Author Archives: karenjvjohnson

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Oxford Blood

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Oxford Blood (The Cavaliers, #1)Oxford Blood by Georgiana Derwent
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While the theme is familiar the setting and tone make it something
different. At first I was not sure about what time period we were
dealing with, but once I realized it was more of a present day thing it
made more sense.

The Cavaliers are an elite group of men within
the walls of Oxford who have a secret which has been kept for hundreds
of years. They are known for their lavish parties, beautiful members,
and complete exclusivity. They are the rich, well connected society that
anyone would be thrilled to be asked to join. The problem is that in
order to join you must make a large sacrifice that might haunt you for
eternity.

Harriet arrives at Oxford for her first year, she is
not posh, but a girl from a humble upbringing. Her first day she meets a
boy and instantly has feelings for him, as he seems to have for her.
Tom is a Cavalier, though Harriet does not know this. What ensues is a
kind of Romeo and Juliet story with vampires. There are a lot of secrets
which have been kept from Harriet and it all comes out as she attempts
to start a life in a new place with new friends. As Harriet learns more
about her family and their connection to the Cavaliers she becomes more
determined than ever to take her life into her own hands and not be
pushed into doing something she does not think is right.

Though
it starts out a bit slowly soon you are caught up with Harriet in the
world of Oxford and all the things which are going on around her. Their
is what I suppose is a subplot which is not really well played out, at
least to my satisfaction. I saw that coming from a mile away from the
start.

But if you love vampires and romance and blood and
political posturing then you will like this. I have to continue reading
the next book because now I want to see what Harriet is going to do
about her triangle.

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The End

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The End - Visions of ApocalypseThe End – Visions of Apocalypse by N.E. White
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In this anthology which consists of twelve tales of the world ending you can find apocalypse scenarios of various type. Computer viruses run amok, unknown menaces from space taking out the planet, or the ever popular infection of the human race. The stories are all fairly short which makes for a relatively quick and enjoyable read.

While all of the stories were well written, even if you had no idea of how the end came about, there were four that made me like this more than I might have otherwise.

The most fun for me was Empty Nest, Mother Nature (the planet) decides that she should speak to someone in charge about her future plans for the Earth. You can imagine the scramble as everyone around the world wants to be the person that actually gets to converse with our home. Not so much an apocalypse but earth moving at least.

Burning Alexandria was more of a claustrophobic story than apocalyptic because the action all takes place within a home. All we know about the outside world is that it is cold and heat needs to be generated. This is about one man but does not say how the world fell apart.

The love story in Silver Sky seems to be the main focus while the impending end of the world is secondary. But at least we get to know what is going to happen to cause the planet to end. As with most shorts you don’t really get a chance to like or dislike the characters before it ends.

Finally, Julia’s Garden has a group of scientists hold up and trying to find a cure for a peril they created. They are all going slowly crazy as they wait for the end.

If you like end of the world plots then this is a good place to get a fix and not a zombie in sight.

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Come Alive

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Come Alive (Experiment in Terror, #7)Come Alive by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Zombies and Ghosts and Bokors, OH MY!!

Perry and Dex have settled in after their terror filled time in the Canadian Rockies. With no footage, thanks to its being confiscated, they are faced with the threat of cancellation. Their boss proposes that they take on another member to their team, and guess who it is, Maximus has managed to get himself made their babysitter. Maximus makes plans for them to head to New Orleans and film some haunted locations, but he does not know that he is leading them into one of the most dangerous situations they have ever been in. With their relationship being tested by outside forces and the threat of an evil Bokor raising zombies, Dex and Perry do not know where or whom to turn to for help. This time there might not be an escape for either of them.

We meet a small group of people here who help and hinder our couple. There is of course Maximus, an ex-friend of Dex from college who he is not happy to work with. Especially since he seems to be lusting after his Perry.
We also meet Rose a girl from Max’s past which he would like to forget but can’t. Rose is also special like Dex and Perry and is recruited to help them.
Ambrosia Paris is an apprentice to a Voodoo Mambo and seems sweet enough on the surface, but you can see the corruption beneath that pretty exterior.

This series just keeps getting better and better! Was I surprised by some of the revelations we were given? Yes. Do I think it fits with all the information we have gotten in the past? Yes. Can I patiently wait for the next installment? No! But I will because I have no other choice. Karina Halle has given us a rich world inhabited by complex characters who react like anyone would to the things which are thrown in their path.

Perry, I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you. I’m not going to stop showing you off or rubbing it in to everyone I know anytime soon. Especially not to him and especially after tonight. You’re mine. And you’re mine alone. From now until the end…

Love can conquer all.

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On Demon Wings

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On Demon Wings (Experiment in Terror, #5)On Demon Wings by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The intensity keeps going up right along with the terror. Each entry takes you a little deeper into the mystery, a little deeper into the horror, and a little deeper into a tangled romance.

Who will we get to see here: Ada Palomino is Perry’s younger sister and would do anything to help her mend her broken heart. She knows that Perry is not crazy and actually does see ghosts. She may be a fashionista but she is a smart girl with a quick mind.

Mom & Dad Palomino, they love their daughters but have decided that Perry is crazy and that they know what is best for her. The problem is that everything they do shows they may want to help but it pushes Perry further away because their love seems to be conditioned on her being a more perfect child.

Maximus was last seen in “Red Fox“, he was Dex’s best friend in college but there is no love lost between them. He shows up on Perry’s doorstep as if he cares about her, but his motives are much more shady. He may be a handsome man but the things he is willing to do for revenge make him less than desirable.

This installment revolves around Perry and what happens to her in the aftermath of her broken relationship with Dex. As someone who can see spirits Perry needs to protect herself, but in her weakened mental and physical state she leaves herself open to the spirits who would take advantage of her. Perry is faced with fighting for life and sanity and the only person who truly has her back is Ada, a fifteen year old who understands more than she is given credit for.

Though I have loved all the previous books, this one really gave me something to think about. We get some big reveals which make some of the earlier encounters make more sense. And we do get some Dex. 😉

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Into The Hollow

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Into the Hollow (Experiment in Terror, #6)Into the Hollow by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love this author, I love these books, and I just want more!!

My favorite non-couple are back together again, sort of. Dex has rescued Perry once again and now is taking her away from the crazies she lives with. Perry has no idea whether she want to be there or not but is determined to try.

When she finds out that she is wanted back on the Experiments with Terror show and with Dex, she accepts what seems to be a simple assignment. Go to British Columbia and film evidence of a Sasquatch in the area. Simple right, they don’t really exist so it should be a easy thing to do with no real danger. But this is Dex and Perry and no matter how simple the assignment it always turns out to have some element of danger. If there is a monster you can be sure that they will run into it.

Once again the action is ramped up as Dex makes an attempt to win Perry back and to protect her from any dangers, human or otherwise. The human story is just as exciting as that which surrounds the supernatural/preternatural events that they are involved in.

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Judas Unchained

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Judas Unchained (Commonwealth Saga, #2)Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I would actually give this 5 1/2 stars. When you think of epic adventure, this is one of two books which come to mind. The worlds that Hamilton has created are varied and so alive you could imagine that they exist somewhere out there. His characters have a life and depth so strong you will either cheer for them or wish for their swift demise. I have enjoyed a flight through the universe, alien encounters which fascinate the mind, and technology that I can only hope to exist one day.

The fight for the right of the human race to continue is something which a lot of people think about. If aliens were out there wold they be friendly or bent on or destruction? Are we really going to take our petty, money hungry, power trips into the future with us? It’s all here and immortality or something very close to it is thrown in.

This is not a fast read but it is a thrilling one.

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Dead Sky Morning

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Dead Sky Morning (Experiment in Terror, #3)Dead Sky Morning by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What can I say that has not been said before. Dex and Perry have a chemistry that leaps off the pages and makes you root for them whatever situation they find themselves in.

This time they are heading to D’Arcy Island, a former leper colony where the occupants were sent to fend for themselves. The history of the Island is sparse since no one was left to tell the true story of what happened there. And in true Dex and Perry style they stir up the locals (ghosts) and find themselves trapped and turning on each other. What they think they are feeling has nothing to do with them and everything to do with the residents of the Island who are making themselves known to the only people who can truly feel their presence.

I have truly fallen in love with this series and am playing catch up as fast as I can. It is scary, romantic, frenzied, and just downright mesmerizing.

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The Missing

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The Missing (The FBI Psychics, #1)The Missing by Shiloh Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Taige Branch is a psychic who free lances for the FBI, her specialty is finding lost or kidnapped children. When Taige was young she lost her parents and was sent to live with an Uncle who hated her and called her a demon every day she was in his presence. The summer she was 16 she finally met someone who she could connect with, Cullen Morgan, a rich boy who came for a vacation. They were inseparable that summer and every summer for the next 4 years, then Cullen experienced a tragedy that he blamed Taige for not stopping. He kicked her out of his life and she was changed by his actions. For twelve years they were apart and then tragedy strikes Cullen again and he seeks out Taige’s help, but also wants her back in his life.

The story is about finding what has been lost and what can be gained from love. There is a feeling of heartache here but behind all that is a mystery which holds murder, insanity, trauma, and kidnapping.

The other players here are Jillian Morgan, Cullen’s 9-year-old daughter and also very special. There is Taylor Jones, head of the special branch of the FBI which employs psychics of all types and varied talents. Taige’s Uncle, Leon Carson, is a preacher and very evil man who is charming on the outside but has no love for the niece who lost her whole family in one night.

If good characters, great story, and happy endings interest you then this should be given a chance.

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Red Fox

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Red Fox (Experiment in Terror, #2)Red Fox by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fairly obvious I loved this! Dex is a crazy I can handle and keeps me guessing at every turn. Perry is equally as crazy as he is and has a spirit she doesn’t even recognize. This pair can keep your interest no matter what is happening because you can’t help but like them and hope for the best.

This time they have walked into something neither has any idea of how to handle. They are hooked up with a college friend of Dex who has a long-standing grudge against him. He invites them to New Mexico to investigate what first appears to be simple poltergeist activity but turns out to be something much more sinister. They find themselves involved in a mystery which the Native Americans believe in but seems a bit far-fetched even for our ghost hunters. The danger is real however and they must fight for their lives in a place where they could easily be lost with no one to save them.

This is a great entry and I can’t wait to read the next.