Charm Posted April 10, 2009 Author Share Posted April 10, 2009 (edited) I finished Bitten ~by~ Kelley Armstrong a couple of weeks ago now and I think I liked it! Synopsis courtesy of Waterstones Elena Michaels is a model woman for the 21st century: self-assured, keenly intelligent, fighting fit. And like every modern woman, she has her secrets. Nothing extraordinary about that. Except that Elena really is extraordinary. In fact, she may well be the most extraordinary woman alive. She is, after all, the only female werewolf in the world...Ten years ago, against her will, Elena's lover turned her into a werewolf. Some days it feels like a gift. Most days it feels like a curse. A year ago, she decided to live as a human. Now she has to go back to New York State, her old home. Her pack is under seige by a new group of violent, psychotic werewolves that shows no respect for the old ways, and no respect for territory. Forced into helping her old friends, Elena soon slips back into the reassuring camaradarie of the pack, though she struggles against her dangerous, unpredictable desires. Hunting down her enemies, Elena prowls through territories usually barred to women. From dangerous back alleys to the dark, luscious forests of New York State, she must hunt and destroy the renegade pack before they destroy her. This book is about a girl who gets ‘bitten’ by a werewolf but fights her wolf instincts and tries to live without the pack and be a normal human being. Her ‘normal’ life is shattered when her old mentor calls leaving a message on her answer machine … When I read the first few chapters of this novel I really didn’t know what I thought about it to be honest. I didn’t like the main character to begin with, she just seemed to spend the whole time fighting with herself, not knowing if she wanted to be human or was ready to embrace her werewolf side and constantly blaming everyone else for her unhappiness. As for the werewolf side of it she wasn’t a werewolf in the traditional historical sense ie uncontrollable changing during the full moon and going on a murderous rampage, killing every human in sight, the werewolves in this book were more just like huge wolves. They could change whenever they wanted to a degree and could be killed just like a human being. I was a bit disappointed by this, maybe because it just wasn’t what I expected. I think I was expecting werewolves like something out of the Van Helsing movie! They lived like a human pack with an alpha male etc and some wolf tendancies spilled over into their human lives which I also found a bit strange. In the end I did get engrossed in the story and started to warm to the main character, even though she did irritate me at times. The plot wasn’t exactly hard to follow but it did play out in the end, complete with a love triangle. I will be buying the next couple in the series to see what happens. A tentative 7/10 Edited April 11, 2009 by Charm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted April 10, 2009 Author Share Posted April 10, 2009 Children of the Vampire (The Diaries of the Family Dracul) ~by~ Jeanne Kalogridis Synopsis courtesy of Fantastic Fiction Hoping to save his human son from the family duty of serving the evil Prince Vlad, vampire Arkady Tsepesh comes out of hiding, but his arrival is too late to save the young man from being kidnapped by Dracula. The story of this book is about Count Dracula and his male heirs. The count has made a pact and to stay alive he must have the blood of every one of the first born male heirs born through the centuries. The book tells the tale of one heir in particular and the inevitable battle between good and evil. I love it. I liked the style of the writing. I liked the dark gothic atmosphere the author portrayed very well and I also liked all the characters, even the baddies to a certain degree! The story was told well and there was plenty of action throughout with a twist thrown in at the end. Its actually the second book in a trilogy, the first being The Covenant of the Vampire. The third is called Lord of the Vampire which I will definately be trying to get my hands on. If you liked Bram Stoker's Dracula and The Historian by Elisabeth Kostova I think you'll like this. 10/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo-Bridge Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 I like the sound of this...I'm looking for something a bit different and this might be it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted April 13, 2009 Author Share Posted April 13, 2009 I hope you like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Aaa, Bitten by Kelley Armstrong was the book I was talking about before (you reading something which interested me but I didn't remember what it was at the time)! I'm a bit surprised you didn't like it more than you did, I expected great things from it. Good thing you're not giving up on it yet though, I think there are vampires in the next book. (I spoilertagged it just in case) I'm still wondering whether to order this book online or make the library buy it or what. Whenever I get to it, I'm quite eager on Jeffery Deaver's books at the mo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted April 14, 2009 Author Share Posted April 14, 2009 Aaa, Bitten by Kelley Armstrong was the book I was talking about before (you reading something which interested me but I didn't remember what it was at the time)! I'm a bit surprised you didn't like it more than you did, I expected great things from it. Good thing you're not giving up on it yet though, I think there are vampires in the next book. (I spoilertagged it just in case) I'm still wondering whether to order this book online or make the library buy it or what. Whenever I get to it, I'm quite eager on Jeffery Deaver's books at the mo! Its not that didn't like it, I guess I just expected to be giving it a 10/10. Funny you should mention the next one though, I was looking to buy it today in Waterstones but of course that had to be the one in the series that they were out of stock with! So I didn't get it I did however get the next two Dexter books!!!!! Which Jeffrey Deaver are you reading? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Its not that didn't like it, I guess I just expected to be giving it a 10/10. Funny you should mention the next one though, I was looking to buy it today in Waterstones but of course that had to be the one in the series that they were out of stock with! So I didn't get it I did however get the next two Dexter books!!!!! Which Jeffrey Deaver are you reading? Don't you just hate it when that happens, bookstores being out of books?? And they call themselves bookstores... But the most important thing is that you got the Dexter books finally! I'm really pleased for you! Do you think you'll be starting them immediately? I'm actually reading Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom but it's such a short and quick read that I'll be finishing it soon, then I'll probably start The Coffin Dancer by Deaver, that's the second Lincoln Rhyme book. (I also found Deaver's A Maiden's Grave in a used books shop, it's not a LR book but it sounded really interesting anyway so I had to get it.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted April 14, 2009 Author Share Posted April 14, 2009 Well I'm about 250 pages through The Historian and its 704 pages long, so I don't think I'll be starting them immediately Plus I've been trying to get my hands on a copy of The Hunchback of Notre Dame to read before the May reading circle, I searched the town today and nowhere had a copy! I'll keep trying. Did you manage to get your hands on a copy of Deaver's The Blue Nowhere yet? It's brilliant!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 I had problems getting The Hunchback too, one Waterstones had it but the other didn't and neither did Boarders, I did manage to get a pretty cheap edition from the waterstones that stocked it though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Well I'm about 250 pages through The Historian and its 704 pages long, so I don't think I'll be starting them immediately Plus I've been trying to get my hands on a copy of The Hunchback of Notre Dame to read before the May reading circle, I searched the town today and nowhere had a copy! I'll keep trying. Did you manage to get your hands on a copy of Deaver's The Blue Nowhere yet? It's brilliant!! You seriously need to start reading a bit faster and spend more time finishing The Historian and not spend so much time on the forum! Although, I won't be able to start Dexter right away myself so maybe it's better this way, we might happen to read Dear Dexie at the same time! I hope you have luck with Hunchie hunt. You've still got a couple of weeks but I guess you'd like to use that time to actually read it too... Yep The Blue Nowhere arrived two weeks ago but haven't gotten around to reading it yet. Right now I'm more into Lincoln Rhyme, and then I really want to do Dexter too, plus I want to read Lynda La Plante's Trial and Retribution -series. Do you know them? It was a miniseries by BBC I think and there are books too. I don't think they're all about serial killers but they're way good! I just have too many things going on bookwise... =/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted April 14, 2009 Author Share Posted April 14, 2009 You seriously need to start reading a bit faster and spend more time finishing The Historian and not spend so much time on the forum! Although, I won't be able to start Dexter right away myself so maybe it's better this way, we might happen to read Dear Dexie at the same time! That would be great ... Double Dexter! If Ceinwenn gets hers it would be triple Yep The Blue Nowhere arrived two weeks ago but haven't gotten around to reading it yet. Right now I'm more into Lincoln Rhyme, and then I really want to do Dexter too, plus I want to read Lynda La Plante's Trial and Retribution -series. Do you know them? It was a miniseries by BBC I think and there are books too. I don't think they're all about serial killers but they're way good! I just have too many things going on bookwise... =/ I have seen some of the Trial and Retribution series on TV and did enjoy it, I haven't read any of Lynda La Plante's books though. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted April 17, 2009 Author Share Posted April 17, 2009 I've just added 5 books to my TBR pile. I was doing so well too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted April 24, 2009 Author Share Posted April 24, 2009 I finally finished reading The Historian ~by~ Elizabeth Kostova (in my defence, it was 704 pages long and my reading mojo had waned a bit! ). I'm not sure how to describe what I thought of it but here goes: Synopsis courtesy of Waterstones Late one night, exploring her father's library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters addressed ominously to 'My dear and unfortunate successor'. Her discovery plunges her into a world she never dreamed of - a labyrinth where the secrets of her father's past and her mother's mysterious fate connect to an evil hidden in the depths of history. In those few quiet moments, she unwittingly assumes a quest she will discover is her birthright - a hunt for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of the Dracula myth. Deciphering obscure signs and hidden texts, reading codes worked into the fabric of medieval monastic traditions, and evading terrifying adversaries, one woman comes ever closer to the secret of her own past and a confrontation with the very definition of evil. Elizabeth Kostova's debut novel is an adventure of monumental proportions - a captivating tale that blends fact and fantasy, history and the present with an assurance that is almost unbearably suspenseful - and utterly unforgettable. My thoughts: The novel is about a young woman who lives with her father and sometimes travels with him on his business trips, where he gradually tells her the story of his search for Dracula and about how he met her mother. He suddenly resumes his search alone and disappears, leaving the young woman to try to find him. It is mostly written in the form of letters, some of which were addressed to her and some addressed to her father. Most of them she found in his study before embarking on a trip across Europe in search of him. The story of the father's search for Dracula (which is what most of the book is about) unfolded pretty slowly and seemed a bit repetitive to me, which then left me feeling a bit frustrated at times. It was also a bit anticlimactic, with the most exciting bit in the book and the ending all wrapped up in the last few chapters. I thought this was a shame because it had the potential for a far more exciting finish which I was expecting all along. This may all sound a bit harsh, but in all fairness, the book did have its good points too. It is well written and has a kind of dark, creepy atmosphere which I love. Its not too complicated and is easy to follow and the author describes things beautifully, to the point where I found myself wishing I could hop on a plane and travel to the wonderful places immediately. It also appears very well researched, half of the time I felt like I'd just come out of a history lesson! I did have to catch myself on now and then because I kept picturing the main characters in more ancient times, rather than the late 20th century, maybe because of the history element to the book and its main topic, Dracula. Dracula himself didn't appear very much at all, which I was a bit disappointed with, however there were a good amount of vampire attacks throughout the whole book. These were not as descriptive as I would have liked though, more the aftermath of the attack. I'm giving The Historian a 7/10 because I'm glad I read it and I did enjoy it somewhat, although her next novel would need to be a bit faster paced for my liking. I think I'll wait and see what the reviews on here are like first. If you are into European medieval history then you may enjoy this book. 7/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceinwenn Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 Excellent review, Charm! If I was the least bit inclined to read Vampire/Medieval History books then I think I would give this one a go. I'm not, though, so I won't! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted April 24, 2009 Author Share Posted April 24, 2009 Aw shucks Thanks Ceinwenn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Great review, Charm. I really loved The Historian, it being in my Top *non-specified number* of books. I, like you, felt drawn into the locations she describes so well to the point where they're on another list of mine, my 'places I'm gonna go to' list. I think I must have been in the mood for a long novel, as it's length didn't bother me, which it sometimes does (easy, ii, don't get saucy with that sentence...) And, you guess correctly, I am a huge history fan - I wasn't at school, though. It's only since I entered my Thirties that it began to fascinate me, weirdly. I found the book eerie and it even, on a couple of occasions, gave me unsettling dreams. I'm not into vampire books at all - for some reason I just can't sink my teeth into them...but this really caught me. Thanks for the excellent review, Charm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted April 25, 2009 Author Share Posted April 25, 2009 Thanks for the comments Mac Its nice to hear that someone else felt the same about certain aspects of the book. Will you be getting her new one when it comes out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwemad Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 ooooooooooo I was thinking of looking out for The Historian....... I'm not so sure now.......... vampires.... oooooo. You write great reviews Charm. I enjoy reading your thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted April 25, 2009 Author Share Posted April 25, 2009 (edited) ooooooooooo I was thinking of looking out for The Historian....... I'm not so sure now.......... vampires.... oooooo. Oh please don't be put off by vampires, they are in the story but not to a degree where you're waiting for one to pop out at you around the next page, they help to give the tale a dark, gothic and creepy feel too. You write great reviews Charm. I enjoy reading your thread. Thank you! .. and thank you to everyone again who has commented on it. It's very encouraging. I don't like to be cocky enough to call it review, more just my humble thoughts and I certainly wouldn't dream of comparing it to any of the brilliant reviews on the forum. But again ... Edited April 25, 2009 by Charm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwemad Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 I don't like to be cocky enough to call it review, more just my humble thoughts and I certainly wouldn't dream of comparing it to any of the brilliant reviews on the forum. But again ... Ha ha........ It's I who don't 'do' reviews . Way too much responsibility. I write what I think about the book I have just read... self indulgent nonsense most of the time. But yours are in a different league. They really are proper reviews... at least I think so, I like them, and they are very helpful to my picking out reads and that's what reviews are about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted April 25, 2009 Author Share Posted April 25, 2009 Wow what a lovely thing to say! :friends0:I'm gald you liked it and that I've maybe helped you chose. I have to agree with you about the responsibility bit though. I sometimes break out in a cold sweat if I've recommended a book to someone and they go and spend good money on it to read. I'm so nervous until I hear what they think of it! Such a responsibility! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceinwenn Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Ha ha........ It's I who don't 'do' reviews . Way too much responsibility. I write what I think about the book I have just read... self indulgent nonsense most of the time. But yours are in a different league. They really are proper reviews... at least I think so, I like them, and they are very helpful to my picking out reads and that's what reviews are about. I've only got one thing to say, charm, my dear. "I TOLD YOU SO!!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 I have to agree with you about the responsibility bit though. I sometimes break out in a cold sweat if I've recommended a book to someone and they go and spend good money on it to read. I'm so nervous until I hear what they think of it! Such a responsibility! I warn them 'It's not my fault if you don't like it, I didn't take the money out of your hands.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Thanks for the comments Mac Its nice to hear that someone else felt the same about certain aspects of the book. Will you be getting her new one when it comes out? I will indeed be purchasing her new one as soon as it arrives in Waterstone's. I love that shop! Oooh, this is a weird story. I used to visit the Waterstone's every Monday when I worked in Burton-Upon-Trent about...err...six years ago. There was a chap who worked there that I got chummy with and he used to recommend bits and bobs to me - particularly up-and-coming authors. When I moved to my current house about 5 years ago, I started visiting Waterstone's in my local town. And the same fella was working in that store, so he continued to recommend new stuff. Then, last year I was on holiday down South and I popped into a Waterstone's in Bournemouth (because I can't pass one without going in!) and the same chap was working there! He recommended something else. Good man. But I found this more than a little strange - I promised him I wasn't some crazed stalker. Weirdness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted April 25, 2009 Author Share Posted April 25, 2009 I've only got one thing to say, charm, my dear. "I TOLD YOU SO!!" I knew you'd say that!! (you've been dying to haven't ya ) I warn them 'It's not my fault if you don't like it, I didn't take the money out of your hands.' True. I never thought of it like that. I suppose your review is what you thought of it after all I will indeed be purchasing her new one as soon as it arrives in Waterstone's. I love that shop! Oooh, this is a weird story. I used to visit the Waterstone's every Monday when I worked in Burton-Upon-Trent about...err...six years ago. There was a chap who worked there that I got chummy with and he used to recommend bits and bobs to me - particularly up-and-coming authors. When I moved to my current house about 5 years ago, I started visiting Waterstone's in my local town. And the same fella was working in that store, so he continued to recommend new stuff. Then, last year I was on holiday down South and I popped into a Waterstone's in Bournemouth (because I can't pass one without going in!) and the same chap was working there! He recommended something else. Good man. But I found this more than a little strange - I promised him I wasn't some crazed stalker. Weirdness. Now that is weird. But my goodness, what a coincidence! Great story Mac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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