The Lit Bitch has entered the 2012 Death by Gaslight Reading Challenge

Challenge #4 has been entered! This might (yes MIGHT) be the last challenge for the year….not sure yet though but as I am hosting two other reading challenges of my own (Outlander and Game of Thrones) it might be time to call it quits for the moment anyway but we aren’t quite into the new year yet so who knows I might have more challenge entries on the way 🙂

So here you have it, the Death by Gaslight Reading Challenge hosted by Simply Challenging who is quickly becoming one of my fav book bloggers, she is super ambitious when it comes to reading challenges hence the name LOL :).

Again…..as noted before over the next couple of weeks I’ll be posting my entries for various challenges here as I sign up and I will also have a special page/section devoted to my entries which will have lists of books I plan on reading.

As per usual I’ll post my reviews throughout the year and add the buttons on my sidebars.

So here is the fourth challenge sign up of 2012: the Death by Gaslight Reading Challenge hosted by Simply Challenging. For more details about my entry and goals please see my the Death by Gaslight Reading Challenge 2012 page.

If you are interested in signing up or for more details about the challenge it self, please visit the Simply Challenging blog.

Review: Devoured (Hatton and Roumonde Mystery #1) by D. E. Meredith

To have one’s ideas be heard, isn’t that what all scientists want? That is certainly what forensic scientist, Professor Aldolphus Hatton, wants in D.E.  Meredith’s thriller, Devoured. In the budding world of Darwinism, botanical study, forensics, and science in general– Hatton is using early forensic science to solve crimes all around Victorian London hoping that this new manner of solving crime will catch fire and blaze a new path of crime fighting.

I recently read the second book in the Hatton series, The Devil’s Ribbon which I thoroughly enjoyed. Meredith and I are friends and she offered to send me a copy of Hatton’s first mystery since she knows I hate reading books out of series order. To my smashing delight, she personally signed my copy, I LOVE IT! 🙂

The series in general intrigued me as I love the Victorian era and all the ‘murder by gaslight’ kind of mysteries, and I am also a huge fan of really science-y novels….I love forensic mysteries! One of the things that I especially praised in The Devil’s Ribbon was Meredith’s knowledge of Victorian history, Devoured was equal to the same praise—Meredith really knows her stuff! Continue reading “Review: Devoured (Hatton and Roumonde Mystery #1) by D. E. Meredith”

Review: Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare

Lies. Betrayal. Danger. Deception. Anger. Adventure. Passion. Love. All of which await eager readers in Cassandra Clare’s latest installment of The Infernal Devices, Clockwork Prince. Clare flawlessly blends action, sci-fi/fantasy, YA, pararomance, and steampunk together magically.

While romance is a huge part of this latest book, it does not over power the adventure. For me, other YA sagas such as Twilight, the love story overpowered the action and adventure, especially in the second book making it less enjoyable but in this series….there was a delicate balance which made it exceptionally hard to put down!

In the midst of all the YA romance there is a richly satisfying mystery and adventure. Tales or betrayal, lies, deception, and unrequited love all cloak this book in a silky velvet darkness that  fully encompasses all the characters and plot not just a singular aspect of the story.  Add in the clockwork angels, automatons, and steam powered inventions and you have one perfectly constructed Steampunk novel! Continue reading “Review: Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare”

Review: The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker (Strangely Beautiful #2) by Leanna Renee Hieber

The illuminating, ghostly second installment of the Strangely Beautiful series by Leanna Renee Hieber, The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker, picks up right where Book I left off.

The dark, brooding professor Alexi Rychman and ‘reincarnated’ Grecian goddess Persephone “Percy” Parker are soul mates….destine for each other. They are now planning their hasty wedding in the midst of the turmoil which prophecy has brought on.

With the coming prophecy has come the war which was also for told….the Whisper World is threatening all The Guard holds dear. The Guard knows that their fight is far from done….the Whisper World and Darkness threaten to claim the now mortal goddess (Percy) as his bride.

Alexi struggles to protect Percy from her fate while Percy herself searches for answers to her past and what she is exactly. Alexi knows his duty is to protect Percy from danger and as leader of The Guard, he is powerful….but his power soon turns boarders on obsession. Alexi must learn how to protect Percy while allowing her some room to breath…Percy must learn her own power.

Dark signs soon begin to develop at the beloved Athens Academy signaling the coming war but The Guard is not alone….previous Guard members rally themselves as allies (they are the ghosts of past Guard members) to the new Guard. One ghost Guard member, Beatrice, was once the leader of Alexi’s Guard and she helps him realize he must trust in Percy and trust in her power in order to save the Guard from the coming war. Continue reading “Review: The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker (Strangely Beautiful #2) by Leanna Renee Hieber”

Review: The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker (Strangely Beautiful #1) by Leanna Renee Hieber

In the dark allies of Victorian London, phantoms, ghosts, and demons alike haunt the city streets. A group of six are chosen as protectors known as, The Guard, helping keep London and the public safe from paranormal danger. The first night of their meeting, they are told of a prophecy who will be put in their path to strengthen The Guard and make them complete not just as a group but for one member in particular–their dark, brooding leader, Alexi Rychman.

In Leanna Renee Hieber’s para-romance, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, we meet the shy, meek, phantasm-like name sake: Percy Parker. She arrives at the London school Athens Academy feeling quite alone in the world. Percy is quite different from the other students at the academy: she is older, gifted in languages, has few ‘friends’, and unlike most of the normal world she can see ghosts. Looking much like a ghost herself, she spends most of her day ‘hiding’ behind veils, shaded glasses, and long gloves. She is a luminescent with her pearl white hair and alabaster skin…she glows like a ghost but yet is mortal.

When she meets Alexi, her terrifying mathematics professor. Though wickedly attracted to him, she knows her feelings can never become more than fantasy but yet she is strangely drawn to him, and he to her. Though gifted at languages, she cannot grasp math to save her life. Alexi begins tutoring her in math and slowly she reveals her nature to him….she discovers she is not alone in the world, like her Alexi can also see the ghosts who haunt the city. Continue reading “Review: The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker (Strangely Beautiful #1) by Leanna Renee Hieber”