Review: The Lion by Nelson DeMille

Thanks to Anna at Hachette Books for sending me a review copy of this title.



About the Book

In this eagerly awaited follow-up to The Lion's Game, John Corey, former NYPD Homicide detective and special agent for the Anti-Terrorist Task Force, is back. And, unfortunately for Corey, so is Asad Khalil, the notorious Libyan terrorist otherwise known as "The Lion." Last we heard from him, Khali had claimed to be defecting to the US only to unleash the most horrific reign of terrorism ever to occur on American soil. While Corey and his partner, FBI agent Kate Mayfield, chased him across the country, Khalil methodically eliminated his victims one by one and then disappeared without a trace.

Now, years later, Khalil has returned to America to make good on his threats and take care of unfinished business. "The Lion" is a killing machine once again loose in America with a mission of revenge, and John Corey will stop at nothing to achieve his own goal -- to find and kill Khahil.

You can get more information about The Lion by visiting Hachette's website.

You can visit Nelson DeMille's website.

You can also "Like" The Lion on Facebook.

My Review

This was a great story! I wasn't instantly drawn into it, but once it got going I couldn't pull myself away from it.

I hadn't read the first in this series, so there was a bit that I think I was missing from this one, but I don't think it deterred from the story at all. I was able to piece together what had happened in the first book and pieced together the back story.

I've never read DeMille before, but I'd heard great things about his writing. I wasn't disappointed! There is quite a bit of wit in the writing. I don't know if it was just the nature of the main character, John Corey, or if it's a common thing for DeMille, but it made this story easier. I think without the witticisms this could have been a very difficult and dark book.

I really liked Cory. He was witty, he was strong, and (like us all) he had faults. His drive to finish what The Lion started was so strong. While not all of The Lion's actions were meant to egg on Corey, Corey seemed to take them all quite personally. Although since The Lion promised Corey that he would be back to finish what he started I guess there was a vendetta to settle, and since Corey knew what The Lion's plans entailed I can see how he took everything personally.

The story was pretty intense. But again, the wit helped to break it up. It didn't make the story any less serious, but it made it not so dark and hopeless.

The narrator was pretty good. He wasn't mundane, but he wasn't the most lively narrator I've ever listened to. He gave the characters their own voices, and did a pretty good job at helping the listener to differentiate who was talking.

The Lion

Review: The Mask of the River King by Jules Wellesley

I won a review copy of this title from a giveaway on LibraryThing.



About the Book

Frey has spent his life as a slave mining ancient ruins left behind by a lost race, the Anunai. But when an explorer comes searching for a powerful relic, Frey joins him on an adventure that spans worlds. From floating cities to cloud ships, every step of Frey's journey takes him closer to battle with the evil Dravikos, whose quest to control the Mask of the River King threatens all life.

My Review

I've been reading this book for a long time. It's got a good premise, and the world that Jules creates in this one is beautiful. I just can't seem to keep things straight in this one. I don't know why, but it's been very difficult for me to read. Every time I pick it up I have to go back and re-read a bit of it to re-orient myself as to what is going on.

I really want to like it. I like Frey, the main character. He really seems to be coming into his own. The other characters are so neat. The way some of them are mixed breeds is a cool concept. They're not mixed like characters we're familiar with, from mythology or something, they're really unique mixes.

The idea of the Nexus is a really cool idea. It gives the book endless possibilities.

I just, for whatever reason, can not get situated with this one. I really want to like it, and I've been trying to. I just can't get there...

It's got some great qualities. The world(s) that Wellesley creates are amazing. I would love to give this a much better review, as I think it has the potential to be a great book.

Giveaway: Tempted by Fate by Kate Perry

Thanks to Anna at Hachette Books I can giveaway 5 copies of this one!



About the Book

Willow Tarata is a Guardian who trusts no one. She hunts those who prey on the vulnerable. And she's driven by a vengeful goal-find the man who murdered her mother. Yet suddenly Willow's quarry now has her on the run . . . straight into the sights of San Francisco's most dangerous detective.

Three bizarre murders have Inspector Rick Ramirez baffled-and determined to uncover the truth. But to catch the real killer, he needs the help of his prime suspect, Willow Tarata, even though this fierce and sexy blonde is challenging his professional cool. And now, unless they believe in each other and trust their deepest instincts, a relentless evil will end both Willow's and Rick's life-and claim this Guardian's extraordinary powers forever . . .

To find out more about Tempted by Fate please visit Hachette Book Group.

You can also read my review here.

Giveaway Info

The giveaway will end 12/21/10 at 11:59pm (EST)

From here on out I will only be taking form entries. Comment entries will no longer be accepted. Thank you everyone for helping make the forms a success!

Rules:
1) Only winners from the US and Canada
2) No PO boxes

To enter:
1) Fill out this form.
2) Get an extra entry for following my blog.
3) Get a third entry for mentioning this giveaway: On your blog, facebook, twitter... anywhere (Make sure to leave me a link or your SN so I can verify!)
5) "Like" Just Jennifer Reading on Facebook.

Please RT: @JustJennReading: New Giveaway: Tempted by Fate by Kate Perry Ends 12/21/10 http://tiny.cc/txhis

Remember to use this form. Comment entries will no longer be valid entries into the giveaways.

You can see the current entries here.

The winners will be randomly drawn and notified by email.

Good Luck and thank you for reading my blog!

Review: Tempted by Fate by Kate Perry

Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group for letting me be a part of this Blog Tour!



About the Book

For more information about Tempted by Fate please visit Hachette's website.

You can also visit Kate Perry's website or her blog.

Kate Perry is also on MySpace and Twitter.



My Review

This was a really good story. I'd kind of gotten burn out on historical romance so I'd left romance alone altogether for a little while. This is the first romance I've read in a few months and it was refreshing to get back into the genre with such a well written specimen.

Willow was a great main character. She was spunky, witty, independent, and everything else you could want from a heroine. I liked her. Ramirez was nice... I used the model on the cover as a basis for what Ramirez looked like, and he is very nice :-) But my favorite character was Morgan and Lita was a close second. But Morgan is a computer genius. While I'm far from a computer genius I am a bit of a nerd so I was able to connect with her. She also plays as Willow's better judgment, as Willow doesn't always use her own good judgment... And Lita was such a sweet character. She was so knowing (beyond just the knowing the comes with being a grandmother) and was able to see what the future was going to hold for Ramirez and Willow.

I haven't read the first two in this series and I didn't feel lost in this one. While I do want to go back and read the first two I didn't feel like I was missing a piece of the puzzle.

The story itself was a good one. Willow, a guardian of the wood scroll, is trying to find the bad man who killed her mother when she was a young girl. The search has lead her to San Fransisco where she meets Ramirez. The chemistry between them is great, even though they both try to fight it.

I liked the story and I loved the characters. I really do want to get the first two in the series and get the background of the guardians and then I want to see where the next book is going to go, as this one set the stage for something really big. I can't wait to see what it is!

Tempted by Fate (The Guardians of Destiny)

Today we have a guest post from author Mark Hersberger author of Tokyo Lives. Today he's going to talk a little about his book and the setting of the book.



Welcome to Shibuya, Tokyo’s hippest, most happening neighborhood. By day teenagers and young adults from across Japan flock to the trendy department stores and boutiques. Schoolgirls in their “sailor suit” uniforms roam in packs, while well-manicured office ladies tote $1,000 handbags. The silver, cylindrical Shibuya 109 presides as a youth fashion Mecca and Shibuya’s literal and figurative epicenter.

As night falls the vibe transforms and Shibuya re-casts itself as one of Tokyo’s raunchiest, most decadent red-light districts. In a tangle of alleys known as the Dogenzaka—or Love Hotel Hill—bright neon signs glowing pink and red light the maze of streets. Fleshy female images tease passersby. The strip clubs, porn shops, and prostitution houses cater to every sexual fantasy imaginable—and some that are unimaginable. Salarymen, Japan’s black-suited army of corporate warriors, canvass the alleys in small groups as they look to blow off steam after another 14-hour day. And the Dogenzaka is ruled with an iron fist by the yakuza, Japan’s shadowy, secretive network of organized crime families.

I chose to focus on Shibuya for this blog post because it is essential to the plot of Tokyo Lives, my mystery novel. The neighborhood is as unique as any character in the book, and in many ways plays a dual role of setting and character. Shibuya has its own life and pulse, its own identity and personality. Shibuya breathes, it shows emotions. It lusts, it desires. When Megumi, a teenage runaway turned prostitute is murdered, Shibuya weeps and mourns her passing. Shibuya is by turns tragic hero and ruthless villain.

Shibuya’s personality is as layered as any character’s in the book. By day it’s young and fanciful, even innocent. At night it’s dark and foreboding, electric and energizing. Its mood can change day by day, minute by minute, block by block.

Each character has a unique, personal relationship with Shibuya. Megumi flees her rural roots, lured to Shibuya by the chance at money and a new life. Shibuya is to be her savior, though it ends up killing her. By contrast, The Snake, a grizzled, whiskey-swilling gangster, is from Shibuya and will do anything to escape. Corruption, greed, and family in-fighting drive him to the brink of emotional despair. But there’s too much holding him back. Shibuya and its rag-tag collection of gangsters, mama-sans, and hustlers will never let him leave.

Everyone who’s visited Shibuya has a deeply personal relationship with the neighborhood. For me, Shibuya was the ultimate microscope through which to study Japan. The clash of teenage innocence and exuberance colliding with the adult word’s deepest, darkest secrets left me fascinated. A casual stroll through the back alleys reveals glimpses of all its characters: teenage runaways huddled in corners using their backpacks as pillows; slick-suited yakuza prowling for their next scheme; thrill-seeking salarymen looking for an escape. Simply put, there’s nothing like Shibuya in the United States. The neighborhood served as my muse, and I had to write about it.

I love that you let the location "tell" the story. I have lived in some seedy places in my life (like my first apartment with the 6-ft barbwire fence around the property and bullet hole in the window) so I was able to get some of the location, but I don't think even with my experience I can fully appreciate Shibuya. I also think that using the location as the catalyst for the story was a great idea. There was so much in this one that related to the city, it was (as you said) as if the neighborhood was a character.

You can read my review of Tokyo Lives here on justjennifereading.