Lee Nichols' Surrender Book Review

Surrender is the last book in the Haunting Emma trilogy by Lee Nichols. 17 year old Emma Vaile has become one of the most powerful ghost-keepers in existence. So powerful, in fact, that Neos, the ancient, repulsive old ghost that has haunted Emma since she was a child, is more than a little determined to possess Emma and use her powers to release his horde of ghosts, wraiths, and ghasts and to become whole once again.

Emma, as a ghost-keeper, has all the powers necessary to communicate, read, summon, dispel and compel ghosts, wraiths, and ghasts back to whence they came. She is pretty much the only hope left for defeating Neos who has become a stain on everyone Emma knows especially after the devastation that happened in Betrayal and the shear loss of ghost-keepers lives including those in charge of the Knell.

Neos really wants Emma so badly, that he even gets the former Aunt Rachel, who was a ghost-keeper and was supposedly killed during the events of Betrayal, to do his bidding for him in an attempt to possess her body and become whole again. Of course, Neos has that effect on all the women he comes across including Emma’s own mother.

Meanwhile, Bennett Stern is addicted to Asarum and refuses to stop taking it, even at the risk of losing Emma forever. His parents, themselves Ghost-keepers, arrive home from a trip to Europe and end up kicking him out of the house as an ultimatum to get off Asarum. Bennett doesn’t go far. He is reassigned as a bodyguard to Simon who is now in charge of the Knell.

The usual suspects that being Lukas, Natalie, Cody, Henry and Sara all play their parts in this installment. Celeste and Anatole the Sterns ghost resident cook and housekeepers also are quite entertaining and would not be the same story without them. I don’t mind Henry, but I really got annoyed by the constant references to Emma’s feet. I mean, once or twice if funny. More than that becomes a nuisance and loses its effectiveness.

This book has a lot more surprises, including the fact that Emma’s parents and brother Max finally appear after dropping off the face of the earth at the beginning of book number one leaving Emma in Bennett’s hands and ending up at Thatcher Academy.

As a reader of this series, you have to have some compassion for Bennett, and why he felt it was necessary to take Asarum so that he can protect and help Emma and ensure that she has the strength necessary to defeat Neos.

But, at the same time, you also have to put yourself in Emma’s shoes knowing that Bennett is physically destroying his body, and pushing her away from him, and there’s nothing she can do about it since he won’t tell her the real reason behind his addiction. She does grow up lot more than previous installments, but there is a point where she has to believe that too she has too much responsibilities in not only stopping Neos, but in keeping Bennett from losing his life.

In this series, Ghost-keepers can fall in love, but, one of them will always lose their powers. It happened to Bennett’s parents, as well as Emma’s. The only question is who will be the one to relinquish their powers in order to turn Neos into dust Emma or Bennett?

I absolutely adore Cody and was happy to see how much he plays a part in this storyline.

I recommend that anyone who may be interested in this series, start reading the series from the beginning and in order. The trilogy features Deception, Betrayal, and of course, Surrender.

ARC received 10/19/2011 via NetGalley. Expected publication: December 6th 2011

Title: Surrender
Author: Lee Nichols
Release Date: December 6, 2011
 Genres: YA Paranormal

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

Dearly, Departed, by Lisa Habel, is a post-apocalyptic steampunk zombie romance novel set in the year 2195. 150 years ago the poles of the earth disappeared beneath deadly mantles of ice, and winters had become long and hard for an increasing number of nations. Humanity was forced to migrate in massive waves toward the new temperate zones along the equator. (Call it South and Central America) Entire countries were wiped off the face of the earth by catastrophic storms. Cuba, Indonesia, England, Japan are all gone.

The American nation suffered the most after refugees from Canada brought a new strain of influenza long with them. It killed one out of four people. The survivors were then forced to live through the second American Civil war and its nuclear destruction it brought with it. The United States as a nation ceased to be. If that weren’t enough destruction and mayhem, an eruption of a super volcano under Yellowstone finally emptied the US of anyone left behind.

Society, as the survivors knew it, changed drastically. There was a separation into two distinct camps called Victorians, and Punks. The Punk Movement rejected the new aristocracy, anti-technology, anti-government of the Victorians and formed their own country in the area known as Brazil and Bolivia.

Although they are technologically advanced like the Punks, the Victorians have embraced the ideals of a past era and modeled their society on Victorian England. And much like the actual Victorian era, the civilized veneer of society is masking lots of unpleasant things.

Main Characters:

Bram Griswold (Punk) is a 16-year old who became one of the undead after the Gray, or zombies, killed him. Due to advent of a disease called the Lazarus syndrome, people don’t stay dead for very long. They reanimate within a six hour time frame. Some become walking zombies with no memories of who they once were; while others, like Bram, retain their memories and abilities which made them human. Bram is a member of a zombie army that fights the Gray (those who are truly the walking dead) and is supposed to protect the human population from their attacks.

Nora Dearly (Victorian) is also 16-years of age and has been in mourning for a year and a day since her father died. She goes to school at a prominent institution due to her father’s actions in saving the Prime Ministers life. Nora lives in Elysian Fields with her overbearing Aunt who wants to marry Nora off to some wealthy boy so that she can start living the high life once again. Nora is extremely short tempered, impetuous, and has serious issues with keeping her mouth shut but also seems sure of herself when it comes to guns, and fighting those who want to harm her. She is also fascinated by the Punk society and watches past movies as her father did before her. She too easily accepts the Lazarus virus after being nearly being capture by the Gray, and rescued by Bram’s group of misfits.

The story is told from multiple points of view which can sometimes be quite annoying. But, after you read the book in its entirety, and take a moment time to think about it, they are definitely necessary to the overall telling of the story.

Most of the major chapters are narrated by either Nora Dearly or Bram Griswold. There are other chapters told from other characters' points of view like Pamela Roe (Nora’s best friend who is described as being a lower caste member of the Victorian society who was lucky enough to have Nora as a friend). Dr. Victor Dearly is Nora’s father and is blamed for creating the Lazarus virus that changes people into zombies, and the walking undead.) Captain Wolfe is a human who leads a reanimated army like Bram against the Gray. He has an agenda  

The romance between Bram and Nora isn’t pushed on the reader, but built up slowly from being scared out of her mind, to slowly coming to terms with her new reality, then to the realization that Bram is a somewhat changed and a different human being and not the walking brain sucking zombie the Gray are.

Bram is a character that you can actually feel sorry for, and cheer for at the same time. He didn’t exactly choose his current state of existence, but is doing the best he can under trying circumstances. He was forced to leave his mother and sisters behind after becoming one of the walking, talking undead. Bram and Nora couldn’t be more different. He is a tall and lanky and a Punk who loves to sing 20^th century songs by legends, while Nora is a petite, short tempered, who doesn’t care who she goes up against.

This book is a young adult steampunk, zombie, apocalyptic romance novel which hits on all four genre’s with fluid motion. It also contains, what I believe to be, the writers personal political views on global warming, and racism especially with the different castes, and then the good versus evil zombies.

Dislike: The Epilogue. Please, Ms. Habel, this was a pretty decent story right up until you threw in the Epilogue. After everything that happened over the course of the story, why was this necessary?

Title: Dearly, Departed
Author: Lia Habel
Release Date: October 18, 2011
Genres: YA Dystopian

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

15/16 year old Alex Halprin watches as his mother, father and younger sister Rebecca drive off to visit his uncle’s farm in Warren, Iowa 140 miles away leaving him behind for what he believes will be a carefree weekend.
Shortly after, a super volcano erupts from Yellowstone National Park spewing Ash, as well as causing major earthquakes to occur across the US.

Alex’s house is devastated and he is lucky to make it out alive while ending up at his neighbors’ home. This is followed by a constant barrage of explosions that leave people wondering if the world is about ready to end while darkness befalls the town of Cedar Falls.

This is the day that Alex’s whole world changes in a blink of an eye from a care free World of Witchcraft player and Taekwondo specialist who chirps back at his mother and could care less about his sister’s moods; to a survivor who must brave not only the ash and the darkness it leaves behind, but the health dangers that it brings as well as survivors who believe they have the right to rape, kill, and take from others without any consequences.

Alex must face several life or death obstacles just to make it through the first several days, let alone weeks of the aftermath of the super volcano eruption that leaves citizens fighting for their very right to live. When Alex comes across a felon who wants his stuff, he digs deep into his martial arts training, and fights back. It’s not the first, nor the last time that Alex will have to use his training to help him out of jams. Even though he survives, it’s not without a price. Luckily, he happens upon a mother and daughter that save his life.

One of the best quotes the book has to offer, and yes, I am so stealing the idea from another reviewer! “For the first time ever, I felt ashamed of my species. The volcano had taken our homes, our food, our automobiles, and our airplanes, but it hadn’t taken our humanity. No, we’d given that up on our own.” Truer words have never been spoken.

Humanity is its own worst enemy in every way possible, and Mullin does an excellent job of describing them from Alex’s POV. Humanity either finds ways to survive and deal head on with its problems while helping others out during their time of need, or it creates even more disturbing situations that cause even deadlier consequences for the survivors, including a basic lack of food, water, the ability to communicate, and the ability to find shelter.

This book should be a learning lesson to everyone to STOCK up on basic needs like canned goods, water and learn what you would do if you suddenly found yourself in a similar situation. Because, you just don’t know when a natural disaster is going to hit where you live. Just look at recent events in our country, as well as others around the world.

For those who love dystopian novels, you will definitely enjoy this one, and I’m highly recommending it. You won’t find zombies eating human brains, but you will find several funny references with strawberry milkshakes and brains.
 
Although Alex is the storyteller, he is not the only likable character Mullin writes into his story. No, actually I found 18 year old Darla Edmunds to be much more charismatic, and mechanically inclined to come up with numerous ways how to survive and thrive during hard times. It is Darla who ends up saving Alex’s life more than once when he gets into deep kimchee with not only other survivors, but with the elements as well.

It is also Darla who figures out ways how to build unique contraptions that allow for the production of food that can last until the devastation is finally over with. Yes, readers of my reviews, you will also come to appreciate how fast Alex grows up and discovers not only love, but a way how to survive and move towards his goal of reaching his uncles farm. You will also find a romance that is not thrown in your face, but gradually built up from pure hatred, and resentment, to something deeper and hopefully more substantial in the end.

This isn’t exactly a happy story. It is a dark tale about survival and the way Alex and Darla end up working together to end up at their final destination; Alex’s uncle’s farm more than 100 miles away. There is a situation of rape, murder, cannibalism, torture, and putting survivors into death camps because of low food rations in the affected areas.

Ashfall by Mike Mullin is an ARC provided by NetGalley.com and Tanglewood Press and will be released October 11, 2011. ARC recvd 08/08/2011 via Netgalley and Tanglewood.

Title: Ashfall
Author: Mike Mullin
Release Date: October 11, 2011
Genres: YA Dystopian

The Whispering Room by Amanda Stevens

New Orleans homicide detective Evangeline Theroux has hit a rough spot in her life. She is a widow after her husband Johnny Theroux, who was also a New Orleans police officer, was shot three times and killed in what appeared to be a drug hit.

She has a 5 month old baby who she feels disconnected from. Not that she’s a bad mother. She’s definitely not. She just feels that she hasn’t done enough to earn the love of the precocious little boy and he looks too much like Johnny to get past the resemblance.

Evangeline is something of an outcast among her fellow officers. They find her to be a cold fish, cynical, tough, confident, and tenacious enough to earn the nickname Ghoul girl. What they don’t understand, since they are mostly men, is that women have to work 100 percent harder than men on the job in order to earn any semblance of respect from their counterparts. She also has the highest clearance rate of any murder cop in the city.

Evie and her partner Mitchell Hebert end up with a bizarre case of a man who was killed by snake bites. Not just one or two, but numerous. The man was a high profile lawyer to a scum bag drug runner who we learn, has his hands in everything including corrupt Police Officers. If that wasn’t enough to pique the interests of many people, Evie and Mitchell find out that the dead mans own brother was killed in a similar way; bitten by snakes.

Evie soon finds that her own life and as well that of her 5 year old son JD, has turned into a puzzle of its own. The FBI under Special Agent Declan Nash has been keeping an eye on Evie and tried to keep her away from the nefarious drug dealer to save her from the same fate that killed her husband. Soon thereafter, a strange man and blond woman are seen not only at her house, but at her mother’s as well and someone continues to leave origami birds lying around for Evie to find.

After pulling Evie from the case, her captain Angelette Lapierre advises Evie that she needs to find time to speak to a true crime writer named Lena Saunders. Saunders claims that she may have the answers to who the real killer of Paul Courtland is, as well as answers to her husband’s death but will only speak to Evie.

Lena spins a story about the Lemay family who 30 years ago, was left devastated after the mother, Mary Alice Lemay, killed her two young sons. Lena tells Evie about the two surviving sisters Rebecca and Ruth, who may have helped their mother kill their brothers because they contained the evil gene. There was another survivor to the nightmare; a little baby girl that was born at the same time Mary Alice was killing her two boys. If you connect the dots, you will find out almost immediately who the baby is, and why her own son has been targeted to be killed off.

Whispering Room transverses 30 years from the start of the book, to the final conclusion. It is the story of a mother’s fight to save the life of her little boy from being just another victim of those who truly are sick and disturbed into believing there is a so called Evil Gene within their family. It is also the awakening of Evie to the discovery that her husband wasn’t who she thought he was, and finding the means to move on with someone else to care about and love instead of reveling in self-pity.

I’ve always liked the setting of New Orleans for the background for any story. The city itself has a steep history that truly hasn’t been fully explored enough in my opinion. The story takes place after Katrina came through New Orleans and forever changed the landscape and the people who lived there. It does take a shot at police corruption in New Orleans, but that is fact, not fiction as anyone who has read the news or has lived in Louisiana for any period of time is well aware of. It's the nature of the beast called Louisiana politics.

One thing, if you don’t like snakes, and I don’t mean just one, or two, but a whole shit load of snakes--you might want to keep the light on when you read this book otherwise you will find yourself looking under your couch, and bed, and everywhere else you might think to find a snake.

I've become a fan of Stevens writing after reading her solo works The Dollmaker, and The Devil's Footprints, as well as the Restorer an Urban fantasy novel which is the first book in the Graveyard Queen series. I look forward to reading the second book in the series called The Kingdom when it releases April 1, 2012.

Title: The Whispering Room
Author: Amanda Stevens
Release Date: March 1, 2009
Genres: Mystery & Thriller

Book Review - Crossroads by Jeanne C Stein

Crossroads is the seventh installment in the Anna Strong Chronicles by Jeanne C. Stein. For Anna, it has been two months since she was named the Chosen one, or the leader of the 13 vampire tribes as well as the person destined to resist the dark forces in the vampire community that seeks to dominate mankind and make them food sources only.

Anna has to face several new challenges including the arrival of Detective Harris of the San Diego PD who is looking into Police Chief Warren Williams’s death. He goes on to tell Anna that they have found some startling new information that just doesn’t make any sense. Of course, Anna, being the last person to see Williams alive, and knows what really happened, is a prime candidate for Detective Harris’s investigation.

The second challenge comes after Anna is approached by her former lover Max, a DEA agent who she hasn’t seen in 8 months. Max asks for her assistance in what he believes is a vampire killing illegal aliens crossing into the US. Anna, while weary and still angry at Max for dismissing her so easily after discovering she was a vampire, agrees to help. It seems however, that the ploy was set in motion by Anna’s direct challenger Chael who has some interesting information for Anna.

That, of course, is the third challenge since Chael has thrown out an interesting concept in that he can lead Anna to her heart’s desire; to revert back to being human once again, and living life away from the supernatural community and thus putting her family and friends out of danger. Chael claims that there is a Native American shaman who has the capability of bringing the dead back to life.

Of course, anyone including Anna, knows that Chael only wants the moniker of Chosen one and doesn’t care who he has to hurt in order to gain his goals. Chael is one of those vampires who wish to relegate humans to nothing more than fodder, and an expendable food source doing their masters, the vampires, bidding.

The last challenge is Anna’s reunion with Daniel Frey, the panther shape shifter who is also the Keeper of the Secrets for the supernatural community and their travels to the Navajo Indian lands in Arizona where we learn a little more about Frey's background. Frey, who has been with Anna from the beginning of her change into a vampire, was a welcome addition back to the story that has seen Anna suffer so much since becoming a vampire.

Crossroads is an interesting name for this book since Anna has to make more difficult choices that can either lead her back to her mortality, or continue on as the protector and soldier for goodness within the vampire community. The ending itself, was as expected with Anna going one way, and her only real friend in the world going another. I'm not sure in what direction this series is heading, but I will definitely look forward to seeing where Anna goes from here.

Title: Crossroads
Author: Jeanne C. Stein
Release Date:  August 30, 2011
Genres: Urban Fantasy

Book Review Blood Sacrifice by Maria Lima

Blood Sacrifice, by Maria Lima, is the fifth book in the Blood Lines series. The story itself picks up right on the heels of Blood Heat where Keira Kelly was named as the Kelly family heir and has returned to Texas to gather her court alongside her vampire husband and partner Adam who is part Unseelie fae.

As the celebration is taking off, her cousin, and former lover Gideon, also a challenger to the title of Kelly clan heir, makes a startling challenge to Keira and Adam, throwing all their plans into jeopardy. Along with Gideon is Keira’s own mother Branwen who she hasn’t seen since she was seven years old and was being taken away from Faery by her father Huw Kelly.

Gideon and the Fae directly challenge the Kelly’s family’s right to hold onto their land that has been in the family for generations. There is also the fact that there is a doorway to Faery that lies on their land, but has been closed for a long time for some obvious reasons like not letting out the Dark Fey from their Underhill. Gabriel, we learn, is a manipulative and ego driven maniac who is power hungry and driven by revenge and dark magic.

Keira muddles her way through this story finding that the more mistakes she makes the more troubles come her way. Her own comments about being part of the Scooby gang was poetic and worth mentioning. Keira has gone from being an Escort, or one who takes a family member who has given up on living to the veil for which they leave this life--to an all-encompassing person who has all the Kelly family abilities like shape shifting, weather watching and healing.

Adam remains the one constant in the story as the firm, guiding, level-headed partner to Keira’s irrational behavior and actions.

On her blog, Maria Lima stated that Blood Sacrifice is the final Blood Lines book. I guess that makes since the storyline has come full circle, and most of the so called bad guys have been dealt with. There are more than a few major casualties in the story as well, and the fact that Keira and Adam become so much more than they ever expected to be.

I feel as though I’m spoiling what actually happens in the story, but I have stood on the edge of this abyss before without getting hammered for my commentary or reviews. So let the chips fall where they may.

Maria Lima's Blood Lines Series
1. Matters of the Blood (2005)
2. Blood Bargain (2008)
3. Blood Kin (2009)
4. Blood Heat (2010)
5. Blood Sacrifice (August 30th 2011)

Title: Blood Sacrifice
Author: Maria Lima
Release Date: August 30, 2011
Genres: Paranormal Romance

Review of Christine Cody's Blood Rules

Christine Cody’s Blood Rules is the second book in the Bloodlands series. The Bloodlands series is set in a post-apocalyptic US after wars, terrorism, zealots and crazies have decimated the country leaving it fractured and relying heavily on other countries to support its well-being.

Blood Rules picks up two months after Bloodlands ended with the “monsters” of the New Badlands getting the better of Johnson Stamp and his men after they tried to invade their habitat and steal their aquifer water supply. Even by winning, they lost because the group decided to flee for safer confines while avoiding yet another run in with Stamp and his surviving lieutenant Mags who want nothing better than to eliminate all monsters from existence.

In the first novel Bloodlands, readers were introduced to 23 year old Mariah Lyander who was infected with the were-wolf virus when her family was attacked and killed in Dallas. Mariah has become sort of a pariah or pet psycho because she continually puts her neighbors in jeopardy by shifting when she is under emotional distress or anger and then running out into the open desert. Her relationship with Gabriel has reached a tipping point and it’s become harder to control her anger.

Gabriel is a vampire who came to the new badlands looking for his girlfriend Abby and was angry when he found out the truth about what happened to her. Gabriel and Mariah ended up imprinting on the other so that now they can basically calm the other when distressed. Gabriel was told that he will revert back to being a human if his creator dies. He, at least, has something to look forward to that those like Mariah don’t.

In Blood Rules, Gabriel and Mariah decide that they will travel to one of the hubs, better known as a former city like Denver, and explore the possibility of finding a cure for Mariah’s were virus before it completely takes over her.

This being the second story in the trilogy, it lacks some of the depth that Bloodlands had created. While interesting enough to continue to the last book of the series In Blood We Trust (09/27/2011), it had what I thought were too many points of view.

Readers will continue to journey with Mariah and Gabriel, but Cody has also added the oldster (were-scorpion) and Stamp to the story mix. Cody introduces readers to the mother of all monsters named 562 and the possibility that his/her blood could either cure Mariah, or make her even stronger and something entirely different from what she already is.

Overall, the world building and introduction of several new characters along the way, kept my attention right to the ending which obviously leaves the reader wanting to continue to the last book in the series. For me, I can only hope that Cody doesn’t go off the reservation and add more POV’s to the storyline.