Author Archives: karenjvjohnson

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Rise of the Fallen

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I have to say that as soon as I started reading I was pulled directly into the world of Micah Black. Though I did not know who he was at first I knew that this was going to be someone I could like based on how dark and tortured he appeared because you know that he feels deep. The plot of this book is very straight forward and keeps moving at a good pace which allows you to follow the action without getting bogged down. There are no slow spots of weird changes to deal with, no shifts in time or tense to keep track of, you know what is going on every step of the way.

When you consider that most of the main characters are vampires, you can still relate to them and what they are dealing with as people. I could imagine knowing someone like Trace, a nice guy who is quiet and keeps to himself but is looking to make a friend of the guy everyone else avoids. I know sometimes the dialogue in these books can seem kind of stilted or forced, but that is not the case here. The dialogue seems to be very true to who each of the characters are, keeping in mind that some of them are quite old. 😉

Our main character is Micah Black who works at AKM (All the Kings Men) as an enforcer, he keeps the peace between the drecks (lower vampires) and upper level vampires. Micah has fallen into a dark place because of the lose of his mate and is looking for a way to continue living as he is or to die. Samantha Garrett is working as a stripper after leaving her abusive husband and simply wants to make enough money to get a new identity so she can feel free. They have nothing in common but when they cross paths it is salvation them both.

My favorite quote from Micah, “If they made a move on Sam, he’d fuck up their world so righteously the galaxy would shift from the gravitational pull of his wrath.”

Micah is not a man you want to get in the way of, he is fierce, passionate, and loyal. Who wouldn’t want a man to feel like that about them. You see these traits in all the characters, they are a group I cannot wait to find out more about! In this first of the series we get to meet Micah but in subsequent novels we will get more on the other enforcers at AKM. Each should be just as exciting and hot as this one. I will be reading them as fast as I can get them.

There is some talk of BDSM but it is fairly mild though some of the scenes are good and hot even without it. Also if M/M action makes you squeamish you may want to skip.

**I listened to this for my second time around and it was just as good or even better than my reading it. The narrator, Mikela Drew, does a fantastic job of bring this story to life. While the second book is available, and I plan to listen to it also, I can only hope that they soon bring the rest of the series to audio too.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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Extinction Lost

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This is my first time listening to any of the books in this series and I was very happy I did. Though it may not be the voices I have heard in my head (not killer voices), Bronson Pinchot does a fabulous job of bringing them to life. This is a nice short story that gives us a chance to see a little more of the new Team Ghost as they learn how to work together. As usual there is a surprise waiting for our newly minted Master Sargent and his team.

Fitz and Team Ghost just barely made it out with their lives from their recon mission in Italy when they are sent out again. This time they are being sent to Greenland to handle what appears to be a routine demolition, and we know how those turn out these days. Team Ghost has backup from Team Fox and another team but what they fin is like nothing they have faced before.

This is going to take us right into what may be the last book in the series Extinction War. I say if you have not started this series now is the time. I recommend this and the rest of the series.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Serenity: Leaves on the Wind 1-6

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  1. I do love getting with my favorite outlaws. I did read this a little back words so this should be the starting point for those who want to read these comics. 2. With them being hunted by the Alliance, sought out by the New Resistance, and the need for medical attention. Things get just as bad as they always are for our crew. Mad at Jayne. 3. Well here we have the return of characters we last saw not involved with our crew in a good way. Jayne is optimistic about Mal but you know there is going to be trouble just from that. 4. I love that so much is being added to the story that gives even more life to my favorite characters. 5. Mal, Jayne, and River go to make a daring rescue at the facility she was held. What none of them know is that they have been played. But our Mal never leaves anything to chance and is prepared. 6. Saved the best for last.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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Severed

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Like all the previous books in the series this was a great read that left me wanting more. I loved the characters from the moment I met them and was totally invested in their lives entirely. The new world that we get to explore is very interesting with some of the most diverse people so far. I was into the book from the opening sequence with our future heroine in her natural habitat.

Rylee Hale is a paralegal in Florida and a friend of Zoe, the Zoe who disappeared without a word or trace. Though she does not know it things are about to get very weird for her. Rylee is being watched from the AMI by two alien males who want her help in dissolving their accidental bond. Drace and Lucian are Denarins, two males who bond in order to join with a single female. The pairings are usually between an Alpha and a Beta, they are both Alphas and find themselves in an embarrassing situation that could earn them ridicule.

They were told that a Pure One could break their bond with just a touch and so pay a large sum to bring Rylee to the station. When she touches them what happens is the opposite, they seem to be bound closer together. What ensues next is a quest to find an artifact which can severe their bond. But do they really want that?

Though all the books can be read as a standalone I think that the best way to do this is read the them in order. These are some very colorful, very hot and very sexy alien males who are devoted to their chosen females. The females are not what you would expect and make you like them because they have the type of personalities that make them great friends. Highly recommend this !!

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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Billy: A Tale of Terror

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The first thing I need to say is that I was drawn to the story by the blurb which promised something that it did not fully deliver on. I was expecting some real horror here but got luke warm horror and a bit character study, not to say that I did not enjoy any of it. The characters are never fully realized and they play out as shadows that you have to fill in the blanks for in order to understand them. None have a fully formed personality which makes it hard to really care about them one way or the other. The backstories for the majority of the characters are vague and do not give enough information to know their motivations. To top everything off things seem to jump around in a way that makes it all very unsettling.

A curse is brought to the home of the St. Pierre family for the transgressions of the patriarch. His daughter has a baby that is less human and more animal than anyone could have expected. The baby is unwanted and unwelcome especially when it takes a beloved member of the family. As Billy grows he is tormented by his siblings and father as they attempt to get rid of him. While they do their worse to him, they are sure that he will one day come for them if they do nothing. Billy becomes a legend in the deep Bayou country.

I basically enjoyed the story even though it was not as linear as I would have liked it to be. It did jump around a great deal leaving you somewhat confused about time. Still, it was worth a read and kept me going if for no other reason than that I wanted to know how things were going to end. Sorry to say the ending was not really very satisfying at all. I would still recommend it with the caveat not to expect any terror.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Alpha Zombie

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I was expecting something totally different then what I got from this. The story was beyond slow, it meandered around without any real life. This is a zombie story and you see one at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end but nothing really ground breaking. The characters are about the same as they have always been and I would have expected some growth since the last time but they seem a bit stagnant. There are some new locations which are interesting and the situations are new enough to at least keep you moving forward. The main problem is that things just seem to be moving at a snails pace and it drags to much.

The massacre at the manor house has left everyone with a desire to not be in one place. In order to facilitate their desire to be out in the open Kyle and Al go and find the perfect vehicle, a retro travel bus which they name Basil. During her time online, before the Botnet, Ven had come across Sec UK which is a company that provided weapons and survival gear to not only countries but to individuals as well. She and her cohorts along with baby Tomas and Bos Bos the dog go there to stock up.

While they are doing this something strange happens that transforms a man into an entirely different type of zombie. This zombie has found them and cannot decide whether to eat them or beg them for help. This zombie can think and that is not good for anyone.

While I was not completely happy about how things went here I am still hoping the next one will be better. If you read the first two books you have to read this to continue the story and move on to the next.

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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The Darwin Collapse

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I read the first book in this series a while ago and was not always happy with it, though I did enjoy it. I can say that this one kept my attention from start to finish and was very satisfying. The characters got a chance to stretch and grow here adding more dimension to their personalities, though some were still very much the same. The locations are spot on and great for me since I know the names of the streets and freeways so well that I could tell exactly where I was when they mentioned it. The victims of the virus are terrifying because they are us with all of the humanity stripped away.

Mason West and his family survived the first days of the outbreak but not without injuries both physical and mental. Mason continues to protect Iridia even though he really does not have to but he is an honorable man and would not do anything else. Elio is in the West home because he is enamored of their daughter Theresa but also because he needs to heal.

Anton Reshenko has unleashed hell on earth for the people of the world and is focused on locating his daughter and going to the next phase of his plan. The Deltas are doing what he expected, more or less but he wants more from them. He is willing to kill anyone for his vision of the future.

This is told from multiple points of view which is great since there are so any things going on. This had some great action with very emotional parts. I did some laughing, crying and yelling. Loved every minute of it! Definitely recommend.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Countdown: A Prequel Story

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This was a short but sweet introduction to the character and the situation that will soon be jumping off. While there was no major depth given to the character himself, you are left with understanding that he will be very important to the action in the main novel. You also get to see the start of the epidemic which is to come because they had no idea of what was happening before they busted in. This gives me a reason to read further about this .

The narrator was adequate but not perfect because he sounded just a bit dry. This could be his interpretation of the character and it could change as things go forward. I would say to listen and decide for yourself.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Hard Reset

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I read the book first and then found this one so it was kind of a waste of time. This book is literally the prologue to the book and so is not needed as far as I can see. The one good thing is that it was free and so I do not feel so bad.

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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Scattered Screams

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This starts out fairly slow and so it took me a couple of days to get through just the prologue then it picks up the action. The characters are a little vague but mostly likeable, though some more than others. The writing can seem a little repetitive with a point being made over and over throughout the narrative, like the fact that a character is a friend, as if you could have forgotten already. There are problems throughout with character names being used incorrectly by switching them for another within a conversation. There are some mistakes in spelling and word usage that kind of slows down the progress sometimes but you can get past it.

Marcus Nelson is a University Professor in New York who has gone to California for a conference. He decides to take his son Ali and his friend Vic along with him so they can tour some college campuses. While on the Stanford campus they experience an earthquake along with a bright flash of light which seems to start a killing frenzy among some of the people. As the insanity starts to escalate Marcus can only think of two things, protecting the boys and getting home to his wife. When he finds more survivors he hopes that they can all get out and find safety or at least a way to head west.

This was not the best story I have read but it was entertaining. You will have to suspend reality in order to follow and believe some of it, or at least I did. There is never an explanation given for what has happened and nobody seems very curious about it. I hope that some answers will be given in the next book to clear up some things. This may not be for everyone but I think some will at least like it. Give it a read and see for yourself, I would recommend it to those who like zombie like creatures.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars