A Bargain of Blood & Gold (Midnight Guardians #1) by Kristin Jacques

A novice hunter with a mission. A five-hundred-year-old vampire with a strong sense of irony. A town plagued by creatures in need of saving.
When Johnathan Newman arrives in Cress Haven, the last thing he expects is for his life to be irrevocably changed. Sent by a clandestine league of vampire hunters to investigate a string of murders, signs point to a vampire lurking amid the townsfolk. Johnathan’s attempt to enlist the locals leads him to an unlikely partnership with Vic, the town’s most eligible, enigmatic bachelor.
As the pair work to solve the mystery, Vic’s secrets come back to bite him. Revealed, the vampire fights his attraction to a man trained to destroy him, while Johnathan’s emotions land him in the middle of forbidden desires. Even if Vic isn’t the murderer, how can Johnathan yearn for his natural enemy?
As Vic leads Johnathan into encounters with terrifying beings straight from children’s nightmares, Johnathan learns that not only is the world stranger than he knew, but that those he once trusted have far darker intentions that will place hunter and vampire at the center of a conflict between realms.
Cress Haven holds more sinister secrets than its resident vampire, a secret so great, it could unleash Hell itself.

So, historical fiction is not my go-to (hmm… for an eclectic reader, it seems I have a LOT of “non-go-to” genres, but that’s a conundrum for another day.) That being said, something has to pique my curiosity to make me pick one up, especially from a new to me author. In this case, it was the vampire vs. vampire hunter. With that combination, how could I resist. A Bargain of Blood and Gold turned out to be so much more than I expected. I love it when that happens 😉

Nothing about Johnathan’s first solo mission turned out to be what he expected. From the time he set foot in Cress Haven it seemed that the mission, as well as Johnathan, was doomed. The only bright spot in his arrival was Vic, but nothing that’s going on in the isolated town was exactly as it seemed and the experience was destined to turn Johnathan’s orderly life upside down.

There was plenty of action, mystery, danger and more to keep the pages turning. Add to that a strictly forbidden romance and the fact that it was hard to tell exactly where loyalties should lie, A Bargain of Blood and Gold was a hard book to put down. The adventure was far from over at the end, so it goes without saying that I can’t wait for the Midnight Guardians series to continue.

Salem Moon by Scarlet Black

When Gabriel Blackstone, a young man living in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 is sentenced to death for the crime of witchcraft, a mysterious man appears to him, just before death comes to claim him; promising to change his fate if he will only agree to take his hand and go where he leads.

Miraculously, Gabriel is transported to 21st century Salem where, he not only escapes his fate, but meets his destiny! He falls in love with Lily Snow, a descendant of the very family that falsely accused him of witchcraft! They both know theirs is a forbidden love, but they cannot deny it!

Gabriel is shocked to learn that the man who saved his life is, in reality, an evil Fallen Angel, named Lucien, who wreaks havoc on the city of Salem with his unbridled lust and violence. He wants Gabriel’s very soul and will do whatever it takes to get it, including going after Lily!

Gabriel and Lily’s story is one of love that defies all boundaries, as they come together in a steamy passion neither of them has ever known and a love that transcends time, brutal injustice and evil itself!

Have you ever finished a book and really liked it, but there was just something about it that kept you from loving it? That’s where I was at the end of Salem Moon.

I think Scarlet Black did an amazing job of bringing the reader back to 1692 Salem. The history of the witch trials through first hand experience was gripping and horrific. The irony of the world that Lucien transports Gabriel to made for a fantastic story. It really was a wonderful concept and parts of it flowed quite well. I didn’t feel like the relationship between Gabriel and Lilly was forced. I actually liked their connection. It was magical, as it should be. I also didn’t have a problem with the evilness that surrounded Lucien. Yes his actions were awful and what he did throughout the book was unforgivable, but he was evil incarnate. He acted pretty much how I expected him to. That doesn’t mean I accepted his actions, it just means that I know evil exists and sometimes it appears in the books that I read.

So, what didn’t I like about Salem Moon? What exactly kept me from loving it? I guess if I had to put my finger on it, I’d have to say that some of the situations and solutions were just too convenient and lose ends that I didn’t feel were tied up enough by the end had a lot to do with it. I know that this is the beginning of a series and some of this will probably be resolved in the next book, but I would have liked to have felt just a little less ‘lost’ at times.

Having said all that, I still really did like Salem Moon. I will probably pick up the next book in the series and not just because it ended in a huge cliff hanger. I honestly want to know what happens to Gabriel and Lilly.

I received Salem Moon as a free download from Amazon on April 29, 2012.

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

I think I need to put a disclaimer on all historical, dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction that I read and review. It should probably go a little something like this – “Dear readers, pay no attention to the fact that it took me a while to get into this book. That’s just me and my brain taking it’s sweet time getting acclimated to the world the author so painstakingly created.” I don’t know why I have a hard time getting into these books. It’s certainly not because I don’t enjoy these genres, because I do. Once my brain catches up, I can sit back and devour the characters and the story. There, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way I can move on to the review.

I suppose because of the above rant… errr… explanation, there is no need to tell you that it took me a while to get into Grave Mercy. Therefore, you can ignore that fact. The important part is, once i got there, I loved it. The premise of Grave Mercy was different than any of the other YA books I’ve read for a while. The fact that took place within a historical setting only made it more unique.

Ismae was a great character. She started out as a victim, but ended up stronger than even she expected to be. The supporting characters had dimension and were easy to relate to. I really liked the glimpse the author gave us into Ismae’s thought process. She didn’t take anyone’s actions, including hers for granted and she stayed true to herself, her cause and her heart. I loved how the relationship between her and Duval developed. It wasn’t automatic for either character which made it even more believable.

The twists and turns that Grave Mercy took made this a true page turner. LaFevers didn’t make any of the plot twists predictable. There were characters that I never totally trusted, but the final outcome wasn’t at all what I expected. I like being taken by surprise. It’s even better when it comes about because of the bravery and cleverness of a character that you’ve grown to like and respect.

I’m really glad that Grave Mercy is part of a series. Even though I don’t think the next book will center around Ismae, learning more about the rest of the characters is something I’m really looking forward to.

The Smile by Donna Jo Napoli – Bout-of-Books August Review

Hers is the most famous portrait in the world. Here, in prose as rich as the high Renaissance, is Mona Lisa’s tale – a story of passion, intrigue, loss, and, most of all, love. Elisabetta longs for romance, though she thinks she is too plain. Then, on a fateful visit to glittering Florence, she catches the eye of the great Leonardo da Vinci, and falls for a boy named Giuliano de  Medici. It is a dangerous time to be or be involved with a Medici. As tragedy and chaos threaten their happiness, Elisabetta faces the bittersweet truth of love.

I stole this one for the first Bout-of-Books off my daughter’s shelf. She really is an avid reader, but if a book doesn’t get her attention by the end of the first chapter, the author has lost all hope of getting her to read any further. I am a much more patient reader. Not that this book required that, but I can see how many teens reading it would probably become disinterested for the same reason that the book captivated me.

The Smile is a work of historical fiction and the premise is wonderful. Who hasn’t looked at Leonardo’s Mona Lisa and wondered what wonderful story is behind the mysterious painting? The tale that Napoli weaves is more than you could imagine. Elisabetta lives a sheltered life, but not pampered. She has spunk, she has wit, she is smart and she is strong. She also lives in a time when all of that means nothing if you are born a woman.

The tragic love story gives you a perspective on this time period that draws you in and makes you feel compassion, not only for Elisabetta, but for all the characters who are a victim of time and circumstance. The Smile is a book that I am glad that I took the time to read. Historical fiction isn’t my normal genre, but it’s fun to go places that you don’t normally travel, especially with books