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kathydavie's review
4.0
There's no real plot other than conflict between Mona Lisa and Mona Louisa's clans other than whatever action is used to knit the sex scenes together. And I enjoyed it very much...
michael__'s review
3.0
Before I begin, let me just say that I bought this book and its predecessor, Mona Lisa Awakening, back in the summer. They were being sold at Barnes and Noble online for $1.99 each, so I figured “Hey, why not buy this. I have no idea what its about, but that’s okay.” Oops, probably shouldn’t do that again. Let’s just say I was pretty suprised when I actually started reading the first book a few months ago. This is most definitely under the erotica category. Expect in-depth sex scenes every thirty pages or so. There's also quite a lot of violence.
Oh yeah, I guess I should actually start talking about this particular book now:
I basically started reading this because I remembered it was on my book shelf and I hadn't read it yet. I read the first one back in the summer, and it was so forgettable that I didn't even remember owning this. I suppose I'm happy I did give this book a chance, since it's a slight step up from the first one. This book still has its major annoyances, but it was a slight step up nonetheless.
Let's start out with the cons.
1. The striking similarities between the Anita Blake novels and this series. There were times when I was expecting Jean-Claude or Richard to fly into the pages for a quick hello. The writing styles in particular is the main thing I noticed. This has been addressed by many other reviewers before, however, so I won't dwell on it.
2. The really awkward and unecessary similies. It's almost as if the author threw them in there to say "Hey! Look! I know how to use figurative language! Hehe!" Things like "I blinked my eyes and it was if I suddenly saw clearly what was before me, like a blind man regaining his vision" (34). Was that really necessary? I don't think so.
3. The tedious, long descriptions of eyes and facial movements are in plenty. These things worked well in the Anita Blake books, simply because Laurell K. Hamilton has been doing it all along. In this book, not so much. Expect things like "his eyes blazed like liquid fire as his beast swam through his pupils, leaving soft, rolling ripples." For the record, I did make that up, but that isn't too far off from what you'll read.
4. The whole "embracing the beast" concept. Again, worked well in the Anita Blake series, simply looks like plagarizing here. The parts of the story when Mona Lisa is trying to fight off and welcome her beast at the same time reads as if the author copied and pasted paragraphs of Hamilton's book into her own.
5. Mona Lisa's and Gryphon's love affair. Or should I say lust affair. Is there really any love there at all? Mona Lisa goes on and on about how much she loves Gryphon, but when they're actually together they just seem to fight. She just seems to want him for his, well, you know. Even when Gryphon comes in and is like "Uh, hun, you seem to hate me except for my body, so I think I'll just leave," she responds, "Oh no! I love you so much! Your body and soul! ...but let's have some mind-blowing sex anyway."
Okay, and now on to the pros.
1. Mona Lisa's speaking abilities. I know that sounds really stupid, but I'll continue. In the first book, she spiraled in and out of "Monere talk" (really long, fancy-sounding words peppered into regular sentences) and talking with an overwhelming amount of slang words. In this book, the author throws out both and just lets her talk like a human being. With some F-bombs thrown in as well.
2. The storyline. While it was not that strong, it seemed a little more put-together than the previous one. Mona Lisa Awakening just kind of threw in random things as it went along, such as having the Prince of Hell show up. This one seemed to have a little more flow. The actual conflict (Mona Lisa vs. Mona Louisa) was a little more pronounced. While there's some loose ends (Wild Boy? Was he just there to fill pages?) it's still not that bad.
3. The end of chapter seventeen. Enough said.
Overall, I give this book a low three stars. And now that I've written a review that is probably longer than the book itself, I'll end this here.
Oh yeah, I guess I should actually start talking about this particular book now:
I basically started reading this because I remembered it was on my book shelf and I hadn't read it yet. I read the first one back in the summer, and it was so forgettable that I didn't even remember owning this. I suppose I'm happy I did give this book a chance, since it's a slight step up from the first one. This book still has its major annoyances, but it was a slight step up nonetheless.
Let's start out with the cons.
1. The striking similarities between the Anita Blake novels and this series. There were times when I was expecting Jean-Claude or Richard to fly into the pages for a quick hello. The writing styles in particular is the main thing I noticed. This has been addressed by many other reviewers before, however, so I won't dwell on it.
2. The really awkward and unecessary similies. It's almost as if the author threw them in there to say "Hey! Look! I know how to use figurative language! Hehe!" Things like "I blinked my eyes and it was if I suddenly saw clearly what was before me, like a blind man regaining his vision" (34). Was that really necessary? I don't think so.
3. The tedious, long descriptions of eyes and facial movements are in plenty. These things worked well in the Anita Blake books, simply because Laurell K. Hamilton has been doing it all along. In this book, not so much. Expect things like "his eyes blazed like liquid fire as his beast swam through his pupils, leaving soft, rolling ripples." For the record, I did make that up, but that isn't too far off from what you'll read.
4. The whole "embracing the beast" concept. Again, worked well in the Anita Blake series, simply looks like plagarizing here. The parts of the story when Mona Lisa is trying to fight off and welcome her beast at the same time reads as if the author copied and pasted paragraphs of Hamilton's book into her own.
5. Mona Lisa's and Gryphon's love affair. Or should I say lust affair. Is there really any love there at all? Mona Lisa goes on and on about how much she loves Gryphon, but when they're actually together they just seem to fight. She just seems to want him for his, well, you know. Even when Gryphon comes in and is like "Uh, hun, you seem to hate me except for my body, so I think I'll just leave," she responds, "Oh no! I love you so much! Your body and soul! ...but let's have some mind-blowing sex anyway."
Okay, and now on to the pros.
1. Mona Lisa's speaking abilities. I know that sounds really stupid, but I'll continue. In the first book, she spiraled in and out of "Monere talk" (really long, fancy-sounding words peppered into regular sentences) and talking with an overwhelming amount of slang words. In this book, the author throws out both and just lets her talk like a human being. With some F-bombs thrown in as well.
2. The storyline. While it was not that strong, it seemed a little more put-together than the previous one. Mona Lisa Awakening just kind of threw in random things as it went along, such as having the Prince of Hell show up. This one seemed to have a little more flow. The actual conflict (Mona Lisa vs. Mona Louisa) was a little more pronounced. While there's some loose ends (Wild Boy? Was he just there to fill pages?) it's still not that bad.
3. The end of chapter seventeen. Enough said.
Overall, I give this book a low three stars. And now that I've written a review that is probably longer than the book itself, I'll end this here.
ambrosia_books's review
4.0
I love Sunny. She is probably one of the most brain stimulating writers I have red in a long time.
The only thing i didn't like about this was the way they took out Gryphon. Also, Amber is my favorite male in this book (makes me wish he was real. All big and manly-like hahahaha) and now they've totally lessen his role. Hopefully he'll make a comeback in the later books.
Halcyon's scene with Mona Lisa in the Suburban after he was bitten was breathtaking, mind-blowing, and extremely tasty.
EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS!!!!
The only thing i didn't like about this was the way they took out Gryphon. Also, Amber is my favorite male in this book (makes me wish he was real. All big and manly-like hahahaha) and now they've totally lessen his role. Hopefully he'll make a comeback in the later books.
Halcyon's scene with Mona Lisa in the Suburban after he was bitten was breathtaking, mind-blowing, and extremely tasty.
EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS!!!!
rclz's review
4.0
I liked this book. Lots of sex but a good plot and good character development. I like the world she's put together. We get more info with every book and the world just gets fuller. I don't know why it's taken me so long to get back to this series.
cbevan24's review
I'm DNFing this book. I've been trying to read it for a couple of months now and I think it's time I admit to myself that I have no interest in continuing to read the series. I am neither invested in the characters or the story anymore.
thenia's review
3.0
This book picks up where [b:Mona Lisa Awakening|50781|Mona Lisa Awakening (Monère Children of the Moon, #1)|Sunny|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1266459749s/50781.jpg|49589] left off, with Mona Lisa arriving to her new home and base of her kingdom as the new and only Mixed Blood Monère Queen.
It's a fast read with ups and downs, and familiar and new characters. Mona Lisa manages to combine prudishness with tricks belonging in a skilled courtesan's arsenal. She is still growing into herself and her new role, developing her abilities and learning to control them.
I'm looking forward to reading how Mona Lisa deals with in [b:Mona Lisa Craving|1274345|Mona Lisa Craving (Monère Children of the Moon, #3)|Sunny|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1266760764s/1274345.jpg|1263307].
It's a fast read with ups and downs, and familiar and new characters. Mona Lisa manages to combine prudishness with tricks belonging in a skilled courtesan's arsenal. She is still growing into herself and her new role, developing her abilities and learning to control them.
I'm looking forward to reading how Mona Lisa deals with
Spoiler
Gryphon's death after her initial breakdowncbevan24's review against another edition
I'm DNFing this book. I've been trying to read it for a couple of months now and I think it's time I admit to myself that I have no interest in continuing to read the series. I am neither invested in the characters or the story anymore.
elliotvanz's review
3.0
I picked this up because I needed something to read at work, and it looked like a swift mind-candy urban fantasy. Awkward... Let's be clear: this is porn. I have nothing against porn (in book form). In fact, if you're looking for good smut this will likely fit the bill. It is about one third sex, one third ZOMG Crisis!, and one third odd transitions between the two. To me it read as straight up Anita Blake fanfic. It was sort of weird actually. I kept waiting for characters from that series to show up. The voice, pacing, characters...all of it, really, was so straight up Laurel K. Hamilton it actually made me sort of miss that series. So if you want to read something super steamy and you dig LKH this will make you happy. If you want more story than sex, don't go here.
brownbetty's review against another edition
3.0
This book is ttly ridonkulous, but if sex-vampires from the moon sounds good to you, then presumably you won't mind. It's smut, and nothing but, with a slight veneer of plot.
On the matter of the plot, and to grant it far more attention than it's due, in the world of this book, the afore-mentioned sex vampire women can gain power and ability from the people they sleep with, like STDs which use their powers for good instead of evil, and the people they sleep with will gain the same. Obviously, therefore, it only makes sense to adopt a Pokémon attitude toward sexual partners, or at least sexual partners who might have skills one doesn't. In the book, the sensible thing to do is kill one's partner after sleeping with them, to prevent them from sharing one's skills with the next woman-vampire they sleep with.
I dunno, it seems to me there would be no such thing as a rare skill in this world, except the book's Sue-ish protagonist is constantly discovering she has multitudes of unique and rare skills, so clearly someone is being sexually selfish.
RIDONKULOUS.
Warnings for: rape, attempted rape, mind-control, fetishization of skin colour, ridiculutude, and possibly other things.
On the matter of the plot, and to grant it far more attention than it's due, in the world of this book, the afore-mentioned sex vampire women can gain power and ability from the people they sleep with, like STDs which use their powers for good instead of evil, and the people they sleep with will gain the same. Obviously, therefore, it only makes sense to adopt a Pokémon attitude toward sexual partners, or at least sexual partners who might have skills one doesn't. In the book, the sensible thing to do is kill one's partner after sleeping with them, to prevent them from sharing one's skills with the next woman-vampire they sleep with.
I dunno, it seems to me there would be no such thing as a rare skill in this world, except the book's Sue-ish protagonist is constantly discovering she has multitudes of unique and rare skills, so clearly someone is being sexually selfish.
RIDONKULOUS.
Warnings for: rape, attempted rape, mind-control, fetishization of skin colour, ridiculutude, and possibly other things.
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