Review: Imperative By P.A. Wilson

★★★☆☆ Imperative: Book One of the Quinn Larson Quests. By P.A. Wilson

 Urban Fantasy is another of my favorite genres to read, I love the idea of mythical, magical beings living and working side by side with us yet hidden from view of all but a few sensitives. 
Vampires seem to be the most frequently depicted of the UF creatures, and I'm not much of a vampire fan, so I was delighted and intrigued to see that Imperative focused on fairies, sidhe, and magic users rather than vampires or werewolves.

Set in Vancouver Canada, Imperative is told in from the point of view of Quinn Larson, a young wizard (young by wizarding standards at least) who inadvertently witnesses not only the murder of a human by a fairy, but also a strange transaction between the murderer and a hooded Sidhe.
In order to protect the humans from death by fae and to keep them from discovering and eradicating the Real Folk, Quinn takes it upon himself to find out just what's going on and stop it before its too late.
Quinn is aided in this quest, primarily by a pixie named Olan, who had been tasked centuries ago to protect the humans, and later a witch named Cate.

Aside from who I'd consider to be the main characters there is also is a colorful cast of secondary characters, all of which are of the magical persuasion, fairies and pixies, witches wizards, sidhe, spirits and even a goddess or two.  All of whom are well written and three dimensional.  The fairies are depicted well and the lore seems well researched, especially the demeanors and ethics of the sidhe.  That alone warranted a star in this review as I find very little as annoying as when lore is rewritten just to suit a story.

This was a very easy read, though it seemed to get a bit choppy through the last quarter of the book, and I didn't care at all for the way it ended, I would be interested in reading more of Quinn's adventures.

Quinn reminded me a bit of Harry Dresden, though he's doesn't have that accidental hero aspect that Harry does. I enjoyed Quinns quips and sarcasm, both internalized and vocalized.

One thing that I was taken aback by was the fact that Quinn is male, even though Quinn is repeatedly referred to as a wizard I spent almost half the book I was incredibly surprised when he made mention of going to the barber for a shave, Yes, Quinn is male, but because I'd read him as a female for so much of the book, it took a conscious effort for me to think of him as male through the rest of the book.  I'm not sure how I made the mistake, though I blame it partially on only ever knowing Quinns that were women, and that the previous book I read of Ms. Wilson's had a female protagonist.

I gave this book 3 stars instead of 5 for a number of reasons.  Though the characters were very well done and the book was easy to read I found it easy to put down as well.  It felt at times like I was missing something, and found myself having to go back to see if I really had missed a page.

Quinn referrers to himself as a Real Folk throughout the book and I was left confused as to what wizards and witches are in that world. Quinn is not a fairy or a Sidhe or anything else not human, yet he considers himself to be separate from humans.  I'm not sure if its just magical human vs. mundane human or if there is something intrinsically different between wizards/witches and humans in Quinn's world.  Hopefully this will be dealt with in later books, but I found it confusing.  More back history on Quinn would have been nice too, He seems reluctant to talk about himself and I felt like I never really got to know him on more than a surface level.  The ending seemed rushed, it left me hanging and not in an enjoyable way, more of a "that's it?" kind of way, but I will attribute that to the ongoing nature of these books.  They aren't so much separate stories featuring the same characters but more of a continuation of events from book to book.

I do plan on giving Compulsion a read at some point but I think I'm more interested in Ms. Wilson's mystery series than I am in the urban fantasy.


(DISCLOSURE: I received Imperative as a gift from Ms. Wilson in exchange for an honest review, the preceding review is just that, my honest opinion of the book. Also the cover image and link contains my Amazon Affiliate link, if you purchase the book via that link I make a small commission.)

Review: Unenchanted (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 1)

Unenchanted (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 1) by Chanda Hahn

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

From Goodreads:  Mina Grime is unlucky, unpopular and uncoordinated, that is until she saves her crush's life on a field trip, changing her High School status from loser to hero overnight. But with her newfound fame brings misfortune as an old family curse come to light. For Mina is descended from the Brothers Grimm and has inherited all of their unfinished fairy tale business. Which includes trying to outwit a powerful Story from making her its next fairytale victim. To break the fairy tale curse on her family and stop these deadly events, Mina must finish the tales until the very Grimm end.

I found this little gem in the free section of Amazon's kindle book section, and I have to admit, I was thoroughly surprised at how good it was. I was immediately drawn by the synopsis of the book, and although it seemed a little slow going at first, the remainder definitely made up for the beginning. In fact, I was upset at how abrupt the ending was as I was not ready for it to be over yet!

I do have to say that the two male "leads" in this story reminded me a lot of two characters from the Twilight series. Brody (who reminded me of Edward) is a rich (although popular) boy, who falls for a clumsy unpopular girl, and he drives with her too fast after she is attacked. The other main boy Jared (who reminded me of Jacob), rides a motorcycle and is described as "dangerous". That is where the similarities end however, and the fact that these two did remind me of Twilight characters did not take away from the overall plot of the story as there were more than enough differences to set the two apart.

I loved this book overall, and cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of Book 2! 

My final thoughts on Unenchanted (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 1)

NEGATIVE:
-  I found it very hard to believe that a teenage girl in this day an age did not know what "tweeting" was.
- One very interesting scene suddenly seemed ridiculous by the inclusion of a "donkey in a hat".

POSITIVE: 
+ The overall plot begins to pick up and become more interesting in Chapter 5, when Mina finally learns the  truth about who she is.
+ A fresh, imaginative take on the original "Grimm Brothers" fairy tales.

The book is still currently available for download for FREE by clicking the link below:

UnEnchanted (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale)

{The above link to the book on Amazon does contain my Affiliate link. By purchasing this book through my link, I make a very small commission that goes towards the purchase of more books for review. You are under no obligation at any time to click on one of my Affiliate links.}

Rina's Reviews: Bzzagent Book Review: The Dark Monk

 Since this book was read and reviewed as part of a BzzAgent campaign the review is posted at my personal review blog rather than here. But please feel free to comment here on it if you are inclined to comment.

Rina's Reviews: Bzzagent Book Review: The Dark Monk: The Dark Monk: A Hangman's Daughter Tale, By Oliver Pötzsch ★ ★ ★ ★☆ Blurb from Amazon:  1660: Winter has settled thick over a sleepy...

Findings: How to Write a Sex Scene

First of all, if you haven't read Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, I highly suggest that you do. Don't let the size of the books scare you - they are rather long but trust me, it's worth it.

All of that aside, this was posted on Facebook on Miss Gabaldon's page. It was written by her earlier this year and I have to say that I love all of the points that she makes. So check it out!

Review: Beauty by Lisa Daily

Beauty by Lisa Daily
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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Via Goodreads:

What's it like to be the most beautiful girl in the world?

Molly desperately wants to be beautiful. And that's what she tells Dharma, the mysterious portrait artist who sketches her face at the town fair just minutes after she's humiliated in front of Hudson, the guy of her dreams. When Molly wakes up the following morning, she's the most beautiful girl in Miracle, Ohio. Babies coo in her arms, her house fills with flowers from dozens of drooling boys, and she's chosen to be a model for the hottest store in town. Best of all, Hudson finally falls for her.

But Molly soon discovers that beauty--and her wish--comes with a price. She's faced with an impossible choice: Will reclaiming her true identity mean letting go of Hudson for good?

I know that you've probably wondered the same thing before. I know that I have. How would people react to me if I were the prettiest girl in the city? Would things be different for me? Would people treat me differently than they do now? Would I get more attention?

In this book by Lisa Daily, she shares just what happens to one girl when she wishes to be the most beautiful girl in the city.
  
The Characters:
The main girl in question in Molly. She's the one that wished to be the most beautiful girl in Miracle. From what I gathered, she was a typical ugly duckling before - frizzy hair, pimples, an dis-proportioned face. I related with her at first as I myself was that girl in high school (okay, so I didn't have pimples but I had braces) and found myself wondering the same thing. My biggest problem with Molly was that she didn't really evolve much until the end of the book. She started off with really low self esteem, even when she was suddenly beautiful, snuck around trying to hide her face from her parents and turned into a typical mean girl in an attempt to get people to like her.  It was only once she had lost almost everyone that she realized what she truly had become. And whereas I was happy that she did finally come to that realization, it seemed like a last ditch effort.

Her friend Hayley made me want to strangle her. She started off as a mean girl at the beginning of the book despite not being in the popular crowd. To me, she came off as really needy and clingy and showed horrible signs of jealousy when the spotlight wasn't on her. The lengths she went to for attention were just worthy of a good head shake (or possible full body shake - hers preferably). And in the end, it didn't seem like things were really worked out with her - we were left hanging on what happened to Hayley.

Kemper was the truest character in the entire book. She's the one who seemed to have a level head on her shoulders despite everything going on around her. She's the one who managed to stay the true friend despite being constantly pushed to the side and ignored. I think if everyone had a good friend like Kemper, they'd be much better off. She ended up being my favorite character in the book.

I wasn't sure what to think about Hudson. I was happy to see in the end that he liked Molly for who she was on the inside rather than the outside but it didn't really settle with me. I can't really put my finger on why. Hudson was a mere "meh" character for me. He didn't stand out at all or make a lasting impression on me.

As for the rest of the characters, the students of the school came off to me as a bunch of sheep. They all were clambering around for a chance to be near Molly. It almost made me think that none of them could think for themselves. And whereas I knew they were teenagers, it seemed a bit overdone.

5 out of 10.

The Plot:
I have to admit that the plot was definitely one that caught my eyes as I've thought the same thing before. And to be honest, I think that Miss Daily definitely took the most thought about solution to what would happen if this really did occur. Amongst the pages of teen angst and mean girl-itis she did manage to lay out a good lesson - beauty is on the inside and outside. You may not think you're beautiful but someone else does.

I do think the students were a bit overdone in their reactions although the way they reacted upon finding out Molly had "plastic surgery" was pretty spot on as many teenagers these days tend to fluctuate depending on the day of the week. And I know that it was probably meant to be overdone a bit to prove a point but it was a bit headache-inducing after a while.

All in all, I give it a decent score, mostly because it was a lesson that could be used in life.

6 out of 10. 

 I won't say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was an easy read and had a decent, if not Mean Girl-esque storyline. I feel as if it were rushed a bit and that it was more dramatic than it should have been but I would give it a thumbs up for a light read over the weekend, especially for those who enjoy happily ever after stories.

Review: Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues by Diana Rowland

Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues by Diana Rowland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Yes, be shocked. I read not one but two zombie books within the span of two days.Of course it's technically the same thing as it's the continuation of Angel Crawford's story but details, people. Mere details.

Via Goodreads, yo:
Angel Crawford is finally starting to get used to life as a brain-eating zombie, but her problems are far from over. Her felony record is coming back to haunt her, more zombie hunters are popping up, and she's beginning to wonder if her hunky cop-boyfriend is involved with the zombie mafia. Yeah, that's right--the zombie mafia. 

Throw in a secret lab and a lot of conspiracy, and Angel's going to need all of her brainpower--and maybe a brain smoothie as well--in order to get through it without falling apart.

Since this is the second book in the White Trash Zombie series, I won't do it like I normally do a review. Instead, you'll just get my thoughts.

First of all, I will say that I adored Angel in the first book of this series. She definitely captured my interests and I was looking forward to reading more about her during her journey of settling in to the zombie life. So by the time I finished this book, I was officially hooked. Angel grows even more in this book. She's really putting her life together and discovering things about herself that she didn't seem to realize before. She's finding her niche I guess you could say.

Of course, she has that pesky probation officer she has to meet with and sure she has to get her GED or otherwise be thrown back in jail, but that doesn't seem to slow her down one bit.

However, I started to dislike Marcus even more in this book due to the sheer way he treats Angel - it's like nothing she says is taken seriously by him. And she points this out to him midway through the book only to be blown off. He redeemed himself in the end a bit but I still felt as if Angel could do better boyfriend-wise, that she could find someone who treated her like an equal, especially with everything she had managed to accomplish in the end.

I disliked Marcus' uncle with a passion for reasons that I just cannot explain other than I managed to wrinkle my nose every time he was mentioned. I had trouble believing he was a good guy if that makes sense. Ed redeemed himself as well, proving that he wasn't the bad guy that everyone thought he was and I was grateful that he did what he could to help Angel and her father. But most importantly, I really started to like Angel's dad. He was trying to better himself in this book after seeing Angel do so. It was nice to see that bond start to repair itself throughout the book. Redemption seemed to be a really strong subject in book #2.

As for new characters, I wasn't crazy about Sofia and was a bit annoyed that her story was left somewhat hanging when she was abruptly killed. It was never really pointed out in clear terms if she was a good or bad guy even though I was leaning towards double-agent since she appeared to be playing both sides. And the new doctor grated on my nerves. I had hoped Angel would kill her in the end like she did the head of security but on the flip side, it opens up room for a third book.

All in all, the characters remained true to their selves from the first book. The new characters added a nice tension to the storyline, which was just as wonderful like the first book. I was a bit worried as the second installments of a series tend to lose a bit of the spark that the first installment ignited but this book proved that theory wrong. It one again kept me on the edge of my seat, adding in new twists and turns that the first book left out and made it impossible for me to stop reading. 

Best part of the entire book? When Angel promptly said "Braaaiiiins." My husband thought I had lost it upon bursting into laughter.

I do hope that Miss Rowland is planning on a third installment of this series as I'd love to read more about Angel and see what trouble she could get into. This is a definite must-read!

Review: My Life As a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland

My Life As a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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I'm going to start this review off by saying that I don't normally read zombie books. Zombies creep me out and face it, if there ever was a zombie apocalypse, I'd be one of the first to die because I'd run out of people to trip as bait.

That being said, I thought I'd give this book a chance after reading the summary on Amazon. It sounded cute - well, as cute as a brain-eating zombie could be. And I was also sold on two other things: one, the main character's name is Angel, which just so happens to be the name of one of my best friends and two, it took place in Louisiana, my home state. And come on, I needed a break after the headache of the last book I read - one that preferably didn't involve an inner goddess fretting about the Red Room of Pain.

So, let's get down to the summary via Goodreads (seriously, you really should join this site):

Angel Crawford is a loser

Living with her alcoholic deadbeat dad in the swamps of southern Louisiana, she's a high school dropout with a pill habit and a criminal record who's been fired from more crap jobs than she can count. Now on probation for a felony, it seems that Angel will never pull herself out of the downward spiral her life has taken.

That is, until the day she wakes up in the ER after overdosing on painkillers. Angel remembers being in an horrible car crash, but she doesn't have a mark on her. To add to the weirdness, she receives an anonymous letter telling her there's a job waiting for her at the parish morgue—and that it's an offer she doesn't dare refuse.

Before she knows it she's dealing with a huge crush on a certain hunky deputy and a brand new addiction: an overpowering craving for brains. Plus, her morgue is filling up with the victims of a serial killer who decapitates his prey—just when she's hungriest!

Angel's going to have to grow up fast if she wants to keep this job and stay in one piece. Because if she doesn't, she's dead meat.

Literally.

The Characters:
I would like to start off the review by saying that I absolutely adored Angel from the start, despite the whole loser drop-out status. She was quick-witted, sharp and stood her ground. Sure, she was a bit stubborn but so am I so I don't see this as being a real fault. Don't argue with me - I won't listen.

I loved how Angel matured throughout the book. You could tell just from the way she reacted to things that she was learning how to not just jump into things but rather think them out logically. She was quick on her feet and very observant about her environment. And most of all, you could tell that Angel wanted to change, that she wanted to better her life. That she truly was trying. For that, I respected her greatly.

As for Marcus, to be honest, I wasn't all that crazy about him. Yeah, he seemed like a great guy but it always came off to me like he didn't really put a lot of faith in Angel. I knew something was up with him throughout the book although I didn't want to jump to conclusions (I was right, though) and when I found out in the end, I still wasn't crazy about him. I hoped this would change with the second installment.

The other characters were well-written. I think they played well off of Angel. Angel disliked her father for the way he treated her and you got that vibe while reading about him. Ed came off as someone who seemed like the good guy yet you were still a bit wary around him. Derrell was like the supportive older brother who also doubled as the personal cheerleader. I even started to like Nick even though he could still be a jerk when he wanted to be. All in all the characters were well-rounded, well-written and entertaining.

9 out of 10.

The Plot:
I have to honestly say that I've never sat down and wondered just what would make a good zombie plot as most of the zombies I've read about just slink along going "braiiiiins" and trying to eat every human in sight. See what Nintendo games do to you? So I can definitely say that I wasn't expecting such an entertaining plot upon seeing this was a zombie book.

I love how it was a story of discover (an amusing one at that) as Angel tried to get used to the idea that she was in fact a zombie but on another note it was a mystery plot. Someone was going about killing people and beheading them and Angel took it upon herself to find out who. The story was full of twists and turns that I wasn't expecting and therefore made it impossible for me to put the book down. It's rare I finish a book within a day but I had this one completed in under 24 hours and was off to purchase the second one.

I will, however, say that I could have done without the image of her mixing her brains with tomato soup. I've completely lost the urge to eat tomato soup from now on.

9 out of 10.

Miss Rowland is by far one of the better YA writers I have read. She's entertaining, has a way with words (and descriptions - ugh, tomato soup) and knew how to write the twists and turns in the story that held your attention. I look forward to reading many more of her books and I will definitely be checking out the second book to this series as I can't wait to see what happens to Angel the zombie next.

And I now know that not all zombies are bad. Well, as long as they stay away from my brain, that is.