*Review* Inhuman (Fetch #1) by Kat Falls

Inhuman is set in a world where a virus that was genetically manipulated to create a new species of animal, mutated and ravaged the US leaving 40 percent of the population of the US dead or turned into mutants. Now, the survivors (who apparently only live in the West) are forced into living in walled cities, while still others manage to somehow survive day by day in the desperation known as the "Feral Zone" wondering if they will be the next to be infected with the virus.

The protagonist of Inhuman is 16 year old Delaney "Lane" McEvoy. Lane lives in the walled city of Davenport free of viruses and mutants. Her father, Ian McEvoy, is a Fetch, or a person who sneaks into the Dark Continent to retrieve items for individuals looking for momentos, or family members who may have been infected and turned into "manimals' by the rabies virus. Ian trained Lane from an early age how to survive which comes in handy when she finds herself being manipulated into traveling to Chicago, a city that has been overrun with manimals, in order to find a personal item or her father faces severe consequences.

It was interesting watching Lane's character transform from a carefree person who has been told stories by her father for years about the Feral Zone but has never had anything to worry about until the Biohazard Director comes knocking on her door and tears her world apart. She goes from a person who is so serious about keeping germs away from her that she carries a bottle of hand sanitizer with her, to a person who isn't afraid to get down and dirty and bloody and does what she has to in order to survive. Lane's only apparent fault is not seeing the danger that she is surrounding by while letting things get a bit out of hand before realizing that she needs to be more focused.

By the time the story ends, Lane not only grows by leaps and bounds, but she also manages to somehow meet two totally different male characters in Rafe, and Everson Cruz who couldn't be more different and that had me wondering if a 3 way triangle is really necessary for the overall reader satisfaction. Rafe is a thief, and trained with Lane's father for years hearing all sorts of stories about the girl behind the wall. He also hunts rogues for a living and doesn't seem to mind living among the manimals or making Lane squirm every time they are together. Everson is the poetic and social justice character who knows that he can help save the world and maybe find a cure to the virus if only he had a way to collect all the samples in the "Feral Zone." While neither characters is a bad match for Lane, there is always the element of surprise and wonderment if either will actually survive without being infected and transformed into a manimal.

Inhuman is the first book in the Fetch series and I really wonder where this story will go from here especially with the sort of cliffhanger ending that leaves you hoping that Lane makes the right choices. As I was nearing the end of the story, most, if not all of my questions were answered, and the antagonist had been defeated in a most brutal fashion. Of course, one of the characters fate is left hanging in the balance and you wonder where an obviously determined Lane is going to go from here.

Author - Kat Falls
Title - Inhuman (Fetch # 1)
Publisher - Scholastic
Released - September 24, 2013
Genre - YA, Dystopian
Recvd via Netgalley from publisher

*Review* W is for Wasted (Kinsey Millhone #23) by Sue Grafton

W is for Wasted is the 23rd novel in the Kinsey Millhone series. It has been 31 years since A is for Alibi (1982) was released by St. Martins. At the rate these books are being written and released, it will be 2019 before we finally see the end to this series. It is rumored that the series will end with the arrival of the year 1990, but we shall see.

If you haven't already read this series, let me summarize for you. The series itself takes place over the course of the 1980's. W is for Wasted actually takes place in 1988 the same year that I graduated from Ithaca College. Yes, this does, in fact, make me feel a bit old.

38 year old Kinsey Millhone is a private investigator and former police officer living in the fictional city of Santa Teresa, California (based on the city of Santa Barbara). She has been married twice, and divorced twice. She currently lives in a loft provided to her by octogenarian Henry Pitts (88). Henry has always been my favorite. He's been like a father to Kinsey and is always there with food, or a word to the wise to keep Kinsey from self exploding. Henry is now the proud owner of a Japanese cat named Ed who is just as adorable as Henry is.

If you are wondering about the romance angle of this series, Kinsey has had 3 solid possibilities including PI Robert Dietz, and Lt. Cheney Phillips but nothing has panned out to the point where Kinsey can retire from being a PI and just enjoy life. Both men make appearances and play their own parts in the story. The question remains whether or not Grafton will introduce a new character that Kinsey will eventually settle down with since she's pressing 40 years of age.

"Two dead bodies changed the course of my life that fall. One of them I knew and the other I’d never laid eyes on until I saw him in the morgue."

The dead bodies are that of PI of ill-repute Pete Wolinsky and R. Terrence Dace who was found with Kinsey's name and phone number in his pocket. Grafton tells the story from Kinsey's POV and also that of Pete's. I found myself skipping over major parts of Pete's story because I just could not find anything nice to say about him, or his exploits that end up causing his death. I would say that he actually got exactly what he deserved, but that would be a bit callous on my part.

Once again, Grafton jumps into Kinsey's assorted family ties when she is named the executor of Dace's will and finds out that she has been left a hefty amount of money and finds that she has relatives that she did not know existed. Kinsey has always thought of herself as a loaner, and an orphan ever since her parents died when she was 5, and later when her aunt who raised her passed away. It has been a major struggle for Kinsey to realize that the Millhone family is basically gone, while the Kinsey side is still around and she doesn't know how to act or what to say when they're around.

Grafton has a tendency to jump into social issues, and this time it is about the homeless population. On one side Grafton argues that something needs to be done about it, but, doesn't offer any solutions which has plagued this country for centuries. I think Kinsey feels as though someone needs to find a solution and that not all homeless people are lazy and unwilling to do anything about their current situations. Yes, there are those who refuse to clean themselves up and later dive into alcohol and drug abuse. There is no easy solution to this problem.

W is for Wasted is a story that is pretty obvious in the apparent revelation of the antagonist and how the story will end except for the fact that Kinsey has a bit of darkness in her that flares up in the end. I sincerely hope that we don't have to wait until 2015 for the next book. It has been a roller coaster ride of good books and mediocre books.

Author - Sue Grafton
Title - W is for Wasted (Kinsey Millhone # 23)
Publisher - Marian Wood/Putnam
Released - September 10, 2013
Genre - Mystery
Borrowed via Library

*Stacking the Shelves* 11/16/2013

Stacking The Shelves is a fun way to show off the books we received over the past week in the hopes that you will find something that you will be interested in reading. As always, it is in no way, shape, or form to be considered bragging or sticking out our tongues at other bloggers. 

I personally enjoy  reading comments from those that stop by and support Gizmo's Reviews and I make every effort to comment and visit back your blog in return. 

This week, I would like to thank Simon Pulse, Forever, Orbit, & DAW! 

Received via Edelweiss/Simon Pulse

Received via NetGalley/Forever

Received via NetGalley/Orbit

Received via DAW (paperback copy)

Borrowed from Library 

*Review* Curtsies & Conspiracies (Finishing School #2) by Gail Carriger

In this, the sequel to Etiquette & Espionage, our protagonist, 15 year old Sophronia Temminnick, is once again back at the center of the action. This time, it is time for her 6 month evaluation which she scores highly on and ends up distancing Sophie from her classmates. She also needs to try to find a way to save her bestie Demity Plumleigh-Teignmott and her brother Pillover from being taken as hostages by the dreaded Picklemen and vampires who are looking to control the same valve technology. How dreadfully obtuse of these dinglepops to interfere in Sophie's determination to find truth, justice, and the right to wear the correct style dress that actually doesn't make her look like a teacup!

Once again, Carriger's Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality, has ways of tossing in the strangest names imaginable, while sending readers on an action/adventure that will leave you laughing at the silliness of the things that Sophronia will go through in order to complete her first year of Spy school instead of being sent down (AKA home).

Sophie is definitely an interesting character who uses her smarts in order to find out what is really happening with her school, and her teachers especially. She just needs some help with the social interactions and trusting and asking for help from her classmates. I also love the fact that she's made friends with Vieve and Soap and the boiler room crew without feeling they are underneath her station. 

Added to the story is the return of some familiar names from Carriger's Parasol Protectorate like Genevieve LeFoux, Captain Niall, Sidheag Maccon (aka Lady Kingair), and the first appearance of Lord Akeldama and the vampire hive to the series, along with the introduction and revelation of who the school owes it's existence to, and the infamous Shadow Council that answers only to Queen Victrix.

If you were looking for a little romance along side your action/adventure, you will find that Sophie has come full circle. Not only is she friends with Soap (Phineas B. Crow) which may or may not lead to something more, but the Brunson school for boy villains comes calling on Geraldine's school and Sophie is the center of attention for one Felix Mersey. Where this all goes from here is totally hidden in the scheming mind of Gail Carriger and her editors.

If you have read the Parasol Protectorate, just think of this series as being set 25 years in the past, and the characters from the PP are all much younger and training to be ladies of a certain vocation and training. You will also enjoy the fact that most of the action takes place on a huge dirigible that floats over Dartmoor.

Waistcoats & Weaponry (Finishing School #3) releases in 2014 and I will be interesting to see what happens to Sophie and her gang next.

Published November 5th 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Author - Gail Carringer
Title - Curtsies & Conspiracies
Publisher - Little, Brown for Young Readers
Released - November 5, 2013
Genre - YA, Steampunk, Paranormal
Recvd via Library Loan

*Review* The Brokenhearted by Amelia Kahaney

After coming across The Brokenhearted via Epic Reads #TeaTime feature and requesting it via Edelweiss/Harper Collins back in April (2013), I went into the story with eyes wide open, and not reading any reviews of the book until after I was finished. The concept behind The Brokenhearted is fascinating, as well as the intent to link this story to the Dark Knight and Cress. But, the story could have used a major tweak in several key plot areas and the world building and in the end, is pretty predictable in scope and intent.

17-year old Anthem Fleet lives the life of a spoiled rich kid who has to have a bodyguard (Serge) take her to school and everywhere else. Even though she is headed towards graduating from HS as a valedictorian, she truly believes that she is the replacement child for her parents first daughter who tragically drowned leaving her mother devastated and addicted to all sorts of drugs. She's a prima ballerina who has been training all her life for a chance to make it to the big leagues as well as winning the prized slot for Giselle. Her parents are major movers and shakers in Bedlam and they offer her not only protection, but I truly believed that they loved Anthem for who she is, and not because she is the replacement daughter. 

Apparently from what I can glean from the story, there was a major uprising by the poor folk on the South side that left the city of Bedlam torn in half. There was also an person named The Hope who fought for the people against tyranny and injustice and the Syndicate before he died although the story never does get around to answering the question about how he died. The Syndicate now runs everything from prostitution, to drug trafficking, to human trafficking, to having major key players with money in key positions around the city. 

One night while out with her bestie Zahra Turk, Anthem meets a mysterious man named Gavin who she ends up with in all ways. Yes, even that way. When "kidnappers" break into Gavin's apartment, Anthem is sent running home for ransom money and ends up tragically falling to her death, only to wake up fundamentally changed with a new heart and super hero abilities and two new "friends" in Ford and Jax as well as the support and help from Serge who I really liked.

Without delving into the rest of the story and Anthem's antics as a pseudo superhero, I'll just say that the story slowly reveals the changes done to Anthem's body and mindset and her desire to bring justice to the Syndicate who have brought plenty of problems with them. She understands that even though she is an unwilling participant in what happened to her, she may be the solution and answer to people's prayers. She also has to deal with the meddling and interference of Will Hansen into her affairs. Will is an arrogant prick and I had high hopes that Kahaney was going to make him one of those who doesn't make it until the end of the story. One can still hope.

There are more than a few questions remaining after turning the last few pages of The Brokenhearted. As I don't see where it is mention that this is part of a series, or trilogy, or whatever, I will be left wondering if Kahaney plans on writing a sequel for this book or will she leave it there and let readers fumble around in the dark trying to figure out who are the keys to the Syndicate are and whether or not her family is involved, and what Anthem, Jax, Ford, and Serge intend to do about it.

Overall I give The Brokenhearted C+ for effort. 

*Recvd via Edelweiss 04/12/2013* Released: October 8th 2013 by HarperTeen

Author - Amelia Kahaney
Title - The Brokenhearted
Publisher - Harper Teen
Released October 8, 2013
Genre - YA Science Fiction
Recvd via Edelweiss from Publisher

*Cover Loves Wednesday*

Hello!

Welcome back to Cover Loves! This week I've decided to post this on Wednesday instead

of posting a Waiting on Wednesday feature. There are some really cool looking covers this week and I hope that you find something that you can enjoy! I've basically added each and every single one of these books to my TBR pile that just won't be slain. As always, the covers have been found on various authors pages, Twitter, and Goodreads.com. If anyone would like to suggest or link me to covers I've missed, please do!

A month ago, Avery thought the world ended outside Dome Four. Thought she was one of the few of her kind. Thought the war that brought the human race to the brink of extinction was over.

But a month can change everything.

Returning to the dome she longed to escape is a challenge for Avery, but now she knows there’s corruption lurking in the shadows. A massive steam shortage leaves half the dome without power, and people are falling ill. Dying.

And they’re blaming Avery.

A month can change everything. Another month could kill everyone. The clock is ticking.

Expected publication: December 2013

In this electrifying sixty-page companion novella to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, discover the fate of the Omega Point rebels as they go up against The Reestablishment. Set during and soon after the final moments of Unravel Me, Fracture Me is told from Adam's perspective.

As Omega Point prepares to launch an all-out assault on The Reestablishment soldiers stationed in Sector 45, Adam's focus couldn't be further from the upcoming battle. He's reeling from his breakup with Juliette, scared for his best friend's life, and as concerned as ever for his brother James's safety. And just as Adam begins to wonder if this life is really for him, the alarms sound. It's time for war.

On the battlefield, it seems like the odds are in their favor—but taking down Warner, Adam's newly discovered half brother, won't be that easy. The Reestablishment can't tolerate a rebellion, and they'll do anything to crush the resistance . . . including killing everyone Adam has ever cared about.

Fracture Me sets the stage for Ignite Me, the explosive finale in Tahereh Mafi's epic dystopian series. It's a novella not to be missed by fans who crave action-packed stories with tantalizing romance like Divergent by Veronica Roth, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Legend by Marie Lu.

ebook, 68 pages

Expected publication: December 17th 2013 by HarperCollins

Edinburgh, Scotland, 1844

Beautiful Aileana Kameron only looks the part of an aristocratic young lady. In fact, she's spent the year since her mother died developing her ability to sense the presence of Sithichean, a faery race bent on slaughtering humans. She has a secret mission: to destroy the faery who murdered her mother. 

But when she learns she's a Falconer, the last in a line of female warriors and the sole hope of preventing a powerful faery population from massacring all of humanity, her quest for revenge gets a whole lot more complicated. 

The first volume of a trilogy from an exciting new voice in young adult fantasy, this electrifying thriller blends romance and action with steampunk technology and Scottish lore in a deliciously addictive read.

"Elizabeth May’s debut is a wicked cocktail of Jane Austen’s high society and the Grimm’s fairy tales. Absolutely wonderful: a Must Read Now novel" (SCI FI NOW)

"Simply put, my favorite YA paranormal this year. A must read!" (#1 NYTimes Bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout)

"A riveting world, a fierce heroine, and electrifying action–I burned through this sparkling debut!" (NYTimes Bestselling author Sarah J. Maas)

Hardcover, US, 336 pages

Expected publication: May 6th 2014 by Chronicle Books 

In 1920s San Francisco, a dashing archaeologist partners with an icy museum curator on an urban treasure hunt to find pieces of an Egyptian amulet said to open a door to the underworld.

Mass Market Paperback

Expected publication: June 3rd 2014 by Berkley Sensation

Even though her father is running for President of the United States, Grace St. Claire is as normal a girl as they come. She’s clumsy, shy, and an outcast among her peers. She even manages to nearly die in a freak accident in front of the entire school. But when Grace survives a vampire attack she quickly learns that she is anything but ordinary. 

There’s something about human Grace that has all the supernaturals around her going crazy. Her best friend’s brother suddenly wants to date her. Her worst enemy has sworn to protect her even against her wishes. Someone with very powerful magic wants her dead, and the vampire that attacked her has developed an obsession with making her his eternal mate. 

In order to survive—and not as Count Dracula’s undead bride—Grace dives head first into the terrifying world of the supernatural. She teams up with a charming but mysterious warlock who strolled into town causing trouble and spouting stories of a Prophesy and Chosen One that looks exactly like Grace. Together they must figure out why Grace is different, who wants her dead, how she’s connected to the Chosen One, and who they can really trust.

ebook

Expected publication: March 2014 by Bluefields

The breathtaking conclusion to the time-travel trilogy that is “both tender and electric” (Publishers Weekly)

The battle between the Tempest division and Eyewall comes to a shocking conclusion in this final installment of the Tempest trilogy, where the need for survival stretches the boundaries of history, both past and future, and the world Jackson once knew is a place forever marked by the detrimental effects of time travel.

As Jackson recovers from his brush with death, he’s surrounded not only by the people he loves most—his dad, Courtney, and Holly—he’s also amongst a few of the original time travelers. As he learns more about their life and how this world began, it becomes apparent that they need to put a stop to Thomas and Doctor Ludwig’s experimenting at Eyewall Headquarters. What starts out as an escape plan becomes a war between time and humanity, between freewill and peace. It’s the battle Jackson was born to fight and he’s not about to back down. Not for anything. Not for anyone.

Hardcover, 368 pages

Expected publication: January 28th 2014 by St. Martin's Griffin

Love in the time of superheroes...

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” -Confucius 

The year since Galilee Falls lost its reigning superhero Justice has not been kind to Joanna Fallon. She's lost her best friend, her boyfriend, her badge, even her mind. The city of Galilee Falls hasn't fared much better with supervillain related crime skyrocketing to cataclysmic proportions. Deliverance for the city arrives in the guise of The Royal Triumvirate--King Tempest, Lady Liberty, and Lord Nightingale--who vow to be the heroes the city needs. Salvation for Joanna appears in the brilliant form of Dr. Jem Ambrose, another lost soul in need of saving. But salvation comes with a high price. When Emperor Cain, an old nemesis of The Triumvirate, decides he will stop at nothing to make sure there is no city left to defend, it is up to Joanna to rise not only for her city, for her new love, but for herself as well…

ebook

Expected publication: December 10th 2013

The end of everything came quickly, but the road back is endless and full of heartbreak.

After months of only death and loss, Veritas may be the answer everyone has been searching for—a cure. Savannah wants nothing more than to begin rebuilding, but with both the Initiative and the United Militia vying for power, there are no easy answers. Ending the threat for good could mean becoming something far worse than the monsters she is fighting against.

The infected will not go quietly. For Chelsea, the choice to step back into the world of the living is anything but simple. No miracle can erase the memories of the things she saw or the people she killed. While the girl she was struggles against the beast she became, Chelsea must make a choice—succumb or fight.

Paperback

Expected publication: December 31st 2013 by Patchwork Press 

An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young's Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.

Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision. The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is-although he doesn't know it-one of the MC's programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family? Action-packed, blood-soaked, and chilling, this is a dark and compelling debut novel by Lindsay Cummings.(less)

Hardcover, 400 pages

Expected publication: June 10th 2014 by Greenwillow / HarperCollins

*Review* Darkness Splintered (Dark Angels, #6) by Keri Arthur

*My Thoughts/Comments*

So, we are now six books into the Dark Angels series and yet no closer to solving a damn thing when it comes to the keys and the gates and who the actual villains really are. In fact, we are probably closer to having things blow up in Risa and Azriel's face completely. I continue to hope that instead of two steps backward, we get to the point where Risa and Azriel have finally figured out all the stupid, idiotic mistakes they've made along the way including Risa's brief blow-up with Azriel. I keep hoping that the Tao question is answered since it is obviously a lot more intense and has been shoved to the background. 

I keep hoping that Arthur gives Ilianna a break and let's her be with who she wants to be Miri, instead of who she is supposed to be with according to her parents. I keep hoping that Hunter gets thrown into a situation where someone snaps her neck or shanks her. I've had 6 books to get used to the fact that NOTHING will happen until the very last book of the series which is called Darkness Falls. I know this because Arthur did the EXACT same thing with the Riley Jenson series. I keep hoping that Arthur actually allows Rhoan, and Riley, and Quinn to play a part in ending Hunter instead of continually putting them in a situation where they are totally out of the loop and continually threatened with death.

I am glad that over the past 2 books certain characters who shall not be named have found themselves being torn asunder by Risa. It's probably the best thing that's happened to this series knowing that these two monsters who have brought nothing but bad news to Risa and gang, is no longer a part of this series. I sincerely hope the Raziq are the next foes to be defeated by Risa and Azriel. I hope that Azriel finds a way to give Risa her life back that he's pretty much taken away from her by saving her life. I also hope that Arthur doesn't fast forward 10 years into the future and we find that certain characters have lost their minds, and memories and therefore they are not still together.

If you are wondering, yes, there are a bunch of chase scenes. Yes, there are a bunch of brutal encounters with the Raziq, and things that go bump in the night. There is even the fact that apparently the witches have come over to Risa's side and have joined her in trying to find the sorceresses so Risa and Azriel can stop them. 

*Recvd via Netgalley 10/29/2013* Expected publication: November 5th 2013 by Signet

Author - Keri Arthur
Title - Darkness Splintered (Dark Angels # 6)
Publisher - Signet/Penguin Group
Released - November 5, 2013
Genre - Paranormal Romance
Received via Netgalley from publisher