Darkness Before Dawn by J.A. London

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Darkness Before Dawn
Author: J. A. London
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Publisher: HarperTeen
  (May 29, 2012)
ISBN-13: 978-0062020659

SUMMARY
(from Goodreads)

Humans huddle in their walled cities, supplying blood in exchange for safety. But not even that is guaranteed. Dawn has lost her entire family and now reluctantly serves as the delegate to Lord Valentine, the most powerful vampire for miles. It isn’t until she meets Victor, Valentine’s son, that she realizes not all vampires are monsters….

MY THOUGHTS

This is one of those books that captures the readers interest with the first few chapters then starts to drop off halfway through the book.  I seriously wanted to love this book because of others claiming it was great.  While there were good things about this book that I absolutely loved, the bad things that I didn’t like were also present and made the book fall lower in my ratings.

First thing I want to discuss is the cover.  I know it is beautiful, but it is so similar to the Fallen series that it confused me at first.  If I hadn’t known that this was a different author, I would have assumed that it was spin off from that series with the author taking on a different pen name.  Since we shouldn’t really judge a book by its cover, I am not going to use this flaw in my overall opinion.  I just wanted to get it out there in writing so others are aware of it.

Like I said before, this book starts out with great potential.  We are reading about the future of our country after vampires are revealed to the public human race.  There was a great war that lasted thirty or so years with the Vampires and Humans finally coming to a truce of sorts. After Dawn’s parents are killed, she is forced into the life of becoming the next Delegate.  She is the neutral party forced to intervene and communicate between the Vampires and the Humans.  She knows this comes with great responsibility but she also has her own thoughts on everything.  After meeting the Head Vampires son named Victor, she is starting to question the belief that all vampires are monsters.  She starts to realize that not all of them are bad and that the good ones are trying to make things right so that Humans and Vampires can live together without fear.

Now this is where I started having problems.  Victor started out to be a great character.  Then the author sort of has him fade into the shadows of the book for awhile.  I kept waiting for more of him and he didn’t.  I understand that the characters each have to make an appearance and only so many characters can have page time.  Since Victor is a main and pivotal character in the book,  I just felt that he should have been around for more than only part of the story.  I also didn’t like all the ups and downs that the author used personality wise for Michael.  First he is protective of Dawn, then he is pushy.  First he is loving and devoted, then he is angry and flirting with another girl.  That brings me to that other girl of Lila.  She was introduced as the daughter of the man who is against Dawn being the Delegate.  She also wants Michael for herself.  It never explains what happens to her or why we were even given this information as a reader.

The showdown near the end was rushed and weak.  I will point out that there are actually two showdowns, but both happen within a few chapters of each other.  The second one is also one the reader can figure out early on and can figure out the why of it as well.  It just feel jumbled up at the end.  The closing scenes were left with lots of questions as well.  Climaxes are one thing, but leaving too many questions unanswered leaves the reader with the feeling of disappointment.  I expected some things to be cleared up but so many were left   without closure.

Will I read the next book in the series? Probably.  I need to have this book answered and reading the next one is the only way that will happen.

MY RATING

Okay book, but it left me wanting more!

*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Guest Review: Light On Snow by Anita Shreve

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Light On Snow
Author: Anita Shreve
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
 (December 1, 2006)
ISBN-13: 978-0316014281

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

What makes a family? That’s what twelve-year-old Nicky Dillon wonders after she and her widowed father discover a wailing abandoned baby in the snow-filled woods near their New Hampshire home. Through the days that follow, the Dillons and an unexpected visitor who soon turns up at their door-a young woman evidently haunted by her own terrible choices-face a thicket of decisions, each seeming to carry equal possibilities of heartbreak and redemption. Writing with all the emotional resonance that has drawn millions of readers around the world to her fiction, Anita Shreve unfolds in Light on Snow a tender and surprising novel about love and its consequences.

REVIEW
(From SK — my mom)

This is a book I stumbled across in the library.  It is not a new book, the publication date is 2004.  It is a haunting story about life, death, and coming of age.  Nicky Dillon and her father have experienced great loss after an accident kills mother and younger daughter.  The father tries to cope by moving to an isolated part of New Hampshire.  One day close to Christmas, Nicky and her father are taking a snowshoe walk in the winter snow, and respond to a baby cry.  They are stunned to find a newborn baby girl abandoned in the snow.   After the rescue, Nicky is flooded with new emotions.  She can’t help but want to keep this baby.  After her father takes the baby to the hospital, the babies mother shows up at their home.  She is sick and reaching out for a connection to the child.  At the same time, Nicky is going through a lot of emotional maturing and is looking for a maternal connection of her own.  Father, daughter and stranger must work their way through decisions, each one seeming to carry equal possibilities of heartbreak and redemption.

I think you will find this to be a satisfying, emotional read that will keep you anticipating the next page.

RATING

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!

My Book Haul (6)

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From now on I will be posting My Book Haul on Saturdays.
Feel free to link up in the comments if you would like to share your mailbox post with me (and others) to check out.  
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BOUGHT
Lethal Rider by Larissa Ione
FOR REVIEW
Hot For Fireman by Jennifer Bernard
Vacation With A Vampire by Michele Hauf (SIGNED)
Tarnished by Karina Cooper
Team Human by Justine Larbalestier
Glitch by Heather Anastasiu
— Thanks to HarperCollins, AVON, Michele Hauf and Amazon Vine —

So what did everyone else get this week?

Series Discussion with Good Choice Reading!

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Hello everyone!  Today, Damaris from Good Choice Reading is here to help me discuss Almost Human by author Melanie Nowak!  
Just when you think you are tired of reading about vampires, another author comes along with a story that surprises you and brings the interest back again!  When I first received the 3 in 1 version of this book, I almost passed out!  This book is HUGE!  I will say though that even though the sheer size of the book is scary, the story is amazing. 
Which brings me to Damaris and her part of the post. (my comments are in italics) Take it away girl!

5 REASONS WHY I LOVE  THE ALMOST HUMAN SERIES

1. I love the characters. I found them to be funny and relatable. Felicity starts off a bit on the immature side, but as the story progresses she really grows into her character. I loved her! I think lot’s of people can easily relate to her, as well as all the other characters. (I too felt she was a little immature at first.  You can really see the growth though in her character from the first chapter up until the last.)

2. Thought the beginning starts off a bit predictable, the story has a nice a curve ball that you really don’t see coming. (Again, it does start like any other paranormal book in the genre, but the surprises the author gives the readers you don’t really expect!  And those endings! Talk about some cliffhangers!)

3. It has plenty of action to keep you entertained until the very end. Enough said. (With plenty of surprises as well!)

4. Melanie Nowak has a way of describing things that you feel like you’re right in the story watching everything play out before your eyes. Every emotion that Felicity goes through, you go through too. I loved this! (So true!  You could imagine a TV show or something like that playing out in your mind.  She did a wonderful job in the descriptions without going overboard.  There is nothing worse than a book getting bogged down by all of the narrative and descriptions.  I think the author balanced this out really well!)

5. This series is a bit raw and sweet at the same time. I am a huge fan of authors not holding back, and Melanie Nowak definitely doesn’t! I highly recommend this series! I will say though it’s definitely more NEW ADULT than Young Adult. (Yep. Definitely for the older teens, but one that adults will love no matter what genre it is classified as.)



Thank you girl for coming over to my blog to share your thoughts on Almost Human! Come back anytime!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melanie Nowak has always had a vivid imagination and a fascination for the paranormal. Acting and singing in theatrical productions throughout college and in church had always been a passion. However, upon conceiving the idea for the Almost Human series of books, she discovered a previously unknown passion for writing! Not only can she finally put her over-active imagination to good use, but she can create characters she loves, and she gets to play all of the parts!

Upon completion of the first trilogy for Almost Human, the author made the decision to publish her books independently, thus maintaining complete creative control of her vision for the series. She has founded WoodWitchDame Publications, published her first four novels, and plans to release many more for this exciting series!

Melanie Nowak lives in New York with her loving husband, two young sons, and an ever growing collection of pets. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, and a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science.

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ALMOST HUMAN ~ The First Trilogy ~ 3-in-1 Edition
In this paranormal fantasy, chapters alternate perspective between a vampire and a young woman, as they join an ensemble cast of characters to navigate difficulties of addiction and desire; perils of zombies and vampires; and struggles with abuse, morality and… college.

Vol. 1: Fatal Infatuation 
Felicity views going away to college as an opportunity to mature into a confident young woman, but her new beginning turns out to be more of an adventure than she bargains for when she finds that her school is plagued by vampires!

Cain is an elder vampire who displays quiet confidence even as he struggles to overcome sins of his past. Surprisingly, he found that in losing his life he gained his faith and a purpose.

His mission: find the hostile vampires that inhabit this small college town, and educate them to live in peace with humans. Their leader, Sindy, is a wicked temptress who has set her sights on Felicity’s new friend Ben. She will be difficult to control, but after meeting Felicity, Cain’s most difficult task lies in controlling himself.

Vol. 2: Lost Reflections
Felicity has helped her friends to escape the venomous vixen Sindy, but cannot divine the motives of Cain, the vampire who captured first her gratitude, and then her heart.

She finds the historical account of Cain’s past enthralling and frightening. Now she must determine whether the addictive venom in Cain’s kiss is clouding her judgment, and if his thirst for her blood is a driving force too strong for their love to conquer.

It’s difficult to contemplate such questions while under the attack of a vengeful vampire and his zombie slaves. Felicity’s heart has already been lost to Cain; will she lose her life as well?

Vol. 3: Evolving Ecstasy
The relationship between Cain and Felicity has crested to a peak that leaves them unsure whether to step back from each other for safety, or jump into a future united in death.
The venom of Cain’s bite could protect Felicity from hostile vampires, but it would give him a measure of psychic control over her as well. Would Felicity only accept becoming a vampire, due to his addictive venom, coupled with the foolishness of a young girl in love?
Perhaps there is a brighter future for her in the human world. Is Cain’s desire for Felicity’s love worth the loss of her life?

Read free chapters at MelanieNowak.com

Guest Post and Contest with Pamela Palmer

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Let’s Hear it for the Bad Boys!
By: Pamela Palmer
I love bad boys, those utterly unrepentant troublemakers who, when the story begins, appear to be perfectly comfortable straddling the line between hero and villain. Think Eric Northman (True Blood), Damon Salvatore (The Vampire Diaries), or Jag, in my Feral Warriors series. These boys start out as trouble with a capital T, the vampires murdering without remorse, Jag driving everyone crazy with his foul mouth and love of riling his brothers. But before long, each reveals a glimpse of goodness, a hint of honor, and I’m hooked. Because deep beneath that bad boy exterior lurks a hero or, at the very least, a male capable of great love.
In A Blood Seduction, the first book in my new Vamp City series (which just hit store shelves), you’ll meet another bad boy, the vampire Arturo Mazza. Make no mistake, Arturo has no interest in playing the role of hero. He’ll be the first to tell you he is what he is—a dangerous predator at the top of the food chain, a vampire through and through—and he’s perfectly fine with it. But like all the best bad boy heroes, all that will change when he meets right woman. For Arturo, his world will begin to slowly unravel when Quinn Lennox stumbles into Vamp City, at once victim and savior, prey and warrior. A beauty who will turn his life, very slowly, upside down.
Unlike my other books, Arturo’s and Quinn’s story won’t wrap up in one book. In fact, by the end of book 1, it’s just getting started, the first of a five book series. Will you fall in love with Arturo in book one? Maybe not. Quinn certainly won’t. That bad boy has a long journey ahead of him and a long way to go before he’s deserving of her trust, let alone her heart. But, as with all my favorite bad boy heroes, it’s that journey that’s all the fun.

From the back cover:

Vampires live only for lust and pleasure in the eternal twilight of Vamp City. But the city’s magic is dying. The only person who can restore it? A beautiful woman from the mortal world…one who knows nothing of the power she wields. Quinn Lennox is searching for a missing friend when she stumbles into a dark otherworld that only she can see–and finds herself at the mercy of Arturo Mazza, a dangerously handsome vampire whose wicked kiss will save her, enslave her, bewitch her, and betray her. What Arturo can’t do is forget about her–any more than Quinn can control her own feelings for him. Neither one can let desire get in the way of their mission–his to save his people, hers to save herself. But there is no escape from desire in a city built for seduction, where passion flows hot and blood red. Welcome to Vamp City…

RT BookReviews calls A Blood Seduction, “A wonderfully intriguing and chilling launch!”
Kerrelyn Sparks, New York Times bestselling author of the Love at Stake series says A Blood Seduction is “An amazing, action-packed series! I’m as hungry as a Vamp for the next book!”
To read an excerpt or watch the book trailer, go to www.pamelapalmer.net.  If you have any questions for me, ask! I’ll pop in later and try to answer them.

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