Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 436

Publisher - Orbit books

Source - Gift from fellow bookworm

Blurb from Goodreads

Elena Michaels is the world’s only female werewolf. And she’s tired of it. Tired of a life spent hiding and protecting, a life where her most important job is hunting down rogue werewolves. Tired of a world that not only accepts the worst in her–her temper, her violence–but requires it. Worst of all, she realizes she’s growing content with that life, with being that person.

So she left the Pack and returned to Toronto where she’s trying to live as a human. When the Pack leader calls asking for her help fighting a sudden uprising, she only agrees because she owes him. Once this is over, she’ll be squared with the Pack and free to live life as a human. Which is what she wants. Really.


My Review

Book one in a series, Eleanor is the only female werewolf, brought in against her will and now broke free from the pack. She just wants to have a normal life, she has a normal job and a normal partner. Slave to her nature she must change and keep secret that side of her nature but she is working it. Until the pack reaches out, she needs to come home, NOW, there is trouble. When Eleanore heads back to the life she fled to face the danger the pack is she also has to fight her inner emotions and face her past.

So I don't know if I have ever read a werewolf book or if I have it was years ago but I do enjoy the old movies. First thing this book does is lay the foundations for werewolves in the series and it differs from the stuff we follow in the movies. I was a bit unhappy, I am notorious about hating changed and think some things should stay (I had similar issues with some of the stuff in the Underworld movies with the vampires). However the author is making her stamp on her take on the werewolves and to be fair I started coming round.

Eleanor ran from more than just her pack so when she heads back we have a lot of relationship issues to face. The "father" type figure, the previous lover and the other bonds left behind in favour of the new vanilla life. There is some graphic scenes in relation to eating/catching animals, the werewolf instinct and things they do whilst in the change, infidelity and some sex scenes.

A good start for a first book, I am not rushing out to buy the rest in the series but I will read/get them as I come across them, 3.5/5 for me this time.

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Blood Shadows by Lindsay J Pryor

Blood Shadows by Lindsay J. Pryor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 380

Publisher - Bookouture

Source - Netgalley

Blurb From Goodreads

For vengeance - would you trust a vampire?

For justice - could you betray your family?

For love - are you ready to question everything you believe in?

Gifted with the ability to read the shadows of ‘third species’ beings, Caitlin Parish is the Vampire Control Unit’s most powerful agent. Despite that, her mission to hunt down Kane Malloy – a master vampire – comes with a death wish. Many have tried, but few have survived.

For Caitlin, tracking Kane is about more than just professional reputation. With her parents both mysteriously killed 7 years apart to the day, Caitlin knows that without Kane’s help she is next.

She has four days to make a deal with the wicked, the irresistible, the treacherous Kane Malloy. The vampire who despises everything she stands for.

Or die.

My Review

This is the first in a series, meet Caitlin, working in an agency that ties to keep the peace between humans and supernaturals. At the moment the lycanthropes (werewolves) aren't the issue it is the vampires, the Master vampire Kane Malloy. The Vampire Control unit have been after him for a long long time, many have went after him and died. Kane is brutal and his reputation proceeds him, Caitlin has studied him for years and is now going after him. It isn't just work for Caitlin, it is personal, both her parent's died horrifically and the thing that killed them will be coming for her, time is running out but Kane might just be the one to help/save her.

I really liked the investigation elemtns of this one, humans trying to keep things just right with vampires, lyncathropes and other supernatural entities around. Kane is stunning and Caitlin isn't just going to have to keep her head straight to stay alive whilst she refuses to admit there is an attraction but there is and Kane feels it too. He is a womaiser and females flock to him but Caitlin won't be another notch in his post. She does need to get close to him, whilst juggling an inner battle, to keep her wits and ultimately get Kane to do what she needs.

There is A LOT of sex in this book which isn't an issue but some of it graphic so a headups for those who aren't a fan of that, quite a lot of the vamp books have this inter species attraction/sexual element. I did have a bit of an issue though with her being this strong girl but swooning although fighting it but body betraying her as a reoccurring theme. To be fair even the old Dracula movies, pre sex scene stuff, the humans would go into a trance so it keeps in line with that but the agent and her past I suppose I expected/wanted more from her. I did like getting to know more about Kane, the unit itself and what it tries to do. It isn't often, be it a book or movie we get to see officials interrogating a vampire and who doesn't like originality in a book, especially as we have so many books with vampires.

A good story, somewhat different in parts, sex, lies, family, monsters, curses, law enforcement and that is just for starters. There are more books in the series that I will be checking out, a good foundation book I think to kick it all off, 3/5 for me this time. This was my first time reading this author but it won't be my last as I do want to see where the books go next.

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Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days

Publisher - Harper Torch

Pages - 416

Blurb from Goodreads

All the creatures of the night gather in "the Hollows" of Cincinnati, to hide, to prowl, to party... and to feed.

Vampires rule the darkness in a predator-eat-predator world rife with dangers beyond imagining - and it's Rachel Morgan's job to keep that world civilized.

A bounty hunter and witch with serious sex appeal and an attitude, she'll bring 'em back alive, dead... or undead.


My Review

To be honest, I am a bit torn with this review, there are things I liked about this tale and things I didn't. Rachel Morgan is our main character, a runner for a company called Inderland Security (I.S.), a supernatural law enforcement agency. She has been given some pretty rubbish cases to chase up and has had enough. However, no one leave the agency by choice as Rachel will soon learn and spends the tale trying to get herself out of the contract that is put upon her head. With the help of Jenks (a fairy) and Ivy (a living vampire) she goes about tackling the task and needing all she has to stay alive.

The book has a mix of everything, even werewolves however, I think because there is so much breadth there wasn't enough depth. Ivy came across as a really interesting character yet she was in the background a lot. The spells seemed interesting enough but again your left with a lot of questions, did I mention, Rachel is a witch. She seems to be a kick butt kind of girl but has a lot of insecurities and makes some very questionable mistakes and impulse choices. Her whole relationship with Ivy confused me as they are colleagues and friends yet there is so much distrust and questionable dialog between them, in fact some of the dialog itself either annoyed me or made me snigger.

I thought the transformation spells and part of the book covering that was really well done but again, some of the interactions and dialog with the characters didn't flow naturally. That said "Go Turn yourself" or "Do you hear me you sodden sack of camel dung? Tag! You're it!". This is what I mean by being torn, some of it irked me and some made me laugh.

I think had the book had a glossary that may have helped a bit too. We know half the population of humans were wiped out by genetic bioengineering which resulted in a virus. Therefore all the species and creatures came out to live amongst humans however there was a lot of questions left for that too, well I had them anyways. An on the fence 3/5 for me this time, I would certainly read more in the series in the hope of getting the answers, hearing more of Ivy and seeing how the story plays out.

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Review - The Pack (#1) by Jason Starr

The Pack by Jason Starr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time Taken To Read - 1.5 days

Blurb From Amazon

When Simon Burns is fired from his job without warning, he takes on the role of stay-at-home dad for his three-year-old son. But his reluctance pushes his already strained marriage to the limit. In the nestled playgrounds of the Upper West Side, Simon harbors a simmering rage at his boss's betrayal.

Things take a turn when he meets a tight-knit trio of dads at the playground. They are different from other men Simon has met, stronger and more confident, more at ease with the darker side of life- and soon Simon is lured into their mix. But after a guys' night out gets frighteningly out of hand, Simon feels himself sliding into a new nightmarish reality.

As he experiences disturbing changes in his body and his perceptions, he starts to suspect that when the guys welcomed him to their "pack," they were talking about much more than male bonding. And as he falls prey to his basest instincts, Simon must accept that werewolves exist if he is to turn the tides of his fortune...

My Review

Meet Simon Burns, possibly the most unfortunate guy of the week in terms of work. He thinks he is getting a big promotion after working for the same company for over 7 years only to be fired rather humiliatingly and without a second thought. Going from a high powered job to a stay at home dad is life changing and challenging. But after a play date with his son at the park he meets some grown up friends and on their first "night out" his life changes and here in starts a new and terrifying chapter.

I loved this book, it is easy to read - a story that you just fall into and can't put down (well nosey folks like myself can't). We follow Simon going through an emotional journey through stresses with his job and financial situation, not to mention his marital issues which all stem from his journey after being flung into the life of a werewolf. I think I liked it so much because you get to follow pretty much every aspect of this normal guy going through a lot of struggles you can identify with(especially with today's economy). Also how the journey of the "change" happens and how it affects him both emotionally and physically.

There is a fair bit of violence and sex in this book (it is all wrapped up in the beast and the changes that take place) but it doesn't detract or take anything away from the story. It has been a long time since I read a werewolf book and I love how this one has been done, it isn't all about the horror and gore (although there is enough of it to keep fans happy). I have been left with a few questions which I hate but as there is going to be another book I am hoping they get answered there, also you are left with a cliff hanger and the omg no you can't end it here!! Book two is out in the US now and for everyone in the UK we need to wait til October. 4/5 for me and now going to see if I can get book two whilst on vacation.

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