The Demoness of Waking Dreams (The Company of Angels #2) by Stephanie Chong

Ex-cop Brandon Clarkson is an angel with an edge. His tough exterior is the perfect camouflage for his job—hunting down the most dangerous criminals on earth. A self-reliant and demanding lone wolf, Brandon is the perfect angel to track and capture demoness Luciana Rossetti. Beneath the surface of Luciana's cool, green-eyed beauty lurks the heart of a malevolent killer. In the winding streets of Venice, she lures Brandon into her dark world of pleasure. 

They are perfectly matched. Angel and demon. Man and woman. But only one can win the battle of wills, of strength and of desire.

 This is the second book in this series. Where Demons Fear To Tread is the first book. Luciana is the demoness we meet in the first book. One who seems evil to the core. Her perchant for poisons makes her as dangerous as any arch-demon not just for mortals, but for the immortals walking the earth. She has developed a poison that could even harm them. This is why she was targeted and became a top priority for capture. Unfortunately, it seems that some angels want more than her capture. Luckily for her, the one sent for her, Brandon, is an honorable angel and is unwilling to hurt her regardless of what he is told.

So, I thought this was an interesting twist. The demoness is the brooding evil one and the angelic redeemer is the sweet (albeit hot) male. Granted the male isn't innocent, but sweet enough to make him angelic. There is an insta-attraction between the two, but no necessarily love. This helped me accept it, but it still was a bit too fast for me, but not enough to detract from my enjoyment of their adventure.

With these types of PNR stories, we often have the evil one wanting to be redeemed and you can see their path clearly even with the hazards. However Luciana has no want of redemption and only revenge. Even though you see some of her veneer cracking I was never convinced of her want to become "good", and this bothered me at first. Then I started to understand that this was intentional. She was struggling but could not let go of her need for revenge. She would not, nor could not change until she found forgiveness for those that wronged her... including herself.

Ah... so you figure she found her forgiveness and then found her HEA? Let me just say that the ending is frustrating as it is perfect. If it was any other way I would not have liked it, but at the same time I wanted something different. Heh... I'll let you chew on that one for a bit. *evil laugh*

I give this book 4 stars. I did have some frustrations with the characters but some were minor and some were intentional. I found this interesting and I want the next book so I can find out what happens next. There is a big thread left open (no cliffie) and I want to know where things are heading. :)

I received this book from Wunderkind PR and no compensation for my review was given.

Reaper (Lightbringer #2) by K.D. McEntire

After the death of her mother, Wendy learns that she is part of a powerful and ancient family of Reapers. She has only a matter of days to unravel the mysteries her mother left behind and to convince her wary family to accept her as one of their own.

This is the second book in the Lightbringer series, the first being aptly named, Lightbringer. This is a series that I strongly advise NOT to read out of order. First, it picks up where the last left off and second because the world is a bit complicated you would become lost in the never and I'm not sure you'd find your way out. Now, don't let that scare you. By reading in order the complex world becomes much easier to understand. In other words, it is just so twisty you cannot jump in the middle to untangle this web. However, by starting at the beginning, you have a map in which to follow.

We were left with some holes in the information we sought in the last book and this book does provide some answers. You have to go through some twists and turns to get to those answers, but much greater understanding about Piotr and Wendy's mother Mary are given. However, that sigh of relief is hard to get and frustration on wanting that information does tend to get to you, but even so you are entertained by the adventure getting there. Unfortunately, not all answers are given that are sought. That brings me to my biggest complaint about this book...

Cliffie warning! Yep, this one has a big cliffie. One in which you know that our heros will get out of but not know how. You are also left with a thirst for more knowledge which is not fully quenched. Still, I have to say that this book is a necessity in this series and should not be missed. All the important information you were able to gather goes a long way in understanding the world as well as the adventure.

Now, I'm sure I may have scared a few of you who do not like complex novels. Seriously, if started in order it  isn't as complex as it seems at times. The book does flow and the engaging characters keep you interested and invested in the adventure. I give this book 3 1/2 stars (I deduct 1/2 star for the cliffie) and I do recommend it to the older YA crowd and those that really like a dark twisty world. I am really enjoying this adventure in the alternate world of Peter Pan.

I received this book from Pyr and no compensation for my review was given.

Shades of War by Sarah-Jane Lehoux: Review by AimeeKay

Sometimes the past can't be forgotten. Sometimes the truth refuses to be buried. And sometimes the dead won't stay dead.It began as a simple request: Journey to the Northern Jungles and bring a wayward son back to the safety of his farm and family before the racial tension that is building between humans and dark elves erupts into civil war. But life is never simple for Sevy, and she soon finds herself entangled in a bloody battle of good versus evil, love versus hate.Old friends and enemies reunite, familial bonds are broken, and loyalty is tested. And in the midst of the steamy, sultry jungles, the ghosts of a serial killer's victims come out to play. Sevy, as petulant and irascible as ever, must overcome her personal demons in order to expose a madman and bring peace back to the kingdom. But just how much of her sanity must she sacrifice to help her friends? And how can she save anyone when she can't even save her own soul?

So just finished reading Shades of War, Sarah-Jane Lehoux’s second novel chronicling the adventures of Sevy as she travels through her world. Seriously in love with the world she has created. In my review of Thief I had stated that I hoped to be able to explore more of her world, and in Shades I wasn’t disappointed.

Again, Sevy is still my favorite character, but I really enjoyed getting to know Revik and his wife as well. I really liked some of the new characters and got a kick out of finding out what had happened to ones from Thief as well. Also, as with Thief, the story is told from multiple characters points of view. I think it really let me step into their heads, so to speak, and figure out where they were coming from. It made them seem more solid and believable.

I really enjoyed the story too. Some things I suspected earlier on. Other parts completely took me by surprise and the book had me hooked until the final page. As with Thief, some aspects were bittersweet, but they just added so much to the story. (That’s the closest to a spoiler you’re getting on these two books.) Although I will say that finding out more about what happened to Sevy before she came to Eloria and also about Revik’s past was very interesting and enlightening.

While it is the second book, and there are references to incidents in the first book, I wasn’t lost as to what was going on in the story. But I still think that if you have the opportunity to read them in order you do just that. Because if you read Shades first it will pretty much give away the ending to Thief.

If you’re looking for a new series or just a good book or two to curl up with as the weather gets colder, I definitely recommend these two.

Til Next Time

Melissa's note:

To see the post by Melissa of My World in Words and Pages go HERE! To enter for the giveaway you can enter on that post or just enter in the rafflecopter form below. The giveaway is for both books in pdf format.

Thief by Sarah-Jane Lehoux: Review by AimeeKay

In the crumbling city of Eloria, there is one indisputable fact: everyone has a price. Protestations of morality and better judgment have little meaning when confronted with the chance to obtain the unobtainable. The only question remaining is just how much a person is willing to sacrifice in order to win their heart’s desire. 

Sevy has always been a quick study in the wicked ways of Eloria. She has no qualms about taking what she wants, and when the love of her life is mysteriously murdered, Sevy will stop at nothing to get him back. Elvish black magic, necromancy and demonic pacts are of little consequence if it means she can once again have her beloved at her side. But is she willing to murder her only friend to get the job done?

I enjoyed this book, it really drew me in. I really liked the world that Lehoux has created. The different races and how they interacted. I liked her characters as well. The different parts of the story told from different characters points of view gave me a chance to see inside their heads. I liked Sevy, she was strong and funny. At the same time she was very human, some of her choices just made me want to shake her.

Reading the story reminded me a lot of some of the fantasy novels I read when I was younger. It seemed familiar, but in a good way. I like to try to guess where a story is going while I’m reading it. Certain things I didn’t expect, and after specific events I had pretty much figured out how it was going to end. Even then, I wasn’t disappointed in the ending. Also even though it is the first in a series, it is a stand alone novel, so don’t be worried about cliffies or anything.

I do want to learn more about the rest of the world that Lehoux has created. Thief is the first book in the series. I am hoping that Shades of War, the second book in the series, delves deeper into the different races and cultures of her land. I’m also hoping it is as enjoyable a read as the first.

If you are a fan of traditional fantasy I definitely recommend this one. It was a fresh change of pace from the flood of YA fair that is out there today.

‘Til next time.

Melissa's note:

If you are interested in the book, I'm having a giveaway of the set. Tomorrow is AimeeKay's review of Shades of War the second book in this series. 

To see the post by Melissa of My World in Words and Pages go HERE! To enter for the giveaway you can enter on that post or just enter in the rafflecopter form below. The giveaway is for both books in pdf format.

Blogger Guest Post with Giveaway!

 I'd like to welcome Melissa (no, not me...) of My World in Words and Pages to da blog! She wanted to share a bit about an author she found and the series that captivated her. Melissa and the author is also giving away 3 sets of ebooks! Too cool, right? Well... Melissa... take it away...

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Sevy is a thief living the harsh life in a thief’s world. This is a fantasy series of two books in, Thief and Shades of War, while the third will be released soon, Masquerade. Sarah-Jane Lehoux is daring in her writing style, and I’ve enjoyed it. She takes steps in the first book that many authors may not, and I liked seeing that. Then in the second book we visit a part of the world where we learn more of the Dark Elves and ghosts of different forms make an appearance to Sevy.

Sevy is in no way the perfect “person” as a character, she is flawed and that is what catches my eye with her. She has a dark past that will surface in Shades of War. This is a fantasy read with a dark side, and an adventure to take you on.

Sarah-Jane Lehoux surprised me at the end of Thief with Sevy, and then in Shades of War showed me more of her shocking history and the skeletons in the back of Sevy’s mind.

I have reviews up for both Thief: http://melissa-melsworld.blogspot.com/2011/06/book-review-thief.html and Shades of War: http://melissa-melsworld.blogspot.com/2012/09/book-review-shades-of-war.html Sarah-Jane Lehoux has brought a rainbow of emotions through me with these reads; surprise, tears, and worry.

If you are curious about Sarah-Jane Lehoux and her works, she can be found:
On her site: Sarah-Jane Lehoux ~ http://www.sarah-janelehoux.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/SarahJaneLehoux
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/26083976275/

Thief

In the crumbling city of Eloria, there is one indisputable fact: everyone has a price. Protestations of morality and better judgment have little meaning when confronted with the chance to obtain the unobtainable. The only question remaining is just how much a person is willing to sacrifice in order to win their heart’s desire. 

Sevy has always been a quick study in the wicked ways of Eloria. She has no qualms about taking what she wants, and when the love of her life is mysteriously murdered, Sevy will stop at nothing to get him back. Elvish black magic, necromancy and demonic pacts are of little consequence if it means she can once again have her beloved at her side. But is she willing to murder her only friend to get the job done?

Shades of War

Sometimes the past can't be forgotten. Sometimes the truth refuses to be buried. And sometimes the dead won't stay dead.It began as a simple request: Journey to the Northern Jungles and bring a wayward son back to the safety of his farm and family before the racial tension that is building between humans and dark elves erupts into civil war. But life is never simple for Sevy, and she soon finds herself entangled in a bloody battle of good versus evil, love versus hate.Old friends and enemies reunite, familial bonds are broken, and loyalty is tested. And in the midst of the steamy, sultry jungles, the ghosts of a serial killer's victims come out to play. Sevy, as petulant and irascible as ever, must overcome her personal demons in order to expose a madman and bring peace back to the kingdom. But just how much of her sanity must she sacrifice to help her friends? And how can she save anyone when she can't even save her own soul?

~~~~~~~~~

This series is really getting a lot of attention. Check out Melissa's reviews of these book... they really are quite awesomesauce. :) It's also gaining some great reviews on Goodreads! I can't wait to read it myself!!

3 lucky winners will get the set of books from Sarah-Jane Lehoux! They are PDF format, so the giveaway is INTERNATIONAL! Just fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter. Good Luck!