Midnighters #1: The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld

From Goodreads: Nobody is safe in the secret hour. Strange things happen at midnight in the town of Bixby, Oklahoma. Time freezes. Nobody moves. For one secret hour each night, the town belongs to the dark creatures that haunt the shadows. Only a small group of people know about the secret hour -- only they are free to move about the midnight time. These people call themselves Midnighters. Each one has a different power that is strongest at midnight: Seer, Mindcaster, Acrobat, Polymath. For years the Midnighters and the dark creatures have shared the secret hour, uneasily avoiding one another. All that changes when the new girl with an unmistakable midnight aura appears at Bixby High School. Jessica Day is not an outsider like the other Midnighters. She acts perfectly normal in every way. But it soon becomes clear that the dark creatures sense a hidden power in Jessica . . . and they're determined to stop her before she can use it.

A very interesting idea, a 25th hour where only certain people are awake and aware, and a whole different set of creatures are in existence. I liked the storyline the most, I couldn't really get in touch with the characters. I did really like Dess and her Polymath talent, and the names she would give to her weapons, that was a fun idea. I'm actually glad I read this one after having read Westerfeld's Uglies and Leviathan series. His character development has really gotten amazing, and while I enjoyed this one, I'm not sure I would have pursued more of his books if this had been my first one, and he's become one of my favorite authors. He's extremely versatile, each series I've read by him has been a completely different idea, in no way related to the others, so you never know what you're going to get, only that it will be great! I do recommend this one, the premise alone is worth it!

Scott Westerfeld seems very in touch and accessible to his fan base, and often features fan art and photos that have been sent to him on his blog and on Twitter. There are some recent Midnighter ones on there from last month. ScottWesterfeld.com

I can't wait to see what he comes up with next! In the meantime I have these older books to catch up on.

February Read-a-thon's

There are 2 read-a-thons this week that I can do! TWO OF THEM! Yay! Starting tomorrow and running until Feb 14th we have the Wicked Valentine's Read-a-thon hosted by the ladies at My Shelf Confessions during which I shall attempt to finish a large book that I am currently reading. Then Friday we have Doin' it Dirty 2.0 hosted by my favorite Divas of Dirty Amanda at On a Book Bender and Kelly at Reading the Paranormal, in which I will attempt to read multiple short but naughty freebies that I've collected for the kindle. I missed the inaugural Doin' it Dirty, so I was determined to take part the next time around!  Join us if you want to be Dirty and Wicked! ;)


Wicked Valentine's Goals:

Finish this:

maybe these:

and listening to:

Doin' It Dirty 2.0 Finished:
 
Tit for Tat by Delilah Fawkes
Taking Instruction by Cheyenne McCray
Stolen by Jinx Jamison
Catching Caroline by Sylvia Day

2 really short stories, 1 short story and a novella?  I definitely enjoyed my first Doin' It Dirty 2.0, and was beat over the head with, err, I mean had a new author STRONGLY  SUGGESTED to me, so I will have to check out some of Jodi Redford's work!  Also Moira Rogers just in case anyone else was looking for a recommendation!

Random Reads: A Killing Among the Dead by Diana Wilder

From Goodreads: Wenatef opens his eyes to darkness and intense silence. The air is heavy with myrrh: he is in a burial chamber. Pain lances through his left side as he tries to raise himself, bringing the taste of blood to his lips. His life ebbs as he remembers how the nightmare began.. One of his men came screaming of destruction and mutilation in the tomb of Egypt's greatest king. Wenatef set out to stop the sacrilege only to find that the very people he is sworn to protect were blocking him. He dreams of judgment before the gods and awakens to find new strength and even more questions. Whose blood is pooled on the floor beneath him and caked on his side when he seems, now, to be unhurt? Wenatef lets his enemies think they have killed him and sets out to uncover who is robbing and defiling the dead. Each new discovery brings him closer to the heart of a far-flung scandal of greed and betrayal that reaches a climax in a final confrontation in the great Temple of Karnak beneath the gaze of the gods. (from the author's website) A KILLING AMONG THE DEAD is a historical mystery set during ancient Egypt's declining years. It is a tale of betrayal, revenge and redemption, and one man's discovery that no matter how alone we seem in our struggle against evil, the Great Ones are never far away.

This was a freebie on Amazon when I picked it up, but it is currently at it's normal price of $2.99, along with the other 2 Egyptian stories by the same author.

I love all things Egyptian so when I saw this as a freebie I had to give it a try. I was pleased with it, and got more from it than I expected. Wenatef grew on me, I wasn't sure about him at first, but he goes through quite a personal and spiritual transformation throughout the story. His beliefs are challenged and overthrown, but instead of becoming disheartened, he is enlightened to a greater truth. While he is comforted by this new knowledge, it comes at a price, he is changed to the point where he can no longer feel comfortable among his own people, but he has a duty to uphold and he does that before moving on to the next stage of his own life. I would really like to see a story about him as he journey's away from Egypt, and how he deals with new lands, new people, and different belief systems.

There is plenty of action as Wenatef matches wits with the graverobbers, and single handedly brings to an end a pillaging that has gone on for years. I also enjoyed his encounters in the spirit realm, and the authors descriptions of the setting. While she is the first to admit that her depictions may not be historically accurate, as an amateur Egyptophile, I found them stable enough to set the scene for me, and would recommend this to any that enjoy the ancient Egyptian world as a backdrop.

I'm looking forward to checking out Diana Wilder's other work.

Diana Wilder's Website