Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Mini Reviews: Every Last Kiss + Bloodlines

EVERY LAST KISS
(Bloodstone Saga #1)

Courtney Cole
Paranormal Young Adult
250 Pages
Lakehouse Press
Available Now
Received from author for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
What would you do if you held Fate in your hands?

17-year old Macy Lockhart has the weight of the world on her shoulders. For thousands of years, she has been a Keeper in the ancient organization, the Order of the Moirae… and she literally holds fate in her hands.

But this is something that she forgets because her memories are wiped clean in every life until it is time for her cycle to start again. For the last two thousand years, this has never been a problem. Until now. And now…Fate, the very thing that Macy was born to keep, is being challenged and she has only one choice: To return to a previous life to fix it; a life where she was Cleopatra’s handmaiden, Charmian.

And that’s not all. Unless she interferes with the fabric of time, the very thing she has returned to repair, her soul mate will die leading Marc Antony’s forces against Rome. Can she really stand aside and allow the love of her life to die all over again?


MY THOUGHTS
Every Last Kiss is an extraordinary story out of which rises a series of truly intriguing questions regarding fate versus free will, leaving us to question long after this first part of Macy's story is over if our actions would be the same as hers were we to find ourselves in her place. Macy, as a result of her job as Keeper for the Order of the Moirae, strongly believes that everything in our world is predestined and we merely operate under the illustion of free will when in actuality each decision we make has already been determined. We can’t help but wonder then if we would be able to go through the motions as she does as Charmian, knowing those actions end in tragedy. Would we be strong enough to follow a destined plan to a grisly end because we're simply told that's the way it's meant to be? Or would curiosity and a desire for change cause us to veer off course simply to prove we are not a puppet of fate?

In addition to the profound musings we have while reading, we also get a refreshingly different approach to the romance in this tale. Typically we read of the meeting of two individuals and watch as they either quickly or slowly come together, but with Charmian/Macy and Hasani we get a familiar intimacy based on years of affection already established. The tension then exists due not to the forming of an emotional connection but rather to the almost overwhelming knowledge of impending doom. Macy knows with heartbreaking clarity what is to come of her and Hasani, and reading as she struggles to mask her pain and enjoy his presence despite each moment being another nail in her heart’ s coffin is poignant and moving.

Overall, Every Last Kiss is a thoroughly enjoyable start to the Bloodstone series, the world of Cleopatra’s Egypt dazzling our imaginations as the joy and tragedy of love and death plays the keys of our emotions with mightily deft fingers.

Rating: 4/5


BLOODLINES
(Demons of Oblivion #1)

Skyla Dawn Cameron
Urban Fantasy
216 Pages
Mundania Press
Available Now
Received from author for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
After three hundred years of unlife, vampire Zara Lain has seemingly done it all, and she's now making a living as a successful thief-turned-assassin. Her newest assignment seems simple enough--kill the aging leader of the O'Connor Coven and his only heir, and she'll have another ten million in the bank.

But in the dangerous world of the supernatural, few things are ever "simple."

When a massive assault decimates the continent's population of powerful witches and warlocks, and its orchestrator has vampires being hunted down and captured, Zara realizes the tables have turned and now she'll be playing the hero. Forced to join with a smart-mouthed fellow vampire, a demonologist who's also a fan of hers, a recently widowed--and frequently brooding--warlock, and her best friend's mom, Zara's grudgingly willing to do what she can to save the day.

If only people would stop ruining all her outfits..
.

MY THOUGHTS
Bloodlines starts off with a sprint and never loses its momentum, introducing us to characters and setting up events quickly so we have little choice once we read the opening pages but to see it through to the end to satisfy our need for answers. Though the conflict begins instantaneously, the story doesn't feel hurried or rushed, instead the problems Zara and company face grow in complexity as they reveal layers of supernatural action and romantic drama that ensure Ms. Cameron's world remains unpredictable and highly engaging.

Protagonist Zara has a rather impressively high opinion of herself, singing her own praises with regard to her beauty and skill as a vampire to any willing or unwilling audience– a habit that makes her a bit difficult to connect to initially. She tends to overutilize sarcasm to the extent that almost no genuine words or thoughts leave her mouth for majority of the book, causing us to want to shake her in the hopes such an action will jar loose some of her armor plating to allow the woman behind the attitude to show through. Eventually we learn why she wields her snark like a finely honed blade, constantly on the offensive because her defensive shields aren't nearly as strong as they first appear. With the slow reveal of some vulnerability, she becomes a character of substance rather than false bravado, and our emotional attachment to her grows exponentially.

Overall, Bloodlines is a quick, action-intensive read that puts Ms. Cameron on my list of authors to watch.

Rating: 3.5/5

38 comments:

  1. Yay, mini-reviews! Every Last Kiss sounds like more of my cup of tea than Bloodlines. Thanks for sharing! Even in a shorter format, your reviews are so thoughtful! :)

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  2. I have Bloodstone Saga on my kindle and I've been wanting to read it! Glad to see you liked it!

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  3. Every Last Kiss very unique and intriguing am definitely interested in checking this one out. Not too sure about Bloodlines though sounds like a pass for me.

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  4. Wowie zowie! Both of these books look so good! The main character isn't just an assasin, but a thief-turned-assassin? How cool is that???

    I'm glad that you came to like Zara better in the end! A book is only as enjoyable as the main character, as I like to say! ;)

    Awesome review, Jenny! :) I'm definitely going out to pick these books up!

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  5. Every Last Kiss sounds amazing! The concept is interesting and the plot sounds like one that gets your thinking. Fantastic mini reviews :)

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  6. Lauren - There just aren't enough days in the week for all the reviews I need to post so I had to do some mini reviews:) They were kinda fun.

    Liza - I really enjoyed book 1! I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series:)

    Jan - It was unique! I blew right through it, it's a quick read:)

    Mimi - Zara's a woman of many talents:) She's a bit overwhelming in the beginning but by the end I was really rooting for her.

    Nic - I thought it was great, it kept me thinking the whole time:)

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  7. I'm glad you liked Every Last Kiss. Courtney is awesome!

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  8. Dude, I loved Every Last Kiss! It is amazing. Have not read the other book. Will have to look it up!

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  9. Bloodlines looks like one that I will wait till book 2 comes out and see what people think. It may be to UF for me!

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  10. I love books that take place in Egypt, that time period intrigues me. But, just for the record, I hate to be told what to do, so I most definitely would go against the grain just to prove I could. Fate's a fickle bi-otch anyway. I suck with rules. Fate and I...were not friends. *shrugs shoulders* Oh well, such is life.

    That last cover made me giggle, although I don't know why. Sometimes I feel my sense of humor is screwed. Excellent review though. It sounds like the author is good, but it takes some time to feel anything for our lead. I'd like to hear about the brooding warlock. *waggles eyebrows*

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  11. JL - I thought it was fabulous:)

    Savy - It was really good, I'm looking forward to book 2. Bloodlines was really entertaining, Zara's just a lot to deal with upfront.

    Felicia - I think book 2 may already be out and I'm not sure it relates to book 1 all that much. I think it's different characters:)

    Jen - Me too! I think I would have a hard time listening to fate too, especially if I knew what Macy knew. It was fun to read and think about it though:)

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  12. 'Every Last Kiss' sounds like a pretty good book, although I do sometimes get frustrated by free will versus fate types of books. Still, love the setting!

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  13. I can't stop swooning over the cover for Every Last Kiss! It's gorgeous! And the already established romance...It sounds so heartbreaking. I'm almost in tears here.

    Thanks for the review, Jenny. I hadn't heard of that book before, but I'll be adding to my TBR now. :)

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  14. The cover for "Ever Last Kiss" is breathtaking! I never heard of this book until now. The setting of Ancient Egypt, time traveling, and the tragic love affair all sounds like an incredible read. I'm definitely a sucker for tragic love stories. I'll be adding this one in my tbr now. Thanks for the recommendation and review, Jenny!

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  15. Jenny, this review was beautiful. Thank you! I'm sooo happy that you liked Every Last Kiss.

    And you guys are making me blush. Thank you for such kind comments. If you have already read and enjoyed Every Last Kiss, thank you. I truly appreciate it.

    And if you haven't read it yet... I really hope you like it. :)

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  16. Ashley - I really enjoyed this one, and I can tell Macy's opinion on fate might not be so clear cut in the future:)

    Missie - It was heartbreaking. Every time his name appeared on the page I got all bleary eyed.

    Rummanah - Glad I could put in on your radar!!!

    Courtney - Thank you! I clearly loved it to pieces, you did a brilliant job and I can't wait for more:)

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  17. Your mini-reviews are the length of my regular reviews...haha!

    What a cover for Bloodlines!

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  18. Ok- EKE- that second one...not for me but the first one looks really good, it seems your pretty fired up about Cleopatra and walking talking Egyptians...I need to read something from this time period now..:D

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  19. Hi Jenny! :) I have to say the cover for Every Last Kiss is amazing! Looks wonderful.

    Sorry to see you had a hard time with Zara. I feel bad, as I really enjoyed her character. She added some life and fun to the story for me. But as you mentioned she has the hard shell to protect her from the harshness she lived, and does come around. But I enjoy the full speed excitement she brings. Some reason things always get crazy around her. he he.

    Thanks for the review on Every Last Kiss.

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  20. Oh, I wanted to ask about Nate! ha ha. How could I Forget about him. Duh. I like that he took his with his mourning. But I just loved the little man Peter and his love for Zara. He cracked me up! He was a brilliant man too. :)

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  21. I'm thinking Every Last Kiss might be my next must have- NOW!

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  22. I'm a huge free-will proponent, but I also love the argument and philosophy within a story setting! Oh I know I will need this book. Yep, I'm wishlisting Every Last Kiss!

    Now, Melissa (My World) already has me wanting Bloodlines. It's already on my wishlist! Just reading a bit of her snark has me wanting this author's books!

    Love the minis! But then I love all your reviews!

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  23. Every Last Kiss sounds especially good. I love the inclusion of Cleopatra era Egypt. I want to read more about that time.

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  24. Great minis :)
    I have seen that last one at another blog and she sure loved it.
    Lol, I can see Melissa already mentioned that she saw it there too

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  25. Great mini reviews. These both sound good, and im loving the covers!

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  26. I love the way you described Every Last Kiss. I'm curious to see whether Macy continues to do what she believes has been destined or decides to try things her own way despite knowing the future is already set. *adds to the massive wishlist*

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  27. Both of these look really good. I've been craving a historical fiction and Every Last Kiss sounds really interesting!

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  28. Jacinda - Hahaha I know, I tend to ramble on a bit. Mini perhaps isn't the best word to describe them:)

    Tina - I'm on a Cleopatra kick lately aren't I? I enjoyed both the ones I read:)

    Melissa - By the end I really liked Zara and her attitude made sense, it just took me a little while to get there:) Nate I adored, and I'm secretly hoping we get more about their future together at some point!

    Ashley - It's a good one to add to the list:)

    Melissa - Yay! Hope you enjoy it:) And I know Bloodlines has gotten a ton of positive reviews, so you should definitely try it as well. I enjoyed it overall, I just had a little trouble with Zara in the beginning:)

    Alison - I'm loving all things Egypt related lately. Can't get enough:)

    Blodeuedd - Thanks! I know a lot of people loved Bloodlines and it's definitely worth a read:)

    Laura - Thank you!

    Zahida - I'm really curious as well, I look forward to finding out:)

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  29. Tara - It was really interesting! I just liked how Macy dealt with everything knowing what she knew. Not sure I could have done it:)

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  30. I have Ever Last Kiss on my Kindle and need to read it soon. I am so glad you enjoyed it! I will have to bump it up closer to the top of my TBR list. I am loving the setting of Egypt! Great review. Jenny!

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  31. Bloodlines sounds good but I especially love how you describe Every Last Kiss. =) I love stories about Egypt and true love. I need this one NOW!! =D You sure know how to get me excited about books, Jenny!!

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  32. Both of these books sound really good! I haven't heard of either book before, but they definitely sound great. :) Thanks for sharing your mini-reviews!

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  33. Every Last Kiss sounds super interesting--I love the idea of Fate herself questioning if fate exists. And Bloodlines was one hell of a read. Skyla definitely knows how to write engaging, kickass heroines.


    Smiles!
    Lori

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  34. When I first saw the title Bloodlines I thought it would be Richelle mead's Bloodlines by Skyla Dawn Cameron' sounds pretty good too.

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  35. These both sound great especially Every Last Kiss! I'm just hoping she chooses Free Will and her true love. I'm always a sucker for love over anything else!

    Heather

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  36. Jenny, if you could enlighten me as to how to write a concise, intelligent review like you do, I'll pay you with undying devotion (more than I have for you already, that is).

    Truthfully though, I'm intrigued by both of these - though moreso the first! Great mini reviews :)

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  37. EVERY LAST KISS sounds like a very thoughtful read, I'm going to look out for that one. But isn't Hasani also reincarnated, or did he only live that one life?

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  38. Kinda kicking myself for never having heard of either of these books! Thanks for the insightful reviews Jenny, I will have to add them to my TBR list!

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