Title: The Deadliest Bite Author: Jennifer Rardin Series: Jaz Parks #8 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Urban Fantasy Excerpt: No Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Julia Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Orbit; June 2, 2011 ISBN-10: 0316043818 ISBN-13: 978-0316043816 Sexual Content: Several sex scenes. Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & put this author on your watch list.

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Description

I have two choices. Carve Brude's name into Hell's bile-encrusted gates. Or lose my soul.

 

After an assassination attempt on Vayl, I find myself pulled into a tangled web that takes the gang to Romania. So how will I save a ghost, rescue a demon, and cheat the Great Taker out of a soul he's slavering for while defeating my nastiest foe yet so that Vayl can, at last, cherish a few precious years with his sons? With careful planning, major violence, and one (hopefully) final trip to Hell.

Review

I am a little behind on the Jaz Parks series, which made the first few chapters of THE DEADLIEST BITE that much more satisfying.  While there may be a little too much exposition and explanation for up to date fans, I found the amount of back story just right to keep me in the loop with this latest book.  And oh, what a book.  Witty and touching and funny, it’s amazing how much emotion Rardin evokes without ever sacrificing a moment of comedy or action.

It’s definitely the characters that are the focus of this juggling act.  It is so much fun to read Jaz and Vayl together, from playing strip hide-and-go-seek to kicking butt all the way to the gates of Hell.  Woven around this central romance are so many other sweet and zany friendships that I would be hard pressed to pick my favorite one (Ok, you got me, it’s definitely Jack and Astral).  I love seeing established and beloved characters clicking along as a group, and in that respect in particular THE DEADLIEST BITE doesn’t disappoint as an end of the series climax.

Amidst all the mayhem and laughter, I couldn’t help but feel sad that this would be my last opportunity to enjoy these wonderful characters.  Jennifer Rardin created a unique band of funny, deadly comrades, and it is hard to imagine any other author creating such an off-beat, well-matched group.  Reading this great end to the series inspires to me to go back and savor all the books that came before, and daydream about all the places these characters could have gone next.

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
Once Bitten, Twice Shy Another One Bites the Dust Biting the Bullet Bitten to Death One More Bite Bite Marks Bitten in Two	Shelley Rae at Book’d Out Nicki J Markus Jessica at A Great Read

Title: Awakened Author: P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast Series: House of Night #8 Cover Art: N/A Genre:Young Adult Source: Publisher Excerpt: Yes Reviewed by: Julia Reading level: Young Adult Hardcover: 304 pages Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (January 4, 2011) ISBN-10: 0312650248 ISBN-13: 978-0312650247 Sexual Content: Non-graphic sex scenes involving teenagers (No birth control in sight, my YA pet-peeve) My Rating: Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

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Description

“My love, speak to me.  Tell me everything.”  Neferet went to Kalona, kneeling before him, stroking the soft, dark wings that unfurled loosely around the immortal.

“What would you have me say?”  He didn’t meet her eyes. 

“Zoey lives.” Neferet’s voice was flat, cold, lifeless.

“She does.”

“Then you owe me the subservience of your immortal soul.”  She started to walk away from him.

“Where are you going?  What will happen next?”

“It is quite simple.  I will ensure Zoey is drawn back to Oklahoma.  There, on my own terms, I will complete the task you failed.”

Exonerated by the Vampyre High Council and returned to her position of High Priestess at Tulsa’s House of Night, Neferet has sworn vengeance on Zoey.  Dominion over Kalona is only one of the weapons she plans to use against Z.  But Zoey has found sanctuary on the Isle of Skye and is being groomed by Queen Sgiach to take over for her there.  Being Queen would be cool, wouldn’t it?  Why should she return to Tulsa? After losing her human consort, Heath, she will never be the same – and her relationship with her super-hot-warrior, Stark, may never be the same either…

And what about Stevie Rae and Rephaim?  The Raven Mocker refuses to be used against Stevie Rae, but what choice does he have when no one in the entire world, including Zoey, would be okay with their relationship?  Does he betray his father or his heart?

In the pulse-pounding 8th book in the bestselling House of Night series, how far will the bonds of friendship stretch and how strong are the ties that bind one girl’s heart?

Review

The House of Night series has always been filled with twists and turns, and AWAKENED doesn’t deviate from that score.  Despite all that occurs, however, I felt that this book promises more than it delivers.

For those not familiar with this series, all of them are written in a spare style that packs a lot of action into their pages.  This can be both good and bad.  I think it would be easy to jump into the series with AWAKENED, as the Casts pack a lot of recap into the narrative without bogging down the story.  On the downside, I often wished there was more detail provided for the book’s current events.  Sex, death, and betrayals happened with little consequence or reaction from the characters,  and I never felt engaged enough to fill in the blanks myself.

Ultimately, I think it was just that dynamic that had me feeling let down at the end of AWAKENED.  Looking back, a lot of fairly major events took place, and even more were hinted at for future books, but all of it was delivered in a style that was so quick and matter-of-fact it blew right past me.  While there was way too much cavalier sex for me to recommend this as a Young Adult series (and way too little sexual detail for the grown-up Paranormal Romance crowd) it does make for a quick, enjoyable read for those who don’t mind the middle of the road.

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
Marked Betrayed Chosen Untamed Hunted Tempted Burned	Crystal at My Reading Room Day at Paperback Dolls Heather at Heatherfinley.net