The Paper Critic

[Waiting on Wednesday] - #11

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

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Title: Cold Days

Author: Jim Butcher

Date: November 27th, 2012

HARRY DRESDEN LIVES!!!

After being murdered by a mystery assailant, navigating his way through the realm between life and death, and being brought back to the mortal world, Harry realizes that maybe death wasn’t all that bad. Because he is no longer Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard.

He is now Harry Dresden, Winter Knight to Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness. After Harry had no choice but to swear his fealty, Mab wasn’t about to let something as petty as death steal away the prize she had sought for so long. And now, her word is his command, no matter what she wants him to do, no matter where she wants him to go, and no matter who she wants him to kill.

Guess which Mab wants first?

Of course, it won’t be an ordinary, everyday assassination. Mab wants her newest minion to pull off the impossible: kill an immortal. No problem there, right? And to make matters worse, there exists a growing threat to an unfathomable source of magic that could land Harry in the sort of trouble that will make death look like a holiday.

Beset by enemies new and old, Harry must gather his friends and allies, prevent the annihilation of countless innocents, and find a way out of his eternal subservience before his newfound powers claim the only thing he has left to call his own…

His soul.

A friend of mine has gotten me into the Dresden Files series, and I have to say; The series is amazing. For anyone who likes wizards and sorcery this is the best detective and wizardry series I have gotten my hands on. This isn't your Harry Potter novel, there is far more gore, emotion, lust, and death in this series, and I will suggest that most teens this won't be your style of book. These books tend to be more on the bridge of adult oriented, and teen.

Harry Dresden for those who haven't started the series is a Wizard in Chicago, IL. He is broadcast as a Wizard Personal Investigator for all things super natural. Now, before you ask what the public things of his office and his profession; let me say that I agree with Dresden on this, most people will ignore the super natural, because it's too hard to explain and understand. Dresden more often than not, is met with hostility, suspicion that he's lying, and sometimes worst.

I'll be honest, I haven't read the synopsis cause the series is so good, that I can't imagine spoiling any of the in between bits and pieces of the series. This is book number fourteen in the series, I believe I am currently on book number seven; HALFWAY! I absolutely love the series, they are met with great appeal and love. Jim Butcher does a great job with the plot in each book, that I haven't found a book in the series that I would say is anything less than a fantastic read. Even if books that I would say are the lower points in the series manage to keep my attention, focus me on the goal, and guide me through the events of a twisting plot unlike any book I've ever read.

If you haven't read this series, please go out and grab Storm Front by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files #1) and give it a whirl. I guarantee you won't put the book down, and will want to grab the next part of the series. As well in, you'll marvel in how the next few books are setup in the first book. How the mythical super natural world seems to come to live in just one book. As the series goes on, you'll understand just how good Jim Butcher is at his work. I can't wait to finish the series and see what happens to Dresden.

[Flashback Friday] - #11

Flashback Friday is a weekly event, hosted here, that highlights a past released that we're dying to get our hands on...

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Title: Eragon

Author: Christopher Paolini

Release Date: August 26, 2003

Fifteen-year-old Eragon believes that he is merely a poor farm boy—until his destiny as a Dragon Rider is revealed. Gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now his choices could save—or destroy—the Empire.

My Stance:

While I have fallen behind a bit, the list of books that I want to read, has grown. More so than the books that have recently just came out. This Wednesday segment is getting harder and harder to do, and I find that I'm not really looking at older books that I want to get my hands on. I hope to change that with time.

With Eragon, I was shown it by my girlfriend, and while I have been looking at it. It's not on my list of books that I need to pick up and read. Not because my girlfriend will more than likely gouge my eyes out if I don't attempt to read it, but that the book sounds rather good. Eragon's always got my attention, but it's the synopsis that has held me back. There just isn't a lot from the preview of the book to try to understand or grasp my head around and for that reason I have been hesitant on it for a long while.

I have always been a fan of books on dragons and the lore behind the creature. One of the first few books I read back in high school was Dragon's Blood. It's a book that is similar to this, but there is a few differences that I can tell already. I want to get into this book, badly and hope that it lives up to my high expectations of the book as well.

Title: Rapture

Author: Lauren Kate
Series: #4 - Fallen

Format: Hardcover
Release Date: June 12nd, 2012
My Rating: 3.0 out of 5.0

     The sky is dark with wings....

     Like sand through an hourglass, time is running out for Luce and Daniel. To stop Lucifer from erasing the past, they must find the place where the angels fell to earth.

     Dark forces are after them, and Daniel doesn’t know if he can do this — live only to lose Luce again and again. Yet together they face an epic battle that will end with lifeless bodies...and angel dust. Great sacrifices are made. Hearts are destroyed.

     And suddenly Luce knows what must happen. For she was meant to be with someone other than Daniel. The curse they’ve borne has always and only been about her — and the love she cast aside. The choice she makes now is the only one that truly matters.

     In the fight for Luce, who will win?

     Rapture is the astonishing conclusion to the Fallen series. Heaven can’t wait any longer.

My Review:

Rapture was the highlight of this series and saying that, was a let down. I had figured what Luce was, who she was, and pretty much everything about her and Lucifer. The plot was just so predictable that I find it rather distasteful and by the end was rather boring. The whole story reveals a lot about Luce and her past, who she is, and what she is capable of; and let me warn you, you should be able to figure out most of those details before they actually appear in the series.

Luce comes out of the past and knows that the reckoning is coming, when Lucifer will close the gap from the past to the future and erase the time that would have occurred in between. It would rid all the memories, experiences, people, etc. of all the that would have happened in between. The need to find the source of the fall, and stop it before Lucifer can finish his plan.

On the journey to find the place of the Fall, the group of morons have to split up and find three artifacts. Okay I have to say, they even mention that splitting up is a bad idea, and yet they manage to split up. Luce and Daniel of course get paired together, and through finding the artifacts they realize that splitting up was a bad idea. Well DUH, you mentioned it was a bad idea, what did you think would happen? There are groups of people that want to stop them from finding the Fall, finding the pieces, so why would it be a good idea to split up?

On another note, along the way Luce starts to has visions of her past, and realize who she is. I won't spoil this, but I knew who she was from book one and I hate to say, but when it was announced in this book, I was disappointed to find out I was right. As well, the history of the Angels is also told and that too was disappointing. I don't know why, but this book as much as it answered the questions everyone had, I had already figured everything out, and when there really wasn't a twist on that I felt let down. It was as if, something was missing from the book and I kept reading to find out more.

Being a completionist I just had to finish the book, and while I gave it a 3.0, I plan on re-reading this series eventually and looking at the rating to see if this is justified. In this case I may be giving it too much credit. So I will state this rather openly, this may be an over inflated score on this book. Anyways, I hope this series doesn't ruin what I want out of the paranormal genre, because I just couldn't really understand with how hopeless Luce was throughout the series.

[Stacking the Shelves] - #11

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your bookshelf, be it the physical one or your digital one!

I am back, I took some time off to catch up on reading, get somethings caught up and maybe have some more time to spend and inform everyone that, is still paying attention. I don't know why you are. In the time I was gone I went to chicago, I got a few new books in, and I really didn't get as much reading as I would have liked to have gotten done, done. Anyways, here we go!

Sweet Evil

Rage Within

Confessions of a
Murder Suspect

Fire

The Diviners

Mailbox Pickup:

Title:Sweet Evil

Author: Wendy Higgins

Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 1st, 2012

Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Sweet Evil, when I first saw it seemed like a rather good paranormal romance novel, and I was intrigued with how it sounded and what it entailed in general. I am still curious to see what kind of person Anna is, and than Kaidan. The whole no one warned Anna about the bad boy Kaidan and some sort of rebellion or teenage angst, whatever; I am just not sure if I buy into this all the way yet or not.

Sweet Evil, has some potential to be a good romance, I'm just not sure if I'll buy into this all the way. I love the concept and the whole precipice behind them. Going into this book with an Open mind is going to be rather difficult, but I'll try my best. There is just a lot of good paranormal romances out there, and I'm not sure if they are all for me.

Title: Rage Within

Author: Jeyn Roberts

Format: Hardback
Release Date: September 4th, 2012

In this apocalyptic sequel to Dark Inside’s “well-balanced, realistic suspense" (Kirkus Reviews), four teens continue the struggle for survival as they face a world gone mad.

Aries, Clementine, Mason and Michael have survived the first wave of the apocalypse that wiped out most of the world’s population, and turned many of the rest into murderous Baggers. Now, they’re hiding out in an abandoned house in Vancouver with a ragtag group of surviving teens, and trying to figure out their next move.

Aries is trying to lead, but it’s hard to be a leader when there are no easy answers, and every move feels wrong. Clementine is desperate to find her brother Heath, but it’s impossible to know where he’d be, even if he is still alive. Michael is still haunted by the memories of his actions during his harrowing struggle to survive. And Mason is struggling with something far worse: the fear that he may be a danger to his friends.

As the Baggers begin to create a new world order, Aries, Clementine, Mason and Michael will have to trust and rely on each other in order to survive.

Here comes a powerful book, Rage Within being the sequel to Dark Inside is going to keep me on the edge of my seat for the entire book, I hope. Dark Inside, I haven't gotten around to, and again I hate to say it I can't really testify to how good this will be. Its on my list soon, so I hope to get around to this book soon!

Title:Confessions of a Murder Suspect

Author: James Patterson

Format: Hardback
Release Date: September 24th, 2012

James Patterson returns to the genre that made him famous with a thrilling teen detective series about the mysterious and magnificently wealthy Angel family . . . and the dark secrets they're keeping from one another.

On the night Malcolm and Maud Angel are murdered, Tandy Angel knows just three things: 1) She was the last person to see her parents alive. 2) The police have no suspects besides Tandy and her three siblings. 3) She can't trust anyone--maybe not even herself. Having grown up under Malcolm and Maud's intense perfectionist demands, no child comes away undamaged. Tandy decides that she will have to clear the family name, but digging deeper into her powerful parents' affairs is a dangerous-and revealing-game. Who knows what the Angels are truly capable of?

James Patterson returns, The Angel family has suffered a rather large tragedy. When Tandy is suspected for the murder of her two parents and being one of the last few that have seen them. Tandy has to solve their person murder and who can she turn to, to trust.

I am highly interested in cracking this book open. I have a few friends who are in police academy. This book focuses more on a teen vigilante that has to solve her parents murder. Not only does she have to clear her family name, but there is also risks to digging into her family past and what they are capable of.

Title: Fire

Author: Kristin Cashore

Format: Hardback
Release Date: October 5th, 2009

It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. The young King Nash clings to his throne while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. The mountains and forests are filled with spies and thieves and lawless men.

This is where Fire lives. With a wild, irresistible appearance and hair the color of flame, Fire is the last remaining human monster. Equally hated and adored, she had the unique ability to control minds, but she guards her power, unwilling to steal the secrets of innocent people. Especially when she has so many of her own.

Then Prince Brigan comes to bring her to King City, The royal family needs her help to uncover the plot against the king. Far away from home, Fire begins to realize there's more to her power than she ever dreamed. Her power could save the kingdom.

If only she weren't afraid of becoming the monster her father was.

This book is a companion to Graceling and was referred to me by a friend. Kristin Cashore was claimed to be a good fantasy and adventure author, and Graceling was a good start to get into the genre. Fire expands, where Graceling leaves off, and expands on the story. Fire is a monster who is monster who is faced with a dilemma on who she wants to be, and what she wants to be herself. She is forced with a coming of age story that fills the Graceling universe.

Title: The Diviners

Author: Libba Bray

Format: Hardback
Release Date: September 18th, 2012

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first

The Diviners is another book that I picked up the same time I got Confessions of a Murder Suspect. This book, has the same type of investigation type aspect to it and drew me into the book. As well, Evie is in a different position, than Tandy in Confessions of a Murder Suspect. Evie seems to want to help the investigator. As well, Evie seems to possess a secret that could help catch the killer.

This book is rather large, and is very intimidating. I just hope the story and the plot has a decent. I just don't want to spend time getting involved into this book and abandon it halfway through it. As well, the biggest downfall to this book, is how the murders are committed, the types of murder, but the main concern is how the plot moves. I hope the plot moves along rather decently, if the plot moves too fast or too slow, the book will lose it's potential.