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Showing posts with label Castle of Dark Dreams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Castle of Dark Dreams. Show all posts
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Review: Wicked Memories by Nina Bangs
Wicked Memories
Author: Nina Bangs
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Castle of Dark Dreams #7
ISBN: #978-0425256077
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (304 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher/ NetGalley
About the book:
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Thorn Mackenzie was a young Viking when he met Sparkle Stardust long ago. She used him and then abandoned him. Over a thousand years later, he has finally found a way to repay her. Employing his power of persuasion, he assembles a team that can create the ultimate fantasies and illusions. The group will work together in Nirvana, the amazing amusement park Thorn has built—right across the street from Sparkle’s Castle of Dark Dreams. To fight back before Thorn bleeds her business dry, Sparkle must hire a spy.
Kayla Stanley needs extra money, so she reluctantly agrees to do some sneaking and peeking for Sparkle. But as she gets closer to Thorn, she discovers they have a lot more in common than just a need to crush the competition and a willingness to fight dirty. As sexual tension between them mounts, she finds it harder to see the gorgeous Viking as her enemy. But with an evil force working to destroy their city, they may not survive long enough for her to help him overcome his... Wicked Memories.
What B is talking about:
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Setting her sights on law school instead of joining the family P.I. business has left Kayla Stanley in need of additional funding for her education. So, when her father’s most “important client” requests her specifically for a job, she figures it’s a good way to keep her family happy a little longer, and earn some much-needed income at the same time. But, working for cosmic troublemaker Sparkle Stardust isn’t what she expected, and taking on the sexy vampire out to destroy what Sparkle’s built will mean an end to life as Kayla knows it—one way or another.
Living for centuries with nothing but a desire for retribution to keep him warm, Thorn Mackenzie has finally gotten close to his ultimate goal—to take down Sparkle Stardust and the business she holds so dear. Everything about his plan is perfect, except for the stubborn, human investigator she’s hired to help put him out of business first. How can one mortal woman make his heart feel alive after so many years of hatred and denial? Despite all the risks, he’s determined to keep Kayla close, no matter the cost.
This is the second novel in the Castle of Dark Dreams series I’ve read, and while still very entertaining, Wicked Memories doesn’t have the same frivolity I felt in the previous story, Wicked Whispers. That’s not a bad thing in this case, as it gives the denizens of the Castle a chance to really show what they are capable of when they all work together. Although this is Kayla and Thorn’s story, it’s really Sparkle Stardust who sets the overall tone of the book, which, given my increasing familiarity with Ms. Stardust, isn’t a huge surprise.
One thing I’ll say about Ms. Bangs is that she is very adept at matching up unlikely pairs. I liked both Kayla and Thorn a great deal, and even though there doesn’t seem to be any way for them to work out, they are actually quite perfect for each other. While Thorn’s name (which he chooses for himself) is remarkably fitting, it could just as easily apply to Kayla’s aptitude for causing her own brand of trouble. As Kayla struggles to accept the knowledge that humans aren’t the only beings to walk the earth, she finds that she can’t resist the one man she’s been hired to ruin. Thanks to her attraction to Thorn, not only is she no longer desperate to escape her assignment, she very much wants to stay. Thorn is likewise altered, his thoughts of revenge becoming muted by the vibrancy Kayla brings to his world.
Sparkle Stardust and Ganymede’s relationship is the anchor throughout the series, and she is definitely at her best when Ganymede is by her side. Vulnerability simply isn’t a trait I associate with Sparkle, but seeing her perfect veneer start to fray around the edges was refreshing. As was seeing all the nonhumans join in battle to fight off a Norse god looking to relocate to their turf. These characters fight hard and have lots of cool tricks, making for a great, if somewhat easy, fight to the finish.
Wicked Memories is a great addition to the Castle of Dark Dreams series. Even though it works well as a standalone, a familiarity with the other characters would have made it even more enjoyable. I read snippets and overviews from all the other books, which helped, but I regret not having followed the series from the beginning, and I’m enjoying reading them so much that I’d still like to go back to the very first one. I’m not sure what else Ms. Bangs might have in mind for the residents of the Castle, but I sincerely hope that the note of finality present in the last line of the story is an indication of even more adventures to come, rather than an ending.
B’s Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Purchase Info:
Reviews in the Series:
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Monday, October 8, 2012
Review: Wicked Whispers by Nina Bangs
Wicked Whispers
Author: Nina Bangs
Release Date: October 2, 2012
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Castle of Dark Dreams #6
ISBN: #978-0425253137
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (304 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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All Ivy had ever wanted was a safe, secure life with no drama. Now she was working in an adult theme park where visitors came to role-play their wildest imaginings. She reminded herself to stay focused on her job and to ignore everything else. The reminders didn’t work. One man drew her. Murmur was every erotic dream she’d tried to repress, every deliciously dangerous temptation she said she didn’t need. Her instinct suggested that this was a man who walked in darkness. She ignored the warning.
But Murmur was more than what he seemed. A powerful demon, he used his demonic gift to destroy as well as seduce. In desiring him, Ivy had opened herself to a menace born centuries ago—one that would risk both their lives and betray the promises made with every one of his wicked whispers.
What B is talking about:
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Ivy Lowe doesn’t want much: just an absolutely normal, suburban, white-picket fence life. While taking a job as the personal assistant to the owner of an adult theme park called “Live the Fantasy” could certainly be considered a departure from her ultimate goal, the money is too good to pass up. But, no matter how in control she thinks she is, impossible happenings in her new home and a dance on the beach with a stranger she can’t deny quickly prove that things will never be “normal” for Ivy again.
Obligated to stay in the Castle of Dark Dreams because of his only friend’s request for help, Murmur bides his time causing trouble where he can and trying to keep his unused powers from making him insane. As a demon of music he is destruction incarnate, yet the temptation he finds in one demanding, stubborn human woman not only tests the limits of his control, it may even lead to his own annihilation.
Wicked Whispers is an excellent mix of humor, action, and sexual attraction. I laughed most of the way through this story; the unexpected bursts of humor both caught me off guard and lightened up the overall tone of the story. Most of the characters have unpredictable, yet wickedly entertaining personalities, which are combined with an array of impressive powers and usually leads to some hilariously funny situations (like a group of fairies that ends up fighting with one another over who gets to grope a tree in the midst of battle).
Ivy and Murmur are about as incompatible as two characters can be, but they make a wonderful couple because of it. As common a device as this situation may be, it works very well in Wicked Whispers, and both characters’ inability to resist one another are a real pleasure to read. Murmer also happens to be one of the sexiest male leads I’ve read in a long time. He’s a work in progress, to be sure, but he’s got a sense of purpose that keeps him from ever seeming weak. The things he does to Ivy with his gift are awfully hot, too.
This is the first novel I’ve ever read by Nina Bangs, and I’m very happy to say that all the good things I’ve heard about her writing so far seem to be true. Wicked Whispers was, very simply, a lot of fun. From the plot, to the relationships between the characters, Ms. Bangs delivers a solidly good, entertaining read. There still seems to be a lot of potential for this series, and while I’m looking forward to seeing what else might be in store for the denizens of the Castle of Dark Dreams, I’m eager to catch up on the other novels in the series now, as well.
B’s Rating:
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Loved it - enthusiastically recommend (A)
Purchase Info:
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