Late For An Important Date

This week will likely be a little quiet around here, except for a few RetroLurv reviews. No it’s not vacation time *pout*, that’s in November. No, I’ve got to get Shades of Dark finished. I would’ve been through a lot quicker had I not decided to put it down at chapter seven or so and go back to read Gabriel’s Ghost. This is not a bad thing….except for the fact that I’m getting my Shades review out much later than I wanted to. I simply felt that, even though Sinclair does wonderfully at “catching us up” in Shades of Dark, I was missing something vital to this space duology.

Thing is, these are not quick reads, and that is in no way a criticism. Sinclair’s pacing has always been a bit on the slow side for me, but I really didn’t mind that in these two books for the most part because we are getting some of the best character development I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. And I love a finely tuned character, period. I can take a bit of a lack in overall plot, etc. if characters are so real I could touch them. Such is the case with Chasidah Bergren and Gabriel Sullivan.

I’ve got about 80 or so pages left with Shades (despite some earnest marathon – finally! – reading this past weekend) and then I’ll be doing reviews for both Ghost and Shades. I decided to do them separately, but you’ll see them appearing back-to-back and hopefully long before this weekend. Please cross your fingers for me.

After that, I’ll be heading back into deep reading waters to finish up His Wicked Sins by Eve Silver (Aug. 5). Lemme tell yall, it’s been a while since I’d read a good Gothic historical and this one so far is heavy on the rich, dark and foreboding atmosphere. The hero is mysterious and the heroine is the one ray of light, struggling to puncture the darkness.

After that it’s on to Wanderlust, Aguirre’s second Sirantha Jax book, and then Knight’s Fork, Rowena Cherry’s fourth Djinn science fiction romance. Also upcoming in the ARC gig is Kim Lenox’s new one, Night Falls Darkly.

I know I’ll be going to the bookstore today or tomorrow to see if Cry Wolf is there yet (yep, can no longer resist the bookstore lure). Word is the first chapter of Bone Crossed is in the back? Yeah, so buying if I see it. I’m also officially on the prowl for Jenna Black’s The Devil You Know. What’s everyone out there reading right now? Anything new and must-have?