Joseph Fink “Welcome to Night Veil”

Author: Joseph Fink
Title: Welcome to Night Veil
Series: Welcome to Night Veil 1
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Pages: 401
Rate: 3/5 | Goodreads

I knew about this phenomena of a podcast, but I am not into podcasts, so I never listened. Instead, I figured, I’ll read a book. Yes. I jumped the damn wagon with “Welcome to Night Veil“, and I think it was a mistake. It’s not my cup of tea. Listening to the podcast a little would’ve most likely told me that. And those who enjoyed the said podcast probably enjoyed the book too…

About: Town of Night Veil is where all the odd, magical, cursed, and weird things are. Time works strange there. And so do memories. But people are strange too, so I guess it really works. One of those people is a boy named Josh. he can be anything. And he goes missing after a few failed attempts to question his mother of who his father was. It’s a hard task to find a boy who can be whatever he wants to be. But, luckily, his mother has a lead, and a strong feeling about it: there’s a strange man in a tan jacket that keeps appearing in Night Veil. He gives people a slip of paper that says “King City”, and goes missing. People tend to forget all about him, but the paper stays, and you can’t get rid of it. This King City is her biggest clue, and she’d like to start her investigation there, right after she’ll brave the most dangerous place in Night Veil: The Library, full of deadly Librarians. For no map in Night Veil show any road that leads to King City…

Mine: King meets Gaiman. This is not my cup of tea in the worst way. There’s really lots and lots of interesting things in this book, and the characters are very well built. And there were some really brilliant thoughts expressed and put to words that I loved. But it kept driving me mad. I hate that kind of story telling, where it takes very long for the narrator to tell you why this is as it is, and thus there is no need to explain, because hey, it is as it is, always have been.

It’s mostly a good book, it just wasn’t for me. The fantasy was very Gaiman + King, with nothing explained, but lots of words are strung together explaining that “it just is”. 3 out of 5 from me. I should’ve really tried the podcast first, and seen my way from there… But I don’t regret reading it!

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Chloe Neill “Biting Bad” | Chicagoland Vampires 8

Title: Biting Bad
Author: Chloe Neill
Series: Chicagoland Vampires 8
Genre: Vampires, Paranormal
Pages: 350p
Rate: 3/5 | Goodreads

Are you at all surprised that I am back on vampires? I’m pretty sure this could be called binging. As always, easy to read and preferably with vampires is what I wanted. Even if I keep dreading the ever ominous miracle baby prophecy.

About: Anti-vampire riots, attacks on houses and individuals. They don’t gain much traction, but cause a lot of damage. Thus making it all seem mighty suspicious of riots being merely a cover up for something else, something more sinister. And Merit feels like she found a lead once vampires starving to death start popping up. They’re vampires alright, but… Somehow humanized. Out there someone is experimenting on vampires, trying to reverse the process of turning. And if seems a little horrible, well, not to those who dream of sunshine and children, so there’s no shortage of volunteers who do their best to cover up who is doing this.

Mine: Riots and their incentive, as often with main plot of action that serves no real purpose than give a boost and cover up for a detective plotline – had no substance in them. It felt like a red balloon with too little air – ya, you might try to give me an idea of Pennywise being around, but seeing that sorry floppy thing is not getting the effect through. On top of it, Merit’s sudden obsession with having a baby is icky. I don’t like children, I can’t help it. And if Sullivan turns human, I quit these books.

It was a meh. Not a good book, but hey, not a bad one either. I knew what I was getting into, and I know I read more of convenience than of actual love for the story. Also, I have learned that I am very capable of ignoring all romance. This is a romance book, and other than who is banging who in the main character shelf – I couldn’t tell you who is in love with who. You know what’s helping though? Their food obsession. 3 out of 5 this time.

Chloe Neill “Biting Cold” | Chicagoland Vampires 6

Author: Chloe Neill
Title: Biting Cold
Series: Chicagoland Vampires 6
Genre: Paranormal, Vampires
Pages: 352p
Rate: 3/5 | Goodreads

You know, sometimes you just need vampires, no matter in what form they come. So I continue with Chloe Neill, Chicagoland Vampires series. I kinda got used to it, you know? It’s not Sookie’s novels, but serves the same purpose to me.

About: A fallen angel is unleashed upon the world, serving justice as he sees it fit. All due to an ancient artifact that was stolen and broken with a spell. Meaning there’s an even greater cause now to take magic under control, and possibly punish the ones responsible for the new mayhem. On top of this trouble, the Fae Queen seems to have a liking to this creature and harbors him. Any attack upon the Dark One will result in Faeries turning against vampires, against Merit. And if that’s not enough, GP wants Sullivan’s throne, and so House Cadogan is forced to choose: become the enemy or suck it up. The world as Merit knows it seems to be at an end.

Mine: This is one of those rare books where politics were better than the action side of the plot. It made me start to like Sullivan, he has a head on him, and morals to back it up. But some of the other characters are turning into all gender Mary Sues. And the whole angel/demon thing? Never works for me. Never ever, no matter how great you tell that myth, the moment you call some winged bastard an angel – we’re done. I don’t know why, I’ve nothing against the myth or the creature per se, or at least not that I know of.

These aren’t masterpieces. They’re tacky and shallow. But they’re exactly what I need right now: easy, simple, no brainer. It’s a book for a lazy reader. 3 out of 5 from me.

John Burdett “Vulture Peak” | Sonchai Jitpleecheep 5

Author: John Burdett
Title: Vulture Peak
Series: Sonchai Jitpleecheep 5
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Pages: 285p.
Rate: 3-5 | Goodreads

Ah well. I’ve decided, that since I got this far, I might as well finish the series. “Vulture Peak” is second to last John Burdett series Sonchai Jitpleecheep book, out of which only the first three are translated into Lithuanian. Which isn’t a big loss, since first three books form a pretty good trilogy and could really end there.

About: Sonchai’s boss, driven by very selfish motives, is up to finally rid Bangkok of the Organ Trafficking, market and all. For that, of course, he uses Sonchai, since he’s the only non-corrupt cop around, and seems to care about this whole justice thing or whatever. So, Sonchai, with a secret identity, and a cool box full of eyeballs that give him nightmares soon after he discovers what’s inside, travels off from home. And very soon meets two nasty big players in the game. Chinese twins, as crazy as they come, their insanity a danger to them, and those around them. People for them are no more than walking allowance, and they’re very able to attract the right kind of people. Thus, it comes to no surprise that the monster rapist that is rampaging Bangkok is also related to their work and them. Sonchai and now his wife too, are in grave danger as the game starts slipping out of his hands.

My Opinion: The Twins reminded me of Voerman sisters from Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines. The legends, secrets, and their origin story was very similar. That was a pleasant take, to be honest. For the rest of the story wasn’t so good, and made a bit worse by Sonchai’s karmic better than thou attitude. I get it, he’s beautiful and everyone loves him from the moment they lay eyes on him. I just don’t understand why. The best story here was that of the monster I mentioned before, but it was used as a filler, to add volume, or at least it felt that way.

So then. I’ll soon start the final book. I wanted to read them for forever now, in the times when I rarely ever used to buy e-books to begin with. So I’ll be able to strike out a lot of things from the TBR, even if it won’t be quality reads. For the time being, 3 out of 5.

John Burdett “The Godfather of Kathmandu” | Sonchai Jitpleecheep 4

Author: John Burdett
Title: The Godfather of Kathmandu
Series: Sonchai Jitpleecheep 4
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Rating: 3-5 | Goodreads

Have you ever read a book twice, because by the end of it – you already couldn’t tell what it was about? That was the case for me with John Burdett book “The Godfather of Kathmandu”, the fourth book in Sonchai Jitpleecheep series. It wasn’t a bad book per se, but oh, brother, the lines to follow…

Sonchai has made a grave mistake. He got the Godfather movies for his boss, which then triggered a chain reaction of real ill trash luck. His boss kindly worked up Sonchai’s family with deals of good raise, and little to no change to Sonchai’s work, in attempts to make Sonchai his consilieri, like an adviser. Which then directly took a hit to Sonchai’s karma. That son, reincarnation of his beloved friend and partner, whom he wanted to put in a good school on his wife’s advice, with the new money he’ll be getting? Decided the world is too corrupt, and suicided. Wife? Guilt ridden ran away to a monastery to become a monk. FBI agent, his friend and former partner in USA? She felt disappointed in his new line of work, and due to broken arm – won’t rush to help him with the new case. As for the new case, Sonchai is determined to give this chance of promotion to his colleague, who hates his guts. Hates him for being the first choice for the boss. Hates him for being a better detective. And now also hates him for being morally superior about this promotion too, for showing this kindness and giving him the damn promotion. The only consolation Sonchai right now has is also not a spotless piece of sunshine. It is a a highest ranking monk who promised to teach him to reach the peace of mind. It’s just that this same monk has 14 mil worth of drugs he wants to sell to his boss.

As for the murder, now that’s something to get distracted by, no matter how unpleasant. A movie director was found dead, skull open, brain eaten. He was well loved in Bangkok by the bar girls, who describe him as kind, caring, loving, but a sex addict. He wasn’t visiting them for a while before his death, so they assumed he finally found that “something wilder” he was after. Did that wilder thing kill him too? And to top it all off, he left clues directly for Sonchai. Yes. Of course he did.

This was a strange book, with quite a few lines to follow, and Sonchai’s wasn’t the best. The murder was the most dull one though, so I had to remind myself this isn’t really a detective story to begin with a lot. But there were great points, like that monk, or such a shift in Karma. So all in all another 3/5, I guess.

Chloe Neill “Hard Bitten” | Chicagoland Vampires 4

I get used to series. Then I read them, even if I don’t particularly like them. Same happened to me with Chloe Neill series Chicagoland Vampires. Lucky for me, though, “Hard Bitten” (Chicagoland Vampires 4; ISBN 04512333328; 350p. Goodreads) ended up with a very interesting note.

Tension is ever rising in House Cardogan. Protesters outside the windows demand day and night for these dangerous bloodsucking creatures to go back where they came from – hell. Some people go missing after especially brutal raves take place. New drug is rumored to be on the market, messing things up. And, seemingly, all of these strings lead to House Cardogan. Its master, Sullivan is under pressure from two different ramparts: the mayor of the city, and the vampire authorities from across the pond. Pressure itself wouldn’t be hard to handle, of course. It’s their orders that put him between an anvil and a hammer. One side wants him to take care of this, because Cardogan looks involved. Other side wants him to stop meddling in what the head of Cardogan is not supposed to meddle. So, clan reputation or his own skin?

Merit, on the other hand, seems to have found a way around all this mess. After all, the orders were to her liege, not her directly. And what her liege doesn’t know, her liege cannot be blamed for, right? Thus she picks up her contacts in dark deep places, and sets off after those who survived the raves. Sadly, the deeper she digs, the less she likes the secrets. Some of them are about to flip her whole world upside down. Like the one about her getting turned into a vampire…

The ending was a very interesting choice author made, and it got me real curious of how will this develop then. Still, I really won’t be recommending these to anyone who didn’t get this far to begin with. 3 out of 5 from me. Will read the next one though.

John Burdett “Bangkok Tattoo” | Sonchai Jitpleecheep 2

I really didn’t feel like reading anything, so I picked up second book in John Burdett series Sonchai Jitpleecheep, “Bangkok Tattoo” (Sonchai Jitpleecheep 2; ISBN 1400032911; 320p.; Goodreads). I loved the first one phenomenally. But this one just didn’t feel right. In fact, it felt normal, like many other thriller detectives. For, somehow, the characters lost their characters.

A CIA agent is killed and mutilated in a room of a bar girl. They had a one-sided love history and a romance, with kind enough parting between them. And Chanya just doesn’t seem to have a heart for such a violent act, even if circumstances seem to point at her. Yet due to him being an American CIA agent in Bangkok, and this world being set just after the tragic 9/11 terrorist attack, there’s a chance that if there’s any of those evil group members around – they wouldn’t have missed a chance either. But forwards come the Muslim community, prepared to do whatever it takes, whatever means necessary, to keep this blame off of them: it’d destroy the solid community out here. So Sonchai does what Sonchai does better, he picks up whatever strings are left for him, and heads out to see what tangles he can rustle up. What could get a man like that killed anyway?

Apparently, a tattoo. And it might just not be over. Out there, in the dark underground, a good classic / traditional tattoo artist is valued, and so are their works. To the point where murdering and skinning is almost a norm, for owning a piece is a sign of status. The agent had one. And so does Chanya. Yet she’s still alive.

In some dumb sense, Sonchai got too simple for my liking. He lost his fatalistic self, settling down, calming down. And since he’s the one telling the story, and he’s the main hero in it too, it hits the whole tale quality over the head. I can’t give it more than 3 out of 5, but I’m also not ready to give up on the series just yet.

Jordan L. Hawk “Threshold” | Whyborne & Griffin 2

I enjoyed the first book in Jordan L. Hawk series Whyborne & Griffin, so it was only a matter of time, and finding the time, until I got into the second one, “Threshold” (Whyborne & Griffin 2; ISBN 0988564971; 249p.; Goodreads). I must say, this was the most unexpected turn of events. And yet I didn’t like it so much. But I do enjoy the Lovecraftian vibe the author has.

Whyborne’s father was never overly fond of his younger son. Especially not after he decided to make his own life, and not follow the path he provided. That slightly shifted after the battle with monsters from another dimension, where Whyborne showed immense knowledge and great courage. Still, even with that little bit of mending, Whyborne is mighty suspicious when his father hires Griffin to investigate supernatural happenings in one of his coal mines.

Miners hear buzzing, vibrations behind the walls. Some claim there’s voices telling them of rich coal veins nearby. People disappear or die in strangest accidents. Some return, strange and different. A lot of these strings lead to excavation site in a cave system nearby, so that’s where the trio heads. There’s nothing real special there, nothing archaeologists haven’t already taken account of. Up until the floor breaks under Whyborne’s feet, and he is plunged into the darkness of the caves below. Here walls are all covered in drawings of strange creatures enslaving humans. And there’s something lurking just behind the band of light…

SPOILER: this is a personal preference, but I really do not like when mild fantasy meets mild sci-fi, and results are aliens vs cowboys. END OF SPOILER. I think the biggest peeve here was the romance line. I really hate the whole “but I thought this, so I did that, because I thought…“, for as a reader you know exactly how that’ll go. There’ll be spilling sand between the fingers, then making up, and apologies, and in romance novel cases: make-up sex. Other than that, the events were very unexpected, so while I can only give this book 3 out of 5, I will definitely read the next one.

Laini Taylor – Days of Blood & Starlight | Daughter of Smoke & Bone 2

Right, so as it turns out, we do not have a Lithuanian translation for second book (even though we do have the first). That happens sometimes, and likely, native English speakers rarely even take it into consideration how amazing it is that they don’t have to have another language in their baggage of knowledge. Here, if series wasn’t all that popular, they’ll stop translating it wherever. And if you were one of the rare fans, well, too bad! Lucky for me, I guess. I picked up “Days of Blood & Starlight” by Laini Taylor (Daughter of Smoke & Bone 2; ISBN 0316133973; 517p.; Goodreads) in English. And, honestly, it wasn’t much good.

Karou has remembered her past. Past or past life, hard to say. For she has been beheaded by a man whom she was meant to, due to her betraying him. White Wolf, ruthless warlord, couldn’t let such a disgusting mockery go. So he executed Karou publicly, as a traitor, for loving a mortal enemy, an angel. He pretty much slandered her, and dragged her name through dirt. Her love for Akiva was true. But she was no traitor. And Brimstone knew that. He saw her love for an enemy as a chance to end the war, so he made sure to save her soul, and lock the awful memories in a wish bone, which he carried around his neck dutifully, until he no longer couldn’t.

As of why he couldn’t is best told in Karou’s words: imagine, Romeo wakes up, and finds Juliet dead. Instead of killing himself, he slaughters and enslaves her family. And so Juliet, Karou, once woke, couldn’t forgive him. Thus, tables turned, and enemies became friends, much as lovers became enemies. Karou now works with White Wolf, mostly hand in hand, if one can trust a creature like him, ever. She helps him build a new army, as the only living Resurrectionist, an army that’ll rise against the disgusting nation of angels.

The story was dragged. To add to that, there was that awful trope of “I thought that YOU thought, therefore I did what I did” that I loathe, for I know they’ll have to resolve it, and I suspect the resolution will not be logic based. Characters too felt very two dimensional, there to propel Karou’s story, instead of adding anything useful to the plot, which was pretty dull too. So I can only give it 3 out of 5, and, to be honest, I’m not sure I want to read the third book all that much. We’ll see.

Victoria Dalpe – Parasite Life

Received “Parasite Life” by Victoria Dalpe (ISBN 1771483970; 260p.; Goodreads) from the publishers, or maybe the author, I can’t recall. It was intriguing, and I had nothing better to do, so why not a vampire book, right? Yes, right. I didn’t expect to get what I got, and I can’t figure out whether that’s bad or brilliant. So let me just tell you of the book.

Jane lives her life in a creepy old house, with her dying mother. She’s asocial, but not by choice. her nature, invisible to the eye, is pulling at the primal instincts in people, making their skin crawl. Even her own mother, with as little expression as she has left, seems to show no will to communicate with her daughter. So, with no friends, hated and shunned, Jane tries to survive until she can finally leave. Somewhere. Anywhere. Up until a new girl, a gorgeous gothy Sabrina shows up, and turns her whole world around. Starting with this new sensation of having a friend, and escalating to love. And passion, during which Jane unceremoniously got drunk with Sabrina, forced herself on her, after a very clear no, and gnawed at her neck to sate the beast inside. For Jane is a vampire, and her mother is dying due to this dark nature of hers.

Sabrina, either to her own kind heart, stupidity, or compulsion of a vampire, forgives Jane, and they set off on a quest to find Jane’s father, the very one who passed this gene upon her. Jane hopes he’d know of a cure, or at least some substitute she could use instead of constantly abusing Sabrina. Or, maybe he could teach her how to be better. And oh boy, does Hugh McGarrett has lessons for her. Not the least one is how easy it is to manipulate those who aren’t afraid of their kind. People like Sabrina.

Jane is a horrible little monster. First bells rang in my head when she called herself a “seducer” after she forced herself on this girl. Rapist is the word, Jane. Second, she thinks she’s giving something by, what? Caring for a stray cat, and dying mother, who is dying because of this “care” she’s providing? Or was it caring to drag a girl on a wild chase of some man who never wanted to have anything to do with her, because hey, that friend has a license, can take her mum’s car, and oh, Jane can feed on her all the way there, all the while smooching up, and playing with the “I love you, I need you” cards. And then the very, very final straw was when this girl, while laying down the body of the person who saved her, claimed she has saved herself. Yes, you locked yourself in, good job on saving your sorry ass. So, as you can see, I’m feeling extremely negative towards this book. But I will give it a 4 out of 5 anyway (3 might be more fitting, due to lack of substance in secondary characters, like Sabrina). Here’s why: I hope that author is not insane, but rather – brilliant. Jane is a very classic vampire. A disgusting creature, deluded into believing any demented reason they come up with on why their existence is good. I do believe that if Stoker’s Dracula would’ve been written from his perspective, we would’ve heard how kind and generous he is too. So with that hope, that’s the rate I’ll give this book. Don’t read it if you don’t like the image of the modern vampire tarnished.