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Showing posts with label Penguin Publishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Penguin Publishing. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Review: Tethered by Meljean Brook
Tethered
Author: Meljean Brook
Release Date: April 2, 2013
Publisher: Penguin ebook
Iron Seas #2.5
Genre: Steampunk Romance, Novella
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: Author
About the book:
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Surviving on the treacherous Iron Seas requires a heart of steel…but how can Yasmeen hope to survive when her heart has already been stolen by Archimedes Fox…?
Tethered along the south dock of Port Fallow, Captain Yasmeen Corsair’s magnificent new airship, Lady Nergüi, awaits its departure with adventurer and treasure-hunter Archimedes Fox. But this time, Yasmeen, a fearless mercenary who has always prided herself on a heart of steel, has reasons to worry when Miles Bilson, an acquaintance from Archimedes’ earlier smuggling days, sends an urgent message requesting help.
With a past marked by betrayal, Archimedes wonders what his former partner could want—other than revenge. Yasmeen fears that Bilson could threaten everything Archimedes holds dear. Though both Archimedes and Yasmeen love the exhilaration of veering wildly off course, neither is prepared for where there newest risk will take them…or what it might cost them.
What I’m talking about:
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Tethered is a wonderful novella set in Meljean Brook’s Iron Seas series set sometime after the second book, Heart of Steel. Although this story can be read stand alone, it does build upon the events in the second book, and therefore, contains some spoilers from Heart of Steel. Also, I feel those that have read the series will have more emotional investment in the characters.
The story opens with hilarious letters sent between our hero, Archimedes Fox and his sister, Zenobia. Their correspondences set the mood for the story, and although there are extremely serious moments during the book, the letters serve as a reminder that the characters know how to laugh at themselves and enjoy life.
An old associate of Archimedes shows up on board the Lady Nergüi, and soon Fox and Yasmeen find themselves on a rescue mission for which they did not willingly volunteer. But no matter the circumstances, Archimedes and Yasmeen seem to always be on step ahead of the nefarious Miles Bilson.
I adore how much Archimedes loves Yasmeen. Knowing she is carries much sorrow from the loss of her previous airship and its crew, he finds a way to help her deal with the painful memories without compromising the woman she is. The fact that he danced for her, joked and played, then finally loved her so that good memories would replace the bad is so wonderful.
Throughout the entire story, the interaction and play of emotions between Archimedes and Yasmeen is amazing. Ms. Brook has a gift for putting heart and soul into words, allowing an array of emotion and sentiment to leap off the pages. The pair are playful with their words and actions. They accept the other for who they are and accommodate differences out of love. Whether through quiet introspection and subsequent actions or passionate outbursts, the pair can communicate at a level that would make real life couples envious. I adore how much they love one another.
Although there are a few known players in this book, Ms. Brook creates a handful of colorful characters unique to Tethered. She gives each character enough background and page time to provide this novella with the richness of a full-length story. And our villain, Bilson, is desperate and cruel with the shine of a new penny. I wanted to strangle him more than once.
In conclusion, Tethered is an excellent story and perfect sample of Ms. Brook’s storytelling talent in the steampunk romance genre. The depth and range of the plot, characters, and actions are on par with that of a full-length novel. The plot twists are exciting; they never feel contrived, and the story flowed well. The action and adventure kept me on the edge of my seat, but it’s the characters and their stories that give this story and series real heart.
My Rating:
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Loved it - enthusiastically recommend (A)
Reviews in the Series:
Labels:
4.5 stars,
Iron Seas,
Meljean Brook,
novella,
Penguin Publishing,
romance,
steampunk,
Twimom Review
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2
comments
Friday, December 7, 2012
Quickie Review: Miracle in New Hope by Kaki Warner
Miracle in New Hope
Author: Kaki Warner
Release Date: Dec. 11, 2012
Publisher: Penguin
Genre: Historical Romance, Novella, holiday
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: Publisher/NetGalley
About the book:
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Amidst the snowy peaks of the Rocky Mountains in 1871, Daniel Hobart keeps to himself—a man with a hole in his heart that matches the scar on his face. But when Daniel starts having visions of a young girl crying out for help, he begins to fear that solitude may have caused him to lose his mind. Determined to find out the truth about the mysterious girl, Daniel travels into New Hope and learns that she’s the missing daughter of widow Lacy Ellis.
After a year of heartbreak, Lacy isn’t sure what to make of Daniel’s claims of seeing her daughter. But when he sets out to find Hannah on his own, Lacy decides to join him, allowing herself one last chance to hope. And as they retrace the long-cold trail of Hannah’s disappearance, two broken people manage to take some small comfort in each other, and in the possibility of a miracle…
What Ang is talking about:
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I loved Miracle in New Hope right from the beginning. I found it to be a gripping page turner, even if the pages were on my Kindle.
The descriptions were so vivid I found myself shivering in the cold as we traveled the rugged Colorado mountain passes and grateful for the relief the fires offered at the end of long journeys.
The characters were just as well written with real wounds. I found myself cheering for Daniel and Lacy as they dealt with intense hurt and damage, then struggled through their desires to heal and move forward with their lives. Hannah's character was an interesting twist that tied everything together with just the right touch of mystery and heart.
Overall I found Miracle in New Hope to be a perfectly delightful and emotional read, full of the kind of romance and magic you want at Christmas time all year long.If you pick it up and read I'm certain you won't be disappointed! I wasn't.
Ang’s Rating:
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Personal favorite - a must read (A+)
Purchase Info:
Labels:
5 stars,
Ang Review,
ebooks,
historical romance,
Kaki Warner,
novella,
Penguin Publishing
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0
comments
Friday, November 30, 2012
Review: City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte
City of Dark Magic
Author: Magnus Flyte
Release Date: Nov. 27, 2012
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 978-0143122685
Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Format(s): Paperback (464 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Once a city of enormous wealth and culture, Prague was home to emperors, alchemists, astronomers, and, as it’s whispered, hell portals. When music student Sarah Weston lands a summer job at Prague Castle cataloging Beethoven’s manuscripts, she has no idea how dangerous her life is about to become. Prague is a threshold, Sarah is warned, and it is steeped in blood.
Soon after Sarah arrives, strange things begin to happen. She learns that her mentor, who was working at the castle, may not have committed suicide after all. Could his cryptic notes be warnings? As Sarah parses his clues about Beethoven’s “Immortal Beloved,” she manages to get arrested, to have tantric sex in a public fountain, and to discover a time-warping drug. She also catches the attention of a four-hundred-year-old dwarf, the handsome Prince Max, and a powerful U.S. senator with secrets she will do anything to hide.
What VampBard’s talking about:
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Feeding the musician with her favorite composer? Yes, please! Sure, the blurb talks about Beethoven, but I never dreamed that Magnus Flyte would create such a compelling plot surrounding the mystery of Beethoven's Immortal Beloved!
I took notes on the characters in this novel. I wanted to make sure that I didn't get my wires crossed. Eventually, I did stop taking notes; I figured that I would be able to keep things straight because I had fallen completely in love with the characters created in City of Dark Magic.
I adore Sarah. This tenacious heroine of our story had more guts than I initially gave her credit. Beginning the story, she appeared to be an insecure music historian, trying to find her own way in the shadow of her mentor. When she received her invitation to curate the Beethoven collection in Prague, I felt she began coming out of her shell. Sarah, however, was no prude. The girl likes sex, and she's adventurous!
Nico. A little person. He's positively ancient, too. His teasing bites of snark kept me chuckling and on my toes. No. There wasn't anything kinky about Nico.
Max, however, began the story shielded in mystery and intrigue. Sure. He's the heir to the prince-dom. He's not the stuffy type, however. I do have to say that I truly appreciated Max after a surprise event near the beginning of the title.
I really like the fact that Flyte brought in The Golden Fleece. I had to squee just a little bit; here I am, reading a book about both Beethoven and some mythology. **Boggle** Additionally, we have espionage on the world level. KGB, CIA, and assassination. Yup. It's all here.
Lest you're thinking this is a stuffy, academic book, think again. The light humor made my day, even when dealing with a difficult topic:
“The way across has been revealed to me, and I intend to cross over tonight.” … “That doesn't even sound like him,” Sarah frowned. “Shabotsky was fusing traditional musicology with brain science. He definitely did not talk like Professor Dumbledore.”
Even though City of Dark Magic started off a whole lot like The Historian for me, it definitely had a lighter feel, along with some fun and hot sex. Even though most people would never believe that a LSD-type trip would make for interesting reading, I was riveted. Yup. That's a tease. You'll have to pick up a copy of City of Dark Magic to solve the mystery of the meds, and the other intrigue laced expertly throughout the story. I look forward to reading future installments from Flyte.
VampBard’s Rating:
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Purchase Info:
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Review: Cry Wolf Graphic Novel by Patricia Briggs, et. al.
Alpha and Omega: Cry Wolf Vol. 1
Author: Patricia Briggs / David Lawrence / Todd Herman
Release Date: Oct. 2, 2012
Publisher: InkLit (Penguin)
Alpha & Omega Graphic Novel #1
ISBN: #978-0441018482
Genre: Graphic Novel / Urban Fantasy
Format(s): Hardcover (128 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Cry Wolf is Patricia Briggs' New York Times bestselling novel about the werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham. Now, these characters come alive in full-color graphic novels.
Anne never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack...and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack she's learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males.
Then Charles Cornick - the son of the leader of the North American werewolves-came into her life. He insists that not only is Anne his mate, but she is also a rare and valued Omega wolf. And Anna may be the key to stopping a rogue werewolf that threatens the entire pack.
This is a re-issue of Ace's compilation of the Dynamite Entertainment Cry Wolf graphic series. It contains new artwork and a never-before published version of issue #1. It is NOT identical to the Ace edition though it does have the same ISBN.
What G & U are talking about:
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WARNING: Please note that the series this graphic novel is based on is an ADULT urban fantasy series. Sometimes we can easily mistake a graphic novel for being an acceptable young adult genre, a comic book if you will. That is not the case. There are very serious adult themes that take place in this story that are not appropriate for young children.
As huge fans of Patricia Briggs, it is not surprising that Gikany and Una had the privilege of reviewing the graphic novel release of Alpha and Omega: Cry Wolf Volume 1. (Okay, we may have nagged Twimom…a tad…a bit…a lot). Although it has been released before in this format, the artwork on this one is new and the story is a retelling of the novel from the Alpha and Omega series, Cry Wolf.
The story follows Cry Wolf very well. It is understandable that there had to be a few tweaks to the story considering the change in format. We enjoyed the way the novella, Alpha and Omega, (from which sprang the series) was incorporated in flashbacks of various characters. Anna’s history in her previous pack is very much a critical point in her relationship to not only Charles, but also every other wolf she meets. Her development along the series is incredible.
However, the real review is of the new format. When we read a novel, our individual brains create the characters in our head (at least for Gikany and Una… but we admit we do have overdeveloped imaginations…). So to see these characters come to life in another person’s talent is interesting. First off, we do like the way that Charles and Anna are depicted, although, we did feel Anna should be a little skinnier considering that she was malnourished prior to meeting Charles and therefore his goal to get some meat on her bones.
The depiction of Charles felt spot on along with Asil and Samuel. However, we thought that Bran did not appear young enough. We could understand him being depicted occasionally as an adult, but we know he is easily mistaken for being a teenager – part of the power and mystery of the Marrok. However, overall, the graphics were good, but we loved the sketches at the end the best.
We recommend Alpha and Omega: Cry Wolf Volume 1 to any fans of Briggs, urban fantasy graphic novel lovers, or anyone interested in getting a preview of the series. It is very entertaining to see a beloved story come to life in a new format.
Their Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Purchase Info:
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Contest Winner - Dead Iron
I would like to thank everyone for stopping by That’s What I’m Talking About for the review of Dead Iron by Devon Monk. I especially want to thank ROC/Penguin Publishing for generously donated a copy (one winner) of Dead Iron to giveaway.
Every person that commented on the review was entered into the contest - one entry per person. The winner was selected using random.org.The Winner:
Barbara E.
CONGRATULATIONS!!
I’m sending the winner a message; please email me at twimom227 (at) gmail (dot) com with your mailing address so ROC/Penguin can send you the book! You have until Thursday July 8, 2011 (end of day) to contact me. If I don’t hear from you by then, I will draw another winner.
Thank you and Happy Reading!
Labels:
Age of Steam Series,
contest,
Devon Monk,
giveaway,
Penguin Publishing,
winners
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2
comments
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