Review: Spell Bound by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Spell Bound
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #12
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: July 26, 2011
Publisher: Dutton Adult
Edition: Hardcover
Source: NetGalley
Blurb:

It's been ten years since Bitten, the first novel in Kelley Armstrong's New York Times bestselling Otherworld series. In that time hundreds of thousands of fans have ravenously devoured the adventures of Armstrong's witches, demons, and werewolves. Now, in Spell Bound, she brings them all together for her most sweeping tale yet.

Savannah Levine is in terrible danger, and for once she's powerless to help herself. At the heartbreaking conclusion of Waking the Witch, Savannah swore that she would give up her powers if it would prevent further pain for a young orphan. Little did she know that someone would take her up on that promise.

And now, witch-hunting assassins, necromancers, half-demons, and rogue witches all seem to be after her. The threat is not just for Savannah; every member of the Otherworld might be at risk. While most of her fellow supernaturals are circling the wagons at a gathering of the council in Miami, Savannah is caught on the road, isolated from those who can protect her and unable to use her vast spell-casting talent, the thing she counts on most. In a story that will change the shape of the Otherworld forever, Armstrong gathers Elena, Clay, Paige, Lucas, Jamie, Hope, and other beloved characters, who soon learn that the greatest threat to supernaturals just may come from within.

We were left with a huge cliffhanger at the end of the previous book, Waking the Witch. Spell Bound starts just were it left of. Savanah tries really hard to function without her powers but she doesn't succeed. You can see traces of the teenage Savanah at the beginning but once she confronts her fears, she becomes a much more mature person, and in my opinion, you can finally see that she's an adult.

The relationship between Adam and Savanah is not going that well either and there were times I wanted to hit them both upside the head. They had so many issues that could have been avoided if they had just talked to each other that it got a little tiring. Fortunately, there was some progress on that front.

The main plot Arc, that started in Waking the Witch and finishes in book 13 - which, by the way, is the last book in the series - develops nicely in this one. There were plenty of bad guys and I liked the idea of a new generation of supernaturals that were stronger than ever and had abilities unseen before or extinct.

One of the things I liked the most is that all the previous characters from the other books appear in this one and you get updates on their lives, but at the same time they don't eclipse Savannah's story. You also get to see plenty of Savannah's brothers, who have always interested me.

All in all, this was a great book with a lot of action, character development (especially in Savannah's case), a very interesting plot and the appearence of plenty of loved past characters of the series.
I will admit that I was expecting more on the romance front, but I hope the final book delivers on this front.


Previous Books:
1. Bitten
2. Stolen
3. Dime Store Magic
4. Industrial Magic
5. Haunted
6. Broken
7. No Humans Involved
8. Personal Demon
9. Living with the Dead
10. Frost Bitten
11. Waking the Witch - Review

Next Book:
13. Untitled (Summer 2012)

Rating:

Review: The Neon Graveyard by Vicki Pettersson

Title: The Neon Graveyard
Author: Vicki Pettersson
Series: Sings of the Zodiac #6
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: May 31, 2011
Publisher: Eos
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Source: NetGalley
Blurb:

Once she was a soldier for the Light, the prophesied savior who would decide the outcome of the eternal conflict raging unseen in the dark corners of her glittering hometown. Now Joanna Archer is just another mortal—still born of an impossible union of Shadow and Light . . . still hunted by both—and carrying the unborn child of a lover held captive by a depraved demon goddess. Joining forces with a band of rogue Shadow agents, Joanna's ready to storm the stronghold of her demonic foe, risking everything to enter this ghastly, godforsaken realm where the price of admission is her eternal soul. Because in a world that has stripped her of her power, identity, and fortune, Joanna has nothing left to lose—except her baby, her future, and the epic war poised to consume the city.

This is the final book in the Zodiac series. I recommend you read the first five books of the series or you will get lost reading this novel.
Jo, powerless and hunted by both light and shadow agents, has to rescue Hunter, her lover, from a mad goddess. She has been betrayed and emotionally broken quite a few times and I loved seeing her putting herself back together. She was total kick ass in this last book even though she was only human.

I was expecting much more action than what we got. I wanted to read about an epic final battle between shadow and light or at last a huge fight between Jo and Solange but it didn't happen.
We do get to see all the light warriors and how they have been doing. I would have liked to know more about the grey rogue agents, especially about their leader.

My favourite parts of the book were the ones with Warren (who finally gets what he deserves), the kids from the comic store (in my opinion they are very interesting) and the ones with Hunter.

All in all, this was a good ending to the series, where loose ends got tied and fights were battled. As I said before, I was expecting more but it does have a satisfying ending.


Memorable Lines:
“You don’t understand. I will not love you gently, Hunter.”
“No?” The honeyed softness in his gaze hardened. After a moment, I realized it was done in challenge. “Then how will you love me, Jo?”
Recklessly, I thought, holding that steady gaze. With a rampaging heart, I decided, narrowing my own eyes. “Like a bull loves red.”

Previous Books:
1. The Scent of Shadows
2. The Taste of Night
3. The Touch of Twilight
4. City of Souls
5. Cheat the Grave

Rating:

Review: Dark Descendant by Jenna Black

Title: Dark Descendant
Author: Jenna Black
Series: Descendant #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: April 26, 2011
Publisher: Pocket
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Bought
Blurb:

Nikki Glass can track down any man. But when her latest client turns out to be a true descendant of Hades, Nikki now discovers she can’t die. . . .

Crazy as it sounds, Nikki’s manhunting skills are literally god-given. She’s a living, breathing descendant of Artemis who has stepped right into a trap set by the children of the gods. Nikki’s new “friends” include a descendant of Eros, who uses sex as a weapon; a descendant of Loki, whose tricks are no laughing matter; and a half-mad descendant of Kali who thinks she’s a spy.

But most powerful of all are the Olympians, a rival clan of immortals seeking to destroy all Descendants who refuse to bow down to them. In the eternal battle of good god/bad god, Nikki would make a divine weapon. But if they think she’ll surrender without a fight, the gods must be crazy. . .

I love reading books that have mythology in them, especially greek mythology so I was really excited when I finally got this book in the mail.

Usually heroines in urban fantasy series are powerful, they know what they want and they go after it. Nikki is not that kind of heroine, which made me like her a lot. She has been forced into the dangerous and cruel world of the descendants of the gods and she's trying to survive the best she can. I liked that she was smart and especially that she wasn't naive. She didn't trust anyone for the most part of the book but she also wasn't afraid to show that she cared about what happened to the people around her (she calls herself a bleeding heart).

It was surprising that there really wasn't a love interest for Nikki and I really hope that gets explored in the next book.

The other descendants were interesting but I would have liked to get to know them better or at least see what kind of abilities they got (we only really get to see three descendants in action).

As for the worlbuilding, there wasn't much of it and the bits we get aren't really expanded. I liked the mythology but I would have prefered to learn more about both clans of descendants and why they became what they are.

Anyway, this was a very satisfying and entertaining read with a unique type of heroine and I really can't wait to read the next one.


Memorable Lines:
One moment, I was staring down the barrel of my gun trying to work up the nerve to pull the trigger, the next, I wanted to fling the gun to the ground and tear off my clothes. I had only an instant to realize what was happening before I was under his spell, but that was enough.

Desperation gave me the will I needed, and my finger squeezed the trigger.

Next Book:
2. Untitled (2012)

Rating:

Review: Married With Zombies by Jesse Petersen

Title: Married with Zombies
Author: Jesse Petersen
Series: Living with the Dead #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: February 3, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Edition: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Blurb:

Meet Sarah and David.
Once upon a time they met and fell in love. But now they're on the verge of divorce and going to couples' counseling. On a routine trip to their counselor, they notice a few odd things - the lack of cars on the highway, the missing security guard, and the fact that their counselor, Dr. Kelly, is ripping out her previous client's throat.

Meet the Zombies.
Now, Sarah and David are fighting for survival in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. But, just because there are zombies, doesn't mean your other problems go away. If the zombies don't eat their brains, they might just kill each other.

Have any of you seen Zombieland? Well, this book reminded me of that movie. David and Sarah's marriage is on the rocks so they're going to therapy to try save it when they're shocked to find their therapist eating her clients. At this point, they both start working together to survive the zombie outbreak.

At the beginning of every chapter there's an advice regarding how to save your marriage during a zombie apocalypse. Those parts were amusing although very short. I liked how Sarah and David got the hang of zombie killing slowly and how they realized that sometimes humans are more dangerous than the zombies. While I liked both David and Sarah, the truth is that I didn't really care much for them.

One of the best parts of the book was seeing David and Sarah trying to fix their problems, the thing is, we don't get much information about how their life was before the zombies and I think that was something important the novel was missing. The main problem I had with the book was that it didn't seem like they had a plan and when they finally make one it doesn't really go anywhere. And the ending was so open ended that it didn't felt like it was a real ending.

In this book there is plenty of zombie killing, a lot of arguments, a cult and many entertaining parts. This novel was short and light, perfect for a quick reading.

Memorable Lines:
“You’re right,” I said as I put the car in gear and inched into the garage.
David let out a snort as he pocketed his game system in his hoodie and unbuckled his seatbelt. “Wow, I hardly ever hear that.”
I swung the car into a space close to the elevator bank and slammed on the brake, purposefully making David catch himself on the dash a second time.
“Nice,” he muttered with a glare in my direction as he got out.
So what I did wasn’t subtle, but I couldn’t help but smile as I followed him across the quiet parking complex to the elevator.

Next Books:
2. Flip This Zombie
3. Eat Slay Love (June 2011)

Rating:

Review: Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

Title: Grave Witch
Author: Kalayna Price
Series: Alex Craft #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: October 5, 2010
Publisher: Roc
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Bought
Blurb:

As a grave witch, Alex Craft can speak to the dead-she's even on good terms with Death himself. As a consultant for the police, she's seen a lot of dark magic, but nothing has prepared her for her latest case. When she's raising a "shade" involved in a high profile murder, it attacks her, and then someone makes an attempt on her life. Someone really doesn't want her to know what the dead have to say, and she'll have to work with mysterious homicide detective Falin Andrews to figure out why...

I'm always looking for new urban fantasy series so I was really excited when I heard about this book. Alex is a very likeable character who has a very rare ability and has to deal with all sorts of problems, her family being one of them. At the beginning Alex is a loner, she does things her own way and she doesn't usually ask for help, but all of that changes when she finds herself in the middle of a very dangerous high profile homicide case.

While it's explained why Alex doesn't get on with her family, I wish we could have gotten more information on them, especially about what happened to her older brother and mother. I really hope the author tells us more about them in future books.

At first it seems like Alex doesn't have friends but as the story evolves you get to meet plenty of people that we are told are her friends, but to me it seemed like they were strangers. None of them knows the truth about Alex, she almost never interacts with them and when there's something wrong she never calls them or ask for their help. That to me seemed like very strange "friendships".

My favourite parts of the book, apart of when Alex is using her abilty, are the ones that include Falin and Death. Falin is the homicide detective in charge of the case and he's a very enigmatic character. I didn't really know if he was a good guy or a bad guy but I was sure from the start the there was something more to him that what met the eye.

Then there's Death. He is mysterious, powerful and complicated. I liked how he always tried to help Alex even though it might mean bending the rules. He was by far my favourite character and it's a shame that there wasn't more of him in the book. I really hope he gets a more central role in the next one.

All in all, this was a great start to a very promising series, with an interesting worlbuilding and an awesome set of characters. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Memorable Lines:
Angel of Death, Soul Collector, Grim Reaper—whatever you called him, most people saw him only once. He strolled forward, and Baker stumbled back a step.
Crap. I jumped from the casket platform. "Don't."
Too late.
Death reached into Baker's pudgy torso, and the color leached from my client's face. He swayed. Death stepped back, and Baker blinked once more before crumpling.

Next Book:
2. Grave Dance (July 5, 2011)

Rating:

Review: Right Hand Magic by Nancy A. Collins

Title: Right Hand Magic
Author: Nancy A. Collins
Series: Golgotham #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: December 7, 2010
Publisher: Roc
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Bought
Blurb:

Like most Manhattanites, aspiring artist Tate can't resist a good rental deal-even if it's in the city's strangest neighborhood, Golgotham, where for centuries werewolves, centaurs, and countless other creatures have roamed the streets.

Her new landlord is a sorcerer name Hexe, who is determined to build his reputation without using dark, left-hand magic. As Tate is drawn into Hexe's fascinating world, they both find that the right hand does not always know what the left hand is doing-and avoiding darkness is no easy trick...

This is the first book of a really interesting new series. Tate moves to a new place in Golgotham, the supernatural neighbourhood where she meets a lof of different creatures and races she only saw and heard about throught TV and magazines. Her landlord is Hexe, a Kymeran who only practices Right Hand Magic, meaning he doesn't lay curses, he mostly lifts them.

The chemistry between Tate and Hexe was one of the best things of the book. They both are from different worlds but at the same time they can relate and understand each other perfectly. There also was a were-cougar in the story. Lukas was a very sweet character. He was running from his pack until he was found by the bad guys. I felt bad for him at times and I really liked seeing his character evolve.

While the worldbuilding was one of the strong points of the novel, most of the time I was really bored reading about the history of a street or what happened to a market. Almost none of the information were are given is important to the story and the truth is that after a while I started skipping those parts.

The main problem I had with the story was that nothing happened during most of the book until the end and there wasn't much action or mystery. You know who the bad guy is since the beginning and you are told that he is evil, but you never really see it. I was very disappointed on that aspect of the book.

All in all, this was a very promising start of a series and while the first book didn't catch my attention at all times I have high hopes for the next one.

Memorable Lines:
"Scratch, this is Miss Tate."
"Humph," Scratch sniffed, clearly unimpressed.
"Pleased to meet you, uh, Scratch."
"As well you should be," the flying cat replied curtly.
"Scratch is my familiar. I'm sure you've heard about such things from books and movies." As the landlord stroked the winged cat's back, Scratch butted his forehead against him, just like any other tabby would. "He is also my rent collector."
"Yeah—I eat the deadbeats!" The familiar grinned.

Rating:

Review: The Kensei by Jon F. Merz

Title: The Kensei
Author: Jon F. Merz
Series: Lawson the Fixer #5
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: January 18, 2011
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Edition: Trade Paperback
Source: Author
Blurb:

Meet Lawson. A cynical, wise-cracking vampire charged with protecting the Balance between vampires and humans, he is part cop, part spy, and part commando — James Bond with fangs. Lawson mixes shrewd cunning with unmatched lethality to get his job done. He tries his best to dismantle conspiracies, dispatch bad guys, and live long enough to get home. In The Kensei, a battle-weary Lawson heads to Japan for a little rest and some advanced ninja training. But he no sooner steps off the plane than lands in the midst of a Yakuza turf war orchestrated by a shadowy figure known as the Kensei. With the help of Talya, a former KGB-assassin, Lawson must put a stop to the Kensei’s organ trafficking networks, prevent the creation of an army of vampire-human hybrids, and save his own skin in the process.

This is the first book I've read by the author, and I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to follow everything seeing as how this was the fifth book in the series, but the truth is that I had no problem whatsoever. Martial arts heavely influence the story and it was interesting reading about it. The book has non stop action from the start until the end, there are also plenty of easily followed fights that include swords, guns, bombs ...

The best thing about the book was the main character, Lawson. He's funny, sarcastic and overall very entertaining. I liked the complicated relationship he has with Talya, an assassin; plus he meets a lot of interesting characters along the way like Yuki, a wise vampire, and Moko, a very intriguing police detective. The vampires in this series are unusual and there isn't much information about them and their society, also in a lot of parts of the book I even forgot they were vampires.

All in all, this was an entertaining read with plenty of action, a creepy bad guy and a interesting main character.

Previous Books:
1. The Fixer
2. The Invoker
3. The Destructor
4. The Syndicate

Next Book:
6. The Ripper (Spring 2012)

Rating:

Review: Arcane Circle by Linda Robertson

Title: Arcane Circle
Author: Linda Robertson
Series: Persephone Alcmedi #4
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: December 28, 2010
Publisher: Pocket
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Source: eArc from author
Blurb:

After facing down the forces of Fairy in mortal combat, Persephone Alcmedi still must deal with the aftermath. Not only does Seph now possess deadly secrets she must hide from the arcane and mundane world alike, but the dozens of magical creatures who’ve taken up residence behind her cornfield need food and shelter, and there’s still her foster daughter Beverly’s tenth birthday party to plan.

And that’s not all. . . . Seph’s boyfriend Johnny has revealed himself as the wærewolf Domn Lup, and the ruler of the wære world is en route from Romania to make sure Johnny really is the “king” he claims to be. But Johnny’s hiding a dangerous secret: his magic is locked in his mysterious tattoos. He and Seph must find a way for him to reclaim it—fast—despite those who have no intention of letting Johnny gain his full powers. Seph knows that, in the arcane world, strength is always a necessity and power must be constantly proven, but how far is she willing to go to succeed . . . and at what cost?

I've enjoyed the previous three books of this series and that doesn't change with Arcane Circle. Seph has to deal with the aftermath of the battle fought in the previous book, like did Menessos survive? What about the Elementals that were freed? And what happens now that people know Johnny is the Domn Loup? All of this is solved, plus we finally get to meet Seph's mother and find out what she has been up to.

My favourite parts of the book were the ones where we meet the other powerful weres, they were very scary, and when we finally meet Seph's mother, she has been a huge mystery for three books and it was nice getting to meet another important and until now silent player.

While a lot of questions are answered and plot points are closed, I wish the relationships between the main characters could have been more developed, especially the one between Seph and Johnny. I love the direction Johnny's character is taking, little by little he's becoming more confident and sure of himself and I really can't wait to see the other weres acknowledge him as Domn Loup. As for Seph, she's still discovering how complicated is being the Lustrata, but she's adjusting the best she can to her situation, and that's what makes her such a good heroine.

To me, this felt like a transition book. A lot of loose ends were tied but there were almost no new plot points. I hope the next book deals more with Seph and her role as Lustrata. All in all, this was a great addition to this incredible series. I can't wait to get my hands into the next book!

Memorable Lines:

Dr. Lincoln turned to Kirk. "Would you fetch some towels from the bathroom? Wait, I-I didn't say fetch because you're a … I mean, I would've said it that way to anyone."
The handsome Asian wære smiled and replied, "That political correctness shit is for pansies who can't stomach the truth."

Previous Books:
1. Vicious Circle
2. Hallowed Circle
3. Fatal Circle - Review

Rating:

Review: Death's Mistress by Karen Chance

Title: Death's Mistress
Author: Karen Chance
Series: Dorina Basarab #2
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: January 5, 2010
Publisher: Onyx
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Bought
Blurb:

Dorina Basarab is a dhampir-half-human, half-vampire. Back home in Brooklyn after the demise of her insane Uncle Dracula, Dory's hoping her life is about to calm down. But soon Dory realizes someone is killing vampire Senate members, and if she can't stop the murderer, her friends may be next...

Midnight's Daughter was one of my favourite books I've read this year, so I was a little nervous about the follow up, but I'm happy to say that it was even better! Dorina is back and trouble keeps finding her, as usual. She's still as strong as usual and follows nobody's rules but her own. She has to deal with the vampires once again and that includes her father, Mircea.

Her relationship with him keeps being difficult and complicated but we also see a new side of Mircea. There are things that Dorina always asumed were the truth, but it turns out that she doesn't really know her father much, although the same could be said about him. I loved seeing their relationship evolve, especially when Mircea started trusting Dory.

The other important vampire in the books is Louise-Cesare, Dory's romantic interest. These two have been dancing around each other for quite a while and now they have to figure out where each other fits in their lives. I loved these two characters, especially when they were together, and even though they have plenty of difficulties, they keep fighting for what they want: each other. Also, we find out some ugly things from Louise-Cesare's past and we finally get a resolution on the Christine front.

Other characters in this book are Radu, Dory's uncle and Ray, a vampire that was at the wrong place at the wrong time (although he has plenty to account for). Both of them provide comic relief when the plot gets too dark. They're definitely on my top list of favourite characters.

With a perfect blend of action, mystery and romance, this was without a doubt one of my favourite books of the year. Too bad we have to wait so long for the next one!

Memorable Lines:

"As you're constantly reminding me, I'm family. Tell me and maybe I can help. Or does the family thing only work when you want something?"
Mircea took a deep breath, which he didn't need, to show me how much of a pain I was being. "It's about his family, Dorina, and is not my story to tell. Now, have you seen him?"
"I haven't heard from him in a month," I said flatly, suddenly tiring of the game. Most vampire clans unlucky enough to end up with a dhampir quickly bury the problem—six feet under. I supposed I should be happy that Mircea had taken a somewhat more enlightened view. But as far as my status as family was concerned, it was and always would be second-class.

Previous Books:
1. Midnight's Daughter - Review

Rating:

Review: Black Wings by Christina Henry

Title: Black Wings
Author: Christina Henry
Series: Madeline Black #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: November 30, 2010
Publisher: Ace
Edition: Paperback
Blurb:

As an Agent of Death, Madeline Black is responsible for escorting the souls of the dearly departed to the afterlife. It's a 24/7 job with a lousy benefits package.

Maddy's position may come with magical abilities and an impressive windspan, but it doesn't pay the bills. And then there are her infuriating boss, tenant woes, and a cranky, popcorn-loving gargoyle to contend with.

Things start looking up, though, when tall, dark, and handsome Gabriel Angeloscuro agrees to rent the empty apartment in Maddy's building. It's probably just a coincidence that as soon as he moves in, demons appear on the front lawn. But when an unholy monster is unleashed upon the streets of Chicago, Maddy discovers powers she never knew she possessed. Powers linked to a family legacy of tarnished halos.

Powers that place her dicectly between the light of Heaven and the fires of Hell...

Maddy is the lead character of the book. She's strong and brave but has some issues with being trapped doing the same job for the rest of her life: the job of guiding souls to the afterlife. But one day things get worse, something attacks her and her friend and suddenly her life is in chaos. It turns out that someone has been keeping secrets from her about her past, and she's not too happy about it.

It was refreshing having an agent of death as a main character. It was very interesting seeing the duties she has, but I wish more could have been shown about her job and how it works. The new powers that she develops give her a touch of vulnerability, that's added to the one she feels everytime she's near Gabriel, her tenant. He is mysterious at first but when everything is revealed he becomes a little too complacent and obedient, and even though it's explained why, I wish he could have had more of a mind of his own.

Personally, I think the best two characters of the book were Beezle, Maddy's best friend gargoyle who is funny, sweet and cares a great deal about her, and then there's J.B., Maddy's boss, very handsome but an enormous jerk. I'm sure he has hidden depths and I really want to know what they are.

The worldbuilding was very interesting. I guess it's because I love reading about that type of creature (I would be more precise, but then I would be spoiling you). The bad guys were really kick-ass and I liked that Maddy wasn't the most powerful person and that most of the time she was walking on eggshells.

This was one of my favourite urban fantasies of the year. It was dark and intense but it also had some touches of humour. The book was very addicting and the plot was fast paced. I guess the worst thing is that I have to wait a whole year until the next one!


Memorable Lines:

J.B. & Maddy
He looked up at me, sparks in his eyes. "I think we're finished here."
"Not by a long shot," I said, and turned to leave.
"And next time you come in to work, be sure to dress a little more professionally," he added as I slammed the door shut.
"You're lucky I remembered to take my apron off," I muttered, and headed back to my desk to finish filling out the forms.

Next Book:
2. Black Night (Autumm 2011)

Rating:

* I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Review: Blood Song by Cat Adams

Title: Blood Song
Author: Cat Adams
Series: Bloodsinger #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: June 2, 2010
Publisher: Tor
Edition: Trade Paperback
Blurb:

Bodyguard Celia Graves has definitely accepted her share of weird assignments, both human and supernatural. But her newest job takes the cake. Guarding a Prince from terrorists and religious fundamentalists is hard enough, but it seems like the entire supernatural world is after this guy too. When she is betrayed by those she is employed to help, and everything goes horribly wrong, Celia wakes to find herself transformed. Neither human nor vampire, Celia has become an Abomination—something that should not exist—and now both human and supernatural alike want her dead. With the help of a few loyal friends—a sexy mage, a powerful werewolf, and a psychic cop—Celia does her best to stay alive. On the run from her enemies, Celia must try to discover who is behind her transformation…before it’s too late.

I read this book from start to finish in one sitting. In the world this book is set in vampires are completely evil, a nice change from other urban fantasies. There are all kinds of paranormal creatures and the world knows it. The main character, Celia, is the only normal human in her group of friends and she doesn't think she really fits in with them. That is until she is attacked and becomes an abomination.

There were a lot of secondary characters, too many, if you ask me. It seemed like in every new scene a new "important" character popped up, and that made me forget who was who to the point of not caring anymore. The funny thing is that with each of them you saw a new side of Celia. I wish the authors could have used another way to give depth to the main character. Anyway, of all the side characters my favourite was Kevin, the mysterious werewolf friend of Celia. We don't see much of him, but I found him to be the most interesting character of the book.

Celia is a strong, capable person and that is showed through the novel. She deals with a lot of issues and confronts her past to a degree. The problem I had was that even though a lot of people are after her, the final battles never happen. Most of her problems are solved for her without even know it, and I really didn't like that.
Usually there is a clear love interest in urban fantasy books, but not so much with this one. That gives an element of "suspense" but I hope it's solved in the next book.

This was an enjoyable read with a very interesting worldbuilding. I just hope that the cliffhanger is explained and solved in future books and that we get to know some secondary characters better.


Memorable Lines:

"What are you doing up?" The words were directed at me. The look, however, was for Jones first, then Emma.
"I did it," Jones said. he gave Kevin a broad smile that didn't reach his eyes. "It's necessary. We have to find her sire. Doing so in daylight, when he's helpless, would be preferable, don't you think?"
"Not if it kills Celia in the process." Kevin snarled.
The smile grew, and Jones' eyes started to twinkle. "Well, you're in luck. She's not dead."

Next Books:
2. Siren Song
3. Demon Song (Mar 2011)

Rating:

Review: Blood Heat by Maria Lima

Title: Blood Heat
Author: Maria Lima
Series: Blood Lines #4
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: October 26, 2010
Publisher: Pocket
Edition: Paperback
Blurb:

Texas is heating up. . .

The summer heat wave that’s hit Rio Seco, Texas, has even the vampires complaining, but with Keira—the Kelly heir—home from Vancouver, the weather isn’t the only thing too hot to handle. Keira should be setting up her court and planning the big reception where she and her consort, vampire ruler Adam Nightwalker, will receive the magical leaders from the local area, but pomp and circumstance just aren’t Keira’s thing, especially not with trouble smoldering in her domain. A werewolf couple has mysteriously gone missing from a local pack, and when Keira is asked by their leader to investigate, she finds that some dissatisfied neighbors may have been taking—well—strong action against the wer community … action that could be repeated, and could involve Keira and those she loves. So, with the reception looming and danger fast blazing out of control, the pressure is on Keira to keep Texas safe for supernaturals. Sometimes, it’s just not that great to be Heir…

After some major things were revealed in the last book, like the fact that there are two Kelly heirs, we start this one as Keira gets back home from training with her family.
I could see the change in her since the beginning. It seems like in those months Keira spend with Gigi she finally matured and started to learn what it means to be a leader and how sometimes you have to make tough choices and think for the best of the group.

Even though Tucker, Adam, Nico and company make appareances in this book, Bea is the one this novel centers itself around the most. We finally see the reunion between her and Keira and we discover what she has been up to all that time. I was so glad she was back, I really missed her in the previous book.

I was expecting to read much more about the reception, but there were only a few pages about it at the end. I think that part was the most exciting one of the book, especially as it reveals an incredible cliffhanger.
For the most part, this book deals with a pack of werewolves that live in Keira's territory and need her help. While the book touches the subject of hate crimes and bullying, I wished there could have been more mystery. I think it was clear, at least for me, who the bad guys were, especially when you find out the reason why they were attacking "outsiders".

Of all the new characters introduced in this book, my favourite was Old Joe. He was a homeless person, who most people thought was crazy. I found him to be mysterious and tricky. I love that kind of characters.

This was a great addition to the series, in which we see a much more mature Keira dealing with her new obligations as a heir. After the way the book ended, I can't wait to read the next one!


Previous Books:
1. Matters of the Blood
2. Blood Bargain
3. Blood Kin

Next Book:
5. Blood Sacrifice (2011)

Rating:

* I received an eArc of this book from the author for review.

Review: Darkness Calls by Marjorie M. Liu

Title: Darkness Calls
Author: Marjorie M. Liu
Series: Hunter Kiss #2
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: June 3, 2010
Publisher: Orbit
Edition: Paperback
Blurb:

Nomad born and bred, demon hunter Maxine Kiss has always relied upon herself to fight the darkness that surrounds her, the predators-human, zombie, and otherwise-who threaten the earth. But one man has penetrated her lonely life: Grant, the last of his kind. With music he is able to control any living creature…including demons. And now his life is in danger.

Haunted by the past, determined to change the future, Maxine soon understands that to save Grant, she has only one choice-to lose control, and release her own powers of darkness.

This is the follow up book to The Iron Hunt in which the author introduced us to Maxine Kiss and the rest of the group. In this one we get to know more about some characters, especially Jack and Grant. There were plenty of questions about what exactly Grant was and why everyone was so afraid of him and we finally get some answers about it, even though I wished more was revealed about him, especially since we only find out more at the end of the book.
We also get some new insighs into Jack as well as things he did in the past.

Even though there's always something happening since page 1, I felt like the book didn't go anywhere. There was plenty of running around/action, but I felt like most of it was unnecessary. Also, I would have prefered to know more about the bad guys before they were dead, not after. I wish Maxine could have gotten some down time instead of always jumping into situations blind. The introduction of Killy, a new character, was a bit rushed and I would have liked to know more about her than what kind of psychic ability she had.

In this book the possiblity of new supernatural creatures is also raised, and while I don't think they are really needed in this world, they do create a new problem for Maxine and co. One of the things I loved was seeing Rose tranform from a crazy homeless person to a kick-ass very dangerous one. The boys are still really cute and deadly, and Zee keeps being my favourite one. Also, the bad guy was really creepy and that was one of the things that made me love to hate him.

I liked this book more than the previous one. There was plenty of action, and while I sometimes though of it as excessive, it did make the book an enjoyable read.


Memorable Lines:

“Please,” Archie whispered hoarsely. “I want to convert.”
“Liar,” rasped Zee, before I had a chance to tell the zombie to go fuck himself. The little demon leaned close to lick the air above Archie’s brow. “Cutter lies, Maxine. He still hungers.”
“He murders,” I said, gripping the remains of the switchblade in my fist as a young face flashed through my mind, bloody and sliced, long brown limbs naked, splayed. Torn doll. Torn in places I did not want to remember. “She was just a kid.”
“She was a prostitute,” Archie said. “She was already prey.”
Dek and Mal, coiled heavy on my shoulders, peered from beneath my hair and hissed at the zombie. Unlike the others, they were built like snakes, with two vestigial limbs good only for clutching my ears. Heads shaped like hyenas. Sharp smiles. Fire in their breath. Archie stared at them, and trembled.

Previous Book:
1. The Iron Hunt - Review

Next Book:
3. A Wild Light

Rating:

* I received this book from the publisher for review.

Review: Venom by Jennifer Estep

Title: Venom
Author: Jennifer Estep
Series: Elemental Assassin #3
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: September 28, 2010
Publisher: Pocket
Edition: Paperback
Blurb:

It’s hard to be a badass assas­sin when a giant is beat­ing the crap out of you. Luck­ily, I never let pride get in the way of my work. My cur­rent mis­sion is per­sonal: anni­hi­late Mab Mon­roe, the Fire ele­men­tal who mur­dered my fam­ily. Which means pro­tect­ing my iden­tity, even if I have to con­ceal my pow­er­ful Stone and Ice magic when I need it most. To the pub­lic, I’m Gin Blanco, owner of Ashland’s best bar­be­cue joint. To my friends, I’m the Spi­der, retired assas­sin. I still do favors on the side. Like rid­ding a vam­pire friend of her over­sized stalker—Mab’s right-hand goon who almost got me dead with his mas­sive fists. At least irre­sistible Owen Grayson is on my side. The man knows too much about me, but I’ll take my chances. Then there’s Detec­tive Bria Coolidge, one of Ashland’s finest. Until recently, I thought my baby sis­ter was dead. She prob­a­bly thinks the same about me. Lit­tle does she know, I’m a cold-blooded killer … who is about to save her life.

This book is about consequences. After the events of the last book, Mab and her goons are looking for the assassin that killed her lawyer's son and an associate. Because of that Roslyn, the vampire that helped Gin, now is in trouble and needs Gin's skills to get rid of him. But it's easier said than done because this guy is powerful, resourceful and really hard to kill.

I loved seeing Gin evolve from the simple assassin she was in the first book to the complicated revenge driven retired assassin she was in this book. She has to deal with the aftermath of the events from the previous book and that includes the effect it had on her the departure of the Detective Donovan Caine. I never liked the guy and I was glad he was gone, especially since now Owen Grayson is in the picture. Gin has some doubts concerning him and it was interesting seeing her deal with her insecurities and how much Owen really understands her. We get to know the connection between these two and I think that deep down they just match. We also see Gin use her elemental powers more easily, although she keeps being stubborn about trying to develop them.

Another point that was raised in the previous book was Detective Bria Coolidge, also known as Gin's thought dead little sister. We start to get to know her and we can see the similarities between the two sisters, especially concerning the investigation into their family's death. They're both looking for justice, only they use different methods. I liked how she tried to help people even though realistically she can't and how because of that she has become Mab's target. It was also interesting seeing her interact with Finn and I think there's a possible romance in the air.

As for the other characters, Finn keeps being Finn and the sisters are the same, although we do get some new information into their pasts. I really wanted more interaction between Gin and Mab, but unfortunately there isn't much of it, and I really hope we see some sort of fight between thse two in the future, especially after how Venom ended.

This book had non-stop action, plenty of character development and answered a few questions that were raised in the previous 2 novels. I read it in one sitting and now I can't wait to read Tangled Threads. This series just keeps getting better and better!


Memorable Lines:

“I do hope you’ve learned your les­son this time, Ms. Blanco,” Mab said in a pleas­ant voice. “Because Jonah’s right. Next time you cross one of us—any of us—you will die. And I promise you that it will be far more excru­ci­at­ing than what you’ve expe­ri­enced here tonight.”

A bit of black fire flashed in her eyes, back­ing up her deadly promise. Mab Mon­roe smiled at me a moment longer, then turned on her boot heel and van­ished into the cold night.

Previous Books:
1. Spider's Bite - Review
2. Web of Lies - Review

Next Book:
4. Tangled Threads (April 26th 2011)

Rating: 1/2

* I received an eArc of this book from the author for review.

Review: The Mage in Black by Jaye Wells

Title: The Mage in Black
Author: Jaye Wells
Series: Sabina Kane #2
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: April 1, 2010
Publisher: Orbit
Edition: Paperback
Blurb:

Sabina Kane doesn't have the best track record when it comes to family. After all, her own grandmother, leader of the vampire race, wants her dead. So when she arrives in New York to meet her mage relatives, the reunion puts the fun in dysfunctional. Not only is mage culture completely bizarre, but everyone seems to think she's some kind of 'Chosen' who'll unite the dark races. Sabina doesn't care who chose her, she's not into destiny. But the mages aren't Sabina's only problem. In New York's Black Light District, she has run-ins with fighting demons, hostile werewolves and an opportunistic old flame. Sabina thought she'd take a bite out of the Big Apple - but it looks like it wants to bite back.

This book starts immediately after Red-Headed Stepchild. Sabina goes with Adam to New York to meet the mage council, her twin sister and to begin her magic training.
All through the book Sabina has to deal with major trust issues, and I don't blame her after almost everyone betraying her on the previous book. The problem was that I got tired of her being suspicious of everyone at all times, and the fact that Adam wasn't there with her didn't help matters.

There was a lot more action in this book although there were some scenes (especifically the one with Tiny) that didn't bring anything to the story and it seemed that were there only to add a little more action, and honestly, I could have done without them.
We get introduced to 2 new dark races: the werewolves and the fae. I found the werewolves to be very interesting and I really hope we see more of Michael, they're alpha and then there's the fae. We really only meet one, and we don't learn much on that encounter.

On the love side of the story, we get introduced to an old flame of Sabina's, Slade. It was funny seeing her trying to deal with her bottle up emotions and interact with him. He, alongside Giguhl (Sabina's demon familiar), give the book a lighter tone. He gives Adam a little competiton, but I think everyone who has read this books knows who's going to get the girl. We also finally meet Sabina's sister, and sometimes I liked her more than Sabina herself. She's definitely an interesting and important character and I love seeing develop the relationship between both sisters. Concerning Sabina's magic training, I found it to be one of my favourite parts of the book. You could really ser her deal not only with her magic, but also her emotions.

I definitely enjoyed this book, and personally I think it was better than Red-Headed stepchild. It has more action, more character development and at last we see the bad guys make a big move. I can't wait to read the third book after the cliffhanger the book left us in.


Memorable Lines:

I leaned forward, ready to tell Adam where he could shove his morality.
“Guys!” Giguhl shouted.
Adam and I spun around together and yelled. “What?”
“I’ve been shot in the ass!”

Previous Book:
1. Red-Headed Stepchild - Review

Next Book:
3. Green Eyed Demon (Mar 2011)

Rating:

Review: Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

Title: Red-Headed Stepchild
Author: Jaye Wells
Series: Sabina Kane #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: April 1, 2009
Publisher: Orbit
Edition: Paperback
Blurb:

In a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina doesn’t really fit in. And being an assassin – the only profession fit for an outcast – doesn’t help matters. But she’s never brought her work home. Until now.

Her latest mission is uncomfortably complex, and threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races. As Sabina scrambles to figure out which side she’s on, she uncovers a tangled political web, some nasty facts about her family and some unexpected new talents. Any of these things could be worryingly life-changing, but together, they could be fatal …

Sabina is a mixed race assassin who works for her grandmother. Even though she has both mage and vampire blood, she only acknowledges her vampire side. For her everything was black and white, either you were on one side or in another but as she starts to step out of her shell she realizes that not everything was as she believed.

The world in which the book is set has nothing new. We have vampires, mages, demons, fae and probably some other creatures we haven't seen yet. What I did like was the twist about the weakness the vampires have of apples (apple wood, apple juice, if it's made of apple, it hurts vamps) and the demons. Well, I guess I'm speaking of one demon in particular, and that's Giguhl. He provides a source of humour that it's much needed in the novel.

The problem I had with the book was that I didn't really like the protagonist. I was reading some parts of the book and I was thinking "Wake up! Everyone is lying to you!" but of course she didn't, and she kept being loyal to a group that harmed her countless times (and by the way, she had proof of it). She was naive, too trusting and hard headed (so much so that sometimes it bordered on stupid).

Now, there were some characters that were very interesting, like Adam the mage or Briallen the faery and I really hope we get more information on them in future books.
This was a nice debut book and while I had some problems with it, I enjoyed it.

Memorable Lines:

"Is that all you bought?"
His eyes shot to the left. "Um."
I clenched my teeth. "What else?"
"A Super Mega Juicer, he said quickly. "But, Sabina, seriously that juicer is a miracle machine."
"I'm a vampire, Giguhl. The only liquids I drink are blood or alcohol. I don't do juice."
"You might want to consider a little roughage in your diet. According to the commercial, an increase in fiber will help you be more regular."


Next Books:
2. The Mage in Black
3. Green Eyed Demon (Mar 2011)


Rating: 1/2