[In the Mailbox] Julie Crisp = Book Fairy

I am a very lucky book addict and very unfortunate at the same time. On one side I feel so bereft that all my other reviewer buddies receive so many books and on the other I am swamped already from the books I have. Julie Crisp, Twitter Goddess & Generous Benefactor extraordinaire, has possibly broken the postman's back with all THIS. I promised I will use them for giveaways, but I am more or less greedy as hell to start reading, before I say goodbye to these beauties. Thank you, Julie.

'Vellum' by Hal Duncan

Following the trail of a family legend, Reynard Guy Carter finds The Book of All Hours, aka the Vellum, a blueprint for all creation written by the scribe of God after the word was spoken. Carter thereafter wanders the strange, deserted worlds of the Vellum, while angels and demons, the Covenant and the Sovereigns, battle for control of the order of everything. Within the Vellum, Phreedom Messenger is on a quest to find her brother that will lead her to the very depths of the underworld in a movement parallel to Innana's descent to the underworld of Ereshkigal; and Seamus Finnan, her brother's betrayer and an old friend, is, like Prometheus, bound for his sins. The paths the three characters follow become a scintillating web of journeys across worlds and through the three dimensions of time.

'Ink' by Hal Duncan

In the sequel to Vellum (2005), the Covenant has been broken, but the angel and demon unkin still compete for power over the worlds of the Vellum. Playing out against a backdrop of futurism and fascism and little pockets of stagnant order--havens, where the bitmites make all the things humans have ever dreamed up possible--the split parts of Mad Jack, Joey Narcosis, Phreedom, and the rest of their crew seek to rewrite the Book of All Hours and bring the angels and demons to their knees for good.

'The Wanderer's Tale' by David Bilsborough

Many generations ago the arctic stronghold of a terrible demon, Drauglir, was destroyed by the forces of good. Five hundred years later, rumours spread of the evil demigod’s second coming, with terrible consequences for the world of Lindormyn. In the remote northern town of Nordwas a ramshackle group is assembled by the ambitious warrior Nibulus, under the guidance of a mage-priest, to set off on the long and perilous journey back to Melhus to ensure that Drauglir is properly despatched this time round.

The quest includes two foreign mercenaries, three bickering priests, a young esquire, and, last but not least, Bolldhe the unsociable ‘wanderer’. Their eventful progress through a desolate terrain embroils them regularly with a wide array of races, fantastic creatures, giants and sorcerers – and with terrifying adventures which will affect each of them differently.

'A Fire in the North' by David Bilsborough

This second volume picks up the ongoing story in a tunnel leading out of enchanted mountain realm of Eotunlandt. Fighting their way through subterranean dangers, Nibulus and his diminished retinue of ‘questers’ finally reach the open again, only to discover that their rivals the Thieves have mysteriously disappeared.

Meanwhile, Gapp and a sinisterly altered Methuselech continue towards Wrythe, the last settlement. They find the population strangely degenerated, under the influence of a local leader, in fact the evil being Scathur who has been hiding there for five hundred years, awaiting his moment of vengeance. Scathur recognises that inside Methuselech is the outcast soul of a rival necromancer, Mauglad, so imprisons them both till they manage to flee for their lives.

The rest of the original questers also turn up for a scary sojourn in Wrythe, before heading on to Melhus island with Scathur’s deathly henchmen in pursuit. During strange dreams, the wanderer Bolldhe learns he must use a strange sword he has found to kill the evil demigod Drauglir, once and for all. They all venture into Melhus (the Underworld), contesting with the hosts of the dead sent against them. There ensues a colossal battle, with thrills and spills and monumental destruction, before the questers achieve an unexpected victory –and most of them will return to Nordwas sadder but wiser.

[In the Mailbox] Finally...

I am a bit on a tight schedule, because I promised some reviews on an appointed date for Pocket Books, but the bundle took it's time I despaired that the post office will fail me. I am a bit of the control freak every other day [random, when it will manifest really] and I got worked up to have these read, when I wanted to. Thankfully, the mail man saved me from a meltdown [not that I did not have a backup plan really.] Here is my modest book swag.

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'Dead Souls' edited by Mark S. Deniz

Dead Souls contains twenty five stories that will only ensure the darkness without enfolds you in its cold embrace. Within these pages, you will find a man so affected by the horrors he witnessed at war, he believes another is guiding his actions; a small boy with enough malevolence to shake a young girl to her very core; a tattoo artist with a hidden agenda. You will read about a future not as bright as we might have imagined or hoped; a puppet show with a damning message; a new twist on the theory of Beethoven's Immortal Beloved; Adolf Hitler in a new guise, and something terrible that approaches us in the desert. All this, plus many, many more, tales of darkness and human suffering.

'Spider's Bite' by Jennifer Estep

Bodies litter the pages of this first entry in Estep's engrossing Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. In the corrupt Southern metropolis of Ashland, weather witches mingle with vampires, giants, and dwarves. A mysterious client hires assassin Gin Blanco, known as the Spider, to murder a whistle-blowing financial officer named Gordon Giles. Then the client attempts a double cross and brutally kills Gin's mentor. Now Gin, a stone elemental with a hard-boiled attitude, a closely guarded heart, and a penchant for throwing knives, has to join forces with one of the few honest cops in Ashland, sexy detective Donovan Caine, who hates her for killing his partner.

'Shadow Blade' by Seressia Glass

The Gilead Commission discovered Kira Solomon's gift for psychometry when she was 12 and trained her to fight Shadow Avatars. Now 25, she mostly tries to focus on her day job as a freelance antiquities expert. Her former mentor, Bernie Comstock, brings her a 4,000-year-old Egyptian blade to authenticate, and one touch tells her it belonged to an immortal Fallen from the shadow world, who's still seeking it. When a demon murders Bernie, Kira confronts the immortal, now disguised as a young man, but she can't deny that the dark blade calls to her, as does its handsome owner. Kira's personal battle against the forces of chaos will keep readers riveted.

Book Santa [Belated, but what the heck, better than nadda]

Santa Time in January, baby. I know that this is not a Comic Book Appreciation Month, but I am super excited that the mail box has been generous enough to deliver five books. Major loot I plan and hope to devour in the upcoming months. As a bonus to the Sullivan books I got me some new bookmarks and I even got my copies signed by the author. I feel happy that the books I get are so pimped out.

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1) "Veracity" by Laura Bynum

Harper Adams was six years old in 2012 when an act of viral terrorism wiped out one-half of the country's population. Out of the ashes rose a new government, the Confederation of the Willing, dedicated to maintaining order at any cost. The populace is controlled via government-sanctioned sex and drugs, a brutal police force known as the Blue Coats, and a device called the slate, a mandatory implant that monitors every word a person speaks. To utter a Red-Listed, forbidden word is to risk physical punishment or even death.

But there are those who resist. Guided by the fabled "Book of Noah," they are determined to shake the people from their apathy and ignorance, and are prepared to start a war in the name of freedom. The newest member of this resistance is Harper -- a woman driven by memories of a daughter lost, a daughter whose very name was erased by the Red List. And she possesses a power that could make her the underground warriors' ultimate weapon -- or the instrument of their destruction.

In the tradition of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Laura Bynum has written an astonishing debut novel about a chilling, all-too-plausible future in which speech is a weapon and security comes at the highest price of all.

2) "The Crown Conspiracy" by Michael J. Sullivan

In The Crown Conspiracy, Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles until they become the unwitting scapegoats in the murder of the king. Sentenced to death, they have only one way out and so begins this epic tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend. Whether you are looking for a single novel, or a multi-book saga, The Crown Conspiracy is the place to begin. It is a heroic fantasy adventure written for a general audience and conceived as a single epic tale. This series is told through six self-contained episodes, each complete in its own right. Across the entire chronicle, mysteries build, characters deepen, and plots thicken, but none of the books end in a disappointing cliffhanger or require you to read a previous book to fully enjoy the one you are on.

3) "Avempartha" by Michael J. Sullivan

She hired them to save her father...the wizard had other plans.

When a destitute young woman hires Royce and Hadrian to help save her remote village from nocturnal attacks, they are once more drawn into the schemes of the wizard Esrahaddon. While Royce struggles to breech the secrets of an ancient elven tower, Hadrian attempts to rally the villagers to defend themselves against the unseen killer. Once more, what begins with the simple theft of a sword places the two thieves at the center of a firestorm but this time the outcome could change the future of Elan.

4) "Nyphon Rising" by Michael J. Sullivan

A PUPPET IS CROWNED. THE TRUE HEIR REMAINS HIDDEN. A ROGUE'S SECRET COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING.

War has come to Melengar. To save her kingdom, Princess Arista runs a desperate gamble when she defies her brother and hires Royce and Hadrian for a dangerous mission. As the power of the Nyphron Empire grows, so does Royce's suspicion that the wizard Esrahaddon is using the thieves as pawns in his own game. To find the truth, he must unravel the secret of Hadrian's past--what he discovers could change the future for all of Elan.

"The Riyria Revelations is shaping up to be one of the most original and entertaining fantasy series I've seen in years." - King of the Nerds Fantasy Reviews

"Another absolutely riveting installment in The Riyria Revelations series! Once again, Michael J. Sullivan did not disappoint. There was suspense, humor, action, treachery, and even a tiny bit of love thrown in." - Ramblings & More

5) "Gentlemen Prefer Succubi" by Jill Myles

Jackie Brighton woke up in a Dumpster this morning, and her day has only gotten weirder. Her familiar B-cups have somehow become double Ds, her sex drive is insatiable, and apparently she had her fi rst one-night stand ever...with a fallen angel. All she remembers is gorgeous Noah's oddly hypnotic blue eyes...and then a dark stranger whose bite transformed her into an immortal siren with a sexy Itch. With help from Noah, Jackie begins to adapt to her new lifestyle -- until she accidentally sends Noah into the deadly clutches of the vampire queen and lands herself in a fi erce battle for an ancient halo with the queen's wickedly hot righthand man. Who just happens to be the vampire who originally bit her. How's a girl supposed to save the world when the enemy's so hard to resist?

The Mailbox speaketh...

Yeah, can you feel Christmas?

The mailbox has not forgotten me. Two packages arrived today. One is from Vampire Ana, who has sent me these beautifies:

1) "Circle of Fire" by Keri Arthur: Sixteen teenagers taken from their homes. Eleven bodies recovered, each completely drained of blood. Some believe vampires are responsible, but Jon Barnett knows it's something far worse. To stop the killers in Taurin Bay, he becomes enmeshed in a web of black magic and realizes he needs help. But fate gives him only one choice in the form of recluse Madeline Smith.

Madeline Smith has retreated to an isolated farmhouse, afraid of the psychic abilities she can't control-abilities that have killed. But when "ghost" Jon Barnett brings a warning of danger and her nephew disappears, Maddie has to leave her haven. She also has to learn to control the abilities she fears and place her trust in Jon Barnett, a man who is neither human nor ghost.

But as the search for the teenagers becomes a race against time, and the noose of sorcery threatens to kill Maddie and Jon, the greatest danger to them both could be the feelings they have for each other-feelings that they refuse to acknowledge.

2) "Deep Kiss of Winter" by Kresley Cole & Gena Walter: Murdoch Wroth will stop at nothing to claim Daniela the Ice Maiden -- the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in three hundred years. Yet the exquisite Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can't be touched by anyone but her own kind without inflicting pain beyond measure. Soon desperate for closeness, in an agony of frustration, Murdoch and Danii will do anything to have each other. Together, can they find the key that will finally allow them to slake the overwhelming desire burning between them?

Aleaha Love can be anyone -- literally. With only skin-to-skin contact, she can change her appearance, assume any identity. Her newest identity switch has made her an AIR (alien investigation and removal) agent and sends her on a mission to capture a group of otherworldly warriors. Only she becomes the captured. Breean, a golden-skinned commander known for his iron will who is at once dangerous and soul-shatteringly seductive, threatens her new life. Because for the first time, Aleaha only wants to be herself....

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The next package is from Mercury Retrograde Pres, with whom things haven't out for the better last time, but let's try with a different title and see what happens this time.

1) "Secrest of the Sands" by Leona Wisoker: When Cafad Scratha was a child, someone murdered his entire family. People have questioned his sanity ever since.

As the last Scratha, he's dedicated his life to catching the murderers. Now a desert lord, one of the mysterious elite of the southlands, he stands above every mundane political imperative and rule of courtesy--or so it seems until the king of the northlands tries to bring Scratha to heel. Scratha's bizarre reaction throws the independent southlands into chaos: he hands temporary control of his family lands over to the king, takes on an assumed name, and sneaks out of the city.

The king sends Alyea, a young noblewoman, to hold the ceded prize: but while she understands kingdom politics, she's quickly out of her depth in the byzantine world of the southlands. What she thought was a quick ticket to power turns out to be a dangerous assignment that may well lead her to a literal dead end.

Just as trapped is Idisio, the orphaned street-thief sent by a chance encounter into Scratha's service. As his new and throughly unstable master goes undercover, Idisio finds himself drawn into the mysterious world of the desert lords and their secrets. Idisio's growing comprehension of the world he's stepped into doesn't just change his beliefs; it leads him to an unsuspected truth about himself that will change his life forever.

In the Mailbox [eh, not exactly]

The mailbox was generous. I received one sweet little package from Britain courtesy of the amazing Smugglers, but I decided to spend some hard earned cash and buy these sweet Murakami boosk for my Japanese Reading challenge. Now at least I will have three novels to read for that challenge. Anyway here are the book stats:

1) "Born of Night" by Sherrilyn Kenyon

In the Ichidian Universe, The League and their ruthless assassins rule all. Expertly trained and highly valued, the League Assassins are the backbone of the government. But not even the League is immune to corruption . . .

Command Assassin Nykyrian Quikiades once turned his back on the League—and has been hunted by them ever since. Though many have tried, none can kill him or stop him from completing his current mission: to protect Kiara Zamir, a woman whose father’s political alliance has made her a target.

As her world becomes even deadlier, Kiara must entrust her life to the same kind of beast who once killed her mother and left her for dead. Old enemies and new threaten them both and the only way they can survive is to overcome their suspicions and learn to trust in the very ones who threaten them the most: each other.

2) "Kafka on the Shore" by Haruki Murakami

In this latest addition to the author's incomparable oeuvre, 15-year-old Kafka Tamura runs away from home, both to escape his father's oedipal prophecy and to find his long-lost mother and sister. As Kafka flees, so too does Nakata, an elderly simpleton whose quiet life has been upset by a gruesome murder. (A wonderfully endearing character, Nakata has never recovered from the effects of a mysterious World War II incident that left him unable to read or comprehend much, but did give him the power to speak with cats.) What follows is a kind of double odyssey, as Kafka and Nakata are drawn inexorably along their separate but somehow linked paths, groping to understand the roles fate has in store for them. Murakami likes to blur the boundary between the real and the surreal—we are treated to such oddities as fish raining from the sky; a forest-dwelling pair of Imperial Army soldiers who haven't aged since WWII; and a hilarious cameo by fried chicken king Colonel Sanders—but he also writes touchingly about love, loneliness and friendship.

3) "After Dark" by Haruki Murakami

Murakami's 12th work of fiction is darkly entertaining and more novella than novel. Taking place over seven hours of a Tokyo night, it intercuts three loosely related stories, linked by Murakami's signature magical-realist absurd coincidences.

I've got mail too... [A new camera to be exact but still]

Since my old camera died some time ago, finances have never been in my favor before, so I put off buying a new one. That is until my mother, bless her heart of gold, decided to give me one for my birthday. Now that I have it in my possession and learned the most basic actions I decided to indulge in some book porn and show what July brought me in books, both delivered and bought. Don't mind the glimmer. I still can't find how to switch off the flash. Hah. :)

So here is the list from left to right and the top line to the bottom line:

1) I indulged myself in buying the new edition of Steven Erikson's "Gardens of the Moon" in Bulgarian, since the series was out of print for awhile and that's the reason I haven't started the it yet.

2) "Afterlife" by Guy Smith, which is a novella about life after death, supposedly from a more humorous angle. I am looking forward to it.

3) This one is an ARC of "A Mage of None Magic" by Bret Funk and is like the nostalgic fantasy with magical artifacts I am very fond of.

4) The cover of this one really grabbed me. It's a paranormal tale called "Dunraven Road" by Caroline Barnard-Smith and seems promising.

5) & 6) These are my most eagerly awaited books by Chris Evans. I was supposed to be a part of the promo blog tour on the 26th, but the books arrived two days before the date and I am super behind.

7) Paulo Coehlo with "The Winner Stands Alone". I couldn't resist buying him.

8) We conclude with Stephen King and "Duma Key", simply because it finally came out in Bulgarian and I have taken upon the task to read through his bibliogrtaphy.