Devil May Cry - Sherrilyn Kenyon (Dark Hunter #12)

Devil May Cry by Sherrilyn Kenyon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As an ancient Sumerian god, Sin was one of the most powerful among his pantheon.  . . Until the night Artemis brutally stole his godhood and left him for dead. For millennia, this ex-god turned Dark-Hunter has dreamed only of regaining his powers and seeking revenge on Artemis. If only life were that simple.
 
Unfortunately he has bigger fish--or in Sin's case--demons, to fry. The lethal gallu that were buried by his pantheon are now stirring and they are hungry for human flesh. Their goal is to destroy mankind and anyone else who gets in their way.  Sin is the only one who can stop them--that is if a certain woman doesn't kill him first. Unfortunately, Sin discovers that now he must rely on her or witness an annihilation of biblical proportions.  

Enemies have always made strange bedfellows, but never more so than when the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Now a man who knows only betrayal must trust the one person most likely to hand him to the demons. Artemis may have stolen his godhood, but this one has stolen his heart. The only question is will she keep it or feed it to the ones who want him dead?

When I started reading the Dark Hunter Books, I vowed that I wouldn't do anything stupid that would spoil my wonderful journey reading through this series. We all know what happened with that-- few days in and I've joined a DH/SK group on Goodreads and have browsed through SK's website. The one of the biggest spoiler I've "accidentally" read was about Katra's parentage.

While I love almost all things Viking, I didn't completely fell in love with Wulf and Cassandra's story. But Katra was a character I immediately thought I should look forward to.
Fast forward to this book, finally, it's time Kat had her HEA. And boy was it an HEA of epic proportions. In a gist: she gets to save the world from destruction, she gets her man (her one and only, literally) and at last she meets her father.
Overall, I like Kat because she is an embodiment of a strong female lead. She's tough, fierce and strong. She can kick evil's ass while in heels but she has compassion and righteousness that makes her an endearing character. She's a goddess inside and out.
Talking about Sin. How do I even begin? If the Dark Hunters had a betrayal hall of fame, he'd be up there in the ranks with Kyrian. He lost his family and his lost his godhood but that is just the tip of the iceberg that made him have serious trust issues. That said, I love him for it! If not for all that has happened to him he wouldn't be half as awesome a character he was.

The baddies in this book are one-up from the regular baddies in the series which actually made it a more interesting read. They make me want to tear out my hair in agitation in behalf of Sin and Kat.
Another thing that I liked in this book was the battle towards the end. It was neat to see reinforcements coming from different sources. It also brought a certain new character in my radar. I've got my eyes on you Xypher.
Lastly,

Ash and Katra moments. The father and daughter scenes were so well written, I still need a moment before I can go pick up another book. Book hangovers like these are the best!

Favorite quote from the book:
“You know the incredible thing about hearts is their unbelievable capacity for forgiveness. You’d be amazed what people will overlook when they love someone." --Acheron

My reaction after I read this book:


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The Dream Hunter - Sherrilyn Kenyon (Dream Hunter #1)

The Dream Hunter by Sherrilyn Kenyon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In the ethereal world of dreams, there are champions who fight to protect the dreamer and there are demons who prey on them... 

Arik is such a predator. Condemned by the gods to live eternity without emotions, Arik can only feel when he's in the dreams of others. For thousands of years, he's drifted through the human unconscious, searching for sensation. Now he's finally found a dreamer whose vivid mind can fill his emptiness.

Dr. Megeara Kafieri watched her father ruin himself and his reputation as he searched to prove Atlantis was real. Her deathbed promise to him to salvage his reputation has now brought her to Greece where she intends to prove once and for all that the fabled island is right where her father said it was. But frustration and bad luck dog her every step. Especially the day they find a stranger floating in the sea. His is a face she's seen many times.... in her dreams. 

What she doesn't know is that Arik holds more than the ancient secrets that can help her find the mythical isle of Atlantis. He has made a pact with the god Hades: In exchange for two weeks as a mortal man, he must return to Olympus with a human soul. Megeara's soul. 

With a secret society out to ruin her expedition, and mysterious accidents that keep threatening her life, Megeara refuses to quit. She knows she's getting closer to Atlantis and as she does, she stumbles onto the truth of what Arik really is.

For Arik his quest is no longer simple. No human can know of a Dream-Hunter's existence. His dream of being mortal has quickly turned into his own nightmare and the only way to save himself will be to sacrifice the very thing he wanted to be human for. The only question is, will he?

Originally, my plan was to skip all the Dream Hunter stories because of all the not-so-encouraging reviews about them. A lot said they were decent stories but nowhere near as good as Were-Hunter or Dark Hunter novels. I read this one because I wanted to give the Dream-Hunters a shot before completely forgetting about them.

This book gave me a deeper understanding of what Dream-Hunters are and the part they play in the world of SK. The curse that was cast on them stated that they were no longer supposed to experience emotions. This led to some of them going renegade and siphoning off too much from humans who dream vividly during their sleep. I don't feel like Dream-Hunters have enough pain or torment, unlike their, Dark-Hunter or Were-Hunter brethren. Maybe this is the reason why most people think that Dream-Hunter books aren't as strongly written.

Arik was an ok character. He didn't stand out to me. Megeara's character had promise but again, I think she could have been written a lot better. I can't even comment on their love story for the lack thereof. There were characters that I did like. Solin seems to me is going to be an interesting read. I want to know more about him. And of course, fifteen year old Tory. I've been prepping myself for when I finally read Acheron. I'm so excited I feel like I've speed read through the other books. Speaking of Acheron, the final chapter was actually a good way to tie things up to what readers have read through the earlier books.

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Away from home

Touchdown!

 Welcome to Puerto Princesa City, Philippines! Home the famous Tubbataha Reef and the Puerto Princesa Underground River , one of the seven new wonders of nature.

This beautiful city is now going to be where I'm going to be based for the next couple of years. Currently I'm affiliated with the DOH-RITM and will be working on a research project on malaria. Since the island of Palawan is quite famous for this parasite, our team will be on the field researching a new emerging specie.

I've visited several provinces around the country but I have never been to Palawan before. So to think that I'm not just visiting but actually be living in Palawan was a pleasant surprise for most people that I know. My friends top reaction: "We have a place to stay when we visit Palawan!"

Tubbataha reef

St. Paul Underground River

Now that I'm here, watch out for future posts about my life here in Puerto Princesa. I've got much exploring to do in this paradise-like island. There are so many sights to see --Honda Bay, El Nido; and many new food to taste --seafood price here are really marked down!

Sins of the Night — Sherrilyn Kenyon (Dark-Hunter #8)

Sins of the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In the realm of the Dark-Hunters there is a code of honor that even immortal bad boys must follow:

Harm no human. Drink no blood. Never fall in love.

But every now and again a Dark-Hunter thinks himself above the Code. That's when I'm summoned. Who am I? I'm the one thing the fearless fear. Step over the line and it's my wrath you will face. Nothing can touch me. Nothing can sway me. I am relentless and unfeeling.

Or so I thought until I met a female Dark-Hunter who goes by the name of Danger-it's not just her name, it's how she lives her life. She doesn't trust me at all. And who could blame her? She alone knows that I'm here to be judge, jury and most likely executioner of her friends. Yet she is my key to saving some of them. Without her, they all will die.

Dangereuse St. Richard is a deadly distraction. Something about her is reawakening a heart I thought was long dead. But in a race against evil, the only hope mankind has is that I do my duty. And how can I do my duty when it means that I will have to sacrifice the only woman I've ever loved?



                                     
It took me a while (a very long while) before i finally finished Sins of the Night. The story took place in Mississippi, so it was kinda like breather from all the crazy happenings in New Orleans. Dangereuse is the first woman Dark Hunter to have a HEA. I didn't love her as much as I did with the other heroines I have read of so far though.

The Alexion, I did find as a likable character. I just had a good deal of confusion on whether he was supposed to be a being who didn't feel any emotion. There were definitely moments when he felt the emotions of an average human and yet he didn't find that surprising. Sure he assumes human form from time to time to act as judge, jury & executioner to rogue Dark Hunters, but wasn't the last time he was corporeal like years and years ago? Even then, I still found him likable because of one very important reason

he had gifted all Dark Hunters with an out clause. It was a heartbreaking story when Ias/Alexion was betrayed by his wife. But, as Ash would always say "We learn from our pain". If not for that necessary pain, he wouldn't have immortality with his true love and we can kiss all those lovely couples we've read of goodbye.

I personally vote that all Dark Hunters to pay tribute to Alexion at least once in their immortal life.

My reaction:
when i read about the dark hunter rebellion and the theories about Ash
when Ash saves the day (deus ex machina i know, but still):
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The Evil Willow Queen moves to Blogspot

BLOG IMPORT --> SUCCESS!

Made the jump from Wordpress to Blogspot.  

P.S. I still love you wordpress.

Happy 200th! Pride & Prejudice

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife…"

Two hundred years later. This book is by far the best love story ever written. Every girl has dreamed of her very own Mr. Darcy and aspired to be just like Lizzie.

~how i wish i still have my first copy of P&P. Someone borrowed it from me in high school and never returned it. It may not have been a very beautiful cover, but it was bought from my measly allowance.

Here's another Book GIVEAWAY!!

Happy Anniversary to the owners of BOOKAHOLICS

Dance with the Devil -- Sherrilyn Kenyon (Dark-Hunter #4)

Dance with the Devil by Sherrilyn Kenyon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Zarek's Point of View:

Dark-Hunter: A soulless guardian who stands between mankind and those who would see mankind destroyed. Yeah, right. The only part of that Code of Honor I got was eternity and solitude.

Insanity: A condition many say I suffer from after being alone for so long. But I don't suffer from my insanity-I enjoy every minute of it.

Trust: I can't trust anyone...not even myself. The only thing I trust in is my ability to do the wrong thing in any situation and to hurt anyone who gets in my way.

Truth: I endured a lifetime as a Roman slave, and 900 years as an exiled Dark-Hunter. Now I'm tired of enduring. I want the truth about what happened the night I was exiled-I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Astrid (Greek, meaning star): An exceptional woman who can see straight to the truth. Brave and strong, she is a point of light in the darkness. She touches me and I tremble. She smiles and my cold heart shatters.

Zarek: They say even the most damned man can be forgiven. I never believed that until the night Astrid opened her door to me and made this feral beast want to be human again. Made me want to love and be loved. But how can an ex-slave whose soul is owned by a Greek goddess ever dream of touching, let alone holding, a fiery star?

When I read about Zarek in the first few books in the series, I told myself that this character is so hateful.....I think I love him!
Zarek, Zarek, Zarek, you had the most terrible time when you were alive and when you finally became a dark hunter, the world still gave you more lemons than you can possibly handle. The physical beatings did not really affect me much. But the scene where he was going to buy bread totally broke my heart. I weep for you, Zarek.
I've never been happier for a fictional character who finally got his HEA more than I did for this Greek.On the other hand, I think Astrid could have been written better. Not that I'm complaining but, her character sort of lacked some "oomph" to convince me that she tamed the wild animal.
Overall, I had fun reading this book. Since the first DH book that I read, I've personally made it my goal to read as fast as I can so I can finally get to Acheron's story. So cheers to me! 8 or 9 books to go!
My reaction
while reading about Zarek's life:


whenever it's a Simi moment:



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Book Giveaways-Hurray!

Today I signed up for a book giveaway promo hosted by Evie Seo from blogspot.

This is actually the first time that I'm joining one. I'm so terrible with raffles though. I never win anything! The one time I actually won (the prize was a refrigerator during the Christmas raffle at work), I wasn't present so they had to draw again.

The book titles are pretty awesome so it would be so cool if I do win.

My reaction to this Book Giveaway:

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="146"] Crazy Kermit[/caption]

Take the Plunge

Last 2012 was an interesting reading experience for me. And while I did read a couple of YA titles and other genres here and there, my list for 2012 is significantly dominated by paranormal romances and urban fantasy series. These titles are geared towards the more adult readers, which when I sincerely pondered on was age-appropriate considering I already six years and a score. (in tumblr years i'm bordering on ancient, aren't I?) Originally, I had planned to finish 25 books, since I was busy (a lazy ass) the first half of the year. I ended up finishing at 62. So pardon me if I'm feeling a little celebratory due to this feat.

On with my reading challenge for 2013.

While I'm starting my challenge at 30 books, I still plan to go full throttle and read as many as I can. (i think my "inbetween jobs" status in the beginning of this year will land me with more books read) To date, I'm feeling that I'm not yet done with the PNR genre. Finally I've convinced myself that I'm ready to read Sherrilyn Kenyon's series. I don't know why I've put reading these books on hold. I've seen these books whenever I'm on Goodreads and whenever I'm out hunting books at the bookstore. To all Dark Hunter fans out there, wish me luck. I'm actually making this post because I want to like this series so much.

So here's to me taking that step

A Quick Bite -- Lynsay Sands (Argeneau #1)

A Quick Bite by Lynsay Sands
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

About 20-30 pages or so, I decided to put my misery to an end.
The writing just didn't appeal to me. Every paragraph, I find myself cringing literally at how weird and poorly things are developing.
It was supposed to be a funny read. But all I ever did was raise a questioning eyebrow as I pushed myself to read.


As I write this I don't know if I can continue reading this or try to kindle my interest by reading other books from this series. If you're someone who likes reading alpha males and feisty heroines, look away because I don't think this is the book for you.


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Just the Sexiest Man Alive -- Julie James

No woman could resist him—except the one he wanted most...

Cool, Calm, Collected...

Nothing fazes Taylor Donovan. In the courtroom she never lets the opposition see her sweat. In her personal life, she never lets any man rattle her—not even her cheating ex-fiancé. So when she's assigned to coach People's "Sexiest Man Alive" for his role in his next big legal thriller, she refuses to fall for the Hollywood heartthrob's charms. Even if he is the Jason Andrews.

Confident, Famous, Irresistible...

Jason Andrews is used to having women fall at his feet. When Taylor Donovan gives him the cold shoulder, he's thrown for a loop. She's unlike any other woman he's ever met: uninterested in the limelight, seemingly immune to his advances, and shockingly capable of saying no to him. She's the perfect challenge. And the more she rejects him, the more he begins to realize she may just be his perfect match
Summary c/o Goodreads

Finally succumbed to the pressure of reading JTSMA. I think I might have had this book under my to read list for 2012. But Alas! 2012 was my year for PNR/Urban fantasy series. This is the first book from the author Julie James that I had the pleasure of reading. The story line was simple but hats off to the her for her witty writing. You've got to admit that at least once in every girl/woman's life, she must have dreamed of movie stars as their knight in shinning armor who will whisk them away from their bleary existence; or as the dashing prince charming that will lead her to her happily ever after.

I had the most fun reading this book. It was light, it was funny and everything a chicklit ought to be. Suffice to say that I intend to read more titles from this author.


My general reaction while reading:



RATING: