Happy Birthday, Harry Potter & JK Rowling

Today we celebrate the birthdays of two of my favorite people in the world

Harry Potter

JK Rowling

FYI: 

Harry was born only 3 days before me back in 1980. If only my parents had sent me to school at Hogwarts, we would have been in the same class and I would have helped him fight Voldemort.

Talk Supe Casting Couch: Fever Series

Our choice for Barrons and Mac are unanimous.

David Gandy as Jericho Z Barrons.
Period. 

Katie Cassidy as MaKayla "Mac" Lane. She can pull off the blonde

and dark hair look that Mac sports in the series and I think

she'll be able to charm us with a little Georgia girl attitude.

Cimmaron's Picks:

Alex Pettyfer as V'Lane/Cruce
I really haven't seen any of his film work but he definitely
could seduce lots of women just by looking at them.

Emily Browning as Dani Mega O'Malley

Emily just happens to be one of my favorite young actresses at the moment.

It might have something to do with the fact that I just recently watched

Sucker Punch and she did a kick ass job wielding a sword.

Cillian Murphy as Darroc
There is just something about Cillian Murphy that intrigues me.
His eyes are that beautiful shade of ice blue that you could get lost in but
also gives off a creepy/scary feeling. He can play a great villain. Have you seen Red Eye?

Jared Leto as Malluce
Because Jared Leto would be the kind of douche who
thought he was a Vampire and would eat UnSeelie Fae

Helen Mirren as Rowena
It's Helen "The Queen" Mirren. This woman is fierce on screen.

Gerard Butler as Ryodan
Because if you needed a friend who'd gut you and leave you
for dead when asked, he'd be the actor to play him.
Also, I have a huge thing for Scottish men right now. 

Ian Somerhalder as Dreamy Eyed Guy/UnSeelie King or Christian MacKeltar
I first fell in love with him in LOST and you can't deny those eyes are absolutely
dreamy. When I was reading the books Dreamy Eyed Guy and Christian MacKeltar
seemed like they would look alike and Mac had almost mistaken them as the same guy. 

Keira Knightley as Aoibheel the Seelie Queen
She's beautiful and can pull of the ethereal look. 

Braine's Picks

(Disclaimer: when I was visualizing my "cast", I was thinking that contacts, hair dyes, accent coaches and fitness trainers are readily available so their current "looks" might not be exact but with a little Hollywood magic it'll be fine)

Ruper Friend as V'lane/Cruce

 I love Mr. Friend, he's a great actor and I'm pretty sure he can pull it off as my beloved (though traitorous) fae.



Chloe Moretz as Dani Mega O'Malley.

If you've seen her in Kick Ass, you'll know that she can doesn't have any problems 
with having a potty mouth and she's got the moves that can kick serious petunias.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Darroc.

He has a sinister appeal and Irish to boot! I always loved him as Henry VIII in Showtime's The Tudors.

Marilyn Manson as Malluce
I always picture this guy as the Unseelie flesh eatung, vampire-wannabe when I was reading the series. 
He's just the right amount of crazy... or maybe even more.



Jane Fonda as Rowena.

She's just so feisty even in real life and I think she can be a pain if she really wants to.

Chace Crawford as Dreamy Eyed Guy/(Un)Seelie King.

He is dreamy and so are his eyes.

Clive Owen as Ryodan.

He has that feral intensity about him.

Olivia Wilde as Aiobheal the Seelie Queen.

I just love her. Nuff said.

Dead to the World

This is the reason why our favorite Southern Vampire Mysteries novel is the
4th one, Dead to the World. If you've read the book you'd understand why
the Witch War was just amazing beyond words.
I think it's the best one in the entire series, the fae war pales in comparison hands down.
I must say, Ms. Harris did a fine job with this one.



And although Mr. Alan Ball has something slightly different in mind
I'm glad that if anything, he amped up the events that will lead to the inevitable
confrontation between these Supernatural forces. Fiona Shaw is spectacular as the Head Witch, I'm still debating the point as to whether or not I hate or like her.
But her character is a godsend, without Marni we won't be seeing a lot of naked Eric.

Of course my favorite is still those steamy love scenes between Sookie and Eric. Even though in the 11th novel, Dead Reckoning, Charlaine Harris continues to jack up
these two love birds (poor Sookie), I'm still praying that their love for each other
will prevail. I'm such a romantic I know but there's no room left for anything else when
it comes to these two.

How could you not love them?

 

Dark Side of the Moon by Sherrilyn Kenyon

plot summary &excerpt here

Series: Dark-Hunter 10; Were-Hunter 5
Format: Paperback
Release Date: November 28, 2006
Purchase Link: Amazon

Susan Michaels was once the hottest reporter on the Beltway Beat until a major scandal ruined her life and left her writing stories about alien babies and Elvis sightings. Life as she once knew it is over, or so she thinks, but then she gets a lead on a story that could salvage her extinct career. She heads to the local animal shelter, expecting a hot news tip, which she gets in the form of a major police cover-up ... for a ring of soul-sucking vampires out to take over Seattle. So much for saving her credibility.

And if that isn't bad enough, she gets talked into adopting a cat and finds she's allergic to it. A cat that turns out to be a shapeshifter who claims to be an immortal vampire slayer on the prowl for the same corrupt cops. her first thought: seek professional help.

But as Susan's drawn into Ravyn's dark and dangerous world, she comes to realize that there's a lot more at stake than just her defunct career. Now it's no longer a question of bringing the truth to her readers; it's a matter of saving their very lives and souls.

Ravyn's life was shattered over four hundred years ago, when he mistakenly trusted the wrong human with the truth of his existence. He lost his family, his honor, and his life. Now, in order to save the people of Seattle, he's forced to confront that nightmare all over again, and to trust another woman with the secret that could destroy him.

In the world of the Dark-Hunters, life is always dangerous. But never more so than now, when a very human woman can shatter their entire world with just one story. The only question is ... will she?

This book cracked me up! Kenyon sure has a sense of humor I tell you. See Ravyn is an Arcadian Were-Hunter who turns into a leopard and Susan, an investigative reporter who fell on hard times professionally, is allergic to cats. I was laughing my butt off during their supposedly steamy scenes. The first time that they tried to do it Susan can't help but have an allergic reaction to Ravyn's cat fur that seems to cling to his long hair. Her throat would constrict and she can feel the fur tickling her esophagus. When they finally succeeded, Susan has to take breaks in between because she was coughing incessantly! 

 

Aside from the comedy, I like Susan and her fearless attitude. She's very feisty, speaks her mind and refuses to be intimidated. She is the perfect fit for the Dark-Hunter world amongst all the leading ladies that graced the chapters of Kenyon's books. As for Ravyn, his story got eclipsed by Acheron and Nick Gaultier though his backstory is heartbreaking nonetheless as is universal amongst the Hunters.

There are just a lot of major plots going on at the same time that distracts the reader from really empathizing with Ravyn. Stryker and his Spathi crew are relentless and their roles in the story is getting interesting. After reading Kiss of the Night, I'm afraid I'm torn about how I feel about the cursed race of Apollo. The war between the Daimons and the Hunters seems to be this big farce and they are but the pawns of the Greek Celestial Twins. No wonder Apollymi wants out!

Going back to Acheron, I'm just getting tired of the his daliance with Artemis. Can Kenyon make up another reason why Acheron is busy somewhere else? Surely there are other things that can occupy him aside from giving the Goddess of the Hunt multiple spasms. And we also meet Nick Gaultier as a Hunter, it is in this book where he made the quintessential deal with the devil so he can get his Act of Vengeance against Acheron. These are the events that will lead to his alter-ego Ambrose. This side of Nick is so far from the loving and happy boy in Kenyon's other series Chronicles of Nick. He is full of hate, anger and to say that he is tormented is an understatement.

On a side note, I am looking forward to reading Acheron's story and see how it will all go down. I hope that he lets Simi eat Artemis with BBQ Sauce on the side.

Guest Blog

Review: Lover Avenged by J.R. Ward

Plot summary & excerpt

Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood 7
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: April 28, 2009
Purchase Link: Amazon

Caldwell, New York, has long been the battleground for the vampires and their enemies, the Lessening Society. It's also where Rehvenge has staked out his turf as a drug lord and owner of a notorious night club that caters to the rich and heavily armed. His shadowy reputation is exactly why he's approached to kill Wrath, the Blind King and leader of the Brotherhood.

Rehvenge has always kept his distance from the Brotherhood-even though his sister is married to a member, for he harbors a deadly secret that could make him a huge liability in their war against the lessers. As plots within and outside of the Brotherhood threaten to reveal the truth about Rehvenge, he turns to the only source of light in his darkening world, Ehlena, a vampire untouched by the corruption that has its hold on him-and the only thing standing between him and eternal destruction.

Rhevenge of the Halfling

This is the best BDB book so far, no wonder Rhevenge is very popular with the ladies. He is the ultimate bad boy, a drug kingpin, whore, pimp, thug & murderer, with good intentions that more often than not goes awry.

So our dearest half sympath is on the verge of discovering his destiny. He has always been living in the shadows but special circumstances forced him to take the honorable course in not so honorable means. It's wonderfully written and as a reader you will really understand his struggle and cannot help but be in awe of Rhevenge. Plus Ward's sympaths are really repulsive, disgusting but drawing at the same time.

Aside from Bella (Zsadist's shellan) Ehlena is my next favorite, she's feisty and is just tenacious in her quest to "save" Rhevenge. I loved how Ward wrote their POV's side by side so we're in their heads during those crucial moments. There was a little role reversal here too, Rhevenge became this vulnerable, circumspect guy who is very protective of Ehlena, from himself and other things. And Ehlena is this very trusting girl who chose not to see his flaws but pursues him til he fell for her, refusing to let him let her go.

What really got me going in this book is not only Rhevenge's story but about Wrath's (Dark Lover), the Blind King as well. So now he's literally Blind and the way he came to terms with his disability and how he has to be relieved of his duties as a fighting Brother is really heartbreaking. The struggles he went through in this process was not sugar-coated but very grown up, unromaticized. We see him pushing away people, betraying Bella and refusing or hesitant to recieve help to mask his own fears and self loathing. Ward wrote this part wonderfully.

I can tell that Ward was very inspired when she wrote about Rhevenge, I'm betting that he and the Blind King are her favorite characters in the BDB Series. Now it really feels a real series to me at this point because we get updates about previous charaters we've read about. It feels whole and not just character-centric like Kenyon's Dark-Hunters. There is a continuity which makes it more intriguing, its clutches gripping you slowly until you find out that you are hooked like the rest of the Cellies.

Peter Jackson & the Thirteen Dwarves

Who's ready to go back to Middle Earth?

New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures and MGM have announced the titles and release dates for filmmaker Peter Jackson’s two-film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit.  The first film, titled “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” will be released on December 14, 2012.  The second film, titled “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” is slated for release the following year, on December 13, 2013.

Both films are set in Middle-earth 60 years before Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar®-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”  The adventure of “The Hobbit” follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug.

Here's a short video of some behind the scenes takes from the filming location in New Zealand.

Now, can you name all of these Dwarves

Left-Right: Jed Brophy as Nori, Dean O'Gorman as Fili, Mark Hadlow as Dori, James Nesbit as Bofur, Peter Hambleton as Gloin, Graham McTavish as Dwalin, Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield, Ken Stott as Balin, John Callen as Oin, Stephen Hunter as Bombur, William Kircher as Bifur, Adom Brown as Ori and Aidan Turner as Kili.

Don't fret LOTR Trilogy fans, quite a few of your favorites actors will be making appearances such as Orlando Bloom (Legolas) **Cimmaron is doing the Happy Dance**, Ian McKellan (Gandaff), Elijah Wood (Frodo), Kate Blanchett (Galadriel), Christopher Lee (Sarumon) and HUgo Weaving (Elrond) 

Offbeat Vagabond's Book Giveaway!

And the winner is... ME!

Big thanks to Diana for the autographed copy of Tessa Dawn's book Blood Destiny.

Thank you Tessa, and yes I AM a survivor ;)

You can read Offbeat Vagabond's interview with Tessa Dawn here

Review: Lover Enshrined by J.R. Ward

excerpt here

Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood 6
Format: Paperback
Release Date: June 3, 2008
Purchase Link: Amazon

In this "frighteningly addictive" paranormal romance sage there's a war raging between vampires and their slayers. Here are the stories of a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. And now a dutiful twin must choose between two lives...

Fiercely loyal to the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Phury has sacrificed himself for the good of the race, becoming the male responsible for keeping the Brotherhood's bloodlines alive. As Primale of the Chosen, he is obligated to father the sons and daughters who will ensure that the traditions of the race survive, and that there are warriors to fight those who want all vampires extinguished.

As his first mate, the Chosen Cormia wants to win not only his body, but his heart for herself. She is drawn to the noble responsibility behind the emotionally scarred male. But Phury has never allowed himself to know pleasure or joy. As the war with the Lessening Society grows grim, tragedy looms over the Brotherhood's mansion, and Phury must decide between duty and love.

Events that happened in Lover Unbound forced the hand of Destiny. Phury found himself volunteering for the role of Primale, as tradition dictates the Chosen and any member of the Brotherhood will be responsible in ensuring that the race of vampires is preserved with youngs bred from superior lineage.

But Phury, as a celibate and a junkie is not sure how he'll live up to the demands. Soon his addiction and other emotional baggage gets in the way of his duty both as a Primale and a Brother. His erratic behavior and addiction made him unreliable and a danger to the Brotherhood which forced a confrontation between him and his twin Zsadist which is centuries overdue; and Wrath relieving him of his Brother duties.

Although this is supposed to be a Phury-centric book his storyline wasn't only focused on him unlike in the previous novels where the story would revolve around a certain Brother. As the novels and the story of the Brotherhood progress, Ward doesn't just concentrate on the love story part but on the continuity of the tale and follows up on events and cliffhangers as she goes along. The series is carefully planned and written and she makes the story as tight-knit as she can, avoiding any loose strings. Although there are ridiculous twists like in Lover Unbound but it doesn't take away the fact that she's a good storyteller.

I understand why this series is such a big hit among us females; a band of damaged, leather clad, outrageously handsome vampires that exudes pure, undiluted testosterone that screams SEX lets out the animal in us. We want to be their chosen mate, the one who will take away centuries of pain, to tame the beast that hides within. These vampires are not your typical ones, they are NOT pale, they wine and dine and they live in style and breathes anything and everything designer. Although their description is probably based on pro wrestlers like Prada wearing Batista, Triple H, The Rock and the like, Ward wisely inserted qualities that makes the Brothers fantasy worthy.

Every book seems to be longer and more complicated than its successor as more complications and future storylines are introduced. It can be a bit of a challenge especially if you're part of the ADD generation but with a deluge of action going on in the book you'll really have to give it extra attention otherwise you'll miss the details.

As for the villain, I feel like Ward needs to take her antagonists more seriously. Although Lash (a newly transitioned vampire) is The Lessening Society's silver bullet against the Brotherhood and the Vampire race, Ward doesn't pit him against Butch aka The Dhestroyer, who's missing while this part is going down, but instead faces him off against John Matthew, a former Brorther's reincarnation. Another inconsistency is The Omega was the one responsible for Butch being the Brotherhood's ultimate weapon against The Lessening Society (Lover Revealed), if he made a son (Lash) in the beginning why would he give part of his powers to the enemy? Possibly with the intention of repairing that hump, Ward creates a back story to justify Lash's character and his relevance in the story. In my opinion, The Omega needs to be more sinister, more cunning, he needs to be better in what he does so that he'll be a worthy opponent against a powerful group.

I might be picking the story too much but like what I said in my previous reviews, this series makes me think on top of getting swept away by the romance and the action. I hope that she works on her villains more, now with Lash in the picture I hope that he will be the central nemesis and Ward makes him worthy to be pitted against the Brothers. Personally Mr. X's profile was interesting and he has a lot of room to be the ultimate villain, I don't understand why she pulls him in and out of the story like lightning. I guess I'll find the answer to my questions in the succeeding volumes.

Snow White and the Huntsman

It's out and the pictures are amazing although I'm not sure about KStew playing Snow White. Based on her pic wearing armor, I guess there'll be a different twist to our beloved fairytale. I hope the movie is as good as the pics.

http://www.snowwhiteandthehuntsmanmovie.com/

REVIEW: The Immortal Highlander by Karen Marie Moning

Series: Highlander #6
Release Date: August 3, 2004
Publisher: Dell
Format: Paperback
My Copy: Self-Purchased
Purchase: Amazon | B & N | Book Depository

With his long, black hair and dark, mesmerizing eyes, Adam Black is Trouble with a capital T. Immortal, arrogant, and intensely sensual, he is free to roam across time and continents in pursuit of his insatiable desires. That is, until a curse strips him of his immortality and makes him invisible, a cruel fate for so irresistible a man. With his very life at stake, Adam’s only hope for survival is in the hands of the one woman who can actually see him.

Enter law student Gabrielle O’Callaghan. For Gabrielle, cursed with the ability to see both worlds, Mortal and Faery, it is the beginning of a long, dangerous seduction. But as Adam’s quest to regain his immortality plunges them into a world of timeless magic, the price of surrender could be their very lives. Unless they can thwart the conspiracy that threatens both Mortal and Faery realms…and give them a shot at a destiny few mortals ever know: glorious, wondrous, endless love…

Adam Black is Back! And I'm not hating on him. Actually, I've got nothing but love for our trouble maker.

Tuatha De Prince Adam Black has been meddling in human affairs for thousands of years and after countless warnings from Queen Aoibheal to stop, she's finally come to her last straw. After speaking up to her, Aoibheal punishes Adam with the worst punishment  that could be laid upon a Fae, becoming human. Aside from being turned human, she has stripped him of most of his powers and placed the Feth Fiada spell upon him which makes him undetected and invisible humans. Of all the punishments, Adam finds the Feth Fiada the cruelest as it forbids the mere mortals to see him in all his beautiful glory. 

Tired of living in the finite time of humans and taking care of daily human requirements such as eating, sleeping, washing up, dressing, pissing, shaving, brushing his hair and teeth, Adam journeys to Cincinnati, Ohio to look for his half-fae son, Circenn Brodie. Soon after arriving in Cincinnati, Adam discovers Circenn's home vacant and has no idea of how to get in contact with his son. You see his son Circenn is a ninth century Scottish laird and he has the ability to travel back and forth between his century and his wife's century. Another problem Adam was still not able to answer was how he would make contact with his son even after tracking him down. Because of his mortal half, Circenn wouldn't be able to see past the Feth Fiada either. Realizing that there might not be anyone able to help him, Adam sits around Cincinatti to brood about his predicament. 

Twenty-four year old law student Gabrielle (Gabby) O'Callaghan tries to live a quiet life in Cincinnati. Aside from her already busy schedule of working and going to school full-time, Gabby must live her with ailment. You see, Gabby is a Sidhe-seer, meaning she can see the fae. Unfortunately, Cincinnati has been infiltrated with fae which makes life a little hellish for Gabby. Her entire life she's had to live by one fundamental rule, no matter what the fae do, never let them know you see them. Revealing to a fae that she can see them could lead to her own untimely death. So of course Gabby's world is spun into a whirlwind when she sees our formidable hero and he notices that SHE can SEE him. Apart from concealing her ability to see fae, another cardinal rule Gabby must live by is to exercise extreme caution if Adam Black is sighted and to avoid contact at all cost. Obviously, abiding to that rule proves to be difficult when the "Dark Fae" presents himself at her front door. Realizing that Gabby could be his only vessel way of communicating with Circenn, Adam hunts our heroine down and coerces her into helping him in exchange to protecting her from any fae that may try to harm her.

After a failed attempt to find his son Circenn, Adam decides that the only other way of communicating with his Queen is to find another fae that would be wiling to pass his message to her. In the mist of executing his plan, Adam and Gabby discover that Adam's old nemesis is on his tail to kill him. We then find our couple traveling back to Scotland and seeking safe haven in MacKeltar land. My beloved MacKeltar brothers, Drustan and Dageus, along with their wives Gwen and Chloe, make an appearance (WOOHOO!) and lend a helping hand with getting Adam back to his old Fae self and helping our couple discover their true feelings and desires for each other. Of course this wouldn't be romance novel without the heroine fighting and denying her feelings for our hero.

I'd been waiting for Adam's story to come into fruition since he's had some part in each of our Highlander's stories. Adam lives up to his name and reputation. He's sexy and arrogant as ever but with his new found human vulnerabilities it makes him more likable. I liked seeing Adam being knocked down from his pedestal and comprehending human feelings. As for our heroine, she more than holds her own story. Gabby reminded me Gwen in quite a few ways. She's smart, feisty, capable and funny. I liked the journey that our couple makes; Gwen realizing that the one thing she was taught to avoid at all costs might actually be the person she was meant to be with and Adam truly understanding human emotions and realizing that maybe his idea of immortality might not be a wonderful as it seems without feeling the power of love.

Once again KMM does a fantastic job of weaving romance with time travel, a little fae lore and magic. I like how she's been able to intertwine her past characters while moving her story along. The Immortal Highlander had a great pace, likable characters , wonderful plot and storyline. I liked the decisions that our couple makes at the end and the epilogue was the perfect ending for this love story. After seeing all the havoc Adam had caused, I never knew I'd be swooning for him later on.

REVIEW: The Dark Highlander by Karen Marie Moning

Series: Highlander #5
Release Date: October 1, 2002
Publisher: Dell
Format: Paperback
My Copy: Self-Purchased
Purchase: Amazon | B & N | Book Depository

Journey to a world of ancient magic, breathtaking sensuality, thrilling time-travel.... Journey to the world of The Dark Highlander. Crisscrossing the continents and the centuries, here is a novel as gripping as it is sensual—an electrifying adventure that will leave you breathless….

I am Dageus MacKeltar, a man with one good conscience and thirteen bad ones, driven to sate my darkest desires…

From his penthouse lair high above Manhattan, Dageus looks out over a glittering city that calls to the darkness within him. A sixteenth-century Scot trapped between worlds, he is fighting a losing battle with the thirteen Druids who possess his soul, dooming him to an eternity of sexual pursuit. When Chloe Zanders, student of antiquities, is drawn into his world, she finds the insatiable alpha male an irresistible lure.Before long, she is caught up in an ancient prophecy that will sweep her back into time to medieval Scotland. Plunged into a world of timeless magic and dark seduction, she will soon face the challenge of a lifetime: fighting thirteen evil spirits for the heart of one irresistible man....

In Karen Marie Moning's fifth installment of her Highlander series, we follow the story of Dageus MacKeltar. If you've read these books, you know that Dageus is the younger twin brother of Drustan MacKeltar from Kiss of the Highlander. Dagus had an important role in the previous novel so when the author left us a letter from Drustan & Dageus' father, I was anticipating to find out what happened to Drustan's beloved twin brother. 

We begin with 16th Century Scottish laird, Dageus, has been living in a self-imposed exile in 21st century New York City. The reason Daegus is now stuck in the 21st Century is that he'd broken a sacred compact between his Druid ancestry and the Tuatha De Danann. In order to save his brother's life, Dageus used the Sacred Stones to travel back in time to save Drustan from dying in a castle fire. If he'd not done this then our previous book wouldn't have ended in a happy note. The result of Dageus' act has left him Dageus living with thirteen evil Druid spirits (twelve male and one female) fighting to take over his own soul.

These thirteen evil Druid spirits carry a multitude of dark magic knowledge and they are constantly trying to lure him into the dark side in order to bring the Draghar back. The Draghar was composed of the thirteen most powerful Druids who tried to achieve the the secrets of longevity like the Tuathe De. Let's just say they failed and that's why they had been entrapped in a realm before Dageus used Sacred Stones for time traveling.You'll have to go to your local bookstore and buy the book the find out all the hows and why of this back story because it would take me forever to try to explain everything.

So back to the story, Dageus is in exile in modern New York City where he meets our heroine, Chloe Zanders. Chloe is a student of Celtic antiquities and was given the task of delivering an ancient manuscript to our hero's New York City penthouse. Upon walking into his unlocked penthouse, Chloe is easily distracted by all the Celtic relics displayed around this mysterious man's home. Being the Curious George that she is when it comes to ancient relics, she starts snooping around the penthouse and comes across a few other ancient manuscripts that were recently stolen from various museums around the city. After discovering a few books and quite a few Magnum condom wrappers (yes, the MacKeltar's are blessed to be such well endowed men) under the bed, Dageus discovers her and takes her as hostage. Dageus is instantly attracted to our heroine and has every urge to take her in every possible way. Evidently, one of the ways Dageus is able to suppress the thirteen evil spirits is by having mid less sex as often as possible.

We are then thrown into Dageus and Chloe's adventure into discovering as much knowledge about the Draghar and finding a way for Dageus to defeat the souls that have possessed him. To my delight, Drustan and Gwen make an appearance when Dageus finally decides that it was about time he meet his twin in the modern Scotland. There's a very steamy scene on the plane ride over to Scotland that made me want to have my very own mile high club action. After some time with Drustan and Gwen, Dageus and Chloe make a trip back in time to 16th century Scotland to try to collect more information from ancient tomes that could lead him to finding a way to defeat the Draghar. After all the reading and understanding of the thirteen evil spirits and time traveling we're lead to a climactic ending which brings back two of the Tuathe De far, Adam Black and the Seelie Court Queen, Aoibheal (pronounced Ah-veel). 

I'd been putting off this review for a while because I'm still unsure of how I feel about this book. I didn't end up loving it like the last book but I don't hate it either. I was still recovering from the effects that Drustan MacKeltar left me after Kiss of the Highlander (the Scottish Highlander left me swooning real bad) and I had great hopes with the next novel in the series. Don't get me wrong I still enjoyed the book but KMM didn't have me totally loving Dageus, which surprised me because I liked him Kiss of the Highlander. I understood that he was possessed with thirteen different evil souls and I liked the idea of his internal battle of good vs. bad but it seemed that Dageus only had two aspects to himself, Mr. Emo and Mr. Constant Seducer. I liked the fact that KMM was going a bit darker than the previous novels but I just felt like we could have gotten a little more from both our hero and heroine. Chloe has quite a few character similarities to Gwen Cassidy but I just couldn't get myself to love her. As for the romance, it felt like the emotions weren't there due to the fact that Dageus was just in constant heat and only wanted to get into Chloe's pants.

Aside from a few character and plot gripes, the book was still enjoyable and I'm still wanting more from these fine MacKeltar twins. I love the combination of all this Scottish and time traveling that KMM has weaved and wish that there were more than seven books in the series.

Wolf Gift

Anne Rice has a new novel coming out called Wolf Gift. If it's anything like her vampire novels I'm all for it. I've been very vocal about my partiality to Weres so I'm very excited about this one. No release date has been set yet and according to her Facebook page she's still finishing it up.

Let's hear her talk more about this.



Get More: Geek: Event Coverage, MTV Games

River Marked by Patricia Briggs

excerpt here

Series: Mercedes Thompson 6
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: March 1, 2011
Purchase Link: Amazon

Being a different breed of shapeshifter-a walker-Mercy Thompson can see ghosts, but the spirit of her long-gone father has never visited her. Until now, on her honeymoon with the Alpha werewolf Adam. An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River-and innocent people are dying. As other walkers make their presence known to Mercy, she must reconnect with her heritage to exorcise the world of the legend known as the river devil.

River Marked

It's official! Mercy and Adam are married and they're off to a fabulous and relaxing honeymoon in Maryhill. NOT! It won't be a Mercy Thompson book if Trouble is not far behind, after all coyotes are the harbinger of change.

So on their honeymoon they were a little bit set up by the fae because there is something going down and it's important that Adam and Mercy be there. The "something important" is The River Devil who is devouring people and only Mercy can stop it with the help of some new found friends.

Patricia Briggs went on a writing honeymoon with my favorite couple. Briggs decided to take it slow, instead of a combo punch she just gave them one huge people-eating devil to vanquish.  I struggled a bit with this book because it's a little slow compared to the previous ones where there's a menagerie of complications with other supernatural groups.

River Marked is I think more of a character development for Mercy. We're introduced to the customs and beliefs of Native Americans and how it influenced Mercy's life and highlighted her abilities, here she is referred to as an avatar rather than a walker which apparently has a big difference. Mercy also had the pleasure of meeting her father and her time spent with him and on this misadventure gave her closure on things she saw on her vision quest.

It's pretty obvious how much research has gone into this book. Background on places that they visited were provided, bits and pieces of Native American folklore, practices, superstitions and the like. Another take away is little lessons on body language that is present in the entire series, it futher enhances the meaning of dominance, intimidation and respect. Though I'm mostly into fiction I find these factoids interesting so when I finish a book my mind is not just filled with made up stuff but little info's on things that I can look up and actually refer to in real life.

In a way the unexpected dwindle in the pace of the story is good because the next book in the series will not be released til 2013. It helped me to wean off Adam Hauptman because he is starting to permeate my reality which I find unhealthy, I'm crazy as it is & I don't want to add delusional to the list of my problems.

Watch out for our Mercedes Thompson casting couch coming soon!