TWICE TEMPTED continues the thrilling roller coaster ride that is Jeaniene Frost’s Night Prince series. I Review Courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
TWICE TEMPTED continues the thrilling roller coaster ride that is Jeaniene Frost’s Night Prince series. I was miffed that we were left with a cliffhanger in ONCE BURNED so I was eagerly anticipating more dark and dangerous adventures with the very sexy Vlad and Leila. TWICE TEMPTED does not disappoint and is even darker, bloodier and more intense. The plot is thick with danger lurking around every corner and the shocking plot twists had my head spinning.
Aside from the thrilling search for Leila’s would be killer, I loved getting more peeks at Vlad’s horribly bloody past. These glimpses are graphic and brutal but they helped in understanding where this sexy torturer is coming from. There were also frequent and slightly graphic scenes in Vlad’s torture chamber that had me feeling really really sorry for the unfortunate prisoners being held there regardless of their guilt.
While Vlad is indeed one scary and powerful vampire, he and Leila fit so well together on an emotional level. I adore how Leila tests Vlad and is one of the few people that can stand up to him and his dominate vampire lord personality without cowering in fear. It is really fun seeing Leila’s modern sensibilities clash so much with Vlad’s more traditional views on relationships.
TWICE TEMPTED has a fiery romance between two strong personalities and heaps on the brutality of just what it means to love Vlad the Impaler. Like ONCE BURNED, TWICE TEMPTED teases us with some rather interesting loose ends to tie up in the next untitled Night Prince series book.
Sexual Content: Multiple graphic sex scenes...more
LIQUID LIES, the first book in The Elementals series, is a blend of paranormal and light sci-fi romance that despiCourtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
LIQUID LIES, the first book in The Elementals series, is a blend of paranormal and light sci-fi romance that despite its enticing description didn’t grab me as much as I expected. I enjoyed learning about how Gwen and her race of aliens called Ofarians came to Earth. I was a little curious about how they could have remained hidden on Earth for so long and was amazed at how easily they seemed to infiltrate the human world becoming so rich and powerful by selling a magical “cure all” to humans.
Gwen’s loyalty to her family and race is tested throughout LIQUID LIES and what was most admirable about her was that she never lost sense of her own morality even when faced with dire consequences for her and her family. While I enjoyed Gwen’s growth and determination to fight for what she thinks is right, I was at a loss about my feelings for Reed. I understood the physical attraction but I couldn’t buy the intense love these two supposedly felt for each other after such a short time together, especially considering that Reed was acting as one of her captors most of the time.
One of the other issues that bothered me was the concept of “Allure” which is something Ofarians experience and define as desiring what you can never have. For instance, the Ofarians do not allow intimate relationships with humans to protect them from the off chance that their alien nature might be discovered. So if someone feels an attraction to a human they should fight the attraction. That’s it. There is no destined soul mates or bonding concept that Gwen has to fight with when she feels an attraction to Reed. Allure comes off as simple sexual attraction and I didn’t get why they needed a specific word to define something that doesn’t even present a trait unique to the this alien race.
LIQUID LIES succeeds in the slow build up to a major revelation that has lasting implications for all of the characters, but failed on building a solid relationship between the two main characters. The next book in The Elementals series is called A TASTE OF ICE and comes out December 31, 2012.
In the third book of the Awakening series; VISIONS OF CHAINS delivers another intense and passionate story Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
In the third book of the Awakening series; VISIONS OF CHAINS delivers another intense and passionate story with a new couple; Deidre and Finn. I love the way the witch hunts and hysteria is translated to a modern setting with guns and GPS trackers. It’s an interesting ‘what if’ scenario involving civil liberties being slowly stripped away and accused witches being shuffled off to internment camps.
The world building gets bigger and more in depth with each book and VISIONS OF CHAINS really starts to ramp up the intrigue with some shocking twists in the plot. Unlike the previous book, VISIONS OF CHAINS features a heroine who has no clue about her powers. Diedre learned fast and took things in stride including the fact that her mother is the president whose administration openly persecuted witches. I enjoyed how Finn deftly handled having to walk Diedre through this new identity as a witch and was actually worried that he wouldn’t stay with her in the end considering his constant insistence that he was going to leave after their job was finished.
VISIONS OF CHAINS was a true page turner with great action, tension, and a passionate romance. There are no details about the next book in the Awakening series, but there has been a small yet growing subplot involving a missing Eternal and his witch throughout the series. These two have a lot to work through which is why I am hoping they will be the main characters in book four.
BANSHEE CHARMER, the novella length first installment of the new Files of the Otherworld Enforcement AgencyReview courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
BANSHEE CHARMER, the novella length first installment of the new Files of the Otherworld Enforcement Agency starts off with an interesting premise; Kiera “Mac” McLoughlin, a half-banshee police detective, must track down a serial killer who isn’t human and shouldn’t even exist anymore according to her boss. Banshees are not your typical protagonists, even in paranormal fiction, so I was excited to see Mac’s unique brand of supernatural powers in action.
Banshee mythology portrays them as screaming harbringers of death. In BANSHEE CHARMER, Mac’s screams can stun or kill when necessary. This is a rather handy skill to have in her line of work. Potentially lethal screaming aside, there wasn’t a lot about Mac to connect with. Whether this is due to the shorter length (novella), or not, I don’t know but there just wasn’t enough. That observation is unfortunately true for both the romance and world building. Too often I felt like I was being told interesting things about characters and this world without being able to really absorb them appropriately before something else happened.
One thing you can’t rush in a paranormal romance, is the romance. I would be tempted to categorize BANSHEE CHARMER as urban fantasy since the romance wasn’t very strong. Mac’s love interest, Aiden had potential to be an interesting character with his mysterious background and his job with the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency but I was mostly left wondering what Mac saw in him besides his attractiveness. Their romance seemed rushed and I felt like I was missing scenes where they were connecting with each other on a level that was more than lust.
Overall, the great premise and supernatural serial killer plot in BANSHEE CHARMER were strong enough to help balance out the shortcomings with the romance and characterization. A lot of my criticisms are probably due to the novella length restrictions. I’m hopeful that the next installment will be a full length novel that really takes advantage of all the promise in the Files of the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency. There is definitely something here.
Sexual Content: Explicit sex scenes, kissing...more
THE LOST PRINCE is a wonderful continuation of the world created in Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series weaving Review Courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
THE LOST PRINCE is a wonderful continuation of the world created in Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series weaving new characters with a familiar and fascinating world. I loved the intricate descriptions of the Neverever, especially the unique differences between the Iron Fey land and the Winter and Summer Fey lands. The mystery behind the disappearing Fey was tragic and complex and is an excellent start for what looks to be a truly compelling story arc.
I like that Ethan Chase is the main character for this series since we get to see what happens to Meghan’s family after she leaves for Faerie in the original books. He is an excellent bridge between the two series and it feels like a natural expansion of Julie Kagawa’s world. Kagawa did an excellent job of creating sympathy for Ethan Chase and even his parents as he is forced to live his life in constant fear of being kidnapped again by the Fey, though I felt like he went overboard with his goth/antisocial demeanor especially since it seemed to bring more attention to him by his classmates and teachers.
THE LOST PRINCE brings readers back to the intricately realized world and unique characters we fell in love with in the Iron Fey series. I look forward to seeing what new adventures Ethan will meet in THE TRAITOR SON due out September 2013.
The Iron Druid Chronicles has been one of the wittiest and clever series to break into the urban fantasy laReview Courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
The Iron Druid Chronicles has been one of the wittiest and clever series to break into the urban fantasy landscape over the past year. The prolific Hearne has released five titles in this series since 2011, helping to keep rabid fans satiated. In TRAPPED, however, he does more than deliver another hilariously smart tale, he lets twelve years pass between TRICKED and TRAPPED.
When a series is as fun as this one, skipping even one year is painful, so I was a little miffed at the twelve year time jump in TRAPPED as we missed all of Granuaile’s training, but the thrilling and hilarious journey involved just to get her bound to the earth went a long way towards making up for the missed years. It was nice to see Granuaile be able to fight and defend herself better, and I enjoyed seeing her relationship with Atticus finally move forward past the apprentice/master role…It also helped that Atticus was forced to pull out every trick in his considerable arsenal to stop the numerous attempts on his life since everyone from gods to vampires are after him. One of my favorite out of many exciting fight sequences involved killer clowns in a most unusual setting.
Oberon is once again incredibly sassy and funny. So many of the hilarious comments came from his ramblings, pop culture references, and running commentary on the plot. Another aspect of this book and series that I love is the details we learn about Ragnarok, Greek and Roman Olympians, and the Faerie realm. The mixing of mythologies is awesome here and the glossary that is included helps keep the confusion with so many unfamiliar names to a minimum.
The twelve year jump does sting, as I hate to miss a minute with this series (I need to pick up TWO RAVENS AND ONE CROW, the novella that takes place during the twelve year gap), but TRAPPED is jam packed with petty, cruel gods, and a tough as iron Druid who can more than handle anything they throw at him. Hopefully HUNTED, the sixth and projected final book in the Iron Druid Chronicles, will pick up right after TRAPPED when it comes out in 2013.
AND BLUE SKIES FROM PAIN, the second book in Stina Leicht’s The Fey and The Fallen series is beautifully wrReview courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
AND BLUE SKIES FROM PAIN, the second book in Stina Leicht’s The Fey and The Fallen series is beautifully written and brings a supernatural undertone to a violent era in 1970’s Ireland. I was curious about how the paranormal aspects would fit in with such a complex and tumultuous point in history. What I found interesting was the parallels of politics and conflict brought about by mistrust and ingrained prejudices among the Catholic Church with the Fey (which they consider to be demons) and the Protestant and Catholic conflicts in Ireland. Throughout the book the slightest misstep could spell war for the Fey and the Church which masterfully matched the underlying pressures felt by people in Ireland.
Caught in the middle of these brewing issues is the half-mortal/ex-Provisional IRA fighter Liam Kelley. Liam is put through the physical and mental ringer as he faces prison-like isolation, degrading medical tests to prove that he is human, and maintaining a low profile from the IRA who want him dead. Liam was a flawed and conflicted character in part due to his violent past and the tragic loss of his family, but it made him feel all the more real--and sympathetic--to me.
Mixed in with the politics and violence we see some of the punk culture that was around in the 70s (the title is even a part of a Pink Floyd song) The punk subculture was an expression of anarchism, anger, rebellion against authority, and nihilistic views of life. The music and culture was hard and gritty which fits nicely into the background of AND BLUE SKIES WITH PAIN’s setting in Ireland.
I loved Stina Leicht’s world-building and how she so seamlessly mixed the supernatural with actual history. I found this amazing as the Fey storyline could have so easily come off as a jarring contrast. I actually feel more familiar with this time period in Ireland’s history now having read this book and it’s made me want to learn more. AND BLUE SKIES FROM PAIN is a gritty and complex story that had me thinking about it long after I put the book down.
I love seeing how different authors play with angel mythology considering they are one of the few fantasy cReview courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
I love seeing how different authors play with angel mythology considering they are one of the few fantasy creatures with some built in lore of their own in actual religious texts. One thing that bothered me was the characters referring to God as “Old Man”. I got the feeling that Killough-Walden was trying too hard to hide the connotation to the Judeo-Christian God. Personally I was a touch bothered by the terminology and probably would have been less irked if they just used “Father” or something.
The general series premise of “God” giving His four favored angels each a female angel called an archess who then go missing for many years was was a great set up for a romantic reunion. In MESSENGER’S ANGEL, we follow Archangel Gabriel to Scotland on his search for his archess, Juliette. Romantic setting aside I found Gabriel to be a touch thick for being 2000+ years old considering that during his first encounters with Juliette she has no idea what he or even she is. I understand the reaction to finding your long lost soul mate but some of his actions were rather counter-intuitive to getting your lost love to open up and trust you especially when that trust is necessary to save her life.
In addition to the premise, I like the concept of the archesses’ blood giving other beings powers as it was a good motive for a villain to want to kidnap Juliette. Although the amount of people going after Juliette made the story more complex than necessary. There were bad guys who had henchmen with their own personal agendas for Juliette and after awhile I got very confused about who was who and which motive each person had.
A few too many villains aside, MESSENGER’S ANGEL mixed intense action with a sexy romance about long lost soul mates. I am interested in the next book involving the Angel of Death called DEATH’S ANGEL coming out in 2013.
THE GIRL IN THE CLOCKWORK COLLAR is an action packed prison break caper set in a fascinating steampunk worlReview courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
THE GIRL IN THE CLOCKWORK COLLAR is an action packed prison break caper set in a fascinating steampunk world. I enjoyed the touches of steampunk technology throughout the book such as one character having a large mechanical panther and another riding a mechanical horse. I also loved that the famous inventor Tesla was an actual character here and not just referenced as the creator of some contraption that happens to help the characters save the day. Tesla himself even helps out in the final confrontation and I would have loved to have him in the story more; perhaps in his lab playing with his crazy inventions.
The story, which revolves around saving Jasper and Mei (the girl in the clockwork collar) from a former friend of Jasper’s, moved at an even pace for most of the part though I felt like there was too much time spent planning Jasper’s rescue than actually doing anything. Another problem was the clockwork collar itself. It is supposed to be a torture device, choking the victim if they tried to escape or displeased their captor, but there was never a scene where we got to see the collar in use which would have gone a long way towards making Mei’s plight more dire.
I enjoyed the concept of the ‘prison break’ plot but having not read the previous book, I couldn’t completely connect with the characters or their motivations. For example, I never fully understood the reason the group was trying so desperately to save Jasper. I would have liked some sort of reference to the previous book that better defined his relationship with the other characters so that I could understand their motivation for the rescue attempt.
And while Finley came off as pretty confident and I liked that she could definitely fend for herself especially while wearing a corset, the fact that she was apparently struggling to balance two separate personalities was just stated rather than shown.
I really liked certain elements of THE GIRL WITH THE CLOCKWORK COLLAR such as the action packed fight sequences and world building but was confused over some of the characterization which impeded my understanding of their personalities and motives.
A DEMON DOES IT BETTER takes place at Crying Souls Hospital where magical beings come to be healed. Much ofReview courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
A DEMON DOES IT BETTER takes place at Crying Souls Hospital where magical beings come to be healed. Much of the comedy in this book came from the antics, patients, and hospital staff at this ‘magical being-only’ hospital. The comedic moments were necessary to balance some of the disturbing and intense events which occurred in the prison-like hospital ward. While Lili tried to unravel the mystery of several disappearances at Crying Souls, the one mystery that held most of my attention was Jared’s imprisonment.
I like it when characters face an actual struggle to be together, proving to me that there is an actual investment in the relationship. Lili’s and Jared’s connection was all the more powerful for the obstacles in their way. Scenes between these two sizzled with chemistry, though underneath their romance was a note of tragedy. Every move Lili made to free Jared seemed to fail, dooming their happy ending. I enjoyed the clever way Wisdom got around this very difficult imprisonment to create a realistic evolution in Lili and Jared’s relationship.
Above and beyond the romance, I particularly enjoyed Lili’s therapy cat, Cleo. Cleo is the reincarnation of the Queen of the Nile. There were many hilarious scenes with this sassy cat either doing something crazy or saying some incredibly sarcastic remark. Throughout the book I kept trying to figure out how Cleopatra became a cat and I hope that story becomes some sort of novella someday because I would love to read it.
A DEMON DOES IT BETTER mixes a dash of comedy and an intense and fast paced plot with complex and sexy characters. I loved the mix of smart humor in a otherwise dark plot and the unique type of romance that takes place. This is the second book in Linda Wisdom’s Demons series and I can’t wait to see what magic she can bring in her next book.
Harry lives! Not since Buffy came back from the dead have fantasy fans been this excited to have a beloved Review Courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
Harry lives! Not since Buffy came back from the dead have fantasy fans been this excited to have a beloved character rise from the grave. Leave it to Jim Butcher to find a way to revitalize and reinvent his series so that even after thirteen books and countless short stories, it’s like we’re meeting Harry for the first time. COLD DAYS is a wonderfully refreshing game changer for The Dresden Files series.
So what’s changed for the newly resurrected Harry? He’s not a wizard for hire anymore, he’s the unwilling Winter Knight to Queen Mab of the Unseelie Court. This is more than just a title as Harry is compelled to carry out Mab’s orders and we see him begin to change and take on traits of the persona of the Winter Knight. That’s not to say he’s become a completely new character. Harry still throws out lovely little morsels of pop culture/geeky references throughout the story, and he’s still the snarky, gritty, tough as nails wizard we’ve all come to love. To use a Dungeons & Dragons reference, Harry has leveled up in his powers and abilities since becoming the Winter Knight, and those abilities allow for some fantastic new Winter fueled magic usage in his fights against bigger and badder villains then Harry has faced before.
And Harry isn’t the only character who has changed…some in more shocking ways than others by the end of the book. I loved seeing how everyone turned out during the time Harry was presumed dead and seeing each of their reactions to Harry’s sudden return to the living was very touching. While old friends are featured in COLD DAYS we get introduced to quite a few interesting new characters of whom I am excited to learn more about as this series continues.
Overall, The Dresden Files is one of the defining series in the urban fantasy genre, but Jim Butcher is proving in COLD DAYS that he’s not about to become complacent about that fact. COLD DAYS is an amazing whirlwind of epicness and a reboot for The Dresden Files. It’s hard to imagine what could possibly top the events of the past few books, but the ending this time is nothing short of jaw dropping. Mab herself couldn’t keep me away from the next book in The Dresden Files series when it releases in 2013.
Sexual Content: kissing, references to sex/sexuality...more
One thing I like about Kitty Norville that she is excellent at talking herself out of situations and gettinReview Courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
One thing I like about Kitty Norville that she is excellent at talking herself out of situations and getting people to see her side of things. She’s forced to rely on that skill a lot in KITTY STEALS THE SHOW as she gets into more trouble with vampires by constantly asking questions she probably shouldn’t.
One of the big changes in this book is the new setting. Kitty leaves Denver behind for a paranormal conference across the pond, and London for shifters is nothing like the US. I was actually surprised at the vast difference in the relationship between vampires and weres in Europe and the U.S. In the U.S. they tend to stay away from each other but in Europe (except Great Britain) weres are treated as the vampire’s slaves.
It was fun to see Kitty completely geek out about seeing double decker buses and meeting a real live contemporary (who is now a vampire) of Shakespeare. It would have been fascinating to actually sit in on some of the conference lectures like “Theoretical Notions of Space and Time as Applied to Vampire Physiology” but almost everything that happened in KITTY STEALS THE SHOW felt like preparation for some huge war that might happen in the future.
Aside from the treading water feeling in places, for the most part I enjoyed learning more about Kitty’s world outside of the U.S. and hope that this build up to something bigger on the horizon pays off in the end.
SECRET OF THE WOLF is the second book the Warriors of the Rift series which introduced an interesting concept to pCourtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
SECRET OF THE WOLF is the second book the Warriors of the Rift series which introduced an interesting concept to paranormal romance with werewolves, vampires, fey, and demons being beings who came over from a parallel dimension. In a way that makes them even more fantastical than they already are and puts a fun spin on creatures we are very familiar with. I kept wanting to actually go to this other dimension since it was described as very interesting though dangerous place.
Potentially as dangerous as that alternate dimension was the romance between Tori and Dante. It was steamy and filled with anticipation as they kept inching towards acting out on their feeling for each other but backing away from any sort of intimate relationship due to various insecurities and concerns. It was a test in my patience waiting for them to get together but the slow build up of trust and acceptance these two go through to get to where they are at the end of the book was worth the wait. I also loved the fact that Dante was the one who was holding back on the relationship and Tori was the one pushing Dante for a relationship or even just a fling.
SECRET OF THE WOLF has a sizzling romance at the core of a thrilling, action packed story The third book in the Warriors of the Rift series; HEART OF THE DEMON comes out in 2013, I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
Amy Carol Reeves’s RIPPER brings a supernatural twist to one of the most famous serial killers to come out Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
Amy Carol Reeves’s RIPPER brings a supernatural twist to one of the most famous serial killers to come out of London. A lot of the story takes place in the Whitechapel Hospital and here we see allusions to the murders before they happen in the story with a lot of historical details from the original Ripper cases including victim names, body discovery, and even authentic recounting of the dismemberment. This foreshadowing combined with the fact that one of the real theories is that Ripper was a doctor helped to increase the sense of foreboding and dread I felt while reading. I was suspicious of any doctor in Whitechapel Hospital which ended up being at least half of the secondary characters which wonderfully amped up the suspense and mystery.
While I enjoyed the unique story surrounding the Ripper murders I had issues with the paranormal aspects. Abbie has visions of the murders before they happen. We are given little reasoning for why Abbie has these visions besides a possible genetic link, and they didn’t do much to help that couldn’t have been done through non supernatural means. I felt RIPPER could have been just fine without the supernatural elements and been categorized as historical fiction instead of anything paranormal.
Visions aside, Abbie is a smart, resourceful, determined character but even knowing that she grew up on the mean streets of Dublin, I was baffled at her ability to fight. She seemed to be able to brutally fend off multiple grown men which, unless there was some hidden supernatural strength that came with her visions, didn’t make logical sense.
Overall, RIPPER did a good job exploring one of the most heinous unsolved crime sprees in history. It was creepy and suspenseful and kept me on my toes especially when Abbie got closer to discovering the true identity of Jack the Ripper. I really liked the focus on the horror and the mystery to identify the Ripper but felt the story could have been better without the supernatural elements.
UP FROM THE GRAVE concludes the Night Huntress series and its a bittersweet feeling saying goodbye to Cat Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
UP FROM THE GRAVE concludes the Night Huntress series and its a bittersweet feeling saying goodbye to Cat and Bones sharing their ups and downs and watching them evolve from book to book. This last book brings out everything fans have come to expect from this series from fist pumping action, clever quips and cameos from just about every character we’ve come to know and love. There are some exciting twists and revelations concerning people in Cat’s life that have been stewing for a long time. Some of the most shocking revelations involve Madigan; a character introduced in earlier books who seemed to be pretty random and on hold until UP FROM THE GRAVE. I liked how everyone (bad guys and good) had a chance to shine with their own abilities and unique personalities to help defeat the big bad.My personal favorite cameo is the short visit to see Vlad which cleverly links to the Cat and Bones cameo in TWICE TEMPTED.
Cat and Bones’ relationship has evolved so much through this series and it was nice to see this mature, comfortable couple in UP FROM THE GRAVE and reflect upon just how far they came from their first meeting in HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE. There isn’t too much in the way of sex scenes in comparison to the previous books in this series but that’s not really a problem as their dedication for each other truly shines in the more dire situations that happen in UP FROM THE GRAVE. Cat has grown so much herself over the series too and it was really fun to see her grow into a more confident woman with a larger group of friends and family than she had at the start of this series.
UP FROM THE GRAVE brings us to the end of the Night Huntress series with a balance of action, romance and sarcastic humor. While I wish there were just one more book to read in this series I’m glad it ended on a high note and am looking forward to what come next from Jeaniene Frost....more
The seventh book in Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassin series, WIDOWS WEB is filled with such emotional and physical intensity that it leaves you hapThe seventh book in Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassin series, WIDOWS WEB is filled with such emotional and physical intensity that it leaves you happily exhausted by the end. There are so many complex emotions and difficult choices for Gin since the plot focuses heavily on Owen’s past relationships. Throughout the series we’ve gotten hints about Owen’s interesting “rags to riches” history as he became a more integral part of Gin’s life. I was amazed at just how much was revealed about Owen and his motivations.
One thing Estep excels at is creating unique and sadistic villains and Salina Dubois is no exception. I would describe Salina as a black widow spider innocently luring her victims (especially Owen and Gin) into her web and springing on them at the last minute. Salina’s not just Owen’s jealous ex who wants to steal him back, she’s evil, vengeful, and crazy manipulative in her dangerous scheme to wreak havoc in Ashland.
WIDOWS WEB offered held a bittersweet end to a story fraught with emotional punches to both Gin and Owen. I loved seeing how Gin has gone from being a (mostly) lone assassin to semi retired surrounded by friends and family willing to stand up for and protect her. I can’t wait to see what happens to Gin in DEADLY STING coming out March 26, 2013.
THIRTEEN was an excellent, emotional, action packed ending to Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld seReview Courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
THIRTEEN was an excellent, emotional, action packed ending to Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series. While you can usually jump into any of the Women of the Otherworld books without having to read the previous ones, THIRTEEN assumes you’ve read the previous two books as it launches right into the action. I was excited to finally get to the big conclusion of this three book story arc yet a bit sad that this was going to be the last book in the series.
As with the previous two books, THIRTEEN was mostly Savannah centered and she definitely grows and matures in this book. I really enjoyed seeing the evolution of this character from a young girl in STOLEN to a strong confident woman. I was curious about how Armstrong would include all of the other characters’ perspectives in THIRTEEN and was happy to see that each character got their own chapter(s) focusing on each of the women featured in the previous books. I liked this method as it was a way to stamp a satisfying endnote on each character’s personal story.
There was a lot happening in THIRTEEN as the stakes were set pretty high for Savannah, her friends, and her family. The final confrontation was a big tension filled event where most of the central characters were directly involved in fighting The Supernatural Liberation Movement. I found myself wanting to skip ahead multiple times especially during some shocking character moments-to see if all of these characters would survive to the end of the book. Armstrong made this showdown one of the biggest fights in the series and I enjoyed seeing everyone using his or her own unique powers to help in the final fight. It felt like a great finale for not only Savannah’s story but the whole series.
After thirteen full length novels, numerous leading ladies, and plenty of heartache, it was only fitting for the character who launched this series more than a decade ago to finish it. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, an Elena-centric short story that is included at the end of THIRTEEN, was a wonderful look at how Elena’s life and the life of the Pack has changed and grown over the years since BITTEN. While it’s bittersweet to see the end of such an iconic and beloved series, Armstrong has softened the blow by promising that we haven’t completely seen the last of these characters. She has confirmed plans to write a few Otherworld short stories for future anthologies. So it’s not goodbye so much as see you soon.
NIGHTSHIFTED is like a dark and twisted version of Grey’s Anatomy with vampires, zombies, and werewolves taReview courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
NIGHTSHIFTED is like a dark and twisted version of Grey’s Anatomy with vampires, zombies, and werewolves taking up residence in County Hospital’s Y4 wing. I love the concept of a paranormal wing of a hospital which makes the already intense environment all the more crazy and dangerous… and not just for the patients. The story moves at a similar pace to a hospital setting where there are small lulls in action and with sudden, even frantic bursts of action. That sort of pacing made NIGHTSHIFTED an exciting read as I was constantly on edge, waiting to see what was going to happen next.
Edie is the newest nurse in the paranormal Y4 wing which makes her just as curious and confused about this environment as me. Unlike many urban fantasy heroines Edie is more like the general reader in skills and abilities when dealing with the paranormal. I liked this aspect of her as it made her more relatable and the dire situations she found herself in more intense because I knew she couldn’t just kick, magic, or shoot her way out of a situation (though she does have mandatory firing range time). Granted I did sometimes wonder about her intelligence in some situations that she could have resolved by having read a few urban fantasy novels.
There is a love interest for Edie who I really couldn’t get into and at times wanted to stop reading during certain intimate scenes. This has nothing to do with Ti as a character or their relationship in general which I liked sans Ti being a zombie. I just couldn’t stomach the kissing and sex with him without thinking of all the horror films I’ve seen with zombie body parts hanging off and their constant decaying.
Other than my inability to understand zombies as love interests, I really enjoyed the new type of monster mythologies introduced in NIGHTSHIFTED. I especially liked the idea that you need a certain amount of blood exposure before becoming a full fledged vampire. I can’t wait to read more about the Y4 wing of County Hospital’s residents and this strange new world when the next book in the Edie Spence series, MOONSHIFTED comes out on November 27.
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