ARC Review: Rachel Caine's Last Breath

Book 11 in Rachel Caine’s New York Times bestselling Morganville Vampire series is Last Breath – and boy did it take my breath away.  Before I begin, I’d first like to give a #shoutout to Rex Robot Reviews & her killer ARC tour! THANKS!!!

Last Breath begins with the planning of the impending nuptials of two of the Glass House Residents, Michael an Eve.  If these two aren’t star-crossed lovers, I’m not sure who is. She’s human and he’s a vampire and well, frankly…their relationship is inevitably doomed.  Humans in Morganville have been and always will be...food.  And according to one of the many unwritten vampire rules, one cannot have a real relationship with the cattle a.k.a. humans.  Michael and Eve, from the beginning were defending their relationship and now wedding against - not just the vampires - but the humans as well.

The humans have much animosity (more like bone-chilling hate) towards the vamps.  Now it’s ripe and boiling over with the pinnacle being the subsequent marriage to two lovers.  As lines are drawn and demands are made, something evil and sinister is lurking around the town of Morganville.  There’s a new predator in town – Magnus - and he’s hunting vampires and humans alike.  Oh, I promise you, it’s unlike anything you've read yet. *shivers*

Fear makes vampires, and humans behave insanely – and that’s putting it mildly when you think about Amelia’s decision-making.  Scary, to say the least.  In a fit, she makes a hasty decision that nearly ends Shane’s life which in return causes strife among the Glass House residents, especially Claire.


From there the tale takes a dark, delcious twist where murder and mayhem become a bit too literal for Claire, Shane, Eve and Michael.  I won’t tell you what happens, that would be WRONG – but it was enough to bring me to tears. (I’m such a sap sometimes.)  But, alas, dead or not, life goes in Morganville (the town of walking dead.)  With Magnus on the hunt, vampires on the run and human's rioting, will Morganville ever become somewhat civilized again? And despite the powerful bond the Glass House has with its inhabitants, will it be enough to save them in the end? The vampires and human will have to ally once more to defeat the ultimate evil or die trying. Can they do it? Can they win without anyone else from the Scooby gang getting killed?

I said it before; this book took my breath away. First half, I was laughing my a** off and then I was sobbing like a fool. This book was so wonderfully written it left me spellbound. My only comment was I didn't care for the perspective of Amelia and Michael. These are such strong characters – I wasn’t sure the book needed their perspective. Still, that didn’t take away from the book.  For me, Rachel Caine’s Last Breath was easily a 4.5.

Until next time...vampires, draugs, and humans, oh my!

Mina B.

Fridays with Fred: Happy Anniversary

I’m celebrating Fridays with Fred's 1 year Anniversary today. Yipee! *throws confetti* Yes, it’s been one year, minions. Here's his very first post. And so to celebrate, I did this cool mosaic of nearly every picture I’ve posted over the year to create one masterpiece. Ninja cool, huh? I think so. Hope you think so too.

Happy Anniversary, Fred!

Also, to celebrate this momentous occasion, I’m giving away one Free Book.  You read that right, minions.  I’m giving away one (1) copy of Lynsay Sands most recent bestseller in her Argeneau series, The Reluctant Vampire. See my review here.  The contest starts today, September 16 - Friday, September 23, eod - so hurry and tell your friends!

To enter

You MUST be a follower of my blog AND leave a comment below. 

Contestants must submit their name and GC in order to officially entered.

(Note: Must be 18 or older to enter.  This contest is open to US only.)

Extra entries
+3 Subscribing via email to my blog
+2 Like me on Facebook/Mina Burrows
+1 Retweet this (limited to one RT -paste link in comment)

Want to see more of Fred?  Click here.  And remember to visit Schatze too.  Fred's completely smitten.

Mina B.

Writer Campaign Flash Fiction Challenge

Well, writer campaigners.  I didn’t get my flash fiction piece done on time because frankly, I ran out of time.  Booooooooooo!  I know.  I know.  However, despite not being able to make it in time, I still wanted to support the campaign – which is why I’m posting now.  There were over 300 people that submitted their FF, so if your interested, start here and happy reading! 

 Deadly Whispers

The door swung open, nearly bursting its hinges.  I stared back at an empty threshold.

Confused, I went to investigate, but stopped when a vase near the door crashed onto the floor.

My head jerked to the doorway, but no one was there.

Another step and the coat rack thwacked across the entryway, knocking down a lamp and spilling my glass of Boudreaux over my sofa and coffee table.

Cursing the mess, I glanced at the door suspiciously.  Spidering tingles permeated through me, and I shuddered.  Despite no one being there, something still felt terribly wrong.

My cat then pounced onto the mess, licking hungrily at the puddled wine.

“No!” I said, but she uncharacteristically hissed.

I gasped. Only one person made her viciously hiss, and that was Miles. But there was no way it was him.

It couldn’t be.

My gaze darted back to the door, only to hear a whisper in my other ear, “Hush.”

I jumped; my eyes frantically scanned the empty room.

A horrifying vibe assaulted me, followed by an ice-cold pressure squeezing my throat.

My eyes widened when an unmistakable voice spoke.

“Hello, sweetheart,” Mile’s ghost said. “Love me. Hate me. Kill me. You really are one fickle, bi-"

And then the door slammed shut.

The end.

If you're interested in a few other flash fictions I've written, click my Hallucinating Housewives ff series here.   Anyway, I’m off not to spend some time reading other writer’s FF.

Cheers,
Mina

Fridays with Fred: Rough Week

Well, minions...Fred and I have had one heck of a week.  The word insanity doesn't even describe the four day workweek that felt more like ten.  Fred's feeling it too.  Poor buddy.  Anyway, it's not much of a post, but hey...at least we made it, right?


Have a good weekend.

Interested in viewing another pix of Fred, click here.  Don't forget about Schatze over at Bookhounds.  Love her!!!

Mina B.

Back to Books Giveaway Winner

Congrats to Pabkins; the lucky winner of the Back to Books Giveaway Hop and recipient of Richelle Mead’s Bloodlines.  The Winner will be notified by email and will have no more than 72 hours to respond before another winner is drawn. Winners are selected by the reputable Random.org.

For those of you that haven’t had a chance to read this bewitching YA tale, check out my review or better yet, read the first four chapters here. 

A HUGE round of applause for everyone who participated and commented etc..., plus a GINORMOUS thanks to Kathy from I'm a Reader Not a Writer.  Oh, and last but not least, my Fr** Sh** Fairy! 

Cheers!
Mina B.

Book Review: Richelle Mead's Bloodlines

Bloodlines, Book 1 in Richelle Mead’s spinoff series, is a spectacular addition to the bewitching YA Vampire Academy series . From the beginning, I was drawn to the VA series and for me, Bloodlines, was like a continuation of a gripping story in an unforgettable fantasy world.

Early on, I read a bunch of reviews, and many readers tried to compare Vampire Academy to Bloodlines. Even more so, they attempted to compare the two main characters – which, in my opinion, can’t be done. If you haven’t read the Vampire Academy series, I implore you to do so. I can’t fathom how anyone would attempt to read Bloodlines without reading its predecessors. I think it’s safe to say that this is not a standalone novel. In order to appreciate the series, you must read them all! 

 

Bloodlines is its own unique tale, written from the perspective of an Alchemist or better yet, a human. Sydney Sage is a hard-nosed, street-wise young woman, maneuvering her way through a seemly dark world. Alchemists are a league of humans whose sole purpose is to protect humankind from the underminings and danger associated with the supernatural, i.e. Moroi, Dhampirs and of course, the Strigoi. These beings are unholy at best according to Alchemist teachings.

Being a staunch Alchemist, we first meet Sydney in Blood Promise; the pinnacle of emotional YA rollercoaster tales, I assure you (my review.) In Blood Promise, Sydney came across as stiff and reserved, but even back then, you knew there was more beneath the surface. That same attitude, plus much more was the foundation of Bloodlines. I was utterly captivated with Sydney’s determined spirit, despite all odds stacked against her. 

 

After Last Sacrifice, Sydney’s loyalty is called into question because she helped Rose Hathaway. She was barely forgiven and then quickly reassigned to assist another Moroi or vampire, Jill, the illegitimate daughter of Eric Dragomir and also the half-sister of Queen Vasilisa. Based on Moroi law, in order for Queen Lissa to retain her crown, there must be two living members of the Dragomir family. With many rumblings and threats at court, Jill’s safety is threatened and the decision is made to hide her. Because of the lives and repercussions at stake, the Alchemists agree to assist with hiding and intergrating Jill into a normal human life and ultimately assign Sydney to the task.  

Going undercover as Jill’s sister, Sydney and Jill end up being roommates, attending a boarding school in Palm Springs. There's an assortment of colorful characters along with for the ride too which made the book that much more delicious. Personally, I couldn’t get enough of Adrian. Thank God he’s in this series. As Sydney and Jill muddle their way through high school, Sydney begins investigating magic tattoos and a string of murder victims, including human, moroi and dhamphir.

For me, I loved delving into the perspective of an Alchemist and discovering however black or white their rules are towards the supernatural, Sydney lives in a perpetual state of gray. The fear Sydney had of the unnatural albeit magic, vampires, damphires and all the above -  felt real to me.   Her fear permeated so richly in this tale, I couldn’t get enough of it.  Bloodlines was so well done, it was an easy 4.5 for me.

Mina B.

Fridays with Fred: Drill Sergeant

Happy Fridays with Fred, everyone!  Fred’s playing drill sergeant here, attempting to wake one of my rug rats.  He’s not exactly like Nana from Peter Pan, but I gotta give him props for his effort. Love that about him.
 
Hope you have a great weekend.

"Yes, Drill Sergeant!"

Interested in viewing another pix of Fred, click here.  And remember to check out Schatze over at Bookhouds.  

FYI: I'm giving away a copy of Bloodlines by Richelle Mead.  Click here for details.

Mina B.