~REVIEW of Charlaine Harris's DEAD UNTIL DARK~

~SO THIS IS WHAT ALL THE FUSS HAS BEEN ABOUT~

Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse, #1)

Opening Line:"I'd been waiting for the Vampire for years when he walked into the bar"

I must be one of the last people on the planet to read Dead After Dark. I also haven’t had a chance (yet) to watch True Blood, although because it’s been all over the media I had a pretty good visual reference for the characters here without actually having to compare the two. I was able to just go along for the ride, and what a ride, I can definitely see now what all the fuss has been about.

Honestly I had a hard time putting this down. Harris has created the perfect mixture of paranormal romance, mystery and action. With intriguing, humorous characters and situations and an absorbing, fast moving plot. Her take on Vampiric society is fresh and fascinating and I appreciated how we were continually reminded that despite “coming out” vampires are still very much predators.

I also found Sookie to be incredibly relatable despite her “disability” and supernatural circumstances. Harris just has a way of making her feel all girl next door so that we discover everything right along with her. I also loved Harris’s portrait of small town America and in this case it’s unique bar patrons whom I felt like I knew. This could be in part because I’m from a small town and I also cocktailed for years so the characters seemed familiar to me. Whatever the case I’m glad I finally got around to reading this series.

Sookie lives in the real world of small town Louisiana. She is a pretty cocktail waitress, lives with her grandmother and because of her telepathic “disability” keeps to herself. The people in Bon Temps tend to think that Sookie’s a little crazy because she knows things she shouldn’t and acts strange while her mental “guard” is up.

Everything changes the day Bill walks into her bar and orders a bottle of synthetic blood. Bill is a vampire and ever since they entered mainstream society she’s wanted to meet one. To make things even more interesting Sookie can’t hear a word he’s thinking, Bill might just be her perfect match, except of course for the fact that he’s dead.

Unfortunately soon after Bill arrives people start turning up dead, in particular waitresses. After an attack at her grandmother’s house Sookie fears she might be next. Then there’s Bill’s creepy group of friends, the recent Elvis sightings, her brothers illicit behaviour and all of a sudden her boss isn‘t quite who he appears to be either.

So like I said I really enjoyed this, the love scenes are steamy and dirty (think outdoors, mud, and covered in blood dirty) and Bill well he is just delicious in a dangerous bad boy wanting to brush your hair kinda way. The romance aspect here was very good. I also really liked Sam’s character and appreciated how his true self wasn’t revealed right away. Bubba was another awesome little addition and the many townsfolk and their idiosyncrasies were fantastic.

There are some surprising moments here and I never really knew where things were going to go next. Although I’ll be honest I had a tough time keeping straight who was who. Getting many of (the many) secondary characters mixed up so that even at the end when the killer was revealed I had to back track to figure out who it was. As a former waitress (which Harris must also have been at one time) I found the bar scenes realistic and fun. Can’t recommend this one enough.

~REVIEW of Nina Bruhns' SHOOT TO THRILL~

Shoot to Thrill (Passion For Danger, #1)

Opening Line: “It was their shoes that gave them away”

I liked this, I really did but...

SHOOT TO THRILL is a roller coaster ride in more ways then one. This 1st in a trilogy takes us from Manhattan to the Sahara and starts out with huge potential. A sexy tortured hero on the run, action filled storyline, smoking hot love scenes and some seriously funny dialogue. And except for the H/h’s names (Kick and Raine really!?) I wondered how I’d managed to miss author Nina Bruhns until now? Unfortunately though as the book progressed things kinda fell apart. Granted the whole story requires a huge suspension of reality (in a Romancing the Stone sort of way) but still, there’s a fine line between going along for the ride and the ridiculous.

Kick Jackson is a junkie on the run. This former CIA spec-ops sniper has had enough of being owned by “Zero Unit” and all the bloodshed. In fact if it hadn’t been for his little addiction to painkillers (developed after the last mission went bad) chances are the Unit wouldn’t have been able to find him at all. As it stands though they’ve offered him a deal he can’t refuse; identify and take down a known terrorist and they’ll tear up his contract… one last mission. Yeah right. The problem is he’s going to be going through withdrawal pretty soon and that’s where the kidnapping comes in. Nurse Raine Martin will do nicely, one last affair before he ships out (and more then likely gets killed) and a safe place to detox. The thing Kick hadn’t counted on was Raine getting thrown into the deadly international spy game or that he’d end up caring.

One of my biggest problems here was with the heroine who while remaining TSTL throughout also manages to transform from wimpy, useless and agoraphobic to (in the author’s words) a warrior; able to wield a knife, carry a gun, detonate bombs, kill and generally save the day while still having childish arguments. It was too much -I kinda hated her. Then there was also the issue of our couple having sex at the most inappropriate times, like outside of a terrorist compound in the Sahara sand dunes while trying to rescue a POW.

Anyways I won’t be too harsh because there’s a lot to like and with several of the storylines continuing throughout the trilogy I know I'll be continuing on. I really enjoyed Bruhns’ style of writing, filled with witty dialogue and fantastic sub plots and secondary characters. “Pig’s” sporadic POV was heart wrenching and intriguing as I tried to figure out how he fit into everything. And I absolutely adored Gina and Van Halen. However in saying that, because their storyline was so combustible (jeez the sex on the table scene!) I also found myself disappointed when we returned to the main storyline. Kick and Raine paled in comparison to those two, and when your secondary couple outshines your main it isn’t a good thing. Cheers people!

~Last movie I watched JACKASS 3D~

My brother persuaded me to watch this when he was visiting. I'm not a huge fan of the Jackass gross out comedy, I generally alternate between laughing, saying  "no way"  and wanting to puke (which I guess is the general idea). With this one we watched the jet scene several times, OMG funny but I almost vomited with the "sweat suit" I can still barely think about it. The shitting train and duck hunting was pretty funny too. Sad to see Ryan Dunn in his last movie. Remember him with that matchbox car up his ass in movie #1.

Official IMDB Synopsis: 3D' opens with the entire cast all lined up, each wearing a different color of the rainbow, in front of a rainbow colored background, each in turn being attacked in various ways. Some of the footage is slowed down for maximal effect. This is repeated again at the end of the movie with additional explosions mixed in with gallons of water to wash away the cast- chaos is resumed. Throughout the movie the team are subjected to the usual foray of physical abuse from team members or perform hilarious stunts (including some of the more stomach turning stunts such as the Sweat suit cocktail, Toy Train Eruption and Poo Cocktail Supreme - not for the weak stomached!).

~REVIEW of Jesse Petersen's: MARRIED WITH ZOMBIES~

Married with Zombies (Living with the Dead, #1)

Opening Line: David and I became warriors in the zombie plague on the first day, but I don't think that means we were front line soldiers or something"

Touted as “romantic comedy with…brains.” this was a fantastic, super fun read that had me laughing from page 1 and just didn’t stop. Alongside all the gore and zombie mayhem there’s also a well written, action filled, story here which I think anyone who’s been in a long term relationship or seen Sean of the Dead will be able to relate to. Following average Seattle couple, Sarah and David as they try to save not only their crumbling marriage but struggle through the first few days of a zombie apocalypse. With only each other to rely on it becomes as much of a struggle not to kill the other as it does to battle the rising undead.

I loved the way this was written, I loved that Sarah and David live in the real world, they talk like we do, they bicker, they swear at each other, they drive a crappy car, they figure out how to kill zombies from plotlines they’ve seen in movies. And the chapter headings are hilarious too, consisting of *helpful relationship advice quotes*, altered to take into account the whole zombie issue. Married With Zombies takes a light hearted look at marriage while kicking major zombie ass and it was a blast.

Sarah and David are on the verge of divorce so it’s no wonder they don’t notice a few strange sightings on their way to couples counselling. However when they find Dr Kelly eating the previous clients it gets their attention. Suddenly which radio station to listen to, or how much time David spends playing video games is the least of their concerns. Which piece of office equipment best disables a zombie is the new normal. As it turns out a letter opener, high heeled shoe or even a well aimed Dr Phil book will work in a pinch.

Learning as they go Sarah and David return home only to find their undead neighbour in their bathroom, -turns out you can also kill a zombie by crushing his head with a toilet seat, however this does make things a little awkward when his girlfriend shows up. Luckily she’s got a stockpile of guns and ammunition (never can tell about ones neighbours can you) Because Sarah and David are about to leave the city, I mean things have got to better in the suburbs, right?

You’ll be cheering this dysfunctional couple along as they stumble across plagues of the undead, religious cults, a visit to a zombie casino, looting (another new normal) first drives in luxury cars, broken limbs and a visit to the country fair (zombies on ferris wheel anyone) Through all the arguing, when it comes right down to it theres no one else Sarah or David would rather go through a zombie apocalypse with than each other. Cheers

Thankfully this is only the first instalment from the Living With The Dead Series, FLIP THIS ZOMBIE is next.

*Men are from mars zombies are from hell.
*Balance the workload in your relationship. No one person should be responsible for killing all the zombies.
*Make requests, not demands “please” kill that zombie honey, I’m out of bullets.
*Support your partner in their interests. You never know when batting practice, kung fu movies or even poker night might come in handy during a zombie infestation.
*Never go to bed angry, terrified is okay.
*Give each other compliments every day. Even when the undead attack, its nice to feel pretty or badass.
*Address one issue at a time. You can’t load gasoline, pick up food and kill 15 zombies all at once.

"I should have know that having "end of the world" sex wouldn't solve our problems. Though it was pretty great and I highly recommend it. Its one of the big benefits of an apocalypse that no one tells you about. It just makes everything...better, because you know it might be the last time every time."

"Have you ever wanted to smash a car? or break a television? Or maybe burn a big fire in the middle of a city square? If the answer is yes, then you'd have some fun during a zombie infestation. Its the little moments, you know?"

~REVIEW of Jaci Burton's: RIDING TEMPTATION~

RidingTemptation (Wild Riders, #2)

Opening Line:"To say Jessie Mathew's pulse was jacked was an understatement."

Well, those Wild Riders certainly know how to show a girl a good time now don't they? RIDING TEMPTATION is the second instalment from the erotic Wild Riders series and while I didn't enjoy it as much as RIDING WILD (book #1) once I was able to suspend belief with the somewhat cheesy storyline and just go along for the (ahem) ride this was a pretty good read.

Jaci Burton's writing is easy, fast paced, fun, ultra steamy and holly jeez can she ever write a smoking hot love scene, encompassing just about every naughty little fantasy you've ever had. Tie that together with a team of hunky, bad boy bikers and how could you not enjoy this?

Even the fact that our heroine is a virgin which I usually find not only over used as a plot device but unrealistic didn't bother me here because it's explained in a way that actually makes sense. As did the fact that once her virgin label was removed she was really, really into it. So like I said the storyline was neither here nor there for me, in fact all the biker gang initiation stuff was pretty silly, but the love scenes and romance make up for it. And in all honesty if hadn't spent a summer (years ago) riding around on a Harley with a guy named Fang I may have enjoyed this a whole lot more. Those were the days...

Jessie Mathew came to live at the Wild Riders compound at the age of 15, rescued off the streets by their leader, a former military general now operating the Wild Riders as an elite gang of special-ops bikers. This band of former thieves and felons work alongside the government but just outside of the law and Jessie has literally grown up amongst them, leaving all of the riders to think of her as their kid sister. Now 23, Jessie's ready for her first undercover assignment. When teamed up with Diaz Delgado she couldn't be happier; he's the quiet one, the one who's always kept his distance and the one she's always wanted.

Diaz meanwhile is having un-brotherly urges, finding it near impossible to keep his distance from the sweet and oh so sexy Jessie. To make matters worse they're about to infiltrate the Devil's Skulls, a bike gang suspected of gunrunning. In order to do this though they'll first have to get initiated in and (for whatever reason) initiation into the Skulls involves having a public sex session in front of the other full patch gang members.

When Jessie lays her heart on the line and admits that she doesn't want her first time to be in public or to a random gang member, all bets are off for Diaz. Of course he'll take care of her `little problem' but how will he keep their hearts out of the deal? Burton has also given him one of those common tortured hero issues to deal with as well. It seems he's just not good enough for her, what with all the dark secrets and rage he's got locked inside. So while the mission keeps them together he'll enjoy the (ahem) ride but once its over, for her own sake he's going to walk away even though she'll hate him for it and his heart will break it's a price he's willing to pay.
Ride on...

~REVIEW of Suzanne Collins' CATCHING FIRE~

~EXCELLENT FOLLOW UP~

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)

Opening Line:"I clasp the flask between my hands even though the warmth from the tea has long since leached into the frozen air."

At the conclusion of CATCHING FIRE two words entered my head “Wow” and “Really!?” Then I caught my breath, checked my heart and read the final chapter again because I’d been so engrossed in finding out how Suzanne Collins was going to end this unpredictable ride that I’d really only scanned the words the first time through. Not many books have the ability to leave me breathless and on that note not many books surprise me anymore either. Catching Fire managed to do both and what a fantastic time I had.

Starting soon after Katniss’s victory in the Hunger Games we re-join her back in district 12. Now a reluctant celebrity of sorts Katniss no longer has to worry about money or feeding her family however things are far from perfect. At odds with both Gale and Peeta there is unrest and change brewing in Panem, old rules are being reinforced amid rampant rumours of a rebellion against the capital. A revolt Katniss and Peeta may have unwittingly started but are certainly being accredited for. As the pair make plans for the upcoming Victory Tour and the 75th anniversary of the Hunger Games a visit from President Snow contains a grave warning, forcing Katniss to publicly reaffirm her love for Peeta as well as trying to find a way to stop the desired but deadly and growing civil unrest.

Of course this is just the first half of the book (and the boring half too) Once the President decides on his form of revenge you simply won’t believe what happens and then you won’t be able to put the book down. I wondered how Collins was going to be able to trump the excitement of THE HUNGER GAMES well she does ten-fold and I never knew what was going to happen next. Full of surprises, innovative themes and fantastical creatures, we also get violence, heartbreak, page tearing suspense and a healthy dose of politics. The pace never lets up, making up for the weak and wandering part 1 where I felt like Collins was never really sure of where to take her story, giving us one possible direction before heading off in another. Silly me this was undoubtedly her intention all along letting me think I knew where she was going before she finally gives us…Wow.

Events have now been set up brilliantly for the third and final instalment; MOCKINGJAY and I can’t wait. Cheers

~REVIEW of Tanya Huff's: BLOOD TRAIL~

~THE WEREWOLVES OF LONDON (ONTARIO)~

Blood Trail (Victoria Nelson, #2)

Opening Line: "The three-quarter moon, hanging low in the night sky, turned even tamed and placid farmland into a mysterious landscape of silver light and shadows."

BLOOD TRAIL is the second book in the thoroughly enjoyable Blood (Ties) series. As a fan of the TV show I was thrilled to discover this 5 part series of books and except for the absence of cell phones you won't be able to tell they were written in 1991. Once more I was impressed by author Tanya Huffs writing as she expertly weaves together multiple storylines and POV's creating a fun, action filled paranormal mystery. We even get a little romance this time (although it remains fade-to-black) as ex-cop turned P.I Vicki Nelson again joins forces with 400 year old romance author and vampire Henry Fitzroy. Throw in Vickie's jealous former partner Mike Celluci, a family of sheep farming werewolves and a crazed sniper with religious issues and you've got yourself the makings of a great story.

Vicki is a strong willed and very likable character who lives in the real world with the rest of us however ever since she met Henry and battled a demon in the last book she has also come to accept the world of the paranormal. It doesn't take much for her to accept a family of werewolves as her next case. It seems someone has discovered the Heerken's secret and has been hunting and killing pack members while they attend to their flocks of sheep. Of course they can't go to the police so investigator Vicki Nelson is their only hope. Huff's descriptions of Wer behaviour are well done here to the point that I felt she must have done research on real werewolves as she gives us often hilarious look at their possessiveness issues, politics, pack hierarchy and other social behaviours. All the while the neighbours just assume they're nudists with a lot of big dogs to keep strangers away.

Because of Vicki's night blindness she takes Henry with her to the Ontario farm. This works to her advantage as Henry can patrol nights while she finds clues and tries to discover the sniper's identity during the day. Henry and Vicki continue to have an aura of sexual tension which eventually reaches a breaking point after Henry is injured and forced to feed. Vicki is more than willing to accommodate him and this only gets further complicated when Mike suddenly arrives at the farm. It seems after doing some investigation he's now convinced Henry's s involved in organized crime. There's lots of snappy dialogue as the three fight off the sniper, angry werewolves and each other.

For the most part this was a fast paced and entertaining read with the storyline between Henry, Vicki and Mike continuing to develop throughout. Although I felt the story lagged in the middle it was still a great read that I would recommend to any paranormal junkies. Cheers.

~Last Movie I watched:THE FOX & THE HOUND~

I watched this with my 3 year old nephew (several times) while he was visiting however in the end I think I may have enjoyed it more then he did. It really made me laugh. Usual Disney fare but great message and hilarious dog antics.

Official IMDB Synopsis: A young fox named Tod is taken in by an old woman after his mother is killed by a hunter. Full of mischief, Young Tod befriends Copper, a hound dog pup. As they grow up, however, their friendship becomes endangered by what they have become; Copper is a hunting dog, and Tod is his prey.

~REVIEW of Dennis Leary's WHY WE SUCK: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid~

Many of my friends were curious about this book and asked me if Leary comes across like an a-hole in it. I assume they’re asking because he generally has a dark, angry style of comedy and his stand up routines contain a lot of yelling and ranting. My answer is no. Providing that is, you keep an open mind, are able to laugh at yourself and check your politically correctness at the door. Leary just states it like it is and tells a little truth about the sucky side in all of us.
 

I laughed while reading this. I mean really laughed, out loud and then started quoting parts to everyone, including my 67 year old mother who’s now reading it (and laughing). So if you’re a fan of Denis Leary then I can’t recommend this part memoir, part self help tirade enough. Surprisingly there were even sections that helped me, specifically when it comes to understanding how men’s brains work and why they do (or don’t do) what they do. And if you ever need a recipe that calls for 6,000 potatoes he’s got you covered.

Denis starts things out by giving an overview of what he’s going to talking about in the book. These first few chapters were mostly ranting and I wasn’t all that impressed but then he seemed to calm down and possibly even sat down at his computer, gave his mum a call and started to tell a real story. It then becomes a really interesting memoir with hilarious stories about his Irish Catholic upbringing. We learn about his fear of Kung Fu and fascination with the Vulcan nerve pinch. How his older brother beat the crap out of him and why he was lucky to make it out of childhood at all. He even gives us some amusing recipes from his Ma’s special Irish collection.

The middle part of the book moves away from the bio angle and becomes more of an observations about life; raising drug free kids (or not?), sports, his love of dogs and why cats are satanic spawn, guy friends and nicknames, politicians, pop icons, double standards, racism and why he loves Oprah so damn much.

Some parts that stood out for me were his hilarious tirade about Starbucks, how to interpret guy speak and what men are really thinking when you ask the question “What are you thinking?” (You don’t want to know) This section comes complete with an image of the male and female brain, broken down into compartments for importance of thought. Theres also 8 pages of photographs which include shots from his childhood, his wife and kids, Domina Patrick the race car driver (?) And a comparism between him and Willem Dafoe. Hmmm.

Like I said this made me laugh and yes at times it does come across like a comedy routine but it’s also a whole lot more. Besides anyone who’s been with the same woman for 25 years, obviously still adores her, has raised normal children and phones their mum regularly can’t really be an a-hole.

~REVIEW of Suzanne Brockmann's LOVE WITH THE PROPER STRANGER~

~THIS ONE'S WORTHY OF A RE-RELEASE~

 (Silhouette Intimate Moments, #831)

 

Opening Line: "She laced his coffee with opium."

This is one of the better early Brockmann romances I‘ve read. (Shame about the cover though) Written in 97, it's really worthy of a re-release because there’s an excellent suspense filled story here that managed to surprise me several times by not following the usual cookie cutter formula required of category romances. I never really knew where this was going to go; with events setting up in one direction only to end up going a very different way. And with several steamy love scenes, a tortured hero I just wanted to hug and a heroine that was well… normal (meaning that she didn’t ‘suddenly’ know how to use a gun, or annoy me with stupid talk and the usual quarrels) I had trouble putting this one down. When Brockmann’s on her game theres just no one better and this quick romantic suspense gave me everything I could possibly want.

FBI agent John Miller is known throughout the department as “the robot”. Still reeling from the death of his partner which he blames himself for, John is unable to sleep or eat, just barely going through the motions of living. When he’s sent undercover to catch a black widow serial killer, John actually resembles the hollow, sickly cancer patient he’s meant to be.

The plan is for “Johnathan Mills” to appear wealthy, in bad health and to marry their suspect Serena Westford, gathering enough evidence to take her down before she murders another husband. The plan however is not for John to fall in love with her best friend Mariah Robinson. Somehow though she’s made him feel alive for the first time in years and even though he knows he’s sending her mixed signals (that kiss was probably a mistake as was falling asleep on her couch after a back rub) he can’t blow his cover. For as much as he wants Mariah he’s going to have to follow through and marry and sleep with Serena.

As I said the story here is not as straightforward as I first thought; the antagonist is always one step ahead of the FBI and as it turns out Mariah is not who she seems to be either. Oh and our strong, manly hero cries at the end which just did me in. Cheers.

~Last movie I watched- CEDAR RAPIDS~

2 stars
Official IMDB Synopsis: Tim Lippe has no idea what he's in for when he's sent to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to represent his company at an annual insurance convention, where he soon finds himself under the "guidance" of three convention veterans.

I only watched this because my brother was visiting and he wanted to see it. I didn't really find it all that funny, it tried too hard to be another Hangover type movie. Speaking of which the dentist form The Hangover has the lead role here and plays almost the same character. Anne Heche is the romantic lead (sort of) She still looks good but I couldn't figure out her role? Also a cameo from Sigourney Weaver who looks fantastic as she hasn't altered herself and is aging normally with facial expressions and all, nice to see. For the most part a half completed movie, it tried but didn't make it. Some funny moments though; John C Reily is foul mouthed and just hilarious and the pool scene with the garbage can killed me.

~Ward's boards are coming back....finally~

Today over on Facebook Ward announced... 

"Good news! We are reopening the message boards 7/25 at noon EST- be aware that the server could be slow if tons of people are trying to get on at once. Everything is updated software-wise, and we've trimmed a lot, so that things should run better. See you there (and here!) J.R."

http://jrwardbdb.com/forum/index.php

I've missed lurking about over there on the boards and am hopeful that the Brothers will come out to play for the grand re-opening. I'm also hoping that it's slightly easier to navigate around, with the new "updates" and "trim". We shall see.

~REVIEW of Jacquelyn Frank's: ECSTASY~

Ecstasy (Shadowdwellers, #1)

Opening Line:"Ashla stood shivering in the darkened streets of Times Square.

Jaquelyn Frank has created a dense and complicated new society in ECSTASY. I tried very hard to like this new world but it was a tough read and fans should be warned that this is not a continuation of the Nightwalker series.

After a horrific car accident our impish heroine Ashla awakens to find herself in Shadowworld. A strange version of New York City without any lights or people. It is also a place of endless night. Just as she grows accustomed to her solitary, dark world Ashla is confronted by a sword baring warrior named Trace. He is a Shadowdweller. A being able to exist in two demensions; Realscape (our world) and Shadowscape (an in-between world i.e. ghosts, spirits, coma patients). 'Dwellers' are unable to tolerate even the smallest amount of light and therefore must live in the shadows of Realscape as well as being able to fade into Shadowscape where there is no risk of light. If a Dweller however remains in Shadowscape too long he risks 'Euphoria' a deadly form of selfish lustfulness.

Trace has been followed into Shadowscape by a conspirator against the Shadowdwellers. He manages to kill his enemy but is mortally wounded in the process. Normally those stuck in Shadowscape such as Ashla are unaware of Shadowwalkers like Trace but fortunately for him she not only sees him but possesses the ability to heal with her touch. After healing Trace Ashla takes on his injuries and Trace, feeling responsible as well as an unexplainable connection to her lingers in Shadowscape and begins experiencing Euphoria. Ashla accommadates Trace in his sickness and they both discover that she is turned on by submission.

In Trace's culture selflessness and gentleness while making love are paramount and much time is spent schooling the youngsters in all manners of lovemaking. However Trace is so filled with Euphoria that he has all consuming, selfish sex with Ashla for days on end without relief. Evenually Trace is brought back into Realscape by two Shadowwalker warriors sent to rescue him. Leaving poor Ashla alone again in her gloomy spirit world. As Trace recovers back in Realscape he is filled with guilt and vows to return into Shadowscape, find Ashla and make amends. Unfortunately his people have begun their annual migration to Alaska and when he recovers enough he is expected to lead them.

I was initially intrigued by the idea of someone living in an in-between world of darkness and solitide but when I had to read a whole paragraph explaining what a lie means in Shadowese culture and every single detail regarding that society including sex education, history, religion and politics. I was frankly overwhelmed and became bored with the complexity of the world Jacquelyn Frank has created. There is little character developement with Trace and Ashla and I didn't ever really get a feel for their characters. The many pages spent on their lovemaking are crass and border on erotica more than romance. Fans of the Nightwalker series will be thrilled however by a scene in the final pages when Gideon makes a brief appearance.

This book is not a continuation of Jacquelyn Franks Nightwalker series and I would have a trouble recommending it to anyone except her die hard fans.