Kiss of the Goblin Prince by Shona Husk

Author: Shona Husk
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Casablanca 
Release Date: 1 May 2012
Pages: 353 pages
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: NetGalley
Reviewed by: Lyuba


Sexual Content: 
Surprisingly mild and I loved that. 


Rating: 
3.5 out of 5


Description from Amazon: 

The Man of Her Dreams

He is like a prince in a fairy tale: tall, outrageously handsome, and way too dark for her own good. Amanda has been hurt before, though. And with her daughter's illness, the last thing she needs right now is a man. But the power of Dai King is hard to resist. And when he threads his hands through her hair and pulls her in for a kiss, there is no denying it feels achingly right.

In a Land of Nightmares

After being trapped in the Shadowlands for centuries with the goblin horde a constant threat, Dai revels in his newfound freedom back in the human realm. But even with the centuries of magic he's accumulated, he still doesn't know how to heal Amanda's daughter—and it breaks his heart. Yet for the woman he loves, he'd risk anything...including a retun to the Shadowlands.

Review: 
I've read The Goblin King some time ago and absolutely loved it, so I was eagerly awaiting the release of the second book in the series. After reading Kiss of the Goblin Prince I am left with somewhat mixed feelings about it.


On one side Dai was my favorite even in the first book (ok I have a thing for hot nerds, and he is the ULTIMATE nerd), but on the other his endless pity party was just annoying. There wasn't much story in the Goblin Prince, but more like characters coming in terms with their changed circumstances or realizing that it was time to change their lives or let go. It was different, refreshing almost, from the usual paranormal books I read, but at the same time I was almost wishing for something to happen. Something DID happen at the end of the book, but it wasn't enough to make up for the overall slowness and the lack of action.


I felt that Dai was the type of character that would really benefit from a series of books, (view spoiler)[ I mean her just got hired by the Birch bank and got access to their library, and got better at magic (hide spoiler)] but I doubt that will happen. His story still has a lot left to tell, because he is still pretty much who he was in the Shadowlands (while Roan is happy to be "normal", and has no powers as far as I could see), he has powers, it was heavily implied that he WILL use them too. I hope Dai will appear in the third book and I can read even a little about his further adventures.


Amanda took a definite back step compared to Dai, and while I felt that her character was very realistic and true to life, she just wasn't as interesting. At least she was honest with herself about what she wanted, and I loved how, as book progressed, she slowly started to let go of her past and move on.


Recommended For: 
Overall I did enjoy this book very much, although I would have loved to see more action. Still, I recommend this book to anyone who would like to read a somewhat different paranormal romance, one with the emphasis on character development and not on a constant action.


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Disclaimer: A copy of this ebook was provided to me by the NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.

The Treasure of the Carpathian Den by Don Cambou

Author: Don Cambou
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services 
Pages: 355 KB/134 pages 
Genre: YA/Children's/Action & Adventure 
Source: Provided by the author for review consideration.
Reviewed by: Lyuba



Rating: 
4 out of 5


Description from Amazon: 
Lew thought his nightmare was over. Far from it. In this, the second novel of the MOG POG Saga, he, Grandpa, Suzanne, and Brickhouse find themselves in the mountains of Romania battling legendary beings of very bloodthirsty persuasions. Good thing his fighting skills, intellect, and purity of spirit haven’t abandoned him. Neither have the MOG POG werebears. He’ll need all the help he can get, to keep himself and his friends alive. 

The whole gang from the first novel is back, along with many more unforgettable characters: the good, the bad, and the unspeakably evil. Lew has plenty of trials ahead of him. He’ll have to learn the ghastly price of jealousy, and he’ll have to survive a descent into madness, if the forces intent on destroying the natural world are to be defeated.

There’s treasure in the Carpathian Mountains, all right. But like nearly everything else in the MOG POG Saga, it just might not be what it seems.
“The Treasure of the Carpathian Den” is the second novel by Don Cambou, who for a dozen years Executive Produced “Modern Marvels” for the History Channel. It follows his first novel, “The Crystal Point of the MOG POGs.” Although it’s written for Middle Grade readers, few lovers of the fantasy genre will be able to resist the action packed, page turning, nail biting, ecological adventure Cambou has created. He is busy at work on the third novel of the MOG POG Saga, “Beyond the Temple of the Great Serpent.”


Review: 

Don Cambou delivers yet again! I eagerly awaited the next book in his The MOG POG Saga, and I wasn't disappointed. 

Lew made me like him even more from the first pages, from "I added four inches, which pushed me to an acceptable height for any boy my age: five feet. I was almost twelve, and now I looked, well, almost twelve." As someone who had her brother be a "shortie" up until he hit 16 or so, I could relate to Lew's frustrations over his height (even if in a second-hand way). 

The tension is continuing to build, and just because Lew defeated the bad guys in The Crystal Point of the Mog Pogs, it doesn't mean that he can go back to his regular life now. He has more adventures coming for him that he could have ever imagined, along with some new friends. He is still just a kid thought, and I loved how Mr. Cambou was able to show Lew as a kid, mature for his age, but still a kid who needs help from the grown ups. And the grown ups in the book did not treat him well... like a kid, but instead took his suggestions, opinions and wishes into account. After all, he IS the Crystal Point. It is refreshing to see characters that still have to rely on each other, regardless of their age differences, and being parents, or grandparents, or grandchildren. 

The only thing I wished for was for Mr. Cambou to slow down a little, to give other characters a chance to develop. I understand that it's his writing style, and while I absolutely love it, I don't know anything more about Brickhouse or Suzanne than I knew at the end of the first book. While Lew got to grow and change, hey just stayed there at the same spot I left them in The Crystal Point of the Mog Pogs. Events happened so fast that I didn't get much chance to get to know them. In fact, I think I know more about Dragomir and the Count than about Lew's two good friends. 

I REALLY liked the new "bad guy", she made me chuckle more than once. Not only that, but there was a lot more to her than I expected, and I want to know what she will be up to in the next book(s). Is she really that "unspeakably evil"? I want to know!

Recommended For: 
Overall, I was impressed yet again, and I would recommend this book to anyone who is the fan of Percy Jackson's books. The MOG POG saga offers not only a great adventure with likable characters and lots of action, but also brings the environmental issues to the attention in a non-boring and memorable way. 


~ Lyuba


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Disclaimer: A copy of this ebook was provided to me by the author. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.

The Crystal Point of the Mog Pogs by Don Cambou

Author: Don Cambou
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services 
Pages: 395 KB/145p. 
Genre: YA/Children's/Action & Adventure 
Source: Purchased for Kindle 
Reviewed by: Lyuba



Rating: 
4 out of 5


Description from Amazon: 
Move over Harry and Percy, there’s a new kid in town. Or, more precisely, out of town. He’s eleven year old Meriwether Lewis Bowman, but he’d prefer it if you just call him Lew. He lives with his parents in the volcanic wilds of the Mt. Lassen area of northern California. With his Grandpa, who’s six feet five and looks like an NFL linebacker, Lew finds that the wilds are much wilder than he could ever have imagined. It’s a place where legendary beings like were bears and chupacabras do exist and they’re struggling for control of the natural world. Lew didn’t want any part of their ancient fight, but now he’s at the very center of it. His got only his wits, his best friends, the “Gift”, and the MOG POGs to help him battle some of the most powerful forces on earth. But then, it’s like his Grandpa says, “Life is full of surprises, and they aren’t all good. Sometimes you just have to make the best of things.”
This is the first novel by Don Cambou, who for a dozen years Executive Produced “Modern Marvels” for the History Channel. It's also the first novel of The MOG POG Saga. Cambou has turned his talent from nonfiction to this work of rich fantasy. Although it’s written for Middle Grade readers, few lovers of the genre will be able to resist the action packed, page turning, nail biting, ecological adventure he has created.


Review: 

Oh I HAD to read this book, because in the description it mentioned my favorite Percy Jackson, and I wanted to see for myself if the book lives up to its (bold) claims. Well, it almost does! While there were few parts that made me question things, overall it was a great book and I was not disappointed!

The things I didn't like were relatively minor, and could be fixed with just some thinking into the world building (like REALLY no one noticed any bears partying it up? How no one noticed anything?! What about all the other evil things?! There are a lot more people that could potentially notice and question things). I also thought some scenes at the end were not necessary for a series, but would have been perfect if it was just a stand alone book.

Now the things I liked were pretty much everything else (except what's mentioned above). Lew was fun, and not perfect, and I could see him overcome his fears and kick some major butt! I really liked his voice, which was witty but not overly annoying at all(I'm looking at you, [book:Skulduggery Pleasant|284440])! I liked how kids still had to rely on adults, yet adults didn't treat kids like you-don't-know-anything-because-you're-a-kid way.

The story was great, and I enjoyed the environmental message, although it didn't feel like there was a bigger story going on (sorry, but if you have to mention Percy Jackson in the blurb, I WILL compare it to Percy Jackson books). I really do feel like it could be a stand alone book, but since it's not, I'm looking forward to the next one!

Recommended For: 
Anyone wanting to read a book with a larger message and a great action & adventure story.

~ Lyuba