Waiting on Wednesday: By a Thread by Jennifer Estep

Waiting on Wednesday (WoW) is a weekly meme hosted by

Breaking the Spine.

My posts about adult literary fiction are here:

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey
Diving Belles: And Other Stories by Lucy Wood 

My posts about my guilty pleasure reading (romantic, often paranormal, novels) can be found here:

Prince Charming Doesn't Live Here by Christine Warren

Tempest's Legacy by Nicole Peeler
Saint's Astray by Jacqueline Carey

Timeless by Gail Carriger

My posts about YA/teen titles are here:

Witch & Wizard: The Gift by James Patterson & Ned Rust

The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta

The Mockingbirds, Book 2: The Rivals by Daisy Whitney

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep 
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
The Agency: The Traitor in the Tunnel by Y.S. Lee
Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta 

FrostFire by Zoe Marriott

My posts about middle grade titles are here:

The Pirate Captain's Daughter by Eve Bunting

And now for today's:

By a Thread (Book 6 in the Elemental Assassin series)
by Jennifer Estep
9781451651768, Pocket Books, Pub. Date: February 28, 2012 


I have such mixed feelings about this book. While the early books in the series drew me in, I'm sorry to say I think the writing has gotten worse rather than better over the course of the series. AND, I haven't enjoyed the two new YA titles in a new series Ms. Estep recently released. BUT, there's something about the basic premise of these books - kick-ass female assassin who is honest, straight-forward, well-read, uses both knives, skills, and her elemental magical powers to take down evil in her city - that has me hooked. So I keep trying. Here's the publisher's description:

When killing people is your job, there’s no such thing as a vacation. Then again, how often does an assassin live long enough to enjoy her retirement? In this line of work, you either get lucky or you get dead. And since I destroyed my nemesis Mab Monroe a few weeks ago, all of Ashland’s lowlifes are gunning to make a name for themselves by taking out the lethal Spider—me, Gin Blanco. So I’m leaving behind my beloved barbecue joint and heading south with my baby sister, Bria, to cool my heels in a swanky beach town. Call it a weekend of fun in the sun. But when a powerful vampire with deadly elemental magic threatens an old friend of Bria’s, it looks like I’ll have to dig my silverstone knives out of my suitcase after all. Complicating matters further is the reappearance of Detective Donovan Caine, my old lover. But Donovan is the least of my problems. Because this time, the danger is hot on my trail, and not even my elemental Ice and Stone magic may be enough to save me from getting buried in the sand—permanently.

Read the first chapter here.

Mass Market Monday: Demon From The Dark by Kresley Cole

Demon from the Dark
by Kresley Cole
9781439123126, $7.99, Pocket Books (Simon & Schuster)

This is the first book I've read from the Immortals After Dark series, though apparently it's installment #10. Luckily, I didn't find I needed to read books 1-9 to understand what was going on. It's a very interesting world! I'm looking forward to reading more. In the context of this book, there are many worlds - maybe alternate planes of existence is a better way of describing it - and bad things are happening in almost all of them. The supernatural creatures in the world of Earth are being hunted down and kidnapped, brought to a secret laboratory on a hidden island, where a madman performs nasty experiments on them in an attempt to explore each supernatural power so that he can create the ultimate weapons to wipe out all supernatural creatures.

Carrow Graie is a prank-playing, partygirl witch who has just been captured and brought to this place. Her best friend's daughter, eight-year-old, Ruby, has been kidnapped too. Carrow is offered a deal: the madman will let her and Ruby go, if she travels to another dimension and brings back a demon. She has no choice but to accept and hope for the best.

Malkom Slaine is an outcast among everyone he once knew. Originally demon, he was made part-vampire during his own capture during a wartime centuries ago. After killing his own best friend and the evil sorcerer who turned them, Malkom retreated to the caves on top of a mountain to plan his revenge on the man who betrayed him. Living alone, he has terrorized the other supernatural beings of his own world by keeping control of the water supply. It is this tormented soul Carrow must somehow seduce in order to bring him back to Earth.

They don't speak the same language, physically or emotionally. He's a brute, but she needs to rely on him, as she's relatively helpless against the creatures of this new dimension. Yet, as a demon, he has the power to know who his true mate is, and as fate would have it, it's this green-eyed witch who's just fallen through the magic portal. Can he trust her after he's been betrayed so often? She's the first soft touch he's ever known, but is it enough to save them both against all the evil in the world? And if they save each other emotionally, is that enough for them to save the rest of the poor souls held in this horrible captivity?

My favorite part: Malkom has piercings and a hot tattoo wrapped around a gorgeous body Carrow bathes between pages 145 and 184. Any scene that lasts that long you know has to be good.

Book Review: Orchid by Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle

Orchid

by Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Jayne Castle

9780671569020, Pocket Books (Simon & Schuster), $7.99

I first discovered this series in either junior high or high school. I think it was out of print already, and I picked up a few books at a local library for about a quarter each. I rediscovered this series about 2 weeks ago on a road trip when I wandered into a bookstore and saw these were being reissued with new sexy covers! I hadn’t read this one yet, so I picked it up. Happily, it’s lived up to memory and expectations. I hope you check it out!

This is the third book in a paranormal series taking place in the lost colony of St. Helen’s on a new planet that somewhat resembles Earth. Amaryllis and Zinnia are equally compelling reads if this is your genre. As a top psychic prism for Psynergy Inc., Orchid Adams has found it hard to get a date. Not many people out there who can handle an off-the charts talent like hers. Maybe that’s why she’s so fascinated by her new client: Rafe Stonebraker, a rough-and-ready, rich, unlicensed P.I. who’s hired Orchid to help him on some cases. When one case turns into a murder involved people Orchid knows, too, the case brings them closer and closer to danger, and each other. Why not have a torrid affair while working on a case? It’s not like either of their marriage agencies have found matches for them yet. Maybe natural synergy is taking over where modern society has failed, making the match for them…