MARCH 21, 2013

 

 

So… there I was, just minding my own business when a friend of mine says “Hey, have you read Soul Meaning yet?” I had not, in fact I had not heard of it…”Who is it by?” “A.D. Starrling, I figured since you now her you would have read the book by now, or the ARC!” ” ummm nope… hmmmm ” typing away a search and I see it pops up and I see Little Miss Starrling on twitter…”Hey, your book is out!” “Ya I am touring with Bewitching this next month” “WHAT??? How the hell did I miss that!!”… quickly I write to Roxanne to have her add me in! She has been hinting away at this bloody book and I was finally going to get my hands on it Let me tell you what!… well see for yourself, the beginning of the synopsis… (don’t miss the kick-ass giveaway & 10-things interview, she recognize my bacon-ee goodness to boot)

 

 

 

Soul Meaning – The Postcard

 

What? Died? Part immortal? Half Breed? Man-hunt, a threat to millions… wait a gosh darn minute! This reads like a bloody season of 24 but with a supernatural twist… no no no not Supernatural, well not really, these guys are not angels, vampires or zombies.. of course there is a character that reminds me of Cas and also one that reminds me of Crowley but only because of the snark and attitude.

 

But let’s get down to why everyone I know should seriously pick this puppy up and read it! Well, all of those without heart conditions that is. Why you ask?

 

INTENSE, NON-STOP ACTION – You know the movie Speed? Reading this book is like being on the bus, and you know if the bus stops something bad is going to happen, as in BOOM. You do not know if the bus can be stopped safety so you don’t want the bus to stop, you want it to keep going while Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock can manage to keep the bus from slowing down, the stars from freaking out and everyone else in line till he can figure out what to do. Starrling is our Keanu here, she is not letting anything slow the bus story down. Not one step or breath in the wrong direction. (I seriously found myself gasping  because I had been holding my breath for oh…. the chapter I just finished.)

 

Our main protagonist, Lucas Soul, is sickeningly rich (duh, been around for centuries), incredibly well learned and smart (see former duh), and is about as perfect as can be, sort of… he still has a bit of a broken soul, a heart that needs mending, his second half found. And he finds her amidst the smoking guns, 15th & 16th deaths and beyond seventeen… (wicked grin). Who it ends up being may shock many but Starrling, again, pulls this off splendidly.

 

SMART & WELL RESEARCHED STORY-LINE –  The story is full of all sorts of procedural geeky science stuff that makes the nerd smart chick in me go ooohh! The Immortals are wealthy and have had years to research and work with the science of biology and genetics. They happen to be Immortal-ish. Well that is they can die seventeen times and still live to talk about it. You have to take a leap of faith into the realm of the supernatural and accept them for what they are. Don’t worry it is explained, enough to give you a basic understanding. To say more would be spoiling it.

 

This is where certain aspects of 24 comes in for me. How many times did you roll your eyes when Jack Bauer actually managed to get cell service in some dank underground sewage tunnel? Without giving Sprint kudos, it is actually possible for a signal to work far down underground. Starrling has the characters getting one and even goes into explaining how. I looked it up, and when you get to the point in the novel I think you will agree the way she does this small info dump isjust right. Not to much to make you go COME ON, move along, I get it already! He can talk underground because … and … and…! My point is, there is a lot of technical things happening in the book but Miss Starrling brings it to a readability level which most should be able to grasp without dumbing it down to .. well dumb. It is a smart read, she treats her readers with respect and knows she is giving just the right enough information not to make their eyes glaze over and start craving a PBR while scratching their crotch.

 

Villains and Heroes to love– Two families who treat each other like two different races. Lucas is the son of a daughter of one and son of the other family and yet belongs to neither. To the point of possible genocide  this is part of the whole threat! The whole “cast” is lovable  even if it is a love hate relationship. I want to choke the shit out of many of the asshats which basically are reminiscent to Nazi Germany, but justly so. It is totally necessary to set up the back story. Am I making any sense? Well I am to me, go read the book, it is that complex yet not overwhelmingly so!

 

The characters are thick and real, I can see each of them in my minds-eye  The Hunters hunting, the hunted hunting back, its a swirling pot of awesomesauce. Lucas Soul is like a brooding Cas (yes now you can think Supernatural)  blended with the hardass Bauer and wrapped up in a smart-ass-humor bow. Not obnoxious, just right. He has the shrug the shoulders and move along kind of attitude. Reid, his partner in “crime” is a human who has absolutely the best freaking luck I have ever seen. There is more than meets the eye with this guy and he goes with the flow. Anna comes in a bit later and we do not get to know her as well, but we all feel for her and by the end know we will learn even more in the next book.

 

The list goes on seriously, but this review needs to wrap up! The one other character whom I have fallen in love with, as in I want him in my basement to be used at my disposal, is  Anatole. I like him so very much. What’s not to like about a guy who is able to move past the ingrained bigotry and support the cause and the people. Who is able to tell everyone to get out while they can and look back at the amassing enemies and face one of his deaths with a shout  “Hey assholes! We’re right here!”

 

You won’t be be able to put this one down. You will need to write your self a note reminding yourself to breath, you will want to take blood pressure and anti-seizure medicine prior to starting because you are in for an amazing and exciting ride. This one is getting 5 out of 5 lives, and in the of the fifth star, is just not the final star! Because this story is one to hit the immortal and classic spot on the bookshelves. It is so promising there is no where but up to go!

 

 

Hello and a good morning to all you bacon lovers and foodie extraordinaires! It’s a pleasure to be here with the wonderful Kriss, AKA Cabin Goddess, as part of my first book tour hosted by the lovely Roxanne Rhoads of Bewitching Book Tours.

 

So, 10 Things You Didn’t Know about Me!

 

The adage ‘It’s like riding a bike’ doesn’t apply to me. I learned how to ride a bike when I was around 13. I tried again ten years later, and crashed and burned in a major way. The guy who rented the bike to me laughed his ass off for a good ten minutes

 

I love peanut butter and Nutella. Not in combination, although that is a lovely notion. I can eat spoonfuls of the stuff straight from the jar. Of course, this type of activity is restricted to once in a blue moon. Otherwise, my ass would be AS gigantic as that particular celestial body.

 

I hate watching plays and musicals. I don’t know why, but I just feel embarrassed for the poor souls on stage. I love movies though. Go figure.

 

I have an unhealthy obsession with Japanese manga and anime. A lot of the fight scenes and weapons in my books stems from that strange fascination.

 

I mutter, talk, and giggle to myself when I write. This has led to uncomfortable stares on trains, planes, and in airports. So my friends tell me anyway. I am usually lost in my own world and oblivious to it all.

 

I cry at animated films if they are sad. The last two I recall sobbing like a little girl to was ‘Brave’ (the end scene) and ‘Toy Story 3’ (the incinerator scene where they hold each other’s hands).

 

 + 9 

        I hate flirting. I’m far too honest for my own good and life’s too short to play games.

 

My music taste has not mellowed with age. On the contrary, it appears to be getting louder. I love a good heavy metal song with plenty of drum beats and guitars. One of my favorite bands is Disturbed.

 

My worse phobias are heights and deep water. I know exactly which childhood incidents triggered these particularly fears. I managed to conquer (not completely) one of these last year when I tried scuba diving for the first time in Cuba.

 

If I can make a living from writing, I will consider leaving medicine permanently.

 

I hope you enjoyed this feature! There are probably more dastardly things my friends could tell you about me but I have made them swear an oath of secrecy, punishable by a visit from Crovir Hunters.

 

Happy reading, writing, and blogging!

 

AD Starrling