The Horns of Ruin Review

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(More customer reviews)Eva Forge is the last Paladin of the God of War Morgan. The problem is he is long dead from his brother's hands Amon. This leaves only the last brother immortal Alexander as the last living god in charge of the city of Ash and its surrounding areas. As Paladin Eva is entrusted with the security and protection of the Cult of Morgan and its followers. Not an easy thing for just one person, but with sword and magicked gun she soldiers on with loose lips and a hothead attitude. While on a mission to take the leader of her order somewhere and back some craziness with zombies of a sort goes down and she must track down one of her own.
The Horns of Ruin is very different tonally from Heart of Veridon so don't expect more of the same. It has an almost animalistic and visceral feel with loads of fights and colorful language that may be more at home in a Fantasy novel. Eva Forge is one tough lady who doesn't have much of a feminine side, but that is what you get when you train a person from childhood how to kill. I was immediately taken in by Eva's brusque disposition, which is best shown in her dialogue where she verbally combats people just as much as physically. Yet outside of Eva most characters aren't given much depth or detail that would connect you better with them.
The system of magic is based off of chanting and belief of past events, which was a nice way of mixing religion and magic given the nature of their gods. There is sometimes an over abundance of the chanting magic as Eva stretches herself to keep going. The Horns of Ruin often blends magic and science that comes off very blurred at times, which made my mind want to rebel not knowing which aspect was intended. Finally I just decided to go with it and not try to read too much into how something in particular was possible. The followers of Amon's abilities are particularly intriguing being that have a mastery over technology, but can also affect power through chanting including an impressive unmaking type spell. There are some Steampunk elements to be sure such as some jet packs and monorails, but this feels like a post Steampunk world with a healthy dash of magic and gods thrown in.
You'd be hard pressed to name a faster paced book. Akers barely gives you time to contemplate all the happenings as Eva bounces from one fight to the next. The relationships between the brother/gods are left very vague for quite a longtime, but as pieces are unfurled a new mystery takes shape. I particularly enjoyed the way Akers handles his gods and how their powers originate and the deep history that is alluded to.
If anything I'd call The Horns of Ruin Swords & Science. Fans of hack and slash Fantasy just may have found the steampunky read they've been looking for. The Horns of Ruin is an energetic rollercoaster ride in a well accentuated world that needs to be further explored. The ending while satisfying does leave much left open. There has been no word yet on another Eva Forge book, but the second Jacob Burn book Dead of Veridon is schedule for June 2011 from Solaris.

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Eva Forge is the last paladin of the dead God, Morgan.
Eva, forsaken by her parents and forgotten by her family, was the last child dedicated to the Cult of Morgan. Morgan, God of battle and champion of the Fraterdom, was assassinated by his jealous brother, Amon. Over time, the Cult of Morgan has been surpassed by other Gods, his blessings ignored in favor of brighter technologies and more mechanical miracles. Now, Eva watches as her new family, her Cult, crumbles around her.
When a series of kidnappings and murders makes it clear that someone is trying to hasten the death of the Cult of Morgan, Eva must seek out unexpected allies and unwelcome answers in the city of Ash. But will she be able to save the city from a growing conspiracy, one that reaches back to her childhood, even back to the murder of her God?
As Eva wields her sword and wits in a city full of wonders, her story becomes the first perfect merger of steampunk and sword and sorcery.

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Magic Lost, Trouble Found (Raine Benares, Book 1) Review

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(More customer reviews)Raine Benares, an elf and a Seeker, has enough trouble in her life without someone bringing more to her door, but when her friend and employee, Quentin, is hired to steal something from a powerful necromancer's house, she just can't let him handle the trouble alone.
The something that Quentin has been hired to steal is soon found to be more valuable and more important than either of them could ever have imagined. Before Quentin even escapes the necromancer's house, he finds himself with some unsavory company, who also just happen to want to lay hands on the very same amulet that Quentin has just pilfered.
With a little help from Raine and her family, Quentin narrowly escapes with his life. Raine insists that he hand over the amulet for safekeeping, and that's when things start to get a little wild!
MAGIC LOST, TROUBLE FOUND is an enchantingly engaging read. Devoid of the heavy depressing themes that seem to permeate popular fantasy novels lately, MAGIC LOST, TROUBLE FOUND will delight readers who like a good dose of humor mixed with their magical adventure. Author Lisa Shearin has done a superb job of crafting a fantasy world alive with elves, goblins and otherworldly creatures. With a fast paced plot, well-crafted characters and just a hint of romance, MAGIC LOST, TROUBLE FOUND is a book that fantasy lovers won't want to miss.


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Raine Benares is a Sorceress Seeker of average ability until she comes into possession of an amulet that amplifies her powers-and her enemies.

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Lonely Werewolf Girl Review

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(More customer reviews)This is one of the best books I've read this year. It's also the book with the worst editing I have ever seen.
The plot is wild and funny. The daughter of a werewolf Thane is being hunted by both her family (she tried to kill her father and quite nearly succeeded) and a guild of werewolf hunters. Worse, she battles her anxiety. Lonely Werewolf Girl has many, many characters. Sometimes it's difficult to keep track of them all. I enjoyed this book on many levels. I didn't finish this book quickly, not because it wasn't good, but the short chapters which jumped from character and place and did all sorts of funny acrobats which taxed my poor concentration. This was a good thing. I dragged the pleasure on for three days as opposed to finishing it in one swallow.
Millar, being at least as talented as Gaiman and Pratchett, would do himself well to find another editor. Or maybe the editor would do him or herself well by hiring a high school student to proof read the final draft before sending it to print. Obviously no human read the final draft, and any reasonably literary high schooler could do better than Microsoft Word at spelling and grammar. The sloppy editing did this writing wrong.
Regardless, I give this book a five. Reviews are generally seen as a reflection of the writer and not the editor. The writing was excellent.

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Bitten & Smitten (Immortality Bites, Book 1) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is one of those books with a plucky heroine of the underdog sort nabs the powerful, sophisticated, and drop dead gorgeous hero. I like these sorts of stories if the heroine is sufficiently plucky that I really root for her - but Sarah never struck me as being particularly extraordinary. She's a college dropout secretary of unexceptional looks who is a self-described bubblehead. But she doesn't have, say, the breezy, irreverant boldness of (Undead and... series) Betsy Taylor - a character who manages to wear her faults with panache.
Nor is she really all that bold - she's just very insistent about going to the vampire club that the hero, Thierry, owns, and insisting that she be allowed to talk to him. Every night something happens that causes her to swear she will never return, and every night there she is, standing at the door demanding to see Thierry.
We are led to believe that she has some sort of conversion - that she realizes that she used to be an airhead and has changed her ways and will now approach life with more soul and thoughtfulness. But since the book's timespan is probably no more than a week, I wasn't really convinced.
Thierry is a good enough cold, in-control, bottled up, and uber powerful vampire master. That's kind of the problem. He seems intelligent, mature, and calm - I couldn't figure out why he was bowled over by plucky, which is to say whiny, Sarah Dearly. Not only that, for a good chunk of the novel he is fighting his attraction to her, which consists of being really, really convincingly not interested in her, and kind of contemptuous of her.
It was an entertaining enough read, but I was ultimately too frustrated with the heroine to really empathize with her.

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The Neon Court: Or, the Betrayal of Matthew Swift Review

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(More customer reviews)Premise: Matthew Swift, Midnight Mayor of London (that's a sort of magical enforcer/leader/diplomat) has just a couple of problems. First, two of the larger magical factions, the Neon Court and the Tribe, are on the brink of war over a murder. Second, an sometime friend of his seems to have a nasty case of should-be-dead-but-somehow-isn't. Somewhere in all this is a prophecy, a conspiracy, and an encroaching evil dangerous enough to give the most powerful beings in London nightmares. Can he save the city, his friends, and himself?
I hadn't read the two books that come before this one, and through much of the book that wasn't a problem. A few times, though, complicated consequences from the earlier volumes came up, and I think I could have followed the minor characters more easily if I had more context.
I especially liked the details of this book; the writing was strong in tactile imagery. The imagination and originality of the setting was fantastic, but it fell apart for me a little in the big picture. The plot hangs together well, I just at some point found it less compelling than I did when it started, although I couldn't put my finger on why.
I did really like it, I just wanted slightly more, perhaps a more satisfying climax.
The main character, Matthew Swift, was wonderful. There was a touch of modern noir here between the darkness of the setting and Swift's habit of getting himself beaten up. He means well, but doesn't always know the right thing to do, and has a propensity to just bull ahead into a dangerous situation and make it up as he goes. I admire that.
I liked Penny the wiseass sidekick, and I liked the completely realized, complex flavors of the different factions warring in the city. The magic is really cool, this specifically urban magic bound up in public transit and electricity and litter.
One bit of the plot which I loved was a nice twist where Griffin put enough subtle information in so that as the reader, I realized something was wrong before the characters did.
Overall it's a very inventive world with well drawn characters, although something in the plot, maybe the tension, didn't entirely coalesce for me. I'll look for the previous volumes, though, and look forward to more work from this author.

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War is coming to London.A daimyo of the Neon Court is dead and all fingers point towards their ancient enemy - The Tribe.And when magicians go to war, everyone loses.But Matthew Swift has his own concerns.He has been summoned abruptly, body and soul, to a burning tower and to the dead body of Oda, warrior of The Order and known associate of Swift.There's a hole in her heart and the symbol of the Midnight Mayor drawn in her own blood.Except, she is still walking and talking and has a nasty habit of saying 'we' when she means 'I.'Now, Swift faces the longest night of his life.Lady Neon herself is coming to London and the Tribe is ready to fight.Strange things stalk this night: a rumored 'chosen one,' a monster that burns out the eyes of its enemies, and a walking dead woman.Swift must stop a war, protect his city, and save his friend - if she'll stop trying to kill him long enough for him to try.

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Keeping It Real (Quantum Gravity, Book 1) Review

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(More customer reviews)While Keeping It Real by Justina Robson is her fifth published novel, she shows off the full strength of her imagination here and announces to those who may not have heard already that she is a major talent and that she will write a blend of science fiction and fantasy that demands to be read.
How is that as a selling point?
Keeping It Real opens with a not quite a chapter, not quite a prologue telling us what we need to know. In 2015 there was some sort of Quantum Bomb which detonated in Texas and which opened our world to five alternate / parallel worlds where there are elves, fairies, demons, the dead, and elementals. The other races insist they have known about us all the while.
The novel takes place in 2021 and we need to know that this is the state of being because this is not what the novel is about nor is it the story Robson is telling. But it is the setting.
Lila Black is possibly less than half human. The other half is machine. At the start of the novel we do not know why or how, only that she is assigned security for a rock band called the No Shows which consists of fairies singing backup and an elf as the lead singer. The No Shows are immensely popular and someone is trying to kill the elf, Zal. Lila, as it turns out, does not entirely trust elves and is barely comfortable in her own skin, such as it is. She is in control of her body and machine, but not entirely. There are glitches.
This is the starting point of Keeping It Real. The rest needs to be discovered to be believed. Robson keeps the novel moving at a reasonably fast clip with action, excitement, elf sex, imperfect cyborg machinery, inept fake [...] attempts, and a heroine who is broken more on the inside than on the outside...and this is the woman who must protect Zal, and elf who barely wishes to be protected.
Keeping It Real is perhaps the most original science fiction or fantasy novel I have read in some time and it is because Robson is able to blend the two genres so seamlessly that it is simply just good storytelling. Robson plays with familiar concepts (elves, cyborgs, different worlds, magic), but in doing so she puts them together in ways we haven't seen before. The elves here are aware of the stereotypes brought on by countless fantasy novels and Lord of the Rings (the elves crack on lembas bread so that the humans can't). Remember, this is our world, just altered in our future.
Keeping It Real is the first volume in a proposed trilogy and I cannot wait to see what Robson brings us next.
-Joe Sherry

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Deadtown (A Deadtown Novel) Review

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(More customer reviews)First the pros:
- I really enjoyed our heroine, Vicky. She was powerful, funny, smart and kicked all kinds of tail. Not quite as awesome as my current favorite, Kate Daniels, but I would say that she's not too far off.
- The plot was interesting, moved quickly and concluded well. The menace was believable, the dramatic elements were clever and I just liked it. I thought the premise was an interesting twist on the old favorite. And that is getting much harder to do lately.
- World-building. We didn't get to see as much of the world as I would have liked, since the focus was mainly on the action, but what we saw was interesting and original.
All this counts for a lot, but with the urban fantasy market as crowded as it is, it takes that extra something for a book to go from good to great in my view. And the one, massive con was something I couldn't move past: the cast.
I did not like any of the supporting cast. They were, almost without exception, untrustworthy, evil or plain old jerks and they made the book a lot less believable. The one I took the most exception to, and will use as the example to illustrate my point, is Tina.
Tina the zombie sidekick is actually a potentially interesting and original new character. Unfortunately Tina completely lacked charm. Every time she appeared on the page I wanted someone, anyone, to slap the heck out of her. Not for being a smartass, but for consistently pulling crap that could get our heroine killed. She's a danger to pretty much everyone around her, literally from the first chapter. The heroine can probably empathize, since she was something like that as a teenager, but Vicky's actions as a teenager actually DID cause a tragedy. Every time Tina appeared and did something stupid that could get the heroine killed I wondered why the heroine would ever agree to train her, knowing that the attitude could get someone killed. It didn't make any sense. I cant imagine her associating with, much less training, someone who doesn't listen, will STEAL from her, and is a danger to her AND her clients. She has experienced the consequences of such a lack of control and unwillingness to listen in her past and out to know better. It ripped me right out of the story, as I spent the time thinking WTF!
Tina was the character that aggravated me the most, but far from the only one. The client and politicians were a cliche, the lawyer boyfriend plain unlikable, and the human love interest was boring. If we must have a romance (and I know it's pretty much a given in this genre- I don't mind it when it's done well), I hope the author will introduce a viable third candidate in the next book. The closest I came to really liking any character other than the lead was in flashbacks to Vicky's dead relatives.
I will certainly check out the reviews of the second book in this series when it is published. I hope that further development will make the cast a bit more interesting and fun to read about. There are just too many good urban fantasy books out there right now to buy one that doesn't get me interested from the beginning. If the cast issues are addressed, I will absolutely buy the next book.

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Bite Me Review

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(More customer reviews)Bite Me is one of those books that has been sitting on my shelf forever and I'm just now getting around to reading. It's also one of those books I wish I'd picked up the second it came in my mailbox.
While the first couple of chapters start out slow, Bite Me quickly wrapped me up in lots of suspense, drama, and romance. It was a nice change of pace from many of the other paranormal books out there because, instead of fawning over the vampires and their hotness, these characters are kicking vampire butt. In fact, my favorite thing about the book was the characters. They had spunk and personality, which added so much to the story. I also loved all of the different paranormal creatures introduced.
Like I mentioned, the plot moves pretty quickly and there's a lot of fun vampire-butt-kicking, as well as some romance and drama.
The one thing I do feel like I need to mention is that while this is marketed towards YA, there's a lot of romance that I feel would also be more suited for an adult novel. But, that's just my personal opinion and while it didn't take away from the story for me, I just wanted everyone to be aware of that.
Overall, I highly recommend this.


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Bite MeYoung Adult Vampire HunterA Fictionwise Fantasy BestsellerAn edgy book for teens that spans the gap between YA and adult fiction. Life after high school is tough enough without having to go 15 rounds with your inner demon. Val Shapiro is just your ordinary, part-demon, teenaged vampire hunter with a Texas drawl. And a pet hellhound named Fang. Soon enough she finds herself deep in the underbelly of the city, discovering the secrets of the Demon Underground and fighting to save those she loves. Whether they love her back or not.Reviews:'Parker Blue creates a new vamp book with the kick-butt smart and snarky attitude of Buffy in Val and an awesome side-kick dog who can talk. It's perfect for teens craving more vampire books or those who love dark paranormal tales. And who can resist the title?" YA Book Nerd'A good companion to the Morganville Vampires books; they both deal with characters around the same age who are dealing with similar paths in life." Someone's Read It Already Reviews'Val's new life is just beginning, and I'm looking forward to seeing where it takes her next. This is a young adult read that centers on an eighteen year old who's just beginning to spread her wings as she transitions into adulthood." - Darque Reviews'So far the only fantasy books i've read was the Twilight Saga. But Bite Me is a strong competitor." -- That Teen Can Blog'I found myself being sucked into the story . . .I couldn't put it down; I read most of it in one sitting. . . the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat until I finished the last page, and I didn't want it to end! I wanted more Val and Dan.I also liked how hard Val tried to keep her inner succubus caged up; it really showed her self control. I thought it was cool that Val was like two entirely different characters when she finally let Lola out." -- Just Blinded Book Reviews'Full of charm, wit and a kickin' attitude, Val is about to take the Demon Underground by storm. She is bound and determined to save her family, whether they want her to or not. . . I am already craving more of Val and Fang !!" -- WENDY'S MINDING SPOT'Above all, Bite Me is an entertaining, police procedural mystery with loads of action and witty banter. Val's' adventures take her into an unrealized world of the supernatural, whose depths she is only just beginning to understand. Engaging for readers of all ages, this new YA urban fantasy is recommended. I look forward to Parker Blue's next ‘Demon Underground' tale with Val, Dan and Fang. You will too." --SciFiGuy.ca'Parker's book would be a popular addition to public libraries teen/fantasy collections. I look forward to the next in the series." Grinnell Book Review

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Street Magic (Black London, Book 1) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is an extremely good start to a series - well-structured and original, with unexpected plot developments and convincing characters who are deep and finely-drawn enough to hold the reader's interest. Rather than just presenting us with a cardboard cut-out hardboiled-but-vulnerable heroine and bad-boy anti-hero, the author slowly peels back the layers of backstory at judicious intervals throughout the book to reveal credible reasons for Pete's prickliness and Jack's damage. She also avoids overstretching the suspension of disbelief that is necessary for any fantasy story, by inserting authentically gritty touches - such as the grim realities of using heroin to numb mental pain.
The Black and its assorted denizens are comparable to Simon Green's Nightside, but only to the extent that fans of that series are likely to enjoy this one. Jack Winter's physical description is a touch reminiscent of Spike in Buffy the Vampire slayer, but a sly reference to Billy Idol (to whom Spike is an homage) in the text indicates that this is a conscious credit rather than a crib.
So why only 3 stars? Because the catch is that while the book is set in London, it is not written by an English native, and while the direct speech might be enough like that of a Brit to be accepted in the US, to an English reader it sets the teeth on edge and spoils what is otherwise a very impressive read. The mistakes are subtle, but grating - 'bugger all', for instance, is generally slang for 'nothing' in UK English and is inaccurately used here. Nor does using 'bloody' as punctuation in almost every character's dialogue (it appears at least twice on every single page) substitute for an authentic written English accent - the general effect is of something translated from another tongue by someone to whom UK English is a second language - grammatically accurate but the vocabulary use is just a bit off. If Ms Kittredge sorts out this weakness in future books, the Black London novels could become one of the best new series to hit the fantasy arena.
**Since first posting this review on Amazon.co.uk, other British readers have also commented adversely on Ms Kittredge's grasp (or lack thereof) of UK slang and speech patterns. It's a great pity, but there is still time for her to correct this one flaw before the next book in the series is published. Let's hope ...

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Undone (Outcast Season, Book 1) Review

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(More customer reviews)Undone is the first book of a new series from Rachel Caine. However, reader beware....you will get much more out of this book if you first read the Weather Warden series of books before you embark upon this series.
Let me say that I LOVED this book. I'm a fan of the Weather Warden series. If you've read any of that series, then you know about the ongoing struggles and alliances between the Djinn (old and new) and the Wardens (bad & good). The new series focuses on an Old Djinn who is cast out (and her Djinn powers "undone") by Ashan when she refuses to complete the task that he ordered her to complete. The Old Djinn that is cast out is Cassiel. Ashan transforms Cassiel into a human with some very limited Djinn-like powers that can only be supported by energies Cassiel draws from a Warden.
Undone is a book of twists and turns. The set-up of the book in the early chapters has many characters that you will know from the Warden series, including Joanna, David, and Lewis. Those characters introduce the situation and then spin Cassiel off to New Mexico with a Warden who accepts responsibility for watching and "training" Cassiel. As the book progresses, major characters are attacked. Cassiel must attempt to navigate her new "life" without her Djinn powers AND while under attack from "bad" wardens and an unknown force. The motives and who-done-it atmosphere of the book will keep you guessing until the very last chapter.
The book is a good introduction to the new series with a substantial hook into why additional books are required to tell the whole story. If you are a fan of the Weather Warden series, I think you will love the Outkast Season series for the in-depth look at the Djinn that is not present in any of the Weather Warden books.

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A brand new series from the author of the weather warden NOVEL S, WHO'S AS "Swift, sassy, and sexy as Laurell K. Hamilton." (Mary Jo Putney)Once she was Cassiel, a Djinn of limitless power. Now, she has been reshaped in human flesh as punishment for defying her master—and living among the Weather Wardens, whose power she must tap into regularly or she will die. And as she copes with the emotions and frailties of her human condition, a malevolent entity threatens her new existence...

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Darker Angels (Book Two of the The Black Sun's Daughter) Review

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(More customer reviews)***SPOILER WARNING***
***SPOILER WARNING***
***SPOILER WARNING***
***SPOILER WARNING***
My inner curmudgeon nearly set _Darker Angels_ aside at about the halfway point. "I don't get this book!" said the curmudgeon. "The voodoo's all wrong. Legba isn't an evil serial killer! The good guys' plan doesn't quite add up, and is pretty unethical besides. And the interpersonal drama just ate the plot for lunch!"
"Sit down and shut up," said M.L.N. Hanover. "I'm telling a story here."
OK, so I've never met M.L.N. Hanover, and he didn't literally say that, but he might as well have. Because just as I was about to give up on _Darker Angels_, he threw in some twists that made me realize I was looking at it all wrong.
I must have been led astray by the extremely linear plot of _Unclean Spirits_. I was expecting this plot to be similar in structure, and so I wasn't asking the right questions. I shouldn't have been asking, "What did Hanover do wrong?" I should have been asking, "What might be going on within the plot to cause all these things to happen?" I think I also forgot that Jayné, despite being a narrator whose voice I really enjoy, is not a perfectly reliable narrator. She has biases and blind spots, and she doesn't understand everything she experiences. Jayné's preconceived notions got in the way of solving the mystery -- and so did mine.
_Darker Angels_ is much less linear than _Unclean Spirits_, and it's much better for it. The plot revolves around a voodoo spirit who manipulates its hosts into committing horrific murders. Jayné is hired by former FBI agent Karen Black, an acquaintance of her late uncle's, to help stop this spirit from killing a young girl. We visit New Orleans and see both the destruction left over from Katrina and the tenacity of its residents. The plot is full of great twists. Hanover yanked the rug out from under my feet at one point, and maybe I should have seen it coming, but I didn't. It's when the pieces start to fall into place that you realize just how carefully Hanover set them up.
I really enjoyed _Darker Angels_s and I think it's safe to say I'm hooked on The Black Sun's Daughter. Jayné continues to be a delight; she's no master strategist, but she has a lot of compassion, and she has more courage than she thinks she does. And to heck with the inner curmudgeon. By the end, this had become a "set the alarm early so you can read before work" kind of book, and I finished it with a smile on my face and maybe a few tears in my eyes.

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In the battle between good and evil, there's no such thing as a fair fight. When Jayné Heller's uncle Eric died, she inherited a fortune beyond all her expectations -- and a dangerous mission in a world she never knew existed. Reining in demons and supernatural foes is a formidable task, but thankfully Jayné has vast resources and loyal allies to rely on. She'll need both to tackle a bodyswitching serial killer who's taken up residence in New Orleans, a city rich in voodoo lore and dark magic. Working alongside Karen Black, a highly confident and enigmatic ex-FBI agent, Jayné races to track down the demon's next intended host. But the closer she gets, the more convinced she becomes that nothing in this beautiful, wounded city is exactly as it seems. When shocking secrets come to light, and jealousy and betrayal turn trusted friends into adversaries, Jayné will soon come face-to-face with an enemy that knows her all too well, and won't rest until it has destroyed everything she loves most....

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Red-Headed Stepchild (Sabina Kane) Review

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(More customer reviews)Sabina Kane is half-vampire and half-mage. She has no true hold in either world, so she serves as an assassin for her grandmother and the Dominae; however, this role has never gained her anything but the deception of those she trusts and now she must decide what side she will take...
I learned a few things from Sabina Kane. Mostly I learned that even though an author says someone is a great assassin, said assassin may actually be completely inept and without a spine. Random example? Let's say the Great Assassin allows someone to sneak into their apartment, their own territory, and then shoot them through the heart. Even if the shooter is a demon--you've failed as an assassin and should be dead.
Okay, but miraculous survival saves the Great Assassin, one would think that Great Assassin would rip her attacker limb from limb ... Instead of offering them a place to stay.
And if the same demon/would-be-assassin starts using the Great Assassin's credit card and memorizes the number on it, then cancel the card or cancel the demon's life or kick his ass out of the apartment ... not just give a long-suffering sigh.
(Oh by the way, these aren't really spoilers, all this happens before page 50. And it's only the beginning of the very long trudge through silly writing and circumstances masked with angst towards the ending.)
Something just didn't quite work for me in RED-HEADED STEPCHILD. Maybe it was the frivolous writing, maybe it was the annoying Sabina Kane... Either way, not a book I'm recommending despite the gorgeous cover.
If you want a kick-ass mercenary heroine check out Ilona Andrews. At least Kate Daniels makes sense when she sets out to do something--and isn't utterly invincible, whiny, and "the chosen one" (heed this warning, by the next book of Wells I predict you'll be hearing that phrase more than once). Perhaps Wells will be improving with the next volume, but I won't be spending money on the sequel to find out.

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In a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina Kane has the only profession fit for an outcast: assassin. But, her latest mission threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races and Sabina must scramble to figure out which side she's on. She's never brought her work home with her---until now. This time, it's personal.

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Nightwalker (Dark Days, Book 1) Review

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(More customer reviews)Centuries ago, the Naturi nearly destroyed Mira in their attempt to control her and her unusual gifts. Not many Nightwalkers are endowed with powers such as Mira's abilities with fire, an element deadly to other Nightwalkers.
Only a Triad of powerful vampires saved Mira, as well as both the human and Nightwalker races. Sealing the Naturi where they could do no harm was effective, but also temporary - at least if the Naturi who managed to escape that fate can do anything about it.
The Naturi have already broken the Triad and now it is up to Mira to protect the remaining two and find a new third before it is too late. And the only one she can trust to help is her worst enemy - the vampire hunter Danaus!
NIGHTWALKER kicks off the first book in Jocelynn Drake's DARK DAYS saga with a bang! This newcomer to the publishing arena has crafted a rich and powerful world with characters that are as real as imagination can get, and likeable despite their foibles. Well, except for those nasty Naturi, of course.
The Naturi are the major villains of this story. So far, there are just no redeeming qualities about this hateful and destructive race, which is perfect for their role in this battle. With all of the other characters we meet, however, there is a touch of good and evil in each person, no matter if they are human or Nightwalker.
And then there is Danaus. No one really knows what he is, and he isn't talking. Yes, he is a vampire slayer, but this man has more secrets than anyone can guess, and he keeps fairly closemouthed about them. Still, he says what needs to be said, and certainly gets the job done.
Mira is absolutely a kick-butt heroine. Vampire she may be, but she is a woman of honor who takes her responsibilities as guardian to those weaker than herself very seriously. She can kill without blinking an eye, but only those who deserve it. She is strong, yet with her world closing in on her and her worst nightmare determined to recapture her, she needs someone to rely on. Strangely enough, she finds that person in Danaus, the most unlikely of places.
It is interesting to watch the evolution of Mira's and Danaus' convictions concerning each other as they spend time in close proximity, fighting at each other's sides against a greater evil than either can handle alone. They discover that neither is quite what they expected and their preconceived notions begin to waver in the face of the truths they witness in each other. Consequently, they form a grudging mutual respect and eventually there is even a bit of old fashioned chemistry...
If you are looking for a good piece of paranormal fiction, then you should give NIGHTWALKER a try. If you are looking for romance, this is not the book. That said, even though there really isn't any romance in this first story, Mira does have chemistry with a couple of men in her life, and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a relationship with one of them develop in a later story. In fact, the book feels much like Laurell K. Hamilton's first ANITA BLAKE, VAMPIRE HUNTER book in that respect. There was no romance in those earlier ANITA BLAKE books, but there were definitely potential love interests and later editions in that series explore those relationships, as I hope will happen in sequels to NIGHTWALKER.
I do have to say that the pacing of NIGHTWALKER was a bit slower than I would have liked. Although it didn't ruin the story, it did detract a bit from my enjoyment of it. For something that feels more like an action-oriented paranormal, the barrage of history, some of which seems superfluous to the plot, bogged that action down.
Also, there were a lot of repetitive words and phrases throughout the novel. In particular, the heroine constantly referred to her bodyguards as her `angels', or variations of that word. Most often she called them her `Guardian Angel' or `my Angel'. It was not unusual to see Mira reference the bodyguards with some form of the word angel many times in a very small section of text, and on one page, she referred to the same bodyguard as `my angel' three times. While I appreciated that the men who protect her during her day sleep were special to her, the repetitive endearment became tedious after a while. It would have been less so for me if the author had substituted an alternate endearment or used the bodyguard's names more often.
Those two disappointments are what made me rate this book a four instead of a five. I really liked the plot, loved the characters, but these issues did keep me from totally loving the book.
That said, it is a very enjoyable read, and I have very high hopes for the next book. For an author's debut novel, I think that Jocelynn Drake has done admirably well and I hope to see more soon from this imaginative author. I certainly cannot wait to see what happens next with Mira and her companions!
**Courtesy of Wild on Books**

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For centuries Mira has been a nightwalker—an unstoppable enforcer for a mysterious organization that manipulates earth-shaking events from the darkest shadows. But elemental mastery over fire sets her apart from others of her night-prowling breed . . . and may be all that prevents her doom.

The foe she now faces is human: the vampire hunter called Danaus, who has already destroyed so many undead. For Mira, the time has come to hunt . . . or be hunted.

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A Hard Day's Knight (Nightside) Review

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(More customer reviews)Fans of Simon R. Green may have been a little disappointed with his Ghost of Chance novel this year, but don't lose faith just yet because Green's latest in the Nightside series, A Hard Day's Knight, is fantastic!
I had been losing a little interest in the Nightside series lately, I felt like since the Lilith wars, John Taylor hadn't had any big surprises or quests to deal with. Yes, he did defeat demons and gods, but he seemed to indestructible to beat. Of course when you introduce King Arthur into the picture then everything gets a whole new look. But besides introducing the gallant King Arthur, A Hard Day's Knight also introduces some very surprising and interesting twists to the series. I can't say what they are but it will definitely effect that rest of the series in a significant way.Of course besides these new characters and twists in the overall story, I felt A Hard Day's Knight was a better story overall compared to some of the most recent books in the series. Fans of the series will get back to what they initially loved about the series, tricks, magic, violence, and a sarcastic wit. We finally get to see Taylor back in the real world and have to face down some thugs without his magical gift. Suzie gets to play a bigger part in this story than she has in the last few books, and I found the overall wit and tone of the book much more to my liking.
Of course if goes without saying (but of course I will say it) that readers who haven't read the series should start from the beginning of the series, but overall I very much enjoyed A Hard Day's Knight, and I can't wait for the next book in this revitalized series.
[...]

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My Life as A White Trash Zombie Review

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(More customer reviews)You know your a Redneck Junkie when: You need to become a member of the undead to kick your habit.
Angel Crawford was practically born emblazoned with an L for loser in the middle of her forehead. She didn't have much choice in changing her hard knock status with a mentally ill mother, a drunk for a father, and being a high school drop out. Angel seems to be hurtling herself into all the pitfalls of her white trash standing, including a felony, a deadbeat boyfriend, drug and alcohol addiction, and a steadily growing resume of former dead end jobs.
And then she dies. Or at least she thinks she did. Angel has some flashes of an accident. But the details of her condition and the events leading up to them are a bit fuzzy. Angel wakes in the hospital without a scratch on her. She then starts to receive cryptic messages and a seemingly too good to be true job. What Angel doesn't know is that she has been changed into a zombie. She looks fine, feels fine, but Angel is going to have to learn quickly that all that can change in an instant if she doesn't get the nourishment she needs. Without the self-induced intoxicated drug haze, it turns out Angel is a pretty clever cookie. And since they've been hauling in numerous headless dead bodies to the morgue, Angels going to have to use all the brains she's got to solve the murders, and keep her strength up.
My Life as a White Trash Zombie was an interesting take on a second chance. Diana Rowland really showed how one incident can change someone's life for good or bad. With Angel's addictions stripped away and a good opportunity to support herself she found her self worth. This is made even more interesting with the vehicle Rowland uses to employ change, zombie-ism.
I was skeptical about this premise. The title was provocative, but the cover art sold me on giving this one a chance. I'm glad I did. This book is filled with rich characters and decent story lines. Reading about Angel's prior decline and present rise, while stumbling through her revelations on becoming a zombie where very entertaining. Rowland created a nice mix of background information, zombie high jinx, and mystery. I loved the supporting cast as well, and the little love story at the end. I think there where parts of the story that were a bit slow but overall a good read with great potential for a sequel.

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Teenage delinquent Angel Crawford lives with her redneck father in the swamps of southern Louisiana. She's a high school dropout, addicted to drugs and alcohol, and has a police record a mile long. But when she's made into a zombie after a car crash, her addictions disappear, except for her all-consuming need to stay "alive"...

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Darkness Becomes Her Review

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(More customer reviews)I enjoyed the read overall. There was a plot (sad that I have to say that, but so many YA paranormal books seem to lack them lately) and it moved right along. The paranormal world was well-drawn if based on all the same-old characters. I really liked the idea of a rebirth (post-hurricane destruction) New Orleans. The heroine was likeable and the secondary characters were interesting. I read the entire thing even though it definitely wasn't the best written book out there.
However, I did have a couple of real dislikes.
The profanity: The heroine is supposed to be a hard-edged, foster-child type teenage girl. She fights like Buffy the Vampire and solves her own problems rather than waiting for a hero. She also swears as part of her `edge.' Only it didn't work for me because she is also wishy-washy about making decisions (she changes her mind a lot), emotionally overwrought (passes out from over emotion kind of stuff), and falls in love so fast it makes her look stupid. And all this made her seem not hard-edged at all. So the profanity ended up being forced (like the author trying to prove how hard she was) rather than real.
The detached body parts: There really are real detached body parts in this book- it's got a Buffesque grotesquery to it. However, even better was the grammar. The best (worst?) was so funny that all my kids came running to see why I was laughing so hard. On page 178 the author intended to say that the heroine rolled her eyes after someone made a snarky comment. Then the heroine glanced over at some couples on a dance floor. However what the author put into print was, "My eyes rolled, falling onto the dancers..." (writing this made me laugh all over again).
The Big give away: The giant story has to do with the heroine's identity. Her deceased mother left her a message to `run' because someone is trying to catch/kill her. So she runs, gets chased, and tries to figure out what it going on. And the answer to why this is all happening is pretty unique (or at least I hadn't run into this exact scenario before). I would have liked this book a lot more if I'd been able to slowly unravel the mystery as the clues were dropped, etc. But the author RUINED it by putting a clue on page three that was so obvious that it explained everything and gave the entire mystery away. I don't know if she did it on purpose or not, but it totally spoiled the surprise.
The romance: By far the weakest part of the story. Within hours of meeting Mr. Perfect-but-Attractively-Grumpy, the heroine falls in love. It happened so fast it was boring. The romance scenes could have been cut/pasted from other books they were so unoriginal.
But even with all that, this wasn't the worst book I'd ever read. I probably won't read more in the series (is this a series? Probably), but for a quick read, it did its job.


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Love in the Time of Dragons: A Novel of the Light Dragons Review

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(More customer reviews)Ahhhh...Baltic, Baltic, Baltic. For so long, us readers viewed you as one of the bad guys...especially when you helped wipe out many of your own kind. Were we right...thinking Baltic is a big ol' bad guy? Or were we wrong...judging him using circumstantial evidence? "Love in the Time of Dragons" by Katie MacAlister addresses this (as well as other exciting plots) by giving the readers an interesting new(ish) dragon couple - Baltic and Tully Sullivan (aka - Ysolde). Now, I'm not going to bore you by rehashing the plot (which you can read about in the book description as well as the other reviews) but I am going to let you in on why you should read this book.
First off, MacAlister has got to be, hands down (or scaly taloned paws down) one of the funniest writers currently. If you've never read her work, I highly suggest that you do...and you can start with reading the Aisling Grey series first (which will give you much needed background info which leads up to this book). I find that she's one of three writers whose humor actually makes me snort...a very unladylike sound, but I'll just claim it's involuntary, kinda like hiccups.
Second, read read READ her dragon books to learn about "Jim". "Who is Jim?" you ask...well, Jim's a demon. A big, shaggy, slobbery Newfoundland of a demon. One who is having an illicit love affair with a Cavalier King Charles spaniel named "Celeste". Jim, more often than not, is a fount of information...usually useless information, but funny as Abbadon none the less. If Jim were a man, let's just say he'd have a penchant for Members Only jackets, Miller High Life, and cartoon porn. Don't let his demon heritage scare you...under all that fur lurks a heart of gold.
Third, the MEN. Ohhhh...the men. All of these dragons sound soooo yummy. Personally, I can't wait for Bastien's story. I've no idea why, but I just think he's such a compelling dragon. *sigh* Maybe, if I pray to the Gods of Creative Inspiration, Ms. MacAlister will write his story next...complete with a leading wyvern's mate named "Andrea". But I digress...
Finally...read Katie MacAlister's work. I own EVERY book she's written & I can say that I pick them up again, once a year, just because they're good enough to read and re-read again.
Cheers!


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When it comes to love, one woman is scaling back her expectations... Tully Sullivan is just like any other suburban mom-except she's just woken up in a strange place surrounded by strange people who keep insisting that they're dragons-and that she's one too.

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