Saturday 30 April 2011

200 Followers Giveaway & Other Things

I'd like to welcome all of my new followers over here at Nyx Book Reviews! It's good to have you here, and I'm looking forward to talk to you (:

As I didn't do anything special to celebrate my 100th or 150th follower, I'm going to have a big giveaway when I reach 200 followers! The giveaway will be international. Living in the Netherlands as I do I don't get to enter in giveaways as much as I'd like to, so I'm giving international bloggers an opportunity to join the fun as well (:


As for the "Other Things", I'm hosting a ton of blog tours during the end of May/June period. Expect some awesome author interviews, guest post, book excerpts and some more giveaways! During that time I'll also have finally gotten a Kindle, so I can tackle that big electronic pile of review request books. I'm really looking forward to read in the warm sun. *sighs*

Next week there will be another Books I Love feature, this time about Sci-Fi. Stop by and leave the guest blogger of the week a comment!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend (:

Friday 29 April 2011

Follow Friday #20






 
 
 Hosted by Parajunkee
This week's feature: Marla @ Starting the Next Chapter
Weekly Question:
If you were stocking your bomb shelter, what books would you HAVE to include if you only had space for ten?
Hmmm. I think I would take the Rachel Morgan books, by Kim Harrison. Or can I just take a Kindle with me? If you have enough room for ten books, I bet it fits!

Leave a comment so I can return the visit!

Thursday 28 April 2011

Review: Bec by Darren Shan


Bec by Darren Shan
(Demonata #4)
4 out of 5 stars

Published by HarperCollins Children's Books
This review may contain spoilers for the previous books in the series

While this book is often shelved as children's book, it comes with a warning: this series is Seriously Scary. And it definitely deserves this label. Darren Shan is a master in writing true horrifying stories.

Set in times where Christianity is rising and destroying the Old Fait, Bec doesn't know who her parents are. She is the sixteen-years-old priestess of a small town. When their town is being attacked by demons over and over again, she joins a small group of warriors sent off on a mission that is destined to fail.

The Demonata books are gory. There is a lot of detailed demon-slaying, and in Bec, also quite some casualties on the human side. An example of this you can find here. This really isn't a fluffy tale to read to your child as bedtime story. Unless you want him to stay awake the whole night of course.

Even for a violent book as this, the overall tone is very dark. Bec is on a mission that no one thinks will ever succeed. You start to feel for these people, their despair. Their home is raided again and again by demons, without any hope that they will stop coming. The tale of Bec's ancestors is so sad. Poor Bec.You can't help but feel sorry for the girl.

Bec is not a book that will make you bounce happily through the house when you've finished it. But it's brilliantly written, and so, so gripping.

Blurb

The fourth novel in this bonechilling series by Darren Shan, author of the New York Times bestselling Cirque Du Freak series, will keep readers turning page after horrifying page.

As demonic Fomorii ravage their land, Bec and a band of warrior companions leave their devastated rath to answer a plea for help. An orphaned priestess-in-training, Bec hopes the journey will help her solve the mysteries of her birth. But fighting demons has a steep price...

Other reviews you might be interested in

Books I Love: Urban Fantasy

Books I Love is a weekly feature hosted by Nyx Book Reviews where a guest blogger can gush about his or her favourite genre of choice. 
This week's Books I Love guest blogger:


Sharon about Urban Fantasy!



Thank-you kindly to Celine for giving me the opportunity to be a guest blogger for Nyx Reviews.

My name is Sharon, I am very new to book blogging, having recently started my first blog, Obsession With Books, which is perfectly named for me since reading is my obsession. It is an outlet for me to express my opinion on books and series I read since no-one in my personal life shares my love of reading.

I have been reading for as long as I can remember, my choice of genres have certainly changed over the years but now I am older, I have an appreciation for all words penned by authors no matter the genre. Their creativity is magical and a wonderful gift to have.

Of course, my tastes have certainly changed since my youth, there is so much variety available to us and I tend to go through phases of what I like and dislike; reading the same genre at a time for me generally leads to the books running into one another & I read so much it gets confusing! I am also a series addict.

I am an avid reader of Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance and Young Adult.

If I had to choose a favorite genre, it would be Urban Fantasy. It took me a while to distinguish the difference between Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance and while I thoroughly enjoy a clearly defined HEA (Happily Ever After), I also enjoy a more creative in-depth storyline with a great plot.

Urban Fantasy is commonly a world set in a contemporary setting where magic or paranormal events are accepted to exist but there is no defined HEA ending which is so necessary to the romance genre.

My love of UF is definitely influenced by my favorite authors; Karen Marie Moning is the author of the Fever series, my all time favorite set of books. They are a dark, gritty yet sexy UF which has twists and plot turns that constantly held my interest; the last book, Shadowfever, was an epic ending to a brilliantly written series. This is how I would also describe a few of my other ongoing series, Stacia Kane (Downside Ghosts), Patricia Briggs (Mercy Thompson), Chloe Neill (Chicagoland Vampires) & Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels). All of these series I cannot recommend highly enough.


I would like to thank Sharon for participating in my feature!
(don't forget to leave her a comment and to visit her blog)


Tuesday 26 April 2011

Teaser Tuesday #24: Bec

teasertuesdays31Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • Make sure you do not include spoilers
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Teaser Tuesday #24: Bec

"I touch the back of a leathery demon about twice my height. It looks down on my and laughs. I say a word and the nails of my fingers instantly lengthen, digging deep into the monster, piercing its skin, bones, inner organs. The hellish creature chokes, blood gurgling up its throat. My nails burst out the far side of its body. I say another word and jerk my hand away, snapping free of the nails, leaving them buried within. The demon collapses, shudders, then goes still."

Taken from Bec by Darren Shan, about halfway through the book. You can find this book on the Children's shelf in bookstores, yet there is nothing childish about this series at all. It comes with a deserved warning on the back: Seriously Scary. Review to come soon (:

Leave a comment with your teaser below!

Monday 25 April 2011

Review: Quicksilver by Joy Spraycar


Quicksilver by Joy Spraycar
3 out of 5 stars

Published by AuthorHouse
Review copy kindly provided by the author

When I started reading this book, I though "this book is awesome!" and I flew through the pages. I just wish this still was the case half-way through.

Basically, Quicksilver is about the eternal love between Serry and Quinton. They have a little problem with Quinton being a werewolf, and to cure him from that, they'll have to face Quinton's father and kill him.

Even though eternal love and reincarnation of your lovers soul isn't really my thing, I didn't find it annoying in this book. It was very well done and not so in-your-face. We start the book by seeing Quinton as he was as newly turned werewolf in the 19th century. I love historic novels, and it was a great introduction to the story.

The story then unfolds like you would expect it to. I won't spoil anything so there isn't much I can say about it. Then, in the middle of the book, something strange happens. You know, the big conflict every book has? It's solved in the middle of the book. Yeah.

Let me repeat that for you. The big problem the book is about, is solved half-way through the story. Every tension arc meets here. That means after that, normally, a book is finished. You may put a few chapters after it, to tell about what becomes of our heroes now. But not another 150 pages. 'Cause really, there isn't that much to tell any more. It might be too harsh to say the final half of the book was boring. But it definitely wasn't urging me on to read either.

Another issue I had with the solving of the big problem was how it was solved. One second, we're watching good old Quinton being not-so-heroic (wish I could tell more about that, but that would be spoiling) and the second after that, we're deus ex machina-ing all over the place! I can understand help from unexpected places, but this was taking that a little too far. What also struck me was that Quinton suddenly changed as character, without a clear reason for it. He turns from a normal guy into some kind of preacher. Let me quote a little bit of conversation between him and a white witch that helps him on his quest:
"My dear, Safrina, there is no need to fear. We will triumph over my father and his pack. There is nowhere they can go and nothing they can do that will thwart our efforts. We will win this war."
Do you speak to your friends in this way? I'm sure as hell I don't. It almost feels like we have two different books glued together in the middle, with different characters that bear the same name.

What also returns in the book quite often are dreams. Yet at the end of the book I still had no idea where these dreams come from or what they mean. Are they predictions of the future? Fears of our characters? Messages from above? As with other questions in this book, they aren't answered. There were so many unanswered questions that I though this book must be the start of a series, yet I can't seem to find any facts to confirm that.

This book is one of unfulfilled promises. If it would have ended about halfway, I would have given it a higher rating. Still, this is only my opinion. If you're interested, don't hesitate to see for yourself.

Blurb

A recurring nightmare holds Serry Miller in its grip and has for most of her life. In spite of her fear of the man who becomes a monster, she's in love with him. Not only does she have nightmares while she sleeps, she's living in one with an abusive, alcoholic husband. When Serry's drunken husband hit's Quinton Worthington's car, she sees the face of the man from her nightmares on a stretcher entering the hospital. When he looks at her and calls her by her name, she is plummeted into a life that she has only dreamed about. 

Quinton Worthington has suffered for over a hundred years. That's when his evil father ripped Serenity, the love of Quinton's life, from him. At the same time, he changed Quinton into a monster. When Quinton sees Serry's face in the hospital, he believes that Serenity has come back, and he will do anything to be with her. There's only one thing that stands in their way of having the life they want: Quinton's father.

Sunday 24 April 2011

Sunday Stew #4



Around the Web:


Happy Easter everyone! I have no idea why someone would put two fluffy rabbits in fake eggs and make a picture of it, but it looks extremely cute anyway! I so want to cuddle the right one, I mean, he looks like he has a big beard. And that cute little paw... Awwww ♥

Around Me:

Saturday 23 April 2011

Review: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning


Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
(Fever #1)
4.5 out of 5 stars

Published by Dell

Oh, Ms. Karen Marie Moning, how could you?! How could you leave us hanging like that? How are we supposed to live without having a sense of closure after that roller coaster ride that was your book? That's just plain sadistic. No really.

When her sister is killed in Ireland, small-town Georgia girl MacKayla Lane has no peace until the murderer is found. The police decides there aren't enough leads and close the case, leaving Mac no choice but to travel to Ireland herself and convince the police to open her sister's case again. When she sets foot in Dublin, she is within days sucked into a strange world where monsters exist, and only she can see them for what they are.

I loved this book. I love the way it's constructed, the voice in which it's written. I love the world that slowly but steadily unfolds before our eyes, where more and more Unseelie Fae are entering our world through a portal, infesting our cities and killing innocent humans. The only ones that can save mankind from being overrun by these monsters are the Sidhe-seers. These humans can see through the glamour of the Fae and see the real monster within them.

The world Ms. Moning has created isn't pretty. It's dark and gruesome. You can't trust anyone. Everyone has its own hidden agenda, including the supposedly good guys. Then, you throw our pink-loving small town girl from the Deep South Barbie heroine into this mess. I don't believe there could be a bigger contrast.

I've read a lot of reviews saying they couldn't stand Barbie 'cause she's so annoyingly shallow and not-heroic. I'm not going to lie to you, she totally is both things. She has two things working for her though. One, she is still grieving the loss of her sister, her best friend. Don't tell me you wouldn't do stupid things to revenge a loved one. Two, I don't think any regular human being has world-saving ambitions. In books we see the I-have-to-save-the-world-on-my-own complex a lot, but we all know that it isn't realistic. Mac is just an ordinary girl, maybe shallow and superficial, but can you blame her for not wanting to fight monsters straight from your worst nightmare?

One thing that did annoy me about Mac was not her habit to describe every piece of her wardrobe in detail, but her awful romantic chattering about the Deep South. I know that's where she comes from, and she is apparently damn proud of it, but do you have to measure every single thing that happens to you to how different it would be if you were back at home? It seems like every single person in her home town is extremely kind, hospitable and polite. Personally, I hate small towns. The idea that everyone knows you and knows what you do every second of the damned day freaks me out. Sometimes I wanted to give Mac a nice slap to the head and tell her that not everything that's different from provincial life is a bad thing.

I would have probably given this book 5 stars, if it wasn't for the terrible cliffhanger at the end. I thoroughly hate it when a writer doesn't give you any sense of an ending. We read the whole thing, but now we are forced to buy part two of the series. Which will probably end with a cliffhanger too. That's so not cool. Problem is, I will probably buy the second part of the series, Bloodfever, very soon anyway.

Darkfever was an awesome urban-fantasy book, especially for a first book in a series. Beware of the cliffhanger ending.

Blurb

MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman. Or so she thinks... until something extraordinary happens.

When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle 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, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women–closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book–because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands...

Friday 22 April 2011

Follow Friday #19

 
 
 Hosted by Parajunkee
This week's feature: Caitlin @ The Cait Files
Weekly Question:
What is on your current playlist right now?

I have a rather diverse playlist. At the top there is the wonderful Hannah Fury, next comes Placebo and my all time favourite Billy Talent.

Leave a comment so I can return the visit!

Thursday 21 April 2011

Books I Love: Paranormal Romance

Books I Love is a weekly feature hosted by Nyx Book Reviews where a guest blogger can gush about his or her favourite genre of choice. 
This week's Books I Love guest blogger:


Rebecca about Paranormal Romance!



Hi all! I’m Rebecca from kindle fever and I’m very excited to write a guest post for this new feature Books I Love! It was kind of tricky for me to decide what kind of genre I would talk about, since I can read most of them (as long as they have romance in them), but I decided to go with the one I’ve been mostly hooked on lately: Paranormal Romance.

I’ve often been asked why I read specifically paranormal books and what would be so special about vampires, and I have to say it’s a very difficult question to answer. Honestly I don’t know really, but I will try to see if I can get some of my thoughts out there to you all! I can start by mentioning though, that it’s not vampires specifically that draw me towards the paranormal elements; rather that there are so many different creatures that fascinate me. Sure, it was vampires that started it all (actually Young Adult ones at that—The Twilight Saga), but nowadays that’s not at all what I’m looking for. I’m not even a YA fan anymore.

You know, one of the major things that make me interested in PNR, is the fact that I love mythology. I’ve always done it, but I’ve never really thought of it too much before. Even when I was little I loved fantasy books; you all remember Harry Potter, right? When it comes to anything concerning mythology and world building, my brain is like a sponge. My friends even started calling me their mythology dictionary a while ago, since I basically know everything about most mythologies and all of the different takes on different creatures.

To me a great mythology and worldbuilding is almost as important as the story itself; as long as it’s a good one, it can raise the bar for the whole book. I love reading Contemporary Romances once in a while—and I really like doing so—but the thing is that PNR has much more to offer than only romance. That’s also the reason as to why I like Historical Romances second to the paranormal ones, since they don’t take place in our world, but takes us someplace else. This is also why I’m not really a fan of the Urban Fantasy books, since they have the mythologies and worldbuildings, but they lack the romance. Do you see where I’m going?

But why this fixation with romance? Well, I’ve always been a sucker for romance. I’m not sure why, but I have. It doesn’t matter if it’s a romantic comedy or a drama—I just love it. Perhaps you could say I love love. I love the fact that you can feel so strongly about a person that you would do anything for them. I’m not even asking them to do so, just the feeling that you could or knowing that you would. In books though, this is usually put up to test which usually always have my heart beating like crazy.

Another thing with my PNRs is that they usually have these old fashioned men, since they’re most often the ones having lived for hundreds of years. And let’s face it; those men appear to appreciate their women a whole lot more than the ones in our society, don’t they? Plus, they’re usually these darker and arrogant men as well who never think they’ll find love and then ends up doing every thing for this one woman who turns out to be the right one. What’s not to love with that?

PNRs also offer the idea of love for eternity; for you to live with your loved one forever. Can it be any more romantic? Sigh. Don’t take me the wrong way here though; I’m not saying I want eternal life. And I know that it’s no guarantee a relationship would even survive for that long. But that’s not really the point either. These are imaginary stories meant for us to be able and dream. To me, they kind of symbolize that our love can be eternal, we just have to make that choice. And if we do, we can be with each other always. With all of our loved ones. We just have to believe.

Yes, I’m a complete sucker for love. And yes, I love being drawn into a completely different world when I read. Nothing wrong with that, is it? ;)


I would like to thank Rebecca for being the first one to participate in my feature!
(don't forget to leave her a comment and to visit her blog)

If you want to be featured on Books I Love, feel free to send an email to nyxbookreviews(at)gmail.com with "Guest Blogger" in the subject line.

Tuesday 19 April 2011

Blog Tour: The Trouble With Spells by Lacey Weatherford

Guest Post: Vance Meet & Greet with the Fans!


Hey everyone, Vance here.

First off, I would like to thank you all for your overwhelming support. It’s nice to be appreciated by so many, despite all my flaws. I personally fail to see what the big draw is for all you ladies, but if you feel the need to have your little “Vance fests” over me then who am I to stop you? Carry on and enjoy yourselves. I don’t mind. (Flashes a sexy grin)

I do have to say that some of you seem pretty feisty, which is kind of fun to watch if I’m being truthful. However, that being said, there are a few things I should probably mention.

First off, to the wonderful lady who keeps contacting me, thank you so much for loving me, for promoting me, and for all the emails and tweets, but girl, as fun as I’m sure it would be, I don’t think Portia would appreciate it if I tried to help you have a baby. But thank you so much for considering me worthy to add to your gene pool. (gives a wink)

To the fun group of gals from overseas, yes I am a healer, and while I would be honored to hop on a plane and come use my powers to help you out when needed, I do not serve comfort food shirtless, or cuddle up in thick blankets with my “patients” to warm them back to health. (chuckles a bit) Nor do I do not spoon feed, or nurse in any capacity. I’ll just lay my hands on your skin and get the deed done real quickly. (shakes head) Wow! That sounded really bad! I just totally emasculated myself.

(A female voice with a Scottish accent cat calls from the audience: “Take your shirt off!” Vance surprises everyone when he happily obliges with a giant smile, cocking that sexy eyebrow at the crowd while he does a couple of flexes much to the delight of swooning women everywhere! He laughs out loud at the response and puts his shirt back on to dismayed boos from the fans! He just grins and brushes them off with a hand and continues.)

You liked that did you? Well then you can join me in this little rant to my dear author when I say “What gives, Lacey?” While I appreciate you have written me to be uber hot and sexy, what does a guy have to do to catch a break with you? Why don’t you come over here sweetheart and let me make out with you for a bit. When I finally get you all hot and bothered we’ll just suddenly change up the scene or fade to black! That’s so not right to leave me hanging like that all the time! Let a guy have a little fun once in a while! (He grins as crowd cheers again.) See! The women want it too! (He nods to them appreciatively.) You gals are great! I hope you all have some lucky guy in your life who appreciates you!

For anyone else I may have missed I truly enjoy your attention and strive to be worthy of it. It’s been a lot of fun to get to read your comments and remarks about me throughout this tour, but I’ve got to go now. My baby’s waiting for me to tuck her into bed and that’s and appointment I never miss.

Goodnight ladies. Sweet dreams.


~Vance Mangum, Of Witches and Warlocks~


Lacey Weatherford has always had a love of books. She wanted to become a writer after reading her first Nancy Drew novel at the age of eight. She resides in the White Mountains of Arizona , where she lives with her wonderful husband, six beautiful children, one son-in-law and their energetic schnauzer, Sophie. When she's not out supporting one of her kids at their sporting/music events, she spends her time writing, reading, blogging, and reviewing books.

We want to reward all the wonderful followers of this blog tour, so what better way to do that than to give away a free Kindle and Of Witches and Warlocks Swag! Being entered to win is easy! All you have to do is follow the tour each day and search for the highlighted words in the post. There may be only one word on some days or two or more on others, so be sure to read the whole post. They could be anywhere…even in this description! Keep collecting the words each day to build a certain phrase. At the end of the tour on April 22nd, bring your completed phrase to The Delusional Diaries and submit it into the form to be entered into the Kindle drawing! Did you miss a day? No worries! Just follow the linky list on The Delusional Diaries to the post for that day and search for it. After you have submitted the special phrase, add up all the times you commented on the different posts during the tour and add that number for extra entries! Lots of chances! So come join in the FUN!

Review: The Trouble With Spells by Lacey Weatherford (Blog Tour)


The Trouble With Spells by Lacey Weatherford
(Of Witches And Warlocks #1)
4 out of 5 stars

Published by Global Authors Publications
Received a review copy from the author
Blog tour hosted by The Bookish Snob Promotions

First, I would like to thank Lacey, for the wonderful tour! I hope she enjoyed it as much as I did (;

Now, as for the book. I really enjoyed reading about the magical human kind of powers again. After all those werewolves and vampires, it's nice to read about the grandma with a coven hiding in her basement. Who wouldn't want such a grandma?

When Portia turns sixteen, she learns that she has magical powers. Together with her grandma and father she is in a coven, where she discovers that Vince, the hottest guy in school, is a warlock. They fall in a love so strong they can't even stand to be separated any more. But Vince has a dark past that catches up with him...

The Trouble With Spells is a very romance heavy book. Almost suffocatingly so. They bind themselves together with magic, like a magical engagement, making it physically hurt to be apart from each other. It was the complete opposite of the usual romantic plot line of a young-adult novel. There is no angsty "does he really like me" rambling, but unconditional love. Maybe it's cynical me speaking, but I thought it to be a tiny bit scary. It's like marrying on your sixteenth. It was well written though, and their love for each other, while a bit creepy, was very believable. You can understand why they care for each other, and this is one of those things that's really hard to achieve in a book.

One of the best things about this book was the magic part. I liked the descriptions about the rituals and the spells. Even though this book has its foundation in an old concept, it doesn't feel corny at all. There were some really cool new abilities added that made me very excited.

I liked both the main characters Portia and Vance a lot. They both have their flaws, but they only get more likeable because of them. I think Vance will make a lot of women all over the world swoon and flutter! As for secondary characters, I especially loved Portia's grandmother. A spell casting granny. That's so awesome.

If you're looking for a good paranormal romance young-adult that deals with a one true love, The Trouble With Spells is definitely a book for you.

Blurb

Portia Mullins had always lived the life of a normal teenager, up until her sixteenth birthday. She is then informed by her grandma that she is actually a witch who is a descendant from a long line of witches and warlocks. After overcoming her disbelief she finds that being a member of the coven comes with one great perk in the form of the school's handsome bad boy, Vance Mangum. Vance and Portia have an immediate connection as a budding romance begins, only to be threatened by turbulent skies on the horizon as Vance's checkered past rears its ugly head to haunt them. Portia is forced to use her untried powers in defense of everything she loves in a desperate attempt to hold on to the one thing that really matters in her life.

Blog Tour

The Trouble With Spells is part of a blog tour hosted by The Bookish Snob Promotions.

Monday 18 April 2011

Should Bloggers Post Negative Reviews?


Lately there seem to be countless incidents in which reviewers are being attacked for expressing their honest opinion about a book. This rises the question, should you post negative reviews on your blog/Goodreads/Amazon etc?

I think the following has happened to almost everyone that has been blogging for a while. An author contacts you  and asks you to review his or her book. You read the blurb, read some reviews and decide to give the book a try. Sadly enough, you don't like it. At all. What to do now? Not post the review, and offending the author you promised a review to, or do post the review, and offending the author by giving the book him or her provided a bad review. 

I have been faced with that dilemma multiple times, and I have done both the not posting and the posting. Personally, I lean towards the post-your-bad-review camp. The only time I've decided against it was when I was part of a certain book tour, and I couldn't get through the book. I did like the author though, and I'm sure other people will absolutely love the book, but it wasn't for me. Maybe it was just bad timing, I don't know. Anyway, I didn't want to spoil the author's book tour, so I just did my tour stop like a good girl, but didn't add a review to it.

However, I think you should be able to post your not so good reviews as a blogger. If we would all only write raving reviews, how can readers decide for themselves if they would like the book or not? To be properly informed, you should know both the good and the bad. Before I buy the book I always read some 1 or 2-star reviews on Goodreads. If they complain about things that don't bother me, I'm almost a hundred percent sure I'll like the book and it will be safe to buy it.

If you only post 5-star reviews, there is also the problem that no one believes that you write your own honest opinion any more. And that's exactly what being a reviewer is about. We don't get paid by any company. People read our blogs because we love reading and we like to talk about our experiences as readers.

One thing that I think no blogger should ever do, is to attack an author personally. You can hate a book, sure. But don't make it a personal fight. And just because you didn't like it doesn't mean that someone else can't like it.

In my opinion everyone should review the way he or she feels is right. As long as you stay honest, and stay kind.

What do you think? Do you write negative reviews? And what do you do if you have "befriended" an author, would you still post a negative review? Leave a comment and join the discussion!

Sunday 17 April 2011

Sunday Stew #3



Around the Web: Not really a web thing, but I found a very pretty picture.

I went book shopping yesterday (bought six very awesome books) in this beautiful book store in Maastricht, The Netherlands.


You jealous already? Basically, it's a book store inside a church. Too bad their English section is a bit small for my taste, but its looks totally make up for that. It's been chosen as the best bookshop in the world by The Guardian. And it's only thirty minutes from home :D.

Around Me:

Friday 15 April 2011

Win a Kindle!


The Trouble With Spells Blog Tour hosted by The Bookish Snob Promotions is coming to an end. Only a few stops to go, including Nyx Book Reviews (Tuesday the 19th).

So enter in the Kindle contest while you still can!

Follow Friday #18

 
 
 Hosted by Parajunkee
This week's feature: Marie & Brie @ Romance Around the Corner

Weekly Question:
Do you have anyone you can discuss books with IRL?

Sad, but no. I do constantly bother some people with what I'm reading right now, or that book that's totally awesome. But I don't know anyone that both reads as much as I do, and reads the same kind of books. That's why I'm so thankful for the internet!

Leave a comment so I can return the visit!

Thursday 14 April 2011

Review: Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce


Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
(Sisters Red #1)
4 out of 5 stars

Published by Hodder Children's Books

When I read in other people's reviews that this book is loosely based on the Red Riding Hood fairytale, this story was not what I was expecting at all.

In Sisters Red the story follows Scarlett and Rosie that have made it their personal mission to rid the world of the Fenris. After a brutal attack of a werewolf at their home Scarlett is scarred all over her body and she only has one eye left. With the help of long-time family friend Silas, they hunt on the Fenris. But how can three teens go up against the hundreds of Fenris?

It seems like there is a new trend developing in young-adult fiction. After a whole wave of angsty teenage girls that needed a supernatural boyfriend to save them (following the Twilight trend) I'm reading book after book of kick-ass heroines that know how to wield guns, bows or in this case even axes and throwing daggers. I love seeing more girls that know how to fight back in books. Being the damsel in distress doesn't cut it any more.

What surprised me most in this book was the great emphasis on the sister-relationship. Yes, I should have seen that one coming. It was interesting to see how these two sisters feel so alike, yet are both so completely different. For me it was hard to sympathise with such a close bond between two siblings. Their connection goes a lot further than the ordinary sister-love.

The story is basically about two things. One, finding your own identity and how to deal with changing relationships. Two, go out hunting and killing some monsters to save the innocent. Sometimes I had the feeling this was about everything this book has to it, with some filling between the two.

(Trying not to spoil anything.) I think the biggest problem was that I figured out the massive exciting oh-my-god plot twist after about fifty pages. While reading through the story I kept going "No...It can't be that easy, right?". Turns out, it was. Maybe I've read so many books that I just assume that the unassumable must be the solution. I was disappointed that I was right. It doesn't really make me feel clever or a good mystery-solver. I like to be surprised with something I didn't see coming at all. (End of possible spoiling area.)

Sisters Red is a very decent read. I think a lot of young-adults can identify themselves with Rosie, who wants to be someone else than her environment wants her to be. There is quite some gore, so maybe this isn't for the easily scared, but overall this is a well-written book. I would recommend this to all those very close sisters out there. I think those will thoroughly enjoy this story.


Blurb

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.

Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for?

Tuesday 12 April 2011

Teaser Tuesday #23: The Other Side Of Life

teasertuesdays31Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • Make sure you do not include spoilers
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Teaser Tuesday #23: The Other Side Of Life

“He waved a hand in front of the hidden camera situated in a crack in the stone wall, watching the small screen on his N-Gage wrist device. The screen showed the scene at the church—empty—with no sign of him, or his moving hand. Debug: successful, he noted."


Taken from my review copy of The Other Side Of Life (Book 1 in the Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy) by Jess C Scott. I have no idea what this book is about, but it definitely sounds interesting.

Leave your teaser below!

Sunday 10 April 2011

Sunday Stew #2



Around the Web: When browsing around on Youtube looking for book trailers, I came across this one. I have never heard of the author or her books, but I absolutely loved her trailer! Come on, it has purple My Little Ponies! (For the quickly bored: it starts at 0:40)


Around Me:

Friday 8 April 2011

Follow Friday #17

 
 
 Hosted by Parajunkee
This week's feature: Lesley @ My Keeper Shelf

Weekly Question:
Do you judge a book by its cover?

Oh yes. Definitely. Usually the cover is the first thing about a book that appeals to me. If the cover is ugly or if it doesn't stand out, I'm not that inclined to pick it up. I never let the cover influence my opinion on the book itself though. 

Leave a comment so I can return the visit!

Thursday 7 April 2011

Looking For Guest Bloggers!

I'm still looking for some more bloggers that are willing to participate in a feature I'll be starting towards the end of this month.

In this feature, every Wednesday there will be one guest post from a book lover here on Nyx Book Reviews, talking about his or her favourite genre of books. This can range from anything like contemporary young-adults to urban fantasy. In this post he or she will talk about why they love this genre so much and maybe show a book as example.

Do you want to see your post featured on Nyx Book Reviews? Contact me at nyxbookreviews(at)gmail.com with "Guest Blogger" in the title. Feel free to ask any questions (:

Wednesday 6 April 2011

Review: Stray by Rachel Vincent

Stray by Rachel Vincent
(Shifters #1)
2.5 out of 5 stars

Published by Mira

Stray really was one big meh for me. There was nothing that really stood out. Yes, I know, I haven't read about werecats before. Yet, these cats live together in a system that reminds a lot of the werewolf hierarchy like in Bitten. Main character Faythe was a little bit too ignorant for my taste. She has one hell of a strange view on the world. She constantly boasts around that she's so tough, she's not weak, she can handle anything! Yet when anyone tells her bad news (yes, it was horrible news, but still) she faints. Yeah. You're so tough.

The romance was more lust than love. I know they were supposed to have this history together, but I don't see the attraction. He is so idiotically possessive, while Faythe seems to rebel against anyone that wants to protect her. I have no idea how she can love Mr. I-beat-the-crap-out-of-a-guy-because-he-touched-you-once.

Except that this book lends itself well for ranting, I don't really see how this book stands out from the gigantic amount of urban-fantasy books out there. It's way too long (a massive 600+ pages) for a story that starts to pick up around halfway. When the action finally arrived I did like it though. The writing in itself is not bad at all, and it was quite enjoyable.

There are some scenes that crossed the fine line of my comfort zone. There was sexual assault and graphic torture. What stung me most was that the torture was performed by the "good guys". I'm sorry, I just can't live with that. I feel like we should be warned or something. You can't see from the cover or the blurb that this book has such violent aspects.

Not a big fan of this one, especially because I couldn't agree with the heroine at all. I have heard that the series does get better with every book, and though Faythe won't win a science quiz, she does gain some more common sense. I think I will read the next book in the series, but I definitely won't be rushing to get it.

Blurb

There are only eight breeding female werecats left...

And I'm one of them.

I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.
Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.
I'd been warned about Strays -- werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female, and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared. 


This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back... for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever -- and whoever -- I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays -- 'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them...

Tuesday 5 April 2011

Teaser Tuesday #22

teasertuesdays31Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • Make sure you do not include spoilers
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Teaser Tuesday #22: Sisters Red

“I feign obliviousness to the sound of his dull footsteps in the darkness behind me and tug my crimson cloak tighter around my shoulders. I give a fake shiver as a breeze whips trough  my glossy hair. That's right... come along, now. Think about how badly you want to devour me. Think of how good my heart will taste."

Taken from the first chapter of Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce. In this book the werewolves aren't cute and fluffy, but relentless killers. And teenage sisters Scarlett and Rosie have made it their task to protect the innocent humans from these monsters.

Leave your teaser below! (:

Sunday 3 April 2011

Sunday Stew #1

Shannon of Books Devoured is doing a new meme on Sunday, and as I don't have anything scheduled on Sunday, why not participate!



Around the Web: I'll be getting a Kindle 3G in a few months, and I'm looking into cases and skins. And I found this awesome site, GelaSkins, where they have super cute skins that aren't that expensive. I absolutely loved this one:

It has like... monsters on it! Anyone bought skins from this site before?

Around Me: I'll be using this to summarize my posts of this week:

Saturday 2 April 2011

Review: Invasion by Jon S. Lewis (+ Mini Interview!)

Invasion by Jon S. Lewis
(C.H.A.O.S. #1)
5 out of 5 stars

Published by Thomas Nelson
ARC received through Netgalley

It's been a while since I've read such a powerful science-fiction book. Invasion is a surprisingly gripping read. The second an alien that looked like Bigfoot came up, I was hooked.

When his parents die in a strange car accident, Colt has to live with his WW2 veteran grandfather. Yet he cannot get the idea out of his head that something about his parents' death isn't right. He suspects that one of the worlds largest companies, Trident Biotech, has something to do with it. While trying to uncover the truth about his parents' death, Colt discovers a world normal human beings never see...

Young-adult science-fiction is not an easy genre to write in. Because the story needs to be fast-paced so the younger readers don't lose interest, there is not much room left for extensive world building. I love the way how we learn about the aliens together with Colt. What I also really like is that this isn't about the standard green-men-in-suits-from-space kind of aliens. It actually reminded me a lot of the movie Men in Black.

And with all those aliens, we of course have to have some very, very awesome gadgets. I mean, souring through the air on a motorcycle with retractable wings? No one can convince me that isn't really cool. I had such a great time reading about this and jetpacks and special weapons that made my inner geek very excited.

The only problem I had with this book is one I seem to be having quite often these days. Sometimes is astonishes me how naive one can be. In this book though, this was only a minor annoyance, because most of those moments could easily be explained by the age of our main characters. You can't really expect from a bunch of teenagers to grasp the extend of the situation right away. And in the end, they do, it only took them a while.

I think this is a wonderfully fast-paced book that a lot of young-adults, both boys and girls, will enjoy. And as an adult, I think you would be equally entertained by this book. I definitely recommend this to anyone that loves science-fiction.

Blurb

He didn't ask for the job, but now all that stands between us and chaos... is Colt

Colt McAlister was having the summer of his life. He spent his days surfing and his nights playing guitar on the beach with friends. He even met a girl and got his first car. But everything changes when his parents are killed in a freak accident.

He's forced to leave his old life behind and move to Arizona with his grandfather. The only person he knows at the new high school is a childhood friend named Dani. And Oz, a guy he's sure he's never met but who is strangely familiar.

But what if his parents' death wasn't an accident? His mother, an investigative reporter, was going to expose a secret mind-control program run by one of the world's largest companies. Before she could release the story, what if agents from Trident Biotech made sure she couldn't go public?

Vowing to uncover the truth, Colt gets drawn into a secret world of aliens, shapeshifters, flying motorcycles, and invisible gateways.

The Invasion has begun.

Mini interview

Jon was so nice to answer three of my questions, even though he is in the middle of finishing his second novel!
  • NBR: Did you read a lot of comics when you were young?
Jon: All the time. It probably started with the Super Friends cartoon. I'd wake up early every Saturday morning, grab a bowl of Captain Crunch (with crunch berries, of course) and I'd be glued. Then I started to buy comics at convenience stores on those old spinner racks. And I still buy them today. I go to my local comic shop every Wednesday.
  • If you could have one of the CHAOS gadgets in real life, which one would that be and why?
A jet pack, hands down! I can only imagine the incredible sensation of flying without the aid of an airplane to protect you. It would be like a roller coaster ride times infinity!
  • You're currently in the middle of finishing the second book in the series, what adventures will there be in store for us the next book?
We just came up with the name -- FLIGHT -- and it's going to pick up where INVASION took off. Colt and Oz are transferring to the CHAOS Academy where they'll be trained to save us all against the coming invasion by a bunch of shapeshifting aliens that look a little like walking lizards with six arms. But trouble follows Colt, and pretty soon what he thought were a series of unrelated accidents start to look like an assassination attempt.

If you want to know more about Jon or his books, you can check out his site.

Friday 1 April 2011

On My TBR Pile

Okay, I'm feeling pretty bad today. It has been way too long since I've posted something, I haven't even posted a review in a week and I'm behind with reacting to my comments. Basically, it comes down to the good old "I'm too busy". Which I am, because I'm having exams once again, as it's that time of the year. The only good thing about that is that I'm getting a very shiny Kindle when I'm finished with them! It helps to have something to look forward to.

And because I have nothing scheduled today, I'll just post about some books that stand on my shelves, patiently waiting until I'm ready to give them some attention. A book is never ungrateful and never holds a grudge. The same is said about dogs. Maybe that's why we love them both so much.

So, the top five books that I really, really have to read:

The Trouble With Spells by Lacey Weatherford

Portia Mullins had always lived the life of a normal teenager, up until her sixteenth birthday. She is then informed by her grandma that she is actually a witch who is a descendant from a long line of witches and warlocks. After overcoming her disbelief she finds that being a member of the coven comes with one great perk in the form of the school's handsome bad boy, Vance Mangum. Vance and Portia have an immediate connection as a budding romance begins, only to be threatened by turbulent skies on the horizon as Vance's checkered past rears its ugly head to haunt them. Portia is forced to use her untried powers in defense of everything she loves in a desperate attempt to hold on to the one thing that really matters in her life.

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman.

Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.

When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle 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...

Quicksilver by Joy Spraycar

A recurring nightmare holds Serry Miller in its grip and has for most of her life. In spite of her fear of the man who becomes a monster, she's in love with him. Not only does she have nightmares while she sleeps, she's living in one with an abusive, alcoholic husband. When, Serry's drunken husband hit's Quinton Worthington's car, she sees the face of the man from her nightmares on a stretcher entering the hospital. When he looks at her and calls her by her name, she is plummeted into a life that she has only dreamed about. Quinton Worthington has suffered for over a hundred years. That's when his evil father ripped Serenity, the love of Quinton's life, from him. At the same time, he changed Quinton into a monster. When Quinton sees Serry's face in the hospital, he believes that Serenity has come back, and he will do anything to be with her. There's only one thing that stands in their way of having the life they want: Quinton's father.

Twilight's Ashes by Auler Ivis

The year is 635,039 A.D., and the world has descended into an ice age. Human beings no longer rule the Earth. Instead, a post-human race of creatures has emerged from the chaos, and they are hell-bent on destroying "prehistoric man" in order to take control of the planet. Against them stands nothing but a prophecy, foretelling the victorious arrival of the Seventh Shepherd.Jebden Gale is an unlikely hero. Living in an isolated village deep within the new ice sheet, he has a special ability to connect with a higher power. Although he despises his relationship with the gods, Jebden appears to be chosen by them for greatness. Could he possibly be the Seventh Shepherd?
Time is short. The godless post-human hordes sweep the world, destroying surviving human enclaves one by one while their dying race waits for a sign. In order to strengthen Jebden, the gods must forge a partnership among the few remaining humans with the ability to guide their chosen one. But will Jebden realize his destiny in time, or will his weakness mean the end of the human race?

The Eye of the Storm

The Eye of the Storm opens the Stritonoly Chronicles series in glorious style on sci-fi-cafe.com.
Dmitri, son of the Czar of Stritonoly, driven insane by the forbidden poison of the slave-race Acidel sets in motion a catastrophic chain of events.
A terrifying and eternal force stalks the forest nearby as a storm of epic proportions gathers over the Citadel.