I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

         I recently watched American Horror Story for the first time (Oh my goodness I am obsessed, I binge watched all the seasons). But after having finished the first season I was having a craving for understanding the mind of a serial killer. And I didn't want it to be Criminal Minds-esque where someone else was analyzing them. I wanted to be in the killer's head, and I wanted to feel something more than fear or disgust. Holy Moly did this book hit the spot. I was scared and grossed out and totally compelled to like the characters. I am a wimp though and struggled with showering by myself after reading it, for fear of someone on the other side of the curtain.

 What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?

Jasper "Jazz" Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.

But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could—from the criminal's point of view.

And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.

In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret—could he be more like his father than anyone knows?

You can purchase this book here: I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent)

I mostly read this book during slow hours at work (I know, I am bad). It totally sucked me into the story. Jazz is a teenager who was raised by his serial killer father, to be a serial killer. He is constantly fighting the urge to give in to all that his father filled his head with, and there are graphic details of all the things he stops himself from doing.

He is accompanied by his best friend and girlfriend, both of whom help brighten up what would have other wise been a very very dark story. I really learned to like Jazz, he is prickly and really messed up, but he is a solid character that I looked forward to finding new things about who he was.

This story really makes you think. Really makes you wonder about murder and nature vs. nurture, and when Jazz struggles with it all, you are doing it right along side him. Now, like I said before, I am a major wimp, I am scared of everything, so that being said, this book is not for the faint of heart. It took me a few days to get out of that head space, and not without some serial killer dreams.

I think this was a very well written, and very well researched book. If you like this genre, then this is definitely a much read!

I give it 5 Stars!

Pharaoh's Son by Diana Wilder

         I really love history, not just historical romance, but I love historical fiction and even history books. and no period of time has ever interested me more than ancient Egypt. Sure I should have been born into Victorian England, but man, sometimes I can't stop thinking about what it would have been like to live back in the time of the pharaohs.

          The crash of Pharaoh's colossal statue into a throng of worshippers brings the festival of the good god Ptah of Memphis to a sudden, bloody end. Prince Khay, the High Priest, barely escaped being killed, himself. He finds clues in the wreckage that show that the collapse was deliberately set. Now he is confronted with questions that grow more alarming with every answer he finds as the great temple of Ptah is rocked by a chilling series of murders. Increasingly entangled in clues that lead to even more mysteries, convinced that the gods themselves are taking a hand in the disaster, he appeals to Pharaoh for help and is sent a powerful ally in his older brother Hori, Egypt's Crown Prince, whose courage and resourcefulness are surpassed only by his bluntness.
         The brothers fight against time as they try to unravel the mystery, knowing that there is more at stake than treasure, and the forfeit is greater than a man's life. Something great and terrible is stirring, something they must find, hidden deep within the temple, something they must bring into the light before those who walk in darkness take it and turn it to evil.
         PHARAOH'S SON is a historical novel set during the golden years of Ramesses the Great. It is a tale of murder, intrigue and hidden treasure that reaches back into Egypt's heresy-shrouded past.

Click to view on Amazon: Pharaoh's Son

         This book was hard for me to get into at first. Maybe I was having a hard time concentrating, but I don't know, it just took me a while to get there. But when I did I really liked it.

         One of the confusing things for me in the beginning was the names. So many of the names sound the same, but as I got further into the book it became easier to tell the characters apart.

         You know in history class you always hear that Ramses II had tons and tons of kids, but it really hit me in this book. When Hori is in the palace talking to his sibling, Oh my goodness, he has so so many! That pharaoh was busy.

         I'm not entirely sure why but I liked Hori from the start, something about his attitude I really enjoyed, and I think I remember reading somewhere that he died before his father did so he wasn't the son that eventually got to be pharaoh, and I know that this is probably not what he was like in real life, but if he was like this character in real life that makes me really sad, because he would be an amazing ruler, especially if he has his brother Khay by his side.

         I also likes how she showed the pharaoh. She showed him as a person, sure he has some moments where he was truly "other" because he was in fact perceived as a living god, but at the same time she showed him as an extremely loving father who wanted to keep his children close to him. I liked that image of him because we often see portrayals of royalty and cold and uncaring especially towards family members, like that they just need an heir and a spare, you know?

         Now the mystery was hard for me to grasp at first, and when they eventually found the "treasure" I was a bit confused. That was what all the fuss was about? That was the reason Rahotep was willing to kill his brothers? I didn't get it, but I also don't have any deep ambition like he did, nor do I think that I can truly relate to the Egyptian mysticism. I think it is beyond fascinating and I also think that if I could choose a religion it would be one of the top contenders.

         This was a pretty serious book, but I did like the highlights of humor that the author threw in. Like when Hori starts giving away all of his jewelry to the poor (which I thought was so charming and sweet) and his man servant starts freaking out about it. So cute. I also thought it was funny how the Pharaoh was arrested because of Hori's orders. So while this book was originally hard for me to get into, I did eventually start loving it, and would definitely recommend it.

         I also would recommend reading the Afterward. Now I am sure all you good readers always read the forwards and afterwards, but I am ashamed to admit that I do not. But (!) I did for this book and it is truly interesting, because Diana Wilder gives us historical background on all the characters in the book.

Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh

         I loved Angel's Blood, and I super love this book. I'll just jump right in. So excited!

         Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find that she has become an angel-and that her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, likes having her under his control. But almost immediately, Raphael must ready Elena for a flight to Beijing, to attend a ball thrown by the archangel Lijuan. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan's power lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena...

Click to view on Amazon: Archangel's Kiss

         First things first.... ELENA IS AN ANGEL! That made me so so so happy :) I always felt this sadness about Elena and Raphael falling in love because she would age and die and he would stay young and beautiful forever. But now they can be together forever. I thought it was so sweet that Raphael waited for her and then throughout the year that she slept he would constantly talk to her and check on her mind.

         There were two things that I really loved about this book: we get to see Elena and Raphael's relationship develop and we get some real insight into how angel society works.
Elena and Raphael really begin to trust each other in this book. Elena's nightmares about her past are becoming more frequent and more vivid and she turns to Raphael to help her and he begins to open up about his own child hood. You can really see the love start to bloom between them.

         Now that Elena has become the first angel made the recent memory things have been stirred up in Refuge. Michaela wants to kill her even more because Elena is now the center of attention (and she is wayyyy better than Michaela). There is an open spot for a new Archangel and someone thinks that by killing Elena they will get a free ticket onto the Cadre of 10. And (!) we get to meet little kid angels. So So So So cute. Sam is so cute and I was beyond pissed off that he was attacked. What kind of sick person pulverizes a child? (well, you will find out who in the book). And Lijuan is freaky, you find out all sorts of crazy (true) rumors about her and the dead. She also makes zombies.

         I think my favorite scene in the book is when they are in China and Raphael gives Elena her new knife and she gives him an amber ring. It is the best. You see him feel truly happy and how much he loves her and how he is slowly becoming conscious of how important it is to make other people happy. I also like the scene where Elena gives Sam the dagger that is made out of the dragon eye. It was so heart breaking when Sam got hurt, so to see him to happy about the dagger really got to me.

         I love that we get to meet the rest of the Seven in this book. My favorite is Aodhan, but I have always loved the damaged male characters, and I just picture his as so beyond beautiful in my head, and that moment when Elena asked him to kneel so she could use his sword. Gave me chills. We also meet Galen and Naasir who is a naughty boy and drinks blood from angels. I love this book :) and I am rushing so I can reread the next book in the series.

Beneath a Rising Moon by Keri Arthur

         Now, this is a newer book that was on my list for a while. I had just been waiting for it to come out. It was so frustrating, my memory is totally shot so I kept forgetting the date it was released and it seemed like every other day I was like, "Today is the day! It's coming out!" Then I would look and it would be another month, or another two weeks. But! (obviously) it finally came out and I finished it that night (much to the displeasure of my poor eyes, they hate me for reading so much).

         There’s no turning back for Neva Grant. To find a killer, she must seduce the boldest male in the Sinclair pack. Her twin sister lies in a hospital bed, fighting for her life, the fourth and only surviving victim of a vicious attacker. The werewolf rangers suspect the Sinclair pack, and the only way Neva can infiltrate their close-knit ranks is to unleash the wildness within and offer herself to Duncan Sinclair.
 
          Duncan’s appetite for women is legendary on the reservation. But when this new woman stirs his hunger, he finds his desire for her goes deeper than anything he’s ever felt before. When he realizes that she’s playing a game and he’s taken the bait, he is determined to push her to the breaking point. As Duncan and Neva engage in a dangerous dance, they must somehow find a way to join forces—before a cornered killer bites back.

Click to view on Amazon: Beneath a Rising Moon

         I liked this book :) Man.... Duncan.... He's kinda a jerk, but what is it about girls liking jerks.. I dont know. But he was a jerk for a reason, though he jumped to the conclusion that the killer sent Neva much too quickly for me, but he eventually saw the light and realized she was one of the good guys. I think him being jerky added to their relationship though... My boyfriend always tells me that I like being sad, and it made me so sad how he was just so nasty to her. But then when he realizes they are soul mates. Ah, how sweet that was, and he had that moment of insecurity that I'm sure a guy like Duncan never feels.

         Now, Neva. I liked her, and how she was willing to do anything to find the person who attacked her sister, but seriously, she needed to stop being to stubborn and naive. made me want to punch a wall sometimes. If you know that the moon makes you lusty (have felt this way your whole life) and you know that its normal to have sex (have even done it before) and you know there are such things as soul mates and (!) you are willing to do anything to help your sister... stop being a baby and complaining about it, I mean seriously. She goes on and on about how her parents taught her differently, but then she admitted that she had slept with men before during the rising moon. I don't know. Maybe I am a person who accepts things very easily. Like if I had to have mad sex with Duncan for a week to help find a killer I wouldn't whine about it. I'd be like ok lets do this! And then look for clues.

         Ok, another thing I don't like, but I do understand, is her attachment to her family. They are hypocritical assholes, but they are her family and I don't have to be a werewolf to understand that. BUT! Oh my goodness, come on! Her mom got crazy drunk and killed a bunch of people when she was young, yet she is too high and mighty to forgive Duncan for drinking and being a ladies man? and her dad was happier to see her suffer without her soul mate than to see her happy with Duncan. I'm sorry, I love my family, but I would totally ditch them if they treated  me like that. And she was so worried that if she left she wouldn't see her sister. Um... they are twins, right? They can read each others minds, right? Her sister is the crazy rebellious twin, right? Ugh seriously, obviously this girl doesn't know her twin that well. OBVIOUSLY her twin would stand by her!!

         And that skanky bitch? What was her name..... Oh Betise! That ho! Ok, sorry, let me explain.... I think the thing I hate most in the world are skanky hos that try to steal other women's men. I mean it doesn't even matter if the guy isn't interested... the fact that they think its possible makes me want to break things. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it! And this woman Betise seemed to think she was entitled to Duncan, ugh!!! And then she thought she could bond with him or whatevs... Oh my goodness I was foaming at the mouth reading that. I would go postal if someone tried that with my boyfriend. That said... as much as I hate women like this I do LOVE having them in stories. They always get me so worked up and so into the story, and I am always so satisfied when their reckoning comes. Now, in this one, oh man, when Neva attacked her, jeez I was so happy. But I wanted her humiliated and punished and making her brain dead, I felt, kinda stole my evil pleasure, it seemed a bit anticlimactic.

         But I did like this book, I love paranormal romance and I'll def have more of it on here. Read this and tell me what you think?