pipread Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 I`m glad you enjoyed Dexter in the Dark so much. I didn`t think it was quite as good as the first two, I still enjoyed it though `cause it was good. I`m looking forward to reading your review of Dexter by Design, hope you enjoyed it, I imagine you did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted June 4, 2009 Author Share Posted June 4, 2009 I can understand why you might not have enjoyed Dexter in the Dark as much, it did kinda go off the beaten path a bit but I rather liked the whole Dark Passenger thing going on so that's why it still got a 10 from me! Dexter is back on form in book 4! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted June 4, 2009 Author Share Posted June 4, 2009 Dexter by Design ~by~ Jeff Lindsay is the last one of the series that has been released so far!! Synopsis Courtesy of Waterstones: Being a blood spatter analyst who hates the sight of blood has always made Dexter's work for the Miami PD tough. But it means he's very neat when it comes to his out-of-hours hobby: murder. Of course, the fact Dexter only kills bad people helps too. Now Dex is facing a disturbing situation. He's used to blood at work, and blood when he's out with the dark passenger (the voice that guides him on his deadly outings). But he's not sure what to make of the man who says blood is art. Using bodies as his canvas, someone is out there expressing themselves in the most lethal and painful of ways. If Dexter's to escape the scalpel and avoid becoming the latest exhibit, he needs somewhere to run... Dexter and his Dark Passenger are on top form again, except they deviate from the Harry code with disasterous results and the people who are close to him get caught up in the whole Dexterama! This was another fantastic Dexter book. (I'm beginning to sound repetitive here! ) Dexter is becoming more human everyday, having feelings that confuse him, he's not used to emotions. We also get to see a lot more of Daddy Dexter and Dexter the devoted husband, especially when his home life is threatened, after all, he quite likes these people! He's a lot more vulnerable in this book and actually needs help, but in the end its a suprising person who really helps. Oh and one more thing, (do not read this spoiler if you don't really want to know, it is major news!) He is going to be a natural Daddy! Rita is pregnant!! Fantastic! Can't wait for the next one! 10/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceinwenn Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Charm - you evil temptress!!!! I am resisting (so far anyway ). I've only got about 100 pages left - I'm loving it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwemad Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Oh Charm.... I was one of those 'evil' people who couldn't take to 'Dexter in the Dark'. Think about it though...... I gave you a nice surprise!!!!! I'm good for something eh? I'm glad I was able to help you enjoy it even more!!! Seriously I just don't do fantasy very well .... I am trying I have joined the reading circle and August is a proper fantasy book... heaven only knows how I am going to get on, but get on I shall (that's my determined face!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted June 5, 2009 Author Share Posted June 5, 2009 Charm - you evil temptress!!!! I am resisting (so far anyway ). I've only got about 100 pages left - I'm loving it!! Be good girly! Don't you dare! Oh Charm.... I was one of those 'evil' people who couldn't take to 'Dexter in the Dark'. Think about it though...... I gave you a nice surprise!!!!! I'm good for something eh? I'm glad I was able to help you enjoy it even more!!! You're not evil at all, I can understand why you didn't like it but in all fairness you seemed to pick the only one of the series which concentrates on the fantasy element!! Never mind eh? We can't all like the same thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceinwenn Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Hee hee hee! No need to resist! I've finished the book! Wow! It was absolutely brilliant & I soooooooooooooooooooooo cannot wait for the next one! (Do you think if we start an email campaign that he would publish it sooner?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted June 5, 2009 Author Share Posted June 5, 2009 Hee hee hee! No need to resist! I've finished the book! Wow! It was absolutely brilliant & I soooooooooooooooooooooo cannot wait for the next one! (Do you think if we start an email campaign that he would publish it sooner?) Funny I thought of that too! I was gonna suggest the same thing! We could praise, beg and plead him to hurry up and even send him a link to our flattering thread!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceinwenn Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 I think we should (though he might think we are slightly cuckoo!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted June 5, 2009 Author Share Posted June 5, 2009 Oh probably! Might be worth a shot! I'll make that my homework for the weekend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted June 8, 2009 Author Share Posted June 8, 2009 (edited) Stolen ~by~ Kelley Armstrong Synopsis courtesy of KelleyArmstrong.com When a young witch tells Elena that a group of humans are kidnapping supernaturals, Elena ignores the warning. After all, everyone knows there's no such thing as witches. As for the thought of other 'supernaturals', well, she'd just rather not dwell on the possibility. Soon, however, she's confronted with the truth about her world, when she's kidnapped and thrown into a cell-block with witches, sorcerers, half-demons and other werewolves. As Elena soon discovers, dealing with her fellow captives is the least of her worries. In this prison, the real monsters carry the keys... My thoughts: This is the second in the Women of the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong and again told by Elena, the only female werewolf. Supernatural beings are being kidnapped by a wealthy hunter and taken to a secure facility where they are examined and their powers tested. Elena finds herself captured and in the same predicament, where she is tested to her limits while trying to come to terms with realising she may never see the rest of her pack again. Her only option is to try to escape while remaining co-operative but she learns the hard way who she can trust and who she can't. In the first book of the series 'Bitten' I didn't think I really liked Elena, I thought she did a lot of complaining and whining, however I really warmed to her in this book. The story picked up where it left off in the first installment and now she's come to accept who she is and is even enjoying it. I also got used to the type of werewolf the author has written, even though its not your usual full moon, maneater stereotype. I really liked the new supernaturals that were introduced as some of the main characters and enjoyed the background information that the author provided. The story was brilliant, well thought out and put together building up to an ending that was a joy to read. It wasn't a case of wondering who the bad guy was, we knew all along, but to see him get his comeuppance was very satisfying! Kelley Armstrong is fast becoming one of my favourite authors ( well one of many ) and I will definately be reading more of her stuff. 10/10 Edited June 8, 2009 by Charm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Yay, so glad you're enjoying this series Charm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted June 8, 2009 Author Share Posted June 8, 2009 (edited) I read Dime Store Magic ~by~ Kelley Armstrong in 24 hours. The first time I've ever read a book that fast and it wasn't exactly a skinny book either! That says it all. Synopsis courtesy of kelleyarmstrong.com Leader of the American Coven, guardian to the preteen daughter of a black witch ... it's not the lifestyle twenty-three year-old Paige Winterbourne imagined for herself, and it's wreaking hell on her social life. But she's up the challenge. When half-demon Leah O'Donnell returns to fight for custody of Savannah, Paige is ready. She's not as prepared for the team of supernaturals Leah brings with her, including a powerful sorcerer who claims to be Savannah's father. Cut off from her friends, accused of witchcraft, Satanism, necromancy, murder...Paige quickly realizes that keeping Savannah could mean losing everything else. Has she finally found a battle she isn't willing to fight? My thoughts: Paige Winterbourne is witch coven leader, happily living in a tight knit community, trying to live a normal life, bringing up an adoptive strongwilled teenager who also happens to be extremely powerful supernatural herself. The problem is, the rest of the supernatural community are aware of Savannah and when Paige's secret is exposed to joe public by a half-demon and Savannah's natural father, her normal life disintegrates before her eyes. Everything she does to try and stop it only seems to make it worse ... I couldn't wait to read this and went straight on to it after Stolen. Paige Winterbourne was introduced to us in Stolen and this book carries on her story. I couldn't put it down. I really liked Paige and the plot kept me hooked with plenty of action the whole way through. It reminded me of the television programme 'Charmed', one of my favourite shows, although it does contain a certain amount of sexual content, as did Bitten and Stolen. There's not an awful lot, its written in well and doesn't bother me at all, but I won't be letting Kookie read it for a while yet! I will definately be getting my hands on the rest of the series and have already added them to my wishlist! 10/10 again for this one Edited June 8, 2009 by Charm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted June 8, 2009 Author Share Posted June 8, 2009 Yay, so glad you're enjoying this series Charm! Thanks Lexie! I really am enjoying it and will definately be getting the rest of the series! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted June 12, 2009 Author Share Posted June 12, 2009 I finished reading Vampire Apocalypse: A World Torn Asunder ~by~ Derek Gunn late last night. I won this signed copy on a book club forum competition! Synopsis Courtesy of Waterstones The war is over and the Vampires have won. The drying up of the world's oil resources leads to the fabled End of Days. Technology stagnates and communities grow ever more insular. With communication between cities lost and attention turned inward, the vampires rise from the shadows where they have survived for centuries and sweep across the globe. By the time word spreads it is far too late and Vampires enslave humanity and keep them in walled cities to breed. The Vampires are masters of the darkness but maintain control by day through the use of Thralls--humans who have been bitten but have not yet crossed over, and whose inhuman lusts make daylight as terrifying as night. In the midst of chaos, a small band of rebels lead a terrified existence, but their survival is threatened by the Vampire's new scanning procedures. Peter Harris is an ordinary man. Young and reckless, he is frustrated with the group's stagnation and pushes for one more daring mission. His recklessness has exposed the group--but it has also increased the size of their community. Now, as circumstances force them to take the offensive, and accompanied by a small group of professional Vampire assassins, Peter will make one last stand for humanity's survival in the Vampire Apocalypse. My thoughts: I really liked the story's main character, a young man named Peter Harris who is one of the leaders in the rebels fight to overcome the vampires, strange given that his nearest brush with military style tactics is playing tactical computer games on his pc before the war broke out! He's had to learn .. fast. The vampires keep the humans in line by injecting them with a serum to keep them docile and easy to manage, just alert enough to perform their everyday functions and breed but docile enough so as to have no free will to be a problem. They are kept within walled towns and patroled during the day by the vampires 'thralls' humans who have been bitten but not actually fully fledged vampires, nasty buggers too. Harris and the band of resistance rebels have been put in a position where they have to act now or be caught and die a horrible death ... It seems to be a no win situation and the story follows how the rebels come together forming bonds and strong friendships. The writing is fast paced and easy to read. The story is more like a blockbuster action movie than a gothic horror, its not your typical Dracula or Anne Rice vamp read, the vampires are totally unlikeable! No Twilightesque romance involved! The descriptions throughout the book are quite vivid and the plot is easy to follow. I enjoyed this book, its not my ususal type of vampire read but I ended up really liking it and would like to read the sequel at some stage. 8/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 I love vampires stories, would you recommend this Charm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted June 12, 2009 Author Share Posted June 12, 2009 I would yes, its like a cross between Terminator (after judgement day, with vamps instead of machines) and Mad Max, if that makes sense! It gets straight into the story and you really feel a sense of hopelessness of it all for the rebels, but of course the vampires just don't realise the strength of human resolve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 Ohh that does sound really good, I shall add it to my wishlist, thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 Cause for Alarm by Erica Spindler was sent to me by Lexiepiper, and boy am I glad she did! Synopsis courtesy of Waterstones: Their dream became a nightmare...Nineteen year-old Julianna Starr has chosen Kate and Richard to be more than the parents of her child. Julianna knows that Richard is the man of her fantasies, the one she's been waiting for.As tormented Julianna begins to mould herself in Kate's image, she insinuates herself into Richard's life, determined to tear their perfect marriage apart and have Richard for herself.But for Kate and Richard, the nightmare has only begun. Because Julianna is not alone. From her dark past comes a man of unspeakable evil... My thoughts: The synopsis doesn't nearly do this book justice. At first when I started reading it I thought it was a bit chicklit, then after a few chapters the author really started drawing me in. This is definately a thriller but Ms Spindler does an excellent job of delving deeper into her subject's characters to the point where you feel you know them. I loved the principle character and really felt for her during her highs and lows. The novel has two main female characters who's lives blend and come together brilliantly, albeit at the hands of one of them. This book has it all, love, betrayal, murder and adultery with a twisted killer thrown in. I most definately recommend it and will definately be reading more of Erica Spindler's books. 10/10 from me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Yay!! SO glad you enjoyed it! I've just ordered replacements for the other two I told you about ~ See Jane Die (one of her best imo!) and In Silence, if you're still interested, they're all yours and I'll post them back with the Dexter books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 Oh I am definately interested and I can't wait to read them! thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Thanks for the review Charm! I'm definitely interested in Spindler's books, I've heard some great things about her books here on BCF. The synopsis of Cause for Alarm sounds very SWF Seeks Same by John Lutz which was an absolutely horrid book, so boring and not very well written. I didn't like the movie either. So I'd be interested to read a book that's based on the same themes. It cannot be worse than Lutz's book From what I've heard it'll probably even kick some serious ass! Glad you liked the book and have more Spindler books coming your way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 I loved it and can really recommend it, I think you would like it frankie. The SWF element of the book is only part of the story, there's so much more in there. Its also told by most of the main characters so you really get to know what makes each one tick without being confusing or complicated. It is really a dark and thrilling read with the main killer being like something you'd expect to find in a Deaver novel. Do check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 Sold! I have to incorporate the name Erica Spindler and Cause for Alarm to my wild secondhand bookshop hunts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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