Sunday 17 November 2013

Cloak and Dagger (THE IMA) by Nenia Campbell

"They plan to kill us both."

I came across Cloak and Dagger in a discussion on Goodreads, when someone recommend I read it. 
I shall have to thank them immensely! 

When we meet Christina Parker her main worries in life are getting through high school and trying to forget the mean things her mom says about her weight. 
Unbeknownst to Christina her dad has hacked into the files of an organization of mercenaries called the IMA. The IMA is so powerful even the government denies it exists. 
Thinking the IMA will come after them, Christina's parents leave her home alone under the pretense that they are going on a holiday.
Christina isn't so lucky.
Michael Boutilier is the best and always gets results. He kidnaps Christina from her family home and holds her hostage in a safe house for months. 
But even Michael is being tested by the IMA who believe he plans to take over and run the organization himself.

This book was beautiful. Christina wasn't a girl who was going to give up and even though she was scared she fought back against her captors even when the odds were stacked against her. It was a refreshing change from heroines who just hide in a corner until the storm passes.

Michael is one of the most intriguing characters i have read this year.
Yes, he's hot.
Yes, he has his softer moments.
But the reader never forgets what Michael is . A killer.
What I liked most about his relationship with Christina is you understand where it developed from and the author didn't make Christina try and justify Michael actions to the read. Christina knows what Michael is capable of and fears him along with her growing attraction to him. Understanding, that he is her best option to staying alive, but knowing she is alive only because he wishes it.
Michael also knows what he is. He isn't the torn soul trying to do good but keeps doing bad. He's an assassin and has killed men. There is blood on his hands and if he has to he will kill again without hesitation. 

Normally when reading a series i never go from one book to the next, as i feel it can make the two stories seem like one long never ending one. Saying this, i have already ordered the sequel Armed and Dangerous on paper back.

There are only two things i can really fault with this story.
  1. It needs to be professionally edited. The story is let down slightly by the amount of spelling and grammar errors. 
  2. The one things about the story that confused me is Christina saves her parents when they are trapped on an Island, but it doesn't tell you how Christinas parents escaped the Island. Michael and Christina escaped on one of the boats that Michael had to hot wire. So did her parents do the same?

Overall though this was an amazing story and one i can't wait to continue. I'm already dreading it ending and i have two more books in this series to read!!

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I just want to leave you with some quotes i have saved from the book.

"There are two things about me you should know. 
Don't fight me, unless you're prepared to kill me.
And don't kiss me, unless you prepared to fuck me." - Michael

"Have you ever fired a gun before?" I queried already knowing what the answer would be. 
"No."
"Do you want to learn?"
"No."
"Let me rephrase that, then. You're going to learn."

"You think you fucking know me? I'm an assassin. I kill people for a living. Good people, bad people, it makes no difference to me as long as I get paid." I spoke slowly, giving each word time to sink in. "And that girl you just sold out? She's the only thing in this world that makes me even remotely human."

"You told me you loved me." 
I shook my head. "I said emotions make people weak, too. Fucking look at me now. Look at you. Look what love gave us. You're worth ten of me."

"If you care about him, and yourself, you'll let him go. Some people...Truly aren't meant to be together."




Wednesday 6 November 2013

The Light of the World by Tara Brown

Light series book 1


To be honest, i don't know where to start with this one.
For me, it was bad. I only made it to chapter 6 and then gave up.

We are introduced to Rayne at the start of the book who is starting college against her hippie mothers wishes. 
Due to her mothers beliefs Rayne doesn't smoke, drink and has been warned to stay away from boys.

When Rayne first arrives at college her mothers senses a bad aura so goes around cleansing the halls and gets other students to meditate, which i thought was quite entertaining. Rayne also meets her room-mate (who's name i can't remember) who the author repeatedly refers to being a body double of Blair from Gossip Girl. Which is why i most likely can't remember the characters real name. Fair enough mentioning the similarity the character has to an actress, but within 6 chapters this is mentioned at least once in every chapter. The room-mate often being referred to as 'Gossip Girl' or 'Blair Waldorf's stuntwomen' for me it was just a little OTT. 

One of the characters that i loved was Michelle. Rayne knew Michelle from high school but back then she was known as Michael before her sex change. I have never come across this in a book before so really liked this idea in the book. However, Michelle's outrageous antics and hilarious behavior still wasn't enough for me to continue this story.

Some of the main points i have regarding the problems of this story are :
  1. Rayne meets a boy (can't remember if his name had been mentioned by chapter 6, or if again i have just forgotten it) she falls in love at first sight but holds back because something tells her he's dangerous, and whenever he is around she gets pains in her stomach. I understand that this is something that was going to be developed more in the book, but seemed like a weak reason. 
  2. Chapter 5, Rayne is still a virgin, has no plans to lose her virginity, but because she keeps pushing the guy away and is quite mean to him when he is trying to help her - especially when she gets herself plastered in a club. She is feeling bad about herself because of a run in with said guy. Then Chapter 6 hits, Rayne is no longer a virgin and has not only slept with one guy but seems to be getting a few notches on her own bed post. (WTF! moment)
  3. It is then stated that the guy she lost her virginity to - a character we haven't met previously - has been attacked. Her mother calls her as she can sense something has changed in Rayne, but without picking up on the sex thing she says she knows Rayne has eaten meat.
Overall, it felt like two different stories that had been plastered together. I actually though i had missed a chapter and back tracked, but i hadn't.
Rayne is very determined in what she wants at college as it is the first time she has been away from her over-protective mother, and without warning that all changes without any build up.
I get the feeling that this is something the author started writing, stopped for a while and then went back to it, but without re-reading what she had already written, as the characters personalities just seem to change like it's a different book being written. 

I'm not even going to give this one star, as i think that is too much for this.





Loki's Daughters by Delle Jacobs

 It was love, if ever she had seen it.

This was another one that had been sitting on my kindle for some time.
After finally deciding to read it, i am disappointed i didn't do so earlier.

At the beginning we meet the celtic woman Arienh. She has assumed the position a man would normally have in her small village after all the men have died. Most due to raids by the vikings, including her own brother, father, her sister was raped by a viking and her other brother was taken by the vikings as a slave.

Understandably, Arienh has a deep hatred for the vikings. Expect one who she couldn't forget. One that frightful night her brother was killed and her sister was taken against her will, a viking chased Arienh, and if it hadn't been for a young viking boy hiding her and leading the Norse man astray she would have most likely suffered the same fate as her sister.

Then one day Arienh is going to the stones she stumbles across a viking, in her panic she stabs him and runs away. After discussing it with the woman of the village they give Arienh the task of going back and making sure the viking is dead and if not, to kill him.

But Arienh isn't like the vikings and refuses to kill him. What she doesn't know is that the viking who she is sheltering in her cottage until he has healed is the viking that saved her all those years ago. Ronan has come back for Arienh, the celtic girl he could never forget. He wants to bring his family to these lands and make a home there. But even when the truth is found Arienh, can't trust the vikings for the memories that others have caused her. However, Ronan isn't going to give up to easily. He will prove to the women of the village and Arienh that his men can be trusted and he won't back down until Arienh is his wife.

This was a beautifully written story. The characters fitted each other well and the story continued at a good pace, never too slow or too rushed. The author didn't overload you with Norse history but gave you just enough information to understand the world they book was set in.

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