Showing posts with label Werewolves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Werewolves. Show all posts

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Book Review : Lunarmorte by Samantha Young


Product Details
  • Paperback: 298 pages
  • Publisher: Vanguard Press (July 30, 2010)
  • ISBN-10: 1843866560
  • ISBN-13: 978-1843866565
  • Available on: Amazon / The Book Depository

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Amidst the magikal children of the ancient Greek gods, lives a girl destined to bring their ancient war to an end.

Caia Ribeiro has lived a life of isolation and mystery since the death of her parents, and separation from her lykan pack at the age of seven. Returning ten years later under the supervision of the pack's young leader, Lucien, Caia finds herself seduced by pack life and her enigmatic guardian. But when strange happenings lead to near exposure of their world, Caia begins to realize Lucien and the Elders have been keeping unforgivable secrets, leaving Caia to come to terms with her dark and unique heritage.

Scarcely given time to adjust to her new reality, the war she believed stormed only on distant shores, crashes on her doorstep, forcing Caia to put aside her conflict with Lucien, in order to save them all from an old enemy and his relentless pursuit.

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Have you ever felt like you don't want to stop reading a certain book? Well, that happens to me when I read Lunarmorte by Sam Young. It's a story about werewolves, whose origins are said to be related to Greek gods. The characters in this book are well-described, and they really shine with their respective personalities.

I'll get on with the good parts first. Because of the werewolves' relationship to the Gods, I believe, the author inserted a few funny phrases which are, in truth, refreshing and hilarious. Notable examples are "Holy Artemis!", "What the Hades!" and "Goddess knows where". Caia's docile manner and even temper makes her a lovable character, although her emotions may vary depending on the situation and condition.

As Caia is separated from her pack at a tender age, and when she returns 10 years later, she feels out of place and don't belong. That's why the male Alpha, Lucien orders for a pack running which is sort of a symbol that she is accepted and welcomed into the pack. I think the author has written this part brilliantly, and her efforts of making the wolves' movement and temperament life-like paid off.

Caia's ability to control water also intrigues me. I wonder who she actually is, but I know the answers will be revealed, sooner or later, when someone finally decides to tell her about it. And when the truth is uncovered, I was both shocked and surprised. No, I didn't see that coming!

Apart from that, the interactions between Caia and the other lycans are well-written. The scenes are mostly enjoyable and interesting; I don't mind reading about Caia and Lucien all day long. Sebastian, who is secretly in love with Caia also earns my approval. He is kind, warm and supportive of Caia even when the others oppose her. He is willing to do anything for her, and that includes surrendering his own life, even though he knows Caia will never be able to love him like a soulmate. Read this passage:

"Cy,"he whispered and her eyes caught his again. "I love you, Cy."

"Don't," she choked on her tears. "You're going to be OK."

He smirked, "I love you anyway."

"I love you too," she whispered.

"That's good."

A deep silence settled on the truck and Caia began to shake with exhaustion and fear.

"Like a friend, Cy?" Sebastian whispered suddenly and then winced.

"What?"

"Love me like a friend. You?"

She nodded, unable to lie to him even now. But his eyes never dimmed, "That's enough for me."

I almost cried reading this part, you know. He was terribly wounded at that time, and he wanted to make sure of Caia's answer.

I loved the book from the beginning until the end, but I spotted some things that can't be left unsaid. First of all, spelling and punctuation errors. I noticed quite a lot of them throughout the whole book, and to be honest, they really got on my nerves. I can't help questioning the editor's professionalism. This stellar novel has been marred by these imperfections, and I'm unhappy about that.

At the front part of the book, I was quite confused when the author didn't explain who are the characters and kept using third-person pronouns in a certain passage. I kept wondering who 'he' is, who Lars is and what the Hades are they talking about:

“The door was thrown open, his tall, gangly assistant almost falling into the room in his hurry to get to him.

“The spell!” he heaved, as he lunged at him, out of breath.

“You’ve been running?” he asked him incredulously, following the trail of sweat that trickled down his assistant’s forehead.

He nodded, bending over, his hands braced on his knees as he tried to regain composure. “I…I…I still…haven’t haaaa…mastered the communication spell you gave me.” He gulped for air again, wheezing as he flopped down beside him.

“Well obviously you rushed with a purpose. Spit it out, Lars.”

Lars turned to him now, his eyes bright with excitement. “The protection spell is down. She’s unprotected.”

His eyes blazed with the news. “You’re certain?”

“Positive. I’ve been on Marion duty for two years. Her protection spell on the girl has been dropped.”

His smile of triumph was slow and predatory. “Do you know what this means?”

“It’s time?”

“Activate our agent.”

--- page 23, Lunarmorte by Sam Young

There is one more thing. I'm not entirely sure that this book is suitable for younger teens, because there is a mild sex scene between Caia and Lucien from page 219 - 222. I would recommend parental guidance for teens aged 17 and below.

To sum things up, Lunarmorte is an enjoyable debut which will enthrall readers with its stunning plot and unexpected twists. Highly recommend to fans of Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer and Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs.

Pros: Intriguing premise, action-packed, romantic, excellent storyline
Cons: Spelling errors, confusing passages without an exact character

Rating:
4.500

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Photo on back of Lunarmorte book jacket.
Samantha Young is the author of Lunarmorte, the first in a young adult fantasy trilogy.

Whilst studying classical literature at the University of Edinburgh Sam was struck with the idea of utilising Greek mythology to explain the origin of all manner of supernatural beasties. With so many ideas battling for release, Sam caved to her imagination, and began writing the first novel in the Lunarmorte trilogy during her final year at university.

Sam currently lives in Stirlingshire, Scotland.

You can visit Sam's blog HERE.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Book Review : Blood Coven Vampires (#1 - #3) by Mari Mancusi

http://www.bloodcovenvampires.com/images/cover_boysthatbite.jpgBoys that Bite (Blood Coven, #1)

When Sunny McDonald gets dragged to Club Fang by her twin sister Rayne, she doesn't expect to find anything besides a bunch of Goth kids playing at being vampires. But when some guy mistakes Sunny for her dark-side-loving sister and bites her on the neck, she finds out that his fangs are real—and deadly.

Now, Sunny has less than a week to figure out how to reverse the bite, or else she's going to end up as the perpetually undead. And not only will she be a vampire, she'll also be bonded to Magnus—the bloodsucker who bit her—forever. And forever is a really long time...

My thoughts:
Wow. This book rocks! I got hooked starting from the first few chapters and I just couldn't stop reading! It's amazing how a book can affect me like this. Sunny and Rayne are twins, but that's where the similarity ends. Their personalities are oh-so-different, and their dreams in life contrast greatly. Sunny's wish is much like a normal person: get into a good college, get married and have children, while Rayne's sole ambition is to be a blood-sucking creature of the night.

When Sunny is accidentally bitten by a vampire called Magnus who is initially arranged to be Rayne's blood mate, she discovers that she will turn into a vampire in seven days! This shocking event leads her to go on a journey to England with Magnus to find the Holy Grail to restore her humanity.

This story is somewhat refreshing, entertaining and different from the others of the paranormal genre because of its teenager-vise prose. Filled with humorous, witty descriptions and dialogues, this book is sure to make you laugh. The chemistry between the main characters in this book, Sunny and Magnus will surely pique your interest. They developed a strong feeling of love for each other on their mission to get the Holy Grail you can see sparks flying everywhere (well, literally) ! The main point is, is Sunny willing to give up her humanity for Magnus' sake? Or will she choose to give up the handsome vampire to embrace a normal person's life? You'll have to read this book to find out!

Rating: 5

http://www.bloodcovenvampires.com/images/cover_stakethat.jpgStake That! (Blood Coven, #2)

Rayne McDonald had it all figured out. Get turned into a vampire, become the mate of the Blood Coven leader, and live the high-life for all eternity. Too bad the head vamp took a bite out of her twin sister by mistake. Now, not only is Rayne still not a vampire, but she learns she's a slayer instead—destined to destroy vamps gone bad.

After being recruited by a secret organization, Rayne is given her first mission: infiltrate a seedy bar downtown and expose its vampire owner, Maverick, for purposely spreading a nasty blood virus. Luckily the Blood Coven sends some help—in the form of sexy vampire Jareth. Will vampire and slayer be able to settle their differences and work together to bring down the evil Maverick? Or will they find their own hearts on the line?

My thoughts:
Stake That is a great continuation of Boys That Bite. I never expected Rayne to be selected as the new vampire slayer. Rayne has no choice but to accept her destiny. She is to act as an undercover in the Bite Bar, owned by an evil vampire called Maverick to find out his wicked plan to stage a coup d'état. And she is aided by Jareth, who hates her at first but eventually agrees to partner up with her to investigate the case. And I'm totally betting on Rayne's love relationship with Jareth, who is also the general of the Blood Coven. Even his name sounds sexy... >< Rating: 5

http://www.bloodcovenvampires.com/images/cover_girlsthatgrowl.jpgGirls That Growl (Blood Coven, #3)

Now that she's an official vampire and full-fledged member of The Blood Coven, Rayne assumes her vampire slaying days are over. Sure, she doesn't have any vampire powers, thanks to a mutated blood virus, but she and Jareth can go out in the sun, which is a pretty good trade-off.

But just when Rayne's starting to enjoy her afterlife, she's contacted by Slayer Inc once again. It seems that a member of her high school's football team has disappeared—and the powers-that-be think the cheerleaders had something to do with it. Now Rayne has to infiltrate the squad before the cheerleaders have a chance to sink their teeth into someone else...

My thoughts:
Mari added another paranormal creature in this book, the werewolves. It was interesting at first, with Rayne blackmailing the cheer-leading team captain who was once her BFF to get into the group. Not that she likes it, she just wants to find out the truth behind the mysterious disappearances of two football players. I was a little perturbed by the way she treats Jareth in this book. She is spiteful and irritable, and no matter what Jareth does, she feels that he is stupid and does not act like the Jareth he used to be anymore. Only when Jareth decides to break up with her that she decides to turn over a new leaf.

Girls That Growl is quite an entertaining read, although there are some parts that I don't really like, especially Rayne's cranky attitude. But somehow, the ending once again catches my attention. I can't wait to read the next installment of the Blood Coven Vampires!

Rating: 4.000




Mari Mancusi
Mari Mancusi used to wish she could become a vampire back in high school.

But she ended up in another blood sucking profession —journalism — instead. Today she works as a television producer for a women's lifestyle show in Manhattan and has won two Emmys. As if writing and TV producing weren't enough to keep her busy, Mari also enjoys videogames, goth dancing, manga, cheesy horror movies, and hanging with her dog Molly. She lives in Jersey City.

Mari Mancusi official website | Mari Mancusi's Blog