The Last Rising - Rachel Firasek

Pages: 102

Published: September 6th 2011 by Entangled Publishing

Genre: Paranormal Romance/ Adult

Format: Ebook

Date Finished: 5^th February 2012

Synopsis:

After paying two millennia’s penance to Osiris, world-weary Phoenix Ice has had enough. Saving souls without any hope for her own redemption isn’t how she imagined spending eternity. Fed up, she decides her next death will be her last. But when she sacrifices her own life for a sexy Texan in a catastrophic plane crash, she has no idea the consequences will be so great…or that she’ll end up back in his life for her next assignment.

Now that Turner Alcott has survived the worst, finding a wife and mother for his son matters more than ever before. When the mysterious Ice comes into his life, Turner knows she’s the one—but love is the last thing Ice wants. If he wants to win her heart, Turner must teach Ice how to forgive herself, and prove that love is the ultimate sacrifice.

Review:

I was recently offered the chance to read the third book in the Curse of the Pheonix series – The Last Beginning of Net Galley, but without much information I had no idea that it was the third book and that I would have to go back and read the first two to begin with. The premise sounded fantastic and unique and when February rolled around I wanted to get straight into it.

Let me tell you for 2.99 it was more than a bargain.

The Last Rising has one of the best first chapters I have read in a long time. Not only that, it is one of those stories that I was thinking about when I was not reading it and growing more excited knowing that there were more stories written by Rachel.

From the get go I could feel the heat, the passion and compassion of the characters. I fell in love with Ice and her sassy yet sweet personality. Ice wasn’t generic to me and the author gave her a wonderful balance of flaws and likable traits. I enjoyed the layered background history as the story progressed and the emotional inflictions she had with her past, present and future.

I loved the concept of an Ancient Goddess Isis and the Phoenix being reborn into a new life and not having any memories of their previous mark. It is here that the tables are turned and Ice is brought back into the world where her previous mark starts to become a big part of her life. Turner was a fantastic character as well and despite Brodie being a bit annoying he was so darn cute and very like his father.

It does help that I am in love with Egyptian Mythology and this was the perfect reason to rekindle my love of romance and interest in mythology. You also get to see a little of Osiris who’s history is blended in with the story and it made me fall even more in love with Rachel’s writing.

For once here is a romance that I admired and grew to love and that had reason not just fate. I loved Rachel’s writing it had fantastic pace and always had me guessing. There were some parts that I predicted, but it never once took away the great story that was The Last Rising and I cannot wait to get started on book Two The Last Awakening.

This is a must read for fans of Paranormal Romance who like a little steamy sex but who also love their mythology and enjoy that heartwarming love that grows on you from page one. I will certainly be devouring anything Rachel has written.

★★★★★

If you are interested in learning more about Isis click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isis

If you are interested in learning more about http://www.rachelfirasek.com/

The House in Via Manno - Milena Agus

· pages: 121

· Genre: Contemporary fiction/ Adult

· Published: 2009 by Scribe Publications (first published 2006)

· Shelf Recommendation: Borrow

· Date Finished: 28^th October 2011

· Rating: 3 Stars ***

Synopsis:

In this magical, jewel-like novel, a young Sardinian woman explores the life of her Nonna — her romantic, beautiful, and somewhat crazy grandmother. Nonna is an unforgettable character whose life spans much of the twentieth century. A dreamer with fierce loyalties and unbridled passions, we follow her search for perfect love to an ending both surprising and profound. Along the way, against the stunning Sardinian landscape of cities, marinas and mountains, we meet the members of her large family, and the mysterious Veteran, the man of her dreams — each one drawn with warmth, humour and deep insight.

Milena Agus writes of family loves and secrets, of sexuality, of music, and of the harsh realities of war and migration in twentieth-century Europe in a powerful, compelling, and yet whimsical voice.

Review: [notes]

For the best part, this novel was rich in detail, full of magic and subtle dark undertones. With its complexities of life and love and what it means not only to live passion, but to deny yourself of it and the consequences and suffering of a life hardly lived, this book at the worst of times was daunting and confusing; however kudos to Milena for the unique style of writing, and for opening my eyes to a different kind of reading.

I enjoyed this book, and not in the way I was expecting. It wasn’t mind blowing, but it was provoking and a learning experience. I found myself getting tangled in the language which I didn’t understand and lazing over the historical elements, like facts on war. Although I did enjoy the history and scenery of what it was like during the period this story is set in and getting to know Nonna as her own character as well as her role as a mother, mistress, friend and lover.

While this wasn’t ideally my cup of tea, it was a nice change from the more heavily American influenced novels I read. If you are looking for something intense, and culturally full then I would recommend picking up this short book.