Book Review : Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead

Succubus Blues (Georgina Kincaid, #1) by Richelle Mead

Mass Market Paperback, 360 pages

Published August 1st 2010 by Zebra

Synopsis

When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants, the wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical?

But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid's life is far less exotic. At least there's her day job at a local bookstore—free books; all the white chocolate mochas she can drink; and easy access to bestselling, sexy writer, Seth Mortensen, aka He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can't.

But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle's demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won't help because Georgina's about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny...

Review

I've never read any book with a succubus as the main character, until this book. In folklore traced back to medieval legend, a succubus (plural succubi) is a female demon appearing in dreams who takes the form of a human woman in order to seduce men. In Succubus Blues, Georgina Kincaid is a heroine who, despite being a succubus, has many traits which are comparable to humans. She drinks coffee, reads books, and has a crush on her favourite author. She also can shape-shift into anyone she likes. But she is clueless about what she wants. Even when she knows what she wants, she has no guts to admit it.

While this book has some pretty interesting characters - I couldn't really relate to any of them, but I somehow understand Georgina's feelings and lack of confidence in getting what she really wanted. Georgina's favourite author, Seth Mortensen is seriously lacking of interpersonal skills. He is quite an introvert and likes to speak monosyllable terms. Georgina's other admirer, Roman is a dashing, unabashed man who seems to have the confidence to do anything in order to woo her. However, I seriously don't like this character. He is too cocky, and in my opinion, a little perverted.

The plot is good, though. It keeps me guessing who the villain is, and when the villain is finally revealed, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of pity for him/her even though he/she is a total baddie. Succubus Blue is quite good, but it still has rooms for improvements.

Rating:
Warning: This book is PG-18.

Giveaway: Signed Copy of Afterlight by Elle Jasper

Afterlight (The Dark Ink Chronicles, #1) by Elle Jasper

Savannah's most unconventional tattoo artist, Riley Poe, lives on the edge. Now she's put over the edge when her younger brother is taken by a sinister cult led by vampires. Her only ally is the hot-tempered vampire Eli Dupre, attracted to Riley's beauty and rare blood type. To save her brother from certain un-death, Riley faces dangers she's never dreamed of, ruthless bloodthirsty enemies, and an evil of endless hunger that wants to devour it all...

Elle is offering a SIGNED copy of Afterlight to a lucky winner.

Mandatory - Leave a comment with your e-mail address. No e-mail address, no entry.

*Extra entries are only to be done after the mandatory entry is completed.
*Leave a SEPARATE comment for EACH entry.

+1 Follower of The Bookaholics via GFC
+1 Follow Elle Jasper on Twitter @ElleJasper1
+1 Tweet about this giveaway (You can use the tweetmeme button)
+1 Sign up for Elle's newsletter
+1 Follow Elle Jasper's blog
+1 Add Elle Jasper as a friend on Facebook
+1 Leave a comment on my review of Afterlight
+2 Grab my button and put it on your sidebar (Just copy and paste the HTML code)
+3 Blog about this giveaway

*Please include related link(s) and/or username(s) for verification.

This giveaway is for entrants aged 18+ only. If you are underage and wish to enter, please get permission from your parents or guardian. The author is responsible for the mailing of prize. This giveaway is open worldwide and ends on 30th November, 2010 at 6 p.m. Malaysian time. The winner is selected randomly by random.org, and he/she must respond with his/her name and complete mailing address within 48 hours of being notified. Prize(s) not claimed will be forfeited and a new winner will be selected.

Book Review : Afterlight by Elle Jasper

Afterlight (The Dark Ink Chronicles, #1) by Elle Jasper

Product Details:

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Signet; Original edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451231678
• ISBN-13: 978-0451231673
• Purchase the book on Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound

Savannah's most unconventional tattoo artist, Riley Poe, lives on the edge. Now she's put over the edge when her younger brother is taken by a sinister cult led by vampires. Her only ally is the hot-tempered vampire Eli Dupre, attracted to Riley's beauty and rare blood type. To save her brother from certain un-death, Riley faces dangers she's never dreamed of, ruthless bloodthirsty enemies, and an evil of endless hunger that wants to devour it all...

What do you get when you combine a kick-ass female with a wild past and a two-centuries-old sexy male vampire originated from France? You get Afterlight, of course! Elle Jasper's debut is wicked cool! In this book, Elle shows readers the darker, creepier side of Savannah, Georgia, besides adding her own touch of Gothic elements in it. You can observe it in Riley's dressing code and fashion sense.

Riley Poe is an amazing heroine. She's spunky, badass, witty and loves her brother a great deal. I'd really like to see the dragon tattoo on her back and arms if she were a real person. She has a soft spot for her younger brother Seth, whom she cares for since her mother died. She always calls him "my baby brother" and I think that is cute, since I did the same with mine.

When Seth and his friends disrupts an ancient stone in Savannah's Bonaventure Cemetery, they accidentally release two evil, powerful vampires --- Victorian and Valerian, descendants of the Strigoi. Then, all hell breaks loose. The two evil vampires, Victorian and Valerian, are out for blood, and they are using Seth and his friends to do lure victims.

To save her brother from eternal damnation, Riley seeks help from her surrogate grandfather, the Preacher, who is a Gullah conjurer. His grandfather introduces her to the Dupre family, who agrees to aid her in saving Seth. But there's something strange about the Dupres. They possess amazing speed, and they can change into terrifying monsters in a blink of the eye. They are actually vampires. And Eli Dupre, one of them, has been ordered to act as her personal bodyguard. As time passes, the mutual attraction between them heightened.

Eli Dupre is like the perfect guy, he's hot, handsome and protective. But he can be pretty scary too, when he gets angry or hungry. He grows fond of Riley, and eventually falls in love with her despite the fact that they are two different persons from two different worlds.

Elle Jasper is a talented writer. She weaves the tale perfectly, and ends each chapter with a surprise. I was eager to continue reading and stopped only when my eyes cannot resist the urge to rest. The setting is written in detail, giving me a clear mental image of the charms of the historical sites in Savannah. There is a quote that reminds me of Twilight, but that's a small thing. I loved the book nevertheless. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the second book in The Dark Ink Chronicles, Everdark!

Rating:

Note: This book is intended for adults / readers above 18 years of age only.

Many thanks to Elle Jasper for sending me a signed copy of the book for this review! Thank you for including the extra goodies! I love them!

Elle Jasper spent her youth buried in the pages of Mary Shelly, Edgar Allen Poe, Bram Stoker, and Stephen King. Growing up on the salt marshes of Savannah, Georgia, she was always fascinated by the city’s ancient cobblestones, eerie church spires and Gothic Revival architect—as well as the dark, not-so-publicized side of Savannah, both steeped in tumultuous history. After an education at Armstrong Atlantic University, she forged her love of Gothic literature with an active imagination to pen her own stories. She is now a full time writer and lives amidst the moss and shadows of Savannah. Follow Elle Jasper on Twitter

Book Review : Blood Coven Vampires (#1 - #3) by Mari Mancusi

Boys that Bite (Blood Coven, #1)

When Sunny McDonald gets dragged to Club Fang by her twin sister Rayne, she doesn't expect to find anything besides a bunch of Goth kids playing at being vampires. But when some guy mistakes Sunny for her dark-side-loving sister and bites her on the neck, she finds out that his fangs are real—and deadly.

Now, Sunny has less than a week to figure out how to reverse the bite, or else she's going to end up as the perpetually undead. And not only will she be a vampire, she'll also be bonded to Magnus—the bloodsucker who bit her—forever. And forever is a really long time...

My thoughts:
Wow. This book rocks! I got hooked starting from the first few chapters and I just couldn't stop reading! It's amazing how a book can affect me like this. Sunny and Rayne are twins, but that's where the similarity ends. Their personalities are oh-so-different, and their dreams in life contrast greatly. Sunny's wish is much like a normal person: get into a good college, get married and have children, while Rayne's sole ambition is to be a blood-sucking creature of the night.

When Sunny is accidentally bitten by a vampire called Magnus who is initially arranged to be Rayne's blood mate, she discovers that she will turn into a vampire in seven days! This shocking event leads her to go on a journey to England with Magnus to find the Holy Grail to restore her humanity.

This story is somewhat refreshing, entertaining and different from the others of the paranormal genre because of its teenager-vise prose. Filled with humorous, witty descriptions and dialogues, this book is sure to make you laugh. The chemistry between the main characters in this book, Sunny and Magnus will surely pique your interest. They developed a strong feeling of love for each other on their mission to get the Holy Grail you can see sparks flying everywhere (well, literally) ! The main point is, is Sunny willing to give up her humanity for Magnus' sake? Or will she choose to give up the handsome vampire to embrace a normal person's life? You'll have to read this book to find out!

Rating:

Stake That! (Blood Coven, #2)

Rayne McDonald had it all figured out. Get turned into a vampire, become the mate of the Blood Coven leader, and live the high-life for all eternity. Too bad the head vamp took a bite out of her twin sister by mistake. Now, not only is Rayne still not a vampire, but she learns she's a slayer instead—destined to destroy vamps gone bad.

After being recruited by a secret organization, Rayne is given her first mission: infiltrate a seedy bar downtown and expose its vampire owner, Maverick, for purposely spreading a nasty blood virus. Luckily the Blood Coven sends some help—in the form of sexy vampire Jareth. Will vampire and slayer be able to settle their differences and work together to bring down the evil Maverick? Or will they find their own hearts on the line?

My thoughts:
Stake That is a great continuation of Boys That Bite. I never expected Rayne to be selected as the new vampire slayer. Rayne has no choice but to accept her destiny. She is to act as an undercover in the Bite Bar, owned by an evil vampire called Maverick to find out his wicked plan to stage a coup d'état. And she is aided by Jareth, who hates her at first but eventually agrees to partner up with her to investigate the case. And I'm totally betting on Rayne's love relationship with Jareth, who is also the general of the Blood Coven. Even his name sounds sexy... >< Rating:

Girls That Growl (Blood Coven, #3)

Now that she's an official vampire and full-fledged member of The Blood Coven, Rayne assumes her vampire slaying days are over. Sure, she doesn't have any vampire powers, thanks to a mutated blood virus, but she and Jareth can go out in the sun, which is a pretty good trade-off.

But just when Rayne's starting to enjoy her afterlife, she's contacted by Slayer Inc once again. It seems that a member of her high school's football team has disappeared—and the powers-that-be think the cheerleaders had something to do with it. Now Rayne has to infiltrate the squad before the cheerleaders have a chance to sink their teeth into someone else...

My thoughts:
Mari added another paranormal creature in this book, the werewolves. It was interesting at first, with Rayne blackmailing the cheer-leading team captain who was once her BFF to get into the group. Not that she likes it, she just wants to find out the truth behind the mysterious disappearances of two football players. I was a little perturbed by the way she treats Jareth in this book. She is spiteful and irritable, and no matter what Jareth does, she feels that he is stupid and does not act like the Jareth he used to be anymore. Only when Jareth decides to break up with her that she decides to turn over a new leaf.

Girls That Growl is quite an entertaining read, although there are some parts that I don't really like, especially Rayne's cranky attitude. But somehow, the ending once again catches my attention. I can't wait to read the next installment of the Blood Coven Vampires!

Rating:

Official Blood Coven Vampires Website

Mari Mancusi used to wish she could become a vampire back in high school.

But she ended up in another blood sucking profession —journalism — instead. Today she works as a television producer for a women's lifestyle show in Manhattan and has won two Emmys. As if writing and TV producing weren't enough to keep her busy, Mari also enjoys videogames, goth dancing, manga, cheesy horror movies, and hanging with her dog Molly. She lives in Jersey City.

Mari Mancusi official website | Mari Mancusi's Blog

Book Review : First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost

First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World, #1) by Jeaniene Frost

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon; Original edition (February 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061583227
• ISBN-13: 978-0061583223

The night is not safe for mortals. Denise MacGregor knows all too well what lurks in the shadows—her best friend is half-vampire Cat Crawfield—and she has already lost more than the average human could bear. But her family's past is wrapped in secrets and shrouded in darkness—and a demon shapeshifter has marked Denise as prey. Now her survival depends on an immortal who lusts for a taste of her.

He is Spade, a powerful, mysterious vampire who has walked the earth for centuries and is now duty-bound to protect this endangered, alluring human—even if it means destroying his own kind. Denise may arouse his deepest hungers, but Spade knows he must fight his urge to have her as they face the nightmare together . . .

Because once the first crimson drop falls, they will both be lost.

First Drop of Crimson is my first book by Jeaniene Frost. In my opinion, it is well-written and full of surprises, and it certainly has the elements that paranormal fans will enjoy tremendously. The story is mainly about a woman's quest to seek her ancestor who traded his soul with a demon long ago to save the lives of her few living kins whose safety are threatened by the demon. She realizes that she cannot do it alone, so she asks for a Master vampire's help, who turns out to be a friend of her best friend's husband.

The main characters in this novel are Denise (human) and Spade (vampire). I did not have any problems with this book, as it was entertaining and interesting. I'll start off with Denise. She is a kind, brave and caring woman. But sometimes, she gives me an impression of a headstrong, petulant child (yes, I know she's an adult, but still...) She felt as if she owed Spade a lot because he helped her out in finding her ancestor Nathaniel, who is, strangely, still alive because he was branded by a demon and therefore couldn't die. She denied her feelings towards Spade at the beginning because she felt guilty of falling in love with someone else shortly after the death of her husband.

As for Spade, he reminds me of the usual type of vampire which is always found in paranormal books - dark and brooding. He didn't realize it at first, but soon, he found out that he was falling for Denise in the process of helping her, as she is the one who made him feel the power of love again. He was willing to go at great lengths to assist Denise and made her feel comfortable on their journey.

Overall, this novel is quite good, and I'd recommend it to paranormal romance lovers. Don't say I didn't warn you: You'd probably get bitten!

Note: This book is intended for adults / readers above 18 years of age only.

Rating:

Jeaniene Frost is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Night Huntress series and the Night Huntress World novels. To date, foreign rights for her novels have sold to fourteen different countries. Jeaniene lives in Florida with her husband Matthew, who long ago accepted that she swears like a sailor, rarely cooks, and always sleeps in on the weekends. Aside from writing, Jeaniene enjoys reading, poetry, watching movies with her husband, exploring old cemeteries, spelunking and traveling – by car. Airplanes, children, and cookbooks frighten her.

Jeaniene Frost Official Website