Feeling Fictional

Monday, 9 January 2017

Books Read in 2016

Sunday, 8 January 2017

Review: The Brimstone Deception - Lisa Shearin

The agents of Supernatural Protection & Investigations (SPI) know that fighting evil is a full-time job, especially when a new designer drug - with mind-blowing side effects - hits the streets . . .

It's called Brimstone. After the first few hits, you'll see every supernatural beast sharing the sidewalk, train, or office with you. After that, you'll start seeing the really scary stuff.

I'm Makenna Fraser, seer for the SPI. And the collateral damage caused by Brimstone is something I'd like to unsee: dead drug dealers missing their hearts - and souls. Because your local pusher doesn't stand a chance against the new cartel muscling its way into New York. Plus, since the drug can only be produced with magic and molten brimstone fresh from Hell, a rift to the underworld must be open somewhere in the city.

And when - not if - the cartel loses control of it, well . . .

It's going to be Hell on Earth.

SPI Files:
Lucky Charms (Novella included in the Night Shift anthology)
The Grendel Affair
The Dragon Conspiracy
The Brimstone Deception
The Ghoul Vendetta

Visit Lisa Shearin's website for more information

Review:
There's a new designer drug in town and it has some unfortunate side effects including allowing humans to see through supernatural glamours and realise that there are monsters living among us. As if that wasn't bad enough the drug's main ingredient is brimstone, imported freshly from Hell itself and that means that somewhere hidden in New York is an open portal which could have disastrous consequences if it's not closed before demons start using it as a one way ticket to paradise. SPI Agents Mac and Ian have been tasked with finding out who is behind the drug's creation and also a string of grisly murders amongst the local drug dealers but most importantly they need to find that portal and figure out how to close it before the world is change forever.

This series is going from strength to strength and I really enjoy diving back into this world to spend time with these characters. I love the partnership that is developing between Mac and Ian now that she's starting to find her feet as a Seer. She's still got a lot to learn but it's clear that there is mutual respect between them now and I love the banter between them and their regular driver, werewolf Yasha. I will say that I'm still a bit disappointed that Lisa Shearin seems to have given up on the idea of a romance between Mac and Ian though, they had such brilliant chemistry in the beginning and although I love them as friends I'm still hoping they'll end up being more. I just don't feel the connection between Mac and Rake yet and I'm even less convinced by the Ian and Kylie pairing. Both relationships feel false and they definitely don't have anywhere near the chemistry that Mac and Ian used to. Having said that Rake is growing on me so I'm glad he's still hanging around and perhaps the author will convince me he's a worthy romantic lead eventually.

This series is full of humour so there is lots of witty banter and I enjoy Mac's way of snarking when she's stressed. There is a great cast of side characters too with more being added in every instalment. The Brimstone Deception is full of action and Mac's abilities seem to be heading in an interesting direction, the same goes for the bad guy they're hunting and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens on both counts in future instalments. If you're looking for a lighter funny urban fantasy series you can't go far wrong with this one.

Source: Received from Ace in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
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Review: The Joy of iPhotography - Jack Hollingsworth

In this beautiful, exciting, and messy life, things can become complicated.

Your photography doesn't have to be.

You can capture all those moments of significance and beauty, easily share what you shoot, and have a blast doing it!

The author's contagious joie de vivre and his passion for photography are sure to get you fired up, and his easy-breezy know-how will have you making stellar photos with your iPhone (or equivalent) in no time.

Jack Hollingsworth is a respected professional photographer who has travelled the world taking pictures for high-end clients. It was the job he always wanted, and he had it.

One day, he put down his big, heavy SLR, picked up an iPhone, started shooting, and you know what? He rediscovered his love for photography and found he could take great pictures while enjoying the freedom only a compact, connected, and fun camera can offer. He's not looked back.

Hollingsworth is known to his many thousands of followers as @photojack

Visit the Jack Hollingsworth's website for more information

Review:
I'm a bit torn when it comes to reviewing this book. On one hand the author is very enthusiastic about photography in general and iPhone photography in particular and he's very keen on encouraging everyone to get out there and have fun taking pictures but on the other hand it doesn't include much in the way of helpful advice for how to go about getting great results. There are lots of stunning pictures included but Jack Hollingsworth is a professional photographer with years of experience under his belt so it's very unlikely the average layman would get anywhere near the same results without years of practise.

I wouldn't be surprised if this book was actually sponsored by Apple because it's so overtly in your face that iPhones are the best thing since sliced bread and everyone should own one. What I REALLY wish is that the author had included tips on how the various camera settings work beyond not-so-helpfully telling you to "Invest a weekend of learning the technical aspects of the iPhone camera" without giving any clue where to find this information. Likewise there are many apps mentioned but hardly any detail given about what each app can be used for or how you'd choose which ones might be the best for the effects you're looking to achieve. You could spend a fortune buying all these apps (& extra equipment recommended like a tripod, additional lenses, bluetooth camera flashes etc) but if you don't know when or how best to use them it's just wasted money. Of course you can learn a lot by trial and error but you don't spend nearly £10 on a book just to be told the first 10,000 pictures you take will probably be rubbish but keep trying and you'll get good results eventually.

There are some interesting facts and figures included and flicking through to look at the photos included might give you some ideas regarding composition for taking your own images but don't expect much in the way of practical advice on how to actually take great photos with your iPhone or any other camera.

Source: Received from Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
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Saturday, 7 January 2017

Review: Night Shift: An Insight into Depression That Words Often Struggle to Reach - Debi Gliori

'Debi Gliori is amazing. Her pictures offer people an insight into depression that words often struggle to reach. She makes visible the invisible. And I for one want to thank her for that.'
- Matt Haig, bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive

A groundbreaking picture book on depression with stunning illustrations.

With stunning black and white illustration and deceptively simple text, author and illustrator Debi Gliori examines how depression affects one's whole outlook upon life, and shows that there can be an escape - it may not be easy to find, but it is there. Drawn from Debi's own experiences and with a moving testimony at the end of the book explaining how depression has affected her and how she continues to cope, Debi hopes that by sharing her own experience she can help others who suffer from depression, and to find that subtle shift that will show the way out.

'I have used dragons to represent depression. This is partly because of their legendary ability to turn a once fertile realm into a blackened, smoking ruin and partly because popular mythology shows them as monstrous opponents with a tendency to pick fights with smaller creatures. I'm not particularly brave or resourceful, and after so many years battling my beasts, I have to admit to a certain weariness, but I will arm-wrestle dragons for eternity if it means that I can help anyone going through a similar struggle.'

Visit Debi Gliori's blog for more information

Review:
If you have ever suffered with depression then you'll already know exactly how hard it can be to put your feelings into words to try and explain to other people what you're going through. It's something I still find really hard to discuss even with family members and close friends who see me living through it day by day.

In Night Shift Debi Gliori has used her own personal experience with depression to create moving pieces of art that really capture how depression can feel, the way it isolates you from the world and makes even simple everyday tasks seem impossible. But, more importantly, she also shows that the feelings don't last forever and that you can come out on the other side.

Of course everyone's journey is different but this book spoke to me on so many levels and I think it's perfect for anyone who is or has suffered from depression but also for people who know someone who is struggling. It might just give you an idea what it's like to be inside a depressed person's head for a little while. Picking this up reminded me of how I felt when I first read I Had a Black Dog by Matthew Johnstone, that I wasn't suffering alone and that finally there was something I could show other people to make them understand how I felt, so I'd like to thank Debi Gliori for sharing her experiences.

Source: Received from Hot Key Books in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
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Hardback:

Review: Day Zero - Kresley Cole

Arcana means secrets, and these Arcana Chronicles short stories from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole are filled with them. Experience firsthand the beginning of the end and behold the apocalypse through the eyes of characters you only thought you knew.

Ashes to Ashes . . .
Evie Greene's story of the Flash is just one of many. All over the world, those connected in some way to the lethal Arcana game - like Death, Jack, and Fortune - must first survive a horrifying night of blood and screams.

We all fall down.
Some will have to grapple with new powers; all will be damned to a hellish new existence of plague, brutality, desolation, and cannibalism. Find out who they lost, why they endure, and what they sacrificed in order to live past Day Zero . . .

The Arcana Chronicles:
Poison Princess
Endless Knight
Dead of Winter
Day Zero (Novella)
Arcana Rising
The Dark Calling (2017)

Visit Kresley Cole's website or The Arcana Chronicles website for more information

Review:
If you're a fan of Kresley Cole's Arcana Chronicles then Day Zero is a must read companion. It does contain spoilers for the first three books so I wouldn't recommend picking it up until you've read Dead of Winter but it contains lots of fun information about the major Arcana players in the series and definitely got me excited about reading the next book.

Have you ever wanted to know where each of the main characters were when the Flash occurred on Day Zero? We saw Evie's story first hand and have heard bits and pieces about what happened to the others throughout the series but this book gives us a chance to see exactly what happened. It also includes profiles on the various Arcana with information about their powers, special skills, weapons and a whole lot more. Some of the information is still blank because it hasn't been uncovered and Matthew (aka The Fool) has redacted things he's not ready to share yet but it was really nice to have everything all in one place to remind me of the details.

You'll be very happy to hear that Jack's Flash story is also included even though he's not one of the Arcana players. I still suspect that he's the inactive card but Kresley Cole states at the beginning of the book that she'll neither confirm or deny if that's the case. Either way I absolutely love Jack's character so I'm glad we got to hear from both him and Death in this book and I'm definitely ready to continue the series and find out what happens next in Arcana Rising.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
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Friday, 6 January 2017

Review: Wild Embrace - Nalini Singh

The “alpha author of paranormal romance”* presents a stunningly sensual collection of four all-new Psy-Changeling novellas, in which taboos are broken, boundaries are crossed, and instincts prove irresistible...

Echo of Silence
In a deep-sea station, Tazia Nerif has found her life’s work as an engineer, keeping things running smoothly. But she wants nothing more than to break down the barrier of silence between her and her telekinetic Psy station commander...

Dorian
A changeling who can never shift lives a life of quiet frustration—until he learns how to let his leopard come out and play...

Partners in Persuasion
Still raw from being burned by a dominant female, wolf changeling Felix will never again risk being a plaything. But for dominant leopard Dezi, he’s the most fascinating man she’s ever met. She just has to convince this gun-shy wolf that he can trust the dangerous cat who wants to take a slow, sexy bite out of him…

Flirtation of Fate
Seven years ago, Kenji broke Garnet’s heart. Now the wolf packmates have to investigate the shocking murder of one of their own. And the more Kenji sees of the woman Garnet has become, the deeper he begins to fall once more. But even his primal instincts are no match for the dark secret he carries...

*Booklist, starred review

Psy-Changeling Series:
(Season One in the Psy-Changeling World)
Beat of Temptation (Novella included in Wild Invitation and the An Enchanted Season anthology)
Whisper of Sin (Novella included in the Burning Up anthology or as a separate ebook)
Slave to Sensation
Visions of Heat
Echo of Silence (Novella included in the Wild Embrace anthology)
Caressed by Ice
Stroke of Enticement (Novella included in Wild Invitation and The Magical Christmas Cat anthology)
Mine to Possess
Hostage to Pleasure
Dorian (Novella included in the Wild Embrace anthology)
Branded by Fire
Blaze of Memory
Bonds of Justice
Play of Passion
Declaration of Courtship (Novella included in Wild Invitation)
Kiss of Snow
Texture of Intimacy (Novella included in Wild Invitation)
Tangle of Need
Partners in Persuasion (Novella included in the Wild Embrace anthology)
Heart of Obsidian
Flirtation of Fate (Novella included in the Wild Embrace anthology)
Secrets at Midnight (Novella included in the Night Shift anthology)
Shield of Winter
Shards of Hope
Allegiance of Honour

Psy-Changeling Trinity Series:
(Season two in the Psy-Changeling World)
Silver Silence
Ocean Light
Wolf Rain

Visit Nalini Singh's website for more information

Review:
I love the way Nalini Singh gives fans a chance to see the romances that don't get to play out in the full length novels. The Psy-Changeling world is such a huge one that it would be impossible for everyone to get their own book so these additional novellas are a great way to revisit old favourites or just add extra depth and background. She is one of the few authors who never fails to make me connect with her characters, whether she's writing short stories, novellas or full length books she never lets me down and I always know I'm in for a treat when I pick up something with her name on it.

Wild Embrace contains four brand new novellas that have never been published anywhere else. These stories are set at different points throughout the Psy-Changeling series (I'll point out where they fit in as I talk about each individual novella) and although they aren't essential reading because you won't miss any major plot points if you skip them I'd still highly recommend picking up this anthology because they're all great.

Echo of Silence:
This novella is set just after Visions of Heat and gives us the chance to spend time on the deep-sea station Alaris with human engineer Tazia and telekinetic Psy Stefan. I can't be the only fan who has been desperate to get to know the Stefan, I mean he was the one who wrote the Psy guide to sex that all the other Psy guys have been adding to throughout the series, so of course I wanted to know more about him! Although it isn't a secret that Stefan's Silence is defective he still has to be incredibly careful not to show his emotions in case he ends up getting his mind wiped by the Psy Council. The only reason he's been left alone this long is because he has such a rare and useful ability but that won't save him if they find out just how "broken" he is. Just because he's good at hiding his emotions doesn't stop him feeling them though and I absolutely loved the slow build relationship that develops between him and Tazia.

Tazia was a great character and I loved seeing how strong she was to fight against her culture to follow her dreams of becoming an engineer. It wasn't easy for her to go against her family's wishes and it was for her to be estranged from the people she loved but it was nice to see how Stefan was so caring towards her when she needed him to be. They're also facing a bigger struggle than most of the other couples in the series because Stefan has to work so hard to hide their relationship on the Psy-net. They are taking a huge risk to be together but it more than pays off for them in the long run.

Dorian:
I loved Dorian's story, it's the shortest one in the anthology and unlike the others it's not a romance but it was great to get further insight into his character's background. This story takes place over a number of years and finishes just after events in Visions of Heat. As a leopard Changeling without the ability to actually change shape Dorian has never had it easy and this story is all about him learning to come to terms with his situation.

Dorian had to learn to find other ways to communicate with his other side and he had to learn other ways to play and work alongside the rest of his pack. It was obvious in his book (Hostage to Pleasure) that he was well respected by Lucas and his packmates but this is more about him dealing with his personal demons. This story does contain a few spoilers for his storyline so if you've not read his book yet I'd recommend holding off on this one. Having said that if you already know what happens to him later on you're going to absolutely love the last scene in this story. It totally melted my heart and I love Dorian more than ever now.

Partners in Persuasion:
This novella begins towards the end of Tangle of Need and features submissive wolf Felix and dominant leopard Dezi. Felix has been hurt before by a dominant wolf so he's afraid of getting burnt a second time but Dezi knows what she wants and she has the patience to win Felix around. It's not always easy to sell me on a dominant female / submissive male pairing, too often dominant is actually code for "arrogant and bitchy" when it comes to women while submissive men are just too easy for them to walk all over and that never sits well with me. I trust Nalini though and she didn't steer me wrong here.

Dezi is strong and she's definitely the dominant partner in this pairing but she's not pushy or arrogant and she's very careful not to push Felix beyond his boundaries. Felix may be submissive but that doesn't make him weak and he's willing to stand his ground when he needs to so I have no fears that Dezi could take advantage of him. I think they're actually both incredibly strong characters and I enjoyed seeing them work around the challenges that come as part of being not just a dominant/submissive pairing but also from being from both SnowDancer and DarkRiver packs. I love the way the two packs are becoming more and more entwined as the series progresses!

Flirtation of Fate:
I think a lot of fans have been waiting for Kenji and Garnet's story for a long time now, Flirtation of Fate takes place towards the end of Heart of Obsidian and gives Kenji a second chance to make things right with Garnet after he rejected her previously. I've loved the banter between these two for a long time now and I've been wondering if they were ever going to act on it but I didn't realise quite how much Kenji had hurt Garnet by walking away from her before. I was irritated with him when I found out his reasons, I thought their age was a pretty poor excuse for leaving when he knew exactly what she was to him but he's so lovable that I ended up forgiving him just like Garnet did.

This story takes place away from the SnowDancer den at the territory Kenji look after and there is a bit of mystery going on in the background after one of their packmates is murdered. I have to admit I'd figured out the killer fairly early on but that didn't stop me enjoying seeing Kenji and Garnet working together to try and put it all together. I would have loved this story to be a bit longer so we could have spent more time with them as a couple but I still really loved their flirtatious banter and think they're a fab couple.

Source: Received from Gollancz in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
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Review: Rock Wedding - Nalini Singh

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh continues her Rock Kiss series with a hot, sweet, emotional contemporary romance about love and forgiveness…

After a lifetime of longing for a real family, Sarah Smith thought she’d finally found her home with rock star Abe Bellamy, even if she knew Abe didn’t love her the way she loved him. But their brief relationship, filled with tragedy and heartache, nearly destroyed her. Alone, emotions in turmoil, and already shaky self-esteem shattered, Sarah struggles to pick up the pieces in the wake of their divorce.

Abe knows he’s to blame for the end of his marriage. Caught in a web of painful memories, he pushed away the best thing in his life – the sexy, smart woman he adores – breaking them both in the process. Then fate throws him a second chance to get things right, to prove to Sarah that she means everything to him. Abe desperately wants that second chance at love…even if he knows he doesn’t deserve it.

But can he convince Sarah – now strong and independent without him – to risk her wounded heart one more time?

Rock Kiss Series:
Rock Addiction
Rock Courtship (Novella)
Rock Hard (Crossover with the Hard Play series)
Rock Redemption
Rock Wedding

Hard Play Series:
(Spin off from the Rock Kiss series featuring the Bishop brothers)
Cherish Hard
Rock Hard (Crossover with the Rock Kiss series)
Rebel Hard
Love Hard

Visit Nalini Singh's website for more information

Review:
When Sarah met Abe she thought she had been swept of her feet by Prince Charming, all she ever wanted was to be part of a family, to have someone to love and who loved her in return. She never felt worthy of his attention and she never felt that he loved her as much as she loved him but she was sure that her love would be enough to see them through anything. That all changed after her miscarriage when Abe wasn't there for her when she needed him desperately, in fact he pushed her away in his grief and said some terrible hurtful things that left her heart completely shattered. Since then Sarah has built up a successful business but she went from a disastrous relationship with Abe to an even worse one with someone else and now she's in trouble.

It was Abe's friends who helped her when she's at her lowest point and now her growing friendship Molly and the other band member's girlfriends put her back in contact with Abe again too. Abe has spent years struggling with grief since the death of his sister and he know he lost the best thing that ever happened to him when he pushed Sarah away in a drug and drink fueled rage. He desperately wants to make amends and prove that he can be the man she always wanted, the man she deserves, but Sarah has had her heart broken already and it's going to take a lot for her to open back up to him again.

There were times when Rock Wedding wasn't an easy read, Sarah and Abe have both been through a lot of heartbreak and they're both still grieving for people they've loved and lost but it just shows how amazing Nalini Singh's writing is that you're right there with them both sharing their pain. I love a good second chance romance but only when it's done right and this book hit the spot perfectly, the couple both made mistakes in their relationship, although Abe's drug use was certainly the biggest cause of their problems, but they've come through the other side stronger than ever. I was a little worried that it would be hard to believe Abe has overcome his addictions but we've seen him sober for a long time now and the way he was able to open up to Sarah about things that he'd always bottled up in the past proves how much he has changed.

If there was ever a couple that deserved to find happiness it has to be these two and it was so beautiful seeing them finally get a chance to put things behind them and move on with their lives. I also loved seeing how all the other couples are doing, there are some really sweet and funny moments between the whole gang that left me with a huge smile on my face. This series has been such a fantastic one and I'm sure it'll be one I reread in the future but in the meantime I'm excited to get to know the rest of Gabe's brothers when Nalini starts publishing the spin off series!

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
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