CORRODED continues to move a beautifully written story forward with amazing revelations and new challenges Review Courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
CORRODED continues to move a beautifully written story forward with amazing revelations and new challenges for Cherry St. Croix. Like the previous two books in the The St. Croix Chronicles. CORRODED feels like a dark nightmare with danger lurking around every corner. I enjoyed the progressive darkening of the story as it ramps up the tension and conflict for Cherry. Unfortunately the first part of the story moves too slowly for my taste and at times I felt like I was forcing myself get to the next plot point or chapter. Luckily the story speeds up and gets really exciting and action packed towards the last part of CORRODED which made the slogging first half worth it.
One of the unique ideas in the The St. Croix Chronicles is the fact that our heroine, Cherry is addicted to opium. In CORRODED we get to see her yo yo between withdrawals and drug induced hazes as she seeks revenge on ‘Jack the Ripper’. Her downward spiral into opium and other dangers helps shows that Cherry is very flawed which is how I tend to like my protagonists because it makes their struggles from rock bottom to a ‘happy ending of sorts’ all the more satisfying. While I like Cherry as a main character I wasn’t to thrilled by her relationship with Hawke, the ringmaster of the Menagerie.
Cherry’s relationship with Hawke continues to be very baffling. I just don’t know what I am supposed to think about him. He comes to Cherry’s rescue plenty of times and I enjoyed seeing more of him as that meant the possibility of figuring him out. But I still don’t get his purpose in the story aside from a sort of love interest and a way to get Cherry out of a bind. I assume his identity and background is supposed to be shrouded in mystery but he really doesn’t say or do much to really make him a full character.
CORRODED is an excellent dark steampunk story with a lot wonderful horror elements and a very troubled heroine who I gladly continue to root for as this dark, twisted story continues. I am looking forward to seeing where this story goes in the next The St. Croix Chronicles book which as of now has no release date.
CORRODED continues to move a beautifully written story forward with amazing revelations and new challenges for Cherry St. Croix. Like the previous two books in the The St. Croix Chronicles. CORRODED feels like a dark nightmare with danger lurking around every corner. I enjoyed the progressive darkening of the story as it ramps up the tension and conflict for Cherry. Unfortunately the first part of the story moves too slowly for my taste and at times I felt like I was forcing myself get to the next plot point or chapter. Luckily the story speeds up and gets really exciting and action packed towards the last part of CORRODED which made the slogging first half worth it.
One of the unique ideas in the The St. Croix Chronicles is the fact that our heroine, Cherry is addicted to opium. In CORRODED we get to see her yo yo between withdrawals and drug induced hazes as she seeks revenge on ‘Jack the Ripper’. Her downward spiral into opium and other dangers helps shows that Cherry is very flawed which is how I tend to like my protagonists because it makes their struggles from rock bottom to a ‘happy ending of sorts’ all the more satisfying. While I like Cherry as a main character I wasn’t to thrilled by her relationship with Hawke, the ringmaster of the Menagerie.
Cherry’s relationship with Hawke continues to be very baffling. I just don’t know what I am supposed to think about him. He comes to Cherry’s rescue plenty of times and I enjoyed seeing more of him as that meant the possibility of figuring him out. But I still don’t get his purpose in the story aside from a sort of love interest and a way to get Cherry out of a bind. I assume his identity and background is supposed to be shrouded in mystery but he really doesn’t say or do much to really make him a full character.
CORRODED is an excellent dark steampunk story with a lot wonderful horror elements and a very troubled heroine who I gladly continue to root for as this dark, twisted story continues. I am looking forward to seeing where this story goes in the next The St. Croix Chronicles book which as of now has no release date....more
I'm always excited to discover that another book in this series has come out because each book is so fun toReview courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
I'm always excited to discover that another book in this series has come out because each book is so fun to read. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOUR DEMON SLAYER IS EXPECTING is follows its predecessors in the hilarity and heart that I've come to expect from this series. The plot is filled with action, tension, and clever plot twists. While there are a variety of lovable, crazy characters and fun plot shenanigans, I liked how at its core, the plot had a touching message about family, love, and loyalty. I would have liked to have been surprised by Lizzie's pregnancy since I kept wondering when she was going to find out but knowing about it didn't really hurt the story.
I love that even eight books in to this series Lizzie continues to make mistakes in her demon slaying duties and she is willing to accept that she was wrong and adjusts her thinking accordingly to fix the problem. She's always learning and ready to learn. Granted she has a ton of back up to help her out. The biker grannies, her parents, her adorable, food obsessed dog, and her amazing husband, Dimitri. Dimitri and Lizzie's picture should be next to the definition of what a perfectly equal and loving relationship built on respect and duty is. Dimitri continues to be amazing and really proves himself to be in the running for best book husband ever in this story.
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOUR DEMON SLAYER IS EXPECTING is a quick read and a wonderful cozy paranormal story. This series never fails to put a smile on my face from the first page to the last.
I'm always excited to discover that another book in this series has come out because each book is so fun to read. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOUR DEMON SLAYER IS EXPECTING is follows its predecessors in the hilarity and heart that I've come to expect from this series. The plot is filled with action, tension, and clever plot twists. While there are a variety of lovable, crazy characters and fun plot shenanigans, I liked how at its core, the plot had a touching message about family, love, and loyalty. I would have liked to have been surprised by Lizzie's pregnancy since I kept wondering when she was going to find out but knowing about it didn't really hurt the story.
I love that even eight books in to this series Lizzie continues to make mistakes in her demon slaying duties and she is willing to accept that she was wrong and adjusts her thinking accordingly to fix the problem. She's always learning and ready to learn. Granted she has a ton of back up to help her out. The biker grannies, her parents, her adorable, food obsessed dog, and her amazing husband, Dimitri. Dimitri and Lizzie's picture should be next to the definition of what a perfectly equal and loving relationship built on respect and duty is. Dimitri continues to be amazing and really proves himself to be in the running for best book husband ever in this story.
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOUR DEMON SLAYER IS EXPECTING is a quick read and a wonderful cozy paranormal story. This series never fails to put a smile on my face from the first page to the last....more
Every time I open up a Monster Haven book I fall in love again with these quirky, loveable characters and tReview Courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
Every time I open up a Monster Haven book I fall in love again with these quirky, loveable characters and this exciting crazy world. FAIRIES IN MY FIREPLACE comes with more fast paced action, humorous dialogue and dangerous new bad guys. Zoey continues to be a brilliant and hilarious heroine with a very questionable dress sense. Basically, she’s someone I would become fast friends with if she were real.
In FAIRIES IN MY FIRERPLACE, Zoey has a lot more on her plate with more mythological creatures coming to her house for her Aegis protection. This creates a more frenetically paced story that had me feeling just as tired as Zoey at times. I liked that there was no lull in the action or character antics as it really helped to amp up the tension and keep the story from getting too stale.
Along with more characters helping to deepen the worldbuilding, is the expansion of the overarching storyline which has slowly become even more dire and serious for everyone. FAIRIES IN MY FIREPLACE definately adds some creepiness to the plot with the revelation of the antagonist’s methods for capturing and using monsters. While the plot has gotten a little darker there is an excellent balance of lightness and darkness in FAIRIES IN MY FIREPLACE that I was found myself laughing and then tearing up a few pages later. Yes, there is some heartbreak in this story and I was shocked at what happened and kept on hoping against hope it wasn’t true.
Aside from the roller coaster of emotions I felt reading this book there is a lot of hope and great adventure awaiting Zoey and her friends in the future. I continue to absolutely unabashedly gush over the Monster Haven series and impatiently look forward to GOLEM IN MY GLOVEBOX coming out in 2014 by Carina Press.
Every time I open up a Monster Haven book I fall in love again with these quirky, loveable characters and this exciting crazy world. FAIRIES IN MY FIREPLACE comes with more fast paced action, humorous dialogue and dangerous new bad guys. Zoey continues to be a brilliant and hilarious heroine with a very questionable dress sense. Basically, she’s someone I would become fast friends with if she were real.
In FAIRIES IN MY FIRERPLACE, Zoey has a lot more on her plate with more mythological creatures coming to her house for her Aegis protection. This creates a more frenetically paced story that had me feeling just as tired as Zoey at times. I liked that there was no lull in the action or character antics as it really helped to amp up the tension and keep the story from getting too stale.
Along with more characters helping to deepen the worldbuilding, is the expansion of the overarching storyline which has slowly become even more dire and serious for everyone. FAIRIES IN MY FIREPLACE definately adds some creepiness to the plot with the revelation of the antagonist’s methods for capturing and using monsters. While the plot has gotten a little darker there is an excellent balance of lightness and darkness in FAIRIES IN MY FIREPLACE that I was found myself laughing and then tearing up a few pages later. Yes, there is some heartbreak in this story and I was shocked at what happened and kept on hoping against hope it wasn’t true.
Aside from the roller coaster of emotions I felt reading this book there is a lot of hope and great adventure awaiting Zoey and her friends in the future. I continue to absolutely unabashedly gush over the Monster Haven series and impatiently look forward to GOLEM IN MY GLOVEBOX coming out in 2014 by Carina Press.
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy SOUTHERN SPIRITS is a fun and surprisingly fast read. I enjoy some quirk in these light paranormal stories Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy SOUTHERN SPIRITS is a fun and surprisingly fast read. I enjoy some quirk in these light paranormal stories and this book is full of quirks from Verity's pet skunk to the many types of ghosts with their own odd issues and relationships. The story follows Verity on her attempt to solve a decades old murder mystery in order to get money to pay off her debt and keep her house. There is a ton of action and suspense along with a pretty clever bad guy reveal that I did not see coming at first. With a decades old murder to solve, Verity ends up going into lots of old haunted buildings and I spent half the time mentally telling Verity to not go down into the very scary, dark room!
I like Verity and admire her courage in being able to adjust to seeing and communicating with ghosts all of a sudden. The secondary characters I loved most were the ghosts she encountered with fun backstories and interesting lives even in their afterlives. The way Verity can 'see' the ghost world is really cool too. I had a hard time warming up to Ellis, Verity's love interest. In part it was due to his being so horrible to Verity in the beginning but as the story went on and they were supposed to grow closer to some sort of romance I couldn't buy it. Perhaps I need to see more interactions between them to really buy more than them having grown from more than mild respect which is what I had for Ellis at the end of SOUTHERN SPIRITS.
One of the touches I love with Angie Fox's stories is her addition of adorable pets. Her Accidental Demon Slayer series had a talking dog, and now The Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries series has an adorable pet skunk who is the impetus for some very hilarious moments. SOUTHERN SPIRITS is a good start to a lighthearted paranormal mystery series with some loveable characters, spooky sights, and a kindling romance.
Merged review:
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy SOUTHERN SPIRITS is a fun and surprisingly fast read. I enjoy some quirk in these light paranormal stories and this book is full of quirks from Verity's pet skunk to the many types of ghosts with their own odd issues and relationships. The story follows Verity on her attempt to solve a decades old murder mystery in order to get money to pay off her debt and keep her house. There is a ton of action and suspense along with a pretty clever bad guy reveal that I did not see coming at first. With a decades old murder to solve, Verity ends up going into lots of old haunted buildings and I spent half the time mentally telling Verity to not go down into the very scary, dark room!
I like Verity and admire her courage in being able to adjust to seeing and communicating with ghosts all of a sudden. The secondary characters I loved most were the ghosts she encountered with fun backstories and interesting lives even in their afterlives. The way Verity can 'see' the ghost world is really cool too. I had a hard time warming up to Ellis, Verity's love interest. In part it was due to his being so horrible to Verity in the beginning but as the story went on and they were supposed to grow closer to some sort of romance I couldn't buy it. Perhaps I need to see more interactions between them to really buy more than them having grown from more than mild respect which is what I had for Ellis at the end of SOUTHERN SPIRITS.
One of the touches I love with Angie Fox's stories is her addition of adorable pets. Her Accidental Demon Slayer series had a talking dog, and now The Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries series has an adorable pet skunk who is the impetus for some very hilarious moments. SOUTHERN SPIRITS is a good start to a lighthearted paranormal mystery series with some loveable characters, spooky sights, and a kindling romance....more
WOLF RAIN was another exciting installment of the continuing Psy-Changling Trinity series. I enjoyed revisiReview courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
WOLF RAIN was another exciting installment of the continuing Psy-Changling Trinity series. I enjoyed revisiting the Snowdancer wolves and seeing how their lives have progressed though I do want to see more varieties of shifters beyond wolves, leopards and only hints of other shifters (I'm down for more bears and sea creatures though!). The Trinity story arc is intense and interesting as it deals with the aftermath of the fall of Silence and the imminent danger of the PsyNet collapse.
Our two main characters for this story are Memory and Alexei. I enjoyed their first meeting and watching their relationship develop. I adore seeing them push eachother's buttons and making playful threats to eachother. I also liked learning about Memory's abilities and how it connects to the Trinity storyline. Memory has been through A LOT and I admire her strength to not let what she went through completely break her though I do question the quickness of her overcoming her PTSD which she would no doubt have. I also think that in a series this long you are bound to start seeing certain similarities to other plotlines in previous books. In WOLF RAIN I kept feeling a sense of sameness in regards to the romance plotline. There was enough of a difference that it was not super similar and in no way hurt my enjoyment of the story.
I love how Singh is able to deftly mix harrowing terror with kindness and tender moments. It's some kind of superpower to do this and have it work so well. WOLF RAIN continues the general theme of unity and peace that bind the series into a world that I am always excited to come back to....more
THAT AIN'T WITCHCRAFT, the eighth book in the Incryptid series continues right off where the last book endeReview courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
THAT AIN'T WITCHCRAFT, the eighth book in the Incryptid series continues right off where the last book ended with Annie on the run from chaos and violence of varying sorts and her crossroads bargain. I quite like the expanding mythology on the crossroads and sorcerer magic that this book delves into which I found fascinating. It was even more exciting to finally find out about the utter chaos that is the crossroads and the evil tentacled alien/monster that has been reeking chaos on the dead and living for centuries.
Aside from the eldritch horror plot happening with the crossroads and Annie's baragin, the characters remain so charming and fun to read about. Out of all of the Price siblings, Annie is probably the most determined and willing to sacrifice her life for the good of everyone/thing else. It's an admirable quality! I liked getting to know her friends cryptid Fern and Cylia better. They're super loyal and their abilities are pretty cool. Being able to spread luck around is a pretty cool and useful ability to have.
THAT AIN'T WITCHCRAFT is full of action, chaos, magic, and mystery. It's probably best to read the the previous book TRICKS FOR FREE to really understand what led to Annie's bargain. Amid all of the darkness that happens, there is always some fun humor and banter to these books which really makes them a delight to read....more
SHADOWS IN THE MIST continues with the clever and creative world building that I have come to love in this Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
SHADOWS IN THE MIST continues with the clever and creative world building that I have come to love in this series. There is so much going on and so many quirky characters yet the plot doesn't get too lost in that quirkiness. The story is filled with action and intrigue. Ther really is never a dull moment. I enjoyed how the tension involving the Booke ramped up to the final confrontation with new creatures, new misshaps, and revelations.
I love Kylie's determination and her ability to amass a small motley crew of characters to help her as she tries to figure out just what she has inherited and how to stop everything bad caused by the Booke. While there is some humor in these secondary characters, I like how they have depth to them and aren't simply one note comic relief. Or if they are, it's a for a brief time and they slowly develop into characters that you end up rooting for. There is a love triangle between Kylie, Erasmus (a demon), and the sheriff. That premise alone means it's got some weirdness going on and while I tend to lean right towards a side, I can't at the moment. Both seem to have their good qualities and support Kylie really well.
SHADOWS IN THE MIST is a fun romp through a world filled with magic, curses, and mayhem. I was frustrated that certain things didn't get answered but that's why we have another book in this series to read! I am looking forward to book 4 and hope my answers are there!...more
THIS STRANGE WITCHERY was a fun paranormal romance filled with vivid descriptions and well written characteReview courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
THIS STRANGE WITCHERY was a fun paranormal romance filled with vivid descriptions and well written characters who were engaging and who you wanted to root for. I loved the world building and was pleasantly surprised at the amount of humor in this story. The plot was fun with lots of action and tense moments.
Torsten and Melissande were great together and I loved how opposite they were with Torsten being human, stylish, organized, and Melissande, a witch and his mirror opposite in personality. Their banter is the highlight of the story and really went a long way to seeing how they fit as a couple in the end. I enjoyed watching her push Torsten's buttons throughout the story because he was in serious need of loosening up/fun in his life. Mel could have easily been one of those characters who I deem to stupid to live due to her initial dangerous decision but she skirts that designation by actually having some self-preservation instinct and listening to people when they say danger is afoot. She is a fun, smart, quirky character with a compelling reason for her decisions.
Torsten and Melissande worked well together and I rooted for them as a couple which is something that should happen for a paranormal romance to work well. THIS STRANGE WITCHERY's ending was bittersweet for Mel's family and was an entertaining read all the way through....more
GRAVE DESTINY was a fun return to the world of Alex Craft and feels like a large turning point for the seriReview courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
GRAVE DESTINY was a fun return to the world of Alex Craft and feels like a large turning point for the series based on some pretty big changes that occur as a result of various characters' actions. Sometimes I get annoyed at books having summaries of what happened in the previous books but there was so much that happened that I didn't mind getting a quick refresher! In general the plot was in the sweet spot where it wasn't so frentic that I couldn't keep anything straight but it wasn't too slow. I liked that this book was more of a discovery of Alex's powers and what she could potentially do with them along with a more indepth experience of the Faerie realms. The mystery at the center was interesting and there was enough danger and tension that I actually wondered if everyone would get out alive. I tend to like it when I don't know the answers in a mystery by the second chapter.
Alex continues to be a solid urban fantasy heroine and I love exploring her world and seeing what her powers can do. Her love life is pretty complex with the ever present love triangle between her, Falin, and Death. In GRAVE DESTINY, though there is another player for her heart in a sense. Dugan, a Faerie prince takes the place of Death as an obstacle and conflict between Alex and Falin. I kind of liked him but the oncoming love quadrangle that will happen in future books seems like it's going to get complicated.
I enjoyed coming back to the world of Alex Craft filled with magic, faeries, witchcraft, and danger. This series hits many of the classic urban fantasy tropes but it has enough uniqueness to it that it doesn't feel like you've read this a dozen times before. GRAVE DESTINY ends on a shocking turn of events which has me excited for what comes next....more
NIGHTCHASER is a fun sci-fi romance that reminded me of the FIREFLY tv series with a rag-tag crew of rebels - except this story has a female as the leNIGHTCHASER is a fun sci-fi romance that reminded me of the FIREFLY tv series with a rag-tag crew of rebels - except this story has a female as the lead. It's the classic rebels battling against a totalitarian space regime story and its a good story! You are immediately thrown into the plot at a frenetic pace as you would when the main character's ship is being attacked due to the stolen super-soldier serum on board. While I enjoy a slower introduction to a story there is something to be said for the excitement and utter "what is even going on?" effect that makes you push through various sci-fi ship battle terminology because there's something about the plot and/or the main character that just intrigues you enough to keep going.
I liked learning more about Tess and following her journey to discover more of her history and boy are there some major revelations for her! She is "special" but not in a "chosen one" sort of way that has been over done. She struggles, get beaten down but gets back up again and figures her stuff out in a unique way. She's your classic tough, loveable rogue though she did read a bit young at times which was confusing. If you are looking for a romance in all of the lovely plot and super soldier serum drama, you're in luck. Tess and Shade have a quick chemistry and they work well together. They have a sort of push and pull relationship and since this is a romance you pretty much know that they eventually make up but the journey is bumpy and fun.
NIGHTCHASER is a high stakes, fast paced romantic sci-fi story that was really fun to read. This is book 1 of a trilogy so the ending didn't really end so to speak which is great as it hooks you in to get the next book...coming out next year....more
PECAN PIES AND DEAD GUYS is the seventh book in the delightful cozy mystery series, Southern Ghost Hunter MReview courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
PECAN PIES AND DEAD GUYS is the seventh book in the delightful cozy mystery series, Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries. This book was great to read especially after my last read was pretty heavy. While PECAN PIES AND DEAD GUYS has some pretty grizzly murders and danger; I enjoy that it's complimented with the backdrop of small town gossip chains, Southern hospitality rules, and passive aggressive cattiness. I liked the ghostly mystery Verity and Frankie were pulled into and they make a pretty fun team of amateur detectives to explore spooky old mansions with.
The ghost mystery revolved around solving a murder that happened at a pretty cool 1920s era party. I enjoyed the concept of the party ghosts (and ghost animals!) being stuck at this party for decades until the murder is solved. There was a modern murder mystery that Verity and her boyfriend Ellis are dealing with at the same time which I wasn't a fan of partly because anytime we have to deal with Ellis' mom or brother I cringe. Ellis' mom is a horrible woman -who I disliked more than the big bad 1920s ghost- and Ellis' brother (Verity's ex) comes off as just really dumb. The modern mystery had some suspense and danger but I kept wanting to go back to the ghost party mystery. Both mysteries were wrapped up nicely but I felt more invested in the ghosts' plight than the live people in this book.
PECAN PIES AND DEAD GUYS shines when it focuses on Verity and Frankie's shenanigans solving the 1920s ghost party mystery but loses traction on the modern mystery. Not to say that I didn't enjoy this book. It was a blast to read and I love revisiting these characters except Ellis' mom....more
Anthologies tend to be mixed bags in regards to what you get. IN THE MOOD FUR LOVE was a solid mix of prettReview courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
Anthologies tend to be mixed bags in regards to what you get. IN THE MOOD FUR LOVE was a solid mix of pretty fun paranormal romances involving fated mates.
Bearing His Touch by Eve Langlais
I liked this story a lot. For it being a short story, it had plenty of suspense, sexy time, and humor. While cheesy lines have their limits, I was absolutely delighted by the persistence of bear puns and jokes. There are some pretty dark moments so Stavros and his bear family's craziness was a wonderful way to balance the whole creepy stalking/kidnapping plot. The romance between Becka and Stavros was adorable and didn't feel rushed at all.
Fake Mate to the Wolf by Milly Taiden
The plot was decent but I wasn't too big of a fan of the romance. Parts of the plot seemed rushed and because of that the romantic relationship felt unfinished. Separately Shawna and Hawke are nice characters. Shawna was great and I loved how she was so determined to do right by her family. I liked Hawke well enough even though I thought there was some error in my ARC due to him being called Hawke Hawke which constantly gave me pause every time I came across it. Together, they didn't click right for me, also some of the dialogue between them was weird.
The Witch, The Werewolf and The Waitress and I by Kate Baxter
This one felt the most magical as it dealt with a witch's curse with the characters going on a quest to breaking while falling in love. I loved the idea of someone being physically stuck in the same place for centuries. Ellie and Colin both felt completely developed and both connected in a realistic way. Their romance felt the most romantic out of all three stories in this novella and I liked that while I assumed they were going to get their happy ending there was a touch of doubt until the very end....more
DEADLY RISING, the second book in the Booke of the Hidden series continues right where the previous book leReview courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
DEADLY RISING, the second book in the Booke of the Hidden series continues right where the previous book left off. This was a great continuation of the story with some added interesting world building and twists in regards to Kylie heritage. The plot continues to be pretty ridiculous but in a good way! I love the magical mayhem Kylie and her friends/coven cause as they try to defeat the latest creature the Booke releases.
There's some character development that had me wondering about just where the author was going especially in regards to Kylie's super annoying ex who gets wrapped up in the supernatural hijinks. After finishing the first book, I thought he was good and gone thankfully. But he actually comes to some good use despite his lack of taking a hint from Kylie and contributes decently to the plot. What I was most intrigued by was the revelations of Kylie's heritage and how it relates to the Booke as well as some shocking Erasmus news. Both of these revelations do seem to be a big turning point in the danger for Kylie, her friends, and the world at large (not that they weren't in danger to begin with...).
DEADLY RISING is a fun urban fantasy story with a slowly increasing mystery that has me interested in seeing just where it's going to go next. And I'm interested in seeing what fun creature comes out of the Booke next....more
DIAMOND FIRE is an awesome short story set in the world of Ilona Andrew's Hidden Legacy from the perspectivReview courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
DIAMOND FIRE is an awesome short story set in the world of Ilona Andrew's Hidden Legacy from the perspective of Catalina, Nevada's sister. I loved getting to see Nevada from a different perspective (as a nervous/picky bride!) and since the next book or two will be Catalina's story, this book is a great introduction to her inner thoughts and motivations. The story centers around Catalina as the defacto wedding planner and being conscripted to searching for a stolen heirloom which brings to light family feuds, backstabbing, murder, and so much delicious Rogan family drama. The family heirloom mystery was pretty obvious to me right off the bat but that didn't really detract from the story as the bigger issue was trying to keep family members from killing each other at least until after the wedding. Along with the intrigue and threats of death, we get tons of laughs which is what I love about any Ilona Andrews book.
Catalina is younger and therefore more insecure in general so her approach to situations is going to be different from Nevada who tends to come off as more confident and tough. I liked seeing how Catalina navigates this world using her wits and intelligence. Catalina has a big heart and for someone with such an emotionally manipulative power I understand how using it weighs on her. Although, I really enjoyed seeing how she can use those powers when she uses them to unravel the family drama and plotting.
There is a lot of fun intrigue in DIAMOND FIRE with a great payoff at the end. It didn't feel rushed and it gives you a feel for who Catalina is and what challenges she may face in the future. I'm excited to see Catalina's develop her powers and see her confidence grow in the coming books....more
There are some books that have such engaging plots that you can't put it down, some with beautiful prose anReview courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
There are some books that have such engaging plots that you can't put it down, some with beautiful prose and exceptional world building. PHOENIX UNBOUND has all of these things plus a sense of realism in its characterizations and yes, even the obviously fictional magic feels organic and logically fits in with this world. The setting is fascinating as the cultures are akin to the steppe nomads in Mongolia which is something I see too much of in my recent readings. The world feels very real even with fierce warriors and fire witches trying to bring down a sadistically evil empire.
Along with a deliciously twisty plot is a touching enemies-to-lovers story. What I loved about the relationship between Gilene and Azarion is that they really did not like each other to the point that I wondered just how they would get to actually being lovers much less friends. I like characters to work for their happily ever after! Their relationship kept you guessing and both had really good reasons for some of the questionable things they did which amounted to the need to survive in their respective situations. Azarion and Gilene are both noble, kind, and strong. Both in the end connect over their shared tragedies and eventually come to care for and love each other. Their story is truly a love story built on sacrifice and hope and it was a joy to see it evolve.
After finishing this book I was amazed at just how this super in depth plot and complicated romance was wrapped up so neatly and in a satisfying way. PHOENIX UNBOUND is a fascinating, beautiful, and unique romantic fantasy story that stays with you long after you finished it....more
TOUCH THE SKY is a thrilling paranormal romance with an engaging plot, that while fun, tended to drag a litReview courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
TOUCH THE SKY is a thrilling paranormal romance with an engaging plot, that while fun, tended to drag a little. I think my issue was that absolutely everything was resolved at the last one-third of the book and pretty much not an inch of information is given up until then. Granted the mysteries were good enough for me to want to push through some of the slog. I liked the series plotline involving kidnapped shifters and while I've definitely read this type of plot before, it didn't feel like you mentally were checking off plot points that happen in these stories. There were enough twists and key worldbuilding elements that made it feel somewhat fresh.
Hannah's mysterious past was interesting except for the fact that I had absolutely no idea what was going on with her and that was an odd feeling because typically with a main character in a paranormal romance you know more about them as you are in their headspace. We get a little bit at the beginning and then we are rushed months into the future trying to figure out just how much time had past for the first part of the book. I liked Hannah and Vaughn as both are struggling with their own paranoia and issues which felt very human and relatable. Though Hannah's issues could have been resolved if she had just explained things to Vaughn but I get why she didn't due to certain trust issues.
Aside from the frustration of everything being found out together at the very end, TOUCH OF SKY was fun and had characters with compelling backstories that made you really sympathize with them. Reading the previous book, HUNT THE MOON, might be a good idea a lot of what happens in this book is pretty directly related to what happened previously....more
I had a hard time getting into TWICE TURNED in the beginning due to not reading the first book, ONCE BITTENReview courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
I had a hard time getting into TWICE TURNED in the beginning due to not reading the first book, ONCE BITTEN. There were unfamiliar words and world-building issues that I had to stop reading to figure out. Luckily there was a handy dictionary of terms included which greatly helped me understand what exactly was going on and I was able to get the hang of the general plot pretty quickly. It's a decently paced book with tons of chase scenes, massive fights, and twists and turns. While I liked the plot which was a "catch-me if you can" sort of story, I really enjoyed the emotional journey Arya goes on.
I liked seeing Arya work to move beyond her abusive family life and find her strength as an independent woman figuring out her special reaper powers. She's a compelling character who you immediately want to root for based on a pretty awful moment in the first pages of this book. She has attachment and trust issues which leads to some not to good personality quirks. This is really understandable though due to living in an emotionally and physically abusive household her whole life and being a reaper which puts a whole host of other issues she has to deal with on her. It's great to see her survive and thrive despite her past and present situations. Vidar is an excellent match for an abuse victim like Arya and someone dealing with a rather violence filled position as a reaper of rogue wolves. He's caring, patient and willing to accept her for what she is. I wasn't a fan of the reason for them to be separated which was a "I can't tell you a thing for vague reasons that could have been solved really easily" issue.
The Icelandic terminology and spin on werewolves was interesting but I had trouble understanding the structure of the packs in this story. They seem to be loosely affiliated and not super family based? But there is an umbrella pack which I didn't understand. I felt like I was piecing together this world and people's positions in it to the extend that I felt kind of disconnected from the world. That's not to say I didn't enjoy aspects of TWICE TURNED. I just felt there was something missing and the ending sort of just ended abruptly with little solid conclusion....more
The Alex Verus series is consistently strong and entertaining which is impressive since it is so easy to faReview courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
The Alex Verus series is consistently strong and entertaining which is impressive since it is so easy to fall into the trap of getting stale or repetitive as a series nears the double digits. MARKED, the ninth book in this series is no exception. It hits the ground running with the tiniest of time spent on rehashing developments from previous books. It's grimmer because the stakes are higher now with Alex's enemies drawing nearer. We delve more into the politics of Light and Dark mages and Alex and his friends meet with more dangerous battles as the magic they are up against is more powerful. I like the way each book in this series slowly ramps up the danger building up slowly over the series and also how the characters naturally evolve due to their experiences.
As the books have matured, Alex has matured as well over the series growing his network of friends, enemies, and increasing in power and responsibility through his position on the Light Council. The battles in MARKED are fun to read mainly because of Alex's diviner powers. It's an awkward analogy but I think of Neo from The Matrix moving in slow motion narrowly avoiding bullets whenever Alex sees the future possibilities and reacts in time to avoid danger.
MARKED is captivating storytelling with unexpected twists and revelations, political power grabs, and magical mayhem. It's solid urban fantasy goodness and I'd recommend starting at the beginning not only because this is a really good series to read but it get complicated fast....more
THE BOOK OF PERIL was an entertaining cozy paranormal mystery with quirky characters, intrigue, and danger.Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
THE BOOK OF PERIL was an entertaining cozy paranormal mystery with quirky characters, intrigue, and danger. I was most interested in how the bookstore works as an oracle of sorts. It's a unique take on the concept of the oracle though there were some world building issues I had. I couldn't really understanding just how customers get the answers to their questions. Do they have to read the whole books for the answers? Granted this might have been answered in the first book which I didn't read. Also, the reason for the divide between the two magical factions was hard to figure out annoyingly so since it kept coming up.
These were minor issues that didn't take away from the action packed main plot involving the bookstore giving out false prophecies. I liked seeing Helena's exploration into the past bookstore custodians writings and her journey into figure in out who has been messing with the bookstore. It's been awhile since I've read an urban fantasy book where the character starts as a normal human who is thrown into a magical world. I love seeing the magical world through the eyes of a non-magical person for once. It gave the story an interesting perspective and frankly made it easier to enter the world as a reader as we (Helena and the reader) happen to be both newish to this world.
The side characters were the typical quirky cast of characters you'd expect to find in a cozy mystery and were exceptionally well-rounded to the point where I was equally as concerned for them as for Helena.
With a dose magical mayhem and a courageous heroine, THE BOOK OF PERIL was a thrilling ride. While the ending was heartbreaking for Helena on a personal level I'm excited to see how she meets this challenge in the coming books....more
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