Archive for March, 2010
Bewitchingly Good Fantasy – Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison
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Like fighting off deadly white magic witches.
As in the previous book “White Witch, Black Curse”, Rachel’s not really sure what she is. Although at her core she’s an earth witch, when she was young she suffered from a condition called Rosewood Syndrome, a genetic blood disease that manifests itself when a witch is born with abilities that are more akin to demons. Although most young witches die of this condition Rachel was lucky enough to be sent to a special camp for supernatural kids with health problems. The good news is that she was eventually cured. The bad news is that the cure apparently altered her DNA and now, as a witch with a demon mark she’s able to twist demon curses and hold an inordinate amount of ever-after in her body, something unheard of for witches.
This makes her somewhat of a hybrid: part witch/part demon, although Rachel refuses to claim the demon part. Nonetheless, Rachel’s abilities have attracted the attention of the ruling white witch coven. And not in a good way. They’ve discovered that any offspring she bears will likely be demons – demons that are able to walk the earth and not be bound to the ever-after. They plan to solve this problem by either forced sterilization or eternal imprisonment in Alcatraz. As you can imagine, neither option appeals to Rachel.
As I was reading Rachel’s attempts to survive the attacks by the coven I couldn’t help but think of the following life’s lessons for her:
-you never know when an enemy (read, ex-boyfriend) may help save your neck;
-the lives of the many outweigh those of the few;
-when the survival of you and your loved ones hangs in the balance, pull up your big girl panties and fight fire with fire.
Kim Harrison has once again written a fast-paced fantasy thriller that draws you in from the start. Rachel’s ordeals are realistically described and readers will find it hard not to root for her as the story progresses, even if her stubbornness is sometimes frustrating. In fact, her character flaws make her all the more believable and add to the overall enjoyment of the book.
Harrison’s storytelling skills make the secondary characters in the book interesting as well: Ivy has a new romantic interest whose identity readers will be surprised to discover, Jenks becomes a stronger patriarch for his family, and Biss, the young gargoyle, takes several risks in order to protect Rachel. And Al, the murderous and self-serving demon that Rachel is tied to, actually shows a bit of introspection (there’s a wonderful grilled cheese sandwich scene between Al and Rachel that you’ll love).
As I finished reading Black Magic Sanction I couldn’t help but wonder what else was in store for Rachel. I assume we’ll learn more about her demon-like abilities and no doubt Kim Harrison will continue exploring the whole “Rachel can birth demon spawn” storyline. But I’m personally looking forward to reading more about the like/hate relationship between Rachel and Trent Kalamack. I love reading about Trent because he’s hands-down one of the most complex and multi-dimensional male characters in the fantasy book genre right now. He’s the bad boy whose past transgressions we all want to forgive. You never know what you’ll get with Trent and I love that. There’s more to his story that I’m hoping will unfold as the series progresses.
Whatever the case, I’m definitely on board for whatever Harrison throws our way!
Celestial Fantasy Book – Sins and Shadows by Lyn Benedict
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Shadows and Sins, a great fantasy book by Lyn Benedict, introduces us to Sylvie Lightner, a detective with too many “special” cases for her own peace of mind. It’s the first book in the new Shadow Inquiries series, which starts with Sylvie planning to close her detective agency because she lost a good friend during the commission of a recent case. Sylvie is a tough, no-nonsense woman who lives in a world where magic is real and her specialty is her ability to solve magical cases.
In addition to closing her business she’s trying to avoid a group of government agents that have her marked as someone who’s always involved in magical catastrophes. They follow her everywhere, waiting for her to make a mistake so they can grab her.
With all the magic alive in the world, Sylvie lives in a strange environment where she has to deal with annoying, selfish gods who have some familiar names – Zeus and Lilith being two you might know. The gods control everything and – news flash – it is NEVER good to disagree with the folks who can change you into a turtle at any moment! So, when a god shows up in Sylvie’s office needing her help finding his missing lover, she’s put in an awkward position: should she tell him no and proceed with closing her detective agency? I’ll let you guess what she decides . . .
Put it this way, when a god asks you for a favor, “No” is not an option.
Especially when the god in question is Justice, who has no qualms about threatening her family in order to ensure her cooperation. And don’t forget the Feds: in addition to dealing with a meglomaniacal, family-threatening god, she also has to deal with real-world government agents who want nothing more than to put her under the jail. Even when a handsome government agent emerges from her past she discovers that he’d just as likely shoot her as engage in conversation.
How can a girl win?
This fantasy book immediately drew me in because the writing style is fast and fun. The main character, Sylvie, is not your typical female lead. She has no giant chip on her shoulder. She does not shoot whatever is bothering her at the moment. Outwitting the gods is what keeps Sylvie busy. Doing such a good job with the first book in the Shadow Inquiries fantasy series makes you wonder what new “shadows” can Lyn Benedict shine her light on next? I plan to be there to find out.
Get Sins and Shadows and find out how Sylvie juggles the challenges thrown at her.
Get it now and be ready for the next book in the series, Ghosts and Echoes, which comes out April 27, 2010.
Hellishly Good Fantasy Book – Salt and Silver
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Anne Katherine has written a fun fantasy book about “hell” in her new book Salt and Silver. You wouldn’t think you could have the words “fun” and “hell” in the same sentence, but this author has achieved it with her paranormal tale of supernatural beings and human heroes who protect the earth in both the above-world and the underworld.
In the story, there are many hells and each one has a special door to enter through and for each door there are nine more doors and so forth and so on. See the opportunity for endless story lines? What is even more unique about this is that a door to hell can open anywhere in our human world and when it does, a special hunter will show up – just in time – to keep any nasty “hellish” things from coming through that door.
To start out, you meet Allie, a former rich girl, whose mother abandoned her and left her to work in a diner to make ends meet. The only things she has left from her previous life of wealth are her two best friends, Amanda and Stan.
Six years ago, Allie inadvertently opened a door to hell in the basement of the diner and with that door came a really cute hunter named Ryan who would just as soon shoot her as look at her. However Allie has a major crush on Ryan and has spent the last six years trying to get him to like her (romantically, of course). However, since Ryan’s main interest is in teaching Allie the tricks of the hunter trade, he resists her efforts to turn their relationship into something more personal.
To summarize: Allie can kill a vampire, a hound from hell, a wyvern or just about any supernatural creature that can come through the hell door – but she doesn’t have a boyfriend.
As Allie continues working with Ryan and other hunters around the world, she learns that she has a very special relationship with the door in the diner basement – she can talk to it and it grants her wishes.
Suddenly doors are not just portals into hell; they’re entities with actual personalities. Allie is just beginning to enjoy learning more about her door when – poof – it suddenly disappears! From the hunter’s perspective, this is not a good thing – a hell door has never disappeared before. Since none of the hunters know how to handle this new situation and the door is the responsibility of Ryan and Allie, it’s up to them to enter hell and find out what has thrown off the balance between earth and hell before everyone and everything on earth is destroyed.
I admit when I first started reading this fantasy book, I was intrigued with the premise but I did not like the lead character Allie very much. That totally changed as I got further into the story and realized how much personal growth she was gaining from her experiences with the hunters and the doors. We see her grow from a spoiled rich girl into someone who appreciates the little things and who has learned to not take life for granted. A lesson many of us could learn . . . ?
I also liked her wit and the way she handled challenging situations. It was a good read, it’s a very original storyline, and I was quite glad to find it – right now there are so many authors trying to fit into the urban fantasy craze that it was great to find someone who knows how to write a truly good paranormal romance!
Salt and Silver was a joy to read. Check it out at places like Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Can’t wait for the next book in the series!
Teen Fantasy Book – Night Runner by Max Turner
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Night Runner is a vampire novel that I am very happy to have found. The author, Max Turner, has written a story for teens that works for readers of any age. The story centers around a fifteen year old boy named Zack Thomson who was orphaned when he was seven. His mother died when he was two and his anthropologist father was killed in a tomb cave-in five years later – while Zack watched. Even worse, as his father lay dying, Zack was attacked by some kind of wild dog and he ended up with a strange disease.
Some people have called his illness “allergies” but whatever his condition, it causes him to sleep all day and eat a very restricted diet. His unique medical problems also cause irritability, so much so that a mental institution has become his home. At the institution, Zack is given the attention and the exclusive strawberry smoothie diet that he needs to thrive – all under the special care of Nurse Ophelia – a woman who has become like a mother to him.
After spending eight quiet years in the mental institution with Nurse Ophelia, Zack’s life is about to change. In a big way.
To start, Zack meets a man claiming to be his long lost uncle. Through this man he’s told about his parents and their demise; stories Zack has a hard time believing.
After his uncle leaves a crazed man crashes through the window to his ward, yells at Zack to run for his life and then proceeds to help him escape from the institution. Once outside the institution, the man takes him to a safe house. Through him Zack finds out more about his odd disease and about the secrets kept from him by his family.
But Zack isn’t sure who to trust.
However, his best friend Charlie has always been faithful and trustworthy so Zack contacts him and they go on the run together, trying to figure out what the heck is going on in Zack’s life. Through their adventures Zack meets a girl (the first girl his age he’s ever met) and begins to learn about the world outside his old institution.
This particular fantasy novel really caught my attention because it’s unique and has such an original storyline. I casually picked it up, looking for something to help me go back to sleep one night and ended up staying up half the night reading it until I was finished. Max Turner took the story of a fifteen year old boy finding out he was a vampire and made it realistic. As such, regardless of your age, you’ll have an easy time identifying with Zack, his feelings and his actions. The pacing was good, the characterizations were realistic and the suspense and intrigue kept the story moving forward quite well. Max Turner has written a thoroughly entertaining and believable fantasy story and I hope he’s busily working on a sequel!
Get Night Runner while it’s on sale!
Werewolf Book Short Stories – Wolfsbane and Mistletoe
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Harris and Kelner bring a whole new meaning to Christmas this year. The usual jovial cheer of the holiday season is marked with a dark omen, that of werewolves to be exact, in the latest anthology. The authors provide a creative mix of horror and humor, and there are also some characters you might recognize. It consists of 15 short stories:
Gift Wrap by Charlaine Harris
In this story Sookie Stackhouse expects to spend some quiet alone time during Christmas when she discovers a wounded werewolf in the woods. This is a cozy, light story that combines a lovable and well-known character, Sookie, with a mischevious and sexy werewolf.
The Haire of the Beast by Donna Andrews
In this book a witch researches what it will take to make her brother a werewolf. She also makes some special brownie treats for her ex-boyfriend. Confusion and fun ensues in this hilarious holiday story.
Lucy, at Christmastime by Simon R. Green
Simon Green writes a short story that complements his popular Nightside series; a werewolf having drinks at a Nightside bar during the holiday season reminisces about his past, including his past love.
The Night Things Changed by Dana Cameron
Supernatural creatures are usually good-hearted in this short story. However, in a twist of fate, one turns out to be a killer. A female vampire and her werewolf brother investigate the matter.
The Werewolf Before Christmas by Kat Richardson
In this story we meet Matthias, a werewolf whose appetite gets him in trouble at the North Pole. Santa has designed the perfect punishment for him; can Mathias set his pride aside and complete his assigned task?
Fresh Meat by Alan Gordon
This story proves how dogs are great partners, especially when tracking down bad guys; a dog and a female werewolf partner up to defeat evil during the holiday season.
Il est Ne by Carrie Vaughn
Our lovable and smart female werewolf Kitty Norville teams up with another werewolf to investigate a mystery. Who knew she’d end up involved in a mess just by going to The Waffle House?
The Perfect Gift by Dana Stabenow
I love it when stories don’t give everything away at once. In this story we meet two cops who may (or may not be) quite human. We get to guess the true nature of each character while also reading a pretty good mystery story.
Christmas Past by Keri Arthur
This classic Christmas love is in the air story centers around two cops (a werewolf and a psychic) who rekindle their past love while trying to solve a case.
SA by Joe Konrath
Konrath weaves an outrageously funny tale here that involves shape shifters in unimaginable shapes and sizes.
The Star of David by Patricia Briggs
A daughter seeks out her father’s help, although he’s responsible for her mother’s death several years prior. This dramatic piece is touching and poignant.
You’d Better Not Pyout by Nancy Pickard
This is an hilarious story about two misplaced ex-Soviet vampires in Florida. They just found out that Santa Claus is a vampire and that Christmas is a scam that simply grants him access to homes and an endless blood supply. They seek to join him, but somehow end up across the Atlantic Ocean. Yes, this story includes many lively twists and turns.
Rogue Elements by Karen Chance
Karen Chance writes a police mystery set in the supernatural realm of Las Vegas which involves identity denial and werewolf politics.
Milk and Cookies by Rob Thurman
Rob Thurman, responsible for the wonderful Cal Leandros books, writes about young werewolves’ true fantasies. Just what do they want for Christmas?
Keeping Watch Over His Flock by Toni L. P. Kelner
Jake, a shapeshifter, experiences newfound fame after he rescues a girl that had gone missing. However to do this, he ends up shifting into something you’d never imagine!
Wolfsbane and Mistletoe is now ON SALE at Amazon!
My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding – Fantasy Book Anthology
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If you’ve ever planned a wedding, gotten married, or even just been a wedding guest, you’ll appreciate the twisted tales in this nuptial-themed collection of short stories from a host of top-notch paranormal authors.
Spellbound by L.A. Banks
Odelia Hatfield and Jefferson McCoy, of the infamous families, fall in love as college sweethearts and battle their disapproving relatives as they plan their wedding, with a little magic thrown in, of course.
Something Borrowed by Jim Butcher
Werewolf Billy is ditched at the alter by Georgia, but when his best man Harry investigates, he discovers that someone has placed Georgia under a spell. Now he must figure out how to break it before it’s too late.
Dead Man’s Chest by Rachel Caine
A wedding aboard a pirate ship might seem like a dream, but Cecilia Welles’ fiancee has more than romance in mind for her, as does the pirate captain Lockhart. Will she make it out of her honeymoon alive?
All Shook Up by P.N. Elrod
Frankie Foster is catering a wedding for Santiago and Trinidad, and impersonator Elvis makes an appearance. But something tells her these two should not be getting married, and there’s something a little off about this Elvis.
The Wedding of Wylda Serene by Esther M. Friesner
Spoiled little princess Wylda is determined to have her wedding at the exclusive Club, although it has a history of strange events. But she refuses to listen to reason, and sheer chaos ensues.
Charmed by the Moon by Lori Handeland
Does true love really exist? This sweet story explores the concept with werewolf hunter Jessie, who’s set to marry professor Will when she discovers a love charm. Now she has to figure out if they’re really in love, or if the charm has blurred reality.
Tacky by Charlaine Harris
Harris works her magic again with this short from the Southern Vampire series. The impending wedding of vampire Taffy and werewolf Don has fangs out and fur ruffled since vamps are not supposed to marry outside of their race.
A Hard Day’s Night-Searcher by Sherrilyn Kenyon
The Dark Hunters return in this suspenseful story involving the love between a squire and one of the immortal warriors who spend eternity protecting the world from supernatural enemies.
…Or Forever Hold Your Peace by Susan Krinard
A wedding in Victorian England is rife with mystery, a disappearing bride and supernatural complications. Can Lady Olivia Dowling and Christopher Meredith sidestep the obstacles and solve the mystery?
Overall this was a thoroughly enjoyable book that gave me some exposure to a few new fantasy book writers. My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding is now On Sale at Amazon!
Vampire Book Adventure – Midnight Reign
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Midnight Reign, the second installment in Chris Marie Green’s Vampire Babylon series, is a non-stop thrill from beginning to end. I loved the first book and could not wait for this one. The latest adventure with Dawn, Breisi, Kiko and “The Voice” as they work to find Dawn’s father (as well as destroy the Vampire Underground), was an exciting, enthralling read. The wait was not in vain . . .
Let me begin by introducing you to the vampire slayer team:
Breisi: a kick butt fighter and Dawn’s father’s girlfriend
Kiko: a little person with pretty powerful psychic abilities
Dawn: a former Hollywood stuntwoman and the newest member of the team
The Voice: a disembodied “voice” that calls the shots and directs the team
The story begins with Dawn being a bit upset with the man referred to as The Voice, also known as Jonah. She feels that he betrayed her with the deception he used to get her to Los Angeles (in the first book) in search of her father. As such, she no longer trusts him and believes Jonah is only interested in finding the Underground so he can destroy it. She’s sick of his secrecy and she’s sick of his ability to manipulate her through sex. Instead, Dawn begins focusing her attention on Matt, an investigator who intrigues her with his straightforward and seemingly honest manner. Although Matt may have some secrets of his own, Dawn is determined to be done with Jonah – or so she thinks.
In the meantime, the team is busy working to solve a series of murders. These murders mimic the previous slayings of a serial killer, Lee Tomlinson. Problem is, Lee is already in prison. However, Lee is still a person of significant interest to the team because of his link to the Underground. And it’s pretty obvious that the Underground is involved because the throats of the victims are torn out and the victim’s bodies are drained of blood. Could Lee know the identity of the copycat killer?
To complicate matters, as they continue their investigation it becomes clear that the vampire leader of the Underground is intensely interested in Dawn. What methods will he use to lure her to him?
This fantasy story keeps you guessing about the characters, how they are related, and how Dawn will deal with all the men who not only want her, but who also want to control her. But let’s be clear: Dawn is not a girl who is easily controlled. Chris Marie Green has written an excellent sequel to her first fantasy novel and if you like a strong female lead who holds her own, this is a book for you. If you read the first one, you’ll be thrilled that there are additional books in the series. If you haven’t read any of Ms. Green’s work before, I envy you for the great read you have ahead of you.
Check out Midnight Reign – you’ll thank me for it later . . .
