Review: Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh

Rose Red is currently preparing for the release of the next Guild Hunter book, Archangel's Heart. She's so excited that she's going to be rereading the entire series and reviewing each book that we haven't reviewed on the blog yet. So be watching between now and the first of November for her reviews.

Angels' Blood
(Guild Hunter #1)
Nalini Singh
Release: March 3, 2009
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Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she is the best- but she does not know if even she is good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, Elena knows failure is not an option—even if the task is impossible.

Because this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track. It's an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other—and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt does not destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just might. For when archangels play, mortals break.

Review:

I should know better than to start a Nalini Singh book, even a reread, before bed but I did it any way. Angels' Blood reads like a cross between a paranormal romance and urban fantasy. It perfectly blends romance into a world where angels and archangels rule over humans and vampires who walk the streets. I've read very few angel books that I had liked before this one and it makes me want to go back and give those other angel books a chance.

The angels in this series are not the heavenly hosts or fallen angels we've come to expect but immortal beings with wings who have very human emotions and foibles. Some of the angels and archangels are downright scary and unlikeable. It made the whole angel thing new and refreshing. I also loved Nalini Singh's unique take on vampires. As I said, it's a very refreshing book supernatural wise.

Elena Deveraux is one of the best hunters around, if ever, and this brings her to the attention of the archangels who rule over the populace. Normally as a guild hunter, her job is track down vampires and bring them back to their angelic masters but the Cadre has a specific job for her which could be the death of her. This job brings her into contact with the Archangel of New York, Raphael, who is a scary powerful and ruthless leader.

I loved Elena! She's kind of a badass being a born hunter but I loved her grit and moxie that comes from her being her and not her ability. I also adored the small glimpse we got at her eccentric circle of friends from the Guild and I hope we see more and more of them as the series progresses! They are all so fascinating!
 
I'll be honest. When I first read this book, it took me a bit (aka most of the book) to warm up to Raphael but by the end my feelings towards him were somewhere between like and love. The second time around, I like him more but he's still kind of a bastard in this book. I'll confess that I was more interested in his Seven than him the first time around. I'm still just as fascinated with them as Elena's Hunter friends. I will confess that it takes several more books after this one to get me to warm up to Dmitri and Venom.

This book was amazing and it's a great introduction to this world. It left me wanting to know what happens next and to learn everything I can about this world and the characters! I highly recommend picking it up if you've read Singh's Psy-Changeling series or are looking for a different kind of paranormal romance book. I promise it won't disappoint!

Recommended for fans of: 
Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh
Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
Queen of Shadows by Dianne Sylvan

    1/2

 4. 5 / 5 Stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
Archangel's Blade by Nalini Singh
Archangel's Storm by Nalini Singh
Archangel's Legion by Nalini Singh

Waiting on Wednesday (98)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. So here's this week's WOW pick:

I read Six of Crows earlier this year because almost everyone I've talked to in the blogging/book community only had good things to say about it. It totally lived up to the hype! Hell. It blew the hype out of the water. I loved it so much! And every since I finished, I've been chomping at the bit to get my hands on Crooked Kingdom. I NEED to know what happens after that ending in Six of Crows! And I just need more Nina, Matthias, Jasper, Wylan, Inej, and Kaz in my life. I'm super excited but I'm also sad because this book is the end of the duology. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for more books in the Grisha world.

Crooked Kingdom
(Six of Crows #2)
Leigh Bardugo
Release: September 27, 2016
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Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and left crippled by the kidnapping of a valuable team member, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of magic in the Grisha world.

What book are you waiting on?

Really Short Reviews: Reading Outside My Comfort Zone

I read two different books recently that had me saying "I don't normally read this genre but. . ." I thought that sounded like an interesting post idea. So here are my thoughts on those two books. Let me know in the comments what you've read that maybe isn't normally your thing but you wound up loving it anyway.

A Curious Beginning
(Veronica Speedwell #1)
Deanna Raybourn
Release: July 12, 2016
Goodreads Amazon
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

In her thrilling new series, Deanna Raybourn, the New York Times bestselling author of the Lady Julia Grey mysteries, returns once more to Victorian England...and introduces intrepid adventuress Veronica Speedwell. 

London, 1887. After burying her spinster aunt, orphaned Veronica Speedwell is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry—and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as with fending off admirers, Veronica intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.

But fate has other plans when Veronica thwarts her own attempted abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron, who offers her sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker, a reclusive and bad-tempered natural historian. But before the baron can reveal what he knows of the plot against her, he is found murdered—leaving Veronica and Stoker on the run from an elusive assailant as wary partners in search of the villainous truth. 

Review:
I don't normally read historicals, even though I love Steampunk. I kept seeing A Curious Beginning and thinking it sounded good until I realized there are no paranormal elements in it. But when I saw it up on Netgalley for the paperback release this summer, I decided to take a chance.

It turns out this book has absolutely everything I love about Steampunk except the paranormal stuff. Veronica Speedwell is a delightful character, an independent and outspoken woman who reminds me of Alexia, or even Prudence, from Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate world. She spends some time travelling with the circus, which immediately brought to mind Delilah S. Dawson's Blud series (minus the vampires.) Elements in the story even at times reminded me of Penny Dreadful.

On top of all those happy associations, A Curious Beginning has a romance and a murder mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to more of Miss Speedwell's adventures, even if they are completely lacking in supernatural creatures.

    

4  stars

A Promise of Fire

(Kingmaker Chronicles #1)

Amanda Bouchet

Release: August 2, 2016

Goodreads Amazon

Catalia "Cat" Fisa is a powerful clairvoyant known as the Kingmaker. This smart-mouthed soothsayer has no interest in her powers and would much rather fly under the radar, far from the clutches of her homicidal mother. But when an ambitious warlord captures her, she may not have a choice…

Griffin is intent on bringing peace to his newly conquered realm in the magic-deprived south. When he discovers Cat is the Kingmaker, he abducts her. But Cat will do everything in her power to avoid her dangerous destiny and battle her captor at every turn. Although up for the battle, Griffin would prefer for Cat to help his people willingly, and he's ready to do whatever it takes to coax her…even if that means falling in love with her.

Review:

I don't read much adult fantasy. If I pick up a sword and sorcery book, it's likely a YA. And I can count on one hand the number of fantasy romances I've read in my life. But A Promise of Fire came highly recommended by one of my blogger friends. And she was right. I loved it!

Amanda Bouchet has written an accessible fantasy, perfect for those who would be turned off by stilted prose or D&D-style jargon. Not only is the language familiar, but so is the mythology, which is based on the Greeks. The romance is full of tension and witty banter just like some of my favorite UF series.

Cat is a modern heroine, similar to Kate Daniels in many ways. I can even see Curran acting like Griffin on occasion. I've read a few reviews that couldn't get over that fact that he kidnapped Cat at the beginning of the book. Because the story is written from her point of view, I chose to believe her when she says she came to terms with it.

I'm excited to see Cat's powers develop and watch her bond with Griffin and his crew as the series continues.

    

4  stars

Tell me your "I don't normally read this genre, but" story in the comments.

Harry Potter Haul!

Soooooooooo I've been on a bit of a Harry Potter buying spree lately. With the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, trailers for the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them floating around, and the fact that we can all now sort ourselves into yet another wizarding House (Where my Thunderbird house members at!?) it seems like Harry Potter got itself a really awesome revival.

Okay, okay, for super fans like me it never really went away. But, I'm trying to use these things as a reason for my purchases, OKAY?
Check out my haul from the past several weeks in my video below AND make sure you check out the SUPER AWESOME AMAZING items I unbox at the end. I am so obsessed with the Grim Sweetness shop on Easy now! Magical potions for everyone!

And don't forget guys:

Harry Potter Haul AND Potions Unboxing!

Click on the little red youtube button below to subscribe to the new channel!

You can also view more videos on the channel by clicking here: 
Goldilox's Booktube Channel

Weres Wanna Know: What's Your Literary Palate Cleanser?

Weres Wanna Know is a new discussion feature where we share a topic that's been on our minds and invite you to share your thoughts as well.

 

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about palate cleansers. My boyfriend's brother has gotten into wine tasting and has become obsessed with finding the ideal one. I've heard about the cleansing virtues of certain foods from lemon sorbet to apple slices.

You're probably asking yourself why I'm talking about palate cleansers on a book blog. Well, I just got done with a massive steampunk and paranormal binge. It had me kind of burned out on those genres even though there are a ton of books in each I want to read. I'm not a TV person so taking a break from reading to binge a TV series doesn't work for me as a reset. But thanks to the boyfriend's brother, I started to think that I needed a literary palate cleanser. So I applied the concept to my reading and guess what? It worked!

Literary palate cleansers aren't a new concept. Looking back over my Goodreads data for the last few years has shown that I've unconsciously used the idea in the past. The difference is that this is the first time I've thought about it and deliberately applied the concept. I shouldn't be surprised that it worked. I know everyone has their own go to genre they read all of the time but I'm curious what you read when you take a break from your normal genre. So I want to ask:

What's Your Literary Palate Cleanser?

For me, I tend to read nonfiction and cookbooks. Yeah. I totally just said cookbooks. I'm a scientist so I like researching things and reading cookbooks is a kind of research I can get behind. Most are more than just a collection of instructions you can follow that allows you to put together the fixings for a delicious meal. I've learned the differences between different cuts of meat, how to choose the best ground beef for a recipe, the history of a particular dish, or why the author loves a specific recipe. There is so much more to cookbooks than the recipes and I love reading them. I also love coming away with recipes to try because I love food and cooking. Random weird but awesome fact: a lot of libraries have cookbooks you can check out so you don't have to go out and buy the expensive suckers.

Outside of cookbooks, nonfiction is my go to palate cleanser. I don't read a lot of it every year because I'm a scientist and my work life is full of nonfiction reading but I enjoy the ones I've read. I like to pick up memoirs like It Was Me All Along by Andie Mitchell, motivational/inspirational/philosophical books like The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, microhistories like The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean, history surrounding a specific event like The Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen, and nonfiction that documents the making of something like Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter. They satisfy my need for random bits of knowledge while providing a different reading experience from fiction. I'm totally that person you want on your trivia team at pub night because I know a lot of random facts.

So...

What do you read when you need a break from your favorite genre?

Also, do you have any nonfiction or cookbook recs for me?
Let's discuss!

If you have a topic you'd like to see discussed in a Weres Wanna Know post, let us know in the comments, send us a Facebook message, or email goldiloxandthethreeweres@gmail.com.

Early Review: Level Grind by Annie Bellet

Level Grind
(The Twenty-Sided Sorceress #1-4)
Annie Bellet
Release: October 4, 2016
Goodreads Amazon
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

An omnibus of the first four books in the USA TODAY bestselling fantasy series—collected together for the first time in one volume. Jade Crow is a sorceress hiding from the most powerful sorcerer in the world: her ex-boyfriend.

Gamer. Nerd. Sorceress.

Jade Crow lives a quiet life running her comic book and game store in Wylde, Idaho, hiding from a powerful sorcerer who wants to eat her heart and take her powers—her ex-boyfriend Samir. Yet when dark powers threaten her friends’ lives, Jade must save them by using magic. But as soon as she does, her nemesis will find her and she won’t be able to stand up against him when he comes.

Collects — Justice Calling; Murder of Crows; Pack of Lies; Hunting Season.

Review:

This book is an omnibus collection of the first four novellas in The Twenty-Sided Sorceress series. Each installment is short so the whole volume clocks in around 480 pages all together. Despite their short length, each novella is freaking awesome! 

Everything about this series is so unique and great! The world! The characters! The pop culture and gaming references! It all worked together to tell an amazing story! The fact that it takes place in my home state of Idaho just made it even more awesome! It's a compulsively readable series. I couldn't stop once I started. With each installment the world expands and it just keeps getting better. It's diverse in terms of race and sexuality but also in the diverse mix of shifters and other magical entities. There's even a leprechaun! The types of magic seen are also diverse and intriguing. It makes the series so unique.

The characters are a fun mishmash of people who remind me of my board game buddies from college. They are really what makes this series so enjoyable. I almost love the side characters more than the heroine, Jade. Almost. Jade and her group of misfits will have you head over heels in love with them in a matter of pages. I honestly can't choose a favorite.

My only complaint is that each of these novellas could have been longer with more lead up to the action. Each installment kind of feels like a monster of the week episode. That in itself isn't a bad thing but it leaves out a lot of world building and details that could have elevated this series from fun and enjoyable to epic. Overall, this series is a great collection of urban fantasy stories and I'm all in to see what happens next.

Recommended for fans of: 
Geekomancy by Michael R. Underwood
Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines
Night Owls by Lauren M. Roy

   

  4 / 5 Stars

Waiting on Wednesday (97)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. So here's this week's WOW pick:

I have a small confession to make. I really don't read debut YA authors because YA books are really hit or miss for me. So when I say I'm excited for a YA debut you know I'm excited. There's a Victorian lady doing science and dissections! Plus, there's been lots of whispers that the characters are amazing and there might be a cute ship. Add in Jack the Ripper and you have a must read for me! I can't wait to get my hands on this one!

Stalking Jack the Ripper
(Stalking Jack the Ripper #1)
Kerri Maniscalco
Release: September 20, 2016
Goodreads Amazon

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

What book are you waiting on?

Month in Review: August 2016

Wow! We reviewed a lot of books last month. I'm surprised we had time to do anything else. Here's what we were up to in August.

What We Reviewed

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
Hell or High Water (Gemini #3) by Hailey Edwards
Monstress by Marjorie Liu and White Sand by Brandon Sanderson
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
Soulless (Parasol Protectorate #1) by Gail Carriger
Mission: Improper (London Steampunk #6) by Bec McMaster
The Sight (Devil's Isle #2) by Chloe Neill
Wild Invitation and Whisper of Sin (Psy-Changeling novellas) by Nalini Singh
A World Without You by Beth Revis
Wild Embrace and Secrets at Midnight (Psy-Changeling novellas) by Nalini Singh
Unraveled (Elemental Assassin #15) by Jennifer Estep
Made For Sin by Stacia Kane

Reading Challenge Recap

I went with a recent purchase for my Rock My TBR read this time: A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet. It came highly recommended by one of my blogger friends.

Rose Red fell into a Gail Carriger binge read which allowed her to meet her goal of reading two books this month for her Rock My TBR challenge as well as knocking five books off her physical TBR list. Those books are as follows:

 

What Else We Did

We continued our Unboxing series with the July Fairy Loot Box.

Rose Red went to World Con.

What We're Waiting For

 These are some of the September releases we're most excited about. Click the titles to add them to Goodreads.

Sept 6
Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J. Maas

Once Broken Faith (October Daye #10) by Seanan McGuire

The Masked City (The Invisible Library #2) by Genevieve Cogman
Necrotech by K.C. Alexander

Sept 13
The Reader (Sea of Ink and Gold #1) by Traci Chee

Sept 20
Magic Binds (Kate Daniels #9) by Ilona Andrews

Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1) by Kerri Maniscalco

Sept 27
Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo

The Purloined Poodle (The Iron Druid Chronicles #8.5) by Kevin Hearne