Book Review: The Power of Six (Lorien Legacies #2) by Pittacus Lore

The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore is the awesome sequel to I Am Number Four.

[Read my review of I Am Number Four]

Book Description

I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.

And I'm ready to fight.

“Holy crap!” Sam says, his eyes wide-open.

Holy crap is right, Sam Goode.

I had some worries in the long months awaiting the sequel to I Am Number Four. My top worry was The Power of Six would not focus on Number Four. *whew* Thankfully, it did! I was concerned.  My second concern was a side effect of the first concern - less Bernie Kosar. I'm happy to say I worried for nothing!

The Power of Six does focus on Number Seven, too (like the book description says), but we also get to learn about Six and why she's such a badass. 

This book was awesome.  I cannot say enough good things about this series as a whole.  It has the perfect mix of kickass powers, heart stopping suspense, loyal friendship, and far-fetched fun. If you haven't read I Am Number Four, you definitely need to read it before picking up The Power of Six. 

The wait for book three is going to be even harder than the wait for The Power of Six!  My google powers have revealed to me there will be six books in all.  I look forward to each and every one of them!

Have you read I Am Number Four?  Are you planning to read The Power of Six?

Notable New Releases [Aug. 21 - Aug. 27]

Notable New Releases

Clan by Harry Shannon
Pub Date: August 20, 2011
Amazon Kindle

[This was technically last week, but I'm allowed to break the rules.]

They have been among us for thousands of years. One mysterious gene they carry lies dormant—until they change.

Joe Case is an ex-cop searching for the man who humiliated his sister. Kelly McCammon is a Hollywood executive running from the Russian mob.

Destiny leads them to tiny Salt Lick, Nevada…A town under siege.

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Possess by Gretchen McNeil
Pub Date: August 23, 2011
Amazon | Kindle

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her over-protective mom, by Matt Quinn, the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, the voices are demons—and Bridget possesses the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from. Literally.

Terrified to tell her friends or family about this new power, Bridget confides in San Francisco’s senior exorcist, Monsignor Renault. The monsignor enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession, but just as she is starting to come to terms with her freakish new role, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. And when one of her oldest friends is killed, Bridget realizes she’s in deeper than she ever thought possible. Now she must unlock the secret to the demons’ plan before someone else close to her winds up dead—or worse, the human vessel for a demon king.

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The Power of Six (Lorien Legacies #2) by Pittacus Lore
Pub Date: August 23, 2011
Amazon | Kindle

I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.
And I'm ready to fight.

---

The Egyptian by Layton Green
Pub Date: August 27, 2011
Amazon Kindle

[Read my review of The Egyptian]

At a mausoleum in Cairo’s most notorious cemetery, a mercenary receives a package containing a silver test tube suspended in hydraulic stasis.

An investigative reporter tracking rogue biomedical companies is terrified by the appearance of a mummified man outside her Manhattan apartment.

A Bulgarian scientist who dabbles in the occult makes a startling discovery in his underground laboratory.

These seemingly separate events collide when Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek, private investigators of cults, are hired by the CEO of an Egyptian biomedical firm to locate stolen research integral to the company’s new life extension product. However, after witnessing the slaughter of a team of scientists by the remnants of a dangerous cult thought long abandoned, Grey and Viktor turn from pursuers to pursued.

From the gleaming corridors of visionary laboratories to the cobblestone alleys of Eastern Europe to a lost oasis in the Sahara, Grey and Viktor must sift through science and myth to uncover the truth behind the Egyptian and his sinister biotech – before that truth kills them.

Are you excited about any new books this week?  Share!

Follow Me on Twitter!

Last night the awesome Jess from Romanceaholic.com informed me my twitter link was broken.  After looking at the code - it has probably been broken for a while!  My account is not actually "suspended".  I have fixed the link!

I love connecting with readers on twitter.  Come find me so I can follow you!  Book Den on twitter!

Book Review: The Egyptian by Layton Green

The Egyptian is a great suspense thriller by Layton Green.

Book Description

At a mausoleum in Cairo's most notorious cemetery, a mercenary receives a package containing a silver test tube suspended in hydraulic stasis.

An investigative reporter tracking rogue biomedical companies is terrified by the appearance of a mummified man outside her Manhattan apartment.

A Bulgarian scientist who dabbles in the occult makes a startling discovery in his underground laboratory.

These seemingly separate events collide when Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek, private investigators of cults, are hired by the CEO of an Egyptian biomedical firm to locate stolen research integral to the company's new life extension product. However, after witnessing the slaughter of a team of scientists by the remnants of a dangerous cult thought long abandoned, Grey and Viktor turn from pursuers to pursued.

From the gleaming corridors of visionary laboratories to the cobblestone alleys of Eastern Europe to a lost oasis in the Sahara, Grey and Viktor must sift through science and myth to uncover the truth behind the Egyptian and his sinister biotech - before that truth kills them.

The Egyptian reminded me a lot of a Preston & Child novel (which is always a great thing).  The biggest plus regarding The Egyptian is I love, love, love science in my thrillers.  That's why I'm a big fan of Michael Crichton.  He was great at mixing the suspense and the science all up together.

Layton Green was able to successfully mix the science of cellular degeneration with a fast paced thriller.  I love the Egyptian setting, too.  I've been watching Boris Karloff all week.  :)

The Egyptian is the second stand alone book in the Dominic Grey series.  Dominic Grey is an investigator of cults which should make an excellent premise for future novels.  I will definitely go back and read The Summoner now.

If you are a fan of Preston & Child's Pendergast series or books by Dan Brown, I recommend you read The Egyptian.

Review copy provider by author

Blog Hops: Wishing for a Daemon

Today's Follow Friday question over at Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read is:

Q. In books like the Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) series the paranormal creature in question "comes out of the closet" and makes itself known to the world. Which mythical creature do you wish would come out of the closet, for real?

I would LOVE to have a daemon like the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman. It would be pretty awesome. I can't help but wonder what mine would be!

Have you read the His Dark Materials series? What do you think your daemon would be?

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Jennifer over at Crazy For Books asks:

“Non-book-related this week!! Do you have pets?”

Do I ever! :) I have 7 cats and 2 dogs. Madison, Makaila, Maci, Cammie, Silas, Zeus, Mollie, Daisy, and Charlie.

Icarus Helix Series Giveaway!

You guys know I'm a big fan of novellas.  I've decided I want to share this love by doing giveaways of some of my favorite reads.

The first giveaway I want to do is for the entire (as published thus far) Icarus Helix series.


Icarus Helix is a super fun YA series about teenagers who start developing superpowers.  It reminds me of Smallville (the early seasons), ABC Family's Kyle XY, and NBC's Heroes.

Each "episode" of Medrick's Icarus Helix series centers around a different power possessing teen while giving us more insight into the Icarus Helix project and the characters we've gotten to know in previous episodes.

To enter the giveaway, just fill out this form with your email address and your desired format* (Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, Adobe Digital Editions, PC, Palm).   *These are ebook only.  I will leave this giveaway open until Saturday, September 3.  The ebooks will be gifted to the winning email address provided (via either Amazon gift or Smashwords download) on Sunday, September 4.

Update: This contest is now closed. Congratulations to the winner Kathy!

Review: 19 by Aaron Patterson

A few days ago, Mr. Aaron Patterson tweeted out to the universe that his short story 19 was free on Amazon. This is one of the many reasons I love twitter. Thankfully, I follow Mr. Patterson.

19 tells the story of a family who is cursed with predictions of death. Aaron Patterson provided this information in the product description:

This is based on a true story and because of the facts and how hard to believe they seem I turned this into a fiction short story. I added in some back-story that is all made up but the main plot happened to friends of mine. This is a thriller drama, medical and all about a family that is cursed with death, and all because of a rose.

If you want something different and a little off the path, give "19" a try. And think twice the next time you stop and smell the roses.

I am such a fan of short works, and 19 was a great short story. It reminded me of a story my 8th grade English teacher told me after being off for funeral leave. Her brother-in-law had died on a road that several men in her husband's family had died on. He had a heart attack. His brother and his father also died on that road. Her husband was still living. If I were her I would never let him near that town again!

Whether Patterson's 19 is a true story or not, I will add it to the list of tales I love to tell around the campfire (and during Earth Hour where everyone turns their lights out for an hour. I can't purposefully turn out all the lights without breaking out the ghost stories.)

If you love sitting down and getting a complete tale in one sitting, 19 is a great short story to grab.

Download a copy of 19 | Join me on twitter!

Book Review: Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

Veronica Roth's Divergent puts a unique spin on the dystopian society.  In Divergent, people are divided into "factions" in order to separate personalities that would normally conflict with each other.  At the age of 16, each person chooses the faction they will permanently join. 

Once a faction has been chosen, the individual doesn't automatically become part of that faction.  They must endure an initiation process that will weed out those who don't belong and enforce the mindset and beliefs of those who do.

Divergent begins just before Beatrice "Tris" chooses her faction.

The level of danger and suspense in Divergent makes it a great page turner.  I was always anxious to see what would happen next, and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment in the Divergent series.

If you loved The Hunger Games, I highly recommend Divergent.  Not only is it similar in tone to The Hunger Games, I have high hopes that Tris will maintain the strong leadership role I longed to see in Katniss Everdeen.

This Week in Books [Aug. 14 - Aug. 20]

Notable New Releases

A Test of Wills by Charles Todd

Book Description

It’s 1919, and the “War to End All Wars” has been won. But there is no peace for Scotland Yard inspector Ian Rutledge, recently returned from the battlefields of France shell-shocked and tormented by the ever-present voice of the young Scot he had executed for refusing an order. Escaping into his work to save his sanity, Rutledge investigates the murder of a popular colonel in Warwickshire and his alleged killer, a decorated war hero and close friend of the Prince of Wales.

The case is a political minefield, and its resolution could mean the end of Rutledge’s career. Win or lose, the cost may be more than the damaged investigator can bear. For the one witness who can break the case open is, like Rutledge, a war-ravaged victim . . . and his grim, shattered fate could well prove to be the haunted investigator’s own.

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The Edinburgh Dead by Brian Ruckley

Book Description

Edinburgh: 1828

In the starkly-lit operating theaters of the city, grisly experiments are being carried out on corpses in the name of medical science. But elsewhere, there are those experimenting with more sinister forces.

Amongst the crowded, sprawling tenements of the labyrinthine Old Town, a body is found, its neck torn to pieces. Charged with investigating the murder is Adam Quire, Officer of the newly- formed Edinburgh Police. The trail will lead him into the deepest reaches of the city's criminal underclass, and to the highest echelons of the filthy rich.

Soon Quire will discover that a darkness is crawling through this city of enlightenment - and no one is safe from its corruption.

The Edinburgh Dead is a powerful fusion of gothic horror, history, and the fantastical.

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Personal Wishlist

These are older titles that have caught my eye this week.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Connor, Risa, and Lev are running for their lives.

The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive.

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Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

At once wildly original and stuffed with irresistible nostalgia, READY PLAYER ONE is a spectacularly genre-busting, ambitious, and charming debut—part quest novel, part love story, and part virtual space opera set in a universe where spell-slinging mages battle giant Japanese robots, entire planets are inspired by Blade Runner, and flying DeLoreans achieve light speed.

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The Crown Conspiracy: The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan

There is no ancient evil to defeat, no orphan destined for greatness, just two guys in the wrong place at the wrong time. Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles until they become the unwitting scapegoats in a plot to murder the king. Sentenced to death, they have only one way out...and so begins this tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.

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Jenny Pox by J.L. Bryan

Jenny's touch spreads a deadly supernatural plague. She can't control her power, so she devotes her life to avoiding contact with other people in her small Southern town. Her senior year of high school, she meets the one boy she can touch...but if she's going to be with him, Jenny must learn to use the horrific power inside her to survive his devious, manipulative girlfriend, who secretly wields the most dangerous power of all.

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Completely Random Purchase Not on My Wishlist

Seed by Ania Ahlborn

In the vine-twisted swamps of Louisiana, the shadows have teeth.

Jack Winter has spent his entire life running from something no one else can see. His childhood is his darkest secret, but after a near fatal accident along a deserted road, the darkness he was sure he’d escaped rears its ugly head… and smiles.

But this time, he isn’t the only one who sees the soulless eyes of his past. This time, his six-year-old daughter Charlie leans into his ear and whispers: Daddy, I saw it too.

And then she begins to change.

Faced with reliving the nightmares of his childhood, Jack watches his daughter spiral into the shadows that had nearly consumed him twenty years before.

But Charlie isn’t the only one who’s changing. Jack never outran the darkness. It’s been with him all along. And it’s hungrier than ever. A new breed of dark fiction: the subtlety of Seed will haunt you, and the end will wickedly satisfy.

Blog Hops: Casting Myself and Longest Book I Have Read

Today's Follow Friday question over at Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read is:

Q. If you could write yourself a part in a book, what book would it be and what role would you play in that book?

Growing up I always wanted to be one of the Babysitters Club girls! I would probably want to be Dawn so I could have a super cool secret passage in my house.

Were you a fan of the BSC? I absolutely loved those books.

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Jennifer over at Crazy For Books asks:

“What’s the LONGEST book you’ve ever read?”

Since I still haven't finished Gone with the Wind, I'll have to say Robert McCammon's Swan Song. At 956 pages, that is quite possibly the longest book I have read.

Giveaway: Lockdown (Escape From Furnace #1) by Alexander Gordon Smith

Genre: Young Adult Horror
Publisher: Macmillan

Book Description

Beneath Heaven is Hell. Beneath Hell is Furnace.

Furnace Penitentiary: An underground hellhole. A place of pure evil with walls soaked in blood. Murderous gangs and vicious guards rule the darkness. Horrific creatures steal people away in the dead of night. And the impossible - escape - is the only hope. 

I'm really excited to host this giveaway!  One lucky Book Den reader will receive a copy of Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith courtesy Macmillan/Zeitghost Media.




To enter, simply fill out this form with your name and email address.  I will leave the contest open through Saturday, August 27.  A random winner will be contacted on Sunday, August 28 to provide a valid mailing address.  For more information, please see my contest policy.

*Only open to US/Canada

Update: This contest is now closed.  Congratulations to Dorothy for winning a copy of Lockdown!

Review: Coward (Icarus Helix #3) by J.E. Medrick

Coward is the third installment of the Icarus Helix series by J.E. Medrick.

Book Description

David West is a normal, nerdy boy. His parents are never home, he is small for his age and he can't get up the courage to get a girlfriend.

But when he accidentally absorbs a shower handle, he realizes he might not be so average, after all.

His freshman year heads quickly for disaster as he crosses paths with the football team.  Now with stress building and nowhere to turn, David's power may be his last road out of mediocrity.  At the moment of truth, will he decide it's easier to be brave... or wicked?

As I've stated in the past, the Icarus Helix series is about teenagers with special powers with each installment being about a different teenager.

Coward - the story of David West - takes the series on a new turn: what happens when a less than popular boy gets a less than desirable power? Will he strive to be a hero or could he be the makings of a villain?

The Icarus Helix series is a lot of fun. You can technically read these books out of order, but I recommend reading them in the order they were released. Each book shows the events taking place from a different perspective, and I love the way everything is developing and unveiling.

If you are a fan of shows like Heroes or Kyle XY, Icarus Helix would be a great series for you.

Additional topics of interest:
Review: Cheat (Icarus Helix #1) by J.E. Medrick
Review: Liar (Icarus Helix #2) by J.E. Medrick

Book Review: Inside the Outside by Martin Lastrapes

Inside the Outside is the debut novel of Martin Lastrapes.

Book Description

By the time Timber Marlow is fifteen years old, she has already killed three men. Despite the bloody and violent nature of their deaths, Timber is hardly a murderer. She has lived her entire life as a cannibal within a cult tucked away in the San Bernardino Mountains called the Divinity of Feminine Reproach. The Divinity keeps itself isolated from the Outside, which is the mainstream society beyond its invisible borders. When the opportunity presents itself, Timber escapes into the Outside, bearing witness to some dark and unsettling truths about the world around her and the integral role she plays in it. But no matter how long she stays away, Timber finds out the past isn't as far away as she thinks it is. In this debut novel, laced with scenes of horrific violence and uplifting humanity, Martin Lastrapes has written a one-of-a-kind story about love, friendship, sacrifice and cannibalism. 

I loved Inside the Outside.  Loved it.

I classify Inside the Outside with books such as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Patrick Süskind's Perfume: The Story of a Murderer - books that may have violent content or a disturbing premise but appeal to a much wider audience.

I was able to enter the world Lastrapes created inside the Divinity cult - and later on the Outside - with such ease.  There was fear, love, suspense, happiness, tragedy.  I was completely captivated by Inside the Outside, and my mind is still within those pages.

I highly recommend Inside the Outside, and I would love the opportunity to give one of you a Kindle edition (which can also be read on any Kindle app (PC, phone, tablet) or the new browser-based Amazon cloud reader).  If you are interested in reading Inside the Outside, leave me a comment on this post.  I'll leave the giveaway open through Saturday (August 20).  Commenting on this post is acceptance of my contest policy.

UPDATE: Giveaway is now closed.

Don't forget Martin Lastrapes is also giving away 3 signed copies on GoodReads here.

Review copy provided by author