Unwanted (Elemental Assassin #14.5), by Jennifer Estep

Format: e-ARC, 100 pages

Publisher: Pocket Star

Published: July 18, 2016

ISBN: 9781501142291

Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy

Back cover blurb: The New York Times bestselling Elemental Assassin series continues with a new e-novella–from the point of view of Finnegan Lane, the foster brother of Gin Blanco, and a fan favorite of readers of the series.

The fallout from his disastrous “family reunion” in Bitter Bite has left Finn feeling hurt, angry, and depressed. He can barely stand to look at himself in the mirror, much less eat any of the delicious barbecue from Gin’s famed Pork Pit restaurant.

But when the funeral for a slain security guard at his bank turns into a showdown with some nasty underworld giants, Finn knows that he must act in order to protect an innocent family.

Finnegan Lane might be the most unwanted man in Ashland these days, but he’s determined to try to make amends for his past mistakes…

My review: I’ve always been a big fan of Finnegan Lane, but after Bitter Bite – and yes, you must read that first before tackling this novella – he’s been ostracized by almost everyone except Gin and the gang. His boss at the bank is making him attend all the funerals of his dead coworkers, even though no one wants him there, and it is just before the last of these that he discovers the widow is being shaken down by an Ashland baddie for the life insurance policy.

Now, Finn is not his father’s son for nothing, so he takes it upon himself to help her out, sans Gin, and gets back a little of his self-esteem in the process. I really enjoyed this in the same way I enjoyed Owen’s novella, as a nice way to gain closure on a difficult episode. Loved the ending, and now I can go on to the next book without worrying too much about Finn’s mental health.

***Disclaimer: This e-ARC was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Huge thanks to them. ***

My rating: 5/5

Amazon

Bright Blaze of Magic (Black Blade #3), by Jennifer Estep

Format: e-ARC, 368 pages

Publisher: Kensington

Published: April 26, 2016

ISBN: 9781617738289

Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy/ Teens & YA

Back cover blurb: Bad Things Always Come In Threes…

As a thief, I’m good at three things: hiding in the shadows, getting in and out unseen, and uncovering secrets. I put these skills to work for the Sinclair Family, one of the magical mobs that run the tourist town of Cloudburst Falls.

Everyone knows Victor Draconi wants to take over all the other Families–and kill every last Sinclair. What they don’t know is that I’m on to him, and no way will I let the man who murdered my mom get away with hurting all the other people I care about. Especially when I’ve got places to break into, stuff to steal, and Devon Sinclair fighting right by my side…

My review: All I can say is that this better not be the last we hear from Lila and Devon. This final part of the trilogy was perfect, with an epic battle, the settling of an old score, and – of course – young love blossoming between Lila and Devon. The stars of this story, alongside Lila, were the monsters of Cloudburst Falls, in particular the lochness, who is my personal hero. Absolutely loved him! He needs his own series, Ms Estep! It was also great to see the Pork Pit get a mention. This series has been a favourite of mine and it’s sad to see it end. I hope it’s not so much goodbye as just adieu for now.

***Disclaimer: This e-ARC was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Huge thanks to them. ***

My rating: 5/5

Amazon

Bitter Bite (Elemental Assassin #14), by Jennifer Estep

Format: e-ARC, 400 pages

Publisher: Pocket Books

Published: February 23, 2016

ISBN: 9781501111273

Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy

Back cover blurb: Which is stronger: blood ties or a battle-tested friendship?

It’s not easy being queen bee of an underworld abuzz with crooks and killers. Wielding my potent Ice and Stone elemental magic will only get me so far—my real secret is my tight-knit makeshift family, a motley crew of cops and criminals, dwarves and playboys. My foster brother Finnegan Lane is my right-hand man, but when his suddenly not-dead relative comes back into the picture, I’m the one on the outside looking in.

It’s funny how life works: one minute your best friend is rock-steady, and the next he’s doe-eyed and buying into this whole loving-relative routine to the point of ignoring you. I’d like to be happy for Finn, I really would. But all of my instincts are telling me that beneath the syrupy sweet demeanor and old-fashioned charm, this sudden interloper is planning something. The whole shtick leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. This person might have avoided the grave once, but I’ll put anyone who hurts Finn in the ground—for good.

My review: The last few Gin Blanco books have been my favourites of the series, as we see history repeating itself and Gin facing enemies worthy of her attention in the wake of Mab’s demise. The enemy here was foreshadowed in the last book and turned out to be quite a tricky prospect for Gin, who has to balance her love of family with her absolute loathing. I really enjoyed the twists and turns, and loved how Gin’s friends and family worked as a team. One big revelation at the end should prove great fodder for the next couple of books. Looking forward to them!

***Disclaimer: This e-ARC was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Huge thanks to them. ***

My rating: 5/5

Amazon

Dark Heart of Magic (Black Blade #2), by Jennifer Estep

Format: e-ARC, 368 pages

Publisher: Kensington

Published: October 27, 2015

ISBN: 9781617738265

Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy/ Teens & YA

Back cover blurb: Something Wicked This Way Comes…

As a thief, I stick to the shadows as much as possible. But when the head of the Sinclair Family picks me to compete in the Tournament of Blades, there’s no escaping the spotlight—or the danger.

Even though he’s my competition, Devon Sinclair thinks I have the best shot at winning what’s supposed to be a friendly contest. But when the competitors start having mysterious “accidents,” it looks like someone will do anything to win—no matter who they hurt.

As if I didn’t have enough to worry about, mobster Victor Draconi is plotting against Devon and the rest of my friends, and someone’s going around Cloudburst Falls murdering monsters. One thing’s for sure. Sometimes, humans can be more monstrous than anything else…

My review: Another great installment in this new series by Ms Estep. This second book focuses around the Tournament of Blades – think Harry Potter’s Triwizard tournament – featuring competitors from all the main houses, including swoony Devon and our heroine, Lila. Deah Draconi is the reigning champion, which gives the Sinclairs added impetus to do well.

I really enjoyed the twists of the tournament and the revelations about Lila and the Draconis. Estep kept the action coming, and even though I figured out the baddie well in advance, the ending was very satisfying. Romance took a bit of a back seat to the action, but the UST between Lila and Devon finally came to a head – yay! The teaser for the next book has me giddy with anticipation for the third book. Oh, and another beautiful cover.

***Disclaimer: This e-ARC was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Huge thanks to them. ***

My rating: 5/5

Amazon

Stacking the Shelves #18

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

Welcome back to Stacking the Shelves, a regular meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga’s Reviews. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the latest books you have added to your shelves, physical or virtual.  This means you can include books you buy in store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course e-books!

Following on from last week, when I got a bit carried away on Netgalley, I had a few more books approved for me to review. The first was Nirvana, by J.R. Stewart, which I was invited to review as part of Netgalley’s 2015 challenge. I love the cover and think it should be really interesting.

The second was This Book Will Change Your Life, by Amanda Weaver, who is one of my favourite fandom authors now publishing original stories. Really looking forward to this one.

And to cap off the week, I was granted access to Dark Heart of Magic, by Jennifer Estep, which is the second book in her excellent Black Blade series. I loved the first book, Cold Burn of Magic,  so much (read my review HERE) so I may just have to drop everything to read this straight away. Very pretty cover on this one, too.

I spent the last of my Amazon gift card on Heart-Shaped Hack, by Tracey Garvis-Graves. I participated in some of the blog tour for this but hadn’t received an ARC, so just had to buy it. It really looks like my kind of book.

So that’s it for this week. Keep an eye out for my reviews of these in coming weeks. So what new books did you pick up this week? Let me know in the comments.

Stacking the Shelves #11

 

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

Welcome back to Stacking the Shelves, a regular meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga’s Reviews. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the latest books you have added to your shelves, physical or virtual.  This means you can include books you buy in store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course e-books! Here is my haul from this week.

Pre-ordered from Amazon

I missed a week, not having bought anything in the last week of May, but this week has been a different story, with a whole lot of my pre-orders being issued. I received my pre-order of Suddenly One Summer by Julie James from Amazon. She’s an auto-buy for me and I can’t wait to start it. That cover is so pretty! Also, because it was only 99c on Kindle, I bought Karma Girl by Jennifer Estep – another auto-buy for me.

Purchased from Amazon

I also received my pre-order of two novellas: One Night With You by Marie Force from Audible, and Honeymoon from Hell Part 1 by R.L. Mathewson from iBooks (purple covers for the win!).

Pre-ordered from Audible

 

Pre-ordered from iBooks

Finally, Netgalley granted my request for Thank You, Goodnight by Andy Abramowitz, which sounds like a fun read.

Approved request from Netgalley

Keep an eye out for my reviews of these in coming weeks. So what new books did you pick up this week? Let me know in the comments.

Cold Burn of Magic, by Jennifer Estep

Format: e-ARC, 368 pages

Publisher: Kensington

Published: April 28, 2015

ISBN: 9781617738241

Genre: YA paranormal

Back cover blurb: There Be Monsters Here. . .

It’s not as great as you’d think, living in a tourist town that’s known as “the most magical place in America.” Same boring high school, just twice as many monsters under the bridges and rival Families killing each other for power.

I try to keep out of it. I’ve got my mom’s bloodiron sword and my slightly illegal home in the basement of the municipal library. And a couple of Talents I try to keep quiet, including very light fingers and a way with a lock pick.

But then some nasty characters bring their Family feud into my friend’s pawn shop, and I have to make a call–get involved, or watch a cute guy die because I didn’t. I guess I made the wrong choice, because now I’m stuck putting everything on the line for Devon Sinclair. My mom was murdered because of the Families, and it looks like I’m going to end up just like her. . .

My review: The Elemental Assassin series is one of my favourites, so it was no surprise I jumped at the chance to get an ARC copy of Jennifer Estep’s first new Black Blade book. Lila Merriweather is like a teenage Gin Blanco: orphaned, kickass, has magical talent, and who gets her jobs from a shopkeeper with hidden connections. There is even mention of her holidaying in Ashland. Lila is just a teen, though, so she still goes to school and is more vulnerable than Gin, which gives us a lot of scope for development.

When a kidnapping attempt happens before her eyes in Mo’s shop, she is compelled to step in and help, earning her the gratitude of one of the ruling families but gaining an enemy of another. She ends up going to work for the Sinclair Family as bodyguard to the kidnapping target, Devon, a swoony boy Lila can’t help feeling attracted to despite their past.

I loved this book from start to finish, and read it in just a couple of sittings. Estep’s writing is fun and action-packed, and there is just enough UST between Lila and Devon to keep me wanting more. The secondary characters are well realised, and I especially liked Oscar the redneck pixie. The lochness is also a great addition to the story. Beautiful cover, fantastic story, and I can’t wait until book 2 comes out in October!

***Disclaimer: This e-ARC was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Huge thanks to them. ***

My rating: 5/5

Amazon

Stacking the Shelves #1

Hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

Welcome to Stacking the Shelves, my first time at this regular meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga’s Reviews. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the latest books you have added to your shelves, physical or virtual.  This means you can include books you buy in store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course e-books! Below is my haul from this week – can you spot a theme, lol?

Yes, I’m a fan of Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassin series, and recently finished Kiss of Venom, book 8.5. Of course, that meant I had to buy book 9, Heart of Venom, and it seemed I couldn’t resist books 10 and 11 as well! One-clicking is a dangerous thing!

Add to that, last week I joined Netgalley, and the first book I was accepted for was the first in Estep’s brand new series, Cold Burn of Magic, due to be published on April 28 by Kensington. The blurb is really interesting and I’m looking forward to getting started on the ARC.

Back cover blurb: There Be Monsters Here. . .

It’s not as great as you’d think, living in a tourist town that’s known as “the most magical place in America.” Same boring high school, just twice as many monsters under the bridges and rival Families killing each other for power.

I try to keep out of it. I’ve got my mom’s bloodiron sword and my slightly illegal home in the basement of the municipal library. And a couple of Talents I try to keep quiet, including very light fingers and a way with a lock pick.

But then some nasty characters bring their Family feud into my friend’s pawn shop, and I have to make a call–get involved, or watch a cute guy die because I didn’t. I guess I made the wrong choice, because now I’m stuck putting everything on the line for Devon Sinclair. My mom was murdered because of the Families, and it looks like I’m going to end up just like her. . .

Keep an eye out for my reviews of these in coming weeks!