Blackout (Newsflesh Trilogy Series #3)
My spoiler free review:
kimba88 wrote:
Blackout (Newsflesh Trilogy Series #3)
My spoiler free review:
*Stop* -if you have not read Feed or Deadline I recommend you skip this review and proceed to the nearest bookstore and obtain your copies NOW. Love zombies, awesome characters, non-stop action and conspiracies that reach biblical proportion..You will love this trilogy! Mira Grant, aka Sean McGuire is a brilliant and talented author who creates tales that leave you breathless and craving more.Blackout the final novel in the Newflash trilogy was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I preordered my copy shortly after finishing Deadline with its mind-blowing ending. I literally consumed this novel. Grant delivered everything I hoped for and more. Fans will be captivated by this brilliant action packed novel.It’s the year 2041, the remaining “After the End of Times” team is in hiding. They are wanted by the CDC and US government for their part in exposing the truth in the previous novel. Despite this, they are still working to uncover more. The Kellis-Amberlee virus is mutating and spreading at a rapid pace. Florida is considered a lost cause and there are talks of shutting the boarder. Mahir’s sister is alive at a camp in Florida and will be abandoned. A rescue mission is formulated and a plan is established for getting them new identities. The tale that unfolds was pure perfection! It had narrow escapes, zombie bears, startling revelations and a mysterious patient known as 7B. My emotions were all over the place, as I shared this experience with characters I have come to love.The characters in Grant’s novels are flawed, unique and so well fleshed-out that I feel as if I know them. I shared their pain, their joy and their fear. Shawn is still conversing with his dead sister Georgia, and now he is seeing her. I have really become attached to Shawn and I feel like I understand him so completely. He is getting ready to end this. He is prepared to expose the truth for Georgia and doesn’t think he will live beyond that. He is fearless, reckless, and loyal. Despite his fractured mind he is brilliant. Grant surrounds the Masons with the most loyal team. I loved each and every one of them. These characters were so real to me, I will miss them all. Typically I am a book gypsy, and never revisit the same tale twice. I can tell you without a doubt, that I will re-read the News Flash Trilogy again and again.The world-building from the first page of the first novel to the last page of this trilogy was superb. Grant created a story-line that is out of this world crazy and made me believe it. I became wrapped up in the virus, the conspiracies, the technology and most of all the characters. I honestly feel like I personally know each and every member of the team. They are my friends and I feel such a loyalty to them. The tale that flowed from Grant’s pen took me on a ride I will never forget. I loved the way she broke from the story, giving us blog posts from the characters. They gave us incredible insight and made the characters up close and personal. She created ebbs and flows that sent my heart racing and then gave me time to absorb the enormity of what had occurred. Her writing style can be described as both frank and beautiful. I believed this story, I lived this story and I never wanted it to end.In case you haven’t guessed, I highly recommend The News Flash Trilogy to everyone! If I could I would buy everyone a copy. To me this is one of the best post-apocalyptic zombie tales ever written. I am eagerly awaiting Grant’s next novels which are titled; Symbiogenesis and Parasitology. Sean McGuire is the author of the wildly popular fantasy series October Daye. Her ability to write successfully in two separate and distinct genres speaks to her amazing talent. Sean McGuire/Mira Grant is on my auto-buy list.
AWESOME review, Kimba! Can't wait to read this!!! 
In the 1870s, the sorcerer Blackstone created Washington, VC...Vamp City. It is a magical overlay of the real city where vampires can live in peace and be themselves.
Quinn Lennox lives with her younger brother Zack in an apartment near George Washington University. Something strange is going on with Quinn.....she keeps seeing strange shimmers in the Washington area. If she passes through them, things around her change. Even stranger, outside her apartment building, she sees glimpses of old row houses and horses pulling carriages through the dirt streets. She finally learns that the weird scenes are real when her and her brother are pulled through a vision into this other world while trying to find Zack's missing friend. Not long after they arrive, they're attacked by vampires. Next thing Quinn knows, she's a slave to a fear feeding vampire named Arturo. Once he figures out just what Quinn is, he takes her to his sire Cristoff, a pain feed vampire who enjoys torturing his food. All Quinn wants is to find her brother and get back home. The vampires have a different idea. The magic that created Vamp City is failing and Quinn could be their salvation, if she can survive.
I've read Palmer's Feral Warriors series and enjoyed them. I picked up this new series without really knowing what it was about, but figured it would be like her other books. I have to say...I was pleasantly surprised. It's a complete departure from her other series. This one is more historical urban fantasy than romance, though there is a budding romance plot...
The world she constructs is gritty, hard, and the vamps aren't good guys. In their world humans are nothing but slaves...there to work and provide food and sport. They not only feed on blood, but also on emotion, either pain, fear, or passion. It's a harsh world for the humans that fall through to VC, and many don't survive a month. Arturo is one of the better masters, but he's loyal to his sire above all, even if that means betraying Quinn, who he's forming an attachment to.
If you like your UF a little darker, this one is worth a look.
Vermontcozy wrote:
paulgoatallen wrote:
dhaupt wrote:this should hit my mailbox any day now
Insert sound of EXPLOSION here..... This one (hopefully) will be amazing!
I think its the Last in The Series..Must check when it comes out,,,I really love their writing..
I believe this series was listed as a Trilogy, yes. :-)
SciFiCanuck wrote:
Vermontcozy wrote:
paulgoatallen wrote:
dhaupt wrote:
this should hit my mailbox any day now
Insert sound of EXPLOSION here..... This one (hopefully) will be amazing!
I think its the Last in The Series..Must check when it comes out,,,I really love their writing..
I believe this series was listed as a Trilogy, yes. :-)
It's a trilogy – yes!
Hi Everyone,
Wow, it has been way too long since I have posted here, sorry about that.
Not so much a new book or series, but check out my review of Stacia Kane's novel Unholy Ghosts at Blood Rose Books. This book is a really good read for those who like the paranormal genre and I also think it would be a great place to start who are looking to get into the series. I'm also having a giveaway for the first book right now, you have 2 days left to enter, so if you are thinking of starting the series make sure you stop by.
Unholy Ghosts (Downside Ghosts Series #1)
Also recently reviewed
Harvey Black & Jonathan Levine: Kidd Black "the beginning"
Marcia Clark: Guilt by Assocaition
William F. Brown: Amongst My Enemies
Cheers!!!!
Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy #2)
My review.No spoilers ..Only hints at its epic-ness!
Shadow of Night is the second book from the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. You can see my review of Discovery of Witches here. I could not wait to get back to Diana and Matthew’s story and unlock the secrets of Asmole 782. I am delighted to inform you thatShadow of Night delivered all that I hoped for and more. Harkness brings the past to life as we travel back in time and adds new depth to the characters that I adore. I literally consumed this and cannot wait for the final novel. If I had to sum up my opinion in three words they would be; captivating, beautiful and breathtaking.
0198lilly wrote:That's ok, I know how cumbersome those piles can get. When I first saw the cover I thought YA, but after reading further its not. Maybe I'll just read it soon to kill the curiosity. I'll keep you posted although I'm not a reviewer in any way.
I was just over at Kim Harrison's box and read there will be a "short" in the back of mass market Perfect Blood about Rachel and Al's relationship from Trent's POV-that sounds interesting. She said its not long so we could "read it in the isle" LOL.
There was also a comment about a short story in Demon's from someone and Kim said it's already out but we wouldn't "find it under her name". Do you know if this is hers(under another name-which I can't imagine since her name is well respected) or?? It was under Ask Kim A Question. It could have just been something she knows about but didn't participate in.. Thank you.
It could be under her alter ego...Dawn Cook. :-) Like this book:
kimba88 wrote:
Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy #2)
My review.No spoilers ..Only hints at its epic-ness!
Shadow of Night is the second book from the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. You can see my review of Discovery of Witches here. I could not wait to get back to Diana and Matthew’s story and unlock the secrets of Asmole 782. I am delighted to inform you thatShadow of Night delivered all that I hoped for and more. Harkness brings the past to life as we travel back in time and adds new depth to the characters that I adore. I literally consumed this and cannot wait for the final novel. If I had to sum up my opinion in three words they would be; captivating, beautiful and breathtaking.
The tale literally picks up right where Discovery of Witches left off. Diana and Matthew find themselves landing back in Elizabethan London. Diana is thrilled to be able to visit a period she has studied but finds herself woefully unprepared. She quickly realizes that even with her education she is completely out of her element. From her speech to her mannerism it is obvious to all; she isn’t from around here. With the aid of Matthew’s eccentric friends, they will work to assist Diana with these skills, secure a witch to train her and find the lost copy of Asmole 782. The tale that unfolds is absolutely breathtaking, filled with suspense, romance, danger and iconic characters throughout Elizabethan history.The characters in the All Souls Trilogy are flawed, fleshed out and I absolutely adore them. Diana finds herself out of her element. Her witchcraft is acting all sorts of bonkers. She is living in a time when witches are burned at the stake, the clothes are barbaric and women have no rights. In this novel we get to see tremendous growth in Diana. Her love and understanding of Matthew grows. She becomes more confident in her own skin and continues to be loyal, fearless and stubborn. I loved watching her discover her talents as a witch. This provides both funny and frightening scenes as her inability to control them creates mayhem. Then of course there is Matthew *swoons*. In this novel we learn so much about him and what has molded the modern day version. His history is both fascinating and sad. We get to see a darker side of Matthew as he confronts his past. He loves Diana but things are holding him back. I loved discovering his inner-workings. Diana peeled back his layers, bringing them closer together. The soft, tender side of Matthew was beautiful. There are a few flash forwards to present time and the characters we love. This provides insight into how Matthew and Diana are changing the future. We spend most of the novel in the years 1590 and 1591. This affords us the opportunity to witness history, attend the queen, and meet many historical characters. Harkness did a fantastic job of weaving them in the tale and giving them voice. I adored getting to know Gallowglass and Matthew’s father. The Queen and other characters gave me the chills and I feared for Diana.Harkness has an incredible gift for world-building. She brought the Elizabethan era to life. Her interpretation of the queen, the atmosphere, and the smells of London lifted the tale right from the pages and I become completely immersed. It is immediately evident that a tremendous amount of research went into writing this novel. I was delighted by the historical accuracy and believability. From the buildings, merchants and furnishing, Harkness's imagery was enthralling. The characters she introduced were fleshed-out, and my feelings toward them reflected that. Shadow of Night held my attention and kept me up late two evening in a row, but it was worth every sleep-deprived minute. Harkness spun twists and turns into the plot that completely captivating me. We travel all over Europe and I loved all the little details. The fear of discovery and the atmosphere of the times, especially towards witches made this tale very suspenseful. The romance between Diana and Matthew was genuine and beautifully portrayed. There was coupling and it was done beautifully. Even the most delicate reader won’t be offended. Watching their growth as a couple kept me spellbound. Together they share loss, love, fear, jealousy and a binding that will last forever. I found myself completely invested in their story. While I am once again drooling for the next book, it is also bittersweet for me. The knowledge that its publishing will bring this tale to an end is a sad one. I am not yet ready to let go of Matthew and Diana. While it did not end on a huge cliffhanger you are left knowing things are developing and this tale is far from over.
Thanks Kimba, it's on my plate for next week and then on pub day I'll have a Q&A w/Deborah on my forum
Great review, thanks
