Blog Tour Review: Purgatory Reign by L.M. Preston

Today the blog tour for Purgatory Reign stops here! Let's dive right into the review, shall we?

The story follows Peter Saint, an orphan with some unusual talents, who is on the run from an evil organization. He's not alone, soon being joined by scruffy Angel, a small kid with surprising fighting skills and lots of secrets. The two try to find sanctuary while attempting to unravel the mystery of two opposing organizations, the power they wield, and what exactly they want with Peter and Angel.

The is a good, tense, action driven urban fantasy. There's violence, magic, car chases, and mystery layered on thick. It's never boring, and that's very important.

I liked all of the characters a great deal. I found Peter an interesting mix of honorable rule breaker and survivor. I liked Angel a lot as well. I felt like their relationship  developed a bit too quickly, and I was frustrated by the lightning jump from dislike to implicit trust, but that's a common sin in books and I can't complain too much.

My other primary frustration with this book was the style of the world building, which uses a lot of withholding to keep the story mysterious. Personally, I prefer to have the rules of the world and what is going on in it laid out early in the story. I like to know who the players are and what the stakes might be, so I can focus on the action within the plot. That's not to say that the world building isn't intriguing, because it is. The villains are scary, the settings are creepy, and the magic sufficiently believable. The fact that I prefer my explanations clear and early in the story is a matter of personal preference.

To conclude, this book is worth a read if your a fan of urban fantasy steeped in religious/magical history. The pace is snappy, there's plenty of action, and the end will not disappoint you. 3.5 stars.

Happy February! It's Romance Time!

February is kind of the most miserable month of the year. It's cold and snowy, without the promise of Santa to make up for it. And it has Valentines Day, or Single Person Awareness Day, depending on which side of relationship hell you're standing on. Anyway, here on reading to penguins we're going to make the best of this short miserable month by celebrating romance in all of it's ooey gooey schmaltzy goodness.

But first, let's crown the January 2013 Book of the Month:

Misc. Mondays: Goals for the Coming Year

In 2012 I just managed to meet my goal of 112 books read and reviewed by a narrow margin. Therefore I decided not to make my 2013 goal too much higher than that--just 113 books, one more than last year. It amounts to roughly one book every three days, which seems fair and realistic. I don't have college or a wedding to plan, so I actually think this year might be easier. Even with a mostly full time job and that pesky husband creature. And the cat, Sir Book-Chewer.

I thought I'd use this post to talk about the books I'm most looking forward to reading and discussing in 2013.  There is, to say the least, a great deal of them.

February

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer: Considering the fact that Cinder was my very favorite book in 2012, I'm beyond eager for my copy of it's sequel. Delicious science-fictionish fairy tale goodness. 

Elusive Dawn by Gabriele Willis: This was actually published in November, but I agreed to review in in February. It's the sequel to The Summer before the Storm, a unique and memorable historical novel set primarily in pre-World War I Canada.

Purgatory Reign by L.M. Preston: This YA urban fantasy will be published in May (I believe), but I will be participating in the blog tour in February. 

March

Requiem by Lauren Oliver: It's hard to describe my feelings for this trilogy so far. It's a bit of a love/hate relationship, especially with the ending of Pandemonium, but I think I'm eager to read this one all the more because of those mixed feelings.

Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs: It's been so long since I've read a Patricia Briggs book, I'm almost in danger of forgetting how much I love her. Mercy Thompson book 7 ought to cure that.

Lover At Last by J.R. Ward: Yeah, I'm still reading these things. I'm in it until the bitter end, God help me. Actually, Tohr's book wasn't too bad, and I'm kind of hopeful. I really like Blay and Quinn and, well, we'll see.

April

The Elite by Kiera Cass: The Selection was a flawed book, but so freaking memorable. I can remember talking about it with friends, "The premise is kind of stupid, but you should totally read it." It stands out from some of it's dystopian comrades, and I appreciate that.

 

 

 

May

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins: This will be her third contemporary romance, and after loving the first two (especially Anna) I'm beyond excited for round three.

June

Prior Engagement by Karina Bliss: This is actually expected to be released in May, but I'm all full on contemporary romance for that month, so I'll be reading it in June. I'm excited for this one because it's a continuation of Karina Bliss's excellent stories about soldiers and ex-soldiers finding their happy endings after their battles are over. 

Flame by Amy Kathleen Ryan: This will be the third book in her Sky Chasers series, which has been an at least passably interesting sci-fi story so far.

July

Dracomachia by Rachel Hartman: The sequel to Seraphina, a beautifully crafted high fantasy story, will certainly be one that I try to review the month it's released. I'm eager to see the series pick up pace.

Saga: Volume 2 by Brian K Vauhan: I gave Volume 1 4.5 stars...I was really impressed by the characters and the very unusual world(s) of the book. So, in July, Volume 2 will be my sci-fi book for the month.

Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews: Oh my goodness, I feel like I've already been waiting for Kate Book #6 forever. But come July, God willing, it will be among my urban fantasy offerings.

Midnight Frost by Jennifer Estep: I'm growing more and more affectionate toward  Estep's writing style, and since I was introduced to it via this YA urban fantasy series, I'm naturally eager to continue with it.  I'm sure it won't be the only   Estep book  I read this year.

October 

Eyrie by Emma Michaels: Owlet was certainly not a perfect book, as YA paranormals go, but I find that I'm intrigued enough that I'll more than likely continue with the series. More than likely.








...I'm sure I'll be adding to this this as the year progresses and I try to, you know, organize my reading. What books are you most looking forward to in 2013?