Archive for urban fantasy books
Travel New Worlds in Ghosts & Echoes by Lyn Benedict
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Title: Ghosts & Echoes
Author: Lyn Benedict
Release Date: April 27, 2010
Pages: 368
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Best Book Quote: “Michael Demalion had trusted her with his life, and Rafael Suarez before him. They were both dead now. Dead of trusting her.”
Ghosts & Echoes is the second book in the Shadows Inquiries series by Lyn Benedict. If you’ve read the debut book in the series, Sins & Shadows, then you’re familiar with the urban fantasy world of Magicus Mundi, a supernatural realm that operates just below the radar of human beings. A dark, disturbing place where the normal rules of human reality don’t apply, Magicus Mundi is populated by sorcerers, werewolves, and other evildoers of the undead.
Private eye Sylvie Lightning is the implacable foe of the Magicus Mundi. As the owner of Shadows Inquiries, a firm that investigates paranormal crimes, she specializes in cases involving magic. But sometimes it’s hard to separate the possessed from the just plain psycho—and that’s the challenge Sylvie faces when she takes the case of Adam Wright, a Chicago cop who is convinced that he’s being inhabited by a ghost. Sylvie first has to determine whether Wright is really possessed, or simply suffering from PTSD. As she digs into her client’s plight, she begins to suspect that Wright’s ghost is somehow connected to her own troubled past. As she inches closer to the truth, she realizes that the real target of this ghost may not be Wright, but Sylvie herself.
And as if exorcising a ghost isn’t enough to keep Sylvie busy, she also has to tackle another series of crimes, a spate of burglaries connected to a ring of teenagers dabbling in the black arts. Things go from bad to worse when she learns that her younger, rebellious sister Zoe may be involved in the break-ins.
Ghosts & Echoes is intense and fast-paced, written in gritty prose that makes Sylvie’s urban landscape seem believably haunted and threatening. The plot is easy to follow even if you haven’t read the first book in the series. The predicament that Sylvie ultimately faces – whether to save her client’s life or resurrect the ghost that inhabits his body – is fraught with tension and emotionally convincing. Highly recommended!
Trick of the Light by Rob Thurman
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Title: Trick of the Light
Author: Rob Thurman
Release Date: September 1, 2009
Pages: 352
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Best Book Quote: “What you can do with a knife you can just as easily do with the heel of a three- inch boot with just a little more pressure.”
My favorite quote pretty much sums up Trixa, the tough-as-nails female lead in Trick of the Light, Book 1 in Rob Thurman’s “Trickster” series.
Trick of Light is the gritty and oftentimes raunchy tale of an information dealer named Trixa Iktomi. She’s a bar owner who tracks down demons in her spare time with her assistants Zeke and Griffin. And in a town like Las Vegas, there are lots of demons to go around. In Trixa’s world demons are sneaky, conniving beings who mask themselves into incredibly sexy beings that make real humans swoon from their attention. This is a necessary trait since a demon’s ultimate goal is to get an innocent to sell his soul. So it’s up to Trixa and her crew to make sure no demon gets that chance.
This installment in the series centers around a piece of information that Trixa received in a previous novel from a dying demon who whispered something to her about -the Light of Life – a shield that will protect heaven or hell from an otherworldly attack. Trixa knows that having this weapon will give her an unimaginable amount of power, and also let her get revenge on the demon that killed her brother.With Trixa Rob Thurman creates a strong female lead who knows what she wants and is not shy about going after it. Thurman’s use of dry humor and sarcasm kept me laughing in a story that has some pretty serious stuff going on. As you read through this story you might find it a little hard to connect with Trixa and her sarcasm because we all know it’s difficult to remember to say something witty every time you open your mouth, but just remember that this is a supernatural fantasy. With endless action and lively banter between the characters, I think Trick of the Light will keep you fully entertained.
Seduced by Shadows by Jessa Slade
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Title: Seduced by Shadows
Author: Jessa Slade
Release Date: October 6, 2009
Pages: 400
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Seduced by Shadows by Jessa Slade is a unique new take on the paranormal urban fantasy and it had me entranced after the first chapter. Sera Littlejohn is an isolated survivor, having come out of a horrendous car wreck with a severe limp and a crippled spirit. When she meets a mysterious stranger who accosts her on the street, and he knows her name, Sera doesn’t realize that her life is about to be changed forever because she is going to be introduced to a world that she cannot believe truly exists – and given a revitalized body to boot.
Archer is a demon-possessed fighter who battles daily to keep his humanity alive and whose mission it is to keep the evil demons of the other worlds at bay. He is drawn to Sera, knowing that she is next on the list for possession by an emerging demon, and that she will be the first demon-possessed female to fight alongside his men in their demon-fighting entourage. An undeniable attraction develops between Sera and Archer but they both fight it, especially since Sera finds the whole concept of a group of demon-possessed fighters saving humanity just too hard to believe, let alone trust.
I loved this story.
Jessa Slade makes Archer ultra-tough yet vulnerable. Sera is damaged both physically and emotionally, yet Archer is able to complete her by allowing her to gradually awaken and find her true calling in life. While reading the book I could totally connect with the characters because the author seamlessly takes you from the normal, everyday world into a strange, unknown place that runs parallel to our reality. It’s a place where an unusual religious order is fighting to keep humanity safe while also fighting to maintain and control the demons inside themselves.
If you like urban fantasy (and you know you do) pick up Seduced by Shadows. I just found out that the sequel Forged of Shadows is now available. Sweet!
Great Werewolf Book: Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs
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Title: Silver Borne
Author: Patricia Briggs
Release Date: March 30, 2010
Pages: 352
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Best Book Quote: “I could have kept arguing with him – I usually like arguing with Adam. But there were things I liked better. I leaned forward and kissed him.”
Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs is another great installment in the story of Mercy Thompson, coyote shapeshifter. At this point in the series she’s bonded to Adam, the Alpha of the local werewolf pack. Mercy is an ace mechanic who works in a garage, fixing cars while trying to understand all the nuances of her relationship with Adam. A coyote mated to a wolf comes with its own unique set of problems – least of which is the fact that his pack isn’t welcoming her with open arms because they think their Alpha should be mated to a true werewolf.
Mercy lives in a trailer with Samuel, a family member from a different pack. He’s a very old werewolf (but still incredibly hot) who seems to be succumbing to a problem that plagues a lot of old werewolves: he’s losing his humanity. When Mercy comes home on day to find Samuel in wolf form and realizes he’s not switching back, she fears the worst because most lone wolves don’t survive for long – they are usually killed by their pack. However, Mercy is determined that this will not happen to her friend and sets out to find a solution to his problem. But this makes significant problems for her because Adam is not about to let a lone wolf near his mate. How can she protect Samuel but not lie to Adam at the same time? Quite the dilemma . . .
Patricia Briggs once again delivers a great story with complex characters and captivating story lines. Samuel and his battle with his inner wolf keeps you engaged as you truly hope it does not negatively impact the relationship between Adam and Mercy. Keeping these two together is of paramount importance. Along with a parallel story where Mercy tries to help out a young fae bookstore owner, the author gives you plenty of action to keep you captivated throughout the book. Be sure to pick up Silver Borne if you are looking for a fast-paced, fantastical and interesting story to read. check prices
Here’s Your Urban Fantasy Spring Sampler
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Spring is Here!
And so are a new crop of great fantasy books, including:
-Necking by Chris Salvatore
-Embers by Laura Bickle
-Amazon Queen by Lori Devoti
-Spider’s Bite by Jennifer Estep
-Shadow Blade by Seressia Glass
and many more . . . !
Just click the link below to get exclusive access to chapter excerpts from the latest and upcoming books:
You’ll also get bonus content and fun commentary from your favorite fantasy authors. So grab a glass of lemonade, sit back and enjoy the Urban Fantasy Spring Sampler!
