Feature & Follow #1

 

 

Hi guys!

 

I've finally decided to join in the with feature and follow blog hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. Make sure to check out their blogs by using the links or by clicking on the #FF image.

 

I think it's such a great way to learn about all the new blogs that are out there as well as some thoughts from the feature of the week. So...make sure to leave me a comment and any other blogs you fancy and say Hi!

 

 

This week the question is:

 

What drove you to start book blogging in the first place?

This one is easy for me. I hardly have any friends who enjoy reading as much as I do. I have a couple who will read the odd book now and again but none that read because they would be lost without their books like me!

 

Anytime I brought up what book I was reading or what I thought about this amazing book, everybody would literally groan or roll their eyes. Then I happened to look up a review online for a book I was pining for and found all sorts of blogs around and I immediately thought it's such a great idea. 

 

It's so nice to have people from all over read what you feel and pick up recommendations. Now instead of annoying my friends so much with incessant book talk I just blog. 

 

After a while I started to really appreciate the book blogging community - everybody is blogging or reading posts for the same reason - because we all love our books! I don't know about you guys, but I never want to stop...

 

 

Be sure to check out my review of Flesh and Blood from this week! 

Review: Flesh and Blood

Title: Flesh and Blood

Author: Kristen Painter

Series: House of Comarre #2

Publisher: Orbit (UK | US)

Publication date: UK - 06/10/2011 | US - 10/1/2011

Format: Paperback - 432 pages

Genre: Urban Fantasy

 

 

The covenant holding the othernatural and our mortal world apart has broken, promising a dark future for humankind. The Ring of Sorrows will be crucial in salvaging this mess - but this powerful artifact is missing and Chrysabelle was the last to see it, placing her life in great danger.

But instead of lying low, she must fulfil her debt to the undead to the undead outcast Malkolm. This requires them to return to the hidden vampire city of Corvinestri, the very last place either of them will find safety. Especially when they will encounter power-hungry witches, Kubai Mata warriors and a host of hostile vampires.

If Chrysabelle survives her choices, what's left of her life will never be the same.

My thoughts:

Flesh and Blood begins just two weeks after the ending of the first book in the series Blood Rights. Chrysabelle - still think it's an awesome name - has to keep her promise to Malkolm and try to find out how to rid him of his curses whilst still keeping the powerful Ring of Sorrows from evil vampiress Tatiana's hands.

 

I still love the world that this story is set in. I love the idea of all these othernaturals like Comarre and the Kubai Mata - there are so many aspects to the story that grab your attention throughout the read that it's never boring for one second. 

 

The characters were most definitely not in any way disappointing. Chrysabelle was still endearing and yet so flawed that it made her real somehow, Malkolm of course was as sexy as ever and just as sweet and Tatiana was just as bratty as always. There was another important character introduced into this one though, Creek, one of the Kubai Mata group - protectors of humans. He was a little disappointing to me. I liked him at first - he represented a new and exciting aspect to the story, but it just felt like he was in the way in this book. It might be just me thinking that I like Malkolm too much for someone else to get involved in Chrysabelle's life...yeah it's probably just me. But in my defense, he still wasn't as involved in the story as Malkolm was or even any supporting characters which kind of pushed him to the back of my mind when reading the book. It was a little frustrating.

 

As for the plot, it was in no way as packed full of suspense as the first book in the series. It was more of a fill in type of read. The plot was still good - it was just that it was a carry on from the first book so it was nothing new and enthralling. 

 

As a whole the book was made a really good read purely because of the characters holding it together and the fantastic world building. I really do love this series so far and I can't wait to find out what happens next - a word of warning, Flash and Blood ends with the mother of all cliffhangers. 

 

My rating: 8/10

 

Kristen Painter:

Goodreads | Blog | Twitter | Website | Facebook

 

Books in the series:

1. Blood Rights - review here.
2. Flesh and Blood
3. Bad Blood
4. Out for Blood

Review: Dead of Night

Title: Dead of Night

Author: Jonathan Maberry

Series: Dead of Night #1

Publisher: St. Martin's Press 

Publication date: October 2011 

Format: Paperback - 368 pages

Genre: Horror 

 

 

A prison doctor injects a condemned serial killer with a formula designed to keep his consciousness awake while his body rots in the grave. But all drugs have unforeseen side effects. Before he can be buried, the killer wakes up. Hungry. Infected. Contagious. This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang...but a bite.

My thoughts:

I cannot even put how much I love this book into words - I don't think a review could do it justice. Safe to say - Jonathan Maberry is fast becoming one of my all-time favourite authors.

 

After a serial killer, Homer Gibbons, who happens to be infected with deadly parasites, is let loose in the county of Stebbins, all hell breaks loose. Dez, JT and Billy Trout soon find themselves fighting to keep themselves alive as well as most of the children of Stebbins.

 

This is basically everything that makes a good read, horror book and zombie thriller. To me it really is faultless. For a start the characters are really fun to read about. Dez is a right character - she's incredibly feisty and has a mouth on her. She was by far my favourite - really strong and yet had really bad abandonment issues that made her a 'real' person instead of your average 'do no wrong' heroine.

 

JT was just a sweetheart. He was the father figure to Dez and an all round great guy. Trout was also a darling. He was kind of the 'smart guy' of the book. Being a journalist with a best friend who knew social media inside and out really came in handy in the end.

 

As for the plot it was fantastic. The storyline was perfect, the settings were spot on and the build up of fear and suspense was nail-biting. One thing I do like about Maberry is that he's not afraid to make the book that extra bit detailed with the gore involved. This read is definitely not for readers who aren't fans of horror in general. 

 

Overall this was a fantastic read that I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of horror.

 

My rating: 10/10

 

 

Jonathan Maberry:

Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Twitter 

 

Books in the series:

1. Dead of Night
2. Fall of Night