Input: [Date] 14 Nov 2011 [Type] Press release [Title]

Output: UNISDR and partners plan for major advance in global disaster risk modelling The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, today announced that the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNISDR, is to work with its partners over the next four years on developing a global disaster risk model which will provide the best information available on likely economic losses as climate change kicks in.


Input: [Date] 24 Nov 2011 [Type] News briefs [Title]

Output: Risk reduction critical to Timor-Leste development plans Following a three-day visit to Timor-Leste, the top UN disaster risk reduction official, Margareta Wahlström, said environmental degradation and disasters could threaten a visionary development strategy and budget presented by the Government to the Parliament.


Input: [Date] 30 Nov 2011 [Type] News briefs [Title]

Output: Managing risk critical for aid effectiveness UN disaster risk reduction chief Margareta Wahlström speaking at the 4th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, Republic of Korea, said that managing risk is crucial to safeguard investments in poverty-stricken Africa and Asia, where countries can lose as much as a fifth of their GDP to disasters each year.


Input: [Date] 5 Dec 2011 [Type] News briefs [Title]

Output: Adaptation Charter – good start to the week The Durban Climate Change Adaptation Charter for Local Government adopted yesterday was hailed by UNISDR Chief, Margareta Wahlstrom, as "the best possible start to a critical week in the life of this planet when we so urgently need real leadership on mitigation and adaptation."


Input: [Date] 5 Dec 2011 [Type] Press release [Title]

Output: UNISDR welcomes local government focus on climate adaptation The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, today welcomed the Durban Climate Change Adaptation Charter for Local Government agreed yesterday by Mayors from around the world as "the best possible start to a critical week in the life of this planet when we so urgently need real leadership on mitigation and adaptation.


Input: [Date] 7 Dec 2011 [Type] News briefs [Title]

Output: Turn the science into action on climate change says UNISDR Chief UNISDR Chief, Margareta Wahlström, told an exclusive gathering of 35 eminent scientists and politicians from around the world at the COP 17 in Durban that "there is a huge need to translate the best science on climate change into practical action."


Input: [Date] 19 Dec 2011 [Type] News briefs [Title]

Output: Philippines tragedy underlines need for improved risk management The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative on Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, today extended her sympathy to the people of Mindanao in the Philippines, following the great loss of life resulting from Typhoon Sendong.


Input: [Date] 11 Jan 2012 [Type] Statements & speeches [Title]

Output: Securing our common future - Address by Margareta Wahlström I am honoured to have been invited to contribute to this conference and share the United Nations’ perspective on risk, risk management and risk reduction. More than 40 years of work on hazards, risks, and practical means to reduce the risks of loss of life, as well as social and economic losses due to natural hazards, have created a significant body of knowledge.


Input: [Value] left right center justify char [Description] Not supported in HTML5. Aligns the content in a column group [Attribute]

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Input: [Wooly Bugger] Steelhead/Salmon [Name]

Output: Category


Input: [Wooly Bugger] Your preference of salmon/steelhead hook, size 6 to 2/0. Weighted with Heavy Lead-Free Wire [Name]

Output: Hook


Input: [Wooly Bugger] Marabou in color of your choice. Use either the same color as chenille, or a complementary color [Name]

Output: Tail


Input: [Wooly Bugger] Chenille in any color you wish. Popular ones are black, green, olive, and brown [Name]

Output: Body


Input: [Wooly Bugger] Matching Color. The best looking Wooly Buggers are constructed with quality hackle. This can cost a little more, but you will be able to tie a better quality fly that is more attractive to fish. [Name]

Output: Hackle


Input: [Wooly Bugger] Pre-waxed in black, brown, olive, or any other color that you wish [Name]

Output: Head


Input: [Status] DONE [Description] Save drafts [Contact] Anselmo [Task]

Output: Draft support

Difference between revisions of "Projects/PIM/Mobile" - KDE TechBase


Input: [Status] DONE [Description] Restore drafts [Contact] Artur [Task]

Output: Draft support

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Input: [Status] DONE [Description] Quote original e-mail and keep subject (was already working) [Contact] Artur [Task]

Output: Reply support

Difference between revisions of "Projects/PIM/Mobile" - KDE TechBase


Input: [Status] DONE [Description] Disable input, avoid double send clicks [Contact] Anselmo [Task]

Output: Feedback while processing

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Input: [Status] DONE [Description] progress feedback [Contact] Anselmo [Task]

Output: Feedback while processing

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Input: [Status] DONE [Description] error reporting during send mail operation [Contact] Artur [Task]

Output: Feedback while processing

Difference between revisions of "Projects/PIM/Mobile" - KDE TechBase


Input: [Status] DONE [Description] Eg. by expanding the editor to show the entire content and using a toplevel QML Flickable element [Contact] Anselmo [Task]

Output: Editor scrolling

Difference between revisions of "Projects/PIM/Mobile" - KDE TechBase


Input: [Status] DONE [Description] "Save as draft" generates a "sent message" notification [Contact] Anselmo [Task]

Output: Wrong Notification

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Input: [Status] DONE [Description] E-mails still in auto save after successfully sent [Contact] Anselmo [Task]

Output: Clean autosave

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Input: [Status] TO DO [Description] Encrypt, charset, disable HTML [Contact] Anselmo [Task]

Output: Draft: Save e-mail properties

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Input: [Status] DONE [Description] Composer's height does not reduce according to its content [Contact] Artur [Task]

Output: Composer Editor

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Input: [Status] IN PROGRESS [Description] Input cursor should be always visible [Contact] Artur [Task]

Output: Composer Editor

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Input: [Status] IN PROGRESS [Description] Recipients flap has problems while trying to close it (drag) [Contact] Artur [Task]

Output: Composer Editor

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Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Genie in a Beanie [author] author Vaughn, Indra * [isbn] isbn [isbn13] isbn13 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 51 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.42 [num ratings] num ratings 131 [date pub] date pub Aug 14, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Aug 14, 2013 [rating] Cole's rating 4 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 2 [votes] votes 6 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Aug 15, 2013 [date read] date read Aug 15, 2013 [date added] date added Aug 15, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [format] format ebook [29] actions view (with text) [review]

Output: review Such a wonderful story for my prompt earlier this year, I've been looking forward to it! I just read it, so I'll have my review up on 8/17 at The Armc Such a wonderful story for my prompt earlier this year, I've been looking forward to it! I just read it, so I'll have my review up on 8/17 at The Armchair Reader. ...more

Cole Riann's bookshelf: m-m-magic, m-m-firemen (showing 1-30 of 212) (sorted by: date added)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Blessed Curses [author] author Ribbon, Madeleine * [isbn] isbn 1627980571 [isbn13] isbn13 9781627980579 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 168 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.46 [num ratings] num ratings 161 [date pub] date pub Aug 06, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Aug 07, 2013 [rating] Cole's rating 3 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 3 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Aug 02, 2013 [date read] date read Aug 02, 2013 [date added] date added Jul 30, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [format] format ebook [29] actions view (with text) [review]

Output: review Review posted at The Armchair Reader. I believe this is the first book by Madeleine Ribbon that I've read. I was excited about this book because it has Review posted at The Armchair Reader. I believe this is the first book by Madeleine Ribbon that I've read. I was excited about this book because it has a great premise -- a man cursed by his brother at a young age who repulses everyone and everything around him until a man who excels at breaking curses and has his own natural resistance to others' magic is the first man who can get close enough to him to try to remove it. And indeed, that is what immediately drew me into the story when I picked it up. We first see David as a young boy. He's completely jealous of his older brother Todd (by one year). Todd has more magic than David; David can only do Blessings, not Curses and Charms like Todd and just about everyone else in the magical world. And Todd has friends. When Todd goes away to a magical camp one summer where David cannot follow, David finds that despite what his brother told him, Todd's friends are happy to play with him. But when Todd comes home to see David with his friends he get's jealous, and in a typical move towards his younger brother, he curses him. Only this time David tries to protect himself with a blessing and the combination of the magic creates what will become known among the magical world as the impossible curse, and David as The Impossible Kid. David feels the curse himself. He's uncomfortable, full of fear and feels the creepy crawly feeling across his whole body. But that doesn't compare to how other people feel in his proximity. The closer they get the more they want to run away, the more they're afraid of him. And because of that impossibility of touch and interaction with all except for his brother Todd who is immune (as the curse caster, and subsequently has devote his life to his care because of his guilt), David has lived a life devoid of physical affection, even from his own parents. Those who take the time to brave their discomfort and get to know David fall in love with him. He's shy and awkward around people because of his curse and his lack of experience relating to others. David still has his magic and though he feels it's rather lackluster in relation to so many other people's gifts, he admits that he has a real talent for Blessings. It is when he's fulfilling his promise to be in attendance of his brother Todd's wedding (and to bless the cake for the couple) that he meets Vaughn. He's confident, sexy, intelligent and talented and David has no idea what Vaughn sees in him -- other than the challenge of breaking his curse. Nevertheless, Vaughn can't seem to stay away from David. While it started out as a professional interest, Vaughn finds that the man himself is more intriguing than the horrible curse he bears. Getting David, a man who has never received any kind of positive attention from another handsome gay man, to realize that David is worth more than his curse looks to be almost as challenging as finding a counter to the curse itself. But the more time that Vaughn spends getting to know David -- wooing him in baby steps the whole way -- the more important it is to him to find a way to keep David for good. I liked this novella but I think that it mostly only kept my interest because of it's length. It's short enough that when my initial interest, which covered the first few chapters and maybe the first 25% of the book, started to wane there wasn't a whole lot left to read. I won't say that it turned me off in any way, but I did feel like the book stalled a bit and it never really regained the magic even until the end. The premise of the book is really interesting, but once the initial meeting between David and Vaughn at the wedding finished they went into a long and slow courtship, because of David's fear of forging a connection with someone who he believed would ultimately be turned away by the curse. It made sense for the characters, but it slowed down the pace somewhat. That bulk of the story was really only driven by the internal conflict. And I hate to say it, but for me that really slow courtship which was much more like friendship killed the passion. I'm not sure why I reacted this way because I usually am a big fan of the slow burn. I think that's why I slowly lost some interest in their relationship -- I didn't feel the "burn" in the slow burn. There is a side plot throughout the story. Over the months of their courtship is a small mystery keeping the two on their toes. Someone, what seems to be a scrawny kid, is trying to break in and steal a blessed plant from magical shops around town and is quite good at escaping capture. The plant in question is only used for suppressing magic, which leads David to believe that someone might be cursed similarly to him and hoping to stop it's effects. Vaughn, who works for the Magical Enforcement department of Arcana, the magical government, is involved with the case. This side plot could have remedied the problems that I had, diverting the focus to something else to drive the plot forward. But, ultimately while the conclusion was interesting in it's own way I didn't feel like it carried the story through those parts. On the whole I just didn't find many surprises with this story. It is good for what it is despite the few problems that I had with it -- the premise is wonderful and I liked the characters quite a lot. David is cute in his geeky, online gaming and need-to-be-rescued kind of way, while Vaughn is charming and dashing, popular and sexy and loyal and caring. But after the initial introduction to the story and between the characters, I pretty much had the story already figured out. This would be a good book for those of you looking for something not too involved, that won't take up a whole lot of your day and is a relaxing and light book to read. It's heartwarming in a knight-in-shining-armor kind of way. But if you're looking for something more intense or more exploration of the magical world and a deeper study of the characters, this might not be for you. Though I enjoyed the experience, I fell into the latter camp. ...more

Cole Riann's bookshelf: m-m-magic, m-m-firemen (showing 1-30 of 212) (sorted by: date added)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title The Adorned [author] author Tristan, John * [isbn] isbn [isbn13] isbn13 9781426895968 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 280 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.85 [num ratings] num ratings 364 [date pub] date pub Aug 12, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Aug 12, 2013 [rating] Cole's rating 5 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 13 [votes] votes 14 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Aug 11, 2013 [date read] date read Aug 11, 2013 [date added] date added Jul 26, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [format] format ebook [29] actions view (with text) [review]

Output: review Review posted at The Armchair Reader. I got this book for review on a whim, and I am so happy that I did because it completely took over my life yester Review posted at The Armchair Reader. I got this book for review on a whim, and I am so happy that I did because it completely took over my life yesterday. I started reading it in the early morning and I couldn't put it down -- I read all day. And to be honest I was a little worried after I requested it because I had previously read a book by John Tristan that I DNF'ed and I think it might have been his first book. I just couldn't get into the writing and I kinda liked it but also didn't. So I couldn't believe that I had none of the same issues with this book that I did with that earlier book. And if this author keeps writing books like this then I'll definitely stick around and keep reading! When his father dies with a multitude of debts, Etan is forced to sell his home and all his belongings and travel to the capital city of Kered to look for work. His only skills are his ability to read and write, and while those are rare abilities for a country boy, with no money to garner an apprenticeship, his only choice is manual labor, something he's unable to do because of a sickness as a child that stunted his growth. He's pale and petite, and saved by a man in a rickshaw when beaten in the street. The man offers to send him to a place to stay, where he learns after a few days is a home for indentured servants. His only option thereafter is to sign away his rights and work for this man in trade for a place to stay and food to eat. When the man sees Etan without bruises and washes he almost doesn't recognize him, but he has an even better idea of work for him. Etan is introduced to Roberd Tallisk, a tattoo artist whose patron is the head of the Council, run by the Blooded, the ruling class of Kered society who possess magic believed descended from the gods themselves. There, Etan's slave bond is bartered between the two men when Tallisk agrees to take Etan on as his new work of art, an Adorned. The Adorned have always mystified those of the lower classes. They're those of beauty who are tattooed by master tattoo artists with enchanted ink to become living works of art for the pleasure of the Blooded. Their art is not allowed to be seen by those who aren't Blooded or the artist. And no one else but the tattoo artists are allowed to wear ink. Etan's new life seems wonderful and exciting. He's protected now for life with gifts of riches from patrons and by the ink he wears on his skin. But there is also an aspect of being Adorned that he never expected. He soon learns the hard price to pay when he starts to mingle with the elite of Keren society and exactly what they expect from him. And he finds himself a pawn, a sort of Mata Hari in the political play between two warring factions for the future of the Keren society. There are two things that I love most about this story and they go behind the tattoo art (which is super cool) and a lot of the other little details that made this story come alive for me. First is the epic quality of the story. We really get to see Etan's life played out over a lot of major changes in his life that also herald major changes for the whole world. We meet Etan when he's young, still living at home with his father and before he's had to completely depend on himself and we get to see how he changes over time. I typically prefer characters who are alive, present and very decisive about their lives in fiction, especially in fantasy worlds. Etan is alive and present, certainly, but he's also like a piece of detritus in a massive current once he makes it to the city. He's buffered on all sides by those making choices for him. I can't see him acting any other way certainly, as someone who has very little choices, but he's also very internal and cautious. I didn't see those parts of his personality changing until much later because it was such a slow change, but Etan grows as the world changes around him and as he needs to take more of his own care for himself. The second thing I really loved was the cast of characters. We meet a multitude of secondary characters, most of whom are a good sort, and a faction of those who are good people who make some bad choices. As the world in the story changes, it reveals the best and worst of the characters and each of them are made to understand their regrets, in particular Isadel and Lord Haqan Loren. All of them, however, are well rounded characters that we get to know rather well. And this was done sometimes in a rather subtle fashion. The writing requires the reader to be present and active in piecing the world together and in drawing connections, and I can't tell you how often I find myself wishing for writing like that. You might not find this story to be perfect, or it might not impact you as much as it did me. Part of how you feel about it, in the end, will depend on what you like most in your romance books. The relationship between Etan and Tallisk is very slow to build and it takes almost the full length of the novel for the two to really come together. The bulk of the story is rather Etan's journey and finding himself, someone who still feels like a country boy, realizing that he's a good person with heart amid vultures who would pick at him until there's nothing left. He has to realize what he really wants out of life, if it is security or love and if those things are separate. I finished the book wanting more, sad that the story ended and hoping there was a way a sequel could be written, lol. I don't think that's really possible. But I know now that I'll definitely keep my eye on book by John Tristan and I hope that it isn't too long from now that I find another book that I get so lost in. ...more

Cole Riann's bookshelf: m-m-magic, m-m-firemen (showing 1-30 of 212) (sorted by: date added)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Helleville [author] author Thorne, Hayden * [isbn] isbn 1490529268 [isbn13] isbn13 9781490529264 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 260 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.78 [num ratings] num ratings 9 [date pub] date pub Jul 14, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Jul 14, 2013 [rating] Cole's rating 4 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 0 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Aug 08, 2013 [date read] date read Aug 09, 2013 [date added] date added Jul 26, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [format] format Paperback [29] actions view (with text) [review]

Output: review Review posted at The Armchair Reader. 3.75 stars It's been a while since I read a Hayden Thorne novel and now I remember exactly why I always want to re Review posted at The Armchair Reader. 3.75 stars It's been a while since I read a Hayden Thorne novel and now I remember exactly why I always want to read them! She has a particular quirky brain that makes her books unique in a way that always pulls me in. This wasn't my favorite of her books, but it might be hard to top the Masks books anyway. Still, by the end of this book, I liked it and I really liked Noah. Noah is fifteen and out of school. After a bad situation at his last public school, where some kids bullied him and he fought back, getting suspended, his super awesome single mom Dot went ape-shit on the administration for their blatant disregard of the bullying in their school and pulled Noah out. Since then, he's been staying at home while his mother works two jobs and looks for a new, more inclusive school. Noah and his mom are pretty close, they're their only family and they stick together. Well, Noah does have grandparents (Dot's parents), but they really aren't considered family -- more like righteous stalkers. The calendar by the phone with bloody X's mark the days that they call to harass them about their wicked ways (which include that Noah is gay and that Dot had him out of wedlock). It isn't until his grandmother threatens to set The Soul Warriors on them that they get a little more worried. When Noah and his mother decide to take a weekend road trip to a B&B to get away from all the phone calls, they find themselves transported to a strange alternate world that seems to be a ridiculous mockery of Hell -- a town called Helleville filled with residents with similar experiences as them, full of banned books like Harry Potter and science textbooks that teach evolution, and weird and strange creatures like ghosts, vampires, zombies and ghouls. The strange thing is that though no one there can really figure out where they are and why they're there (other than the fact that The Soul Warriors are behind everything), it isn't the classic representation of hell that you'd expect. They're well cared for with all the food they want for no money, the kids don't have to take school (although they can sit in a class with Satan as a teacher if they want), and they're surrounded by pristine nature with no need for jobs. The people there have formed a community of sorts with a mayor and everything, but they all have time to relax and enjoy the things that they didn't have time for in life. Dot decides to take up crocheting. They are, however, haunted by one serious problem. Every so often someone disappears. Soon after Noah and his mother arrive in Helleville, the fourth resident goes missing and no one can ever find them, no matter how many times they organize search parties and a night watch to try to catch anything abnormal. It isn't until Noah makes a friend named John who loves to take pictures that they start to piece together the strange occurrences and what could be behind it all. But before Noah can get too attached to his new hobby of playing Sherlock Holmes he meets Alex, a boy his own age who seems to like him. Alex invites him to hang out with a few of the other teenagers in Helleville and finds that he's not the only one with a crush on the nerdy teen. Matt, a cool seventeen, muscular and gorgeous, highly intelligent and the most popular kid involved in the community has a thing for Alex and he doesn't intend for Noah, who he looks at like a bug under his shoe, to get in his way. Before all of you m/m romance readers out there get excited, the romance in this story is kept on the back burner. Instead, this story is really Noah's coming of age tale and his road to self-discovery. Helleville and the alternate reality they've been sent to acts as a catalyst to force Noah to grow. Before he was sent there, a lot of his own exploration of himself as a teenager had been stunted because of the bullying he experienced at school. He calls himself an introvert, but he's really afraid to get back out into the world and try again, making friends and even meeting a guy he likes and taking a change. He has a lot of latent social anxiety and Helleville acts as a skewed kind of microcosm of the real world to get him to open up again. In Helleville, Noah can be someone new. He can meet and go on dates with a boy like Alex, he learns that he can have friends. And most importantly he learns that people can rely on him, that he has worth. Alex acts as part of that self-discovery, of course, and their relationship also is a somewhat significant part of the story, but it never progresses very far on page. The pace and plot mimic Noah's journey in a way. The POV is strictly Noah's, so the first half of the book is quite sedate. I even read one reader's review on Goodreads before I started reading that said that this book was boring. I wouldn't say that, I quite enjoyed it. But there were a few times in the first half of the book that I set it down, read some other things and then picked it up later. I think that as long as you don't go into this book expecting it to focus on Noah's romantic life and that the story will be more about action than reflection, you'll enjoy it. Also, if you haven't read much of Hayden Thorne's work by now you might not realize that most of her work is cerebral. This book is a reflection of Noah's life, in almost an allegorical way. If you'd rather just read for fun and not want to focus on the meaning of it all, then you might find this story a bit slow … in the first half anyway, the second half was much more exciting. So I definitely recommend this one. I really like Hayden's work and I'll always pick up her books when a new one is out. She always has a really great point of view coming from gay teenagers that it's so easy to connect with. That, and sometimes this book just makes you go -- What the FUCK? ...more

Cole Riann's bookshelf: m-m-magic, m-m-firemen (showing 1-30 of 212) (sorted by: date added)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title The Queen's Librarian [author] author Cummings, Carole * [isbn] isbn 1623808693 [isbn13] isbn13 9781623808693 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 224 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.84 [num ratings] num ratings 131 [date pub] date pub Jul 25, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Jul 26, 2013 [rating] Cole's rating 4 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 11 [votes] votes 3 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Jul 21, 2013 [date read] date read Aug 08, 2013 [date added] date added Jul 20, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [format] format ebook [29] actions view (with text) [review]

Output: review Review posted at The Armchair Reader. 4.5 stars Oh Carole… I just had so much fun reading that. You know, Carole has said several times that she thanks Review posted at The Armchair Reader. 4.5 stars Oh Carole… I just had so much fun reading that. You know, Carole has said several times that she thanks Fen for this book. Fen, for those of you who might not know, is her main character from the Wolf's-own series and his head is just a mess of angst. It's all for good reason because Fen lives in a really messed up world, but back to Carole. She has said that she needed to go somewhere happy, somewhere carefree after spending so much time (4 novels!) in his head. And I'm glad she did. This book is definitely the antithesis of those, of course with the exception of writing talent. I'm glad that I knew that about this book going in, because otherwise I might have been expecting a more serious style than her previous two series. The book opens with one of the most hilarious chapters I've ever read. It is so easy to become endeared with Lucas, especially in the inner drunk ramblings of his mind at his first visit to a tavern. Trouble doesn't really come until he's had one too many and decides that it wouldn't be too unseemly to have a pee outside, where he promptly becomes entangled with a bush. In a cruel twist of fate, someone seems him -- pants partially open and wrestling with the arms of his coat -- a man with long silver hair and speaking a lot of nonsense. It doesn't seem too strange in his ale fuzzy brain when the man simply disappears after a whole lot of yelling words that neither understands back and forth but well, he's still stuck in the bush. When the man starts turning up in strange places to again shout incomprehensible words at him, Lucas starts to become alarmed. Especially when the man starts stealing his books. But it isn't until his sister's suitor disappears and Lucas is begged to find him that he runs into the man again, this time speaking some words Lucas understands. What he hears alarms him, especially because it appears that the man wants something from him and in the meantime intends to kidnap his cousin the prince as a trade. Lucas is so dead for losing the prince, but he knows that he has to do something to get Laurie back. Really, the best part of this book are the characters. There is such a wonderful cast of characters that all have their own well-rounded personalities, characteristics and motives. But they have such a great banter. In reading the prior work from Carole Cummings, I always admired her writing which is at the same time intelligent and accessible, but I also never knew that she could write in such a playful way! It is really a delight to read. And just the same as it was for her, I think this is a really good book to read when you need a break from something, or from reading a more intense book. When I first talked to her about this book she referred to it as fluff, to which I immediately replied that I thought she could probably never write fluff. But I know exactly what she means now. This is a book you should read just for the pure enjoyment of getting out of your own head and into someone else's for a while. And Lucas' head isn't a bad place to be ;) There is quite a lot of banter between the characters, but mostly in the narration. Carole has written Lucas to have an imaginative mind that often banters with itself. That's why I think this is a good book to read when you really need a break, because while the plot in this story is interesting in and of itself, sometimes the focus wavers from it to Lucas' own thoughts, and those often take precedence over the action. Now, if you followed my advice then this is just a nice detour, but if you're really focused on the plot and pacing then you might find yourself swept away on the tide of his thoughts. Sometimes the banter -- Lucas' runaway thoughts -- seem to get in the way of the action a bit. And while I always enjoyed what he was thinking (and occasionally talking about with Alex) sometimes the timing is inopportune. Occasionally I wanted to smack him and tell him to pay attention! Still, that is minor criticism on my part and I really, sincerely hope that Carole continues to explore this quirky side of her writing. Hopefully in the future we can get those style alternately -- a book like Fen's that rips out your heart and completely sweeps you away and then something later to cool you down and look on the sunny side of life. **I didn't categorize this as a romance. This is really a fantasy book to me. Sure, Lucas is madly in love with Alex and vice versa, but the story isn't about their relationship. Their relationship is part of the story. ...more

Cole Riann's bookshelf: m-m-magic, m-m-firemen (showing 1-30 of 212) (sorted by: date added)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title The Flame [author] author Jaye, Skylar * [isbn] isbn 162380776X [isbn13] isbn13 9781623807764 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 162 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.44 [num ratings] num ratings 43 [date pub] date pub Jul 02, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Jul 03, 2013 [rating] Cole's rating 3 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 2 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Jun 29, 2013 [date read] date read Jun 29, 2013 [date added] date added Jun 28, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [format] format ebook [29] actions view (with text) [review]

Output: review Review posted at The Armchair Reader. Skylar Jaye is a new author for me, and probably will be for most of you as well. From what I can see, this autho Review posted at The Armchair Reader. Skylar Jaye is a new author for me, and probably will be for most of you as well. From what I can see, this author only has a couple of short stories in anthologies and The Flame is their first solo publication. In a way, that shows in this book, but I also saw a lot that I liked and overall, I enjoyed reading the book. Jeremy Ashe is a sophomore at Samuin College, the mage college where almost all magi train. He's a private guy with just a couple of solid friends. He also has a secret… one that involves his family and all the trouble they have brought upon him, simply for being related to them. It's a drag, and so something he has kept secret from everyone. Jeremy is at the college studying runes, though he has an innate wind elemental ability, something that he clashes on in fundamental theory with his family and the general mindset of the magical community. He sees it as another way to work his magic, through the runes he casts rather than using his wind ability directly. And it does show in his versatility. It helps, of course, that he's a pretty serious student, but his arcane course of study is one of the least popular, and in a world where power is measured above all else (including even family lineage), he's seen as an unwanted castoff of a larger system of more important magi. "The Flame", or better known as Marcus Smith, is a fire elemental and a prodigy at the school. A senior and a TA, he's the most popular guy in school and it isn't really unwarranted. His looks and personality help, of course. But, owing to the nickname, his talent shines above all. He's one of the most powerful fire mages alive in the world, giving him unparalleled choices about his direction in life, though everyone knows that he's going straight to the top. It's enough for the magical community to overlook his non-magical parentage, a rare and sudden ability, especially for one so powerful. Jeremy and Marcus become acquainted through Jeremy's roommate Aiden and from there begin a slow courtship. Jeremy prefers to stay out of the limelight -- making his feelings for Marcus incredibly ill-fated -- and his history with his family has taught him that he's the unwanted shadow not good enough for someone who burns as bright a talent as Marcus. Their relationship seems doomed to fail, simply because Jeremy believes it so, when the two become caught up in an arsonist mystery around the college. To be completely frank, this story is a good one, but it could have easily been twice as long with the amount of plot involved here and all the various tangents that were brought in. In the shorter novella format this book is in now, there's simply too much extraneous information that really took away some of my enjoyment in the story. There were several details about the magic that were a bit confusing and stated outright without much explanation as if I'd understand them naturally. And there's a couple of plot threads that fizzle out and don't seem to go anywhere. While reading, I wanted this story to either pare down the detail and give a more streamlined plot to give the story focus and more drive, or either take all that detail and fill in the gaps, making a much longer novel. In that case, I would have enjoyed having that extra detail to flesh out the world, but there wouldn't be a rush to get it all in and the details could settle as the story progressed in a slower pace. A lot of this is really just novice writing issues that will flesh out the more Skylar Jaye writes and publishes, and I don't really hold it against them. Assuming that they are still a novice writer anyway, and that Skylar Jaye isn't a new pseudonym for another author, which you never really know, I suppose. Still, this seems like an author who has good stories to tell, such as this one, but which get a bit bungled up in the execution. I'm looking forward to future stories where Skylar Jaye has a bit more practice in getting the story down. Because more than execution problems that I had with this book, the core story was still interesting and engaging for me. And I had fun reading it. That makes this a solid So So read for me. ...more

Cole Riann's bookshelf: m-m-magic, m-m-firemen (showing 1-30 of 212) (sorted by: date added)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title To Steal the Tithe [author] author Hunter, Laylah * [isbn] isbn [isbn13] isbn13 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 34 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.39 [num ratings] num ratings 122 [date pub] date pub Jun 18, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Jun 18, 2013 [rating] Cole's rating 0 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 0 [read count] # times read 0 [date started] date started not set [date read] date read not set [date added] date added Jun 20, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [format] format ebook [29] actions view [review]

Output: review None

Cole Riann's bookshelf: m-m-magic, m-m-firemen (showing 1-30 of 212) (sorted by: date added)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Heart in a Bottle [author] author Clements, Wendy * [isbn] isbn [isbn13] isbn13 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 43 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.22 [num ratings] num ratings 96 [date pub] date pub Jun 06, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Jun 06, 2013 [rating] Cole's rating 0 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 0 [read count] # times read 0 [date started] date started not set [date read] date read not set [date added] date added Jun 11, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [format] format ebook [29] actions view [review]

Output: review None

Cole Riann's bookshelf: m-m-magic, m-m-firemen (showing 1-30 of 212) (sorted by: date added)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Human Frailties (Guardians of the Leythe 0.5) [author] author McKenna, Jaye * [isbn] isbn [isbn13] isbn13 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 138 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.73 [num ratings] num ratings 186 [date pub] date pub May 26, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition May 26, 2013 [rating] Cole's rating 0 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 0 [read count] # times read 0 [date started] date started Jun 08, 2013 [date read] date read not set [date added] date added Jun 08, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [format] format ebook [29] actions view [review]

Output: review None

Cole Riann's bookshelf: m-m-magic, m-m-firemen (showing 1-30 of 212) (sorted by: date added)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title To The Other Side (Terra, #1) [author] author Frost, S.J. * [isbn] isbn 1608208680 [isbn13] isbn13 9781608208685 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 250 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.96 [num ratings] num ratings 132 [date pub] date pub May 30, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition May 31, 2013 [rating] Cole's rating 4 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 4 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Jun 18, 2013 [date read] date read Jun 19, 2013 [date added] date added Jun 07, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [format] format ebook [29] actions view (with text) [review]

Output: review Review posted at The Armchair Reader. I've missed out so far on reading any of SJ Frost's non-contemporary books, though I did read the first book of h Review posted at The Armchair Reader. I've missed out so far on reading any of SJ Frost's non-contemporary books, though I did read the first book of her Instincts series. But most of what I've read and really liked by this author has been her Conquest rocker series. This is a bit of a deviation from what I'm used to reading from her, but I still found her touch and sense of humor in it, and I found it to be a book that I really liked and, even more, am looking forward to the further books in the series. Fantasy is one of my favorite genres, and this was a sweet, light-hearted take on the genre, not a dark fantasy by any means, but more along the mood of a fairy tale. We meet Garrett as he's hiking through a forest bordering the near-by and protected national forest. He works for EarthQuest, an organization that exposes environmental abuses and government action. This forest is being heavily lobbied to be cut, but Garrett is EarthQuest's secret weapon, in a way. He travels to places in danger and, as a biologist, looks for species or plant or animal that could become a mascot for protection. What Garrett finds blows his mind. Capturing the tiny dragon-like birds, Garrett is amazed when he sees a spirit bear, a bear with a recessive gene coloring it white and a heavily revered animal by the First Peoples. He knows he can save the forest now, but in trying to get evidence of the bear, Garrett falls into a ravine. Bryson is called to the scene of a unconscious man by Koda, the spirit bear. Bryson is a witch, the Gatekeeper between Earth and a parallel, symbiotic world called Terra, and spends his time in both places. He can speak to animals, as well as manipulate the natural forces. And the only way he can save the beautiful and injured man is to take him to his home in Terra. It's against the rules, but Koda tells him that he trusts the man and his confidence as well as the fact that the Floras showed themselves to him leads him to trust the man. After reawakening in a strange place, the two men get to know each other and at the same time Bryson introduces Garrett to Terra and to his friends, a ragtag group (that will surely become the future main characters of Terra books): Korran, a dragon speaker and protector, Zain, a theif and assassin and all around smartass, and Larkin, a young minstrel who can speak to the dead. Soon, there are not only forces endangering the gate from the Earth side, but also a nearby Duke who is interested in stealing the power of immortality that comes with being it's keeper, enough to summon another witch to help in his ends. This happened again yesterday, when I reviewed the first book of a new fantasy series (that was Dragon Slayer by Isabella Carter) -- I end up writing a huge summary for the book. I suppose that's to be expected if I was actually going to touch on all the points. First of all, I like having a decent summary. I'm not really spoiled by them because I never remember summaries/blurbs when I start the book and I actually put off reading this for a while because I just wasn't really sure what it was about. Granted, I probably don't remember those blurbs because I don't really read them that closely. That's all my fault! But still, I wanted to give an accurate idea about the book if you're thinking about buying it. Second, as the first book in a new fantasy series there really is a LOT of setup to be done. In this case, not only do we have to learn about Garrett and what he's doing on the Earth side, but then we also have to learn about Bryson and the gate and his home, but also about Terra and a whole different way of life there, including the symmetry between the worlds and how they're connected and why. That's a lot to introduce, so I don't completely blame SJ Frost for the fact that the first half of the book was full of exposition. At least it wasn't dumped on us entirely in the beginning, but drawn out as Bryson and Garrett get to know each other. No, while I really enjoyed the book and I think that SJ Frost set up a really enjoyable world (though not wholly original still interesting and engaging for those who like lighter fantasy), I still felt like this story was trying to juggle conflicts, between both the Earth and Terra side, which made what ends up to be the major conflict seem slightly underdeveloped. So much time was taken to introduce the world and the relationship that when the conflict started to ramp up I felt like I wished it had been a little more integrated into the story. That isn't to say that it was totally sudden, and it's a relatively minor complaint for a story that I really enjoyed. This story really reminded me of a lot of Less Than Three Press releases, so those of you who are fans of their fantasies will have to check this one out. I'm very interested in the future books, although it is my own preference that I like to not know who the relationships are going to be before their books start. But then, that's probably bad business ;) I like SJ Frost's writing, and I was actually surprised to find this a lot lighter than I'm used to by her. But then, this is fantasy and those were contemporaries. But she's known for her angst in the Conquest series, and this book was surprisingly light and fluffy, in the best sense of the word. ...more

Cole Riann's bookshelf: m-m-magic, m-m-firemen (showing 1-30 of 212) (sorted by: date added)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Black Dog Blues (Kai Gracen, #1) [author] author Ford, Rhys * [isbn] isbn [isbn13] isbn13 [asin] asin B00DK3DPSI [num pages] num pages 277 pp [avg rating] avg rating 4.28 [num ratings] num ratings 524 [date pub] date pub May 10, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Jun 22, 2013 [rating] Cole's rating 0 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 1 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Jun 19, 2013 [date read] date read Jun 20, 2013 [date added] date added Jun 06, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [format] format Kindle Edition [29] actions view (with text) [review]

Output: review Review coming soon to The Armchair Reader.

Cole Riann's bookshelf: m-m-magic, m-m-firemen (showing 1-30 of 212) (sorted by: date added)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Dragon Slayer [author] author Carter, Isabella * [isbn] isbn [isbn13] isbn13 9781620042045 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 208 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.92 [num ratings] num ratings 739 [date pub] date pub Jun 18, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Jun 19, 2013 [rating] Cole's rating 4 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 2 [votes] votes 8 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Jun 17, 2013 [date read] date read Jun 17, 2013 [date added] date added May 14, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [format] format ebook [29] actions view (with text) [review]

Output: review Review posted at The Armchair Reader. I really have grown to love Isabella Carter's books. So I was really excited for this one, which not only promise Review posted at The Armchair Reader. I really have grown to love Isabella Carter's books. So I was really excited for this one, which not only promises to be an in-depth story because it's the first of a series, but also that I know she likes to really dig into her fantasy worlds. In many ways you can see that this book is a setup, but if you didn't know it was the first book of a series, I think you'd find that it felt like a whole book. It isn't just setup, but it does a really good job of giving us the story and leaving the ending open. So yes, it's important to know that this is the first of a series so that even though you get some resolution, you won't be surprised that there is a bit of a cliffhanger ending. Ingram has become the weakling that his father has always accused him of being. Though he's learned that nothing he does can make his father -- the king of Abelen -- proud, he's found his own strengths. They aren't in what a prince is expected to be, strong at swordplay, but he has a fine mind and has shown himself to be an expert strategist with the King's miliary. Abelen is still growing and recovering from a rebellion little more than twenty years previously. The country and King has become more insular, with the Lords abandoning their keeps to spend most of their time in the capital of Solberg. The royals have grown further apart from their people. But, an old feud lingers from Winterveil, the northernmost region of Abelen. Lord Mallory is a young man, but has inherited the feud. He makes a wager with King Roderick, that if he kills the red dragon who has gone into madness and is killing indiscriminately, that he will wed one of the King's children. When he brings the head of the dragon to court and Roderick casually gives him Ingram, Ingram is hurt and scared to be thrown away to such a dangerous man. But more is work in such an alliance, on both sides. The King gives Ingram a mission, one that finds him at an impasse when he learns just how wonderful Mallory is, and how much living in a place like Winterveil is more like home than his own family. There is so much that I could say about this book, but it really should be experienced while reading it and… honestly there is so much going on in the book, so many characters with each one having their own machinations in place that it was a little hard for me to keep up. This is a book that does well as the first of a series -- it holds up. Still, for those of you who like to get a lot of the action and information at once and don't want to wait for the sequel, you might want to do that this time. Because while I really loved this book and I was totally sucked into it, I also feel like there is a lot of subtlety that will benefit from a second or even third read and will also make more sense after I can read the next book in the series. Hopefully, that will be soon! I know a lot of you who are fans of Less Than Three Press like I am, and this is really their kind of book, the quintessential LT3 fantasy, though maybe a little less sweet than many of them. Ingram goes through quite a bit of angst about his relationship with his father. It's tough to watch, not only because I grew to care about him, but also because it makes for difficult reading at times. I want him to realize what is happening to him. But we're privy to information that he isn't, and he also has to deal with a lifetime of manipulation by the people around him, the people he cares most about. So, while his choices and thoughts are frustrating, they're also true to his character. There's one more point I'd like to touch on. The relationship between Ingram and Mallory in this book is very light. I imagine that the relationship arc is going to take place over the whole series, so don't expect much romance in this first book. Mallory does court Ingram, in his own way, but it's a very slow getting-to-know-you kind of thing. It's actually very sweet, and it's a very slow-burn romance. So, I definitely recommend this one. Unless you want to wait, I say go ahead and get this now and read it. I'm so glad I didn't wait and decided to read it right away, because it was a really fun read for me. ...more

Cole Riann's bookshelf: m-m-magic, m-m-firemen (showing 1-30 of 212) (sorted by: date added)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Herbal Remedy [author] author Derr, Megan * [isbn] isbn [isbn13] isbn13 9781620042106 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 49 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.45 [num ratings] num ratings 231 [date pub] date pub Jun 11, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Jun 12, 2013 [rating] Cole's rating 3 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 1 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Jun 04, 2013 [date read] date read Jun 04, 2013 [date added] date added May 14, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [format] format ebook [29] actions view (with text) [review]

Output: review Review posted at The Armchair Reader. 3.5 stars In this Paranormal Days story, we get to know Jayden's brother, Jordan. In Beach Remedy we really don't Review posted at The Armchair Reader. 3.5 stars In this Paranormal Days story, we get to know Jayden's brother, Jordan. In Beach Remedy we really don't get to see much of Jordan, only enough to see that he's a more reserved and responsible version of Jayden with long, beautiful dreadlocks. And, while they're both hedge witches, Jordan is the only one that really practices. He's a stereotype in most ways (think beach bum), even down to the herbal blends he loves to smoke. One of the biggest differences are their sexuality -- while both brothers are gay and Jayden tends to be a somewhat promiscuous wildcat, Jordan prefers a more sedate and mature man, and hasn't been out on a date in forever. Being a hedge witch is Jordan's dream. He makes defensive amulets and protection charms agains vampires and werewolves. He makes his own small spells that he sells to his neighbors, including his herbal cigarettes (though some of them are private and definitely not-legal). It's what he loves to do, even if most people see him and immediately take him for a lazy bum and he'll never make enough money. Both he and Jayden have taken care of each other from a young age, but Jordan is fed up of always living hand to mouth when they deserve so much more. The remedy seems to be against a lot of what he stands for, but it might not be that bad either. A large magic firm is looking to take on hedge witches to travel around the country and work. It pays a lot of money and Jordan knows that he's good enough to get one of the coveted spots. But working up the corporate ladder means saying goodbye to his dreadlocks, his pride, and most unfortunately, his time. The only thing that saves him from a complete breakdown of spirit is the distinguished older man he meets while on the road... In structure and plot, this story differs a bit from Beach Remedy. Where that story is all about falling in love and having fun on the beach, Herbal Remedy is really about trying to make it through the pitfalls of a relationship with an older man while trying to work a particularly demanding job. Jordan is a genuinely good soul. In many ways he's uncomplicated and fiercely loyal, and that can come across as naivety. In a way it is. Falling in love for Jordan is freeing and beautiful with no reservations, which makes dealing with the experience of a man so much older than him a difficulty that he didn't expect to face and doesn't know how to reconcile. I liked Jordan quite a bit. I'm not sure how much I liked Shayne, and I can't decide if it's his actions or the fact that I felt like I didn't really get to know him or much about him or see them a lot together. Or both. Probably a little of both. However, for a short story, I think that we get a pretty good picture of the world and a lot of story for only 13,000 words. As I said in my review today of Beach Remedy, these stories should definitely be read as a pair. I only say that because I enjoyed both of them. They definitely don't need to be read together, and you could pick either one to read as a standalone story and be satisfied. Recommended. ...more

Cole Riann's bookshelf: m-m-magic, m-m-firemen (showing 1-30 of 212) (sorted by: date added)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Beach Remedy [author] author Miller, Sasha L. * [isbn] isbn [isbn13] isbn13 9781620042090 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 63 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.44 [num ratings] num ratings 77 [date pub] date pub Jun 11, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Jun 12, 2013 [rating] Cole's rating 3 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 2 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Jun 07, 2013 [date read] date read Jun 08, 2013 [date added] date added May 14, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [format] format ebook [29] actions view (with text) [review]

Output: review Review posted at The Armchair Reader. 3.5 stars Though there's no need to read these stories in any certain order (the other being Megan Derr's Herbal R Review posted at The Armchair Reader. 3.5 stars Though there's no need to read these stories in any certain order (the other being Megan Derr's Herbal Remedy), they are connected. The common denominator are two of the main characters. In this story, it is Jayden, who is the brother of the narrator of Megan Derr's story. I happened to read Megan's story first, so I found that I knew quite a bit about Jayden before I got to read his story. In Megan's story we see quite a bit of Jayden and his importance in Jordan's life, so I had a pretty good handle on his character. Though… it's interesting, and this one aspect played out well in the order I read the stories. From Jordan, I got one characterization of Jayden and though it was admittedly multifaceted because he's an important character to him, actually getting to know Jayden firsthand from this story completed his character in the same way you'd get to know someone through their sibling only to see later that you only understood them through the lens of sibling affection and at the same time, frustration :) Lee probably felt similarly towards Jordan, when he meets him in this story just because he's heard about him through Jayden. The two meet at a sunny beach hotel. Lee had planned his vacation to the beach for some well-earned rest. It might seem strange for a vampire to vacation at the beach, but all Lee wants is some relaxation and a new guy to share his hotel room with each night. So his fixation on one man alone surprises him. Jayden works at the hotel desk and checks in Lee when he arrives. The two share a flirtation that baffles Lee a bit. Jayden seems to be reacting strangely to his vampire-seduction mojo, but if Jayden is immune then maybe he's really interested in him. He still has a job to do though. He wouldn't have met Jayden at all if his cousin wasn't laid up with a broken ankle. Astor is researching the local lighthouse (which is rumored to be haunted) for his next book on hauntings. If he hadn't agreed to do the research for him since he was laid up, then Lee wouldn't be staying in such a swanky beach-front hotel, and therefore wouldn't have had the chance to meet the lovely Jayden. The best part about this story is that Sasha Miller has thrown away all the unofficial vampire rules and created an interesting, rather mundane vampire. For someone like myself who prefers the Wild Bill sort of vamp (though Wild Bill could never be called mundane!), I really enjoyed getting to know Lee. He's got a bit of a shaky moral compass, though he's a genuinely good guy. And I liked the couple that Jayden and Lee make. Second, this is really a nice beach read. Not that it's about a beach (duh), but because it's really about a vacation fling, and those are always fun to read about. The warm weather and long evenings, the lack of stress, and… the beach. It's about appreciating the day and not worrying about tomorrow. That made this story fun to read. Jayden and Lee enjoy each other, have lots of sex and because they aren't worried about the future, they allow themselves to be playful. One of my favorite scenes is when they go to do Astor's research at the lighthouse and make fun of all the ghost stuff. It's light and sweet. The story does evolve, towards the end, as they start having real feelings and thinking about what happens next. I appreciated having a solid Happy for Now ending with a real plan going forward for their relationship rather than an unreal HEA. This is definitely best read as part of a pair, but mostly because the stories are both good and go well together than needing to be read together. You could enjoy either of them separately if you wished. ...more

Cole Riann's bookshelf: m-m-magic, m-m-firemen (showing 1-30 of 212) (sorted by: date added)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Overture: Ghost in the Closet (Immortal Symphony: Overture #3) [author] author Armstrong, S.L. * [isbn] isbn [isbn13] isbn13 9781627570022 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 37 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.33 [num ratings] num ratings 9 [date pub] date pub Apr 12, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Apr 12, 2013 [rating] Cole's rating 3 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 0 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started May 09, 2013 [date read] date read May 09, 2013 [date added] date added May 08, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [format] format ebook [29] actions view (with text) [review]

Output: review Review posted at The Armchair Reader. 3.5 stars This third part of the Immortal Symphony serial is definitely the part of the story that I was waiting f Review posted at The Armchair Reader. 3.5 stars This third part of the Immortal Symphony serial is definitely the part of the story that I was waiting for. The dynamic between Gabriel, Michael and Dorian changes quite drastically after the second story, where Gabriel partook in the casual drug use and orgiastic (very public) pleasures in celebration of Dorian's birthday. But what is a common evening of debauchery for Dorian is quite honestly uncomfortably hedonistic to Gabriel. Always the good boy in comparison to his twin brother Michael's more outlandish actions, this story shows more than ever before how the addition of Dorian to the brothers' lives has had an affect on them. Gabriel, who has always had trouble letting loose and giving up control to participate in the kinds of things like Dorian's sex party, finds that he quite likes forcing himself to explore new opportunities and experience life in a more hedonistic way. Michael's whole existence, however, is a testament to the partying lifestyle of excess drugs and sex, one which ultimately cost him his life. Seeing his brothers actions hits Michael the hardest. This drives a firm wedge between Michael and Dorian, and when Gabriel doesn't seem as upset at Dorian and Michael feels he should, Michael decides to take over his brothers body and show Dorian his displeasure. The resulting confrontation between the two pushes open the door to Dorian's secrets, until they start spilling out into the light. While I liked this story even more than the first two -- specifically because we're starting to get some real answers -- I'm still very of two minds about this series and the characters. First, I really adore the writing of Dorian's character, but I don't actually like Dorian at all. I say that I really adore the writing of him because I've suspected all along that my emotions are purposefully being manipulated as far as how I feel about him. He's really not likable at all except in that pre-karma way, the "he's going to get what's coming to him" way, whether that be literal or the satisfaction of watching him start to have real feelings for someone. That's why I can't say I categorically hate Dorian, though he does make me uncomfortable. He's a much more complicated character than that. In fact, he's the character that really parallels the overall unfolding plot, because the reveal of his secrets drives the plot forward (which we see in this story as flashbacks). These two authors are really using this unusual medium to explore non-traditional romance characters. Dorian is such a big character that his presence often takes over parts of the story, and ultimately, I feel like he'll be the deciding factor as to where the story will go as it navigates the boundary between erotica and romance. The second part of how I feel about this serial is that as far as the overall plot and the emotional growth of the characters, this serial is still in it's infancy, so those things like how I don't' like Dorian very much have very little impact about how I feel about the story overall. I suppose, I should just say that while I'm reviewing and having to give each little story in this serial a rating, I'm really reserving judgement for myself. Readers who buy the Season Pass (all six Overture season episodes in one) will get an overall discount but also some freebies. The first of those freebies came out with this story in the form of a short story. "The Melody" goes far back in time to an innocent and young Dorian. We get to meet Basil, an artist that young Dorian loves with all the infatuation of a boy and who is also a character importantly referenced to in the first story. While the scene between the two isn't completely instrumental to the main story (you don't have to read it), I did really enjoy being able to get to see him and see who he really was to Dorian at that age. Plus, seeing Dorian as positive, hopeful and undamaged gives me a lot of hope that we'll soon get to see a real change in Dorian in the main story as well. The fourth story in the Immortal Symphony serial is out now! ...more

Cole Riann's bookshelf: m-m-magic, m-m-firemen (showing 1-30 of 212) (sorted by: date added)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Dark Around the Edges: We Are Family (Cambion #3) [author] author Z., Cari * [isbn] isbn [isbn13] isbn13 9781627570015 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 48 pp [avg rating] avg rating 4.13 [num ratings] num ratings 30 [date pub] date pub Apr 12, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Apr 12, 2013 [rating] Cole's rating 4 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 2 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started May 08, 2013 [date read] date read May 09, 2013 [date added] date added May 08, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [format] format ebook [29] actions view (with text) [review]

Output: review Review posted at The Armchair Reader. Owing to staying sick for about a month between March and April, it's taken me quite a while to get back into the Review posted at The Armchair Reader. Owing to staying sick for about a month between March and April, it's taken me quite a while to get back into the swing of reviews and get caught up on some of them, especially the two serials from Storm Moon Press, which before getting sick I was thoroughly enjoying. I suppose it isn't so bad being able to read more than one of them in a row, especially with the Cari Z's Cambion serial. We ended the second story in the Cambion serial ("Black Magic Woman") with the pair gearing up to flee Las Vegas. The City of Sin turned out to have more of a bite than these two were expecting and gave both of them a reminder that though they have some pretty powerful weapons on their sides, they aren't infallible. In the process of seeking a witch to divine the location of their quarry, Porter Grey, Devon lost his sense of touch for three days. What seemed like one of the better sense to gamble (rather than say, his sight) turns out to be almost impossible to deal with and Devon is relegated to letting Rio take care of him. The pair flee Vegas to find Porter Grey, who according to the information of the witch Lynlis is in Seattle. But Devon is not up for any kind of mission, so they instead decide to stop in Oregon to visit Devon's dads. Ren and Emile are an enigma with many of their own secrets to keep. They're foster parents to cambions, teaching them to control their powers. But going home only highlights the growing feelings between Rio and Devon and puts Rio and his secrets in even more of a precarious position. I think that what I liked so much about this third installment into the Cambion world is that it takes what we saw in the second and continues to develop it. Of course, some pretty big secrets come out, including the one Rio's been trying to hide, but while it was nice to find out what he really is, I liked seeing the developing intimacy between him and Devon even more. Devon's vulnerability stemming from losing his sense of touch brings that connection to the forefront; for the first time, Devon has to overlook his pride and accept help and seeing Devon in such a state shows Rio just how much he cares for the cambion. Cari mentioned after my review of the second story that soon after this third one we'd get back to more of the action. It makes sense if you're considering it by the story. Now that they've gone home and their relationship is on much firmer ground than the casual sexual and professional relationship they had in the first story, it makes sense that the last half of this season will return the focus to their hunt of the demon summoner, Porter Grey. I'm looking forward to story #4 (not long of a wait!) and in particular hopefully finding out more about Ren and Emile or seeing if they play any further part in the story. I also can't wait to see when Devon finds out what Ren is and by proxy what his dads are :) If you haven't started this serial then this is a good time to get in on the action, with half of it now over (at least, these first 6 installments). If you buy the season as a bundle you get some free goodies along with it, the first of which was just sent out -- free story "The South Beach Job", which takes us back several years to Rio and Devon's earlier professional relationship when their sexual one is just starting. It's a good story that shows them before they change by their association with the other. Plus, it's always fun watching Devon in slut mode ;) ...more

Cole Riann's bookshelf: m-m-magic, m-m-firemen (showing 1-30 of 212) (sorted by: date added)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Dead Man and the Restless Spirits (Dead Man, #1) [author] author Harper, Lou * [isbn] isbn [isbn13] isbn13 9781301343928 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 166 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.89 [num ratings] num ratings 419 [date pub] date pub May 31, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Jun 25, 2013 [rating] Cole's rating 4 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 7 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started May 07, 2013 [date read] date read May 08, 2013 [date added] date added May 06, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [format] format ebook [29] actions view (with text) [review]

Output: review Review posted at The Armchair Reader. I was super excited to read this spinoff of Spirit Sanguine, which I really loved, because I really felt like I l Review posted at The Armchair Reader. I was super excited to read this spinoff of Spirit Sanguine, which I really loved, because I really felt like I liked Denton a lot in that book. He's really funny and he's a natural to have his own book, with the fact that he can see ghosts and all, or at least, the remnants of death. And I really did enjoy it. I think that I ended up feeling quite different about it than Spirit Sanguine, no matter how much I enjoyed it and not relating to the fact that it is essentially different than that book. I'll get to why in a bit, but most if it has to deal with the way that the story is told. We first met Denton Mills in Spirit Sanguine, a book that was all about a different type of vampires. In a way, I feel like the viewpoint of vampires from that book (as Lou Harper has called "the Byronic portrayal of vampires—you know, dark and brooding, woe is me…") is somewhat related to how Denton feels about them. He's another type of paranormal entity in a city filled with them (Chicago), but where he sees them as other, he's just like a regular guy with a gift, or a curse. They try to stay away from one another for the most part, probably as it is thought of in Spirit Sanguine because of the death that surrounds vampires. Our picture of him in that book is separate from and quite lonely, though with a quick wit and acerbically funny facade. Dead Man… shows Denton's world, and while they're mostly the same the focus is different. The vampires are quite separate from his daily life (except when he thinks about Gabe and the crush he had). But he's still quite lonely. He has a hard time relating to people, especially those who don't know his secret. But when staying in his best friend Joy's apartment, he finally starts to learn about his gift and the wider world of witches and necromancy -- all because of the hot guy next door (who might also be a serial killer) and the man's cat, Murry. This book is enjoyable for itself, even if you haven't read Spirit Sanguine. But if you have read that book, then I think you'll enjoy this one as well because in writing style they're similar in many ways. Denton is really funny and just in the first chapter or so and especially with his interactions with the cat, I was totally hooked. I think that is what made the book enjoyable for me, mostly Denton's interaction with his surroundings and with Bran. They make a really great pair, but the real joy of reading the book comes from Denton's voice. That said, I think that you really have to enjoy that for the book to be a total winner for you. Because while I enjoyed their paranormal investigative efforts together I also felt like they were quiet small mysteries that didn't go nearly as in depth as I would have wished. And that's fine, because I know that their story isn't finished and Lou has plans for more for this couple. But it does mean that I ended this book feeling less of a connection between the two than in many of Lou's other books. On the other hand, that makes me even more excited for the sequel, because I'm interested in where this couple will go. And, of course, I love Denton :) So I wholeheartedly recommend this one, just for the joy of reading it. It's a fun book, and not long, so you can enjoy it in a day or one sitting when you need a little pick-me-up, a little humor and some really good writing. Now that I've read almost all of her backlist, I can see that Lou has written some of the best characters in the m/m romance genre. Perhaps its that I find my reading preferences and her writing style mesh really well, but I think that Denton highlights what I really love about Lou's characters, which is that they're smart, funny and perceptive. And that they always have a different and unique way of looking at the world. I can't say more than that. ...more

Cole Riann's bookshelf: m-m-magic, m-m-firemen (showing 1-30 of 212) (sorted by: date added)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Words of Divinity [author] author Bain-Vrba, Kayla * [isbn] isbn [isbn13] isbn13 9781620042007 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 143 pp [avg rating] avg rating 2.76 [num ratings] num ratings 34 [date pub] date pub Apr 30, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition May 01, 2013 [rating] Cole's rating 3 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 1 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started May 05, 2013 [date read] date read May 05, 2013 [date added] date added May 03, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [format] format ebook [29] actions view (with text) [review]

Output: review Review posted at The Armchair Reader. 3.5 stars In many ways this was just the kind of book that I love. A solid fantasy (not high fantasy) that plays w Review posted at The Armchair Reader. 3.5 stars In many ways this was just the kind of book that I love. A solid fantasy (not high fantasy) that plays with alternate worlds, gods/demigods, demon-like creatures, a magical war, and a quest between worlds and back. Though I had a few problems with the book as a whole, for the most part I really enjoyed it. Words of Divinity is told from the opposing viewpoints of Daniel and Liam, a mage and a hunter. We first meet Liam on the streets of the capitol. He's been living on the streets since the age of fourteen, a runaway from an abusive alcoholic father. While wandering the streets at night, Liam is attacked by a giant rat that nearly kills him. But in his fight for his life, Liam is able to kill the rat barehanded, an almost impossible feat that is witnessed by another man who takes Liam to the local regiment's barracks. Liam is extremely distrustful of authority, but he soon learns that he's there to recount his impressive tale and immediately offered into the ranks of a new group of warriors, a special subset of the country's military that has been organized to fight a new menace -- the demon spawn called up from the Underworld by the dark mages of a neighboring country. Liam finds a place among the hunters. Completing training faster than any of the others, he finds that he's exceptional at something and the center of a group of warriors that look up to him. Maybe it's this new respect that inflates his ego, or more likely just part and parcel of how his experiences so far have molded him -- his abusive father, his early sexual experiences and his casual disregard of how he's been used by both people and authority. Whatever it is, this new and cocky Liam is the epitome of a bad boy -- sleeping his way across the regiment, and then into the group of mages traveling with them and the local boys at every village they pass as they march from battle to battle. Liam soon finds that not everyone is susceptible to his charms. Daniel is a mage that the other mages avoid. He's held in high esteem by the Crown Prince Erik who accompanies their ragtag company, and they soon grow a friendship, though Daniel shuns any other company. He's secretive, and for good reason. Daniel is their biggest asset because of his ability to hear the thoughts of the demons they hunt. He has more secret abilities, however, that seem to have a mind of their own, constantly wanting to be used. While he's fighting the demon spawn with the other mages and hunters, he's also waging a war among his own powers and his own history, which he keeps locked away among his deepest secrets. When Daniel first meets Liam, he's taken by his charisma, confidence and sexy swagger. Their friendship, though, is brief when Daniel sees some of his worst qualities -- his endless meaningless conquests and his loose tongue. Liam likes to brag about his conquests and getting prudish Daniel to give it up for him is his goal, including spreading the tales afterward to anyone that wants to listen. Now pitted against one another, they spend quite a long time at odds, only growing in animosity. They're soon thrust into a quest where they have to open up to one another and rely on each other to survive. And even more than that, they are forced to reevaluate their preconceived notions about the other. What Kayla V-B did best in this novella is in these two characters. At times I wasn't quite sure how I felt about them. In fact, for probably the first half of the book I really hated Liam. We don't quite get a lot of his history until much later in the book so even though we know about his asshole father, we don't quite understand his vulnerability, which just makes him seem like an asshole. I think that Daniel (at least for me) is a bit easier to get close to. It's easier to understand him and to really pull for him because his vulnerability is on the surface… he's extremely tormented. The format of the book (the quest is like an obstacle course they have to maneuver, with tests that manipulate them and their feelings) makes the two come together because, honestly, I doubt they would if they weren't forced to. They're so opposed to one another. In fact, I don't know that I've read an m/m romance in recent history that deals with the enemies to lovers trope where the characters hated and misunderstood the other more. And with the world around them manipulating their actions, they constantly seem to come together to be torn apart. It makes for some nice angst that I didn't feel was too overdone. And I really liked the fact that the characters are who they are with a real fierceness, if that makes sense at all. They're both passionate, and that makes them alternately rub each other the wrong way, while at other times they can co-exist. I had a bit of a difficult time getting into the story, though. The first few chapters traverse several years in order to set up the story, introduce both characters and a bit of their history, and then show the few years they travel together and how Liam and Daniel grow to hate one another. I think that it all comes down to pacing. At the start of the story the pace is extremely fast. We're given a lot of information while time speeds forward every few paragraphs to chapters and then when the characters are forced on their journey together the pace changes. Also, while this part of the story is interspersed with skirmishes and battles that we're shown in present time, there's a lot of narration to fill us in on the world and the characters. It wasn't until I finished the book that I could see the jog in the pace and I started to think about the beginning. Rather than telling us about their past, I would have rather been shown those scenes. It would have meant adding quite a bit more pages, but I think there would have been more balance. But, in all, this was quite the enjoyable read and I'd definitely recommend it to fantasy fans. I'm not sure whether the author plans to extend the story at all, but I'd definitely be there, in line to read it if she wanted to. The story definitely ends with a pretty solid HFN, on the line to an HEA. I only doubt the HEA because of their past history and we don't see where their adventures are headed. It's nicely done to either let the story rest or open it again at a future point. ...more

Cole Riann's bookshelf: m-m-magic, m-m-firemen (showing 1-30 of 212) (sorted by: date added)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Soul Magic (Triad, #3) [author] author Dennison, Poppy * [isbn] isbn 1623805805 [isbn13] isbn13 9781623805807 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 220 pp [avg rating] avg rating 4.10 [num ratings] num ratings 557 [date pub] date pub May 05, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition May 06, 2013 [rating] Cole's rating 5 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 15 [votes] votes 13 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started May 2013 [date read] date read May 2013 [date added] date added May 01, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [format] format ebook [29] actions view (with text) [review]

Output: review OMG! The best ending ever! Okay, I really don't mean to make people upset, I put up like 1% of books I read early on Goodreads, but even though I'm no OMG! The best ending ever! Okay, I really don't mean to make people upset, I put up like 1% of books I read early on Goodreads, but even though I'm not posting my review until tomorrow, I just want to make sure that all of you preorder this book (and buy the ones before it if you haven't), they're really wonderful. And this was a GREAT finale! Okay, here's the review -- Posted at The Armchair Reader. Okay, straight up… let's get this first thing out of the way. Don't expect this review to be necessarily eloquent or far-thinking or in any way an analysis of the book or series. I just don't have that in me at this point. What this review IS… is an immediate reaction to reading this third and final book of the series; a book which I've been eagerly awaiting for quite a while now. In fact, I've been thinking about this last book ever since reading the first, Mind Magic, back in 2012. Normally that doesn't happen for me, I'm not sure where the story is going. But, and maybe some of you who have read the books can understand me in this, but I felt like (in reading that first book) that the series had a clearly outlined direction, firmly delineated by the names of the books and the separate romances, which mirror the way that magic is first described to us in this world, in a triangle and points of three -- three kinds of magic, three different romances, and three different books. The harmony of all of those things are what the series is working towards and Poppy did a wonderful job in satisfying my need for those things to come full circle. We start this third book with most of the essentials already firmly in hand, with the base of the story firmly established so that the threads immediately start to come together for the final picture the moment the story starts. I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to me to become absorbed in a fantasy (or paranormal, but these series tend to be fantasy) series where I'm pulling the threads together on my own as I'm reading, putting the pieces together, only to have them be swept out of the way in the final confrontation or ending by a deus ex machina or even a plausible ending that is somewhat foretold but doesn't take those threads I pulled together into account. In this series, I felt the planning throughout and that it was important to this book, which I appreciated. Here's a summation of the first two books: (view spoiler)[Now, back to what I was saying after that tangent. We start this book with two soild romances under our belt and a pretty firm idea that this book will concentrate on another -- Cormac and Liam -- the very much alive ancestor and vampire to Simon and Gray's beta of the High Moon Pack. We know that Simon started this story by rescuing a group of wolf cubs from a demon that was working with his own mage teacher who was stealing his magic, and that by rescuing the cubs he made himself friend to the wolf pack and mate to their alpha, Gray. In the second book, Body Magic, we go further and learn that there is a man with unimaginable power who was directing both those people (for lack of a better word) and that they're in even more dire straits than before. In this book, you'll learn exactly who that person is and what threat they possess. The clues are all there are the start of the book and I bet some of you have already guessed the direction this book is going, in fact may have already guessed who that person is who attacked the pack during the mating ceremony in the second book (hint: you'll get there eventually, knowing that Cormac is the focus of this last book). (hide spoiler)] But really, even though we get to know Cade and Rocky better in Body Magic and Cormac and Liam better in this book, the main star of this series is Simon, and beside him Gray and their family and pack. But Simon's magic and his exploration of his powers remains the main thread of this story that draws all the others together. I want to mention, at this point, that the setup of this series really pleased me and is something that I'm not sure I've seen very much in the past. I was originally a bit upset at the start of the second book, thinking that we were leaving Simon and Gray behind and moving to a new couple when their story wasn't really finished. But, what Poppy has done with the series is make Simon and Gray the main couple, and even though she introduces new characters and their romances in each book (including their own chapters) she never abandoned that first couple. I really loved that, not only because Simon and Gray and even Gray's son and the alpha-heir Garon were why I originally fell in love with the story, but because Simon's importance to the series means that he can't be abandoned. He's the star. Now I'm going to go back on my word :) I think some analysis of the series as a whole is due here. I want to describe why I think I fell in love with this series at the first book and just why it has remained with me. In past, I've equated my intense connection and love of a story with it's length. The more time I spend with the characters, the more I get to know them and the bigger the world is, the more detailed, the more I'm drawn into it and the less I want to leave. That didn't happen here. I was immediately drawn into this world -- three books, which in the fantasy world are rather short novels. And I think, now that I've finished all of them, I know why. There is a clarity of purpose in the writing and a lack of verbosity to get the author's point across. I'm not sure why this is. Maybe it's in planning. But the world is brought through the characters and their love of it. There's very little detail, compared to those others I'm so used to becoming engrossed in, of the world. And there is also, I must point out, what I felt to be perfect pacing. That is what really brought the story through for me. You can't say that it is necessarily action-packed, but you can say that there aren't any needless words. The story is succinct, to the point, and there is a somewhat heavy emphasis on the non-romance plot as opposed to the romance-centered plot, which nevertheless felt quite balanced to me because those characters and their relationships came across to me so clearly. I hope that come across in the way I intended, and I'd absolutely LOVE to hear from those of you who are fans of this series and how you feel about it, now and after you've read the third book. Now, I've rambled enough. But I do want to take one last minute to urge those of you who are new to this author or series to take a chance on these books. I can't tell you that you'll love them the way I do, but I do think you'll enjoy them. ...more

Cole Riann's bookshelf: m-m-magic, m-m-firemen (showing 1-30 of 212) (sorted by: date added)