Title: Half-Off Ragnarok

Author: Seanan McGuire

Series: InCryptid, #3

My rating: 3.5 of 5

(Book read on November 13th to November 22nd, 2014.) 

  

 

Summary:

What do gorgons, basilisks, and frogs with feathers all have in common? They're all considered mythological by modern science, and some people are working very hard to keep them that way.

Alexander Price is a member of a cryptozoological lineage that spans generations, and it's his job to act as a buffer between the human and cryptid worlds - not an easy task when you're dealing with women who have snakes in place of hair, little girls who may actually be cobras, and oh, right, brilliant, beautiful, distressingly curious Australian zookeepers. And then there's the matter of the murders...

Alex thought he was choosing the easier career when he decided to specialize in non-urban cryptids, leaving the cities to his little sister, Verity. He had no idea what he was letting himself in for. It's a family affair, and everyone - from his reanimated grandfather to his slightly broken telepathic cousin - is going to find themselves drawn in before things get any better.

There are some things that you can train for. And then there are the things you have to figure out on the fly. This is definitely the latter.

 

 

 

My Thoughts on the Book:

 

 

I adored the first two InCryptid books, and I adored almost all of the short stories set in the world, no matter the point-of-view, or the time period. I actually appreciated learning more about the Healy/Price family, and their friends. So, yes, I'm totally addicted to the awesomeness of the InCryptid world the author created, and its characters.

That being said, Half-Off Ragnarok was a little bit of a disappointment - at first. Despite appreciating the fact that it was absolutely obvious that the point-of-view is a different character, Alex Price is no Verity. So, yes, after her books & her awesomeness, Alex & his story felt boring. It started slow (though I loved that first scene), and Alex is this sciency, quiet guy, that would be happy if he spends all of his days doing research. So, yes, he was a little bit on the nerdy, but boring side. But, slowly, and before this book was over, I warmed up to him, and quite liked him as a character, really enjoyed the story, and can't wait to see what will happen next. After all, he is a Price, and he shows it. 

As for Shelby, I had to warm up to her, too. I did not saw that coming about her character. But, I found it to be quite amusing & delightful & funny, and I liked seeing her & Alex getting closer. When the book starts, they're already in a relationship, and before the story was over, I liked them together. Actually, they just might be perfect for each other.

The story itself was entertaining (after the boring beginning passed), funny, full of danger & mystery, and despite sometimes being predictable, I enjoyed the book quite a lot. Also, I loved meeting new Cryptids, and learning more about the Cryptid world, and learning more about the Price family. Loved the Aeslin mice (of course), I loved Crow, and even though it was heartbreaking seeing Sarah in that condition, I loved the fact that she is getting better, too.

Half-Off Ragnarok is a good addition to the InCryptid series, and it actually made me even more excited about the next chapter, especially because Alex is going to Australia, and I can't wait! It's still one of my fav urban fantasy series, probably my most fav urban fantasy world, and I can't recommend the series enough!

 

 

 

Challenges: 

Holiday Bookish Bingo

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

        

 

 

A Darker Shade of Magic

(A Darker Shade of Magic, #1)

by

V. E. Schwab

Publication date:  

February 24th / 27th, 2015

From V.E. Schwab, the critically acclaimed author of Vicious, comes a new universe of daring adventure, thrilling power, and parallel Londons, beginning with A Darker Shade of Magic.

Kell is one of the last Travelers — magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes — as such, he can choose where he lands.

There’s Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, ruled by a mad King George. Then there’s Red London, where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London, ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne — a place where people fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London...but no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see — a dangerous hobby, and one that has set him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations, who first robs him, then saves him from a dangerous enemy, and then forces him to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive — and that is proving trickier than they hoped.

 

 

I love Victoria Schwab's writing style & imagination, and this upcoming book sounds like another imaginative & brilliant read, that I know I'll get addicted to... And those covers, I can't decide which one I like best, but they both seem perfect from the description of the book!

 

 

What are you waiting for this week?

  

Leave me your WoW links!

   

 

About Delightful

    

   

Ice Erickksen has "one-night stand" written all over him. Once he's finished shooting the Big Sky Pie reality show, this hot-as-hell TV producer is going to hightail it out of Montana and return to his glamorous life in L.A. But Ice gets into hot water when one of the goodies in the pie shop-a delightful blonde with marriage on her mind-burns up the camera lens. Andrea Lovette, the manager of the shop, always picks the bad boys. But after her divorce, she's determined to find the good family man that her two young sons deserve. Although Andrea's body sizzles whenever Ice is near, she knows in her heart that he's not marriage material. Then why does the bad boy still seem like such a good idea?

 

  

 

About Adrianne Lee

 

 

Adrianne Lee lives with her husband of many, many years on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula in Washington State in a pole barn building her husband transformed into an upstairs apartment with a shop below for his hot rods. Adrianne creates her stories on her laptop, in her recliner with her adopted cat, Spooky, curled between her calves, snoozing.  Over thirty years of summer vacationing in the Flat Head Lake area near Kalispell and Glacier Park has given her a love for all things Montana.

Adrianne Lee's Social Media: 
@akaAdrianneLee
http://www.adriannelee.com/  
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adrianne-Lee-Fan-Page/119018494796066

   
 

  

Excerpt:

          She spun on her heel with every intention of chewing him out, but froze under the gaze of those mesmerizing eyes that haunted her dreams.  His grin said he had her where he wanted her—all to himself.

            He needed to be set straight on a few points, first that she wouldn’t be manipulated.  Maybe he couldn’t help himself, being a director, but she didn’t like it.  She closed the gap between them as though she were glad to be alone with him.  She got up close and personal, in full-on flirt mode, fingering his collar, feeling the pulse at his neck quicken, hearing his intake of breath.  She leaned into him as if she meant to kiss him and whispered, “If you’d wanted to get me alone, sweetheart, all you had to do was ask.”

            He started to reach for her, but she pulled back.  He cocked his head, studied her, something bothering him, but not what she expected.  “How’s Lucas?”

            The question seemed to come out of the blue, like an angry hornet biting into her exposed flesh.  Why had he asked about her son?  What did Lucas have to do with him?  Nothing, that’s what.  “He’s none of your concern.”

            Ice pressed his lips together, nodding.  “You’re right.  He’s not.  I was just. . .being polite.”

            She nodded, knowing she needed to draw a line with him.  “The other day with you was an awful mistake.  It can’t happen again.  Ever.”

            “Awful?”  A soft laugh vibrated in his throat.  “I don’t believe you. . .and you know as well as I do that it will happen again. . .”  He was staring at her mouth, and then her breasts—which were standing at attention, either from the cold of the room or the heat of his gaze.  She should leave now, but her brain wasn’t paying attention.  It was listening to the baser requests being made by the glances of this so-wrong-for-her man.

            “I don’t have any expectations,” she said.  “I don’t want anything more.  No strings.”

            “What if I want strings?”

            “You don’t want strings.”  She couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of that.  “Any woman harboring that fantasy only has to sleep with you to realize it’s a foolhardy notion.”

            His eyes clouded, a sure sign that she’d dented his ego.  “What does that mean?”

            Oh, God, why had she opened this can of worms?  How did she explain that she’d had a man exactly like him?  That she knew from experience he was only in it for himself.  He didn’t want her for her.  He was only turned on by her loving wild sex as much as he did.  What could she say that would make him stop coming after her for more?  “Don’t get me wrong.  I enjoy hot, dirty sex as much as anyone, especially with a lover who knows his way around the female body.  But like most women, I want something more.”

            “Such as?”  The glint in his eye said “bring it on.”  He was up for any challenge she wanted to throw at him.  Literally up for it, she realized, judging by the bulge in his chinos.

            Her resolve wobbled, her grasp on the situation slipping through her fingers.  But she couldn’t think when he looked at her like this, when she wanted to feel his mouth on hers, his arms around her, his body pressed close.

            He came toward her.  “Can’t think of anything?”

            “Yes.  I can.”  But nothing was coming to her.  Nothing she’d say to him.

            He’d backed her into a corner, the heat issuing off him making her panties wet and her heart thunder.  She felt like a moth fluttering toward a killing light.  If she wasn’t careful, she might let him strip her naked right here, just to extinguish the flame that burned for him.   So much for being in control of any area of her life.  She was a screwed-up mess.

            He groaned her name, shoved his hands into her hair, and captured her mouth in a brain-tingling explosion of lust.  She wanted to claw his clothes off and climb on top of him, right here, right now in the pie shop.  He broke off the kiss, panting, his forehead to hers.  “What is it about you. . .?”

 
 

Buy Delightful here:

Barnes and Noble

Books-A-Million

IndieBound

Amazon

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(US/Canada only)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created & hosted @ The Broke and the Bookish. 

For more info about it, check out the post HERE.

     

 

Because this list is a month early, and I have no idea where I might be when it comes to my reading pile when winter starts, I decided for a mix of books I already own, but haven't gotten around to read yet, some eARCs of upcoming books I have, and some upcoming winter releases that I can't wait to get my hands on.

So, My Top Ten Books on My Winter TBR are:

 

  

 

 

 
 

What about you? 

   

Leave me your TTT links!

 

The Christmas Spirit Read-a-Thon is hosted by Michelle a.k.a The True Book Addict at her read-a-thon dedicated blog Seasons of Reading!
  
The read-a-thon starts on Monday, November 24th at midnight CST and ends on Sunday, November 30th at 11:59 pm CST.
   

 

For more info & to join the read-a-thon, visit the post HERE.

   

 
For me & my time zone, as always, that means it starts on Monday, November 24th at 7 am & ends on Monday, December 1st at 6:59 am.
    

  

On Twitter we (read-a-thoners) will use the hashtag #CSReadathon.

 

It seems that this year read-a-thons & I don't mesh well. Almost every time there's a read-a-thon, I'm not feeling like reading or something like that. This time I'm sick, and I cough a lot, so I can't really concentrate on reading, so if I manage to read one book this week, I'll be happy. Hopefully, my cough won't be as bad as it is now before this read-a-thon ends. That's why, on my reading list I have only my Christmas read, and that's:

Happy reading everyone, and I hope you'll have a great read-a-thon!!!

Wrap Up:

So, I actually did great for this read-a-thon, despite the bad beginning. I read:

  

It was a great reading week (or should I say great 5 days). The moment my review copy of The Darkest Touch arrived on Wednesday, my reading read-a-thon mood was back, so I read all of the above. I also read around 100 pages of The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm: The Complete First Edition translated by Jack Zipes. All of these reads I enjoyed a lot, and I've received them all for review, so I made a tiny dent in my review pile ;)