[NOR and ARC Review]: "Last Breath"

Title: Last Breath
Author: Rachel Caine
Series: Morganville Vampires, Book 11
Publisher: NAL Hardcover
Publication Date: November 1, 2011
Genre: YA Fantasy/Romance
Summary (Amazon.com):
With her boss preoccupied researching the Founder Houses in Morganville, student Claire Danvers is left to her own devices when she learns that three vampires have vanished without a trace. She soon discovers that the last person seen with one of the missing vampires is someone new to town-a mysterious individual named Magnus. After an uneasy encounter with Morganville's latest resident, Claire is certain Magnus isn't merely human. But is he a vampire-or something else entirely?




Other places to pre-order Last Breath at:

*Amazon.com (print)

*Amazon.com (Kindle)

B and N (print)

B and N (NOOK)

My Review:

This is book 10 in the bestselling Morganville Vampires series. The excellent storytelling by Rachel Caine hasn't dwindled one bit. Last Breath is just as thrilling and witty as book one, and twice as captivating!




There's never a sane (or dull) day in Morganville, Texas—that's something you learn quickly once you become a citizen. But when suddenly the vampires in the small town are concerned, even frightened, by a sudden message from a neighboring vamp community, one thing is clear: trouble is coming, and it is worse than anything Morganville has seen before. And frankly, that's saying something!



In between the chaos provoked by the message, another problem is brewing, this time between the two factions of the town. Eve and Michael have plans for their future, and it begins with the sound of wedding bells. But if the citizens, from either side, have their way, it will end in blood instead. Despite the sides, they both have the same core belief: Vampires and humans should not mingle, beyond one providing a meal for the other. Even Amelie, the town Founder and ruler has taken this side, for “the sake of the town”. Needless to say, neither Eve nor Michael will accept this answer, and so the fight begins!



Suddenly a newcomer is seen in town—or, rather not seen, as only Claire can seem to see the man as he wanders the town, always disappearing before she can catch him. Not long after she first sees him, vampires suddenly begin to go missing. And so begins the downfall of Morganville. For it not even the vampires are safe from this danger, then how will the mere humans survive?



Perhaps the most unexpected, and most emotional, twist comes out in between these two problems. To avoid ruining the novel for everyone, I won't explain this particular twist. However, I will say that Caine did a truly wonderful job at writing it; as I read it, my stomach was in knots, my eyes seemed to be constantly blinking back tears, and I could only hope, like the characters in the book, that everything would turn out differently, that it would be okay once again. Not many books have affected me to this degree before. It is mostly due to this section of the book that I gave Last Breath a perfect rating—if the characters are so well written and cared about that I would react this way while reading their struggles, then you know that the book has been written correctly, woven together by a true master!



5 STARS! Rachel Caine has done it yet again, bringing the world of Morganville to life in vivid clarity. The characters are enjoyable and intriguing, for as the books go on we seem to get a deeper look at all of them. Their struggles, relationships, and even everyday joking make the novels come to life in the reader's hands. Last Breath is easily the best book in the series (to date) and has all the right elements for a great read: romance, mystery, action, thrills, and humor! A must read, whether you've read the rest of the series or not. I anxiously await book twelve, as the ending for this one was a whopper of a cliff hanger—not that I'd expect anything less from Caine. After the interesting, and high-paced, roller coaster ride that was Last Breath, I can only image what she has in store for us next. Whatever it is, I'll be ready and waiting for it!





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Thanks to Night Owl Reviews, where I received this ARC for free in exchange for reviewing the book. (Free book does not equal biased review, however!) This review is the property of NOR.
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Enjoy!




 

Until Next Time,


*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

REVIEW: "Devoured"

Title: Devoured Author: Amanda Marrone Publisher: Simon and Schuster Release Date: September 22nd, 2009 Summary (Amanda's website):

Megan’s twin sister Remy died in an accident nine years ago, and she’s been haunting her ever since. Knowing how crazy that sounds, Megan keeps this secret to herself and tries to lead a normal life. But when she takes a summer job at Land of Enchantment to keep an eye on her new boyfriend and his lovesick best friend, Samantha, she meets fellow employee Luke who can see Remy, too. Things get even twistier because Megan’s new friend Ari is sporting a massive crush on Luke, who seems to be developing a massive crush on Megan…making for a love triangle that’s positively possessed.

Megan wants to keep her distance from Luke, but when Remy’s visions get crazy violent; she knows she needs his help. Because someone’s definitely in danger...the only question is who?

My Thoughts: Despite the fact that I was a bit disappointed in Devoured, I have to give Ms. Marrone credit for the story line-- there's no doubt about it, it was definitely very unique! A modern (and slightly twisted) remake of the childhood tale "Snow White", Devoured is sure to grab your attention from page one. Hold on to your seat-- this is one fast-paced, quick read that you will no doubt devour in one sitting (no pun intended, of course! ;-)) I picked up the book under the false assumption that it was about vampires-- and I think this is one of the reasons why I wasn't completely enthralled by the story. It was no one's fault but my own, but it did ruin the rest of the book for me. The back blurb doesn't really give a lot away, so when someone online told me it was about vampires, I just believed them-- I didn't have the book yet, so how would I know they were wrong? So to help clarify a bit, here's a quick explanation of the book plot (as it relates to the original Snow White): The owners of the park are suppose to be the equivalent to the Evil Witch from Snow White, trying to steal the girls' beauty and youth by cutting out their hearts and, well, eating them. And the talking mirror is also brought in, though it's a bit different, and it can grant wishes, not just show you things. When girls start coming up missing from the amusement park, and Megan starts wondering about all of this, she soon finds herself falling into weird situations that one usually only finds in nightmares and scary stories. Moving on to the real analysis: The characters. They were... interesting, to say the least, but I do wish Marrone would have developed them a bit more, allowed them to connect more with each other. The whole story seemed a bit rushed in fact, which isn't a good thing in a book. Maybe it was just me, but for a story such as this, I think the 250 some-odd pages could have been stretched out a bit without dragging on. However, I can't say that the whole book was entirely flawed-- it simply didn't grab my attention and hold it like her last novel (and my favorite of her works so far) managed to. I can't say what it was exactly, but whatever was in the last one that gave it such spark, seemed to be missing from this one. And I want it to be clear that my rating for this book is a happy medium-- it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't a 'Wow!' moment for me either. It's neutral, and my over all opinion on it could go either way in the future. Maybe I'll come back to it at another time and find myself going 'Why didn't I fall in love with it the first time around?'. It happens, rarely, but it has happened. 3.5/5 stars! Again, this is just personal preference, and if you think this book sounds good, go for it! I hate discouraging people to not try a book just because it wasn't my favorite one, especially when I have no concrete reasons to back up my negative opinion. Marrone does do a good job at taking a story that we've all grown up listening to, and turning it into a modern, creative novel. I'll tell you one thing-- I'm definitely going to be weary around amusement parks like the one described in this book! ;)

Enjoy!

Until Next Time,

"Revealers" by Amanda Marrone

Synopsis From B&N.com:

Witchin' ain't easy.



Jules has a rebellious streak, a massive crush on Connor, and the abilities of a Revealer witch. By day, she and her coven friends seem like typical high school seniors. By night, they have the power to make werewolves, vampires, and ghosts reveal themselves, so they can destroy them. It's not exactly cheerleading, but at least the girls know they're doing the world some good.



One by one, Jules's friends turn eighteen and are initiated into the coven's inner circle. And one by one, they are getting completely freaked out. Jules is the youngest, and though her friends are too scared tell her what's going on, something's clearly not right. As her birthday approaches, Jules realizes she's got to find out what's behind the shadows of her coven before it's too late to save her friends...and herself. But what she discovers may be too powerful for even the toughest witches to defeat.







If you read Amanda Marrone's first book, Uninvited, and found it to be lacking in substance, have no fear: Revealers is 10x's better, the characters are more interesting and developed, the plot is intricate and compelling, and the light touch of romance is much, much better. In other words, if you, like me, were unhappy with her first novel, I promise that you NEED to read Revealers!
Revealers is a story filled with paranormal activity-- witches, demons, ghosts, vampires, and shapeshifters of all sorts. Add to that the characters, which are much more dynamic than Uninvited's 2D characters;the witty and sarcastic humor; the mystery and suspense that comes into play during most of the first half but continues a bit into the last half when they finally realize what their coven has been up to all these years; and yes, even a slight touch of romance towards the end, and you have, in my opinion, a great teen fantasy book that can be enjoyed by adults too.
But Be warned: Even though it is geared towards a younger audience, I wouldn't pass it on to just any teen, especially under the age of 15 or so, due to the fact that they do swear a fair amount *F-Word included!* and there are a few scenes that may be inappropriate for younger kids. But if you can get past these 'flaws', the story line itself is amazing.
5/5 STARS! A spectacular story, one that I would recommend to every fantasy/paranormal fan. I hope that Marrone continues to write more books that are just as wonderful as Revealers! I would love to read more about Jules' world and what will happen next.
~TBQ~