HURRY DONT MISS........

DONT MISS THIS SUPER DEAL!!!!!!!

At Discount books you can get Jennifer Armintout's Qof-L for Only .25 cents!!!

Special first time buyer special....gets $5.00 off first order.......grab it quick!!!

Otherwise you can purchase at the BookDepo for 6.73!!! Follow the Link!!!!!!

Discount Book Sale

Love your friendly Seeker........

Review BWB Hostess: Intertwined by Gena Showalter

 
Title: Intertwined
By: Gena Showalter
Reading Level: Young Adult

Book Whisperer Rating:

Book Description:

Most sixteen-year-olds have friends. Aden Stone has four human souls living inside him:

 One can time-travel.

• One can raise the dead.
• One can tell the future.
• And one can possess another human.  

With no other family and a life spent in and out of institutions, Aden and the souls have become friends. But now, they’re causing him all kinds of trouble.  

Like, he’ll blink and suddenly he’s a younger Aden, reliving the past. One wrong move, and he’ll change the future. Or, he’ll walk past a total stranger and know how and when she’s going to die. 

He’s so over it. All he wants is peace. 

And then he meets a girl who quiets the voices. Well, for as long as he’s with her. Why? Mary Ann Gray is his total opposite. He’s a loner; she has friends. He doesn’t care what anyone thinks; she tries to make everyone happy. And while he attracts the paranormal, she repels it. For her sake, he should stay away. But it’s too late. . .  

Somehow, they share an inexplicable bond of friendship. A bond about to be tested by a werewolf shape-shifter who wants Mary Ann for his own and a vampire princess Aden can’t resist. Two romances, both forbidden. . . doomed. Still, the four will enter a dark underworld of intrigue and danger. . . but not everyone will come out alive. . .

My Review: This was not what I had expected after attempting to read several of Gena Showalters adult books; I was entranced after the first couple chapters. The build up of this story has you guessing everytime you turn around about what the outcome of the book will be; only to be wrong when you read on. Especially, once introduce to Elijah's and his visions the reader is giving glimpses of the future to insure assumptions for the future. Victoria and Aden were a prime example of this for their relationship. We are told about Victoria from the beginning and then were lead along with Mary Ann only to find that she was not the girl in Elijah's visions at all. Ultimately, I was impressed with Showalters writing ability where many books the relationship is immediate and unwarranted; Intertwined did not leave me with this feeling. The relationship was immediate, but Aden visions of her prior to their meeting lead the reader through a build up of emotions so it appears to Aden was in love with a dream that becomes his reality. As if that was not enough, I have never read a story that contained two couples both of which gave me the warm and tingly feeling that accompanies a wonderfully created romance. I was shocked to find this with both couples in this book. Showalter did not follow the typical steortypes of characters in this book, making Intertwined unique and captivating. Intertwined was a diamond in the ruff that I had not anticipated.

 Discussion Questions:

 #1 Do you feel the ending was cut short and needed more to be resolved before the book ended?

I felt Intertwined was concluded much like most of the other books we read. They left on that CLIFF O DEATH so that we can sit and stew on what is going to happen in the next book. I look forward to continuing with this series.

 #2 Regarding Question #1, what are your thoughts on series books? For one you get more and more and more - depending on how long the series drags on - for another some series leave you with very little resolution at the end of the novels, i.e. the Merry Gentry series where only a couple of hours pass within the time span of one book. Do you find this is just an authors way of having guaranteed book sales - or do you really enjoy series and love reading about your fav characters over and over again? 

I enjoy series of book, granted there are authors will a few series that it seems in the end the books lose their steam and become harder to read because they do not have the momentum that the first few did. That being said, there are also series that have double digit books that are still running. I believe it is part of being an awesome author to know when you fifteen minutes are up with a particular series or book. That is what makes them the greats that we keep turning too.

#3 Which "trapped" soul was your favorite and do you see potential in the future story lines with the remaining three?

Eve was my favorite, and I feel that this author is already starting to lead us in a direction. Therefore, my hopes are already set for that soul. (Trying not to spoil to much.)

 

#4 When a larger-than-life character such as Vlad Tepes aka Dracula is used as a side-plot character do you believe it gives the story a more factual base, or makes it less real?

 

I felt Vlad to be an awesome charater in the book. It added emphasis to that fact that Mary Ann and Aden powers are so strong. Although, I was very put out by the fact that he was killed off so easily in the end of the book. I expected a little more, but I do feel that if he had continued in the story line it could potentially have taken away from the story. He is a larger-than-life character, so a character in theory was fine to actually be present in the story would have been different.


#5 What did you think of the side plot involving Tucker and Penny? Do you think the issues from that plot were adequately resolved?

 

This was a building block for Riley and Mary Ann. This being a side plot was an opportunity for Riley, and I do not think the relationship would have been as powerful and as well created without this side plot.

 

#6 What is your best guess as to what Aden Stone's superpower is - the power he possess without his souls? 

This is one tough question. If I was to guess I would guess that his ability is to see the dead. When Aden spoke to John he seemed surprised that he was able to see a dead person, so I would think this was a power he was no familiar with. Aden already knew what all of his spirits powers were so I would assume his would be the only one left.

HBIC Editor Review - Parajunkee

H B I C R E V I E W  - by Parajunkee

Because of the intensity of Intertwined, these reviews tend to be long winded - *cough cough* not naming any names. So, I've chopped my review up a bit - took out the replay - and just have my thoughts on the story.  Figure you don't need my version of the events.  You can read my review in it's entirety, synopsis and all, on my personal blog site. 

Intertwined, aptly named, because it was choked full of twist, turns and everything that could possibly happen to 1, 2, 10 main characters. Ms. Showalter throws everything at you, and while it might get confusing at times, I was able to follow it very easily. The book is a testament to Showalter’s skill as a writer, for she kept everything moving, the tone of the book was consistent and the writing was spot on and flowed well. This was my first Gena Showalter book, and so far I am impressed with her skills. 

My favorite parts and dislikes regarding this book all revolved around the side characters. I believe too many characters were introduced and she should have stuck to a chosen few… the character I want to see more of is Riley. I hope he gets more play in the next books. Nothing like the dark and dangerous male to spice up your reading environment.

I wasn’t too impressed with Mary Ann, I think her characteristics weren’t very believable. Fifteen years old and obsessed with becoming a shrink? Reading clinical papers to impress her father – the man as a shrink himself should have put her on meds. Then dating a guy (Tucker) you could tell she didn’t really like, just because he called her beautiful every now and again. Accepting a werewolf was mentally talking to her without a little bit of freak out??? C’mon, didn’t like her.

Another peev of mine was all the side plots and extra nonsense throughout the story. There was just way too much. All these extra paranormals…they could have popped up in the second book. I also thought the D&M ranch restricted Aden’s movements throughout the story – I think Showalter could have done without it. She could have written Aden into a foster home with guardians that didn’t pay much attention and go the same results from the book. Instead she put him in this environment and it led him into a lot of extra nonsense that had no bearing to the main gist of the story. The character of Dan could have been eradicated – the fact that Aden was practically calling him Papa was ridiculous. Shannon and that other druggie (can’t keep track of all the names) could have been eradicated. All the trips vampy Victoria had to make to erase memories and hypnotize could have been eradicated…leaving the plot not so confusing.

Other than that, well written, faced paced, enjoyable read. 

I give Intertwined a BWB rating of 3

Discussion Questions:

#1  Do you feel the ending was cut short and needed more to be resolved before the book ended?
Yes, I believe that this book felt like a Part I in a larger novel.

#2 Regarding Question #1, what are your thoughts on series books? For one you get more and more and more - depending on how long the series drags on - for another some series leave you with very little resolution at the end of the novels, i.e. the Merry Gentry series where only a couple of hours pass within the time span of one book. Do you find this is just an authors way of having guaranteed book sales - or do you really enjoy series and love reading about your fav characters over and over again?

I tend to get aggravated with these drawn out series.  I'm big on resolution and hate when something is left open-ended.  I enjoy series novels that have a defined plot line and resolutions within the frame of that one book are my favorites.  The Harry Potter series - each book was separated by a year in Hogwarts.  Even though I'm not a big fan, I like the wan Nora Roberts handles her series sometimes, where she separates the books by couples.  So if it is a trilogy, there are six main characters, there is a final resolution, or battle in the final book, but each book ends with resolution.

#3 Which "trapped" soul was your favorite and do you see potential in the future story lines with the remaining three?

I didn't really like any of the trapped souls. Easy answer but it is the truth. 

#4  When a larger-than-life character such as Vlad Tepes aka Dracula is used as a side-plot character do you believe it gives the story a more factual base, or makes it less real?

I think Vlad was there for a reason.  He was there to put a dark face on the vampires in this novel.  I think it was an easy way out for the author.  But, with all the other characters, it makes sense. 

#5 What did you think of the side plot involving Tucker and Penny?  Do you think the issues from that plot were adequately resolved?

I believe this could have been left out. They should have let Tucker die...and I'm scared of Penny's child if Tucker is that bad, it seems you really can't help being nasty if you are a demon.

#6 What is your best guess as to what Aden Stone's superpower is - the power he possess without his souls?  

Necromancer - I was thinking that the vamps were drawn to him because he might have some kind of power over them, like the Anita Blake character, but that got shot down when all the other supes showed up.

HBIC Review of Intertwined: Emily @ What Book is That?

Title: Intertwined
Author: Gena Showalter
Page Count: 440 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: young adult, paranormal romance, urban fantasy
Copy for review was purchased by this writer

50 words or less: Aden is the ultimate multi-tasker- he has four souls living inside him, all with special, if inconvenient powers. Mary Ann is an anal-retentive high school student who befriends Aden while shutting up the peanut gallery in his head. Things go to hell in a hand basket. Tune in next time...

Dear Intertwined,

I just finished reading you, and I wanted to ask for clarification on a few of your points. I should start off by saying that I enjoyed you for the most part, but there are few tangles (get it? Intertwined TANGLES?!) that I wanted to ask about before I render a final opinion on you. First of all- why was it so hard for you to pick what you were about? First you are about Aden and Mary Ann, then you are about blossoming relationships between Mary Ann and Riley/Aden and Victoria, then you are about vampire politics, then you are about they mysterious quest for Aden and Mary Ann's respective family histories, then you are about Elijah's visions, then you are about a deluge of supernatural tourists into the fair town that is the setting of our story, then you're about vampire politics and Elijah's visions again! Would it have been so hard to pick just a few of those elements and be about those? Pro tip: trying to do everything at once means that things tend to not get done well, and I'm afraid I felt a little of that going on here.

Second of all, Intertwined, why the cast of thousands in the story? You had great character development for the four main characters (well, three of them anyway- Riley didn't get squat for character development but maybe there's more to come in a future book? Either way, I'll excuse that for now...) but other people, like Dan, whoever his social worker/girlfriend was (incidentally, I did not buy that "I only flirt with her to get you guys stuff" line ONE BIT, thank you very much,) and Shannon (why was he even IN this book?) got no character development whatsoever! Maybe if we had fewer twists and turns in the plot we could have had a better inkling of what the story was actually about and who was actually important to that story.

Third, and this is just a personal pet peeve, what was up with Tucker and Penny? You took two characters I didn't like from the get go and, as if such a thing was necessary, made me dislike them even more! I don't care how sorry they are, what they did was wrong. Drunk, not drunk, thinking, not thinking, in my little corner of the universe, your actions have consequences, and you not liking those consequences doesn't make them disappear. Does everyone make mistakes? Sure. Does saying "I'm sorry" make those mistakes go away? Not hardly. Sexual irresponsibility isn't sexy, people, and I'm not sure I liked the subtle hint that forgive and forget is the best way to deal with these types of situations. It will, however, make for an excellent Blog With Bite discussion question, so I guess there's that.

I'm going to climb back down off my soapbox and wrap this letter up by saying that I genuinely feel your pain, Intertwined. I feel the suffering you underwent as the first book in this series to not only introduce all the characters (all the characters...) but also to outline all the backstory and speculate on all the themes and plot elements. I feel like the first book in a series is almost doomed to experience all this suffering because otherwise the series never goes anywhere. I do think, though, that a bit of a plot diet might have helped not only to slim you down, but also make the story a little more streamlined and the details a little more memorable. I'll leave it at that, Intertwined. You have enough things to worry about.

Sincerely,
Emily

*****

Wow. That was basically all I had to say after I finished Intertwined. I was so excited to read it; I love Gena Showalter's other books, but I think this particular novel made clear to me that, at least in my opinion, Gena Showalter's talents lie in her novels targeted at adults. I just couldn't get completely on board with Intertwined- I thought it was too tangled for its own good and, ultimately, introduced a lot of elements that bogged the story down instead of adding detail and nuance.

I thought the characters were very realistic and well-done, but I did have an issue with Mary Ann. Maybe it's just me, but I think that someone with a fifteen year life plan who wants to be a clinical psychologist to make her daddy happy isn't going to just accept the existence of werewolves and vampires and someone's head being a halfway house for souls. Nope, she's going to drink Thorazine out of a sippy cup and run, not walk, to the nearest inpatient clinic. For someone as tightly wound as Mary Ann, she didn't seem to have a whole lot of problems with the woo woo factor that just showed up on her door, and I found that really hard to believe.

Easily my least favorite element of the story was the side plot with Penny and Tucker. See my open letter to Intertwined above. UGH.

I guess what I'm trying to say is this: I appreciate that this book does not take the traditional and well-traveled path of following one couple's relationship from beginning to end over the course of the book, and then moving on to follow another couple in the next book in the series. Instead, Intertwined follows two couples simultaneously, plus a host of other plots and stories. This is an interesting approach, to be sure, but what ended up happening was a lack of movement in the plot until about three quarters of the way through the story. New characters and elements kept getting introduced and then seemingly cast aside in favor of more introductions. Then, right at the end, a whole bunch of stuff happened very quickly, and if I didn't already know that there was a second book in the works, it would have become abundantly clear to me at that point.

This isn't to say I completely hated the book; I actually enjoyed it for the most part. I will say, however, that I did feel like I needed a flow chart to keep up with everything and that a little more depth would have been appreciated, as opposed to the seemingly endless breadth that the story actually provided. I'll probably read the next book when it comes out next fall, but I'll be honest and say I'll probably get it from the library.

Overall Grade: B
Blog with Bite rating: 3

*****
Discussion Questions
#1 Do you feel the ending was cut short and needed more to be resolved before the book ended?I knew going into this book that it was the start of a series, but even with that knowledge I thought the ending was a bit...quick. It almost felt like the first and second books were once connected and then CHOP! the book was cut in half and the end of Intertwined was almost randomly determined. I felt like we established the hell out of the premise of the book but didn't really advance much beyond that point.

#2 Regarding Question #1, what are your thoughts on series books? For one you get more and more and more - depending on how long the series drags on - for another some series leave you with very little resolution at the end of the novels, i.e. the Merry Gentry series where only a couple of hours pass within the time span of one book. Do you find this is just an authors way of having guaranteed book sales - or do you really enjoy series and love reading about your fav characters over and over again? For me, it really depends on the series. There are some series where I can read volume after volume in a row and never get tired, even if some of the story elements tend to get recycled, and there are other series that seem to have "contractual obligation" written all over them. It really depends for me on how the series is crafted- if there are characters that I care about, plots that interest me, elements that are unique or attention-grabbing. Bottom line: some people can write serial novels and some people can't. I think a lot of my issues with Intertwined stem from the fact that I LOVE Gena Showalter's other series (Alien Huntress and Lords of the Underworld both,) and maybe had (dare I say) unfairly high expectations for this book.

#3 Which "trapped" soul was your favorite and do you see potential in the future story lines with the remaining three?Caleb was the most intriguing for me- I feel like we really didn't get to know much about him; Eve got a lot of attention because of her real identity, Julian got a lot of attention because of the whole instant zombie thing, and Elijah got a lot of attention because of the prophecies and visions, but we didn't really hear from Caleb a whole lot except for when he was sexually harassing Aden or the other souls, so it will be interesting to see what happens to him in the future.

#4 When a larger-than-life character such as Vlad Tepes aka Dracula is used as a side-plot character do you believe it gives the story a more factual base, or makes it less real? I've come across books that use historical characters as side plot characters very well- Karen Chance's Cassie Palmer series comes to mind. I like it when the characters retain their historical reputations but are worked into the story in a new way. I don't think that's necessarily what happened here- I think Vlad was used because he could inspire appropriate levels of creepiness and horror without having to go into a lot of detail to get to that point. The story isn't about Vlad though, so it didn't detract from the story.

#5 What did you think of the side plot involving Tucker and Penny? Do you think the issues from that plot were adequately resolved?I HATED THIS SUBPLOT. Why was it even in the book? It's hard to get into a lot of detail without getting into spoiler territory, but suffice it to say, Penny did not act like a best friend to Mary Ann, and Tucker did not act like a boyfriend to Mary Ann. They acted like selfish jerks. Then they had the audacity to try to blame their bad decisions on Mary Ann! Mary Ann is hurting, and the best response anyone can come up with is "everything happens for a reason and maybe Penny did you a favor in getting you to get rid of Tucker." SHUT UP. I really hope this whole debacle was just a red herring or to add flavor to the story because I don't see a particular need for more details about this in future books. Just saying.

#6 What is your best guess as to what Aden Stone's superpower is - the power he possess without his souls?I think Aden's power is is his souls, his ability to "trap" them within himself. I wonder if we're going to see a new soul take up residence in Chez Aden in the future, since it seems that he's able to attract the souls without knowing he's doing it.

HBIC Seeker Review on Intertwined

BWB Seeker Review on Intertwined by Tina at Tinasbookreviews
Well my brain feels intertwined after reading this one! The story line was fantastic of course. Before I read this I didn’t read any reviews on it so I only knew the synopsis. I was a bit leery because my first response was hmmm hope this isn’t about demon possession as I don’t care for stories like that..(I saw The Exorcist when I was 13 at a slumber party...I had nightmares for MONTHS....months I tell you and I can still vividly remember that freaky movie) but it wasn’t anything near demons, so to my ease I was able to continue.Jeepers the first chapter was a creep fest with the cemetery action and the fantastic meeting of Aden and Mary Ann, which I thought was a fabulous opening. I seriously felt like I was in the book, everything went silent even in my thoughts and everything felt like slow motion just like in a movie. It gave me the chills just reading it. The moaning souls and descriptions of the raised dead were fantastically creepy. I fell in love with Aden’s character almost from page one, here you have this young guy who grew up in and out of mental institutions, abandoned by both his parents no one has ever understood or even tried to believe in him....(shouting, I believe in you Aden!) the only friends he has are the souls inside him. Aden is misunderstood and rough around the edges and labeled as violent. When you walk by a cemetery though and are able to raise the dead being violent comes in handy against flesh eating zombies! Aden is the new guy in town living at a ranch for troubled boys. It’s the real first break he's had in a long time and he begins going to the local high school with one agenda...find Mary Ann. Aden is ready for peace and ready for a normal life, but peace isn’t a word Aden knows and he longs for it. For some reason unbeknownst to him Mary Ann quiets the voices in his head and he feels content for the first time. Although you might think these two would have a romance the book isn’t about that...the romance comes later for Mary Ann and Aden only with a vampire and a werewolf. Yup you heard right and it doesn’t stop there, every magical creature you can think of is in this fast paced, twisty story. Werewolves, witches, wizards, goblins, fairies, vampires, Vlad the Impaler... I think even a smurf showed up..(No just kidding).

There’s so much more information in this book I’m getting dizzy just trying to write a review on it!! Quickly though: Victoria is a powerful princess vampire and is also betrothed to the next in line powerful take over the throne vampire but she’s in love with Aden so that puts a plunger in the situation. Riley is a shape shifting werewolf and in love with Mary Ann. Then there’s the four souls who all bring unique personalities to the book but the only soul I really connected to was Eve and only because I think this was her book, with the direction this book took I think each soul will eventually have their moment to shine and be free to rest.... wow is your head spinning yet?I must admit the sneaky side of me really wanted Aden to fall for Mary Ann and not Victoria...Victoria was a nice character I liked the gothic feel she had and her royal background, but from the first boom in the cemetery I was like Oh yes these two are going to fall in love. Unfortunately the author had other plans. Besides the very fast romance developments the dynamics worked.

My only dislike with the book was the very rushed end. After an emotional chapter (yes I’m a sap I think I even got a bit teary) I had all this build up and all this tension and all this Oh my gosh it’s coming....and then the book kind of goes crazy and ends. I guess the ending I saw coming did not come; it was good but it just ENDED! So now I have to wait for the next one. Nothing like sitting on the edge of your seat only to fall off it and be like whhhhaaattt???

I liked reading this even with the crazy plots and ALL the characters. I will read the rest of the series.
4/5 YA Paranormal, Vampires and everything under the sun....and moon...

#1 Do you feel the ending was cut short and needed more to be resolved before the book ended?
Yes...the ending was a bit strange, I didnt see the whole Aden becoming the Vampire King...hmmm what?? I think the ending was cut short with a confusing cliff hanger.

#2 Regarding Question #1, what are your thoughts on series books? For one you get more and more and more - depending on how long the series drags on - for another some series leave you with very little resolution at the end of the novels, i.e. the Merry Gentry series where only a couple of hours pass within the time span of one book. Do you find this is just an authors way of having guaranteed book sales - or do you really enjoy series and love reading about your fav characters over and over again? I enjoy series...it depends how deeply I love the characters. Sometimes though like with the Stephanie Plum novels a series needs to end. Characters resolve the issues and need to move on as does the reader. Sales will always play a factor. I think Ms.Gena put tons of storyline/characters in this to for sure have a set of books in the works.
#3 Which "trapped" soul was your favorite and do you see potential in the future story lines with the remaining three? I think Caleb was my favorite, although I connected with Eve in this one because it was her story. Im wondering what connection he has with those creepy witches.
#4 When a larger-than-life character such as Vlad Tepes aka Dracula is used as a side-plot character do you believe it gives the story a more factual base, or makes it less real?Vlad was used so much in the background I didnt think it effected the story. On the other hand had we really got to meet him Id say...cheese fest.....and not believable.
#5 What did you think of the side plot involving Tucker and Penny? Do you think the issues from that plot were adequately resolved?Nonsense, it really didnt need to be in the story. I see how the author wanted to establish Mary Ann with a "life" but not necessary.
#6 What is your best guess as to what Aden Stone's superpower is - the power he possess without his souls? I think he is going to be a power sucker, take others power for himself....or maybe he's going to become a Vampire.......

Intertwined Discussion Questions

#1  Do you feel the ending was cut short and needed more to be resolved before the book ended?

#2 Regarding Question #1, what are your thoughts on series books? For one you get more and more and more - depending on how long the series drags on - for another some series leave you with very little resolution at the end of the novels, i.e. the Merry Gentry series where only a couple of hours pass within the time span of one book. Do you find this is just an authors way of having guaranteed book sales - or do you really enjoy series and love reading about your fav characters over and over again?


#3 Which "trapped" soul was your favorite and do you see potential in the future story lines with the remaining three?

#4  When a larger-than-life character such as Vlad Tepes aka Dracula is used as a side-plot character do you believe it gives the story a more factual base, or makes it less real?

#5 What did you think of the side plot involving Tucker and Penny?  Do you think the issues from that plot were adequately resolved?

#6 What is your best guess as to what Aden Stone's superpower is - the power he possess without his souls?

1st Book for November- Queene of Light!

The polls are closed, and the first book selection for November is......

Queene of Light by Jennifer Armintrout! Sign ups are open for this book now, and will close on November 14th. It's also not too late to sign up for Intertwined by Gena Showalter- signups close October 24th so make sure to sign up as soon as possible! The review deadline for Intertwined is October 28th.

The second book for November is Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater, so if you're interested in reading and reviewing that title, you have time to get your hands on a copy.

While all these things are in the works, here are some other things you can do to help make Blog with Bite a bigger, better experience:

• Read and comment on the other reviews for past books- Never Cry Werewolf and Covet.
  
• Enter the Contest with Bite to win Vampires by Joules Taylor and Werewolves by Jon Izzard!
  
• Check out who's following Blog with Bite- as of this writing we have 84 followers!
  

BWB's Covet Top Reviewer

By Moonsanity at The Wayfaring Writer

Support her blog by becoming a follower!

Here is her review:

The author grabbed me right from the first sentence of the prologue:

"Demon was such a nasty word. "

That one sentence had me wanting to read more, and the questions were already rushing into my brain: Are demons bad? Are they neutral? Will they be corporeal? Many books start off with a prologue that is necessary, but often more along educational or historical lines. I will find myself skimming to get to the guts of the book faster. J.R. Ward uses the prologue to educate, amuse and to lead us into the story with flair, so I soaked it up instead of skimming.
We meet our main character Jim Heron in the first chapter and immediately wonder if he isn't about to get himself into trouble. The author is very descriptive of both people and places, but not so much that it slows the book down. In the first chapter we meet all but one of the main characters. Ward uses humor and sarcasm in her writing along with pop culture references, and slang. She never sugar coats her characters. They jump out of the pages with their good traits and their flaws.
We meet Jim before he finds out about his mission to save souls, which will be the ongoing plot in the book series. As the book goes on we discover much about him as a person and how he deals with his past and his future. Covet has plenty of twists and turns as we are taken through a gambit of emotions. I laughed out loud at many things, cried at a couple of others, and shared anger with the characters as they suffered. Ward doesn't allow us to feel "neutral" about her characters. We may think we don't care at first, but by the end of the book we are right there, either loving or hating them.

For me, Covet was a nonstop read, though not necessarily a fast read because of it's complexity. I loved the book from start to finish. I highly recommend it to fans of urban fantasy, and paranormal romance. If you love books with romance, action, battles against good and evil plus good old fashioned butt kicking thrown in you will love this book.
Random Notes: This is not a book for teens in my opinion. Some scenes are what I would call extremely steamy, though,to me, that is a side bonus to the action. It's not the focus of the story though. I tell my teens that they can read this book (or other adult reads) when they are over 40 like me.

There are some cool crossovers from Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood books that will tickle her fans, but first time readers of her books won't be confused in the least.

A Contest with Bite!

Welcome to the first ever Blog with Bite Contest - courtesy of Karen @ MM Publicity. Karen has kindly offered to give away 4 sets of  VAMPIRES by Joules Taylor and WEREWOLVES by Jon Izzard!


Vampires Synopsis: (From Amazon.com) Dangerous yet seductive, the vampire plays with our heart as he preys with our soul, commanding respect and inspiring complete devotion.

 For anyone touched by the vampire's flight through recent movies, TV shows and novels, here is a feast of vampire stories and lore. Charting the development of the vampire from prince of pure evil to poignant anti-hero, the VAMPIRE HANDBOOK, is a comprehensive guide to the vampire's nocturnal realm, exploring the dark mysteries of his eternal allure, irresistible charm and vulnerability.


Werewolves Synopsis: (From Amazon.com)

From ancient legend to pop-culture icon, from monster to antihero, here is a complete look at werewolves.

Fans of the complex beasts will howl with pleasure at this passionate handbook incorporating legend, lore, trivia and art. Author Jon Izzard stalks both the fiction and the facts: transformations, inner rage, extra-human strength, silver bullets, mysterious curses, modern cures and more.  With werewolves now haunting movie screens and literature the way they have haunted our nightmares for millennia, readers won't wait for the full moon to devour this fascinating volume.

The books are perfect for the Halloween season and for anyone wanting to get the 411 on vamps and wolves. These books are beautifully laid out and stuffed full of information on the top two paranormal creatures in pop culture.

Rules:

You Have to be  Blog with Bite Follower
Open to US, Puerto Rico & Canada only.  Also no PO Boxes.
Contest ends Halloween @ Midnight CST.


Want Extra Entries? Here they are:

+2 Posting on Your Blog - Leave a link
+1 Sidebar Promotions
+1 Tweet - Leave twitter @
+1 Tell us who referred you

HBIC Review of Covet: Emily @ What Book is That?

Title: Covet
Author: J.R. Ward
Page Count: 474 pages
Publisher: Signet
Genre: Urban Fantasy

50 words or less: The ultimate showdown between good and evil is boiling down to one dude and his ability to sway people away from their self-destructive paths. Jim Heron is a fallen angel; Vin diPietro is a avaricious real estate mogul- can Vin be saved? More to the point, can Vin save himself?

I first heard about Covet from Amazon and have been excited about its release pretty much from day one. I confess myself a huge fan of Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series so the idea of a slightly related series set in sort of the same world was really appealing.

With that said, I have a rule when I'm reading books, a rule that I'm surely not the first person to come up with or use- the fifty page rule. This rule states that if a book isn't interesting to me or I'm not motivated to keep reading after fifty pages, I put that book aside and read something else. There's way too many books in the world to keep plugging through something that's just not ringing your proverbial bell.

I'm sad to say that that almost happened to me with Covet. Notice I said almost. The first fifty pages of the book epitomized to me the weaker points of other Ward books I've read- the overall story arc is kind of shoehorned into the prologue and expressed through a really, really drawn out sports metaphor and is then spelled out again and again thereafter. The characters are dark and dreary and in situations that seem hopeless, both to them and to the reader. The slang was so heavy and liberally used that it makes you wonder if there's a secret decoder ring out there that interprets the story. Case and point (oddly enough, this section comes from precisely page 50):

Thanks to being in the military, he'd learned that when you came to and didn't know where you were, it was better to possum it until you had some intel.

What? I'll admit, one of the things that I enjoy the most about the Black Dagger Brotherhood series was the use of language and the way the characters talk to each other and express themselves, but the same technique that worked so well in that series is almost comical here.

I was inches away from setting the book aside when, as if by magic, someone gave the plot the Heimlich and the story really took off in a big way. The premise of the book really blossomed and became actualized when Jim, the government assassing turned fallen angel, met up with Vin diPietro, the first charge in Jim's quest to win the battle for the future of humanity. The back stories of the characters, which had seemed cumbersome before, were RIVETING now, and the backstory helped to drive the plot forward and explain why certain events were happening the way they were, why other plot points were set up the way that they were.

Easily my favorite character in the book, though, is Marie-Therese/Gretchen. Marie-Therese is the epitome of a J.R. Ward heroine- she's strong in the face of overpowering obstacles, honest, trustworthy, loving, caring, but not afraid to stand up for herself. She's working hard to overcome the mistakes of her past and has the courage to make new decisions when it becomes apparent that the old ones aren't working anymore. Her backstory is heartbreaking, riveted and detailed; Ward does an excellent job of making you care about Marie-Therese and wanting her to win and have her happily ever after.

Vin diPietro is an interesting guy; he's not a real likeable guy in the beginning, but the change that overtakes him throughout the book is interesting to watch, genuine, and easy to believe. The same can be said of Jim- he's mysterious and plays by his own rules, sure, but he also has a core of integrity that despite everything stays strong.

Also, can I just say that I LOVE Devina and the role she plays in the story? I won't say what that role is because that would be a huge spoiler, but suffice it to say that J.R. Ward's descriptions of the supernatural events in Covet absolutely made my skin crawl in just the way you'd want a book like this to do that.

There were also a bunch of cameos in the book from characters from the Black Dagger Brotherhood stories, so spotting them was fun indeed. It makes me wonder if some of the Fallen Angels characters will be making crossover appearances, since apparently you can't spit in Caldwell, NY without hitting one of the players in the battle of good versus evil.

Is this a perfect book? Nope. Is this a decent start to a new series? Sure. Despite a really rocky start I enjoyed the book overall and would be interested in reading the rest of the series.

Overall Grade: B
Blog With Bite Score: 3



*****
Question #1: Did you relate to Jim at all? Did you feel like he was a good choice or worthy of this mission? I think that, within the world that J.R. Ward created for the book, Jim is a plausible choice, since he has to be a mix of good and evil so that the two sides in the cosmic flag football that's being played can attempt to win him completely to one side or the other. I find the idea of Jim as the protagonist easier to accept than the overall premise of the series, to be honest. Are we really supposed to believe that if Jim doesn't manage to convince seven people (out of the billions of people walking around on the planet) to quit being obnoxious, then the cosmos is going to kick out the proverbial plug on humanity? Come on now.

Question #2: How do you feel about the tone of the book? Did you think that there was too much slang/not enough/just enough? How did you feel about the word choice in the book- did it add to your reading of the story or take away from it? The word usage in Covet is easily my biggest complaint about the book. J.R. Ward is known for an edgier, more casual vocabulary in her books and I understand that (even appreciate that in some of her other books,) but here I found it detracted from the story and made a lot of the plot points harder to work with than they needed to be. A little flavor is nice, but after awhile I did catch myself hitting fast forward.

Question #3: When the "fantasy" of the book is based on a belief system that is regarded as truth by some religions (the angels & demons) does it help you relate better with the story, as opposed to a story about vampires and werewolves? The overall concepts behind demons and angels didn't really factor into my reading of the story one way or another, to be honest. I think my issues with the story stemmed more from my issues with the story's construction and my lack of buy-in to the conflict and the setting of the story than anything else.

Question #4: In the opening of this book we read about a football game analogy of Demons verses Angels, even though this is fiction what do you think of Demons in this case Jim the Fallen Angel being portrayed as a "Good Guy"? I hate sports metaphors as a rule and I really didn't like the one that started off Covet in any way, shape or form. Be that as it may, I don't think Jim is supposed to be a demon in the sense that the bad guys in this series are supposed to be demons. I think Jim is supposed to be an angel who's not as good as a regular angel and therefore fits the description that the bizarre game that this series is centered around calls for. In some ways, I think that's not a bad thing, since in the realm of people there isn't anyone who's truly, 100% good and everyone has their imperfections, so if the savior of humanity has to come from the ranks of humanity itself then that hero's going to have a few warts, so to speak.

Question #5: How do you feel knowing this will be a 7 book series featuring Jim and he might win all of the battles?I'm really hoping Ms. Ward mixes it up a little bit in the rest of the series and either delegates some of the world-saving to the other characters, because otherwise the series is going to read more like a TV show than a dramatic series. I mean, granted, probably the good guys are going to win and the world's going to carry on and all that jazz, but it'd be nice if it wasn't that formulaic. A little drama or suspense would be nice, certainly.