Tempest Giveaway

The year is 2009.  Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has agirlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler.  Recruit… or kill him.Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

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American Sniper by Chris Kyle GIVEAWAY and review

Goodreads: From 1999 to 2009, U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle recorded the most career sniper kills in United States military history. Iraqi insurgents feared him so much they called him al-Shaitan ("the devil") and placed a $20,000 bounty on his head. Kyle earned legendary status among his fellow SEALs, Marines, and U.S. Army soldiers, fighting alongside them in the streets, as well as protecting them from rooftops and stealth positions. Through four combat deployments, he was awarded seven medals for bravery, including two Silver Stars. Gripping and unforgettable, Kyle's masterful account of his extraordinary battlefield experiences ranks as one of the great war memoirs of all time.

My take: I read Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell and really enjoyed it, albeit the detailed blood and gore. He told a good story, remained objective while including some of his own thoughts and ideas. It was engrossing and the story itself sung of the heroism of him and his SEAL team. This book wasn't as cohesive or objective. I had a difficult time following Kyle's line of thinking. He included a lot of interpretation, little emotional insight, and random situations. One of the random situations is that he met Marcus Luttrell and counts him as a friend. That's it. He doesn't reference Luttrell's experience in Afghanistan. If a reader did not know the background to Luttrell's story, it wouldn't be extraordinary. I also didn't like the arrogant manner Kyle referenced himself or the short answers he gave. Basically, if you don't know how hard it is to be a SEAL, join the Navy SEALS. If you don't know what kind of guy Chris Kyle is, ask one of the SEALS. The writing was somewhat defensive and style pedantic.

I did not finish the book, therefore, I can only report on my first impression of the first 100 pages or so. The book is not without merit. Kyle is a great soldier and admirable in his service. My problems are with the writing style, not the subject or the author. He has interesting stories to tell. The telling however, lacks clarity and cohesiveness. 

Subject is interesting and mindset of the military makes the book worth reading. Here is a sneak peak.

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The Shadow of Your Smile by Susan May Warren

The Shadow of Your Smile
By Susan May Warren
Published by Tyndale House
December 16th, 2011


About the book: A beautiful blanket of snow may cover the quaint town of Deep Haven each winter, but it can’t quite hide the wreckage of Noelle and Eli Hueston’s marriage.

After twenty-five years, they’re contemplating divorce... just as soon as their youngest son graduates from high school. But then an accident erases part of Noelle's memory. Though her other injuries are minor, she doesn’t remember Eli, their children, or the tragedy that has ripped their family apart. What’s more, Noelle is shocked that her life has turned out nothing like she dreamed it would. As she tries to regain her memory and slowly steps into her role as a wife and mother, Eli helps her readjust to daily life with sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-heartwarming results. But can she fall in love again with a man she can’t remember?

Will their secrets destroy them . . . or has erasing the past given them a chance for a future? Read the story behind the story here: http://www.susanmaywarren.com/books/the-shadow-of-your-smile.

About Susan: Susan May Warren is an award-winning, best-selling author of over twenty-five novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and have been Christy finalists. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia, Susan returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where she, her four children, and her husband are active in their local church.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder ofwww.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!)

Susan is celebrating the release of The Shadow of Your Smile by giving away a prize pack worth over $200 from 1/9-1/28.

One grand prize winner will receive:

A $200 Visa Gift Card (Use that to rekindle a little romance, treat yourself to a spa day, snap up those shoes you’ve been eyeing, or purchase a few great books!)

The entire set of Deep Haven Books

The winner will be announced on 1/30/12 on Susan’s blog, Scribbles! Just click one of the icons below to enter and tell your friends about Susan's giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Click HERE for more information.

Blog tour stops can be found HERE.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This book is a refreshing break from the serious books I've been reading. Tied loosely to Cinderella, Cinder is a foster daughter/slave in the Eastern Commonwealth on a planet plagued with a new sickness that strikes quickly and is always deadly. Complicating matters is the planet (earth) is always on the cusp of war with the Lunars, a fearsome race living on the moon who tend to have magical powers and the ability to control thought.

So Cinder is the slave laborer, the unwanted child that is merely tolerated but always excluded. So she ends up meeting the Emperor's only son and develops feelings for him. It appears he is somewhat smitten as well. The problem is that, although Cinder doesn't seem to have the plague, she is part mechanical, due to an injury suffered in the childhood she can't remember. Meaning that, like Cinderella's glass slipper, she might lose a body part at any time.

It is not a mere retelling of the classic fairy tale, thank goodness, but an original idea including the politics of the Lunar ruler and the handsome prince. Add in the cyborg components, the deadly plague, spies, and the mysterious programmer introduced at the end of the book, and you've got a fun and original read. It also doesn't hurt that Cinder is a strong protagonist that (slight spoiler here) doesn't wait for Prince Charming to save her.

I'm looking forward to the next book.

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Title: Hallowed

Author: Cynthia Hand

Publish Date: January 17, 2012

Pages: 416

Publisher: Harper Collins

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning. 

Described by Richelle Mead as “utterly captivating,” Unearthly received outstanding reviews, garnered accolades from New York Times bestselling authors, and was named an Indie Next Pick. In this heart-wrenching sequel, Cynthia Hand expertly captures the all-consuming joy of first love—and the agony of loss. This beautifully woven tale will appeal to fans of Lauren Kate, Becca Fitzpatrick, and Aprilynne Pike.

My take: Once again, Cynthia Hand has written an excellent book for this trilogy. At the end of the last book (without giving any spoilers), Clara exited from a forest fire, but there were actually two. One started by the Dark Wing, the other a big question mark. Clara is struggling with her purpose and free agency. She's living in Jackson, Wyoming and ready to start her senior year. Her mother has secrets. Oh, lots of secrets and I have a feeling they have not been appropriately addressed. I have a guess about one of them and I think she sort of lied in Hallowed. Clara's brother is sullen and disappears mysteriously. Tucker is her boyfriend. Christian is finally paying attention to her but she is Tucker's girlfriend.

Open scene: Clara begins her senior year. Her glowing blonde locks will no longer take hair color so her hair causes a stir when she starts school. She spends a lot of time arguing with herself over Christian vs. Tucker which annoyed me. I know there's the purpose and all but gee, two really great guys vying for her attention.

I almost called this book a filler book for the series but then stuff happened. Revelations were made, although nothing earth shattering. Clara is being pursued by the Dark Wing which adds some interest to the story. Clara's mother admits that he is part of her 120 year history but I don't think she told the whole truth. Angela continues to be quirky and curious and uncovers disconcerting information. More angels are revealed but Clara's purpose does not become any more clearer. What is revealed happens more to the end of the book and it's pretty important. Clara is much more valuable to the scales than she imagined. 

It's a quiet book. The action is more internal, although I believe the third and possibly fourth book is being clearly set up with the information. Angela went to Italy last summer and she's going this year, too. Clara will be accompanying her. My guess is that Angela's father will be revealed. Then I'd guess a fourth book is forthcoming for Clara's first year of college.

It's going to get really interesting.

4.5 Stars

First You Try Everything: A Novel by Jane McCafferty

First You Try Everything: A Novel by Jane McCafferty

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads: Prize-winning author Jane McCafferty delivers a wry, engrossing, and provocative tale of the radical chances an anguished woman will take to try to save her crumbling marriage. As love’s loss and the death of dreams push Evie to the edge of obsession and to a spectacularly outlandish scheme, one which will have unexpected consequences for all involved. Following her acclaimed debut novel One Heart, which Elizabeth Strout, author of Amy and Isabelle, calls "a lovely book, full of surprises, with characters that stay in your heart long after the book has been put down," McCafferty’s First You Try Everything is a piercing, surprising, and sympathetic look at the emotional fallout of divorce and the unforeseeable changing tides of love.

My take: I don't even know how to describe this book. The story is told from two different viewpoints. Actually, three because Apu gets a small part, as well. Ben and Evvie have been married for 16 years. Their history is quietly revealed but, essentially, Evvie is a quirky character very much in touch with her Freudian Id. She is endearing and at times frustrating. Yet she is very easy to relate to. She is insecure and feels her husband slipping away. She buries herself in animal rights activism while fighting the societal norms.


Ben was drawn to Evvie for her free spirit and easy way of relating to anybody. She listens to Ben and allows him his feelings. Together they were street vendors in order to stay free from the constraints of middle class. Eventually he found a middle class job and started wearing a suit. His eyes wander and he meets another woman who is completely different from his wife. He enjoys the conversation, the organized way of her life and emotions and allows himself to wander down that path.


The real meat of the story is the exploration by both parties of their emotional journey. Ben feels guilty and torn. He struggles with systematically painting his years with Evvie using the emotions of today then remembering how happy he felt in a certain situation with her. He also feels protective of Evvie from his new lover because he understands Evvie so well. At the same time, he doesn't want Evvie to know about the other woman in order to protect the current relationship, believing it has nothing to do with his cheating on his wife. He was unhappy before. His rationalizations are fascinating, infuriating, and sad. He makes valid points and the reader feels empathy for him to some degree.


Evvie, not knowing what unraveled the marriage, continues being her quirky self. Inside her head we see her wrestling with her feelings, her past, and possible reasons for the marriage problems. Again, the reader empathizes as the author articulates the confusion and the sudden interpretations from past events, coloring the previous 16 years. It is heart breaking and turns into a train wreck where I simply could not look away. Evvie's quirkiness, endearing at first, begins to slowly spiral into areas of insanity. It progresses logically (insanity and logically can be used in the same sentence) and it is evident why she desperately will do anything to get Ben to return to her.


There is an ultimate conflict and it is just the train wreck reaching maximum velocity and the situation gets out of control. Maybe a little on the ridiculous side and I was left wondering what happened to the other players but ultimately the real conflict was whether Evvie's pure soul could live with her manipulations. I wasn't crazy about the ultimate conflict or resolution. I found the story, itself, to be compelling. The author artistically articulates the feelings and thought processes of both parties of a middle-aged marriage.

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever. 

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. 

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen. 

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What Ashton accomplished with the writing of this book was a seamless integration of Greek mythology with an Egyptian mythology twist. She also created a love triangle of questionable equal parts. In other words, how much can Cole really feel?

Above all, Ashton integrates my alma mater, Utah State University. It's a mere page or two but I she is endeared to my heart for that alone.

The story's organization is well thought out as Nikki is introduced as a recent Return. She is one of the lucky (?) ones who actually survive the Feed. It's not necessarily heaven and hell but simply an Everneath, a plane beneath the earth's crust, near the Rivery Styx where a shell of a person spends a century feeding off one person's emotions, getting recharged and leaving the mortal being a shell of her former self, thrown to the Everneath's Tunnels to act as an Energizer Bunny until she fades into oblivion.

Quite painful.

But the story is based on mythology and differing interpretations. Like Orpheus, another possible hero from mythology. Between Nikki and Jack, they are bound to find a resolution where Nikki is not sucked back down to the Everneath. At least that is the hope.

The ending is a cliff hanger although like Pandora's box, hope is still remaining. Sets up the next book well.

Tempest by Julie Cross

The year is 2009.  Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler.  Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.


Read the first 4 chapters of TEMPEST by Julie Cross now HERE.  

Girl Land by Caitlin Flanagan GIVEAWAY

Title: Girl Land
Release Date: January 12, 2012
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books (Hatchette Book Group)
Hardcover
Pages: 224

Caitlin Flanagan's essays about marriage, sex, and families have sparked national debates. Now she turns her attention to girls: the biological and cultural milestones for girls today, and how they shape a girl's sense of herself.

The transition from girl to woman is an experience that has changed radically over the generations: everything from how a girl learns about her period to how she expects to be treated by boys and men. Girls today observe these passages very differently, and yet the landmarks themselves have remained remarkably constant-proof, Flanagan believes, of their significance. In a world where protections of girls' privacy and personal freedom seem to disappear every day, the ultimate challenge modern parents face is finding a way to defend both.

Caitlin Flanagan's GIRL LANDis perfect for moms revisiting their childhoods and moms whose daughters have or will experience the same life stages, recounted in Flanagan’s frank, provocative, and undeniably womanist voice.

Caitlin Flanagan is a former high school teacher who became a writer; she has been on staff at The Atlantic, The New Yorker, and the Wall Street Journal. A winner of the National Magazine Award, she has also written for Time, O, The Oprah Magazine, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times. Her work has been widely anthologized in, among other publications, The Best American Essays and The Best American Magazine Writingseries. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons.

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The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker

The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Goodreads: Fourteen-year-old Kentucky girl Ricki Jo Winstead, who would prefer to be called Ericka, thank you very much, is eager to shed her farmer's daughter roots and become part of the popular crowd at her small town high school. She trades her Bible for Seventeen magazine, buys new "sophisticated" clothes and somehow manages to secure a tenuous spot at the cool kids table. She's on top of the world, even though her best friend and the boy next door Luke says he misses "plain old Ricki Jo."

Caught between being a country girl and wannabe country club girl, Ricki Jo begins to forget who she truly is: someone who doesn't care what people think and who wouldn't let a good-looking guy walk all over her. It takes a serious incident out on Luke's farm for Ricki Jo to realize that being a true friend is more important than being popular.

While I was reading: I thought this was a cute book that had all of the elements for a great after school special. Plain country girl, wants to be popular, meets hot new guy, gets in with popular friends, best friend is a guy, makes cheer squad and everybody knows that in the end she'll get burned and go back to her roots, right? Maybe not exactly like that but something similar. The truth is that it was extremely painful for an author to relive my freshman year for me in detail, hitting my own popularity quest spot on sans Wolf and alcohol. I didn't do the drinking thing.

When I was finished: I realized the book was a carefully disguised book about bullying and societal tolerance. I was totally swept up in the Ericka story and the painful reminders that I only put the pieces together at the end and recognized the brilliance of it. The book carefully addresses different kinds of bullying, the way society tolerates it, and the way one person can make a difference. Just to clarify, Ericka/Ricky Jo does not do the stand-up-at-a-school-assembly and give a shame-on-you speech. It's not cheesy like that.

Traditional domestic bullying involves Luke's father. He's an alcoholic and it is established early on that he beats Luke's mother. The children are all uncomfortable with this arrangement but, in the past, they've all been too powerless and small to make a difference. It is ignored. Ricky Jo recognizes what it is and takes her cues from Luke.

Symbolic bullying that mirrors a couple of the situations is the Gumbel's dogs. They are wild and ferocious. When they are not chained up, they attack random people. Ricky Jo is instructed to never show fear. They can smell fear and, as a pack, might attack. There is foreshadowing as Ricky Jo rides her bike to Luke's and finds herself pinned under the bike as the dogs circle. She is saved by Luke who hears the ruckus and beats them away. Again, many people know about the dogs but hesitate to rock the boat because the Gumbels are so mean, themselves. Without giving away the story, this situation escalates and damage is done before it is resolved. More foreshadowing, by the way.

On the first day of school, Ricky Jo/Ericka finds herself with a group of pretty and popular girls who are all cheerleaders. She's just a redneck but they take her on as a project. Note the pack-like behavior. Then Wolf saunters in. He's beautiful, athletic, rich and a royal pain in the butt. He has his good qualities but these are hidden in his obnoxious attempts to look cool (and fit in, like the rest of the grade). Wolf's antics embarrass and humiliate. It is interesting to watch how he bullies and manipulates through his many antics and how he is so quickly forgiven by many because he's "cool." At the same time, the reader sees through Ricky Jo's eyes how insecure he really is and how he does see areas not having to do with himself with incredible clarity.

The best examples of intimidation, manipulation and bullying are within the Fab Frenemies. There is feigning of a BFF club, guilt, giving special treatment to the "project," hiding cruel comments in back-handed compliments, ganging up on one, engaging in peer pressure to invoke behavior against her better judgment and beliefs, playing the best friend to someone's face while stabbing them in the back.

The story also redefines courage and friendship for Ricky Jo. The hero of the book is Luke. He recognizes the underdog and does whatever it takes to take a stand or step into the middle of the dogfight. I can't say more than that without explaining how he did this in different situations. He stands up for what is right both metaphorically and physically (he's the one who steps into the real dog attacks). He stays true to himself, never wavering, regardless of the cost.

As for Ricky Jo (one small spoiler), she saves herself.

Best nugget - In order to be a best friend, one has to first be a good friend.

This could be used in a high school literature class to demonstrate different masks of bullying.

Swearing - mild/moderate
Violence - moderate
Alcohol use - moderate
Sex - mild implied

Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google? GIVEAWAY

Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google?: Trick Questions, Zen-like Riddles, Insanely Difficult Puzzles, and Other Devious Interviewing Techniques You ... Know to Get a Job Anywhere in the New Economy by William Poundstone

Format: Hardover
Publish Date 1/4/12
Price: $19.99/$21.99
Pages: 304

You are shrunk to the height of a nickel and thrown in a blender. The blades start moving in 60 seconds. What do you do? If you want to work at Google, or any of America's best companies, you need to have an answer to this and other puzzling questions.

ARE YOU SMART ENOUGH TO WORK AT GOOGLE? guides readers through the surprising solutions to dozens of the most challenging interview questions. The book covers the importance of creative thinking, ways to get a leg up on the competition, what your Facebook page says about you, and much more. ARE YOU SMART ENOUGH TO WORK AT GOOGLE? is a must read for anyone who wants to succeed in today's job market.

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Fill out the form below or click HERE.
Ends 1/27/12

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I'm telling you why we broke up, Ed. I'm writing it in this letter, the whole truth of why it happened. Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.

The book is interesting in that it combines images with the story. Min is writing an explanation to her ex-boyfriend. She is dropping a box off at his house that includes the sacred relics of their short relationship. Each picture represents something significant to Min about the relationship she had with Ed.

The book is written the way a teenage girl talks. She rambles, repeats herself, she doesn't finish sentences and she makes connections where no connections can be understood. She is obsessed with old theater which few people are. In other words, the reader is always on the outskirts of an inside joke. So I felt perpetually lost in the run-on sentences of a teenage girl, trapped in her angst and not understanding the segues she had with specific old movies and actresses. My guess is that it is symbolic but I just felt lost.

Language: Strong
Dialogue: Strong
Sex: Strong
Violence: None

Immortal Beloved and Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan

Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads: Nastasya has spent the last century living as a spoiled, drugged-out party girl. She feels nothing and cares for no one. But when she witnesses her best friend, a Dark Immortal, torture a human, she realizes something's got to change. She seeks refuge at a rehab for wayward immortals, where she meets the gorgeous, undeniably sexy Reyn, who seems inexplicably linked to her past.

Nastasya finally begins to deal with life, and even feels safe--until the night she learns that someone wants her dead.

Cate Tiernan, author of the popular Sweep series, returns with an engaging story of a timeless struggle and inescapable romance, the first book in a stunning new fantasy trilogy.

My take: I think that Immortals are the new Vampires and, frankly, few people can do them well. I've already read a number of Immortal books and I just can't see them ever ending. They're immortal. Their story will go on forever. Unless someone cuts off their head or something.

That said, I think it's obvious that I had some preconceived prejudices (redundant, I know) when I started this book. I read #1 and #2. I read the book description and gave a little yawn then started in. Then I stopped yawning and started laughing. Cate Tiernan is well versed in how a girl talks to herself inside her head. By "girl," I mean, a really funny one who is not an angsty teenager even though she looks like one.

The premise is that Nastasya is 459 years old. Her parents were Immortals and they had 5 children. They are all dead. They were killed by very bad people 450 years ago. Nastasya wandered around for a few centuries then finds her group of friends where they live a thoughtless, self-centered existence until one night (at the beginning of the book), her best friend, Innocencio performs dark magick and scares Nastasya to begin a change.

The thing about Immortals is that they all possess at least a little bit of Magick. Nastasya doesn't practice it and those around her rarely do, either. It's just some old black Magick that she doesn't want to tap. Then one night in the 1920's, she meets River, another Immortal that seems different and tells Nastasya that when she's ready to change her ways, find her in a podunk town in Massachusetts. And so she does.

Now I can go on and tell about the conflict and stuff about the book, but that's not really the best part. It's the protagonist. She's hilarious. She grows in ways she didn't know she would or could, she taps into her power without getting into the dark stuff, and she loves/hates this Viking like god named Reyn who looks familiar and just might have a connection to her past somewhere. But he's offish and socially awkward, serious, and seriously hot. And there is sexual tension. Lots of that.

Nastasya is not innocent. The author doesn't write her as innocent or perfect. She is flawed with a lot of mistakes in her past. Although she looks to be in her late teens, Nastasya has the experiences that would curl anybody's hair and toes. Although she is experienced in chemically induced highs, sexual prowess, etc., the story doesn't go there. It's indicated but not dwelt upon.

Above all, Tiernan writes a strong protagonist who is steeped in her own habits and crud and has been for centuries. She can't change, can she? She doesn't get all philosophical but she's pretty sure that Immortals are dark beings and are incapable of being anything else. River, the woman who runs the rehab, tells her something else.

The book is full of nuggets of hope. Not cheesy by any stretch, a little racy but not dirty, Tiernan's characters have strong personalities that can be used for good instead of evil.

Sex - mild/moderate
Violence - moderate
swearing/dialogue - "f" words used in one scene.


Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads: Nastasya has lived for hundreds of years, but for some reason, life never seems to get any better. She left her spoiled, rich girl life to find peace at River's Edge, a safe haven for wayward immortals. There, she learned to embrace River's Edge, despite some drama involving the sexy Reyn, who she wants but won't allow herself to have. But just as she's getting comfortable, her family's ties to dark magick force her to leave. 

She falls back into her old, hard partying ways, but will her decision lead her into the hands of a dark immortal? Or will it be her first step to embracing the darkness within her?


My take: I can't imagine reading this book without having read the first book. Not that the reader can't catch up because the story of the first book is reiterated in this one. I just so enjoyed the development of the relationships and revealing of Nastasya's past and connection with other characters (Reyn) which sets the stage so very well.

Once again, Nastasya's strong personality is the selling point. Her internal dialogue makes me laugh out loud. If you've read it, shout out if you remember 'Rock and a hard place' or the metaphor about the Titanic and blowing a whistle in the dark. I just laughed. That's all there is to it.

This book is darker than the first. It picks up where the first left off where Nastasya is still hiding from Innocencio and being snarky with Reyn when she really is drawn to him and me to him, too. I mean, and him to her.

This flawed, funny, snarky girl, against her better judgment, does return to her old ways so Innocencio can show the reader and the protagonist what his intents are and who he really is. Again, the overall theme is the power to choose and to choose over and over again.

Sex - mild
Swearing and dialogue - mild/moderate
Violence - Severe