Author Archives: karenjvjohnson

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Blood of Angels

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17264134

Blood of Angels (Blood Hunters #2)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While I enjoyed the first book more this one was still enjoyable enough to make me want to continue the series. The characters, some of whom were introduced in the first book, get expanded on so that they take on a new dimension. I was drawn in more quickly this time because I was familiar with who they were and what was going on with the mains. The setting is maybe not exotic but it is very different and makes the players more interesting because of their location. The language works for the vampires and the humans as they banter.

Eighteen months ago István went to the Angel and got on the bad side of its owner Angyalka, who just happens to be a vampire, when he and a group of hunters went there trying to capture Saloman. Not long after this fiasco István was very badly injured in a fight at the hunter library which left him semi paralyzed with little hope. But he and his fellow hunters were saved by Saloman and so began their alliance with the enemy. He has recovered and is now on his feet once again and creating his electronic marvels again.

István returns to the Angel supposedly to research how to store psychic energy. He believes that Angyalka can help him with this even though she is not very old but appears to be very powerful. Angyalka has not forgotten the hunter who humiliated her in front of her patrons and is looking for some payback. What they find is that two people can sometimes come together over their mutual short comings even when they fight it.

I like the idea behind an alliance between vampires and those who have traditionally hunted them. You get to see both sides, those who are for cooperation and those who would like to see a war between them. The two sides are going to be clashing more and more as things progress. This was just a taste of how the sides can get along if they stop seeing each other as so different. The sex is hot but not over the top and appropriate for what is going on. I would recommend.

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Haunted

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7627361

Haunted (Harrison Investigation, #1) (Harrison Investigation #1)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I have never read anything by Heather Graham though I had heard a lot of good things. While this book did not Wow me in a big way it did give me something to look forward to because I did enjoy it quite a bit. The writing was straight forward and easily understood. There were no major grammar issues or misuse of words. It was a bit slow to get where it was going but it got there eventually and the journey was nice enough that you can forget that there were patches that made you want to stop. The characters were well imagined because I felt them as real individuals who made me want to know them more, though one or two were a little less vivid they still managed to be interesting. These are modern people who talk like they live in the world of today and act the same.

Matt Stone inherited Melody House on the death of his grandfather and really wishes to keep it in the family and not a part of some historical society. In order to do this he has to open the house to tours in order to pay for the upkeep on such a large estate. His house manager conducts ghosts tours of the manor house even though he does not believe in the supernatural at all. Then a bride runs out of the room she has rented for her honeymoon stark naked and raving about a ghost who was threatening her. Matt has to do something, even though he does not believe in order to convince others that there is no such thing as ghosts.

Darcy Tremayne has worked for Harrison Investigations, a paranormal investigation agency since she graduated from college. Adam Harrison was the father of her best friend from high school and offered to help Darcy any way he could after the death of his son. When Adam is contacted by Matt, the grandson of his old friend to come and prove one way or the other that Melody House is haunted he jumps at the chance. Darcy is sent ahead to assess the situation with her special gifts and runs into opposition even though they were invited. Is there something paranormal happening in the house or is the threat more down to earth?

This has a nice feel of suspense as well as supernatural threat. The mystery of who the entity was haunting the room or if there were more ghosts was definitely good. I did not like Matt to start with because of his hatred of all things supernatural being carried over into how he treated people. There was a romance but it was very dysfunctional at the beginning. Worth reading but do not expect a lot.

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Walkers (Walking Dead Universe)

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17985592  18664022  18664024

My rating: 3.3 of 5 stars

W1: The characters introduced are not fully fleshed out but do make you want to find out how things turn out for them . And there are zombies, who can say no to zombies! Not a great tome but definitely interesting to a zombie enthusiast.

W2: While there is not any real character development they still have very distinct personalities which are starting to emerge. This group has grown with addition of two teenagers and a kid who has his soldier father in his head. The action is good and does not drag. The dialogue fits nicely with the characters and their situation. While there are issues with grammar , they are minor and do not detract much from the narrative. Enjoyable!

W3:  I enjoyed this a bit more than the last episode because there was more action. The characters were still not as clear as I would have liked but I still liked them enough to care if they lived or died. I expected more here though because it was the last. I was very disappointed with the ending however, there were so many other ways to go than a cliffhanger.

Zombie lovers will like it.

 

“We’ve got actual corpses walking around literally trying to turn us into Happy Meals, and you’re afraid of an itty bitty spider? Seriously, man?” “I can deal with dead bodies every day, so I can deal with any rotting corpses, even ones walking around trying to make me their lunch. But spiders, man, they are EVIL! I mean, they have eight hairy legs. What kind of shit is that?” Charlene grabbed Luther by the collar. “Come on, Braveheart. I think the kitchen’s through this door.”
― G.B. Banks, Walkers

 

 

 

 

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Obsession by Treaty

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26088652

Obsession By Treaty (Qui Treaty Collection #5)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a standalone novel. It does however advance the overall story in glimpses of what had happened prior to this point. This story seems even darker than those that came before it, maybe because both the main characters involved are human. The pacing is perfect to allow you to savor every dark moment or contemplate what is happening to them. The characters are very well drawn and pull you in because they have personalities that make them accessible.

Major Darby McCabe has been in love with her CO (commanding officer for a very long time but has never said anything to him. While on a salvage mission to Petra to go through the wreckage of a suspected K’lahn ship an accident causes her to come in contact with a strange pebble that has an effect on her. Her feelings are intensified and she starts to make plans that could hurt everyone involved.

Colonel Ethan Saracen has feelings for Major McCabe but wants to wait to the war is over before he lets her know. After the mission on Petra she hardly speaks to him, only follows orders and nothing more. So when she comes and invites him out he believes they are about to get to the root of their problems. What happens instead is his abduction and subjugation by a woman he loves and learns to hate. Can obsession bring love or only loss?

I find that I like the fact that these alpha males are brought to their knees by the women in their lives. But they are a weepy bunch of soldiers. The fact that there is a wider story buried within the tales of these couples is really good. This has an element of mystery as well as the romance, sex, and great aliens. I am totally invested in these stories and cannot wait for the next one. Whether you start here or at the beginning, you should start.

There are themes of non-consensual sex, torture, and abduction. If you find any of this not to your liking, then you should pass.

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Angel 6.0: Emissary

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25957962

Angel 6.0: Emissary (Angel 6.0 #5)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This has been a fun ride with a girl who turns out to be more human than those around her. Even with the last book ending on an exciting note, this one starts a little less dramatically. Things were a little slow for me to start-up with but picked up quickly and moved us into the action I had been anticipating. The characters were even more vivid here as things started to come to a head for both humans and cats. The language was what I expected from this group of characters including the cats who seemed to have a very human temperament at times. The world they inhabited could be now or a hundred years from now because the human way of thinking does not seem to have changed from the beginning of time.

Angel has had a hard time since she was taken by the Gran and used as a concubine from Nugene Station. But things had started to get better with the Emperor’s son taking such a liking to her that he wished to keep her as his mate, and having Cesar actually come for her and try to free her. What more could a girl ask for? But for Angel life is never fair or simple. The DC decide that this is the time they wish to launch an attack on the Gran and break the treaty that has kept Earth safe for decades. Not very smart, but who said human politicians were smart.

Because of her status as Princess of the Gran Empire Angel is chosen by the Emperor to be Emissary to Earth and help avert a war that could wipe out both races. What’s a clone to do when she becomes the only hope for humanity and the Cats.

This one had me sitting on the edge of my seat hoping for the best but totally afraid that the worse would happen. Angel started out as a bit whiny, and naive but thirsty for true love. She ends by being an extremely strong and loyal woman who fights for those she loves with every ounce of passion in her heart, this is a girl I can get behind. I liked that she had this journey that opened her to the world. I did get teary quite a few times, cheered her on, and in general was glad things worked out the way they did. If you like Angel, you will love her by the end of this. Highly recommend!

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Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Circus of the Damned

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87037329746631 12605395

 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another great set of graphic novels based on the book. Anita this time is contending with a master vampire that is leading others in a feeding frenzy. Victims have been found with multiple bites which would seem to keep them from being turned. There is someone trying to take the city from Jean-Claude and Anita seems to be the key. To top things off Richard is making his move on Anita even though Jean-Claude told him to stay away. Lots of things going on that cannot help but keep your attention and make you run through it.

I wish there were more because this condensed version with actual art work makes for a fun read.

 

 

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Dead Line

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19429634

Dead Line (DEAD)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was very light on the horror, zombies, but heavy on characters. When I read the first book I liked it so much because there was a nice balance of action to character development. That is so not the case here, we know who these characters are and the new characters which come along, almost incidentally, are not all that interesting in the long run. The dialogue drags in a lot of places and makes the narrative drag right along with it. The language itself is fine and makes sense for the characters.

Shane, Terry, and Marla find themselves hold up inside a museum with a little girl named Rebecca (River) who swings a mean machete. They are safe for the moment and Shane is looking for his daughter so that he can put her out of her misery. They cannot stay forever but Shane has other priorities and until they are fulfilled, he will not be moved. If they are to continue to survive then they will have to keep moving and look for other survivors.

There are more survivors but some of them are not the type of people who the group really wants to meet. The good and the bad wait for them in the world they are about to enter.

If you have read the previous two novels you have to read this one to complete the story. I found it slow going and did stop and start, though I completed it. Some of the situations are just so obvious that you may want to skim to get to more interesting parts but don’t because you would be cheating yourself.

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Aliens Omnibus, Volume 1

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18908792

Aliens Omnibus Volume 1 (Alien Omnibus #1)

by Mark Verheiden, Various (Illustrator)
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love the Alien movies and was really interested to see how things would be handled in this form. It is done very well and makes for a good read. The art work is nicely done and brings the people as well as the aliens to life in a vivid way. The characters were all new but based on those from the second movie except Ripley who they could not do without. Each story is a self-contained book but still feeds into the next. You must read it to appreciate it and if you are an Aliens fan or simply a fan space creatures or science fiction, then it is a must read. No need to even give a little breakdown, its aliens, you know what is going to happen.
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Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: The Laughing Corpse

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605250265944977278189

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

Reading this when I did was a good way to remind myself what Anita was like before she started dealing with the monsters on a personal level. This was my love/hate phase with Anita because she was such an extremely judgmental, holier-than-thou piece of work when she was younger. But at the same time she was a hard ass who knew enough to be afraid of what went bump in the night, since she knew it was real. The graphic novel just gave another dimension to the world that she lives in.

Anita as always has more going on than she can deal with alone. She has been asked to raise a zombie which will require a human sacrifice and refuses. She is also approached by Dominga Salvador to come and help her with a project she has with zombies, and the Senora does not like to be turned down. There is a killer zombie running around the city killing families and the police need Anita to help them capture and/or destroy it. Not to mention the fact that the Master of the City wishes to speak with her about her future. What’s a girl to do when she is this popular?

I loved this because the art work made it come alive so much more and has given me a visual to work with when I read the novels. I would recommend it to fans of the series or anyone who just wants to be entertained.

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How the White Trash Zombie Got Her Groove Back

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22596109

How the White Trash Zombie Got Her Groove Back (White Trash Zombie #4)

by Diana Rowland (Goodreads Author), Allison McLemore (Narrator)
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a good story with twists and turns that made for a good mystery. I was drawn into the story right away and as usual the narration made it a very pleasant listen. The characters continue to grow and spread their wings. The language is what you would expect from characters who live in Louisiana with varying degrees of education.

Angel is back and things start to go wrong from the moment her day starts. The extra’s from the movie that was being made in town are continuing to die from the compound that was given to them by Saberton’s experiments on them. Marcus makes another of his bone head moves and Angel must once again show him she cannot be bossed around by him. Saberton makes a move on Pietro and causes trouble in the ranks of his organization. With a week like this it’s surprising she and her friends manage to survive.

This series is good for a laugh, a cry, and a feeling of romance. There is a lot going on and some of it is actually a little covert.