Smash Attack Reads...Where Smash Attacks Books!

SMASHTASTIC IMPRESSIONS:I went into this book thinking it was the final book, but that was obviously not the case. We get one more! Of course, this means I now must wait to KNOW WHAT HAPPENS. Ugh. THE ENDING! Oh, the ending will leave you so verrah sad. I was anticipating the event and was extremely touched. I was at lunch in a restaurant, and started getting sobby at the table. Alone. Reading a book. Creepy cat lady? NOT ME! I’m creepy book lady! Oh wait. I’m creepy cat lady too. Boo. Anywho, the ending is a tear-jerker and the events leave you wanting sheer revenge, just like Chase!WORLD-BUILDING: Holy. Frakin. Hell. Blown away, truly. I think I was most impressed with the settings of the different dimensions that are visited in this installment. The settings defied all logic yet Matt somehow made it all make sense. It was sometimes difficult to follow but I think my mouth was open most of the time by the sheer imagination that went into their creation. AND the action that took place while in these dangerous dimensions was just sheer awesome! Talk about a page-flipper! The creatures were also extremely imaginative and so vivid that I had no issues visualizing them.CHARACTERS: Oh man, how I love these characters! Grams was a hoot in this installment. That old bat is spicy and doesn’t let the young folk walk all over her. Her banter with the group was so amusing. And we get more Rai time, which is just fine with me. I love this creature! One of my favorite creature sidekicks in a series. She reminds me of some sort of Pokemon with how she morphs into a fiercer form of her self. She is very protective of Chase and saves his ass a few times. Just adore her! ♥ Tiki remains wise and compassionate about the plight of others, even if they are less than savory. I love how fair he is, even though I felt like bitch slapping a few people. Or maybe trout slapping is more appropriate? We get to see Tiki’s demon come out, which was o.O-inducing!Willy and Chase have some heart-warming talks about their friendship and how they are prepared to fight until the end. Their bond is so beautiful! I loved Willy’s positive traits being pointed out in this book. He’s such a great guy. On the opposite end of the spectrum, however, we have Vincent. I have never been a fan of Vincent and while he shows some sort of humanity and compassion in this installment, his former actions towards some characters left me really angry and disgusted. Shady bastard is the term that comes to mind. Chase and Vincent are at odds throughout the entire book, but damn if Chase doesn’t man up and help out where he is needed.Of course, Chase is a standout, as he should be. This guy has changed drastically since Exiled, but he still holds on to some self-doubt and continues to feel guilt over all the events that have and will occur. He has surely matured, however, and uses his new-found confidence to stand up to some serious threats. He is the Protector, after all, and would definitely die saving the innocent. I hope it doesn’t come to that, or Matty boy will have some serious hate mail. And maybe a flaming bag of poo on his doorstep…I kid, of course. *shifty eyes*Rayna and Chase have come a long way in their relationship. There are constant obstacles in the way of their happiness, but damn if they don’t fight for their right to experience love. They make me feel mushy and I so badly want this to work out for them!FAVORITE QUOTES ”Wonderful,” I said. “We have Vincent, the day-walking vampire. Blade would be so proud. Can we go now?”MAD PROPS FOR A BLADE REFERENCE!

I picked this book up at a book warehouse sale. That cover rocks my face off. I think the book had a lot of potential. It was interesting and creepy and I was definitely surprised by some turn of events, but it wasn't enough for me. For middle schoolers, it might be perfect, however. I loved the characters and really read the story for them.

Another book club choice. At first, I wasn't completed interested in the plot. The 2nd half of the book was much more interesting and the last 150 pages were the best part. The raven boys were an interesting bunch. The social worker in me wanted to swoop into the pages and save the raven boys for various reasons. And I loved Blue and her quirky family. The ending of the book left me perplexed, however.Review soon.

This audio book was so fun! The narrator was SO GOOD. I was not invested at the beginning, but the 2nd half was really interesting, and then that nice, little twist that made me gasp! I'm glad to see the focus of the next book is on Mae. And we get more Nick, of course.Review soon.

Courtesy of Smash Attack ReadsSMASHTASTIC IMPRESSIONS:If  you don't know by now that I LOVE THIS SERIES HARDCORE, well, you just haven't been paying attention! I was wicked excited to see that Thea revisited the numero uno couple of the series, Dragos and Pia, and was freaking out about what they might endure! As always, I am seriously impressed with the writing, imagination and character development in this series. Thea Harrison is a powerhouse in the paranormal romance genre and I really cannot say enough good about her or these books. *flails*WORLD-BUILDING: Thea Harrison brings us back full circle to issues that were created in the first book of the series. Dragos and the Elves have never been on good terms, and he screwed up whatever hope there was to civility between the two in Dragon Bound. Now, Pia is setting off to make peace with the Elves and try to salvage a sliver of hope.  I will be honest in stating that the Elven story line was not as interesting to me as some of the other stories. That is OK because I was in no way giving up on the book, not even close. I enjoyed the last half better than the first half because we had action and characterization was more prominent. While I was a tiny bit confused on the lore and background on the villain in this book, I do love that it is connected to gods and that there seems to be a lot more story line to tell. It definitely got better as the book progressed.Elsewhere in this world, Dragos is hosting the Sentinel Games to replace lost Sentinels Tiago and Rune, who in previous books, found their HEA and have moved on to be with their mates. Dragos and Rune are not on good terms, due to hot tempers and poor communication, yet Rune and his mate, Carling, really come through for their people in this book. Hot tempers may be prominent among these Alpha men, but they are nothing, if not loyal.CHARACTERS: It was great being in Pia and Dragos' company again. These two are ridiculously head-over-heels in love with one another, and that is the sole thing that carries them on through the course of the book. Pia and Dragos are tested and push limits with themselves, each other, friends and foes.  They may butt heads and fly off the handle, but they never lose focus over what's important, even if that means checking their overwhelming emotions at the door. Having a mate hasn't quite quelled Dragos' hot temper, though not for lack of trying. I love this quote that Pia uses to describe his reaction over an event. Hilarious!She knew just exactly how Dragos would spell ballistic. It began with a capital I'm going to kill somebody so fucking dead for this, and well, after that point, it didn't matter if you spelled the rest of the word right.These two really bring the epic into epic romance. They got through a lot in this book. Internal and external struggles that challenge their perspectives and ways of thinking. No matter how hot the fire gets, literally, this couple is there to extinguish the flames. This quote from Dragos just about ripped my heart to itty bitty bits. It's one of the most beautiful passages I've read in a romance novel.I never stop thinking about you. You're with me everywhere I go, but I miss you when we're apart.I've already shown you that I will kill for you. I would also die for you.You make me laugh. You make me happy. You're my miracle and my home. If you as much as twitch, I get a hard-on.I will always come for you, always want you and always need you.I can't finish this review without mentioning Eva, Pia's new head guard. These two did not start out on the right foot, but circumstance and alpha bitch attitudes led them down a better path. I frakin LOVED Eva by the end of the book. She has such spunk."Beside the point. Being an alpha is much more than kicking someone's ass." Eva grinned. "I watched you order the Lord of the Wyr -The Old Man himself- out of the room, and he went. You don't get more top dog than that. Shit, girl, I damn near genuflected, and I'm not even sure what that word means."FAVORITE QUOTE:Dragos stretched out on the top of their bed, hands laced behind his head. He was dressed in one of his casual outfits, simple jeans, boots, and a T-shirt. One long leg draped over the side of the bed, his foot planted on the floor as if he had just lain down. His bronze skin looked dark against the white bedspread, and his gold eyes glowed, brilliant and witchy.Mmmmmm. That is a such an awesome description. Nom.

This was just...not for me. It was entertaining but reminded me of why I don't read a lot of erotica. Loved Lexie though!Review soon.

Courtesy of Smash Attack ReadsINTEREST IN BOOKI have just loved the hell out of this series. I honestly thought it was over with Alexander Death, but then Jeff surprised us with a fourth book that really impressed me! It was great to be back in the presence of these incredible characters, and to see them all in a very new light.WORLD-BUILDINGHoly awesome to the sauce and back in the pot to swim around in the awesome, Batman! It’s no secret that J.L. Bryan has really blown me away with his world-building skills. Mad skillz, yo. He takes the ending of The Paranormal’s journey to an entirely new level in Jenny Plague-Bringer. The remaining paranormals have disseminated across the world after the chaos in the last book. Two new paranormals are introduced, and with their presence, we are transported back to World War 2 Germany, and granted front row seats to the previous lives of the group. I cannot express the utter awesomeness of these flashbacks! Not only was the time period and setting beautifuly written, but the eerie similarity to present day activities was thrilling and interesting. I was completely enthralled.CHARACTERSThe gang is back, in some time period or another. I don’t have much to add to characterization from previous books, other than it was incredible to be back in their lives. Some make extreme sacrifices, others surprised me with their actions. Still others are back to their douchebaggery ways. All the characters are, as always, larger than life. The good guys struggled intensely as their free will was ripped from their grasp. The bad guys were forced to face scenarios from which they assumed they were safe. It was a great to see such a great mixture of crazy happening to everyone! I think the character who was most different to me was Jenny. She is far from that timid, nervous little girl we met in Jenny Pox. She has morphed into this strong, self-sacrificing young woman who is fiercely protective of innocent people and those she loves.LASTING IMPRESSIONSThis is definitely, without a doubt, my favorite installment in The Paranormals series. I loved the flashbacks and felt the world was expanded as we witnessed a different time period and new (old?) obstacles for the gang to hurdle. It was chaotic and fantastic. The bad guys were AWESOME, as always. I truly love Jeff’s villains. I also love his good guys, too. And his world-building. And…all of it. A favorite series all the way through!FAVORITE QUOTE ”Do we need anything else?”“Wine. You keep forgetting to buy it. And bourbon for the eggnog, if you want to get lucky tonight.” He winked at her. “It could lower my inhibitions.”“Seth, you don’t have inhibitions.”

Adore this series! So happy the author is writing a 4th book!Review soon

Excellent read. So happy to be part of this organization's future goals!

Courtesy of Smash Attack ReadsInterest in Book: Well, it's Libba Bray. :) Book Club also chose it for October, and Holy COW, was it a fantastic book to read in October! I'm not sure I ever read the blurb, so I went into the book blind as a bat. I was so pleasantly surprised.World-Building: The setting is epic. I've not read a ton of historical fiction, and I've never read any that takes place in the 1920's flapper/prohibition era. I LOVE that era so I'm not sure why I've never thought to read books with this setting before. That being said, I was over-the-top full of glee with the world-building! Libba portrayed this era perfectly, in my eyes. I was transported back to 1920's NYC, wearing frilly dresses, using phrases like "the bee's knees" and "I'm jake," and dancing in underground clubs full of illegal "giggle water." I wanted to bob my hair again but fought the urge. So, as if you couldn't tell, Libba knocked the setting out of the park. Triple Home Run. It was truly SO much fun to experience.Now, the lore and spooky mystery that was the driving force of this book was really interesting and creeptastic. The way that evil was portrayed in this book was just perfect and I cannot wait to experience more of it.  The lore behind the evil entity's maniacal mission, mixing it with fanatical interpretations of religion, just upped the creep-factor. History is provided via flashbacks and evil seems to curl itself around the pages. I admit to the hair on the back of my neck standing straight up when the evil entity was getting page time. I can faintly hear Naughty John whistling his murderous tune in the background...eeeeeep!Characters: There was quite a mix of characters in this book, many of them getting their own POVs. With a lot of back and forth and with a 550+ page book, I was expecting to be overwhelmed. Nope. Didn't happen. It's obvious to me now that Libba excels at character development. I've only read one other book from her (Beauty Queens) and in both books, the characters were larger than life. In The Diviners, Evie and Memphis are the two main characters. Evie is really fun, so much so that she sometimes forgets to be serious. Some might see her as selfish and downright annoyingly so, but I saw her as lost and searching for acceptance, as this quote suggests:Some mornings, she’d wake and vow, Today, I will get it right. I won’t be such an awful mess of a girl. I won’t lose my temper or make unkind remarks. I won’t go too far with a joke and feel the room go quiet with disapproval. I’ll be good and kind and sensible and patient. The sort everyone loves. But by evening, her good intentions would have unraveled. She’d say the wrong thing or talk a little too loudly. She’d take a dare she shouldn’t, just to be noticed. Perhaps Mabel was right, and she was selfish. But what was the point of living so quietly you made no noise at all? “Oh, Evie, you’re too much,” people said, and it wasn’t complimentary. Yes, she was too much. She felt like too much inside all the time. So why wasn’t she ever enough?I noticed a transformation in her by the end of the book. She definitely began to take life a little more serious and used her cheeky personality in useful ways. She was full of life and even in times of great danger, her personality was vibrant.Memphis was an interesting cat who I foresee becoming more important later in the series. He has a little brother, Isaiah, who experiences some creepy shit, but Memphis never gives up on the little guy. There are a ton of other characters: Evie's uncle who runs the Creepy Crawly museum; his assistant, Jericho; Evie's friends, Mabel, Theta and Henry; Sam, pickpocket extraordinaire, and various other characters get page time. All of them are entertaining and intriguing, and I look forward to learning more about them. Lots of mystery surrounding all the characters.Lasting Impressions:Libba Bray is such a wonderful, entertaining writer. I love her sense of humor. She brings great detail to her scenes. She writes really vibrant characters. And her plots are always well-formed and entertaining.Amelia's review is pretty damn awesome too, if I haven't convinced you...Favorite Quotes: “Harold Brodie is a louse and a lothario who cheats at cards and has a different girl in his rumble seat every week. That coupe of his is pos-i-tute-ly a petting palace. And he’s a terrible kisser to boot.”Evie’s parents stared in stunned silence.“Or so I’ve heard.”And this, is one of my favorite book quotes evar!“I hear they feed you in Sing Sing,” Evie muttered. “Three squares a day.”“Evangeline,” Will said with a sigh. “Charity begins at home.”“So does mental illness.”

Courtesy of Smash Attack ReadsInterest in Book: It's Rusty Fischer writing zombies! That's always an entertaining combination. I will admit that this was not my favorite Rusty book, mainly due to lack of character connections on my part, but it was entertaining and full of his fun phrasing. His books always make me smile! Emotion = Win.My Thoughts: The world-building was simple yet fun. A strange bunch of kids in detention get turned into zombies. Some can think, others...not so much. They retain their personalities but are entertainingly different. Their entire school is wiped out, when a SWAT-like team shows up on the scene. Next thing you know, this group of misfit brain connoisseurs has a new teacher. Who asks them to read.  Yea...what? Things just get more zany from there on out!Rusty handed out the gore in this book, but it was gore in a fun way. Yes, there is such a thing. Why? Because I said so.And then suddenly it's bedlam: blood is spurting out of jugular veins left and right and splattering the walls like in one of those forensic mysteries shows Dad watches late at night on Gavel TV and suddenly everybody is biting everybody else. It's kind of like a big pillow fight - with teeth.See? Fun gore. Win.The characters are where I had issues with the book. I could not connect to them and was not really invested in their outcome. They did have some redeemable qualities, however, and I enjoyed their banter back and forth with one another, too. There's always drama when teenage zombies congregate. The  Teenage Zombie Drama Queen crown goes to...I highlighted half the book. Seriously. You should see my Kindle. There are endless amounts of quotes that I highlighted because the Rusty's phrasing is just so fun and entertaining. THAT is why I love his stories. He is witty and funny and full of one-liners. I've yet to be disappointed with his creativity and zany imagination.Favorite Quotes:In a voice as detached as his purposeful footsteps, Proctor says, "Zombies don't cry," simply, with no further explanation.I loved this plug at his book, Zombies Don't Cry, which you should definitely read!The the one who's been chuckling looks at me and says, "It's a shame, this one. She doesn't seem angry like the rest we bring in here." And oh, do I want to correct him and say, like the rest we brought in here, moron, brought in here...I totally thought of Amanda and Isa, who I hope never become zombies, but if they do, I know they will be slinging grammar tips like the pros they are!(Okay, okay, so maybe it's four-hundred-percent wishful thinking, but, hey, a girl can dream, can't she? Even if she's waterlogged and underwater and sitting on a slimy rock that's putting barnacle-shaped dimples in her rump?)Shoot, she could definitely do worse. The movies I watched growing up, every zombie I ever saw looked like utter crap. But these two, they could definitely pose for the Aber-zoombie and Fitch catalog, if you know what I'm saying.

Courtesy of Smash Attack ReadsMy Thoughts: King of Marbury takes places in between The Marbury Lens and Passenger. It is told from the perspective of Conner, Jack’s best friend. It was interesting to be in Conner’s head, though he did not remind me of the Conner in The Marbury Lens. Of course, we saw Conner through Jack’s eyes. I think Conner is more subdued than we originally thought and probably showing off most of the time, as guys often do. In this novella, Conner is seeking out answers to that damn lens that transported them to Marbury, and doing it behind Jack’s back. I think Conner’s intent is to save Jack from more mayhem, but he may have brought on more torturous knowledge for himself.This story was…interesting. I wanted more, which shows that it definitely entertained me. As with the end of The Marbury Lens, I’m still left wondering if this is all a big, fat, insane ride on the Cuckoo Express or if there is some reality to their experiences. It appears to be leaning one way, but I’m hoping Passenger clears some things up. Or maybe I’m not. I think I love this series so much because it is psychologically off-the-rocker crazy awesome, and maybe I want to be left to figure things out for myself. It’s book like these that I think about for years.For those interested in read King of Marbury, you can read it for free on Tor.com or buy it for $.99 on ebook.QUOTES"I turned my eyes down and stared at my feet. It felt like I was balancing on a surfboard."A shark-infested monster break, Jack.

Courtesy of Smash Attack ReadsInterest in Book: Zombies! Character-driven plot! End of days nightmarish world-building. Great heroine and smoldering, sexy romantic tension. And the author isn't afraid to write gore.  Wooooty woot!World-Building: Oh, the world-building was just incredible! The setting is 4 years after the zombie apocalypse. The main character, Kansas, has been living on her own most of that time and has learned to take care of herself. When a group of survivors stumble upon her secluded home, she reluctantly welcomes them in. Kansas learns a lot about herself, the people of the new world and just how much has been going on outside her little bubble. When she ventures out to explore, she learns that zombies and humans have both evolved in some form or another.The author was not afraid to write gore! Yahoo! This made me happy, but should be a warning for those of you who do not like blood and guts. There are also some pretty disturbing scenes involving humans and how they treat zombies in a settlement that Kansas stumbles upon. I think those scenes were more horrifying than any bashed-in brain or putrid zombie explosions. Some of the people in this new world are just as crazy as the zombies, in my opinion. Their humanity is teetering on the edge of a cliff throughout the entire book. And, of course, we get a nice dose of  fanatical cult fun. Cult mentality is so fascinating to me!Characters: Kansas is a great character. She has issues letting people in, due to being alone for so long and being wronged in the past. She has become a lean fighting machine from being secluded and relying on her own physical finesse for so long. She also has wicked long dreadlocks because she got sick of brushing her hair. I really loved this about her, because dread locks just look cool -  on the right person, anyhow. She has moments of clarity and moments of utter despair, but one thing is for sure, she wants to survive and will mow down a cult, a zombie horde, or a few indecent assholes if they block her path.Kansas meets Rudy along her journey. He saved her life out in the wild and they end up becoming close friends in a settlement that takes her in. Rudy's quite the looker, if you ask any of the settlement's hookers that want to go for a ride on the Rudymobile. Rudy and Kansas have a very interesting relationship throughout the book. They don't always say what they feel and give mixed signals. They do, however, remain supportive, respectful and protective. Love blossoms under the surface but the dangerous, chaotic environment leads to missed opportunities. And yes, there is a love triangle and some nice sexy time. I don't want to say more than that. It was not annoying, for me, but I am hoping and praying that Rudy comes out the winner. His smile won me over, not to mention most of his personality.Lasting Impressions: This book is a fantastic start to a new zombie post-apocalyptic series. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the wacky mentality of the settlement, the cult action, the zombie lore and the romantic tension. It delivered on all aspects of what makes a book entertaining for me.

Courtesy of Smash Attack ReadsINTEREST IN BOOK: Thanks to the Kiss Me, I’m Irish read-along that took place in March, I finally started this uber awesome series! I am quite disappointed that it took me so long to pick up the second book, for I was highly entertained. As expected.WORLD-BUILDING: There is so much world-building AWESOME in this series. The author weaves so many different mythologies into the story line. It is so entertaining and epic and fun and weeeeeeee! The opening of this book was a favorite. Atticus is busy lecturing his ancient Vampire lawyer, Leif, on pop culture and using slang language in the 21st century. It was quite humorous and I enjoyed how irritated Leif became during the conversation. Next thing you know, Atticus is battling ugly beasties for his life, then is swiftly visited by Coyote, Aztec god extraordinaire. Apparently, you don’t want to be visited by Coyote. This is pretty much the pace for the rest of the novel. Atticus runs (and flies!) for his life from a crazy witch coven, Bacchants unleash serious debauchery upon the city, and the Morrigan and Brighid almost give Atticus a heart attack with their tricky ways!CHARACTERS: Atticus is back and larger than life. I really, truly adored him in this installment. He has a huge heart but damn if he is going to let someone pull a fast one on him. He pulls a lot of magical tricks out of his hat during this book, and once again, I was shocked at just how powerful he really is. I guess being older than dirt pays off in some ways.I adored the code that Atticus and Granuaile used for alibis. It was wicked funny! And when Atticus is around her, he reminds me of Dug from the movie, Up. He desperately tries to think of anything other than her gorgeous face and body, yet his minds always ends up back there. Baseball…boobies. No, baseball, dammit! Fun stuff.I can’t not mention Oberon, since he’s one of the best sidekicks in urban fantasy. His personality is so gentle, understanding and protective, but he has this sarcastic side to him that we are so lucky to witness since he and Atticus can speak to each other via magic. And, he actually spoke Pig Latin in this book, which had me roar with laughter. I just adore this pooch and his fondness of sausage and bitches.“Out, out, thou strumpet Fortune!” I cried with all the venom of Charlton Heston. Oberon asked.“It’s a Shakespearean word for whore.”I literally scared my cats with the large cackle that escaped after that line!LASTING IMPRESSIONS: Atticus, Oberon and the cast of characters in this series provide endless amounts of entertainment. I am never sure who to trust and the actions keeps me on the edge of my seat. Many of the characters have wicked strength and abilities and even more wicked tempers. These things do not mix well. Lots of snark, lots of action, lots of magic and mayhem. The plot builds up well and I love where the story line is headed.FAVORITE QUOTE“Fuck the Boy Scouts,” I’d said. “Be Prepared was my motto before there were any streets to help little old ladies across.”“Oh. Right.” Granuaile had paused, and when I failed to fill the silence, she asked, “Does that mean you already have a plan, sensei?”“No, I’m just establishing my primacy over the Boy Scouts.”

Review soon

A book about a doll made from ground-up bones of a murdered girl? Holy bleep! I will be scared to death but I will love it, I'm sure!