Dark Prince by Christine Feehan

My Rating: 5 stars Dark Series #1 Copyright: 1999 Pages: 308 Call me old fashioned, call me a sucker, call me a soft touch, I just loved this paranormal love story and I fell in love (& lust) with the Carpathian males. Mikhail Dubrinsky, Prince of the Carpathians, impossibly arrogant but tempered with a vulnerability that had me emotionally invested in his story. Raven Whitney, human, gifted telepath and emotionally & physically depleted from tracking the twisted mental paths of serial killers. Raven has escaped to the Carpathian mountains to heal, unaware her life is about to change forever - she is Mikhail's lifemate, she just doesn't know it yet. Carpathians are an ancient race, gifted with immense strength, heightened senses, longevity, & they have the ability to shapeshift, control the minds of humans & command the earth & weather. They also use gifts from the earth to heal themselves. Whilst they need to feed on human blood for their strength and powers, a true Carpathian would never harm a human by doing so. Carpathian males must find their one true lifemate or darkness seeps into their soul, slowly consuming them. Without feminine light to offset their darkness, males eventually choose to meet the dawn or embrace the darkness & turn vampire. "We have to find our one mate, our other half, the light to our darkness. You are my light, Raven, my very life."

"I claim you as my life mate. I belong to you. I offer my life for you. I give to you my protection, my allegiance, my heart, my soul, and my body. I take into my keeping the same that is yours. Your life, happiness, and welfare will be cherished and placed above my own for all time. You are my life mate, bound to me for all eternity and always in my care."

Waiting for the next installment in the Dark Series to arrive is a bit like waiting for Santa as a child ~ I'm definitely looking forward to reading more about the Carpathian males, particularly Jacques & Gregori.

Coming Soon

I will be running a new feature on Royal Reviews every Monday commencing Monday 4th May to tell you about contests and giveaways from around the book blogging world. If you would like your book giveaway/competition promoted on Royal Reviews please leave a comment here with a link to your giveaway or drop me an email (see profile.) If you host regular giveaways let me know & I will be sure to check your blog. This is an excellent way for new book blogs with a small following to increase exposure & ultimately entrants in giveaways. As a relatively new blogger myself, I really appreciated a little helping hand from the many friendly established bloggers out there. So come on ~ don't be shy.

I'd also like to give a special call out to all Aussie book bloggers; wouldn't you like to have a book blogging community like our US & International friends? Let me know if you are hosting a giveaway & pass the word along to your local blogging friends. Lets band together to increase the exposure of our wonderful Australian book bloggers. As many of you already know Royal Reviews is a collaborative blog effort from Alaine aka Queen of Happy Endings, Annie aka The Fussy Princess & myself, Teddyree aka Empress of Good & Evil. Royal Reviews has some exciting new content coming soon so be sure to check it out.

... and The Winner Is ???

Blodeuedd Congratulations Blodeuedd, Book girl of Mur-y-Castell you've won a new copy of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne. All names were entered into the Random Name Fruit Machine according to the number of entries you received and *ching ching* a winner was revealed. Thanks to everyone who entered ~ stay tuned for my next giveaway.

Teaser Tuesday

MizB of Should Be Reading hosts this cool weekly event.

Grab your current read. Let the book fall open to a random page. Share (2) “teaser” sentences from that page. Share the title & author of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. Please avoid spoilers!

"My rice!" you said, and you instinctively twisted in my arms to reach it, which is exactly the moment I heard the snap: like a branch breaking, like the first bite of an autumn apple.

"Willow?" I said, but I already knew: the whites of your eyes had flashed, blue as lightening, and you were slipping away from me into the sleepy trance that would overcome you when it was a particularly bad fracture

Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult - page 109

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

Genre: YA
Published: 2006

Pages: 216
Book Source: Own purchase

Lines may divide us, but hope will unite us ...

Nine-year-old Bruno knows nothing of the Final Solution and the Holocaust. He is oblivious to the appalling cruelties being inflicted on the people of Europe by his country. All he knows is that he has been moved from a comfortable home in Berlin to a house in a desolate area where there is nothing to do and no one to play with. Until he meets Shmuel, a boy who lives a strange parallel existence on the other side of the adjoining wire fence and who, like the other people there, wears a uniform of striped pyjamas. Bruno's friendship with Shmuel will take him from innocence to revelation. And in exploring what he is unwittingly a part of, he will inevitably become subsumed by the terrible process. - from book jacket

This novel has been categorised as young adult but I personally would classify it as Ageless.

I did read a few reviews (some of them not complimentary) before buying this book & I have to say I'm glad I went with my heart on this one.

It may seem inconceivable that a 9 year old German boy (his father is the Commandant of Auschwitz) can be so naive as to be utterly ignorant of Hitler & his reign of terror but I found it surprisingly easy to suspend belief & become emotionally caught up in this tale.

You cannot talk at length about this book, without giving away vital information & altering a reader's experience so I will just say this is not a book you read for pleasure. Read this simple but at the same time, complex novel for its ability to move you; for the poignancy to touch you.

The powerful ending of this story affected me deeply, I think I actually gasped in disbelief. This will not be a book I forget in a hurry ~ I believe it is one of those reading experiences that enriches you in some profound way.

What Are You Reading On Monday

I just love this weekly event hosted by J. Kaye’s Book Blog to discuss your reading week ~ the books you've read and those you plan on reading in the coming week. Practice makes perfect, it is getting easier to stay on task! ************ Books Completed Last Week: ABSOLUTE FEAR by Lisa Jackson DARK PRINCE by Christine Feehan ************ This Week's Reading List: HANDLE WITH CARE by Jodi Picoult - page 290 FANTASY LOVER by Sherrilyn Kenyon (audiobook) THE MANE EVENT by Shelly Laurenston ************ See reviews for: VEXING THE VISCOUNT by Emily Bryan THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS by John Boyne THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE by Enid Blyton HOUSE AT POOH CORNER by A. A. Milne

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday - hosted by Marcia at the Printed Page .

I'm waiting on 2 books, but they didn't turn up in my mailbox last week. However despite the sad mailbox situation, I still got lucky. Courtesy of 2 friends doing a cleanout, 3 books came to live on my bookshelves.

The Taking by Dean Koontz (an old one to add to my collection)

On the morning that marks the end of the world they have known, Molly and Neil Sloan awaken to the drumbeat of rain on their roof. A luminous silvery downpour is drenching their small Californian mountain town. It has haunted their sleep, invaded their dreams, and now, in the moody purple dawn, the young couple cannot shake the sense of something terribly wrong. As the hours pass, Molly and Neil listen to disturbing news of extreme weather phenomena across the globe. By nightfall, their little town loses all contact with the outside world. A thick fog transforms the once-friendly village into a ghostly labyrinth. And soon the Sloans and their neighbors will be forced to draw on reserves of courage and humanity they never knew they had. For within the misty gloom they will encounter something that reveals in a shattering instant what is happening to their world...something that is hunting them with ruthless efficiency.

Firestorm by Iris Johansen

Arson investigator Kerry Murphy has a unique talent for sniffing out the cause of fires like the one that killed her mother years ago. She also has a secret, known only to the mysterious stranger named Silver, a "consultant" who needs her cooperation in stopping the psychopath who burned his brother alive and who's holding national security hostage to his own demented ego. Silver has an uncanny gift for getting under Kerry's skin, which is both the good and bad news--good because it doubles their chances of finding the man behind the terrifying weapon of the title, and bad because Kerry can't afford to be vulnerable to Silver or any other man. Johansen has written a taut thriller that's not quite as combustible as its title but one that will keep readers fired up enough to stick with it to the last page.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

The Princess Bride is a true fantasy classic. William Goldman describes it as a "good parts version" of "S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure." Morgenstern's original was filled with details of Florinese history, court etiquette, and Mrs. Morgenstern's mostly complimentary views of the text. Much admired by academics, the "Classic Tale" nonetheless obscured what Mr. Goldman feels is a story that has everything: "Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles."

Bookfriends Award

This is a lovely new award from Sharon at A Bookworm's Reviews. Sharon says - "I've really been having fun with all my new Bookfriends. It is nice to have someone to discuss books with! And to think I actually have followers, thank you so much!"

I couldn't agree with you more Sharon, it's wonderful to have friends as addicted to books as oneself. Please take the time to check out Sharon's blog and great reviews!

I'd love to pass this award on to two new blogs I'm now following & one old friend that almost never misses commenting on my posts & has started a new blog for children's books.

Diane @ The Reading Playground (The Book Resort)

Holly @ 2 Kids and Tired Book Reviews

Jessica Marie @ Books Love Jessica Marie

And I also received another Friendly Blogger Award from Blodeuedd at Book girl of Mur-y-Castell - much appreciated Blodeuedd!

This one goes out to some new friends that follow & have commented on my blog

Liyana from LiyanaLand

Lea from Closetwriter

The Book Bloggers Yahoo Group

We've all made some wonderful friends through Book Blogging and to celebrate and nurture those friendships, we now have the Book Bloggers Community at Yahoo Groups.

This is a place for us all to chat and get to know each other a bit better and discuss the things that make our blogs successful and fun! We'll also use this group as a forum to list any upcoming events, book reviews, challenges, giveaways etc.

The group is open to anyone who'd like to join!

To join this group follow the link here.

Some Friendly Lemonade

This very cute award for blogs that show great attitude or gratitude came to me from Caspette at The Narrative Causality, thanks for thinking of me Caspette. Here are the rules: 1) Put the Lemonade Award logo on your blog or post. 2) Nominate at least 10 blogs that show great attitude or gratitude. 3) Link to your nominees within your post. 4) Let the nominees know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog. 5) Share the love and link to the person from whom you received your award. This award is going out to: Alaine @ Queen of Happy Endings Annie @ Reading, Writing & Ranting Blodeuedd @ Book girl of Mur-y-Castell Diane @ The Book Resort J.Kaye @ J.Kaye's Book Blog Lilly @ Reading Extravaganza Dottie @ My Blog 2.0 Michele @ A Readers Respite Julie @ Outlandish Dreaming I love this award - Thank you to Diane at The Book Resort & Alaine at Queen of Happy Endings for sending me the 2009 Friendly Blogger Award. Right back at you to Alaine & Diane but no need to post again LOL Kwesi @ Sweet Reads Amy @ Passages to the Past Scrap girl @ Serendipity Mishel @ Mis(h)takes Caspette @ The Narrative Causality

The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton

My Rating: 5 stars Copyright: 1943 Published: 1971 Pages: 185 This was my all-time favourite book growing up & unbeknownst to me at the time, my first experience with the fantasy genre. As a child I was so enchanted with the story, I believed the Enchanted Forest and the Magic Faraway Tree were actually real. Only a few pages in and this delightful story came rushing back, along with the magical, wishful feelings experienced as a child. Fanny, Dick, Bessie & Jo, Moon-face, Silky, Saucepan, Dame Wash-a-lot & the Angry Pixie became old friends once again and the lands at the top of the Faraway Tree re-ignited my love of Enid Blyton. The Land of Do-As-You-Please, The Land of Goodies & The Land of Presents must surely be every child's dream The Magic Faraway Tree and other stories by Enid Blyton will always hold a special place in my heart.

The House At Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne

My Rating: 5 stars Copyright: 1928 Published: 1974 Pages: 176 When I found my 1974 edition of The House At Pooh Corner I just had to re-read this much adored childhood favourite. It was a nostalgic visit to the 100 Acre Wood to play with Pooh, "a bear of very little brain", Piglet, Eeyore, Rabbit, Owl, Tigger & of course Christopher Robin. The stories within are simple & funny & endearing & silly & I giggled & sighed my way through them. As an adult you realise how 'little brain' Pooh actually has :-) & how neurotic Piglet is & Eeyore's sarcasm becomes apparent. As an adult I enjoyed the rhymes and poems, the funny adventures but I also enjoyed the quirky insight into human nature & the subtle reminder of what's important in life. I'd forgotten that The House At Pooh Corner marks the 'end of a chapter', Christopher Robin is leaving his childhood & his friends behind. "Pooh, when I'm - you know - when I'm not doing Nothing, will you come up here sometimes?" "Just Me?" "Yes, Pooh." "Will you be here too?" "Yes, Pooh, I will be really. I promise I will be, Pooh." "That's good," said Pooh "Pooh, promise you won't forget about me, ever. Not even when I'm a hundred." "How old shall I be then?" "Ninety-Nine." Pooh nodded. "I promise," he said. These aren't just characters in a book, they're friends, friends you're never too old to visit.

Vexing the Viscount by Emily Bryan

Published: March 2009 Pages: 301 Emily Bryan is now firmly entrenched as a favourite writer of mine in the historical romance genre. Vexing the Viscount truly is a captivating blend of romance, adventure, amusing banter & saucy moments. I know the deliciously 'naughty' scenes keep me enthralled but there is just something about the humour in Emily's novels that keeps me coming back for more! Daisy Drake was first introduced to us as a precocious child in the story, Pleasuring the Pirate. All grown up, she is now a woman ahead of her time, one who loves nothing more than the thrill of adventure. Daisy speaks fluent French and can read ancient Latin but all that she knows of 'pleasures of the flesh' has been discovered from the journals of Blanche La Tour, an infamous French courtesan & Daisy's Great Aunt. Lucian Beaumont, Viscount Rutland is determined to discover the location of an ancient Roman payroll & return his family's estate to its former glory. Lucian and Daisy are childhood adversaries and as adults the sparks continue to fly in more ways than one. At the Society of Antiquaries Daisy regards an ancient phallus-like lamp with much interest and speculates whether it's life-sized. Lucian, at the society to petition for a financial partner in his expedition for the lost treasure, contributes some remarks of his own, on overhearing Daisy's ramblings. Daisy masquerading as Blanche La Tour becomes Lucian's financial backer & Daisy herself is his assistant on the excavation site. What follows is a hilarious ride complete with searing sexual tension. I loved the quotes from the journal of Blanche La Tour at the beginning of each chapter & the flashbacks to Londinium A.D. 405 were haunting insights into the love story of Caius & Deirdre & the subsequent tragedy. Pick up Emily Bryan's latest novel if you want an enjoyable, engaging, slightly naughty read! Visit Emily Bryan's blog for news on latest novels, up and coming releases, interesting tidbits, blog tours, contests, author interviews & just plain fun posts, sure to give you a giggle. See my review for Distracting the Duchess (another wonderful read)

Show Some Love

Over the last few weeks I've been overwhelmed with the kindness and generosity of fellow bloggers. I've received a number of awards which I really, really do appreciate but I'm only just getting around to posting about (humble apologies.) Life has been a little hectic & I've got behind with blogging and reviews.

I received the Lets Be Friends award four times which is really nice. I have made some wonderful cyber friends through blogging and I do try to comment on all the blogs I follow (and some.)

Comments are important to me, they really do make your blog. It's great to know that your own love of all things books, is shared by so many others.

So this award came to me from the lovely Scattie at In My Head , Alaine from Queen of Happy Endings (don't you just love her new blog name), Mari from MariReads & Yvonne from Socrates' Book Reviews. Thank you so much to these lovely ladies, take the time to check out their delightful blogs!

Blogs that receive the Let’s Be Friends Award are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers

I would like to share this one with new friends & old

mjmBecky from One Literature Nut

Sharon from A Bookworm's Reviews Christina from Reading through the Night

Megan from Literary Life Diane from The Book Resort Steph from Hey, Teenager of the Year Erotic Horizon Mee from Books of Mee Diane from The Book Resort was very kind passing this crazy award back to me LOL. She has a gorgeous blog and is one of the nicest, friendliest bloggers I've come across so give yourself a treat and visit The Book Resort :-) Thank you to Missy from Missy's Book Nook Missy has a lovely blog with great reviews, what are you waiting for, check it out! The Super Comments Award arrived from Steph at Hey, Teenager of the Year This award goes out to the wonderful bloggers who encouraged me, amused me & kept me awake during the Dewey Read-a-thon. Kwesifriends from Sweet Reads Scrap girl from Serendipity Eva from A Striped Armchair Lissa from Lissa's Long Yarn Melissa from Melissa's Bookshelf Bybee from Naked Without Books Staci from Life in the Thumb Toni from A Circle of Books Dar from Peeking Between the Pages Kaye from Pudgy Penguin Perusals

Last Queen Giveaway at Passages to the Past

The Last Queen by C. W. Gortner is the new novel up for grabs for one lucky reader at Passages to the Past . If you'd like to enter this competition (open to US visitors and friends across the water) visit Passages to the Past before 4th May to enter.

Teaser Tuesday

MizB of Should Be Reading hosts this cool weekly event. Grab your current read. Let the book fall open to a random page. Share (2) “teaser” sentences from that page. Share the title & author of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. Please avoid spoilers!

How could he not love her when he was in her mind, reading her thoughts, knowing her intimately?

She was light to his darkness, his other half.

Dark Prince by Christine Feehan - page 52

What Are You Reading On Monday

A weekly event hosted by J. Kaye’s Book Blog to discuss your reading week ~ the books you've read and those you plan on reading in the coming week. The Dewey 24hr Read-a-thon did divert me slightly this week, I found I couldn't concentrate on some of the larger novels I had on my reading list but I'm happy with what I did accomplish. It was good revisiting my childhood and getting some treasures read for the Childhood Favourite's Challenge. Unfortunately I'm a little behind in reviews, so keep an eye out for them! Back to normal next week :-)

************

Books Completed Last Week: VEXING THE VISCOUNT by Emily Bryan THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS by John Boyne THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE by Enid Blyton HOUSE AT POOH CORNER by A. A. Milne ************ This Week's Reading List: ABSOLUTE FEAR by Lisa Jackson (audiobook)- this is the longest audio ever!! DARK PRINCE by Christine Feehan - page 89 FANTASY LOVER by Sherrilyn Kenyon HANDLE WITH CARE by Jodi Picoult ************ See review for Full Moon Rising by Kerri Arthur

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday - hosted by Marcia at the Printed Page .

I looked and looked in my mailbox but nothing jumped out :-(

Just as well the secondhand book store had a few I wanted.

Hurricane by Karen Harper New York Times bestselling author Karen Harper takes readers into the eye of the storm, where two parents fight to rescue their children from the overwhelming menace of a hurricane. With lashing rain and brutal winds bearing down on them, residents of southwest Florida prepare for evacuation. But Julie Minton cannot leave. Her fourteen-year-old daughter, Randi, left home earlier that morning to go out on a Jet Ski with Thad Brockman, a boy Julie barely knows. Now Randi and Thad are missing -- and the hurricane that hours ago was just another routine warning has turned toward shore. With local law enforcement absorbed in emergency response measures, Julie has only the help of Zack Brockman, Thad's father. Together they begin a race against time to find their children -- but first they must battle not only Mother Nature, but an enemy willing to use the danger and devastation of the storm for their own evil ends.

The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman

The Dress Lodger is engrossing historical fiction. As in the best of its genre, Sheri Holman's atmospheric, miasmic tale set in cholera-stricken Sunderland, England, circa 1831 is based on fact. Its epigraph from Ambrose Bierce's Devil's Dictionary--"Grave: A place where the dead are laid to await the coming of the medical student"--casts the novel's thematic lodestone, steering the reader into a deathly plot pursued through streets emanating the sounds, insufferable smells, humor, adversities, and disease of an early-19th-century industrial city.

A Simple Plan by Scott Smith Two brothers and their friend stumble upon the wreckage of a plane–the pilot is dead and his duffle bag contains four million dollars in cash. In order to hide, keep, and share the fortune, these ordinary men all agree to a simple plan.