Friday Memes: Alliance of Equals by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

He rushed her, a tall Terran male, overtopping and outmassing her. Padi dropped back one step, flat footed and centered, knees flexed—and he was on her, keeping himself tight, seeking to overturn her with his speed, and flatten her under his weight. She ducked inside his reach, snatching at belt and elbow, twisting her upper body, letting him lift himself over her shoulder. Momentum it was all his own momentum, and, in the last instant before she let him go, she straightened, adding her motion to his, throwing him with every ounce of strength she possessed before she released him—and continued the spin, completing the move and dissipating the unused energy.

Friday 56: 

"Theonna yos'Phelium," the Uncle said, looking away again toward the status lights, "was mad."

"By all reports, yes, she was. She was also brilliant. Those two aspects were so closely twined that to separate them was not possible, according to the Healers."

This week I am spotlighting Alliance of Equals by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. This book is somewhere around number 19 in this long-running series which has been divided into a number of story arcs. I have read all of the books numerous times and they hold pride of place on my keeper shelves. Here is the description from Amazon:

A new novel in the popular and exciting science fiction Liaden Universe® series.  Over a half million Liaden Universe® books sold with an audience that keeps growing!

Beset by the angry remnants of the Department of the Interior, challenged at every turn by opportunists on their new homeworld of Surebleak, and somewhat low on funds, Clan Korval desperately needs to reestablish its position as one of the top trading clans in known space. To this end, Master Trader Shan yos'Galan, aboard Korval's premier trade ship, Dutiful Passage, is on a mission to establish new business associations and to build a strong primary route that links well with existing Loops and secondary routes.

But reestablishing trade and preserving the lives of the few remaining members of the clan aren't all of Korval's problems. Matters come to a head as Dutiful Passage, accustomed to being welcomed and feted at those ports on its call-list, finds itself denied docking, and blacklisted, while agents of the DOI mount armed attacks on others of Korval's traders, under the very eyes of port security systems.

Traveling with Dutiful Passage on this unsettling journey is Padi yos'Galan, the master trader's heir and his apprentice. Padi is eager to make up for time lost due to Korval's unpleasantness with the Department of the Interior. She is also keeping a secret so intense that her coming of age, and perhaps her very life, is threatened by it. 

ARC Review: The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan

The Waking Fire
Author: Anthony Ryan
Series: The Draconis Memoria (Book 1)
Publication: Ace (July 5, 2016)

Description: Throughout the vast lands controlled by the Ironship Trading Syndicate, nothing is more prized than the blood of drakes. Harvested from captive or hunted Reds, Greens, Blues and Blacks, it can be distilled into elixirs that bestow fearsome powers on the rare men and women known as the Blood-blessed.

But not many know the truth: that the lines of drakes are weakening. If they fail, war with the neighbouring Corvantine Empire will follow swiftly. The Syndicate’s last hope resides in whispers of the existence of another breed of drake, far more powerful than the rest, and the few who have been chosen by fate to seek it.

Claydon Torcreek is a petty thief and an unregistered Blood-blessed who finds himself pressed into service by the Protectorate and sent to wild, uncharted lands in search of a creature he believes is little more than legend. Lizanne Lethridge is a formidable spy and assassin facing gravest danger on an espionage mission deep into the heart of enemy territory. And Corrick Hilemore is the second lieutenant of an Ironship cruiser whose pursuit of ruthless brigands leads him to a far greater threat at the edge of the world.

As lives and empires clash and intertwine, as the unknown and the known collide, all three must fight to turn the tide of a coming war, or drown in its wake.

My Thoughts: This volume begins an epic fantasy series. We follow three main viewpoint characters - Lisanne Lethbridge, Claydon Torcreek, and Corrick Hilemore.

Lisanne is a spy for the the Ironship Syndicate. She is a blood-blessed who is able to use the blood harvested from drakes to enhance her speed and healing, shoot fire, have visions, and stop objects in motion. She is set on a mission by her director to locate a mythical white drake. She spies on the scholar who has been searching for it for a lifetime and befriends his young daughter.

Claydon is an unregistered blood-blessed who is a thief in the poorest part of Carvenport. He is drafted by Lisanne's boss Lodima Bondersil to go with an expedition headed by his uncle to find this mythical white drake.

Corrick begins as a Second Lieutenant on the IPV Viable Opportunity but soon finds himself in command when war breaks out between the Protecorate and the Corvantine Empire. An even bigger problem occurs when the various colors of drakes all seem to be becoming more aggressive and determined to wipe the humans off the continent and perhaps the whole world.

This fantasy has a richly built world. I loved the idea of the drakes of red, green, blue and black who are hunted and harvested for their blood. I also thought the hunt which spanned a good part of the continent where the drakes lived was fascinating. The characters were complex and engaging. The action was truly epic.

I am eager to read the next book in this series because I have a number of unanswered questions.

Favorite Quote:

The Ironship Syndicate had made itself perhaps the most powerful organization in the world on the basis of innovation, but in the process had burdened itself with and ever-more-complex and extensive bureaucracy and a Board given to tortuous deliberation. The Corvantines has no Board, they had the Emperor. Scion of an erratic and often corrupt line he may have been, but apparently possessed of sufficient wit and singular vision to at least put the corporate world on the back foot within a few days of launching his grand military gambit.

I got this eARC from NetGalley for review. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Damage by Felix Francis

Damage
Author: Felix Francis
Publication: G.P. Putnam's Sons; First Edition / First Printing edition (October 7, 2014)

Description: Undercover investigator Jeff Hinkley is assigned by the British Horseracing Authority to look into the activities of a suspicious racehorse trainer, but as he’s tailing his quarry, Jeff bears witness to a bloody murder. Could it have something to do with the reason the trainer was banned in the first place—the administration of illegal drugs to his horses?

Soon it’s discovered that many more horses have tested positive for stimulants—and an unknown person starts making demands, threatening to completely destroy the integrity of the racing industry. To protect the sport itself, Jeff must uncover the perpetrator. But he’s up against someone who will stop at nothing to prevail.

My Thoughts: Jeff Hinkley is an investigator for the British Horseracing Authority who is thirty, has a photographic memory for faces, and is a master of disguises. He is also the concerned younger brother of a sister battling cancer and live-in boyfriend who is wondering if he should marry his long-time girlfriend.

He is surprised when following a banned racehorse trainer around a race meeting to see him casually walk up to a bookmaker and slit his throat. The trainer had claimed that he was not responsible for the doping of the horses in his yard but was convicted anyway.

It doesn't take long for problems to escalate. Someone is blackmailing the BHA. Either they pay or the blackmailer will destroy the credibility of the organization and the public's confidence in horse racing. Jeff has a short period of time to figure out who the blackmailer is and figure out a way to stop him.

The book was filled with investigations. Jeff was a great character who determined to use the skills he gained as a military intelligence officer in Iraq to solve the mystery. I also liked seeing his relationship with his sister and with his girlfriend.

Fans of mysteries will enjoy getting to know Jeff Hinkley.

Favorite Quote:

"I am not a rogue investigator," I said sharply. "Please don't confuse being clandestine with being illegal. I work completely within the law."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Teaser Tuesday: The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser:

She turned to Lizanne, gesturing at the box. "Tell me what you see."

Lizanne moved to the box as Jermayah stood back, her practiced gaze drinking in every detail in a few seconds.

This week my teaser comes from The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan. I got the eARC for this new fantasy series from NetGalley. Here is the description from Amazon:

Throughout the vast lands controlled by the Ironship Trading Syndicate, nothing is more prized than the blood of drakes. Harvested from captive or hunted Reds, Greens, Blues and Blacks, it can be distilled into elixirs that bestow fearsome powers on the rare men and women known as the Blood-blessed.

But not many know the truth: that the lines of drakes are weakening. If they fail, war with the neighbouring Corvantine Empire will follow swiftly. The Syndicate’s last hope resides in whispers of the existence of another breed of drake, far more powerful than the rest, and the few who have been chosen by fate to seek it.

Claydon Torcreek is a petty thief and an unregistered Blood-blessed who finds himself pressed into service by the Protectorate and sent to wild, uncharted lands in search of a creature he believes is little more than legend. Lizanne Lethridge is a formidable spy and assassin facing gravest danger on an espionage mission deep into the heart of enemy territory. And Corrick Hilemore is the second lieutenant of an Ironship cruiser whose pursuit of ruthless brigands leads him to a far greater threat at the edge of the world.

As lives and empires clash and intertwine, as the unknown and the known collide, all three must fight to turn the tide of a coming war, or drown in its wake.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 27, 2016)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Other Than Reading... 

My second full week of vacation was lovely. The weather was great - warm enough to have the windows open and but not so warm as to need the air conditioning. They are predicting possibly severe weather yet today but we only have gray skies so far.

I spent some of this week working on my blogging calendars and plans. I chose the books I'll be reading for August and prepared the posts as far as I could without having yet read the books. (I have three books to read before my July calendar is filled and scheduled.) All my Teaser Tuesday and Friday Memes are finished and scheduled. I've also made neat stacks of the print books I'll be reading and made sure that the books were on my Kindle if I didn't have the print copy.

I didn't manage to get all the books I brought home on the calendar but comfort myself with the fact that I should have read most of September's books before my vacation ends. I need to get far ahead because the beginning of the school year is not a time to have to stress over reading and reviewing books. 

Read Last Week

From my TBR mountain, I read:

• Bay of Sighs by Nora Roberts - second in the Guardian trilogy and a nice paranormal romance (July 21 review)
• City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong - beginning of a new series about a hidden village where people who need to can disappear. Our heroine is a police detective who is admitted because of some murders that have been committed there. (July 23 review)
• The Temptation of the Night Jasmine by Lauren Willig - 5th in the Pink Carnation series and a nice historical romance (August 3 review)

From the Review Stack, I read:

• Gone Too Deep by Katie Ruggle - third novel in the Search and Rescue romantic suspense series. This had a sweet romance and gave some clues to the mystery that is spanning the series. (August 2 release date, July 27 review)
• The Bluebonnet Betrayal by Marty Wingate - cozy mystery in which gardener Pru has to find out who murdered the president of the Austin Rock Garden Society. I love the characters in this series and enjoyed learning more about the Chelsea Flower Show too. (August 2 release date, July 28 review)

Currently

I'm finishing up my current YA read and haven't started anything new.

Next Week

First I'll be reading two from my review stack:

• A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet - This August 2 release is a romantic fantasy I got from NetGalley
• The Widower's Wife by Cate Holahan - This August 9 release is a mystery I got from NetGalley

Then I'll be reading from TBR mountain:

• Enemy Games by Marcella Burnard - This science fiction romance was added to the stack on July 8, 2013.
• Front Runner by Felix Francis - This is the second mystery starring Jeff Hinkley and was purchased last March
• The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig - This is the sixth in the Pink Carnation series.

Reviews Posted

All review books this week.

• Boundary Born by Melissa F. Olson - final book in the Boundary Magic urban fantasy series released on June 21.
• Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet by Charlie N. Holmberg - fantasy releasing on June 28
• Seconds to Live by Melinda Leigh - third in Scarlet Falls romantic suspense series releasing on June 28

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

There are lots of Kindle impulse buys on my stack this week. 

Allison Gordon Two-Book Bundle - I like mysteries and I like sports and I like spending $.99 to get two books.

Hunter, Hunted by Ashley Meira - This new urban fantasy sounded good.

Penric and the Shaman by Lois McMaster Bujold - This is the second novella Bujold has released starring this main character.

The Star King by Susan Grant - This was a free science fiction romance.

I added two to my review stack too this week.

• The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst - She emailed me and asked if I want to review this one. I have enjoyed everything else I've read by her and gladly said yes. This book will be released on September 20.
• Living Spectres by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro - This was a Read Now selection at NetGalley. I read the first book which had a major cliffhanger ending. I have to read this one in hopes of some resolution to the mystery. It will be released on November 1 (link goes to NetGalley as Amazon hasn't heard of this one yet.)

To see what Young Adult books I have been reading and plan to read, check out Ms. Martin Teaches Media - my other blog.

ARC Review: Seconds to Live by Melinda Leigh

Seconds to Live
Author: Melinda Elliot
Series: Scarlet Falls (Book 3)
Publication: Montlake Romance (June 28, 2016)

Description: Wildlife biologist Mac Barrett avoided his hometown of Scarlet Falls for years—too many bad memories. But when he receives the news that his father is dying, he rushes home only to discover he’s too late. Shaken, Mac retreats to his remote cabin seeking peace and solace. Instead, he crashes his jeep to narrowly avoid running over the naked body of a woman lying in the road. Even more disturbing, when he regains consciousness, the body is gone.

Police detective Stella Dane wants to believe Mac, even if his story about the vanishing body seems far-fetched. But when Mac’s description matches the missing woman she’s been searching for, it raises a disturbing question: How does a dead body disappear?

Mac and Stella will have to work together to find the answer and catch a psychotic kidnapper—and quickly. The killer has a deadly message to send, and the case is about to become personal…

My Thoughts: Mac Barrett is back in Scarlet Falls because his father has died. He left the Amazon jungle with a bullet wound in his side and a dead partner. Besides the emotional stress of dealing with is feelings about his father, he also walks into a crime scene. While on the way to his cabin, he swerves to avoid hitting a naked woman on the road. When he regains consciousness, she is gone. Stella Dane believes him when he tells her about the woman. She had just that day been called in because a woman was reported missing.

Someone is killing young women and leaving their staged bodies in public places. What they seem to have in common besides a general physical resemblance is that they were all dealing successfully with drug addictions. There are a number of suspects from the creepy guy who hangs around outside the church where Narcotics Anonymous meets to the husband of victim number two.

Stella and Mac work together to try to find out who the killer is. Along the way, they fall in love. When a young friend of Stella's - another former addict - disappears, pressure increases to find the killer before he kills again.

This is a very enjoyable romantic suspense series. It was good to catch up with Mac's brother and sister and see how the relationships that began in earlier books are progressing.

Favorite Quote:

Stella opened her car door. "Follow me."

But Mac's engine started with a throaty rumble, drowning out her words. He roared out of the parking lot, and Stella rushed to catch up. Driving after him, she sincerely hoped this was not an indication of how well she could keep Mac Barrett under control.

I got this eARC from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Seconds to Live by Melinda Leigh

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

"Please let me go." Missy spoke to the tiny green LED light in the corner of the ceiling.

Friday 56:

"You don't have to do that. You already do too much for me. You saved my life. That doesn't make you responsible for the rest of it."

This week I am spotlighting Seconds to Live by Melinda Elliot. I got this eARC from NetGalley. Here is the description from Amazon:

Wildlife biologist Mac Barrett avoided his hometown of Scarlet Falls for years—too many bad memories. But when he receives the news that his father is dying, he rushes home only to discover he’s too late. Shaken, Mac retreats to his remote cabin seeking peace and solace. Instead, he crashes his jeep to narrowly avoid running over the naked body of a woman lying in the road. Even more disturbing, when he regains consciousness, the body is gone.

Police detective Stella Dane wants to believe Mac, even if his story about the vanishing body seems far-fetched. But when Mac’s description matches the missing woman she’s been searching for, it raises a disturbing question: How does a dead body disappear?

Mac and Stella will have to work together to find the answer and catch a psychotic kidnapper—and quickly. The killer has a deadly message to send, and the case is about to become personal…