City of Ghosts By Stacia Kane
28 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
in Reviews, Uncategorized, Urban Fantasy Tags: Ghosts, Magic, review, Urban Fantasy, Witches
From Barnesandnoble.com:
IT’S A THIN LINE BETWEEN ALIVE AND UNDEAD.
Chess Putnam has a lot on her plate. Mangled human corpses have started to show up on the streets of Downside, and Chess’s bosses at the Church of Real Truth have ordered her to team up with the ultra-powerful Black Squad agency to crack the grisly case.
Chess is under a binding spell that threatens death if she talks about the investigation, but the city’s most notorious crime boss—and Chess’s drug dealer—gets wind of her new assignment and insists on being kept informed. If that isn’t bad enough, a sinister street vendor appears to have information Chess needs. Only he’s not telling what he knows, or what it all has to do with the vast underground City of Eternity.
Now Chess will have to navigate killer wraiths, First Elders, and a lot of seriously nasty magic—all while coping with some not-so-small issues of her own. And the only man Chess can trust to help her through it all has every reason to want her dead.
Whoa. I literally just finished this book and ‘Whoa’ pretty much sums up how I feel about it. I don’t want to recap this book. There are just so many twists and turns that there is no way I can discuss without giving something away. And I don’t want to give anything away! If you read the first two Downside books, you know what to expect, but Stacia Kane really upped the stakes this time. If the first two books were ‘dark urban fantasy’, this one teeters on horror. Some of the scenes were downright disturbing to the point where I had to force myself to keep reading. But it’s not mindless horror like the latest Saw movie, where people you barely know are butchered for cheap thrills. It’s horrific things happening to you have come to genuinely care about. People that are so incredibly damaged but still manage to do the right thing…even when they just keep getting beaten down. You barely make it out of a scene alive and suddenly you find yourself swooning over a huge, ugly hitman and a drug addict witch and praying that they can somehow find a slice of happiness in the Downside. To me, that’s why these books are so great. One minute I was reading with one eye open barely hanging on while a fire rages in a slaughterhouse, and the next minute Terrible drops Chess down a tunnel and has me in tears…AGAIN. I really cannot recall a series that evoked this much emotion. I would say Harry Potter is the closest thing, but there is absolutely no way to compare the two. Here is what I can say: this book has it all. Mystery, horror, fantasy, suspense (Oh the suspense!), and romance all flowing seamlessly. Some of the best, most though-provoking characters I have ever read. And the sex…wow. (Cause let’s be honest, we were all praying for some Chess and Terrible closure.) I want to discuss that tunnel scene so bad I can hardly stand it!! To say it was hot would just cheapen it. There were way too many emotions for ‘hot.’ Gut-wrenchingly satisfying is a much better description. So to conclude my mindless gushing I will say this: if you read the first two, then why the hell aren’t you reading this one yet? If you didn’t, then you need some Terrible in your life ASAP.
Rating: Off the charts.
Unholy Magic (Downside Ghosts #2) By Stacia Kane
14 Jul 2010 11 Comments
in Reviews, Urban Fantasy Tags: Ghosts, Magic, review, Urban Fantasy
From Barnesandnoble.com: ENEMIES DON’T NEED TO BE ALIVE TO BE DEADLY.
For Chess Putnam, finding herself near-fatally poisoned by a con psychic and then stopping a murderous ghost is just another day on the job. As an agent of the Church of Real Truth, Chess must expose those looking to profit from the world’s unpleasant little poltergeist problem—humans filing false claims of hauntings—all while staving off any undead who really are looking for a kill. But Chess has been extra busy these days, coping with a new “celebrity” assignment while trying on her own time to help some desperate prostitutes.
Someone’s taking out the hookers of Downside in the most gruesome way, and Chess is sure the rumors that it’s the work of a ghost are way off base. But proving herself right means walking in the path of a maniac, not to mention standing between the two men in her life just as they—along with their ruthless employers—are moving closer to a catastrophic showdown. Someone is dealing in murder, sex, and the supernatural, and once again Chess finds herself right in the crossfire.
Okay. *Deep Breaths* I will not gush. I will write a decent review of this book. *Deep Breaths*
Unholy Magic picks up a few months after its predecessor. We find that Chess is still pretty much just existing in a pill-induced haze, while still sleeping with Lex and being “friends” with Terrible. She gets roped into to working for two different cases, one for the Church and one for Bump, her drug dealer. The Church sends her to a TV celebrity’s house to invcestigate a haunting, while Bump wants her to investigate a string to dead hookers. In typical Chess fashion, both cases get her in serious trouble. Her lifestyle habits become a serious issue, she is caught in a very dangerous love triangle, and she continues to make bad choices. I don’t really want to say more about the plot because there are lots of twists and turns and I am trying to avoid spoilers.
What I can say, is this is hands down the best book I have read so far this year. Sometimes, overly dark and gritty books bother me, but these characters are just so fascinating, I cannot wait to learn more about them. Honestly, if I met Chess, Terrible or Lex in real life I would walk the other way. All 3 of them are essentially criminals, living in the bowels of society and yet, you just want something good to happen to them so badly it hurts. I found myself cheering on Terrible as he beat some money-owing druggie senseless: “Go Terrible, you break his leg! …did I just think that??” At one point, Chess is without her pills and I was all “Oh God! Someone get Chess her pills!! …wait what?” There were times I wanted to strangle Chess, but then I wanted to give her a big hug and tell her it would be okay. And Terrible! Oh, Terrible. We learn so much more about him in Unholy Magic, and if I didn’t think I would confuse the hell out of people, I would proudly sport a custom made “Team Terrible” shirt. I love him that much! But oh did he break my heart in this one. I want to quote him so badly but it would give it all away. He made me cry not once, but twice! Actually, the entire book was extremely emotional, I had a hard time sleeping when I finished. So…seriously…guys, girls, trannies, whatever, you NEED to read this series. It’s very dark (so much so that I don’t recommend eating while reading at some points), but so different, intriguing, gut-wrenching, thought-provking…okay I will stop. Just know that the 3rd book, City of Ghosts, comes out July 27th. Longest. Two Weeks. Ever.
Rating: 10
Tracking the Tempest By Nicole Peeler
08 Jul 2010 3 Comments
in Paranormal Romance, Reviews Tags: Djinn/Genie, Gnomes, Magic, Paranormal Romance, review, Shifters, Vampires
From Barnesandnoble.com: Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and Ryu – Jane’s bloodsucking boyfriend – can’t let a major holiday go by without getting all gratuitous. An overwhelming dose of boyfriend interference and a last-minute ticket to Boston later, and Jane’s life is thrown off course.
Ryu’s well-intentioned plans create mayhem, and Jane winds up embroiled in an investigation involving a spree of gruesome killings. All the evidence points towards another Halfling, much to Jane’s surprise…
Jane is a half-Selkie, who is dating a vamp, spends most of her time with a Gnome and is now being stalked by another halfling who is convinced they are soul mates. Needless to say, these books are different but in a good way. Jane is hilarious, here is one of my fave quotes:
“Ryu knew damned well that humor could overcome any emotion, even lust. I couldn’t help laugh s he helped to my feet and pushed me to the wet room. Meanwhile, I began strategizing all the various ways in which I would destroy him later. And he’s afraid of a little Gorgon, I thought as I wondered what, exactly, Iris has packed from my dirty drawer. Game on Vlad, I thought, wriggling my own eyebrows at my vampire’s back as he went to get my suitcase. I’ll show you an ‘impaler.’
I also have to include this quote because I know one certain fellow blogger who will appreciate this:
“Before executing my culinary genius, I first poked ay Ruy’s iPod, set in his state-of-the-art sound dock thingie, until I found the Killers and put them on shuffle. I was officially obessesed with the Killers, not least because of the lead singer’s slightly spastic-yet-strangely-sexy dance moves.”
Tracking the Tempest was action packed and hilarious from start to finish, kind of like a summer blockbuster for books. However, I have two complaints. First, I learned very quickly that the series is also forgettable. I had a really hard time remembering supporting characters (besides the Gnome, who I am moderately obsessed with) from the first book. It wasn’t a huge deal, and it didn’t ruin the fun, but since these are kinda short reads, they just don’t stick with you. Second, Jane talks a big game about all the dirty things she has planned for Ryu, but then we skip over the actual scenes. To this I say, BOOO! You can’t refer to Jane’s dirty drawer repeatedly and then not show the contents in action! Alas, I am not really crazy about Ryu anyway, so I was excited to see the little love-triangle brewing with Anyan. I am firmly on Team Anyan at this point. Ryu is just too pretty.
Rating: 8 (with bonus love for the super cute covers!)
Magic Bites (Kate Daniels #1) By Ilona Andrews
07 Jul 2010 1 Comment
in Reviews, Urban Fantasy Tags: Magic, review, Shifters, Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Witches
From Goodreads.com: When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake. Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta’s magic circles.
The Masters of the Dead, necromancers who can control vampires, and the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, blame each other for a series of bizarre killings—and the death of Kate’s guardian may be part of the same mystery. Pressured by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she’s way out of her league—but she wouldn’t have it any other way…
The Good: Let me start by saying after I made it through the first 50 pages or so, I liked this book more than I thought I would. I liked most of the plot, espcecailly the fresh take on vampires and the need to be piloted by a human. It was refreshing to see vamps as gross, not hot and/or sparkly. I liked Kate, and I really liked Curran. But what I liked most was the setting. You see, I have lived in Atlanta my entire life, so reading about all these landmarks and even suburbs (I live very close to the Shifter compound, btw) of Atlanta was great! There was also a quote that I just have to include because it was so nice to see:
“‘Lovely morning isn’t it?” he said, the unmistakeable harmonies of coastal Georgia vibrating in his voice.
“Shouldn’t it be ‘ain’t it?’” I said. My voice sounded weak.
“Only if you are an uneducated fool,” the man said. “Or if you wish to appear country. And I’m too old to appear anything that I’m not.’”
THANK GOD. I love this because it’s almost as if the authors were warning you up front to not expect any hick jackasses just because it’s based in Atlantan which I appreciated.
The Bad: I think the worst thing about this book was the lack of explanation. At some point, something happened and magic started causing problems for technology. We don’t really know what happened, and it’s hard to understand why the “tech goes out.” I just felt that there wasn’t enough background on the current atmoshpere as well as the characters to feel a connection. It’s obvious that Kate has a lot of secrets, and I am sure we learn about them as time goes on, but I needed a little more for her. The villain was confusing, I had to re-read sections to make sure I understood what exactly has was. And be warned, his scenes are grusome and distrubing. This is pretty dark urban fantasy. The level of detail was a little much for me, I found myself skimming a lot in this one. Honestly, if I didn’t already know the series gets a lot better (and really enjoyed The Edge series), I probably wouldn’t continue reading. Liked Kate and Curran, but don’t really care at this point.
The Bumpin’ Uglies: Le Sigh. No one bumps the uglies in this one. I know it’s not PNR, so not required, but it might have been nice for Kate to have one lighter scene to break up all the darkness. But I am keeping my eye on Curran, he has potential.
Rating: 6.5
Love in the Time of Dragons By Katie Macalister
27 Jun 2010 2 Comments
in Paranormal Romance, Reviews Tags: Demons, dragons, mages, Magic
From Goodreads.com: Tully Sullivan just woke up in a strange place, surrounded by people she’s never met. Which is bad enough. But then the strange people insist they are dragons. And, worse, that she is also a dragon, named Ysolde de Bouchier, one of the most notorious figures in dragon history.
She doesn’t buy it. She can’t breathe fire or shapeshift. She’s not even bothered by gold. But they’re adamant. And she’s in trouble.
Because these dragons also want to sentence her to death.
If she’s going to survive, Tully realizes she is going to have to find a way to solve the crimes she’s being accused of. Even though they happened in a past she has absolutely no memory of living.
This was a pretty short read, so I will just do a quick review. If you have read all of Katie Macalister’s dragon books up until now, you will love this addition. We finally get to see what big bad Baltic is all about. If you haven’t, you will be pretty lost. I even had to go back to the previous books to make sure I had the plot correct. The most important thing to know is that Baltic and Ysolde were both killed a long time ago, and have been reincarnated to find each other again and serve some sort of purpose that we have not learned about yet. I thought this book was much better than the two silver dragon books, just much more entertaining…and to be honest, Gabriel just gets on my nerves. I loved the dynamic of Baltic and Ysolde/Tully. There was this one scene where they were looking back at their previous selves in bed and Ysolde started umm…comparing and contrasting old vs. new Baltic. I didn’t think I would ever stop laughing. And Ysolde’s son Brom was hilarious, especially when paired with my favorite demon dog Jim. Jim was at his best in this one, actually, everyone was pretty funny in this one. Baltic cracked me up more than once:
Ysolde: “You think so? Well maybe your precious Aisling just needs to watch out, because I’m not some pushover, you know. I’m a mage, and mated to the baddest ass in the dragon world.”
Brom looked speculatively at Baltic. “That’s you?”
Baltic: “Yes. If you were my son, as you should have been, you, too, would have a badass.”
My only complaint about this book was the ending. I know it’s setting us up for future books in the series, but it was very unsatisfying. There were also a few plot elements that were left unresolved, but hopefully we will get to those in the next one. I am also hoping to see more of sexy Italian blue dragon, Bastian.
Rating: 8.5 (+0.5 for super sexy cover that matches my new theme so well, which I made especially big for this post. Hehe.)
Unholy Ghosts (Downside Ghosts #1) By Stacia Kane
21 Jun 2010 4 Comments
in Reviews, Urban Fantasy Tags: Ghosts, Magic, review, Urban Fantasy, Witches
From Goodreads.com: THE DEPARTED HAVE ARRIVED.
The world is not the way it was. The dead have risen, and the living are under attack. The powerful Church of Real Truth, in charge since the government fell, has sworn to reimburse citizens being harassed by the deceased. Enter Chess Putnam, a fully tattooed witch and freewheeling ghost hunter. She’s got a real talent for banishing the wicked dead. But Chess is keeping a dark secret: She owes a lot of money to a murderous drug lord named Bump, who wants immediate payback in the form of a dangerous job that involves black magic, human sacrifice, a nefarious demonic creature, and enough wicked energy to wipe out a city of souls. Toss in lust for a rival gang leader and a dangerous attraction to Bump’s ruthless enforcer, and Chess begins to wonder if the rush is really worth it. Hell, yeah.
Let me try to put this complicated, fantastical plot into words. Somehow, in 1997, the world’s dead broke back into the world of the living and almost wiped it out. Since everyone now knew what the afterlife was all about, there was no longer any need for religion or government, all the people needed was the Church of Real Truth. The Church protects the living from ghosts capable of murder (they did prevent total destruction in ’97 after all), but also regulates those who make false haunting claims. Chess works for the Church because she was born with magical abilities enabling her to banish ghosts back to the City of Eternity. Because she was born into this gritty, post-apocalyptic world, she has serious issues and has tuned to drugs like many others. Her pill habit is so bad; she owes her drug dealer, Bump, a ton of money. Bump wants to reopen a local airport to start flying his drugs out, but there are reports that ghosts are sabotaging planes. So he makes a deal with Chess to rid the place of ghosts and sends his head hit man Terrible out with her to investigate. Of course, rival drug lord Lex, does not want Bump to open said airport, so he also makes a deal with Chess. During the investigation, Chess discovers someone has unleashed a seriously powerful entity that could kill thousands. As the investigation goes on, Chess is pulled between Lex and Bump, while trying to survive vicious ghost attacks.
The Good: I loved this book. Seriously, I couldn’t put it down. Not once during my reading did I feel any familiarity with the plot or characters, which was so refreshing. I know that the post-apocalyptic setting is gaining popularity, but this is a huge twist on that concept. Apocalypse a-la ghost. My heart broke for Chess and what I am sure is a horrific past, and I appreciated how she hadn’t become a total a**hole, just a druggie. I loved how dry she was, but I hated her tragically low self-esteem. Terrible was a really intriguing character, and things got really interesting when he became a potential love interest. The Church was really fascinating, kind of like an eerie Church of Scientology or something, sans couch jumping. Admittedly, I was a little confused as to who the actual bad guys were and how they all met up, but I just reread a couple of pages and really liked the way it turned out. Honestly, the whole time I was reading, I had almost convinced myself to let my husband borrow my Kindle to read this book. That didn’t happen of course, but I thought it! More than once! Not sure I can pay an author a higher compliment.
The Bad: Nothing I am about to say is actually bad, it just slightly annoyed me. My only real complaint is the lack of detailed explanation for the events that took place in 1997. I tried not to let this bother me since I know there are more books coming out soon, but the curiosity is killing me! I was also left wondering why the Downsiders minus Chess speak differently from the Church members. And what odd language hybrid was that supposed to be anyway? To me it was like Cajuny Gangsta English with a bunch of Scottish ‘Aye’s. And what is the City of Eternity really like? And why did the Church replace the Government and not just mainstream religion? I realize that too much explanation can sometimes ruin a book, but I just had so many questions! Must. Be. Patient. Besides, I am sure Chess will end up in the City eventually and I will learn more than I ever wanted to know about it.
The Bumpin’ Uglies: Terrible….oh Terrible (the person, not adjective). The idea of Terrible makes my shallow little brain hurt. Terrible is big, muscular, sweet in his own brutish way, and…ugly. But not all the way ugly, just thuggish ugly. He reminds me of someone like Benicio Del Toro; from certain angles you are all “whoa! Thought he was kinda hot!” but then he talks and acts and you are all “well, I wouldn’t throw him out of bed or anything.” He is portrayed as a man who works with what he’s got, and this almost convinced me that not all leading men have to be hot. Almost. And then there was Lex, who becomes an actual love interest and I guess is supposed to be hot, but he did nothing for me. Lex in one word: Meh. Lex and Chess love scenes in two words: Where’s Terrible?Terrible stole every scene he was in, and I was actually disappointed when he wasn’t around. And I was REALLY disappointed with that bathroom scene!! That wasn’t very nice Ms. Kane. But I have very high hopes for the next book and this nice little love triangle we have developing. It’s not every day you get a peek inside a drug lord – pill popper – rival drug lord’s head henchman love triangle!
Rating: 9.5
Night Keepers By Jessica Andersen (Final Prophecy #1)
11 May 2010 1 Comment
in Paranormal Romance, Reviews, Urban Fantasy Tags: Magic, Mayans, Paranormal Romance, review, Urban Fantasy
From B&N.com: The exciting debut of a new paranormal romance series
As a Miami narcotics detective, Leah Daniels never knows how her day will turn out. But she certainly never expected to be strapped to a stone altar, the human sacrifice in an ancient Mayan ritual meant to coax up a demon from the underworld. Or that she’d be saved by a handsome warrior-priest king who claims to recognize her from his visions…
Jaguar Strike wishes he hadn’t made the mistake of reuniting his fellow warrior priests, or broken the law by saving their chosen human sacrifice. Now, he has no choice but to join forces with Leah and invoke dangerous magic in a death-defying race against the end of time.
Kindlelicious Disclaimer: This book has a very complicated plot with about a millionty characters, so I will try to keep this short.
The Drama: Leah Daniels is convinced that the leader of the a local cult that believes the end of the world will happen in 2012 (as predicted by the Mayans) is responsible for the ritualistic killings of late, including the murder of her brother. While investigating a lead, she is kidnapped by the cult and nearly sacrificed, until she is rescued by the man of her dreams (literally), Strike. Strike is the last King of Night keepers, a race of beings with special powers that aim to prevent the end date from taking place. Their last attempt 24 years ago ended with the brutal slaughter of most of his race by demons. While rescuing Leah, Strike realizes the 2012 cult is responsible for allowing demons to possess humans. The actions of the 2012 cult lead Strike and his keeper, the winikin Jox, to assemble any remaining Night keepers to fight the demons being released on Earth. However, Strike continues to be distracted by Leah, who was meant to be a Godkeeper along with her brother, before he was murdered. Now one of the few Gods that can fight the demons on Earth is trapped between planes and the only way to release it is to murder Leah. Strike’s feelings for Leah won’t allow him to harm her, but he also knows if he doesn’t release the God and become the leader of the Night keepers, the world will indeed end in 2012.
The Smut: Night keepers is yet another example of a UF-PNR hybrid that is a dirty, dirty tease. Strike and Leah go at it when they first meet! They don’t even know each other’s names! So awesome. But then, Strike gets all “If we sleep together again I will like you more and then I won’t murder you” wah wah wah. And Leah is all like “Whatever! We are around each other all day dumbass; we’ll like each other more anyway!!” Leah is a smart girl, but unfortunately, Strike is stupid and we have to wait til near the end of the book to see any more serious action. But the good news is that since Strike is all Mayan and stuff, he has big stone altars in his bedroom (cause that’s how all Mayan’s were, right?), and…well they get used. The bad news is: I didn’t love Strike. He was kinda whiny about being King and just not as bad-ass as I wanted him to be. All of the other Night keepers were sort of unofficially coupled up though, so the series is set-up to feature the new Night keeper or Nightkeeper\Winikin couples in future books. Really hoping we will get to see more of those stone altars!
The Ranty Rave: The Night keepers reminded me of X-men. I know, X-men are mutants and Night keepers are…magical (?), but I couldn’t help the comparison. Reading the part where Strike is assembling the remaining Night keepers was like being in a movie montage or something. All of these people from different backgrounds, thrust together to figure out what magical abilities they have and how they can unify to save the world…definite movie material. Well…you would have to cut the number of characters in half so the audience’s heads wouldn’t explode, but it would still be great! I really like the potential of this series, and I LOVED all the Mayan culture and mythology. You can tell Jessica Andersen really did her homework in this area. And though I felt like I was watching the History channel at some points, it never really got boring, just interesting. Night keepers was really different than your usual vampy UF, don’t expect any of the standard supernatural beings. (Except demons, but they aren’t hot Larissa Ione demons, so who cares?) Like I said before, the central romance stalled several times, but I think introducing all the characters and history took up a lot of time and was pretty important for the series. I expect the future books to do better in the romance department. One last note, I can usually finish a book in a day, but this one took me a few days, mainly because I had to keep flipping back to the movie montage to keep track of everyone. This didn’t really bother me though, if anything I felt more invested.
Rating: 8.5
Ill Wind By Rachel Caine (Weather Warden #1)
16 Apr 2010 1 Comment
in Reviews, Urban Fantasy Tags: Djinn/Genie, Magic, Urban Fantasy
From Amazon.com: Joanne Baldwin is a weather warden, who can control the weather and keep it from being more chaotic and destructive than it already is. She is on the run, though, for she is accused of killing a senior warden, which she did, sort of: a thread of corruption runs through some of the most powerful wardens, one of which put a Demon Mark on her and then died. Her only hope now is to get a djinn from her old friend Lewis, who stole three of them from the council of the wardens many years ago. As she runs, she picks up a hitchhiker who knows things an ordinary person wouldn’t, and who offers help. With djinns and other wardens, including those sent to arrest her, all giving her conflicting information, Joanne never quite knows whom to trust in this romantic escapist romp rife with danger, excitement, and even classic cars.
Me: Hmm…good description Amazon…since I don’t want to be redundant I will just skip to the part where we talk about my opinions on Ill Wind.
Amazon: We know that’s all you want to do anyway. Let’s lose the charade.
Me: So true.
The Good: I am no stranger to dorkdom, I can dork out about the weirdest things for hours. And now I can add weather to that list. Joanne manipulates the weather around her by going into Oversight, which is basically leaving her body and magically traveling into the atmosphere to change weather patterns. I loved reading about her manipulating molecules and energy, I thought the whole concept was just spiffy. But to be fair, some might get bored with the lengthy descriptions of clouds and lightning. (You have been warned.) I also really enjoyed the Djinn, who basically exist to serve with weather wardens. This was my first encounter with the Djinn (read: Genie), and I loved how they are basically a magical powers open canvas. It’s like “Oh, no car keys? Let me crank that for you!” “Oh, you are sinking in quick sand? I happen to be able to travel through the ground to save you! We Djinn do stuff like this all the time!” This may annoy some, but I thought it was pretty funny. As for the plot, it was very fast-paced with lots of action, as Joanne spent the entire book on the run from the rest of the weather wardens. There were some twists and turns I didn’t see coming, and overall it was just a fun, different book. Some characters were introduced but not well developed, but this is a series, so I think they will have a larger role to play later on.
The Bad: I can’t think of too much to say here. Ill Wind was a quick, light read, so I didn’t really care too much that there were a few holes in the plot. I thought the villain was a little predictable. And the motives really didn’t make much sense, but Joanne actually points that out, so I can’t really complain. My biggest issue with Ill Wind is: I liked this book, but do I really need to read the other 8 in the series? I am getting kinda sick of making huge investments in characters for 7-10 books, then being a little lost at the end. (We are going to ignore how pathetic that sounded, mmmkay?) But Ill Wind ended with just enough of a cliffhanger to keep me interested. Sigh…what to do.
The Bumpin’ Uglies: When I purchase my beloved Kindle books, I always read the reviews on Amazon before I make the purchase. The few I read hinted that Ill Wind is more PNR than UF. I would have to disagree, and I was disappointed at how little romance there was. (Slight spoiler) I mean, I was really excited to see what David the Djinn lovin’ was all about, but the good stuff was more of the “blink and you miss it” variety. I felt a little cheated by the one major smutty scene because it started off really steamy (figuratively and literally) and then was kinda skimmed over. What a smut tease! Seriously, what is the female of equivalent of getting blue balled?? Anyway, there were three potential love interests introduced, but only David the Djinn is really developed. I would have liked a little more depth in these relationships, but like I said, the series is on the 9th book now; these romances may have been explored.
Rating: 8 if considered UF, 6 if considered PNR
Mark of the Demon By Diana Rowland
07 Apr 2010 1 Comment
in Reviews, Urban Fantasy Tags: Demons, Magic, Urban Fantasy
From Amazon.com: Cop and conjurer of demons, she’s a woman in danger of losing control—to a power that could kill….
Why me? Why now? That’s what Beaulac, Louisiana, detective Kara Gillian was asking herself when an angelic creature named Rhyzkahl unexpectedly appeared during a routine summoning. Kara was hoping to use her occult skills to catch a serial killer, but never had she conjured anything like this unearthly beautiful and unspeakably powerful being whose very touch set off exquisite new dimensions of pleasure. But can she enlist his aid in helping her stop a killer who’s already claimed the lives—and souls—of thirteen people? And should she? The Symbol Man is a nightmare that the city thought had ended three years ago. Now he’s back for an encore and leaving every indication on the flesh of his victims that he, too, is well versed in demonic lore.
Kara may be the only cop on Beaulac’s small force able to stop the killer, but it is her first homicide case. Yet with Rhyzkahl haunting her dreams, and a handsome yet disapproving FBI agent dogging her waking footsteps, she may be in way over her head…
The Drama: Kara Gillian has just been promoted to homicide detective. Oh, and she also happens to be a demon summoner. Her first task is to hunt down The Symbol Man, a serial killer responsible for several grisly murders in the area. In hopes of getting more information from otherworldly sources, she summons a demon, but ends up with Rhyzkahl, a seriously hot demon lord. The problem is he doesn’t really help her in the way she intended and continues to pop up in her dreams to drive her even crazier, all while furthering his own plans of course. When The Symbol Man murders escalate, a task force is assigned to help noob Kara solve the case, introducing us to the sorta hot (?) Agent Ryan Kristoff. Kara struggles to prove herself to the very machismo-y (so many new words) task force, while attempting to hide her knowledge of the Arcane that could solve the case. It’s hard to go into much more of the drama without getting into the several twists and turns of the central mystery, so I will just skip ahead to what I really want to talk about.
The Smut: Ooooooooh, I do enjoy a love triangle! Unfortunately only 2 of 3 members of said triangle actually got it on. But this is obviously another series, so I will just have to be patient for the other money shot. ::SIGH:: Anywho, Demon Lord Rhyzkahl comes in with a bang (pun intended), but then we don’t really get to see anymore of his sexy side. Though I will say, I enjoyed not knowing what his intentions were and being scared shitless of him most of the book. I have a soft spot for tremendously assholey men. As for Agent Kristoff…he just didn’t do it for me. I liked his personality okay, but my shallow side would much prefer to hop back in the sack with Rhyzkahl even if he could enslave the entire human race. From a totally smutty perspective, this book was a tease. We got all that Rhyzkahl hotness in the first 10% (I only understand books in Kindleish now), so I am thinking this book is going to be a big raunch-fest, and then NOTHING!! We didn’t even finish off that triangle! Blah.
The Rant/Rave: Honestly the first 30% or so of this book was painful for me. It really got bogged down in the police procedurals and politics, but after I learned that the author is a former Cop, I appreciated it more. And I could totally relate to Kara trying to prove herself in a man’s world. I will say that my brain did not appreciate the strange sensation of being bored yet fascinated yet repulsed by the autopsy details. Just weird. About halfway through I started really loving the plot and enjoyed trying to figure out how everyone was related to The Symbol Man. And while I saw some of the twists coming, I didn’t see that last one! Kara’s potty mouth personality really came through towards the end, so she grew on me a lot. One the whole, this book pleasantly surprised me, and I am looking forward to Blood of the Demon. But I better see some more Demon Lord action!!!
Rating: 8
Black Magic Sanction (The Hollows #8) By Kim Harrison
23 Mar 2010 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Demons, Fairies/Fae, Ghosts, Magic, Pixies, Vampires, Werewolves, Witches
From barnesandnoble.com: In New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison’s most complex and nuanced adventure yet, bounty hunter and witch Rachel Morgan fights a deadly battle—mind, body, and soul. Rachel Morgan has fought and hunted vampires, werewolves, banshees, demons, and other supernatural dangers as both witch and bounty hunter—and lived to tell the tale. But she’s never faced off against her own kind . . . until now. Denounced and shunned for dealing with demons and black magic, her best hope is life imprisonment—at worst, a forced lobotomy and genetic slavery. Only her enemies are strong enough to help her win her freedom, but trust comes hard when it hinges on the unscrupulous tycoon Trent Kalamack, the demon Algaliarept, and an ex-boyfriend turned thief.
It takes a witch to catch a witch, but survival bears a heavy price.
My Spoiler-Laden Thoughts on Black Magic Sanction
The Recap: Tink’s Dildos I couldn’t put this book down! What a wild ride! Our girl Rache has come so far! At this point we are 8 books in to Kim Harrison’s The Hollows series and our favorite itchy witch is really in a mess this time around. Unlike so many other series where the lead characters run around destroying cities and lives with zero consequences, every one of Rachel’s actions are now biting her in the ass. She is now publicly shunned for dealing with demons, hunted by the “White” witches in the Coven for being a potential quasi-demon baby making machine, and hanging out in the Ever-After every Saturday with Big Al, all while dealing with her usual dysfunctional relationships and newly found daddy issues. Rachel Morgan is a busy girl.
The Drama: Where to begin!? Most of the action in Black Magic Sanction revolves around the Coven summoning Rachel, Rachel escaping, the Coven attacking the church, lather, rinse, repeat. After thousands of pages spent hanging out in Rachel and Ivy’s church, I felt almost violated when it went under attack! The scene with the fairy attack was especially infuriating and I spent the evening alternating between being super pissed and sobbing uncontrollably over the death of a very special character. I really enjoyed Rachel struggling with what to do with the surviving fairies, as I really couldn’t say what I would have done. I love Jenks so much its retarded, and I wanted serious revenge for him, but at the same time, Rachel slaughtering 7 inch tall fairies might have made for awkward reading. We also learn a lot more about Rachel’s family and the strange dynamic going on with her sorta crazy mom, rock star dad, and sorta douchey brother. Honestly, I didn’t care for these scenes, I just wanted her brother to stop talking and give her the damn spell book! Several supporting characters show back up, like Lee who I thought was terrifying in earlier, but is now super chill and laid back?! Whatevs. And of course, D-bag Nic-k is back for the action, but thankfully Rache has FINALLY realized his douchbaggery knows no limits.
The Smut: Oh Pierce. Piercey, Pierce, Pierce. Me no likely the stalker ghost. At one point, I was ready to skip over Pierce’s dialogue all together just to avoid any more “opines.” I really tried to get behind the Rachel-Pierce thing, but I just don’t feel the spark. And then we finally get to the good stuff, and Rachel feels the need to explain to us that male witches are less endowed than humans!! HUH? I understand that this is technically an UF series and therefore we aren’t treated to as much smutty goodness, but still! Was that really necessary? And in a hole in the ground?? Anyway, I am enjoying Big Al sorta kinda tossing his name into the hat of potential suitors. I am really excited to see how Ms. Harrison pulls off the softer side of a murderous demon with an affinity for velvet and lace. And then there is always hottie Trent, who I can’t for the life of me explain why I have such a crush on. But I do, and I really hope they end up together for some reason. But I also kinda hope Jenks will decide to go back to full-sized hotness and hook up with someone. Rachel, Ivy, I don’t really care, I just want to see the pixy in action! Speaking of Ivy, it looks like she is finally moving past her feelings for Rachel, and I am really hoping for some Ivy-Glenn smuttiness in the next installment!
The Rant: While I thought the Coven, especially Brooke and Vivian, were truly horrifying, I didn’t really understand their motives. Brooke wanted to lobotomize Rachel, treated her like a freak of nature, all the while plotting for a demon baby all her own? Not only does that seriously break the girl code, it doesn’t even make sense! If he wants a mini-Rachel, then Rachel can’t be all that bad! I really hope Brooke stays in the Ever-after, I don’t want her to turn into another Lee, where we just shrug off all the evil-bitchiness and keep going.
Related rant: Apparently publishing companies don’t get it. If you own an e-reader of any kind, chances are you are pretty savvy about all things books and are probably a pretty hard-core reader. So shame on HarperCollins for delaying the e-version of Black Magic Sanction. They must really not care about pissing off hard-core fans. I just so happened to read all the Hollows books over the past few weeks, so when I saw I had to wait a month longer than everyone else for book 8, I was not happy. Most kindlers like the convenience, and I especially find it really irritating to tote around a hardback after enjoying my little light weight gadget for so long. How can I hold my glass of wine if both my hands are keeping a hardback book open?! Alas, I decided I didn’t want to wait. So I may or may not have bought the hard back at B&N, read it that night, and returned it the next day. Take that HarperCollins!!
Should I buy-with-1-click? Oh yes. I mean, Jenks is in it, what more do you need? But no really, if you are a fan of the Hollows (and you have read the previous 7 books), you will not be disappointed. This book has it all: action, emotion, humor, romance, and pixies. You may want to shake Rachel for some of her decisions, but that’s what makes her so lovable, right?
Rating: Definitely 10. OBSESSED…like I am a 12 year-old girl and Jenks is my Edward Cullen.
