Midnight Marked

Character list
Caroline Evelyn Merit "Sentinel" = lead character, strong female vampire, member of Cadogan House
Ethan Sullivan = Master vampire, ruled Cadogan House, Merit's maker, boss, and love
Mallory Carmichael Bell = sorcerer, Merit's best friend, newlywed
Catcher Bell = magician, trained Merit how to fight after she became a vampire, married to Mallory, difficult past wiry Ethan, and works for Merit's grandfather
Gabriel Keene = Apex of the North American Central Pack of shifters, Fri Dec to Merit and Mallory
Bernard = cook for the pack, always tries to feed Merit
Chuck Merit = Merit's grandfather,  Catcher's boss, Chicago Supernatural Ombudsman
Jeff Christopher = shifter, computer guru, friend of Merit's, works for Chuck and with Catcher, dating Fallon  (Gabriel 's sister)
Malik = Ethan 's second in command
Luc = Cadogan House guardian captain
Juliet = Cadogan House guard, friend to Merit
Lindsey = Cadogan House guard, friend to Merit, dating Luc
Paige = sorcerer,  dating Cadogan House librarian
Scott Grey = Master of Grey House
Jonah = Merit's Red Guard partner,  Guard captain of Grey House
Morgan Greer = Master of Navarre House
Noah Morgan = Member od the Red Guard, unofficial leader of Chicago rogue vampires
Adrien Reed = enemy of Merit's, leader of Chicago criminal underworld, leader of The Circle
Sean = manage of Temple Bar, Cadogan official tavern
Colin = Sean's brother and other manager of Temple Bar
Caleb Franklin = former member of the pack
Annabelle Shaw = necromancer

Book Summary/Review:

Halfway through the story, and there is tension between the Pack and all the vampire houses, and more importantly between Ethan and Merit.  One dead shifter starts the novel and then Reed is interwoven and his fingerprints are on events, but no solid links to causing the killings.  Mallory and Catcher are married and many of the cast of characters are happy in their love lives.  Ethan and Merit are in an argument, but it seems that it will easily be overcome.  Merit deals not only with Reed but with a vampire that has a special (and unpleasant) connection to her past.  Merit is also in a strange place with Jonah and that is sad, because he was a good partner and balance to Ethan in Merit's life.  Ethan does have a new car after the events of the last book.  I give props to the author, Chloe Neill, because she makes several allusions to pop culture in this book more than other, or at least more memorable ones.  An appropriate Harry Potter reference from Luc and more than a Darth Sullivan reference for Star Wars were the ones that stand out right now.
The ending brought the biggest smile to my face, and the Epilogue is a must read for the full and complete story.  The personal lives of Ethan and Merit are in a great place for the prophecy mentioned in earlier books (and referenced in this book).  The idea that as a team supernaturals defeated the current threat and are working as a team, give great hope as a potential villain is given for the last book in the series.  As always Merit is growing closer to her supernatural family while maintaining her humanity and love of Chicago.  The best thing about these characters is that they keep developing, growing, changing, and becoming part of your world as your read each book.

As a lover of this series it was hard for me to start reading this, as it is the second to last in the series and the last one will be about a year's wait.  The struggle between Merit and Ethan is never good, as these two are always at their best when they are on the same side and working together with peace between them.  The ending made me happy and tied nicely into the start of the book and pieces that didn't make sense but do when you know what was planned.

Personal theory, that I am also strongly considering by halfway through the book that Reed's wife is the real one causing supernatural problems here.  The hints were dropped while at the garden party and when Merit talks about her eyes...in fact hints were dropped early about the wife's eyes and Merit talking about her and describing her...hmmmm waiting to see how that pans out...the ending is not surprising if you have been following this series and author.

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

This book was actually recommended to me by a friend who said that it helped her understand marketing better.  Being interested in how to market my law practice I decided to give it a read.  While I am not disappointed at reading the book, I think labeling this book marketing advice was a misnomer.

One of the basic underlying theories is that the small things make the big difference in a trend catching on.  It is even in the title.  Baby steps are what starts the change, and small factors help the change stick, and a small group of people are what help the trend get started and spread.  Gladwell calls the three factors that are needed Law of the Few, The Stickiness Factor, and Power of Context.

There are 3 different types of people that are needed to get a word of mouth epidemic or trend to start, stick, and spread.  It is interesting to read about the qualities that Gladwell labels these types of people - Connectors, Mavens, and Salesman.  

This is clearly a very simplified version of what the book is about, but that is because for more details you should read the book.  I would not classify it as a marketing book, but it does address marketing in broader context. The author claims that you need to change the way the reader views the world, I think this is only partially true.  The reader will understand marketing better and understand how trends and epidemics start and catch fire, but there is no step-by-step guide on how to make it happen.  Honestly, there could not be a step-by-step guide and reading the book will help you see why.  The fact that trends and epidemics reach nation and worldwide levels shows how much careful detail and planning goes into it and then you still need the right combination of factors and right combination of people to make it spread like wildfire.

This was a great read, and I would recommend it for anyone who is interested in sociology.

Book Rating: 4 books out of 5

Suggested Reading

Last Apprentice: Attack of the Fiend (book 4) by Joseph Delaney

Characters:

Tom: a seventh son of a seventh son, the Spook's apprentice

Alice: a witch, friend of Tom, lives with Tom and the Spook

Spook/Mr. Gregory: gets rid of witches and other problems in the country

Jack: Tom's brother

Ellie: Jack's wife

Mary: Jack and Ellie's daughter
James: Tom's brother, a blacksmith

Andrew: Spook's brother

Father Stocks: friend of the Spook's, prior apprentice, and a priest in Downham

Mother Malkin: witch and relative of Alice

Bony Lizzie: witch, relative of Alice, took care of Alice

Mab: witch from Pendle

Jennet: one of Mab's younger sisters

Beth: Jenner's twin sister

Roger Nowell: magistrate, former high sheriff of Caster, does not believe in witches

Mistress Wirmalde: housekeeper to Roger Nowell, a witch

Tibb: creature created by two of the witch clans in Pendle

Grimalkin: cruel assassin the Malkin sometimes use, skilled with a long blade
Fiend: Nick, the evil one, the devil, darkness

Book Review/Summary:

This series just keeps growing in depth, characters, and draws the reader in.  As the characters continue to develop and Tom gains experiences the reader grows more attached to them.  Alice yet again proved she could push back the "bad" witch aspect of her family and put Tom ahead of them.  Tom's family was hurt and she willingly went to Pendle to see her family to protect them and help Tom free them.  Afterwards, she helped heal Jack and worked with the Spook and Tom to try and stop the Fiend.  The adventures in the Malkin Tower showed how well these two can work as a team, especially without the Spook around for guidance.  The Spook was missing for most of this book, as Tom worked with Father Stocks and had to use his internal guidance to decide what to do when things went south.
Tom is coming into his own as a Spook, and at the same time learning more about his mother.  Tom realizes that his mom was a lamias, and meets his 'aunts' who it is hinted at will make an appearance later in the series.  Tom's family is highlighted in this book, and the distance and gap that has formed while still remaining close because of kinship is a delicate line that Tom is learning how to navigate.
Tom was told of a prophecy from Tibb, that he questions at the end of the book.
Mab is an interesting character, who could easily start to be a rival for Alice.  She is smitten with Tom from the start and tries to claim him.  When that doesn't work she strikes a deal with Tom and appears to keep her end of the agreement.  As Tom is running for his life, she warns him of the dangers ahead and claims she loved him.  I predict Mab will come into play in other books in the series.  Mab clearly seems to be a 'bad' witch, but there is something about how she interacted with Tom that makes me question if she could form another alliance with Tom.
The book ends with Tom's life being in danger from several dark forces, and the possibility of being forced to fight in a war.  However, it also looks like the Spook will have Tom apprentice with a Spook further North to avoid being forced to fight.  This sounds like it will happen in the next book, and if not then it would be book after that.  It will be interesting to see how a different Spook trains Tom and what Tom is like without Mr. Gregory being his Spook.
"I see a girl, soon to be a woman.  The girl who will share your life.  She will love you, she will betray you, and she will die for you." (Chapter X) Tom questions if it is Mab who claims she loved him or Alice who he is growing close to.  I also question if it could be Tom's mother or niece.  Tom's mom is a lamias, and she can remain youthful or change back to a young woman.  The only reason I am dismissing this is because I don't think Tom's mother would betray him and this prophecy seems to indicate a romantic love.  This is also why I am dismissing it as not being a family.  However, book four in a series of at least twelve books means that another girl who is about to be a woman could be who this prophecy is about.  It is best to keep an open mind about who this girl is, but the front-runner is Alice.

Book Rating:
5 out of 5 books.

Suggested Reading:
     
     
     

The Trolley Problem by Thomas Cathcart

This book is small, but a fun read.  It is great book to keep handy and read while you are waiting.  If for no other reason than you can sound smart discussing the theories of Immanuel Kant, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Intelligent Design to name a few.  The concept is simple - the basic problem of if you see a runaway train and it is about to hit 5 people and kill them, but you can flip the switch and divert the train to a different track but it would hit and kill one man, there is no time to warn any of the men on the track.  Do you flip the switch and let the train hit one man or let the train stay on the current track and hit 5 men.

The author took the approach of trying the case in the court of public opinion and the reader hears a side for and a side against flipping the switch.  Then you read about different reasons why people justify the decisions they make on if they would flip the switch or find the person who did guilty of a crime.

Overall, it was an interesting read.  At only point the methods being used to show arguments made me think this should be required reading for law school students, so they could help make effective arguments when presenting their side.  However, the methodology was superficial in coverage, as would be expected for a book of this length, so it may not be as beneficial as I thought.

Book Rating:

3 Books out of 5 Books.

I would have given it more, but it was superficial in coverage of all topics covered.  Enough to get you a basic knowledge, but not enough to fully support or disregard the theories.

Recommended Reading:

Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean (Book 1) by Justin Somper

Character List:

Grace = Conner's twin sister, smart

Conner = Grace's twin brother, strong
Dexter Tempest = lighthouse keeper, father if twins Grace & Conner
Polly Pagett = matron of Crescent Moon Bay Orphanage
Lachlan Busby = Crescent Moon Bay Bank Manager
Cheng Li = pirate that rescues Conner, sails on The Diablo, does not get along with Captain Wrathe
Molucco Wrathe = Captain of The Diablo
Bartholomew = pirate on The Diablo
"Cutlass" Cate Morgan = pirate & swordswoman on The Diablo
Lorcan Furey = rescued Grace, swears to protect her
The Captain = Grace's savior
Miss Darcy Flotsam = rings the Dawning bell and the Nightfall bell


Book Review/Summary:
Starting out the twins, Grace & Conner, hear the shanty (old song) of vampirates from their father, who in the next chapter is dead.  There is no mother in the picture, and given the choice of the orphanage or being adopted by the town banker the twins decide to take to the seas.  Unfortunately, the seas separate the twins and almost kills both of them, so that a few chapters in the twins are on separate pirate ships, but convinced that the other is still alive.
There is no real set up to how close the twins are, except that it is repeatedly stated and the twins miss each other.  The ships are mysterious at first and more characters and details about the ship are revealed in alternating chapters.  It is nice to know that every other chapter or so there is a switch from Conner's view to Grace's view.  The titles of the Chapters are also revealing of something key that will happen in that chapter, introducing a new character, or an event.
Half-way through the book the twins have been separated by fate, and are trying to find their way on the ship that has rescued each one.  Grace has realized that that shanty her father would sing to them is true and what kind of ship she is really on.  Conner is torn between knowing his sister is alive and what his shipmates tell him, and decided to follow the advice of his father "Make yourself ready and trust the tide."
The story ends predictably with the twins having reunited, but potential conflict looms in the air.  The Vampirates ship has an enemy and Grace may not be willing to leave.  The Diablo has a danger new person on their ship and Conner may not be willing to leave.
The ending of the book, makes me feel as if the purpose of this book was just to lay the ground work for future books.  There is the possibility of conflict and power struggles, on both ships, but nothing really has happened in this book.  While this is not the next great masterpiece that will change the world of literature, it is a fun lighthearted read.  I have hope that the next book in the series will improve my view, or I may end the reading there.

Book Rating:
3 books out of 5

Recommended Reading:

     

The Invisible Hook by Peter T. Leeson

Book Review & Summary:

This book takes an interesting look at how piracy existed and thrived due to economic need, and that the pirates were not a reckless crew roaming the oceans aimlessly.  The economic principles that make companies and people successful is what was also used, on a different scale and for illegal purposes, to create successful pirate crews.  

This is a good read when thinking about economics or when heading to the beach and want to read something that looks impressive, but is really a fun read.
For me, the ideas and concepts of modern corporate management, marketing, and business being applied to history is appealing to read about.  Do you know things like "market branding" happened before it became a business buzzword and common term, yes probably, but seeing how it was being done in the 1720's by pirates is kind of interesting.
The book took me a while to get around to finishing, because even though it is an interesting read while reading, you can put the book down for several days or a week and not feel the burning desire to know what happens next.  This is because there are interesting concepts, but it is not a story to follow.  Overall I think it is an interesting read and recommend the book to those interested in Freakanomics, economics, and pirates, because it is all three rolled into one.

Rating:

4 out of 5 books - while interesting the author did repeat or overwrite some chapters.

Suggested Reading:

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