Review: Department 19 - Will Hill

Department 6 is the army.
Department 13 is MI5.
Department 19 is the reason you're alive.

When Jamie Carpenter's mother is kidnapped by strange creatures, he finds himself dragged into Department 19, the government's most secret agency.

Fortunately for Jamie, Department 19 can provide the tools he needs to find his mother, and to kill the vampires who want him dead. But unfortunately for everyone, something much older is stirring, something even Department 19 can't stand up against...

Department 19 Series:
Department 19
The Rising
Battle Lines
Zero Hour

Visit the Department 19 website for more information

Review:
Jamie's life was turned upside down when his father was killed 2 years ago. Suspicion over the circumstances of his death is pulling Jamie and his mother apart but things take a turn for the worse when his mother is kidnapped. Jamie only survives an attack himself because he is rescued by a mysterious stranger, a stranger who takes him straight into the heart of a secret government agency. It turns out that Bram Stoker's Dracula was not a work of fiction it was a true story, a story that prompted the creation of Department 19 - a secret agency that has protected UK citizens from supernatural creatures for over 100 years. Jamie's ancestors, including his father, have been working for Department 19 since it's creation and now Jamie has to decide if he's prepared to join the fight.

There has been a lot of buzz surrounding Department 19 which left me feeling a little nervous when I first picked it up. I've read a number of books that have obviously had huge marketing budgets only to find I was disappointed by the story but that was definitely not the case with Will Hill's debut novel. In fact I can happily say that this is one of the best debuts I have ever read and I'm sure it is going to be a huge success. The story is an action packed thrill ride that will leave you breathless with anticipation for the next novel.

Jamie is an incredibly realistic character and one that it is easy to route for. He is thrown into the middle of a nightmare world and needs a lot of courage to face up to what is happening around him. I love the fact that he isn't perfect, he makes mistakes and we even get to see a bit of his moody teenage side coming through but that just makes him easier to relate to. We are introduced to Department 19 through Jamie's eyes as he slowly discovers more about the organisation's origins and how it developed into the high tech arm of the military that it is now. Trust me they have some very cool gadgets and weapons that would make anyone want to sign up just to play with them! For Jamie though the most important thing is finding a way to use these weapons to try and rescue his mother, if he can only work out where she actually is.

The vampires in the story are definitely the more traditional blood thirsty villains that we haven't been seeing as much of in fiction recently. They are often cold hearted killers who will strike with absolutely no remorse and kill their victims in various horrific manners. Department 19 doesn't shy away from the gruesome details and the fights are stunningly detailed and graphic.

One of my favorite things was the use of flashbacks to show exactly how and why Department 19 was created. Sometimes I can find that flashbacks distract from the main story but in this case Will Hill manages to build the suspense in both story lines simultaneously so you can't wait to go back for more. I already mentioned that the story is action packed and I wasn't exaggerating - there are edge of your seat moments that will keep your eyes glued to the pages. This is one of those books that I stayed up until gone 4am just to finish reading because I had to know how it would end. Although this is the first book in a series I was pleased that some of the main plot lines are resolved by the end but don't worry you are left with plenty of questions that will have you itching to read the sequel (as soon as I get my hands on a copy it will be jumping to the top of my to read pile!)

Department 19 is sure to be a massive hit with teenage boys but will have just as much appeal for female horror fans. The story is one that can and will be enjoyed by both teens and adults and I would highly recommend it to anyone. If you're only going to read one YA thriller / horror this year make it this one.

Source: Received from Waterstones / HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:
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Authors for Japan

The wonderful Keris Stainton has been working really hard to organise an auction to raise much needed funds to help those affected by the earthquake in Japan.  Thanks to the generosity of some fantastic authors and people in the publishing industry you can now bid on over 80 different items - everything from signed books and swag, getting to name a character, a new website design, or for all those budding authors out there manuscript assessment, submission critiques or even author mentoring. 

There really is something for everyone so please check out the Authors for Japan website and bid as much as you can - every penny raised is badly needed to help people who are desperately in need.  I believe most (if not all) of the auctions are international but payments will need to be in pounds sterling directly to the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal.  Even if you don't win one of the auctions you can still help by making a donation.

So what are you waiting for?  Bidding has just opened and will close on Sunday the 20th March at 8pm (GMT).  Click on the picture below to start bidding!

Guest Review: The Darkest Room - Johan Theorin

It is a bitter mid-winter when Katrin and Joakim Westin move with their children to an old manor house on the Swedish island of Orland. But their new home is no remote idyll. Just days later, a member of Joakim's family is found drowned off the rocks nearby.

While Joakim struggles to keep his sanity, Tilda Davidson - a young policewoman fresh out of college - becomes convinced that there's a killer on the Island.

Then on Christmas Eve a blizzard strikes.

Isolated by the snow, Joakim is unaware that visitors - as unwelcome as they are terrifying - are making their way towards him.

For this is the darkest night of the year, the night when the living meet the dead.

Visit Johan Theorin's website for more information

I received this book for review but as it's not in a genre I've been reading much of recently I haven't read it yet.  My Dad borrowed the book and I managed to convince him to write his first ever review for me to use on my blog.  Thanks Dad!

Guest Review:
I liked this book and would give it 4 stars.  Personally I think the blurb on the cover is an exaggeration and does not do the story justice.  It is not a frightening horror/crime story.  It is an eerie believable ghost story about a house that was built from wood salvaged from a vessel wrecked off of the Island in 1846.  However this is no Hollywood type of sinister monster house.

It is the story of how Joakim and his children cope with the death of his sister and wife.  Intertwined with details of the tragic deaths of men, women and children associated with the house.  The house is like a church with a graveyard without the corpses and you can imagine the ghosts meeting each year on Christmas Eve in silent remembrance.

It is also a story about this Island and the terrifying Blizzards that occur.  Snow mixed with sand driven by the wind from the Baltic, so harsh that it can damage the eyes.

I also liked the imagery -
"waves like slow breathes in the darkness" - describing the sea
"pale half moon behind a film of cloud as fine as silk

Source: Received from Transworld Publishers in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
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Review: Eighth Grade Bites - Heather Brewer

Vladimir Tod has a secret.

His mother was human, but is father was a vampire . . .

With no idea of the extent of his prowess and no one to teach him, thirteen-year-old Vlad struggles daily with his blood cravings and enlarged fangs.  And when a strange substitute teacher begins to question him a little too closely, Vlad worries that his cover is about to be blown.

But then he realises he has a much bigger problem.  He's being hunted by a vampire killer who is closing in . . . fast!






The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod Series:
Eighth Grade Bites
Ninth Grade Slays
Tenth Grade Bleeds
Eleventh Grade Burns
Twelfth Grade Kills

Visit Heather Brewer's website or the Vlad Tod website for more information

Review:
Vlad Tod is like any other 13 year old boy - he has to try and avoid trouble from the school bullies, he's got a crush on a girl who seems to fancy his best friend and he has to try and keep his need to drink blood a secret.  Yes, Vlad is a vampire!  The only 2 people who are supposed to know his secret is his guardian Nelly and his best friend Henry but when his teacher goes missing the new substitute seems to be asking a few too many questions.  Who is the new teacher and what does he want with Vlad?

I've seen a lot of reviews for Eighth Grade Bites on US blogs so I was looking forward to reading it now it has finally been released in the UK.  It made a great change to read a story written from a male perspective and I think that is one of the things that drew me to the story most, that and the fact that I'm a bit of a vampire addict!  What I liked most were the relationships Vlad has with his guardian Nelly and his best friend Henry.  Nelly may not be a blood relation but she has looked after Vlad since his parents were killed 3 years ago and she goes to great lengths to help him keep his secret.  It is obvious that they both care for each other and it is nice to read a book where the main character actually likes and respects his surrogate mother. 

Vlad and Henry are opposites in a lot of ways with Henry being one of the popular students who all the girls want to date and Vlad being more of a social outcast.  They have been friends for a long time though and it was nice to see that Henry was not afraid to be seen with Vlad and would stick up for his friend.  I've read too many books where the best friend is someone you wouldn't want as a worst enemy so this made a refreshing change.

I did find that the plot was fairly straight forward and predictable but it's a quick and humorous read and one I'd particularly recommend for younger teens of both genders.  I'm curious to see how things develop throughout the series so will definitely be picking up the second book Ninth Grade Slays to see how I get on with it.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

NEW Winners: Long Reach by Peter Cocks

Yet another giveaway where the prizes weren't claimed by the winners!  So with the help of random.org I can confirm that the 2 NEW winners of a limited edition copy of Long Reach by Peter Cocks are:

Rhys Jones (email address starting rhys@...)

&

Vivienne Dacosta (email address starting vivienne_dacosta@...)

Congratulations to you both!  If you can email me at sarahsreviews at ymail dot com with your full address I will get your books posted to you.  Your address will be forwarded to Walker and they will be sending your prizes so by giving me your address you are agreeing for me to pass it on to them.  If I don't hear from you within 48 hours then a different winner will be chosen.  I'd like to say a massive thank you to Walker for allowing me to host this giveaway for them.

Review: Darkfever - Karen Marie Moning

My name is MacKayla, Mac for short. I'm a sidhe-seer, one who sees the Fae, a fact I accepted only recently and very reluctantly.

My philosophy is pretty simple - any day nobody's trying to kill me is a good day in my book. I haven't had many good days lately. Not since the walls between Man and Fae came down. But then, there's not a sidhe-seer alive who's had a good day since then.

When MacKayla's sister was murdered, she left a single clue to her death - a cryptic message on Mac's cell phone. Journeying to Ireland in search of answers, Mac is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to master a power she had no idea she possessed - a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae...

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister's death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho...while at the same time, the ruthless V'lane - an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women - closes in on her. As the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac's true mission becomes clear: to find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book - because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of both worlds in their hands....

Fever Series:
Darkfever
Bloodfever
Faefever
Dreamfever
Shadowfever
Fever Moon: The Fear Dorcha (Graphic Novel)
Iced
Burned
Feverborn

Visit Karen Marie Moning's website for more information

Review:
MacKayla is happy with small town life, she doesn't have much ambition and enjoys working evenings in a bar so she can spend her days topping up her tan. She is definitely a girly girl who likes pretty clothes and make up and the only reason she is even attending college part time is to keep her parents happy. It seems like Alina is the only sister with any get up and go in their family. That is until Alina is brutally murdered while studying abroad in Ireland. The police have no clues to go on and have closed the murder investigation which incenses Mac. While her parents fall appart with grief Mac is determined to get justice for her sister and track down the killer. With the only clue a mysterious answer phone message that Alina left before she died Mac uses all her savings to get to Ireland with the sole aim of forcing the police to reopen the investigation. However, after arriving in Ireland she finds herself thrown in at the deep end, into a world full of terrifying Fae creatures that only she seems to be able to see. Has she been driven mad by grief or are these monsters really walking amongst us? She is going to need the help of her new acquaintance Barrons if she wants to survive amongst the Fae but can she really trust him when she knows he is keeping secrets from her?

I have heard so many good things about the Fever series that I've been wanting to start reading it for a while now but after hearing about the killer cliffhangers (particularly in the later books) I decided to wait until the entire series was available. I have to confess I'm glad I waited because before I'd even finished reading Darkfever I had placed an order for all of the other books and I'm looking forward to getting stuck into them. This was a great start to an urban fantasy series, I loved the world building and am looking forward to spending more time with the characters.

At first I wasn't at all sure I was going to like Mac - she seemed far too Barbie like for me, completely obsessed with her looks - but once the going gets tough you really start to see a change in her. Yes she still loves pink and likes to have her nails done but underneath that there is a steely determination to find out what happened to her sister, and to make the killer pay. I still think Mac has a lot of growing to do but I was left wanting to see her take that journey.

While there is no romance in the first book in Darkfever (I'm hoping there will be more in the rest of the series!) there is definitely some serious chemistry between Mac and Barrons. Watching the banter between them gives you a feel for the love/hate relationship they have started to develop and it should be fun to see which side the coin eventually falls on. I would have liked to find out a bit more about Barrons but in a way I think the mystery is one of the main things that draws me to him, I just HAVE to get to know him & I know he's got some good stories to tell! Another character I want to see more of is V'lane who Mac dubbed a death-by-sex-Fae. Admittedly he didn't do anything in this book to make me like him (in fact it was quite the opposite) but I can't help thinking there is more to him than meets the eye. I'm curious to find out if he is actually a friend or an enemy!

This is the first book I've read my Karen Marie Moning but it won't be the last, her writing style is gripping and makes it very hard for you to put the book down once you've started. I enjoyed the mythology and want to find out more about the Fae and Mac's abilities. This was a good start to the series and I would definitely recommend it to urban fantasy fans.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
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New Winners: 1st Blogoversary Giveaways

After announcing the winners of my blogoversary giveaway last week I was surprised that I haven't heard back from everyone to claim their prizes!  The winners of Entangled by Cat Clarke, A Summer Fling by Milly Johnson, Shiver and Linger by Maggie Stiefvater and Random by Craig Robertson have all claimed their prizes but I've had to pick new winners for the other signed books.

With the help of random.org I can now announce the NEW winners of my 1st blogoversary giveaways!  Congratulations to all of the new winners!

Giveaway 1 - Fallen & Torment by Lauren Kate:

I had left it up to you to decide if there would be 1 winner receiving both books or 2 winners receiving 1 book each.  I took the following screen shot of the poll results after the giveaway closed and as you can see the result was 1 winner

So I can confirm that the winner who will receive signed ARC copies of both Fallen and Torment by Lauren Kate is:

Raimy (email address starting raimyrawr@...)

Giveaway 4 - Girl Missing by Sophie McKenzie:

Winning a signed copy of A Girl Missing by Sophie McKenzie is:

Kristina Ebert (email address starting ebertkristina@)

Giveaway 5 - Hellhole:

This giveaway was UK only unless international entrants were prepared to pay postage costs because of the weight of these books.  If you are an international winner of one of these books I will let you know how much postage will cost when I know your address, I will pay the postage cost if you are a UK winner. (The winner of Random has already claimed their prize)

Winning a large paperback of Hellhole by Brian Herbert & Kevin J Anderson (signed by Kevin J Anderson) is:

Kulsuma (email address starting k_anon@)

Congratulations to you all!  If you can email me at sarahsreviews at ymail dot com with your full address I will get your books posted to you.  If I don't hear from you within 48 hours then new winners will be chosen so please don't miss out on your prizes like the original winners did!