Review of "Covet" by J.R. Ward

You think since I love any and all things vampires, I would have read the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J. R. Ward, right? Well, actually.. Nope! "Covet" was the first book by J. R. Ward I've ever read, and wow.

From the back of the book:
" Redemption isn't a word Jim Heron knows much about - his specialty is revenge, and to him, sin is all relative. But everything changes when he becomes a fallen angel and is charged with saving the souls of seven people from the seven deadly sings. And failure isn't an option.

Vin diPietro has surrendered himself to his business - until fate intervenes in the form of a tough-talking, Harley-riding, self-professed savior, and a woman who makes him question his destiny. With an ancient evil ready to claim him, Vin has to work with a fallen angel not only to win his beloved over... but to redeem his very soul. "

When I started reading this book, after learning about the great "ball game" for earth, and meeting Jim, I honestly thought I was in for something fun. Some quickly read, humorous romance that leaves me with a happy feeling at the end. But this book really blew me away. It was darker than I expected, and it had me so hooked I was up until 4am last night reading it. And when it was over, I'll be honest with you all, I wanted to cry. I'm not sure why.. maybe relief, or maybe because I felt like I was going with Jim on this new phase in his life.

I assume this will be a series, since Jim has to help seven people, and Vin was just the first. So that means that the questions I have from the first one will, hopefully, be answered. Such as, I'd like to know more about his organization that Jim used to work for. It gets to be pretty obvious what he did, but.. so much is left out. It's maybe a little too secretive for my taste. And Jim's tattoo.. I want to know more about it. I'm fairly positive I know what it means, but I'd like to have my suspicions confirmed or denied.

I'm so happy I read this book, really. "Covet" actually makes me want to go back and try to read the Black Dagger Brotherhood novels. I tried them, I really did, but I couldn't get past the first twenty some odd pages of the first book. But I got so emotionally invested in the characters from "Covet," I want to see if J.R. Ward can make me feel that way in the others, as well.

As for the rating, I'm giving "Covet" by J. R. Ward FIVE out of FIVE stars. It's heart warming, wrenching, and just.. good. As I said, I got extremely invested in this story, in Jim and Vincent's life, and I hope against all hope that I can read more about Jim soon. I love this, I am definitely re-reading it again (and again, and again), and I'm recommending this to.. everyone I know, probably.

Happy Reading! And be sure to check out "Covet" by J. R. Ward if you haven't already!
~!~ Morning Glow

Disclaimer:
Book was purchased by the reviewer. Neither book nor money was given in exchange for the review.

Review of "Dragon Actually" by G.A. Aiken

I just happened upon this book while going through a large stack of older novels, and I consider myself lucky for finding it! I think the title caught my eye first - What, you didn't believe that? Alright, the handsome looking man caught my eye first, but really, the title interested me. Honest.

From the back of the book:
" It's not always easy being a female warrior with a nickname like Annwyl the Bloody. Men tend to either cower in fear - a lot - or else salute. It's true that Annwyl has a knack for decapitating legions of her ruthless brother's soldiers without pausing for breath. But just once it would be nice to be able to really talk to a man, the way she can talk to Fearghus the Destroyer.

Too bad that Fearghus is a dragon, of the large, scaly, and deadly type. With him, Annwyl feels safe - a far cry from the feelings aroused by the hard-bodied, arrogant knight Fearghus has arranged to help train her for battle. With her days spent fighting a man who fills her with fierce, heady desire, and her nights spent in the company of a magical creature who could smite a villiage just by exhaling, Annwyl is sure life couldn't get any stranger.

She's wrong.
[ And just wait until you meet the rest of the family...] "

I really enjoyed this. In fact, I got home about six-ish, started reading it almost immediately, and couldn't put it down until I finished a few hours later. I just loved the characters of Annwyl and Fearghus. And I like the fact that Annwyl couldn't defeat her brother on her own, not because she wasn't strong enough, but because her absolute anger would trip her up somehow, would leave her open to attack. And that is what the strange knight is helping her with, to overcome her anger and make sure she's ready to face her enemy. I also really, really loved the family dynamic between Fearghus and his siblings, and even with his parents, as well. Obviously that last bit on the back cover signals the reader to the fact that this will be a series - which I am sooo excited about. In fact, "Dragon Actually" includes a shorter story in the back of the book, "Chains and Flames," that tells the story of Fearghus' parents and how they got together. I quite enjoyed that, as well.

This wouldn't be a fair and balanced review unless I talked about any and all cons of the book, but it'll be hard to come up with anything substantial. Really, the only thing I had issues with were names, and that was because I didn't know how to pronounce them. Annwyl and Fearghus.. Nope, still not sure. I almost wish there had been a pronunciation guide included somewhere. And I'm not sure I liked the fact that Annwyl never really bothered to get the knight's name, especially as things progressed between them. But I, who can be quite nitpicky, was willing to overlook these things because I enjoyed the overall story so much.

I'm giving "Dragon Actually" a FIVE out of FIVE stars. I loved it, I'm going to re-read it, I've already got my hands on the second in the series and I can't wait to read it. I hope you all get a chance to check this book out, as well. As far as I know there are at least three in the series, and I hope there will be more to come. Fearghus has quite a few siblings. I certainly plan to do some more research on this author.

Happy Reading! And definitely check out "Dragon Actually" by G. A. Aiken
~!~ Morning Glow

Review of "Nightwalker" by Jocelynn Drake

Aha, another review (finally!) - this time of "Nightwalker" by Jocelynn Drake, the first Dark Days novel. I actually won a signed copy of Jocelynn Drake's third Dark Days novel from her blog several months ago, and getting the first book has been on my list for some time. So when I happened accross "Nightwalker" at my library, I grabbed it. I also have heard Jocelynn Drake compared to Jeaniene Frost (whom I LOVE), so I figured.. well heck, I'll give it a shot! So, my review.. but let's get a little bit of info first...

From the back of the book:
" For centures Mira has been a nightwalker - an unstoppable enforcer for a mysterious organization that manipulates earth-shaking events from the darkest shadows. But elemental mastery over fire sets her apart from other sof her night-prowling breed.. and may be all that prevents her doom. The foe she now faces is human: the vampire hunter called Danaus, who has already destroyed so many undead. For Mira, the time has come to hunt... or be hunted. "

First off, I wanted to say that the back cover is a little misleading. It makes it seem as though Danaus is the main threat throughout the novel, and is the only one she's fighting. Not true.. in fact, there's an entire other race involved, and it's not just Mira, but Danaus and others as well fighting the big bad evil thing. But I can understand how throwing all that in there might leave people confused. Which actually brings me to my next point.

I'm confused. I feel like I need a timeline of Mira's life. Or at least of just the important events that occured from her turning until present day. A lot of times, I wasn't sure if Mira was already a nightwalker at Machu Picchu, or if she was turned following the battle that occured there. And there was mention of a certain type of vampire called "First Blood".. but despite how many times it's talked about, and the fact that Mira supposedly is one, I really don't understand what it is. And I really wish she would explain the Naturi (the big baddies) and the bori (mentioned a few times) a little better. Actually, I wish she would just write a nice big Dark Days series companion, so that I could reference it whenever I had a question.

Mira reminded me, at times, of Anita Blake from the earlier Anita Blake Vampire Hunter novels, which certainly isn't a bad thing. And I did see some similarities to Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series. But I can definitely say I don't find this series as appealing as the ones mentioned above. I will, however, keep reading, because I want to know where this all is going. And I was told, by a coworker who has read the series, that it does get better, at least in regards to understanding concepts thrown at the reader.

I would rate this book a THREE POINT FIVE out of FIVE. I thought the book was alright, even good at parts.. but the confusion I felt and the distinct lack of pull (as in, it just didn't pull me in) made me knock it down points-wise. But I did enjoy it to some extent, and I will check out the rest of the series.

Happy Reading!
~!~ Morning Glow

Image courtesy of Amazon.com
Book is on loan from the Reviewer's local library, neither book nor money was given in exchange for a review.