Book Thingo

Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare

Wandergurl — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:00:27 +0000

Just like a prospective duchess, it was charming and witty and able to stand alone.

The Dowager Duchess of Halford is desperate for her son Griffin, the current duke, to get married. He absolutely refuses. She drags him to Spinster Spindle Cove to check out prospective candidates and says that he can pick anyone and she will turn that girl into his duchess.

Pauline Simms is having a really shitty day. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong, but she is trying to make the most of her life as a serving girl in a tavern. Her day is about to get better or worse, depending on your point of view, when the duke picks her to be his duchess.

Griffin and Pauline make a deal: if she fails in a week he will give her the money she needs to open her dream bookshop in the village. The catch is that Pauline is actually really good at her duchess lessons. And serving girl or no, she would make an awesome duchess. Will love prevail? Of course, it will.

Ah, the classic romance. The kind that keeps you up till 1.30am. I started the book and couldn’t put it down. There were so many things that I liked about it—it was fun, refreshing, and even the duke having a Big Secret didn’t weigh the book down.

I love that the characters are equally matched. Pauline never lets anyone put her down. She is always a fighter, always trying to enrich herself, and she has big dream, which she works hard to make happen. She and the duke have merry, ‘impertinent’ exchanges that are thoroughly entertaining. Griffin is a typical brooding hero—he has more depth to him than everyone perceives—and watching both of them fall in love is sweet.

I bought into the romance, despite the short period of time Griffin and Pauline know each other. I especially like that Pauline is not a virgin. (I’m not saying she should be a slutty serving girl, but her virginity didn’t seem as highly prized as it would have been if she had been an heiress.) Their encounters are hot and sexy, and I enjoyed their developing romance. I realise that having a duke marry a serving girl really would not have worked at that time, but this story made me believe that it could be done.

Special mention goes to the Dowager Duchess, who almost stole the show with her attempts at, uh, let’s call it craftwork. The other characters from the Spindle Cove novella make an appearance, too (Alpine Assassin, anyone?).

Yay or nay?

I really enjoyed this novel. Just like a prospective duchess, it was charming and witty and able to stand alone. (I haven’t read any other books in this series.) I look forward to reading more.

Who might enjoy it: Readers who like equally matched heroes and heroines

Who might not enjoy it: Romance readers who don’t like Big Secrets

An advance reading copy of this book was generously provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.

Title: Any Duchess Will Do (excerpt)
Series: Spindle Cove (Book 4)
Author: Tessa Dare
Publisher: Avon

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Turn Right At Machu Picchu by Mark Adams

Wandergurl — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 00:00:53 +0000

Whether you’re a tourist, an Indiana Jones wannabe (or you just love Harrison Ford) or an armchair traveller, this is the perfect book to take you away to faraway lands.

In line with Travel Tuesday (#traveltuesday) on Twitter, Wandergurl is attempting to review a travel book once a month. It does not always happen, obvs.

Once upon a time, there was a writer called Mark Adams. He wrote for an adventure magazine but never really had any adventures. One day, he decided to follow the footsteps of Hiram Bingham, the man who made Machu Picchu known to the world. This is Adams’s thoroughly engaging, adventure-filled story.

About five years ago, I did a version of the Inca Trail called the Lares Trek (I booked late and couldn’t get a permit to do the actual one). After about four exhausting days, I made it to Machu Picchu and it was one of the best experiences of my life, never mind that I had never hiked before and had problems with altitude. Like Adams, prior to this adventure I had never slept in a tent (unless you count that one time in high school when they made us go camping overnight), or owned hiking boots. It was the trip that inspired many more adventures, so when I saw this book, I had to have it.

Despite being married to a Peruvian, Adams had never done the Inca trail or explored much of Peru. He sets out to do so with the assistance of hardcore Australian explorer John Leivers, who is part Indiana Jones, part invincible man, and a troop of porters and llamas. His intention was to trace the journeys of Hiram Bingham III, the man who first made public the discovery of Machu Picchu and was originally said to be the first (white) man to discover it.

His first journey patterned Bingham’s journey to Choquequirao, one of the last refuges of the last Incan emperor during the Spanish invasion. His account of the journey inspired me to look up treks to Choquequirao and confidently say, Oh, yeah, I can do that. Yeah, I’ll do that. Despite the majority of them being at least five days (nine if you want to go all the way to Machu after) and me not having hiked that long since maybe the last time I was in Peru, in 2008?!?

He went on to cover Bingham’s other journeys and in the end trek the legendary Inca Trail. Along the way he was mesmerised by the age-old question, just exactly what was Machu Picchu built for? (I will leave you to read the book and come up with your own theories!)

Yay or nay?

I really enjoyed this book. I felt that it was a perfect blend of history and adventure. Adams intersperses his own journey with Bingham’s, as well as Incan history and legend as preserved from the time of the conquistadors. It is an interesting, thoughtful journey, never dry or boring. As you can see, it inspired me to put my boots on again (it’s not happening anytime soon, people!). Whether you’re a tourist, an Indiana Jones wannabe (or you just love Harrison Ford, whose character , they say, was inspired by Bingham) or an armchair traveller, this is the perfect book to take you away to faraway lands.

Who might enjoy it: Armchair travellers and wannabe adventurers

Who might not enjoy it: People who didn’t like Indiana Jones (the fourth movie doesn’t count)

Title: Turn Right At Machu Picchu (excerpt)
Author: Mark Adams
Publisher: Text

The Mad Earl’s Bride by Loretta Chase

Wandergurl — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 00:00:28 +0000

I love Loretta Chase and this story did not disappoint. I only wished it had been longer.

The Earl of Rawnsley has quite possibly gone mad, and is dying besides, and now lives in the moors of Dartmoor. Gwendolyn Adams has just been asked to marry him to secure an heir before he dies. (This actually made a lot of sense to me in a romance novel context.) Is he really mad? What’s in it for her? And is he really going to die?

Dorian, the Earl, is your classic tormented hero—tormented by the actions of his past, a hard-handed, unforgiving family, and the ‘spirits’ that he supposedly sees. He just wants to be left alone to die in peace. Given his past history, he is incredibly worried about what will happen to him when he finally succumbs to this madness (warning: the descriptions of mental institutions in that time are pretty heartbreaking, and while author Loretta Chase doesn’t go into a lot of detail, things happen to a certain character and it is well described). When he unexpectedly inherits the earldom, he has no intention of continuing the title, but suddenly this lady shows up on his doorstep and somehow also saves his life.

Gwendolyn has no illusions about this marriage—she knows what she’s in it for—but it helps that her intended is hot and kind of a bad boy taken to riding his horse in the moors. Their romance blooms, somewhat unexpectedly, and her determination to find a cure for his illness grows.

I liked this romance; it was short and sweet. Despite the length, the pacing was well done, and the author didn’t try to cram too much into a short period of time. The events were well structured and the story didn’t feel rushed. I wish this was a full-length book. I think Chase could’ve done more, especially with the setting—with the moors and the gothic atmosphere.

Yay or nay?

If you are looking for a quick read, and something short and sweet to read before bed, this is the book for you. (If you have read Lord Of Scoundrels and liked it, the characters also make a guest appearance as a bonus.) I love Loretta Chase and this story did not disappoint. I only wished it had been longer.

Who might enjoy it: Readers who love half-mad heroes

Who might not enjoy it: Readers looking for a Regency romance

An advance reading copy of this novella was generously provided by the publisher via Edelweiss. It was originally published in the print anthology Three Weddings and a Kiss.

Title: The Mad Earl’s Bride
Author: Loretta Chase
Publisher: Avon Impulse

Heart Of Obsidian by Nalini Singh

Kat — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 04:00:25 +0000

Two Psy, each damaged in different ways. Ill-fated lovers. An emotionally repressed virgin hero who moves the earth for his true love. And all the feels. The feels! This one is definitely a keeper.

Before we start, let’s get this out of the way: I’m not going to tell you explicitly who the Ghost is in this review, but it might be guessable. Also, we don’t have a spoiler filter in the comments, so if you haven’t read the book, I’d suggest avoiding the comments until you do.

If there’s any criticism I could level at the last few Psy-Changeling books, it would be that the romances tended to be overshadowed by the worldbuilding. It’s clear that New Zealand author* Nalini Singh has been building up to some big revelations, and many of them culminate in Heart Of Obsidian.

* In true Aussie fashion, I propose claiming her for our own. It’s a long-standing tradition. We have precendents—the pavlova, Phar Lap, Keith Urban. And now Nalini Singh. Let’s start the rumour today and make it happen.

Kaleb Krychek has always been billed as the ruthless Councillor who has had no compunction in assassinating those who stand in his way, but as the series progressed it’s clear that he has his own agenda, which might not align with my first impression of him. (Jane at Dear Author posted this awesome cheat sheet on what we know of Kaleb up to Kiss of Snow.) After seven years, two week and two days, Kaleb has finally found the woman he has been searching for.

Except she’s not quite right. Sahara Kyriakus, Faith Nightstar’s long-lost cousin, has been imprisoned and tortured in an attempt to unlock a secret in her mind that could be used as a very powerful weapon. When she was captured, Sahara triggered protective mechanisms in her mind to prevent her from accessing her memories—whenever she attempts to do so, her mind rearranges itself into a labyrinth.

Kaleb and Sahara are a perfect pairing—emotionally, psychically and physically. Kaleb’s extraordinary telekinetic abilities, and the skills he developed as a serial killer’s protege, enable him to protect Sahara as she attempts to heal. Her mind is unprotected, and Kaleb constructs an obsidian shield around it to segregate herself from the NetMind, where she would instantly be vulnerable. Sahara’s vulnerability forces Kaleb to temper his responses, and it’s gorgeous to watch Kaleb navigate emotion and Silence as he tries not to inflict any more damage on Sahara. His methods of helping her are not always predictable, and this provides a lot of delicious tension and, let’s be honest, masterful alpha male behaviour of the best kind.

At the heart of Kaleb’s conflict is an incident in his past that he believes to be unforgivable. As soon as Sahara regains this memory, he believes that his greatest betrayal will be brought to light—and despite a promise he makes to set her free once her mind is strong enough to protect itself, he knows he isn’t willing to give her up, even if she asks it of him.

While this is happening—all within Kaleb’s highly secure and deeply secluded estate—Pure Psy’s activities are escalating. Singh does well to keep Kaleb’s agenda unclear for as long as possible, but given that he’s the hero of this book, it’s difficult to fall for some of the misdirection. (Good try, though. :D) If that’s not enough for our dashing super hero, he’s on the hunt for Sahara’s captors—he might be a noble romantic hero, but he’s not above seeking vengeance for the wrongs done to Sahara.

The external plot has never been the strongest aspect of the Psy-Changeling books for me, but it’s difficult to fault the way in which Singh has pulled the threads from previous books together to weave a nuanced backstory for Kaleb, Silence and the NetMind. Everything comes back to seeds sown all the way from Slave To Sensation, and it’s a fabulous reward for faithful readers of the series. It’s amazing, then, that I believe you can pick this book up and enjoy it out of series order. But I don’t recommend you do that, because this book is, I think, the climax of the series. The ending changes everything we know about the world that Singh has built.

I was also concerned that Singh might be a little heavy-handed—given the Big Things that happen in this book—either with the plot or the romance. It’s rare to get to book 12 of a series—particularly in romance—and still feel like you’re reading something fresh and, I guess, carefully crafted. Singh does not do her fans a disservice here. The pacing, the tension, and the transitions between the romance, the internal conflicts and the external plot are seamless and make for a fabulous page-turner.

As for the Ghost, the revelation is deliciously low-key. I love that Singh stretches the moment out—she’s so cruel that way—and when it happens, it’s just so normal: ‘Of course it’s me.’ This made me chuckle. And the wonderful thing is that Singh even finds a way to make the moment significant not only to the series plot but to the romance.

Any niggles I have about the worldbuilding are minor compared to the enjoyment I derived from the story. It bothers me that the Silence described in Heart Of Obsidian is so far removed from the Silence we were introduced to in the first book—where it was such a Big Deal not to break conditioning—but I’m willing to concede that this is something Singh has been working up to. It’s not a complete surprise, and I’d be lying if I said that two Psy experimenting with touch and physicality didn’t thrill me to bits. I know many readers loved Judd’s romance, but he left me cold, and I wondered if any Psy hero would ever work for me. The answer is yes, it really can.

Heart Of Obsidian feels a lot more romancey than previous books—some of them are hotter and more explicit, but for pure romance, this book gives Slave To Sensation a run for its money. There’s nothing more irresistible than an emotionally repressed hero who is just aching to be saved. To me, the romance has a very Mills & Boon dynamic, with just the right amount of hero alphaness, nobility and marshmallow centre. And for someone who starts out broken and almost catatonic, Sahara is never a doormat or inherently weak.

But is it hot??? I hear you yelling at your screen. Well, duh. Singh has never had a problem with turning up the heat in the bedroom. (Or in this case, the bathroom, the treehouse, the…okay, settle down, people!) Yes, there’s a lot of clenching (womb clenching—not my favourite), but there are also some deeply romantic—and, yes, humorous—elements to these scenes. ‘We’ve shared DNA,’ Kaleb tells Sahara after their first time together. Later, she asks him where he learned ‘what we just did’ and he offers to share his porn stash with her. Heh.

It also amuses me that it would probably be very difficult for Kaleb to hide the fact that he’s getting a hard-on if every time it happens there’s medium-scale destruction around him. His response: ‘I suggest we don’t engage in sex in populated areas.‘

A lot of the backstory in this book revolves around Kaleb and Sahara’s childhood romance. I challenge any readers who aren’t already in love with the Kaleb they know from the series so far—and I was one of them—to resist the charm and innocence of this younger version. Part and parcel of this is also falling in love with Sahara and her ability to recall aspects of his younger self and anchor him to the better parts of his nature. Kaleb is broken, too, and she helps him reconcile his fragmented identity.

I need to reread this book—probably the entire series—to absorb the nuances I no doubt missed because I was too busy trying to get to the last page. There are a million ways Singh demonstrates how perfect this couple is. But one of my favourite moments is when I realised that Sahara’s defence mechanism—the labyrinth in her mind, which was triggered by instinct—could only be unravelled by Kaleb. He is her safe place.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said, the memory one he’d carry to his grave, ‘that I’m not the man you remember. Too many things happened while you were gone.’ If she’d been with him through that time, the bright light in the nightmare, he might have battled to retain some sliver of ‘humanity’. But they had stolen her from him, stolen the only being in the universe about whom he cared, and in so doing, they’d changed the course of the world.

Sahara’s fingers tightened on his arm. ‘You’re mine.’ Simple, quiet words that were a punch to the chest. ‘I will fight for you, today, tomorrow, and all the tomorrows to come.’

After so many changeling romances, it’s time for the Psy heroes to shine.

Yay or nay?

Readers eagerly anticipating this book will find it difficult not to enjoy the way in which plot elements throughout the series come together in this book. Anyone who has read the series closely will be rewarded with the many clever ways in which Singh incorporates seeds of plot and character from previous books. At the same time, anyone who picks up Heart Of Obsidian with fresh eyes won’t be short-changed—despite being book 12 of a continuing series, it holds up surprisingly well, and there is only little evidence of backstory building. But really, you need to start from Slave To Sensation and work towards the climax that is this book. There are two more books left in the Psy-Changeling series, and I think Singh will have to write the hell out of them to surpass this one.

Who might enjoy it: Anyone even remotely invested in this series

Who might not enjoy it: Fans who believe in Silence

Advance reading copies of this book were generously provided by the author and the publisher. The hardback edition comes out today, but if you can wait a week, the Australian edition comes out in C format paperback.

Title: Heart Of Obsidian (excerpt)
Series: Psy-Changeling (Book 12)
Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Gollancz

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

Wandergurl — Tue, 28 May 2013 00:00:07 +0000

Compelling characters in an unusual but richly rendered setting—I felt the chill on their skin and harshness of the landscape.

Agnes, a servant woman in early 19th century rural Iceland, is condemned to death for the murder of her master. While awaiting execution, she is sent to live in care of the local district officer’s family. Horrified at the prospect of living with a murderess, they try to avoid her but, with the advent of the harvest and the need for extra hands, are forced to interact. Agnes is sent a priest to preside over her repentance, and she has chosen Toti, for seemingly random reasons. Through her discussions with him and interactions with the household, we find out the other side to the story. Did Agnes really murder her master? What really happened the night the farm burned down?

More than just a murder, this historical novel, based on an actual case, also provides a picture of relationships, and how it is to be human. From the first page, I was drawn into Agnes’s story, to her character and spirit of fierce determination. Everyone in the story seems to be fighting for a chance to survive, and this is clear in their way of life, their traditions, and deep spirituality. Every character and their motivations are shown and juxtaposed with the harsh landscape, seemingly a pattern for how unforgiving both the land and its people can be.

I would not have liked to have been born in 19th century Iceland, and be a woman besides. It was backbreaking work, with none of the shabby chic romanticism that sometimes comes out in modern chic lit—this one’s got a lot of arms covered up to the elbows in dung or other forms of animal goo. Iceland, at that time still a colony of Denmark, seemed caught in an isolated stillness, which comes through in rich, careful descriptions that made me feel cold while reading them. (The author lived in Iceland on exchange, and I wonder if it was that cold when she lived there—at least she would have had a down jacket!) I liked how the traditions and everyone’s place in society unfolded in the story without need for explanation. The book appears to be well researched, and while I would never want to have lived then, I wouldn’t mind reading more of Iceland’s history.

I chose to request this book because of its unusual setting and it didn’t disappoint. It is as if the place itself is a character, and it made me both question and understand the way things where done back when and why things had to happen. While this story is a work of fiction, it also made me wonder how much of the elements are true, as Agnes was an actual historical character and research was done. It would be interesting to find out more.

Yay or nay?

This is not a happy book, and as the story unfolds to its inevitable conclusion, I couldn’t help but feel for all the characters. I enjoyed the richness of the unusual setting and I really, honestly, was so drawn to the characters’ stories that I felt the chill on their skin and harshness of the landscape.

Who might enjoy it: Readers who enjoy unusual settings

Who might not enjoy it: Readers who must have a happy ending…or don’t like the cold!

An advance reading copy of this book was generously provided by the publisher via Netgalley. This book is now available in Australia, and it will be released in the USA in September.

Title: Burial Rites
Author: Hannah Kent
Publisher: Picador

PRE-RELEASE SPOILERS: The Ghost hijacks Nalini Singh’s Twitter account for an hour

Decadence — Fri, 24 May 2013 03:35:48 +0000

Hey, Psy-Changeling fans! So you think you know who The Ghost is? This post might have you thinking again… (Updated 25/5/2013 to add link to Storify.)

This morning Twitter users got to ask the Ghost some questions directly. He gave us some hints as to his identity, but some of his answers just raised more questions. Berkley will post a Storify link tomorrow (click here), but in the meantime, here is a summary of what we learned:

The Ghost was damaged before the PsyNet began to degrade, but he still does not want to leave. He is a male (not multiple people) who was ‘broken’ as a child, and who got rid of his conscience to survive. It hasn’t and (he believes) will never return. But he bonded with a woman (who is not his lover and is still alive today) during that time, and she is the only one to whom he is loyal and the only one who will keep him from carrying out his plans. He refuses to say what those plans are, only that they will become clear in time and he has been putting them into effect for over 20 years. He doesn’t discuss his plans with anyone except sometimes Judd and Xavier. He suspects Judd may have an idea of his ultimate goal. Sienna is no longer a part of his plan, but he would not answer why (is it because she is no longer a surprise?).

Only Judd and Hawke know who he is. He is related to a male we have already met and it’s important who he is related to. We can rule out the Laurens, Duncans, Dev, Hawke, Lucas and Zaid Adelaja (original Arrow) as relatives. When someone asked outright if the Ghost is Zaid, he said, ‘Zaid is dead.’ Does that actually rule him out? It wasn’t a no.

He had his own reasons for leading Judd to Alice. Judd has been loyal to him and he considers loyalty to be everything. He will never betray Xavier or Judd.

Ming will die when the time is right. The Council is all but gone, it just needs the final strike to completely put it out of its misery.

The Ghost does not have outlets or things he does in his spare time because he does what needs to be done and does not waste time. He also considers friends, lovers, etc. as weaknesses that can be used against him. While he has a relative, he has no family. This woman is the only one who has his loyalty and something happened to her that set him on his path.

He was romanticised a lot and received several marriage proposals, so he responded with this message: ‘you do not want to marry me. I would snap your neck if you touched me wrong.’ He is a virgin, but willing to use sex if necessary—he has no boundaries to achieving his goals.

The Ghost has no tattoos.

Heart of Obsidian will be available from June 4. You can pre-order a copy at Booktopia, Galaxy, Fishpond, Amazon and Book Depository. The author has also posted the first two chapters of the book on her blog.

New Australian ebookstores – Sony and JB Hi-Fi

Kat — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:08 +0000

Two new ebookstores have been launched in Australia. Exciting news for readers, but they come with a price—dollars and DRM (see price comparison below).

Sony Reader Store

Earlier this month, Sony finally launched the Reader Store in Australia. For a limited time, when you sign up to the Reader Store, you’ll get a free ebook (I got Friendship Bread by Darien Gee, but I’m not sure if everyone gets the same title). Sign up is relatively painless: enter your email address, choose a password, and active the account when you get the confirmation email.

You can sort the catalogue by date, relevance and price. I’m not sure how relevance is evaluated, but the first page using this sorting method didn’t produce many titles that I cared about, to be honest. Sort by price and you’ll find some free ebooks. It’s worth checking before you download because some of them are only excerpts rather than the entire book. Sort by date, and again, I’m not sure what it means—I’m assuming date of release—but out of curiosity I navigated to the last page. Don’t do this unless you want to read dodgy sounding books about what sound to me like dirty old men. Definitely not romance.

Navigation within the romance category is, frankly, a bit of a pain. There are no subcategories and when you look at the page number links, it only lists all the pages before the one you’re on, the next page, and the last page. This makes it difficult for me—I like to skip around and jump 2-4 pages at a time.

JB Hi-Fi NOW Books

Last month, electronics store JB Hi-Fi also launched an ebooktore, which you can find here. According to trade magazine Books+Publishing:

The store, which went live on 22 April, is part of the retailer’s NOW platform, which also sells digital music. Among the local publishers with titles in the ebookstore are HarperCollins, Penguin, Random House, Allen & Unwin, Hachette, Lonely Planet, Pan Macmillan and Text Publishing.

Again, there’s no escaping DRM.

I only had a quick play with this store, but searching for titles seems faster than in the Reader Store and, with the exception of the cluttered and confusing first page, the interface seems more inviting to me.

Price comparison

I’ve listed a random sample of romance titles and their prices (AUD), along with corresponding prices from Diesel (USD) and the publisher (AUD unless otherwise noted). Ebook files have DRM unless otherwise noted.

Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey — Sony: $8.99 (UK) or $14.39 (Aus) | JB Hi-Fi: $11.04 | Diesel: $3.08 (no DRM) | Carina Press: $4.49 (USD, no DRM)
The Stranger I Married by Sylvia Day — Sony: $9.99 | JB Hi-Fi: $7.14 | Diesel: $2.01
One True Love by Lori Wilde (novella) — Sony: $4.99 | JB Hi-Fi: $2.99 | Diesel: $1.85
How The Marquess Was Won by Julie Anne Long — Sony: $12.29 | JB Hi-Fi: $7.99 | Diesel: $4.19
Seven Nights In a Rogue’s Bed by Anna Campbell — Sony: $8.99 | JB Hi-Fi: $8.99 | Diesel: $4.19
Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh — Sony: $11.99 | JB Hi-Fi: $11.99 | Diesel: $6.99
Dark Country by Bronwyn Parry — Sony: $7.99 (mind you, Dead Heat is $19.99!) | JB Hi-Fi: $7.99 | Diesel: Unavailable
Wish by Kelly Hunter — Sony: $2.99 | JB Hi-Fi: $2.99 | Diesel: Unavailable | Destiny: $2.99
Grease Monkey Jive by Ainslie Paton — Sony: Unavailable | JB Hi-Fi: $3.89 | Escape: $5.99
One Little White Lie by Loretta Hill — Sony: Unavailable | JB Hi-Fi: $2.99
Busted In Bollywood by Nicola Marsh — Sony: $7.59 | JB Hi-Fi: $4.19 | Diesel: $3.94
Flesh by Kylie Scott — Sony: $7.89 | JB Hi-Fi: $3.99 | Diesel: Unavailable | Momentum: $3.99
Love’s Rhythm by Lexxie Couper — Sony: $3.99 | JB Hi-Fi: $3.10 | Diesel: $4.50 (no DRM) | Samhain: $4.50 (USD)

(I haven’t included Kindle prices because Kindle ebooks run on a different platform and epub books are not directly portable onto the Kindle. I’m trying to compare like with like, as much as possible.)

You’ll notice from the list that Destiny, Momentum, Entangled, Carina, Avon Impulse and Samhain are available, but Steam eReads titles are not. JB Hi-Fi also has Escape and Random Romance titles in their catalogue. At this stage, Sony only has 9 Ellora’s Cave titles; JB Hi-Fi has a more extensive backlist. I couldn’t do a price comparison because I didn’t find a title that was in both the Sony and the JB Hi-Fi bookstores.

The Reader Store has been selling books overseas for a while now, so it surprises me that their pricing is so uncompetitive. That said, even though JB Hi-Fi offers substantial savings against the Australian Reader Store, it’s still twice as expensive as Diesel in many cases. For almost all of the titles listed above, the Australian ebookstores only list the Australian editions of the books, with no alternative listing for the (cheaper) US editions. The only real titles for which they’d be a choice for me would be Australian published titles unavailable from overseas bookstores.

What do you think of these new Australian ebookstores? If you’ve had a chance to try them, let us know what you think!

PRE-RELEASE SPOILERS: Excerpt from Heart Of Obsidian, the new Psy-Changeling book

Kat — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:00:49 +0000

At some point, I’ll catch up on reading, reviewing and blogging and we’ll be back to our regular posting schedule. In the meantime, this is way too exciting for me not to mention!

If you haven’t already pre-ordered the book, you can do so at Booktopia, Galaxy, Fishpond, Amazon and Book Depository.

If you’re a fan of NZ author Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series—and who isn’t?—and you’re dying to know which main character will feature in her June release, Heart Of Obsidian—and who isn’t?—then you need to head over to her blog and find out!

Yes, after months of secrecy and that oh-so-coy blurb, we finally find out that…

(Look away now if you don’t want to know!)

…it’s Kaleb’s book!

This series is one of the few that I don’t mind reading spoiler-free, so I’m not sure—does this mean he’s the Ghost? Or is it that the Ghost’s identity will be revealed in this book? Anyone up to date on their Psy-Changeling trivia? Dear Author has a thread all about the Arrow squad with plenty of speculation on who the Ghost is.

So, fellow Psy-Changeling readers, what did you think of the excerpt? Was Kaleb just too obvious or are you pleasantly surprised?

The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After by Julia Quinn

Wandergurl — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:10:57 +0000

The series that made me—and the rest of the world—fall in love with Julia Quinn. If you haven’t read this series, start now! If you have, then this is the cherry on the cake.

Special note for fans: Julia Quinn will be a keynote speaker at the 2013 Romance Writers of Australia conference at Fremantle in August. Click here for more details.

Actual text message from the year 2000:

BFF: Wandergurl! Anthony Bridgerton is getting married. We have to get The Viscount Who Loved Me.

Me (Thinking, Who the fuck is… ohhhhhhhhhhh.): Yes! Of course! We have to get someone to bring it from America.

Back in the early 00s when I was growing up in the Philippines, you didn’t get books on time and the bigger independent bookstores didn’t really exist yet. It’s easier to get things now, but back then, your best chance for immediate access during a release date was to have someone vacationing in America to bring it back to you. After reading The Duke and I in a rental book club called ‘The Armchair Reader’ (and buying the book when the book club closed down) I was determined to get the rest of the series.

Aside from the actual stories of the books, obtaining them involved their own stories. I had one of our clients, a big, burly bearded Texan bring one back for me from Austin. My managing director brought back my Amazon order with a Bridgerton and The Lord of the Rings, extended edition. My giant elfish geek of a friend went to a bookstore and never let me hear the end of it after he had to ask for Romancing Mr. Bridgerton. (He also very nicely climbed a ladder and alphabetised my romance novels at my request. Thank you, dear.) Another was brought back by a Goth friend from San Francisco, who also happened to read romances and thought Sir Phillip with Love wasn’t bad—except the title sucked.

Eight books and a few spin-offs later, the series finally ended (and I moved to Australia). People couldn’t get enough of the Bridgertons, with their witty repartee and the sense of humour with which Julia Quinn traditionally infuses her books. And of course, everyone wanted to know what would happen next! So Quinn started releasing second epilogues in ebook format—that is, the epilogue after the one in the book where they all end up having babies and such. This book is a compilation, in print, of all of the second epilogues, plus three new epilogues.

I devoured it during my lunch break at work (and beyond—sneaky, sneaky!).

The second epilogues are filled with the Bridgertons’ trademark sweetness, comedy, mishaps, wit and the relationships that bring the characters together and ultimately make this one of the best series I’ve ever read. My favorite epilogues were (in no particular order): Francesca’s—she finally gets what she’s always wanted; Eloise’s—largely because it’s narrated by her stepdaughter and is utterly comedic; Penelope and Colin’s—really, they are great; and Hyacinth’s—even if she is the character I most dislike, because she finally gets her comeuppance in having a daughter exactly like her.

Yay or nay?

This is for anyone who, like me, misses the Bridgertons and sometimes wishes there were more stories to go around. If you haven’t read the series, I suggest you go and pick it up now. It’s funny, delightful, and really one of the perfect introductions to historical romance.

Side note: I challenge my fellow Book Thingo reviewers to review their favorite Bridgerton novel and post it! Let’s do it! Whether or not this will happen is another story.)

An advanced reading copy of this book was generously provided by Avon via Edelweiss.

Who might enjoy it: Fans of the Bridgertons series

Who might not enjoy it: Readers who hate epilogues

Title: The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After (excerpt)
Series: The Bridgertons (epilogues)
Author: Julia Quinn
Publisher: Little Brown (UK), Avon (USA)

Rivers Of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Wandergurl — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:00:39 +0000

Original, witty and fun—this is my new favourite series.

Probationary Constable Peter Grant works for the Metropolitan Police Force and is the kind of mediocre that we all are sometimes, but don’t really want to admit. He’s smart, he can handle himself, but he needs an extra little push to get somewhere sometimes. He also wants to do something significant with his life but can’t seem to figure out what, and his boss seems to think he’s destined for a life of paperwork.

That is, until one night when, after being called to the scene, he interviews a witness who happens to be dead. Suddenly, he’s a detective constable working for a special branch of the police that previously had only one member. He’s also the first trainee apprentice wizard in Britain in fifty years. Oh, and he has to find out who killed that guy.

Creative, funny and very real, Peter Grant could be your friend, the blokey jokester that you hang out and have a beer with. He’s the kind of person who sometimes fumbles and could use a good woman to keep his head on straight (there is one, kind of). He’s a good guy; it just so happens that weird things keep happening to him.

This book, the first of a thoroughly entertaining series, shows us how Peter stumbles into the use of magic and finally finds his feet, solving a mystery (and developing his skills at coming up with witticisms) in the process. I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed this series, with its comedic interludes, rich characterisation and inventive world building. It could have been just another urban fantasy series with everything under the sun, but author Ben Aaronovitch brings elements of the story together in a neat, original little package.

This book is a love story for London. The city is a character in itself, and the author populates the story with anecdotes on its history and geography. As Peter makes his way through London, so do we, and I loved exploring with him. (I could have used a map sometimes, though.) This is the kind of book I might reread as a pick-me-up. It’s fun and funny, and even if there are sad bits, they keep you wanting to find out more.

Bonus bits for Whovians: Aaronovitch used to write for Doctor Who, so every now and then, there’s a Doctor Who reference. It doesn’t affect the story and is often just a one-liner, but if you’re a Whovian, it’s another thing to make you smile.

Yay or nay?

This is my favourite new series. If you are looking for something original, witty and fun, this is the book for you. Also, there are not many urban fantasy books with male protagonists, and this stands out by being one of the funny ones.

Who might enjoy it: Readers who liked Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series or Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere

Who might not enjoy it: People who don’t like London

This book is published in the US with the title Midnight Riot.

Title: Rivers of London
Series: Rivers of London (Book 1)
Author: Ben Aaronovitch
Publisher: Gollancz