Lore: East and Eight by Chad T. Douglas

East and Eight by Chad T. Douglas 5 of 5 stars.

Darkness only darkens when you put out fires...

His dead brother lying in his wake, Thomas Crowe walks into trouble's open arms once again when an Atlantean sorceress comes to him looking for a stolen talisman. When Tom refuses to return it, the consequences are dire. Plagued by two new foes, a demon and a mysterious octet of immortal-hunters simply known as "The Eight", there seems to be nothing the young werewolf can do when the truth about his past life comes to surface and the world tries to eat him alive. Molly Bishop is Thomas Crowe's only hope. Wrought by anger and confusion toward her father, the beautiful and talented gemseeker must wrestle with demons of her own if she hopes to live long enough to keep Thomas from succumbing to his end. Armed with strength and power anew, Molly lights the way as she and Tom make the treacherous journey east, to Romania. (Book blurb)

Thomas Crowe's adventures continue in the latest Lore novel. This time there are new and far more evil dangers to face. Though not without the help of strange new allies and deadly potent powers. Molly and Tom's love story continues, however with a great deal more heartache as we learn more about the past that shaped the two swashbuckling characters. Their world is far from predictable, making East and Eight a pirate book to keep you on the edge of your seat.

East and Eight proved itself to be a wonderful addition to the Lore trilogy of books, standing as yet another testament to its author's incredible talent.

While I adored the characters, both old and new, I found that they had changed a great deal since the last book. Whether from the guilt of killing his brother, or from the curse laid upon him near the beginning of this second book, Tom lost some of his comical side. The very thing that made us fall in love with his craziness in the first book. However, it was interesting to watch how he grew throughout the trilogy so far.

As for new characters, there are several that I completely adored. I thought the descriptions and overall characteristics of Ine to be very well written and developed. The Japanese warrior-woman reminded me a bit of Mulan. (Who is, of course, the all-time best Disney character ever drawn. If you didn't know.) The princely vampire Leon was also an interesting addition, his "honorable" chararacter bringing contrast to the pirates of the story.

The were a few other wonderfully surprising characters that showed up in this second book, but I'm not about to tell you everything! The only one I didn't quite understand was William. Perhaps I'm wrong, but it seems to me he only served to fill up pages.

Other than that the plot went smoothly, though a bit hard to keep up with at times. The imagery was wonderful and the writing exquisite. Definitely a trilogy and an author to follow. The one thing I would like to caution readers about a bit though, is the fact that the second installment was a good bit more racy than the last. I know alot of younger kids read book for older teen, so just be careful about this one. There was a bit more sexual content in it than you find in the majority of the YA books these days. Not to the point that it was terribly over-done. Just a warning.

Other than that, I completely suggest East and Eight to anyone who is a fan of pirates and adventure. Just be sure you read the first book!

Many thanks to the author for sending me a copy to review!
The first book, A Pirate's Charm, has entered into the second round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards! Congrats!

To order Lore: East and Eight from Amazon.com, please click here.

Wanna Win a $20 Amazon Gift Card?

Ooof course you do! Just go check out my friend Nevey's blog, Le Vanity Victorienne to find out how! She'll be giving away one gift card to a super lucky winner in honor of her awesome grades. Don't forget to tell her congratulations and snag that snazzy button before you leave. -->

A Rant About Tinkerbell and Charlie Sheen

You know what gets on my nerves? The fact that women (mother's mainly) can take the time to bash Tinkerbell for  being scantily clad and/or provocative in other ways. Seriously?! There is so much else wrong with our media, and you are going to take out your frustration on the cartoon?

I'll admit, I'm not the biggest fan of Walt Disney. I don't care for some of the story re-dos I don't always agree with the television shows they put out there for kids to watch on Disney Channel. But really, the fairy!?! At this point, she is the least of my worries. 

Let's start worrying about the fact that you can't walk through a grocery story without the image of a half-naked woman on magazine cover grabbing your eye, or worse, your child's. I'm not a mother. I don't plan to be, but I like kids well enough, and I just can't help but think that you wouldn't want your kid looking at that. So why attack the fairies, the cartoons, the things that are drawn to be whimsical and silly? Why not attack the Charlie Sheens, Lindsey Lohans, Miley Cyruses in the world or better yet the people that throw them in front of your face every day?

I don't believe in censorship either. I'm not trying to do that. But honestly? Where our interests have gone scares me.

I'm not trying to tear down or praise anything in this post. I'm just frustrated. I think what America needs more than anything is a major cultural change. This "pop culture" isn't helping any of us. This makes me want to get into a bunch of other topics I find wrong with the world, but I think I'll just leave it at this for now. 

So, what do you think? Is Tinkerbell not-so-wholesome? Do you think bigger changes than a fairy's attire need to be worried about in mainstream media? Let me know!

****EDIT****
You know what ELSE gets on my nerves? Spell checkers that automatically change name spelling. And then of course missing the change in my re-read. Epic fail. Sorry, guys!

Waiting on Wednesday!

Are you kidding me?! Who isn't dying to read So Silver Bright, the third installment of the Theatre Illuminata, by the wonderful Lisa Mantchev?! Her stories thus far have enchanted us all an I have no doubt what so ever the So Silver Bright will do the same! So Silver Bright will be released on September 13, 2011!!

<3 Team Ariel!

"Things are never easy for Beatrice Shakespeare Smith. Something's happened to the Théâtre Illuminata, putting the only home she's ever known in limbo. Her mother's sanity is fraying under the strain, her father has vanished and an angry goddess is out for revenge. Bertie is caught between her duties and her dreams, just as her heart is torn between Ariel and Nate. But hope glimmers in a Distant Castle, and if Bertie can put on the performance of her life, maybe she can win the magical boon that may save them all." -Goodreads.com

To pre-order So Silver Bright from Amazon.com, please click here.

Waiting on Wednesday!

Good morning, everyone! I hope you are all having a wonderful 1st Wednesday. This week I wanted to share with you a really awesome book I stumbled upon on Goodreads. The book is the second in the series, and I haven't yet read the first. I'm dying to now though!

Cascade by Lisa Tawn Bergren will be release on June 1, 2011.



"Mom touched my underdress—a gown made six hundred years before—and her eyes widened as she rubbed the raw silk between thumb and forefinger. She turned and touched Lia’s gown. “Where did you get these clothes?”              

Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, weeks have passed and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence—while the Florentines will go to great lengths to see them dead. But Marcello patiently awaits, and Gabi must decide if she’s willing to leave her family behind for good in order to give her heart to him forever." -Goodreads

To pre-order Cascade by Lisa T. Bergren from Amazon.com, please click here.