Archive for urban fantasy books
Storm Born by Richelle Mead
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The opening scene in Storm Born is one of the most unique I’ve read in a while. Eugenie Markham, a female shaman who makes her living banishing evil spirits that have crossed over from the Otherworld to our world, has been asked to exorcise a haunted sneaker. Yes you heard right, a haunted sneaker. Here’s an excerpt:
“Look, Miss . . . Odile . . . or whatever. I’m not crazy. That shoe is haunted. It’s evil. you’ve gotta do something, okay? I’ve got a marathon coming up, and until this started happening, these were my lucky shoes. And they’re not cheap, you know. They’re an investment.”
It sounded crazy to me - which was saying something - but there was no harm in checking. I reached into my coat pocket, the one without ammunition. I’d seen weirder things than a haunted shoe, but not many. Sending some of my will into the wand, I tapped it against the shoe and spoke in a sing-song voice.
“Come out, come out, whoever you are.”
“Go away, bitch.”
Great, a shoe with attitude.
Too bad most of her cases aren’t that easy; unfortunately for Eugenie, her next one takes her into the Otherworld, a place inhabited by the gentry, magical fairy beings notorious for their dislike of humankind (don’t think small creatures with wings though; the gentry look just like humans). Eugenie hates the gentry and often sends them to the Underworld if needed. She’s been taught to loathe them since childhood and as such avoids crossing over whenever possible but her new case her to make the journey into their world.
She’s looking for a young girl recently abducted by the gentry, who are also known for stealing adolescent human girls for white slavery and prostitution purposes. Fortunately Eugenie doesn’t have to make the trip alone; she summons the 3 spirits bound to her for protection. It’s through them that she learns that the young girl, Jasmine, has been taken by Aeson, a powerful gentry king. At the advice of one of her spirits she approaches Dorian, a rival of Aeson’s, asking him to accompany her on her mission to rescue Jasmine. Dorian refuses to join her but does offer the help of one of his guides. He then proceed to tell her a story about a powerful ruler called the Storm King who had the ability to control the weather. He tells her of a prophecy in which the Storm King’s daughter will have a child that will rule over both humankind and the Otherworld. Imagine her surprise to learn that she is that daughter and that her child will become the prophesied ruler. Eugenie refuse to accept the prophesy because it puts her in direct conflict with what she’s been taught. Her heritage, her upbringing, and her entire childhood would be reduced to mere lies if Dorian’s tale were true.
Eugenie soon takes her leave of Dorian and takes her run at Aeson but is unsuccessful in part because Jasmine flatly refuses to leave. Eugenie herself is only able to flee Aeson’s minions just in the nick of time.
Back in the human world Eugenie’s next and most important task is to discuss Dorian’s story with her parents. If what he told her is true, they have some splainin’ to do.
The backdrop for Richelle Mead’s book is a social commentary on prejudice and misguided hatred but it primarily takes a back seat to the action-packed storyline.
Eugenie eventually learns the truth about her past which forces her to once again seek Dorian’s assistance, but this time she wants him to help her control her newly discovered powers. The exchanges between Dorian and Eugenie provide many of the comedic elements in the book. Dorian is, at his core, a wise and very powerful gentry king but he’s also incredibly bored with his life in the Otherworld and therefore welcomes the opportunity to travel to the human world to give Eugenie her lessons and ogle human women. He also does his share of propositioning Eugenie but she never really takes him seriously. Eugenie’s romantic interest is Kiyo, a gorgeous kitsune (shapeshifter) who saves Eugenie’s life on more than one occasion. Kiyo’s help is integral to Eugenie’s survival because someone from the Otherworld doesn’t want the prophesy to come true and is gunning for Eugenie. Additionally, some of the Otherworld beings have determined that they can increase their powers by fathering her next child. As such she spends a lot of time fighting for her life and battling creatures wanting to mate with her.
All of this leads up to an incredible climax rife with surprises and suspense.
In some ways this book reminds me of a modern day Elizabethan court piece; there’s intrigue, romance, betrayal, and characters jockeying for power. Mead manages to balance these elements by writing believable characterizations and fleshing out a very detailed fantasy setting. As a matter of fact, she does a great job with world building. The Otherworld she creates is as varied as our world but it’s also magical, frightening, and fascinating. The book ends with an unanswered mystery that I can’t wait to read more about. I’ve got my ideas but there are lots of possibilities so I’ll have see how good I am at predictions!
All of this makes for a thoroughly entertaining, enjoyable, and captivating read.
This is the first book in the Dark Swan series and a great addition to the urban fantasy genre. Richelle, get the second book finished!
HBO’s True Blood Series: Episode 2 Review
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At the end of Episode 1 Sookie is brutally attacked by the Mack and Denise Rattray, the couple Sookie prevented from draining vampire Bill Compton’s blood. She successfully drove them away but they regrouped and attacked her after her shift outside the Merlotte bar. This is one thing I do like about Alan Ball’s adaptation of Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire series: he doesn’t glamorize the violence. Although we’ve yet to see a full out vampire attack he doesn’t hesitate to show the brutal and merciless beating Sookie suffers at the hands (and feet) of the Rattrays. Fortunately, Bill soon follows and rescues her but we don’t really get to see how he took care of the Rattrays. Yet.
Meanwhile Jason Stackhouse, Sookie’s tom-catting brother is being held by the local police for questioning related to the murders of two local women Jason had recently spent time with. Or, to put it bluntly, had sex with. Jason’s a real ladykiller (sorry) whose prowess is known throughout the community. When the police discovered that he’d been with one of the victims just minutes before her brutal killing he became their prime suspect.
Jason’s sexual escapades are a bit risque, so much so that he sometimes videotapes his “performances” with some women. Believe it or not, it’s the videotape of this encounter that proves his innocence. Although Jason believes the tape will show that he killed the woman in question it actually proves his innocence. The tape clearly shows that the victim was still alive after Jason left. By the way, the tape is VERY graphic.
So, what does Jason do? Thank a higher force for his salvation? Attend a church meeting? Offer his condolences to the family of the deceased woman? No. He heads straight to one of his “stand-by” women and proceeds to be intimate with her. What a winner. But this is to be expected; this is exactly how he’s portrayed in the Charlaine Harris books.
Back to Bill and Sookie. In order to heal her wounds Bill persuades Sookie to injest some of his blood. She’s understandably reluctant at first but then agrees. During the course of their conversation you see the restorative properties of vampire blood.
Later in the show we discover that a mysterious hurricane had totally demolished the trailer home occupied by Mack and Denise Rattray, crushing their bodies underneath the structure. Oh. What a coincidence.
Overall I liked this episode better than the first but I wasn’t too happy with the pacing. There were lots of flashbacks that, while primarily providing backstory about Sookie, which was needed, didn’t adequately provide much material to justify Sookie’s relationship with Bill. The chemistry between them is vague. I’d like to see a few scenes with just the two of them getting to know one another. Just talking like 2 people attracted to one another often do.
I’m not giving up on the series because I know there are LOTS of great adventures ahead. I’m fairly optimistic that it will continue to improve.
You can also read the review of the 1st episode: >>Review of HBO’s True Blue Series - Where is Charlaine Harris’ Plot?
Review of HBO’s True Blood Series: Where’s Charlaine Harris’ Plot?
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s the video trailer for the new HBO series “True Blood“:
Here’s my take on the series:
First let me explain that I’m a BIG fan of the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery series written by Charlaine Harris. The books are entertaining, well written, funny, and totally engaging. So it was with great anticipation that I awaited the first episode of “True Blood”, the new HBO series that’s based on this urban fantasy book series. I was so excited - I got my errands done early, had a great meal, cleaned the TV screen, and sat in front of the set with a glass of wine. I was ready.
Too bad the series wasn’t.
About halfway through the premiere episode I started thinking: did these guys read the Charlaine Harris books?
Let’s start with Sookie:
I envisioned her as having a similar body type as Anna Paquin, the actress portraying Sookie in the series, but I never thought she’d have a deep Southern accent. Yes, the books take place in a town called Bon Temps, Louisiana, but as someone who was born and lives in the South I can tell you there’s a noticeable difference between a Louisiana accent and a southern states accent. Sookie has a southern states accent. And why can’t American actors do decent southern accents?
Bill Compton:
Bill is more swarthy than I pictured and seems much, I don’t know, SLOWER, than the Bill in the books. He also has a southern accent but what annoys me about him is he’s so . . . SLOW. Vampires are supposed to be creatures that move fast and are quick thinkers. Bill seems like he’s on Prozac or something. If I had to engage in more than a 5 minute conversation with him I’d fall asleep of boredom.
Tara:
It’s great that they decided to use an African American actress for Tara’s character but again, did those guys read the books? The Tara in the books isn’t at all like this character. This Tara goes out of her way to be rude to those around her. This Tara insults EVERYONE. The Tara in the book (who isn’t introduced until the 2nd book by the way), is a sweet engaging young woman that supports Sookie and her lifestyle choices. I’m not sure why the writers decided to make Tara such a shrew but it detracts from the main storyline.
Jason and Sam:
Now here’s where they got it right. Jason is as womanizing, sly, dumb, and egocentric as Charlaine Harris describes him. And Sam is the patient and cautious bartender I’d imagined he’d be. Kudos to the casting director for making these choices. These guys really bring the book characters to life.
The Sex:
Say what? There’s a scene in the premiere episode where Sookie gets up one night to find Bill standing outside her home. She goes outside and greets him, and Bill IMMEDIATELY starts taking off his clothes. Even more surprising: Sookie follows suit and states “I never thought I’d be having sex with a vampire.”
This scene isn’t in the book and there’s no reason for this encounter between Bill and Sookie to have occurred so early on. Sookie Stackhouse is a virgin who, over the course of time, comes to love Bill and as such, has sex for the first time with him. I don’t know who this HBO Sookie is because the one in the book would never do that. What really irks me (and puzzles me as well) is the abruptness of Sookie’s actions. It’s shocking to see her immediately begin taking off her clothes. This is totally outside Sookie’s character.
UPDATE: Since writing this review I’ve come to realize that perhaps this represented a dream, because in Episode 2 there’s reference to Sookie’s virginity and Episode 3 shows a similar scene: Sookie and Bill are about to have sex and then Sookie wakes up alone in bed.
Overall, I found the first episode to be somewhat annoying because of the numerous “creative liberties” taken by the director of the series. People who have never read the books might be okay with it but I’ll wager that most of the viewing audience is comprised of people like me that are fans of the books. Here’s hoping the next episode is better.
See also: The Complete Listing of Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse Books
New Releases: Best New Urban Fantasy Books for September 2008
Posted by: | CommentsThe following fantasy books are being released this month. With new releases by authors like C.E. Murphy, Lilith Saintcrow, Chris Marie Green, Justina Robson, L.A. Banks, and Richelle Mead, you can’t go wrong. There’s something here for everyone!
| Sept. 1, 2008 |  |
Hands of Flame (The Negotiator Book 3) by C.E. Murphy War has erupted among the five Old Races, and Margrit is responsible for the death that caused it. Now New York City’s most unusual lawyer finds herself facing her toughest negotiation yet. And with her gargoyle lover, Alban, taken prisoner, Margrit’s only allies—a dragon bitter about his fall, a vampire determined to hold his standing at any cost and a mortal detective with no idea what he’s up against—have demands of their own. Determined to rescue Alban and torn between conflicting loyalties as the battle seeps into the human world, Margrit soon realizes the only way out is through the fire. See my review of C.E. Murphy’s urban fantasy book, Heart of Stone (The Negotiator Book 1). |
| Sept. 1, 2008 |  |
Haunting the Nightside (Nightside Omnibus Book 2) by Simon R. Green This is a popular urban fantasy book series by Simon R. Green, a great urban fantasy writer. |
| Sept. 1, 2008 |  |
Hungry for More by Diana Holquist Chef James LaChance has no time for the gorgeous Gypsy who appears at his restaurant with a mysterious agenda. Amy Burns is a Gypsy with a gift: she can name a person’s One True Love. To keep her mystical power, she can never fall in love herself–a price she’s more than willing to pay. Until she meets the sexy chef whose talents in the kitchen are only surpassed by his talents in the bedroom. But is any man worth giving up the only gift she’s ever had? As desire leads to passion, Amy must choose between her destiny and the man who loves her… |
| Sept. 1, 2008 |  |
Hunter’s Prayer by Lilith Saintcrow Another night on the Nightside…An ancient evil looms over Santa Luz. Prostitutes are showing up dead and eviscerated. And Jill Kismet just might be able to get her revenge against an old enemy. There’s just one problem. Someone wants Jill dead–again. And if they have to open up Hell itself to kill her, they will. I love the books in this urban fantasy series by Lilith Saintcrow! |
| Sept. 1, 2008 |  |
Insatiable Desire by Rita Herron FBI agent Vincent Valtrez, the son of a devil and an angel, is a Dark Lord with the potential for great good or great evil. His dead father, Zion, is about to be named the new leader of Hell’s legions, and Pan, god of fear, wants to harvest Vincent’s soul and win Zion’s approval. He lures Vincent back to his hometown by targeting psychic Clarissa King, for whom Vincent has long felt an attraction. Herron manages to stke a balance between the romance bubbling between Vincent and Clarissa and the horror of Pan’s actions. Vincent displays enough self-loathing to make him an interestingly brooding hero, and readers will enjoy the chase after Pan’s earthly agents and Vincent’s struggle with his figurative and literal demons, right up to the obligatory cliffhanger ending. |
| Sept. 2, 2008 |  |
Medlocks (The Barathrum Evado Trophy) by Dave Berenato The Barkers arent your normal family living in Wisconsin. With eight kids including a set of quintuplets, a pair of twins, and one single born, they couldnt count themselves as the typical American family. But in Medlocks: the Barathrum Evado Trophy, their lives change forever one summer when they wake up with miraculous superpowers. Shortly after they are told that they must attend an academy in another solar system called Medlocks. While they discover their parents dark secrets, they also learn about a villain trying to stop them from solving the mystery of The Barathrum Evado Trophy. Grab onto the roller coaster ride where young author Dave Berenato takes you down a path of cliffhangers and unexpected twists in Medlocks: the Barathrum Evado Trophy. |
| Sept. 2, 2008 |  |
Moon in the Mirror (A Tess Noncoire Adventure) by P.R. Frost Frost’s lively sequel to Hounding the Moon (2006) finds Tess Noncoiré, fantasy writer and Warrior of the Celestial Blade, literally haunted by the ghost of her dead husband, Dill, and on the run from the vengeful widow of a Windago demon. Tess doesn’t need more trouble, but she gets it anyway when WindScribe, a member of her aunt MoonFeather’s coven, reappears—unaged, naked and hounded by garden gnomes with teeth—after vanishing 28 years before. This is an enjoyable, slightly screwball fantasy adventure leavened with touches of soap opera. |
| Sept. 2, 2008 |  |
Vampires by John Steakley Vampires is about a tightly knit group of professional vampire killers. They may say they’re in it for the money, but their death-defying bravado are as intense as those in any soldier-hero epic. The irrepressible, foul-mouthed, hard-drinkin’ Jack Crow–decked out in high-tech chain mail and wielding a fearsome crossbow–is the leader of the bunch. He’s the sort of man who screams obscenities at the pope, and then (after a lot of booze) weeps in the pontiff’s lap over the horrors he’s witnessed. Vampires is a gaudy, action-packed novel. The men are men, the women are vulnerable, and the vampires are mean, ugly monsters. Unless you don’t like that sort of thing, you’ll love it. I personally love reading vampire books like this. |
| Sept. 2, 2008 |  |
Break of Dawn by Chris Marie Green Hollywood can really suck… To save her father Dawn must enter the Vampire Underground, where she will encounter an unthinkable betrayal, and where the question of who is truly good and who is truly evil will become a matter of life, death—and undeath. See my review of Night Rising (Vampire Babylon Book 1), a great introduction to this urban fantasy series. |
| Sept. 2, 2008 |  |
Daughter of Hounds by Caitlin R. Kiernan This book features psychic sensitive Deacon Silvey and his supernaturally scarred family and friends is a hell-raising dark fantasy replete with ghouls, changelings and eerie intimations of a macabre otherworld. Deacon’s adolescent daughter, Emmie, finds herself increasingly subject to weird presentiments and uncanny encounters that suggest she’s more fey than mortal. The complex plot springs abundant surprises involving forgotten cradle exchanges, mistaken identities and unexpected betrayals on its juggernaut roll to a memorable finale. Though more talky than Kiernan’s usual, the story still manages an effective mix of atmosphere and action and resolves most of the major subplots. |
| Sept. 16 , 2008 |  |
The Bride of Casa Dracula (Casa Dracula Book 3) by Marta Acosta Milagro De Los Santos is having serious problems planning her wedding to fabulous Oswald Grant, M.D. Her future in-laws loathe her, her dog just died, and Oswald’s family has a genetic anomaly that makes them crave blood. Then her extravagant best friend hijacks the role of wedding coordinator, and the secretive Vampire Council assigns conniving Cornelia Ducharme to guide the couple through the ancient vampire marriage rituals. To top it all off, Milagro’s career is on the skids. She’s reduced to ghost-writing the memoirs of a loony little man who claims to be a shapeshifter. And why does Cornelia’s decadent, way too attractive brother, Ian, always show up whenever Milagro is away from Oswald? When a series of accidents interferes with wedding plans, Oswald worries that Milagro is cracking under the pressure. Is she just paranoid, or is a hidden enemy trying to make sure Milagro doesn’t wed the undead? |
| Sept. 23, 2008 |  |
Going Under (Quantum Gravity Book 3) by Justina Robson Lila Black is off with the faeries . . . Ever since the Quantum Bomb of 2015 things have been different; the dimensions have fused and suddenly our world is accessible to elves, demons, ghosts and elementals and their worlds are open to us. Things have been different for Special Agent Lila Black too: tortured and magic-scarred by elves, rebuilt by humans into a half-robot, part-AI, nuclear-fueled walking arsenal, and carrying the essence of a dead elfin necromancer in her chest, sometimes she has trouble figuring out who she is. And a mission to the world of the fae may not help her work it out. See my review of Keeping It Real (Quantum Gravity Book 1), the first book in the Lila Black urban fantasy series. |
| Sept. 30, 2008 |  |
One Bite With a Stranger (The Others Book 6) by Christine Warren When Regina’s friends insist on setting her up a “Fantasy Fix” to help her get over her cheating ex, she dreams up some kinky out-of-this-world encounters that they could never possibly bring to life. But the next thing Regina knows, her friends have got her laced into a shiny black corset, tight leather pants, and a sexy pair of stilettos. It’s time for some downtown vampire-fantasy fun. . . . The Vampire Ball in Manhattan’s East Village isn’t really Dmitri Vidâme’s idea of a good time, but as a member of the Council that governs the Others, he has to keep an eye on all the young vamps who prey on the pretenders. After he feasts his dark eyes on fiery Regina at the bar, he knows that he must have her. But for the first time Dmitri meets a woman who is more than a match for his indomitable will. And he may be the fantasy Regina hoped for… until she—and her feisty friends—discover her sexy new lover’s bloodsucking secret. |
| Sept. 30, 2008 |  |
Pandemonium by Daryl Gregory Sasha Trudeau considers herself a soldier first and a werewolf second. But while her secret government-sanctioned task-force faces its greatest challenge so far, Sasha faces something much more primal: the undeniable pull of the moon—and her own desires. With rogue wolves savaging both the human and paranormal worlds, Sasha’s team of elite operatives has one job: destroy the rogues and isolate the deadly toxin that’s poisoned their blood. But the challenge is far more complicated than Sasha could have imagined. Soon she is thrust into a full-scale supernatural war for supremacy—and the only man left who Sasha can turn to might be the biggest danger to her of all. . .and in more ways than one. I love L.A. Banks’ sexy urban fantasy books! |
| Sept. 30, 2008 |  |
Succubus Dreams (Georgina Kincaid Book 3) by Richelle Mead Some days, a girl just can’t catch a break … especially when the girl in question is Georgina Kincaid, a shape-shifting succubus who gets her energy from seducing men. First there’s her relationship with gorgeous bestselling writer Seth Mortensen, which is unsatisfying on a number of levels. It’s not just that they can’t have sex in case Georgina inadvertently kills him (generally a turn-off for most guys). Lately, even spending time together is a challenge. Then there are the dreams. Someone, or something, is preying on Georgina at night, draining her energy, and supplying eerie visions of her future. Now Georgina faces a double challenge-rein in her out-of-control love life, and go toe-to-toe with an enemy capable of wreaking serious havoc among mankind. Otherwise, Georgina, and the entire mortal world, may never sleep easy again. See my review of Storm Born, another great book by Richelle Mead. |
See also: Best Selling Urban Fantasy Books for 2008
Hot New Releases: Best Fantasy Books for August 2008
Best Selling Fantasy Books for 2008
Hot New Releases - Best Urban Fantasy Books for August 2008
Posted by: | CommentsThe following fantasy books are being released this month, August 2008. Several of these books are written by very popular fantasy book writers and are sure to be good.
| August 2, 2008 | 
|
Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga Book 4) by Stephenie Meyer This is the last book in the incredibly popular Twilight Saga series. |
| August 3, 2008 |  |
Seaborn by Chris Howard Corina Lairsey goes from one bad relationship to the next. However this new guy has taken a few liberties that Corina can’t possibly allow - he’s taken control of her body. As Corina struggles to get rid of him he starts selling off pieces of her life in order to gain additional power. What follows is an adventurous race against time and a to-the-death battle of wills. |
| August 4, 2008 |  |
The Last Angel by Kayla Steele “An angel is found murdered on the streets of Sunset Boulevard. To the media gossip mongers, it’s the biggest story ever. To the Hunters, an underground monster-fighting hit-squad, it’s just another case of ‘whodunnit’. To Kayla Steele, their youngest and newest member, it means a last, desperate chance to bring her murdered fiancé back from the dead . . .“ |
| August 5, 2008 |  |
Storm Born (Dark Swan Book 1) by Richelle Mead I’d seen weirder things than a haunted shoe, but not many. Sending some of my will into the wand, I tapped it against the shoe and spoke in a sing-song voice. “Come out, come out, whoever you are.” “Go away, bitch.” Great, a shoe with attitude. Fantasy Girl: I just bought this one - check out my Storm Born review! |
| August 5, 2008 |  |
Enchantment Place by Denise Little To say that the stores in Enchantment Place are unique is an understatement. They cater to customers that are looking for specialty items. “Here are seventeen shopping trips you’ll never forget, from a store that sells the highest quality familiars…to the non-magical daughter of a magic-filled family who is left to mind the family jewelry store though she has no means to defeat an enchanting thief…to a woman running a Wiccan supply store who is suddenly faced with an IRS audit…“ |
| August 5, 2008 |  |
Necking by Chris Salvatore “Gia Felice has a Rolodex full of vampires, werewolves, witches, and aliens - not to mention the livestock suppliers, undead-friendly hotels, and sleazy bars that cater to her clients’ more carnal needs. Sometimes being the premier book publicist to the underworld can suck - literally. Especially if you’re human. Especially if you’ve got the hots for irresistible Johnny and his sly half smile that shows just a little fang!” |
| August 5, 2008 |  |
Gale Force (Weather Warden, Book 7) by Rachel Caine “Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin is on vacation when her Djinn lover, David, asks Joanne to marry him. She’s thrilled to say yes, even if some others may be less than happy about it. Unfortunately, Joanne’s pre-marital bliss is ended by a devastating earthquake in Florida. And she can’t ask David and his kind for assistance. Because the cause of the quake is unlike anything Joanne has ever encountered—and a power even the Djinn cannot perceive.” |
| August 5, 2008 |  |
Underground (Greywalker, Book Three) by Kat Richardson “Harper Blaine was your average small-time P.I. until she died—for two minutes. Now Harper is a Greywalker—walking the thin line between the living world and the paranormal realm. The local homeless are turning up dead and mutilated, and zombies have been seen roaming the underground—the city buried beneath modern Seattle. But the killer is no mere murderer—it is a creature of ancient legend. And Harper must deal with both the living and the dead to stop the monster and its master…unless they stop her first.” |
| August 5, 2008 |  |
Kiss of Fury (Dragon Fire Book 3) by Deborah Cooke “Alexandra Madison has discovered an invention that could change the world. When her partner is murdered and their lab destroyed, Alex knows she has to rebuild her prototype in time… Donovan Shea knows the Madison project is of dire importance to the ongoing Pyr/Slayer war. So when he sees Alex being followed by a Slayer, he reacts and defends her, never imagining that she’s his destined mate… As Slayers close in on their prey, Donovan knows he’ll surrender his life to protect Alex—and lose his heart to possess her…“ |
| August 12, 2008 |  |
Bitten to Death (Jaz Parks, Book 4) by Jennifer Rardin “Jaz Parks here. My latest mission has taken me to the ancient Greek city of Patras; but instead of soaking up its splendor, I’m here to infiltrate a Vampere Trust. Only two vamps have ever escaped the tightly bound communities and lived to tell the tale: Edward “The Raptor”Samos, the most reviled criminal mastermind in recent memory, and Vayl, the CIA’s number one assassin who also happens to be my boss.“ |
| August 26, 2008 |  |
The Gypsy Morph (The Genesis of Shannara, Book 3) by Terry Brooks |
| August 26, 2008 | |
Hunter’s Prayer by Lilith Saintcrow “Another night on the Nightside…An ancient evil looms over Santa Luz. Prostitutes are showing up dead and eviscerated. And Jill Kismet just might be able to get her revenge against an old enemy. There’s just one problem. Someone wants Jill dead–again. And if they have to open up Hell itself to kill her, they will.” Fantasy Girl: I have every Lilith Saintcrow urban fantasy book in publication and they’re all fantastic! |
| August 26, 2008 |  |
Legacy (Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles, Book 4) by Jeanne C. Stein “The sinister vampire who transformed her is dead, and Anna is entitled to his vast fortune. But a predatory werewolf comes forward, claiming the inheritance as her own—and she’ll kill to get what she wants most: blood and money.” Fantasy Girl: I have every book in the Anna Strong urban fantasy vampire series and highly recommend them! Reviews: |
| August 26, 2008 | |
Pandemonium by Daryl Gregory “A demon had possessed a man, and O’Hare security had sealed off the concourse between the gates and baggage claim. Reactions varied from exasperation to excitement. It was another travel delay, but at least it was an interesting delay. Fantasy Girl: I’ve added this one to my shopping cart! |
| August 26, 2008 |  |
Pure Blood by Caitlin Kittredge “In the shadows of Nocturne City, witches lurk and demons prowl, and homicide detective Luna Wilder must keep the peace—while living life as a werewolf. Now bodies are turning up all over town, the brutal murders linked by a cryptic message: We see with empty eyes… To make matters worse for Luna, she can’t get wolfishly handsome Dmitri Sandovsky out of her mind . . .“ |
See also: Best Selling Urban Fantasy Books for 2008
Best Selling Urban Fantasy Books for 2008
Posted by: | CommentsAccording to Amazon sales here are the Top 10 Best Selling Urban Fantasy Books thus far for 2008. As you can see, Jim Butcher dominates the list.
Check out the cool carousel at the bottom of the list!
- Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress Book 1) by Jeaniene Frost
- Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files Book #8) by Jim Butcher
- Magic Burns (Kate Daniels Book 2) by Ilona Andrews
- Dark Possession (The Carpathians (Dark) Series Book 15) by Christine Feehan
- Storm Front (The Dresden Files Book 1) by Jim Butcher
- Magic Bites (Kate Daniels Book 1) by Ilona Andrews
- Fool Moon (The Dresden Files Book 2) by Jim Butcher
- Blood Rites (The Dresden Files Book 6) by Jim Butcher
- Death Masks (The Dresden Files Book 5) by Jim Butcher
- Dead Beat (The Dresden Files Book 7) by Jim Butcher
Let your cursor hover over any of the books below to check out the latest prices. Click on the book itself to get more information:
See also:
Best Urban Fantasy Books for August 2008
Romancing The Dead by Tate Hallaway (Book 3)
Posted by: | Comments
Our spunky witch with attitude is back in Book 3 of the Garnet Lacey fantasy book series. This installment focuses on Garnet’s frantic attempts to locate her fiancé, start a new coven, and avoid being killed by persons unknown.
The book opens with Garnet planning her impending wedding. Unfortunately Garnet is having a hard time coming to terms with her upcoming nuptials with Sebastian, her drop dead (no pun intended) gorgeous vampire boyfriend. It’s not so much the wedding itself or the concept of being married, it’s that Garnet doesn’t really know much about Sebastian’s life before he met her, nor does she know much about his “other life” with his ghouls, women and men who willingly let vampires bite them. Ghouls provide vampires with their much needed blood supply. Garnet has ignored this segment of Sebastian’s life but now has to face the fact that one of them could be responsible for Sebastian’s recent disappearance. That’s right, her boyfriend has gone missing. He never made it home one night and Garnet slowly begins suspecting foul play.
This brings her into contact with Sebastian’s estranged son, Matyas, who attempted to kill both Sebastian and Garnet in the previous book. Matyas blames his father for his mother’s current state of torpor; she was dying and Sebastian attempted to make her into a vampire. It didn’t work and as a result she exists somewhere between being dead and undead. In order to find Sebastian Garnet has to set aside her feelings for Matyas and request (and even more difficult, accept) his assistance. The relationship between Garnet and Matyas is occasionally strained but provides some of the scant humor sprinkled throughout the book.
I gotta tell you, this book didn’t do it for me. It was quite obvious early on which characters were involved in Sebastian’s disappearance. This took away a lot of the suspense and mystery that could have carried the plotline along to the end of the story. Unfortunately, once you knew who the bad guys were it was somewhat annoying having to wait for Garnet to play “catch up.”
The climax of the story was somewhat of a letdown as well. At less than 300 pages (with a few blank pages thrown in) this book seemed to end without really accomplishing very much. Perhaps I’ve read too many other urban fantasy books like the Rachel Morgan and Paige Winterbourne series because I kept waiting for Garnet to do some cool magical spells to defend herself and those around her. Without the prevalence of magic Garnet seemed a little too general to me, too pedestrian. Don’t get me wrong, magic use does occur in the book, it just wasn’t very exciting to me. Again this might be because I’ve recently read books where magic is more prevalent.
If you’ve read the other books in this urban fantasy series (see my review of Dead Sexy) you’ll understand why I think this one falls a little short on substance. Nonetheless I’ll probably purchase the next book in the series just to see where Tate Hallaway takes Garnet.
