, changing everything.

Rachel Morgan, witch and bounty hunter with the Inderland Runner Services, is one of the best at apprehending supernatural lawbreakers throughout Cincinnati, but when it comes to following the rules, she falls desperately short. Determined to buck the system, she quits and takes off on the run with an I.S. contract on her head and is reluctantly forced to team up with Ivy, Inderland's best runner . . . and a living vampire. But this witch is way out of her league, and to clear her name, Rachel must evade shape-changing assassins, outwit a powerful businessman/crime lord, and survive a vicious underground fight-to-the-death . . . not to mention her own roommate.

REVIEW:

I've had this series on my TBR pile for years now after seeing people rave about it in one of my Shelfari groups. So when I saw books 1-5 in a used bookstore I picked them up for a cheap price. And they sat on my bookshelf for over two years. I figure I'll get to them one day. I loaned out Dead Witch Walking to two friends and when they both brought me the book back saying they could not finish it I pushed it down my reading list. But after challenging myself to read as many of the books on my physical as possible in 2013 I decided it was time to finally start this series.

I thought since most people have warned me that Dead Witch Walking was a little slow due to all the world building that I would give it a try on audio to see if I could get through it faster than reading it. And I'm glad I did listen to it. I think if I read it I would not have liked as much. The narrator took a little getting use to because at times she made Ivy sound like a drag queen, she made her voice too deep in some places. But I learned to just over look her Ivy voice and I enjoyed the audio more once I did.

Honestly I didn't really know what to expect going into Dead Witch Walking other than the main character was a witch. I was pleasantly surprised by how much snark and humor was in the book. It really helped lighten the dark mood from time to time. One of the best sidekicks I've enjoyed was Jenks, the pixie that works with Rachel and Ivy.

The three team up to make their own company after Rachel and Ivy quit their jobs as runners for the I.S. Rachel's boss is now happy when she quits and takes Ivy with her. In fact her ex-employer is so unhappy that they put a hit out on Rachel. Ivy was able to pay off her employment contract so she's safe but Rachel spends the whole book evading attempts on her life while trying to take down the bad guy in hopes that if she can take him down that it will cancel her contract and the I.S. will leave her alone.

Dead Witch Walking was a nice mix of action and snarky humor. I'm excited to continue the series to see what other trouble Rachel and her gang can get into.


Narration Note: It took a few chapters for me to start enjoying the narration but by the end of the book it grew on me and I will listen to the next book on audio.

Review: Tracking the Tempest by Nicole Peeler

Tracking the Tempest 

 by Nicole Peeler  

(Jane True #2)

Tracking the Tempest begins four months–and one eyebrow sacrificed to magical training–after the close of Tempest Rising. During that time, Jane’s been busy honing her supernatural powers and enjoying her newfound sense of confidence. Rockabill may not yet be heaven, but she’s realized it’s home. Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and Ryu - Jane's bloodsucking boyfriend - can't let a major holiday go by without getting all gratuitous. An overwhelming dose of boyfriend interference and a last-minute ticket to Boston later, and Jane's life is thrown off course.

But Ryu’s best laid plans inevitably create more upheaval than even he can anticipate, and Jane winds up embroiled in an investigation involving a spree of gruesome killings committed by a being of tremendous power . . .

. . . who, much to Jane’s surprise, happens to be another halfling.

I’m starting this review off letting you know that I’m TEAM ANYAN all the way.

Love the fun world that Nicole Peeler has created with her Jane True series. Jane is your average, lovable, girl next door but now she finds herself in the middle of the fae world and its problems. She’s learning as she goes since she just found out a few months ago (in book one, Tempest Rising) that she is part fae.

Jane is a total bookworm and even works in a bookstore so when she meet her now boyfriend, the sexy vampire, Ryu she couldn’t believe that someone like him would want her. Ryu has been pressuring Jane to make a decision about the future of their relationship. And he drives me nuts with this and the way he calls her babe. UGH

Tracking the Tempest starts out with Jane wondering what Valentine plans Ryu has in store for her....mmm..flowers - check, plane ticket to visit him in Boston - check,  hot sweaty monkey sex - check, fae issues that almost gets Jane killed - check.

This time around the danger is a halfing that ends up stalking Jane wanting to make her is love bunny and take over the world. So we have blood, action and a tense relationship atmosphere between Jane and Ryu. Then throw in the fact that we get a great deal of Anyan in human form. YAY.

Anyan is helping Jane learn to use her fae magic when Ryu just wants to keep her safe but keeping her out of the action but Jane won't have it. I love how Anyan wants to protect Jane by teaching her how to protect herself and not treat her like a sexy bunny with no brain like Ryu does. Yeah I'm being a bitch about Ryu but like I stated in the being I'm for Anyan all the way and Ryu just bug the crap out of through this whole book.

I enjoyed Tracking the Tempest just a little more than Tempest Raising and I can only hope that same will be said about book 3, Tempest's Legacy which I plan to start next week.

UF Review: Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler

Tempest Rising

by Nicole Peeler

Jane True Series #1

Living in small town Rockabill, Maine, Jane True always knew she didn't quite fit in with so-called normal society. During her nightly, clandestine swim in the freezing winter ocean, a grisly find leads Jane to startling revelations about her heritage: she is only half-human. 
Now, Jane must enter a world filled with supernatural creatures alternatively terrifying, beautiful, and deadly- all of which perfectly describe her new "friend," Ryu, a gorgeous and powerful vampire. 
It is a world where nothing can be taken for granted: a dog can heal with a lick; spirits bag your groceries; and whatever you do, never-ever rub the genie's lamp.

Tempest Rising is the first book in the Jane True Series by Nicole Peeler. It's a fun and light read. Almost every fae creature you can think of is covered in this book. And Jane finds out that she not only belongs to the human world (although she doesn’t find like she fits) she is also part of the fae world on her mother’s side.

Jane has a past that even if she could forget, her home town will not let her. After she gets sucked into a world she never knew about, she meets the sexy Ryu. Ryu is in town to investigate a murder and he just happens to be fae. In fact Jane learns that he is a vampire but not the kind she has read about or seen in movies.

Jane jumps at the opportunity to take a “vacation” from her life to learn more about her fae with her new hot friend Ryu. Jane deserves some fun and sexy time after all.

Jane is always having an inner fight with her libido and her brain. But when it comes to Ryu, the libido wins about 95% time.

Jane starting learning that her love of swimming is because her mother is a Selkies, a seal shifter. Jane hopes while she is visiting the land of the fae she will find out more about the mother that left her and her father when she was six. But she has no luck in the family reunion department; but instead learns that some of the fae hates half-breeds like her.

Tempest Rising is full of funny and witty characters will just enough sass. I will be visiting Jane and her friends soon when I read, Tracking the Tempest.

Fans of Charaline Harris' Sookie Stackhouse, Molly Harper's Jane Jameson and MaryJanice Davidson's Queen Betsy series will want to check out this fun and sassy read.

Narration Note: I have book one in paperback but decided to give the audio book a try. BIG mistake. I didn’t care for the narrator at all. She said as though she was 12 years old and she didn’t change her voice much for different characters which made it hard at times to know who was speaking. I will read the rest of the books in the series.

Part of:

REVIEW: Bound to the Prince by Deborah Court

Bound to the Prince 
by Deborah Court
Elven Warrior Trilogy #1
Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Deborah Court, via Smashwords
Publication date: 8/19/2011
Format: eBook
File size: 745 KB
RATING:★★★★

An elven prince without a throne.

A mortal woman without hope, stolen from her own world to fulfill his every desire.

A choice of love and death that could bind them together forever.


REVIEW:

Bound to the Prince is like Lord of the Rings meets Debbie Does Dallas, but in a good way.

Bound to the Prince is a mish-mash of creatures from elves, trolls, demons, nymphs to gargoyles. And the scenery, Court does an amazing job of detailing the surround world and creatures that I felt like I was watching an epic movie on an IMAX screen in my head while I was reading. Just breathe taking.

Court knows how to write an Über-sex scene too. Holy freakin’ cow was this book hawt! I was panting right along with Elathan and Igraine. This is the first book that I’ve read about Elves and when it came to the sex scenes, the Elven prince love making reminded me of the death by sex fae that was in the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. Oh, what a way to go; with a smile on your face and your body tingling all over. Sign me up!

But Bound to the Prince wasn’t just a hot sex book; it had heart and true romance. Plus I loved how Igraine really grew as a character and became a kick ass chick at the end. She protected her Eleven Prince like a true Queen would.

I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in this trilogy.

Bound to the Prince is available at 

Amazon │ Smashwords │ B&N │ iTunes │ Diesel eBooks

My copy was provided by author for review.

Next book in the series:

Bound by Magic (Elven Warrior Trilogy #2)
by Deborah Court

Deborah Court lives in a picturesque European small town with her husband, two lovely children and a Siamnese cat. At night she loves to write romances about elven warriors of deadly beauty, capable of making a woman die from sheer pleasure.

Deborah is an author, translator and passionate book lover. She writes paranormal and historical romance, fantasy and young adult mysteries.

Find out more visit Deborah's website.

REVIEW: Initiate by Tara Maya

The Unfinished Song: Initiate

by Tara Maya

My Copy: Received from Author for review

BUY: Amazon / B&N

RATING: DNF

DEADLY INITIATION
A DETERMINED GIRL...
Dindi can't do anything right, maybe because she spends more time dancing with pixies than doing her chores. Her clan hopes to marry her off and settle her down, but she dreams of becoming a Tavaedi, one of the powerful warrior-dancers whose secret magics are revealed only to those who pass a mysterious Test during the Initiation ceremony. The problem? No-one in Dindi's clan has ever passed the Test. Her grandmother died trying. But Dindi has a plan.
AN EXILED WARRIOR...
Kavio is the most powerful warrior-dancer in Faearth, but when he is exiled from the tribehold for a crime he didn't commit, he decides to shed his old life. If roving cannibals and hexers don't kill him first, this is his chance to escape the shadow of his father's wars and his mother's curse. But when he rescues a young Initiate girl, he finds himself drawn into as deadly a plot as any he left behind. He must decide whether to walk away or fight for her... assuming she would even accept the help of an exile.

REVIEW:

This is the 1st book in a while that I've not be able to finish. I have a 50 page requirement; if I'm not hooked by 50 pages then I move on. And I'm sorry to say that was the case with The Unfinished Song: Initiate by Tara Maya.

I felt like I was reading book two in a series or started in the middle of a book. I was a little lost in the plot line and characters. I don't think there was enough back story given in the beginning of the book and found myself lost in some of the terminology that was used. I needed a glossary for some of the terms that I assume was fae language.

Even though I couldn't get into the book doesn't mean fae fans shouldn't check it out, it's been getting a lot of four star ratings on Amazon and Goodreads. It just wasn't for me.

MINI - REVIEW: Limerick by Kimberly Spencer

Title: Limerick 

Author: Kimberly Spencer
Series: The Faerie Tale Girl Series (#2)

Genre: Urban Fantasy (YA)
Length: Novella

Buy: Amazon / B&N  (It's a steal at $0.99)
My Copy: Received from Author for Review

Jensen hoped she’d never need Shimmerspell again, but now someone is stalking her, someone who claims to be the Lady of the Lake. To make matters worse, witches and dragons have come out to play. And Jensen must figure out how to harness her power and accept her destiny before she ends up losing everyone she loves.

REVIEW:

Limerick is the 2nd novella in The Faerie Tale Girl series by Kimberly Spencer and it picks up about a week after Shimmerspell.

Kimberly Spencer is a tease! Limerick ended with a cliffhanger like Shimmerspell. I feel like she is feeding us a novel one chapter at a time with these novellas. It’s like riding a huge roller coaster, just as you climb to the top of the big hill and you can see the long drop the fun park worker puts on the brakes and says “I’ll be back in five”.

With this installment, we get to see more into Jensen’s new found world of the fae with the addition of witches and dragons. The same secondary characters, Zoe, Liam, and Dermott are present; plus a few new characters.

Jensen is really starting to grow into her powers and learning that everything and everyone for that matter, is not what they appear to be. I can’t wait to see what she faces next.

I recommend this novella to anyone that likes Fae YA books.

RATING:

Novella #1 is currently FREE at Amazon

Go HERE to download it.

For Nook users, it's only $0.99 at B&N.

Go HERE to buy it.

COMING SOON:

Triquetra: A Faerie Tale Girl Novella, #3
September 2011

Mini - Review: Shimmerspell

Title: Shimmerspell (Novella)
Author: Kimberly Spencer
Series: The Faerie Tale Girl
Genre: Urban Fantasy (YA)
Buy: Amazon / Smashwords

Sixteen-year-old Jensen Meadows hands out tall tales like a vending machine. After all, with a con-artist for a big sister, Jensen knows the value of a well executed lie. But when she overhears a murder confession at school and is abandoned by her sister, Jensen learns three new things:
Drinking Red Bull isn't the only way to get wings: The faerie realm is real, and it still hasn't gotten over King Arthur's death.
Shimmerspell, the power to move between the mortal and faerie realms, is lost.
And somehow, her beloved sister is tied to it all.
With the help of a few teenage light-elves, Jensen searches for the truth in a sea of lies and begins to suspect that her whole life has been the tallest tale of them all.
            
Review:

Shimmerspell is a Novella about faeries that is loosely based on the story of Morgan le Fay. Even though it is a Novella it packed full of great characters and plot lines. While reading it, I almost forgot it was not a full length novel. The plot was very interesting and kept me well entertained.

Shimmerspell starts out in a high school setting where the heroine, Jensen, doesn't know that Fae exist let alone that she is part Fae herself. Until something happens to her one day at school and then all the sudden the cute guy that she had noticed only a few days ago is not quite the same. Like the fact that he now has wings.

Ms. Spencer does and excellent job of using imagery in her story. She totally sucked me in and made me feel like I was there with the characters. And the fact that she did it in only 14 chapters is a real testament to her writing skills. She has introduced some great characters and done some great world building with this first story in what I hope to be a continued great series. And the way Spencer ends the story it just keeps you wanting more. Kimberly Spencer has enormous possibility as an author and I just hop that I don't have to wait too long for the next installment in Jensen's world.

I would highly recommend Shimmerspell to any Fae fan and at only $0.99 at Amazon and Smashwords it's a steal.

My Rating: 3.5