Lady D's Ramblings

Death of the Mad Hatter by Sarah J. Pepper My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Death of the Mad Hatter is a retelling per se of the story of Alice in Wonderland. But it's also not. The Red Queen has killed her king, and banished the only person who knows the truth to the "Otherworld," aka our world. Alice, who has been to Wonderland many times, has befriended the Mad Hatter, and agrees to help him with his plans. But with some prophecies that are made, the Queen becomes paranoid that her Reign will soon come to an end. The Queen sends Alice to the Otherworld to find the one person who could possibly fit the prophecy, Ryley, the nephew of the former King. But Alice finds herself inexplicably drawn to Ryley, and he to her. Will she be able to hold out against the Queen's demands? Or will threats on her life prove to be too much for her to bear? Will the prophecies hold true, and "the girl with a boy's name (or was it a boy with a girl's name?)" end the Quee...

Dark Light of Day by Jill Archer My rating: 5 of 5 stars The apocalypse is over... the demons won. Welcome to a world ruled by demons. The non-magical people, called Hyrkes, worship them and give offerings, as one would to a god, while the magical people, or the Host, keep them in check, and enforce their own laws on them. Noon Onyx was raised with her twin brother as Hyrkes, because they were born with a deep secret. Noon was born with waning, or death magic, and Night, her brother, was born with waxing, or life magic. This is completely unheard of, as all men with magic are born with waning, and all women with magic are born with waxing. Noon's mother enrolls her in St. Luck's law academy, and her time is coming to declare her magic. All magic-wielders must declare their magic by Bryde's Day of their twenty-first year, or they will be killed. Noon is still hiding as a Hyrke at St. Luck's when Ari Carmine figures out her secret. Ari is a gorgeous Maegester in traini...

So, I'm beta reading a book called Death of the Mad Hatter . And the author, because she's super awesome, is doing a release party/giveaway on Facebook. So, you should totally go check it out! :D Review of the book is coming soon! :) ~♥~ Lady D

Fallen Tears by Sarah J. Pepper My rating: 4 of 5 stars I got this book as a giveaway from the author with Goodreads. I liked the blurb, and liked the premise of the book. I was so not disappointed. Miriam is an Angel of Death. She gives mortals the Kiss of Death, and takes their souls to the gates so they can move onto the next life. When she is tricked into taking a soul before its time, she becomes a Fallen, stripped of her wings, and cast down to earth. Now living on Earth as a Fallen, Miri is forced to consume human souls to survive. She lives an existence she hates. Until she meets Lincoln. Lincoln could be Miri's way out of her hateful existence. But will her Fallen mentor Atossa let her? As Miri hunts Lincoln, she starts to fall for him, and wonders if she can do the deed that will allow her to move on to a new existence. Will Atossa declare war on Miri and Lincoln? Will Miri be able to kill the man she's falling in love with? I loved this book. While it does have so...

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton My rating: 4 of 5 stars I didn't know what to expect when I started this book. Maybe just another Post-Apocalyptic YA Romance novel. What I actually found was an action-packed New Adult Fantasy/Romance. This book is awesome! I was unable to put it down. Ari was abandoned by her mom when she was four years old. Now that she's seventeen, she's tracked her mom to an insane asylum outside of New 2, the city that used to be New Orleans, before the hurricanes flattened it. Now it's owned by nine wealthy families called the Novem. But there's more to Ari's story than what meets the eye. As soon as she leaves the asylum, someone tries to kill her. Ari decides to go into New 2 to see what's going on, and to find out the truth about her past. She finds help from a rag-tag group of outcasts, and the very sexy Sebastian. But will the truth about Ari's past be more than she can handle? This book is awesome, as I said before. It...

Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was my first delve into the world of Steampunk, and to be honest, I've always avoided steampunk books and movies because I had no interest in it. But now? I'm wondering why the heck I waited so long! This book was awesome! It has action, steamy romance, and to my great surprise, vampires! Honoria "Honor" Todd finds herself in the Rookeries of London, hiding from her past, and the man who seeks her for his own sadistic means. Before long, she is brought before Blade, the Rookery leader, and the man known as "The Devil of Whitechapel." Honor needs protection, and is willing to do almost anything to protect her family. But will her uptight upbringing allow her to bend before this man who asks more than she is willing to give? When murders start happening in Whitechapel, Honor seeks Blade out to compromise, since she will do anything to keep her young brother and sister safe. But will Blade's pric...

Fair Game by Patricia Briggs My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is the best in the series yet! Anna and Charles are called to Boston to help with a serial killer case, and Anna isn't sure that this is what Charles needs. Charles has been struggling with his personal demons, and pulling away from Anna. When it's discovered that Fey is the problem, Anna and Charles aren't sure that they can handle the consequences on their own. Will they be able to find the latest missing victim before the killer kills her? And will Charles be able to overcome his demons before they drive a permanent rift between him and his mate? This book is by far the best in the series. The thriller aspect of the book keeps you guessing, while you're aching for Anna and Charles and the pain that they're dealing with. No one said mating with an Omega would be easy, but Charles and Anna will figure it out eventually. At the end of this book, there's a twist that I was totally not expecting. I ...

Endless Knight by Kresley Cole My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is the second book in the Arcana Chronicles. In it, we find Evie and Jack fighting through the post-apocalypse, with help from the other Tarot. But the calls from Death are getting stronger, and Evie fears when they'll finally meet. Matty keeps showing her more of the other Empresses, and through those glimpses, she's also learning more about Death. When they meet, will Evie be able to escape him? This book is way better than the first. The action is heavier, you meet new Tarot, and Evie and Jack's relationship amps up. Also, this book is where we meet Death. This book was full of so many twists and turns though, that I'm not sure what I can really say without giving spoilers. Pick up the first book, pick up this book, and I promise you, you will not be disappointed. ~♥~ Lady D

The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston My rating: 3 of 5 stars This book, I can honestly say, is not what I expected. I was expecting a paranormal book, when what I got was a semi-historical romance with bits of magic. Elizabeth Anne Hawksmith is turned into a witch out of necessity after her mother turns to witchcraft to save her daughter's life. When her mother is taken and murdered as a witch, Elizabeth must turn to Gideon to help her. But Gideon is not all he seems to be. Elizabeth soon learns that there's more to being a witch than just magic, and she runs from the darkness that Gideon represents. But Gideon is not willing to give up on his new student so easily. He follows Elizabeth over the years, in each of her lives. Will she ever be able to be rid of him? The book wasn't bad, overall. I really liked the glimpses into Elizabeth's different lives, since I love historical romances. But I just wasn't a fan with the way witches were portrayed in this bo...

Shadow's Claim by Kresley Cole My rating: 5 of 5 stars Princess Bettina is a half sorceress, and a half demon. When she is ruthlessly attacked by vrekners, her guardians decide that she needs a permanent protector in the form of a mate. The decide to hold an all-out cage tournament with the winner gaining the amulet that summons Bettina. They also win the crown of the realm. Trehan Daciano is a vampire assassin who is the keeper of the secret of his realm. Any time someone breaks the rules of Dacia, he is sent to dispatch them. When he follows his pray to one of the demon realms, he is not prepared to meet his fated Bride. Trehan knows that he must kill his quarry, or he'll be forced to give up his home. But his Bride calls to him, and he enters the tournament, risking his life to have her as his. Will he be able to win the battle, and her heart? This is a stand alone novel set in the world of the Immortals After Dark series. Kresley Cole is a master of romance and passion, ...

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones My rating: 5 of 5 stars Charley Davidson is an investigator who happens to have the talent of seeing ghosts... but only because she's the Grim Reaper. She and her co-worker Cookie set out on an investigation to find a missing woman who's old high school classmates start turning up dead. Meanwhile, Reyes is haunting Charley. He's left his corporeal body and is haunting her, each time getting pulled away by the demons who are torturing him. Those Demons want Charley, because she would be their gateway to Heaven. Not to mention he still makes Charley burn for him. Can Charley find Reyes before he ends up a demon snack? And will she and Cookie be able to find this woman before she ends up the next victim? If you're a fan of a sassy heroine, pick this series up! Charley is full of snark and wit, and I just love her! And Reyes, oh, don't get me started. He is a world of yum! This series is hilarious, and if you haven't star...

Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is the latest of the Kate Daniels installment by Ilona Andrews. When two girls from the pack start to go loup, and none of the miracle medicine the Europeans make can be found, Kate and Curran despair... until miraculously, a European pack asks Kate and Curran to come mediate on a dispute. The payment? The medicine that they need. Kate and Curran know it's a trap, but they have little choice. In Europe, things are definitely not going swimmingly in any aspect. Kate and Curran's mating is on the rocks, and who shows up but Hugh, Roland's Warlord. Can Kate figure out what Hugh wants before she and Curran end up calling it quits? Will they get the medicine the two girls need? I love the Kate Daniels series. Kate is a kick ass heroine who wields a sword, and doesn't let anyone get in her way. Curran is her Alpha male, and the sparks they make from not only their passion, but also their bickering is perfect. There ...