The Swan Kingdom by Zoë Marriott

****

The Swan Kingdom by Zoë Marriott

Once Upon a Time... there was a kingdom that flourished. The king was strong but shallow, the queen wise but afraid and they had four children the last of which was an ugly duckling and her name was Alexandra.

Swan Kingdom seems to be a sort of amalgam of several different fairy tales although from the author's notes it is adapted from Hans Christian Anderson's 'Wild Swans'. In this retelling, young Alexandra is a "cunning woman" - one that can manipulate the energies (enaid) of the earth to help things grow and heal. Her mother, the Queen has the same power but learned how to use it to a fuller extent. Alexandra grows up feeling rather unnecessary in her father's household even with the love of her brothers and mother.

When her mother dies by unnatural means, Alexandra seems to lose her very place in the world. Her father searches for her mother's killer but comes back with a woman who can influence all those around her. Only Alexandra and her brothers see through her spells. After a failed attempt to rid their kingdom of the usurper, Alexandra and her brothers are cast out of the kingdom. Alexandra to live with her aunt in Midland and the brothers as swans and caught between worlds.

Once away Alexandra grows stronger and grows up. She learns to stand on her own two feet and do what is right and necessary instead of just standing back and letting others make decisions for her.

I was very much relieved when she finally learned this lesson. The prose picked up quite a bit for me after that.

All in all a very good fairy tale - very much like the books by Robin McKinley, Cameron Dokey or Donna Jo Napoli. The only improvement I can think of would be to have gotten to the 'make your own way' part faster. She was a much more enjoyable character after that.

The Devil Inside (Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist, Book 1) by Jenna Black

**

The Devil Inside (Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist, Book 1) by Jenna Black

This book was easy enough to read but not terribly well-written or plotted out. Even the idea was mediocre and done.

Basically Morgan is an exorcist with a huge chip on her shoulder about demons and those who choose to host demons. As an exorcist Morgan is able to expel illegal demons - demons who choose a human that is unwilling to have him/her. Morgan's brother Andrew willingly chose to let a demon ride him and Morgan has never really forgiven him for it.

In what should have been a routine exorcism Morgan is touched by a demon who should have been able to transfer himself to her body but it didn't. This causes Morgan some doubt and confusion especially after she finds notes she has written to herself when she'd been asleep to the effect of 'It can't possess you because you already have a demon' and 'Hi! My name is Lugh and by the way you can't trust your best friend because she wants to kill both you and me.'

If that were the basis of the whole plot that would probably be fine. But the author adds on these other little unnecessary messy details like some fairly graphic male-on-male S&M sexcapades. It's probably a turn-on for some but wasn't really what I was looking for in an urban fantasy book.

On the whole the book was a disappointment.

Iron Kissed (Mercy Thompson, 3) by Patricia Briggs

*****

Iron Kissed (Mercy Thompson, 3) by Patricia Briggs

Once again Mercy gets tangled up in trouble. The action starts when she agrees to help Zee and Uncle Mike sniff out the murderer on the Fairyland reservation to end a debt she owes the fey for helping her end the vampire demon from the last book.

Mercy determines that the murderer must be a human man named O'Donnell who works as a security guard at the Fairyland Reservation. This is puzzling news to Zee and Uncle Mike since no human should be able to kill the fey like O'Donnell managed to. Uncle Mike and Zee go to talk to O'Donnell but when they get there their suspect is already dead and the human police have just arrived and take Zee into custody.

Since Zee is a personal friend and Mercy knows that while her old gremlin friend is capable of murder that he did not kill O'Donnell. Mercy hires the best lawyer she can find and starts digging for evidence herself.

As usual the plot is complicated and Mercy gets in way over her head. The werewolves and her fey friends help out a lot but there is no mention of the vampires in this particular book. Once again the tension between Adam and Sam is present but in this book it comes to a head and Mercy has to make a choice.

I particularly appreciated the last few pages of the book where the author takes some time to ponder feelings of guilt that sexual abuse victims may carry. I was almost ridiculously pleased with the revelation about Ben (the snarky, usually snarly werewolf that was abused as a child and stood up to protect Mercy). I knew there was a reason that I liked him/didn't hate him as we were obviously supposed to. That part was also particularly heart-wrenching and added a whole new human emotional depth to the story that doesn't usually find it's way into urban fantasy novels.

I think this was my favorite of the three so far and now consider myself to be well and truly hooked on Patricia Briggs.

The Shiksa Syndrome by Laurie Graff

**

The Shiksa Syndrome by Laurie Graff

The novel started out with an entertaining enough idea but I had a hard time believing anyone could be so desperate and deceiving.

It's one thing to model yourself after a certain desirable typeset to attract attention as long as it doesn't change the core of who you are.

Aimee is a publicist and Jewish in New York and is ready to settle down and have kids and let her biological clock have it's way. She wants to find someone that is Jewish too so that the kids will be raised in the faith etc etc. The only way she thinks she'll find someone to help her with those goals are to pretend to be a Gentile and deny every aspect of herself. She does of course find someone and even though he's Jewish he doesn't seem to like Judaism very much.

I had a hard time getting through the book. The lies and mass amounts of deceit were difficult to take even if Aimee did get the boyfriend she was setting out to get. I'm not sure the guy was worth the stress. Yikes.

Kitty Goes to Washington (Kitty Norville, Book 2) by Carrie Vaughn

Kitty Goes to Washington (Kitty Norville, Book 2) by Carrie Vaughn

Kitty Norville is the host of her one-of-a-kind radio show, "The Midnight Hour" where she and her listeners discuss all things paranormal: werewolves, vampires etc. Since Kitty also happens to be a werewolf she is seen as kind of a celebrity expert in the field.

So when the Senate decides to hold a hearing about the necessity and validity of the Center for the study of the Paranatural Kitty gets called to the stand and she brings her trusty lawyer Ben.

Kitty is in a bit of a bind though trying to exercise her newfound freedom from the pack while staying out of trouble. Once in DC she is practically kidnapped and taken to the vampire Mistress' home where she will be 'safe.' Alette seems to be truly good but she is still a vampire. Kitty also gets to meet more 'weres' in DC and not just of the wolf variety. She meets a hot were-leopard and a bunch of new friends that hang out in relative peace without any of the pack posturing.

Once the Senate hearing is underway there are a whole host of witnesses other than Kitty including the Reverend Elijah Smith who is serious bad news for any in the paranormal community.

Kitty gets kidnapped again but on the night of the full moon by a series of individuals that want to prove their points about the paranormal.

Oh, and also there's a plot to overthrow Alette.

Basically there's a lot going on in this book. The action is very fast-paced and the book probably would have been better if the author had settled on one plot direction instead of several but you get a really good idea of how hectic Kitty's life has become.

Like many other urban fantasy books Kitty is the unwitting (and usually unwilling) heroine. Trouble just seems to dog her footsteps. :)

Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, Book 2) by Patricia Briggs

Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, Book 2) by Patricia Briggs

Book Two of the Mercy Thompson series picks up pretty quickly after the first book and starts right in on the action.

Mercy is an auto mechanic and a walker that can turn into a coyote but raised by werewolves and trained by a fae. To add to that Mercy is actually friends with Stefan, one of the local vampires. When Stefan asks Mercy to accompany him to confront a new vampire in town things start to get really prickly.

The new vampire is also 'demon-ridden' and a sorcerer. The demon-vamp causes all sorts of discord just by his presence and can affect the minds of other vampires. Only Mercy really has a prayer of stopping him and she is not exactly the kind of chick that goes looking for that kind of action. But with the werewolves and the vampires nearly incapacitated Mercy steps up the plate with a little help from the fae.

Mercy is a terrific heroine because she is not a know-it-all, kick-@ss, overly sexual character. She is portrayed as very human and seems to only manage to get herself out of situations through luck, bravado and sheer perspicacity. This unperfection makes her very endearing and Mercy continues to grow as a character.

Beg for Mercy by Toni Andrews

Beg for Mercy by Toni Andrews

Since she was a teenager Mercy Hollings has struggled with what she is - with her inherent talent to press people into doing her will. Orphaned and shuffled through the foster care system, Mercy is something of a loner - or at least she thought she was a loner. This book starts with the one person Mercy could call a friend: Sukey.

Sukey has this thing for big muscles and small brains - which basically defines Rocko the drug-selling goon she meets up with in a bar. When Sukey ends up in the hospital from a Rocko-induced heroin overdose Mercy gets very angry and presses Rocko to get out of town and flush all the heroin down the toilet. This would have been fantastic except for the fact that it wasn't Rocko's heroin and the owner happens to be able to press people in the same way Mercy does. He gives Mercy three days to find his heroin (even though Mercy knows exactly where it is - the sewage plant) or he'll start hurting her friends. This wouldn't be so bad for Mercy the loner except that she suddenly has friends popping out of the woodwork.

Mercy is a great heroine because she is constantly struggling with the moral quandry of her talent. What is acceptable to do? In her hypnotherapy practice is it all right to give more than gentle suggestions about improving people's lives? What is the extent that she can use her gifts and still be able to live with herself? There is no black and white morality here and even though Mercy continues to use her gifts (with greater frequency) to gather information and keep her friends safe the moral problems of it weigh her down. And through it all she keeps the secret of what she is able to do from most of her friends.

I was able to get this read it one night and pretty much found the action fascinating. I can't wait to see what Mercy gets up to in the second book.

Sirena by Donna Jo Napoli

Sirena by Donna Jo Napoli

I liked this fairy tale by Ms. Napoli fairly well but I didn't think it was my favorite of hers. Sirena is one of fifty mermaids born of the eggs of a rainbow fish, fathered by the Greek god Eros. To avoid a curse and attain immortality each mermaid must seduce a mortal man to lie with her. However, living near a rocky shoal near an inhospitable island does not bode well for the sailors that Sirena's pod tries to call to their arms.

Set during the onset of the Trojan War the mermaids take advantage of the thousand ships worth of sailors to lure a few in but after seeing that most of the men drown and then watching the angry survivors beat one of her sisters to death, Sirena decides that the seducing beauty of her voice is not the way to attain her immortality.

Sirena lives alone for a time around the deserted island of Lemnos when a ship full of Greeks stops by her shores to deposit a man, effectively abandoning him to her care. The man is Philoctetes - friend to Heracles and therefore disliked by Hera. A sea serpent bit his leg and his fellow sailors left him to die. Sirena saves his life.

This book is good in that Sirena, despite being immortal is not perfect. She loves Philoctetes but doubts his love for her~ thinking that he was only staying with her because of the charm of her voice. However, once she realizes that he does love her too it is because he is going away to end the Trojan War and won't be back. And then the story abruptly ends. Revelation achieved. Story finished. No tidying up.

The action was somewhat stilted too. When Sirena gets into dangerous or harmful situations the descriptions of what are actually going on are sketchy but gets summed up in about a sentence.

Storm Born (The Dark Swan, Book 1) by Richelle Mead

Storm Born (The Dark Swan, Book 1) by Richelle Mead

Eugenie Markham aka the Dark Swan Odile is a powerful shaman trained to kill and / or banish the Fey that make their way into the human world to cause trouble.

Trained by her shaman foster father Eugenie is a little bit mercenary and a little bit freaked out when her prey start knowing her real name and start trying to get in her pants.

Eugenie takes a job to try and rescue a teenage girl that was kidnapped and taken into Fairy. A trip to visit King Dorian reveals some of the answers as well as a battle plan to get the girl back. Eugenie finds that she is the subject of a prophecy that says her first born will rule and change the world (which explains the fey trying to get into her pants...). Eugenie also finds out that she is half-fey herself, daughter to the tyrannical Storm King that nearly took over all of Fairy several years ago.

With the help of Dorian and a half-kitsune named Kiyo, Eugenie tries to save the girl while trying to ignore (and failing) both men's romantic attempts.

Eugenie is a very kick-butt character and basically knows what she wants most of the time. Most of her mistakes stem from either not thinking things through all the way or going off half-cocked on incomplete information. All the same she is a witty and amusing character that seems to be falling deeper under the spell of her own power as the book progresses. I look forward to seeing what happens in the next book (Thorn Queen, I think).

Blood Witch by Anya Bast

Blood Witch by Anya Bast

Eh, I liked the first one better. This second one capitalized on the characters introduced in the first book but other than that the characters seemed terribly flat.

Isabelle's motive for seeking out Stephen (the new leader of the warlocks) but even that seems flat. Her motivating actions are weak and the plot with the demon having a 'crush' on her seems a bit contrived.

Even the part where Thomas gets stuck in the other world and Isabelle has a chance to prove herself gets a little murky. With the help of a mysterious new friend Thomas somehow breaks free and manages (again, we don't really know how) to break through to the world where he is supposed to be.

Even their romance stuff seemed flat although she is just as explicit in this book as the last. I hope the third one (due out in January 2009) will be better.

Oh, and the cover art looks a little too ... something. She looks like a plastic Barbie in pain.

Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1) by Patricia Briggs

Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1) by Patricia Briggs

I really liked this book. Mercy Thompson was a believable protagonist despite her coyote "skinwalker" heritage.

Mercy is not too strong - she acknowledges she has both strengths and weaknesses. She is friendly and kind (as seen by taking in Mac) as well as mostly unafraid of the other paranormals around her that she maybe should fear a little more (like the vampires). However Mercy is not a 'badass' female character. She shows real fear when going into the vampires underground lair to meet the mistress and has to show submissive behavior to Samuel when he is hurt.

She is a well-rounded character as are a few of the other characters in the book. I particularly enjoyed Stefan, the vampire, who owns a van that Mercy is working on. It just happens to be painted like Scooby Doo's Mystery Machine too.

The tension between the two Alpha werewolves, Samuel and Adam, should turn out fairly interesting later. Samuel is an old love interest; a childhood sweetheart. Adam is a more recent protector and the kidnapping of his daughter drives much of the action.

The dialogue is smart and sometimes snarky depending on the characters speaking and the plot moves at a good pace. It is definitely a book that I could keep up with but was never boring.

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

When Charlotte's father died leaving the wool mill and her younger sister Rosie to care for, Charlotte thought the world should be ending. As the elder and more practical and stubborn sister, Charlotte was used to running the finances for the wool mill that kept the tiny town of Stirwaters afloat. She was aware of the curse on Stirwaters that was tied inexplicably to the mill and her family but didn't really believe it until catastrophe after catastrophe began to assail her and Rosie.

When it is brought to her attention by her father's friendly out of town banker that her father had borrowed 1000 pounds that Charlotte knew he could never repay and that 600 of that was due immediately Charlotte knew she was going to have to combat the curse or lose Stirwaters and her mill family of workers.

Rosie, young and beautiful and impulsive, calls on the Fae to help and a man introducing himself only as Jack Spinner comes to their aid to spin straw into gold.

The plot is familiar but new with many complicated twists and turns. Charlotte finds and nearly loses love, her family and her mill but remains strong and true to her desire to save those around her even if she doesn't always go about it in the correct way.

Parts of the story were chilling but just like most modern fairy tales end happily.

Witch Fire by Anya Bast

Witch Fire by Anya Bast

First off, there definitely could have been a PG or PG-13 version of this book. I'm not sure if that would have been as amusing though...

It does get fairly graphic fairly frequently. They do a lot of fantasizing at first but that doesn't last long. I would classify this as one of those books where their problems/issues could have been halved if they'd had less sex and more talking.

Miri is a waitress with very little family. Her godmother raised her since her parents died when she was very young and there's nothing much exciting about her life. Or at least there wasn't until some strange men try to bust down her apartment door and abduct her hitting her soundly on the head in the process.

They don't actually get to abduct her though because Mr. Gorgeous (her nickname for one of the customers at the diner where she worked) abducts her instead. It turns out that he - Jack - is actually a Fire Witch and he tries to explain to Miri that she is an Air Witch, rare and powerful. Of course Miri doesn't believe him at all even after he lights a flame in his own palm. He does eventually prove it to her but it is sort of a process.

Jack is protecting Miri from being used in a ritualistic circle of elemental witches to call forth a demon. Jack has to explain to her that that was how her parents died, how to use and manage her magick etc.

Of course nothing ever goes as smoothly as it is supposed to which is what makes the story amusing to read. There are some little plotholes and quick coverups but nothing too egregious.

Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn

Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn

I really liked this first book of the Kitty Norville series and I think it shows a lot of promise for the series as a whole.

Kitty is a disc jockey at a radio station and has taken over the midnight shift since she also happens to be a werewolf. One night when she's feeling bored Kitty takes a caller who brings up some paranormal activity. Kitty plays it cool like the whole idea of vampires and werewolves is a really good joke but her frank commentary and easy acceptance or dismissal of ideas (and callers) makes her rating soar and all the sudden Kitty has her own syndicated show.

Of course no one on the radio knows that she's a werewolf - well until someone sends out a hitman to take her out while she is on the air. Kitty manages to talk down the killer (she points out that someone is playing him) but admits on air to being a werewolf. Kitty's ratings (and problems) go through the roof at her admission.

Most of her problems are pack related - keeping the right "people" happy is tough and Kitty refuses to give up her show to make others happy.

The best part for me was seeing how much of what happens in Kitty's life is luck. A lot of what she does would be really impressive, if she had meant to do it that way. But as with most other things in life, for Kitty it's guesswork and being in the right place at the right time and being open to other possibilities.

I also liked the author's sense of humor which translated to some of Kitty's snarky on-air commentary. And having a werewolf named Kitty is just ironic.

Midnight Rising (The Midnight Breed, 4) by Lara Adrian

Midnight Rising (The Midnight Breed, 4) by Lara Adrian

I finished this book in one evening. It probably had nothing to do with the fact that I already mostly knew (and was sort of attached to) the characters or that the main 'hero' of this novel had so much to overcome.

Rio, one of the Breed warriors, was betrayed by his Breedmate Eva, in the very first book. Her betrayal nearly killed him; scarring his body and soul so badly that by the time the fourth book rolls around Rio is ready to end it all.

Before he can set off the explosives that would be necessary to destroy evidence of a cave crypt of an Ancient One (and seal himself inside) a woman enters the cave where he had been hiding and sees the glyphs on the wall, the human remains and the empty crypt. Unable to let her just walk away while knowing more than she should (especially since the woman is a journalist!) Rio follows her and eventually has to kidnap her. But containing the information and the woman he kidnapped (Dylan) is much more difficult than Rio had imagined.

Dylan's unique gift as a Breedmate allows her to see Breedmates who have died, who have something they want to tell her or want her to do. This isn't something that Dylan understands at first, never having learned about her potential as a Breedmate. The ghost of Eva actually led Dylan to Rio and helps Rio locate Dylan after she is kidnapped by Dragos (the villain!).

It was very easy to read and certainly furthers the main storyline plot. Can't wait to snatch up the next one this December.

Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith

I was disappointed by this story as I thought the premise sounded so interesting. For the story to fall so flat ... I did make it all the way through the book and had to take a moment or two when I was finished to sort out what the heck had actually happened.

Quincie is not exactly a normal high-schooler in Austin, Texas. Her parents died when she was small and her childhood sweetheart is a half werewolf. On top of that she has inherited her parent's restaurant and is almost too responsible.

Despite her apparent responsiblility in helping to run a restaurant, Quincie makes some terribly poor decisions. She's drunk for the second half of the book for example.

The writing is staccato and doesn't flow as it should and even Kieran (Quincie's best friend & childhood sweetheart) who is the most dynamic character feels static and unlikeable. The story ends abruptly and badly in my humble opinion. :(

Murder of a Medici Princess by Caroline Murphy

Murder of a Medici Princess by Caroline Murphy

I began reading this book today and also returned it to the library today. I couldn't get into it and got very lost in the details.

The subject matter was interesting enough but just SO laden with genealogies and descriptions of their clothing, the foods they ate (I was very grossed out by the breakfast food of "eyes, ears and brain of baby goat") etc.

The genealogy was terribly difficult for me to follow especially since I'm not a scholar of the era and have only minimal knowlege of the Medici's history. I was hoping to broaden my horizons with a novel similar to the ones by Phillipa Gregory but this read more like a text than a novel (and Phillipa Gregory is very detail heavy too).

All in all, I got about 50 pages in and called it quits. I was probably most disturbed with the image of the dwarf Morgante winning 10 scudi for crippling a monkey...

Dishes by Rich Wallace

Dishes by Rich Wallace

This was sort of a strange book in my opinion. Or, perhaps fairer, it wasn't really what I was expecting when I read the summary off of my library's website.

Danny is straight and working for the summer in a predominantly gay tourist town in Maine. As a dishwasher at the restaurant 'Dishes,' Danny is only one of two straight guys that work there and the other is his father.

Danny goes after a waitress that works at a different restaurant but gets hit on fairly often by the waiters at his own restaurant which can get a bit confusing since Danny is nice enough (and secure enough I suppose) to not get weirded out at getting hit on by gay guys.

Perhaps that was where it got really strange for me. I don't know any 20-year-old guys that would be as cool about the situation as Danny was. Then too the book was short and kind of trite. Everything just worked out in the end. Amazing.

The Last Mermaid by Shana Abe

The Last Mermaid by Shana Abe

I liked this book even though I didn't think it was as good as Abe's Drakon series.

Basically it is a compilation of four love stories throughout "history" and taking place mostly in a few tiny islands in Scotland.

The first story is very brief - just enough to explain a curse and about the mermaids.

The second story is more developed and takes place in 531 AD when a Prince of the Isles is betrayed and kidnapped and thrown into the sea. With a little mythical help he is able to win back his kingdom.

The one I liked best took place in 1721 with the Earl of Kell and a Spanish assassin named Leila. I probably liked this one best because they had some equal footing. Ronan has his mermaid heritage but Leila also brought to the relationship an ability to know the hearts and minds of the people she touches. It is interesting to see the way they save each other.

The last story takes place in 2004 when Iain McInness seeks out the last remaining Kell to explain to her her own inheritance and heritage. Ruri also has gifts (perhaps from Leila a few centuries earlier) but this final story really circles around back to the first love of the mermaid and Kell, completing the circle and ending the curse.

The story is mostly well-written but slightly confusing in some spots. As with any fantasy there are a few plot-holes but they are easy enough to overlook.

The Rose Bride: A Retelling of "The White Bride and the Black Bride" by Nancy Holder

The Rose Bride: A Retelling of "The White Bride and the Black Bride" by Nancy Holder

This story was not as easy for me to read as some of the others in the Once Upon a Time series. I was not very familiar with the story of the White Bride and the Black Bride so that might have had something to do with it.

I found the story to be a lot like Cinderella but without the fairy godmother. Despite the abundance of magic Rose did much of the "work" of the tale on her own which was good. I did find her character to be strangely unlikeable as she spent much of the 1st half of the book weeping and much of the next quarter of the book being beaten down. Only towards the end when she believes the message of the roses does she really improve as a character.

I also found the king to be lacking. I was more than a little weirded out that he could replace his wife in his affections with another that looked just like her. To have married three people that all look exactly the same was more than a little strange to read even if Desiree only borrowed the form.

It certainly wasn't my favorite of the series of fairy tales.

Beast by Donna Jo Napoli

Beast by Donna Jo Napoli

I really liked this story as a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Per Ms. Napoli this story has roots from an earlier version told by a Mr. Lamb in the 1800's where the Beast was a Persian Prince.

The culture and faith of the Beast make for a nice change. In the story the Prince wasn't necessarily bad, just proud and thoughtless.

Prince Orasmyn is the son of the Shah and knows the Quran well. He takes joy from the simple things in life like the gardens he helps to design and flourish. When the Prince prepares a camel for sacrifice and knows that the animal has been defiled (already has known suffering) and then knowing that continues to prepare the animal to die an djinn or pari (a fairy) curses him to take the form of a beast stating that his own father (the Shah) will kill him tomorrow during a hunt where lions from India have been brought in for a special event.

The Prince manages to avoid death and decides to follow the caravan back to India. Orasmyn learns much about being a lion but almost looses himself as a man. The djinn had said only the love of a woman would break his spell. The Prince, remembering a tale from a visiting Frenchman, decides to go to France to try his luck there. Life as a lion is difficult and terribly lonely. Orasmyn stumbles upon an abandoned chateau and sets up shop. Everything must be stolen, something that goes against his very upbringing

It's really a well-written story about faith and perserverance and overcoming despair. The romantic aspect of Belle falling for the Beast almost seems incidental to the obstacles that Orasmyn is able to rise above.

The Smart One and The Pretty One by Claire LeZebnik

The Smart One and The Pretty One by Claire LeZebnik

Ava and Lauren are two modern sisters who look pretty much alike but see the world in completely different ways.

Ava, the older sister, is a lawyer and the responsible daughter. She dresses professionally but plainly with as little fuss and bother as possible. Lauren on the other hand, makes her living buying clothing for retail stores and is a little bit of a clotheshorse. When Lauren really racks in the debt and can't continue to pay her bills AND her mother is diagnosed with breast cancer she decides to pack it in and come home.

Ava helps Lauren sort out her bills and Lauren helps Ava sort out her love life but neither sister is particularly gracious about the help she is receiving. Ava makes Lauren sign a contract stating how Lauren won't buy anything unnecessary for the next six months. Lauren decides to get even when she finds a betrothal contract their parents jokingly made several years ago and sets Ava up with a man the she is unknowingly engaged to.

This sounds like a fairly stereotypical plotline but the author's ability to describe the situations and the easy, witty dialogue between not just the sisters, but all the characters makes this novel stand out from all the others. I really enjoyed this book.

Witchling by Yasmine Galenorn

Witchling by Yasmine Galenorn

I just wasn't as impressed by this as the summaries had led me to believe I'd be... The plot seemed trite and overdone. The characters seemed very static and stereotypical. Two characters that I would have liked to see more of were Morio, a Japanese kitsune (read demon fox) and 'Smoky' a white dragon. One can hope they make a larger appearance in the second and third installments.

The plotline is fairly standard. Three sisters are living on Earth on assignment from their CIA-like agency from Faerie. Since the sisters are half Fae, half human they each have their weird powers. Camille is a witch, Delilah is a werecat and Menolly used to be great at acrobatics before a mission gone wrong saw her turn into a vampire.

The sisters manage well enough Earthside and they all have their own jobs. Menolly helps tend bar (at night of course), Delilah is a detective and Camille runs a bookstore. By the title, Camille is the obvious focus of this story and things were going fine until a friend that worked at the bar with Menolly died of very suspicious causes. That sets off a whole slew of otherworldly problems including the rising of a demon named Shadow Wing. I couldn't help it; I thought of Darkwing Duck every time I saw the name in print...

It took me a good four or five days to get through this slim little paperback, a size that would normally take one or two max. I just couldn't get into it. I'll (of course) read the next ones to see if they turn out better. I hope they do.

Hands of Flame (The Negotiator, 3) by C.E. Murphy

Hands of Flame (The Negotiator, Book 3) by C. E. Murphy

C. E. Murphy stuns again in her third book of the Negotiator series.

Hands of Flame begins a few weeks after the end of the last book House of Cards. At this point we are well-entrenched in the series and it's not recommended to read this book as a standalone novel.

Margrit Knight has only known of the Old Races (Dragons & Djinn, Gargoyles & Selkies and Vampires) for a scant three months but her life has been immeasurably affected by her knowledge. Having quit her old job as a lawyer at Legal Aid, Margrit is poised to begin a new job as Eliseo Daisani's secretary which would give her considerable freedom to pursue "jobs" for the Old Races.

In the last book Margrit found herself sitting on a quorum as the representative of her race. In this book Margrit takes her role as token human to a higher level of respect within the Old Races. In this novel she continues to push the Old Races to change their centuries-old traditions in favor of new governances that will help them survive the ever-shifting world of humans. Margrit negotiates a peace agreement on the docks between the Selkies and Djinn and faces Alban's detractor Biali in a gargoyle trial in an effort to win Alban back into the Gargoyle's gestalt.

As usual it's a complicated plot fraught with financial politics and pitfalls. Trading "favors" (destroying an empire, removing a dragon, stopping a war) seems to take up much of Margrit's time and her quick mind seems to catch on to the intricacies of the problems much faster than I would have had I been in her shoes.

My only real complaint is that Alban kept to shadows, showing up to protect Margrit or push the plot along with little jabs. Margrit handles almost all of the action - including a few fights scenes. It's really quite impressive when comparing her character through the duration of the series, but I miss some of Alban's quirks.

Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner

Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner

This is the story about Helen of Troy and how the author imagined her to be more than just a pretty face that got kidnapped and started the Trojan War. This is about Helen as a woman-child, meeting mythological heroes and making her own decisions in a time when women were supposed to be passive.

Helen had always been the pretty twin and the heir to be Queen of Sparta. Even as a young girl though she knows her beauty will not always be enough. She sets about making herself formidable as well by obtaining some secret training like her brothers (Castor and Polydeuces) receive.

When her sister is betrothed and finally ready to go and live in her new husband's house, Helen goes with Castor and Polydeuces to deliver her and meets up with some mythological heroes. The political winds are changing and so the three siblings change up their traveling plans to avoid some unwelcome company and so stop at Delphi. From there the adventures just continue to grow.

It is very interesting for me to read about a well-known character and to imagine an more in-depth existence for them. Realistically Helen must have had feelings about the man she was married to, her brothers and sister, the country she lived in etc. The author imagines them so vividly you almost think that there must be some basis in fact. This was a very enjoyable read.

Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega, 1) by Patricia Briggs

Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega, 1) by Patricia Briggs

This story starts right off where Ms. Briggs started in her short story in the book "On the Prowl" (featuring various authors). I suggest reading that first so that you have a good background of what Anna went through and how short a time she has really known Charles.

Anna is a werewolf and has been for three years but it wasn't her choice to make the change. In most things she is basically ignorant about what it means to be a werewolf and she knows even less about herself as an Omega wolf. Charles is still recovering from the silver bullets he took in the fight in Chicago and is trying to learn enough for both of them. He's trying not to scare off Anna since they are not "mated" even though their wolves are. The situation is unheard of in the werewolf community.

To compound matters the Marrok must send Charles off to deal with a rogue wolf that has attacked one human too many in the wilds of Montana. Anna, unwilling to let Charles face an enemy alone, goes with him and plays an integral part in taming the rogue as well as the Marrok when he nearly goes berserk after being held captive by a 200 year old witch that can utilize pack bonds and has a guardian werewolf.

As with any good heroine, Anna is what holds the story together. She's shy but stubborn, strong yet delicate, unsure of herself but definitely a force to be reckoned with...

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Dear Stephenie Meyer,

When I was first considering reading The Host I was reluctant. I was a pessimist thinking about how it wasn't emotionally possible to be as good as your Twilight series. That the writing that made me love the impossible romance where vampires and werewolves exist (and Edward!) was surely a fluke.

I was wrong. I'm sorry I doubted you. I didn't think it was possible but I may just love this novel more than Twilight (etc.) although I am quiet about it. I don't want my fellow Twilighters to string me up for my heresy. Also the summary on the jacket flap does not do justice to the complicated love and morality inherent to the story.

When I first got the book I let it sit in my room for several days - a week at least. I would eye it warily, not really certain that I wanted to get emotionally bound to another book but reassuring myself with my pessimism. I started slow (or so I thought). The first day I started the book I only took in the first nine chapters; just enough to lay the groundwork. The second day I read a little more but not much. I think I knew (somewhere underneath the surface) that if I got too much farther in I would be lost. The third day I could not put the book down. I still had to go to work and about my normal routines but I was a shell of a human - most of my consciousness with the book and the characters. I worried with Wanderer about whether Jamie was okay and if he was getting enough to eat. I agonized over whether the Seeker would drag Mel and Wanda back to "civilization." The fourth night I stayed up until four a.m. finishing the story: crying when things seemed hopeless, smiling when Wanda really got the hang of sarcasm.

The story was truly beautifully written. With such a complicated plot it would have been all too easy to stray from the main point and go off on a tangent or develop the characters too fast. I was constantly impressed with the depth of emotion the writing wrought within me. When I cried it was not for me or any related memories I might identify with but for the characters themselves: their hurts, their sorrows, their hopelessness.

The long and the short of it is that I can't remember ever being so moved by one single book (or movie or song) and I am a voracious reader (watcher, listener). So thank you. I look forward to whatever else you may write (Twilight related or otherwise, although I do wish you'd continue on with Midnight Sun - I still haven't read it out of respect for the process. I don't think I'll read it until you actually publish it. Please don't let me down!).

Thank you for bringing to life Melanie and Wanda and all the rest. It has been an experience I won't soon forget.

Maria

On the Prowl

On the Prowl, 4 short stories by Patricia Briggs, Eileen Wilkes, Karen Chance & Sunny (whoever that is...)

Short Story #1: Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs

I started this during my lunch hour and could not put it down! There is something about the story of Charles and Anna that I really enjoyed and I picked it up again as soon as I was off work and finished it really very quickly and wanted more. I was happy to see that she has followed up with a book titled "Cry Wolf." I'll be checking that out of the library soon.

Anna has been living in Chicago as a werewolf for the past three years when she was changed against her will or knowledge of what was to come. Charles is a dominant alpha male werewolf and the son and second of the Marrok - the leader of all the alphas. He is sent to Chicago after Anna warned the Marrok about the murder of a boy by the alpha in her pack. Upon arriving in Chicago Charles immediately realizes that Anna is an Omega, a rare wolf that has the ability to calm those around her. Anna doesn't believe him at first since she is considered submissive (and therefore useless) in her own pack. That Anna was changed against her will and then beaten into the appearance of submission absolutely pisses Charles off and he sets out to find out what is wrong with Anna's pack.

It is a swift plot but sets the characters and scene for a much wider scale of possible events. And I liked Anna as a character quite a bit. Charles I could take or leave since most (romantic) male leads are alpha males anyhow. It is Anna that sets this plot apart.

Short Story #2: Inhuman by Eileen Wilkes

This was not such a great story from my point-of-view. There was so much potential! The otherworldly characters and friendship and love despite the differences are an excellent foundation for a story. It just didn't follow through or came out to be too trite. There was danger, sort of, in the creature that took on human form but even that was tamed. All in all the tale seemed so watered down it was hardly worth it...

Short Story #3: Buying Trouble by Karen Chance

I've now read Karen Chance quite a bit and like much of her Cassandra Palmer series. That series is so swift and complicated that the swift but uncomplex plot of "Buying Trouble" was a tad jarring. It does touch on the Cassie Palmer series very briefly but the plot is mostly just standalone. Our heroine in this novel is a 'null' human - one that by her very presence blocks magic. Nulls can be very powerful weapons in the magical world and Claire has narrowly avoided being sold by her family (her real father is unknown) by escaping with a elfin hottie. The amusing thing is that she can't seem to keep herself away from him despite all the trouble they get into once they land in Faerie (I think I sense a theme here, Ms. Chance...). After a rather crucial interlude (*coughcough*) Claire is reborn into her second self - a dragon.

Short Story #4: Mona Lisa Betwining by Sunny

By far the worst short story in the anthology the story seems to be a work of fan fiction based off of someone else's work but poorly chopped together and badly explained overall. There is also quite a bit of unnecessary sex. I remember picking up the book and wondering "Who the heck is Sunny?" and find that now that I've read a short story of hers I really don't care to know.

Masquerade by Melissa de la Cruz

Masquerade by Melissa de la Cruz

Masquerade is the sequel to Melissa de la Cruz's Blue Bloods.

Masquerade picks up a few weeks after Blue Bloods ends with Schulyer and Oliver searching Venice for Schulyer's grandfather, Lawrence Van Alan. She does find him and events move more quickly once he enters the picture.

I don't want to give away too much of it, but Mimi gets accused of being the harborer of the Silver Bloods, and a Silver Blood herself after she was found in the possession of dark magic.

Schulyer ends up saving her because as the daughter of Gabrielle, she is the only one of the Blue Bloods who can taste the blood of other vampires without succumbing to the addiction and memory overload that can cause madness.

The action is far from being over - they managed to find out about one Silver Blood and the rest of Council knows about the danger but nothing else has happened to really put a stop to them and they are all in danger until then...

The action moves along with a nice pace and the title sums the book up nicely. There is an actual masquerade ball but the title seems to really bring out the idea of not knowing who is on which side of the 'fight'. Sometimes it even seems like the characters themselves don't know which side they are on.

It's well worth reading but I think I'd have absolutely confused if I had not read the first book first. This is not a series you can just pick up on from the middle.

Midnight Pearls: A Retelling of "The Little Mermaid" by Debbie Viguié

Midnight Pearls: A Retelling of "The Little Mermaid" by Debbie Viguié

This is one of my favorites from the 'Once Upon a Time' series. I've always loved the story of the sacrifice of the Little Mermaid but in this retelling the main character is not the one that must sacrifice something to the Sea Witch.

Peal was discovered by a fisherman in the ocean on the day of a huge storm. She was about four years old, naked as a bluejay and clutching a large, dark pearl. The fisherman and his wife raised her like their own for they had been praying for a child. They told the other villagers that she was family that had been orphaned in a village that had been harder hit by the storm.

Many years later Pearl is all grown up and probably about 17. She still has long, ungainly legs pale translucent skin, silvery hair and won't eat fish. She stares and stares at the sea but never goes in because she has nightmares about a pair of dark eyes watching her in the water and the memory of words that the ocean would kill her. Pearl's best friend is James and he just happens to be a prince. They're tied together as friends because neither treat the other differently despite their rather obvious differences. They really care for each other and so when the topic of marriage comes up from both their families they immediately turn to the other to bail them out. On the day that James would have proposed, their boat sprang a leak and James nearly died but a mermaid brought him to shore while her brother (a merman) watched over Pearl as she swam in to shore.

The merman, Kale, recognizes Pearl as Adriana, a mermaid princess. But Pearl remembers nothing about being a mermaid and Kale doesn't want to risk frightening her off because on top of everything else he had been betrothed to her. Faye, his mermaid sister, falls immediately in love with James despite knowing nothing about him. They help the humans to the land and both head to the Sea Witch who can turn them human. From Faye she takes her voice and strikes a bargain that she must convince the prince to fall in love with her within seven days or lose her life. From Kale she strikes the same bargain but takes his eyes instead of his voice.

Both have quite a handicap to overcome and there is drama on land involving James and a distant cousin that wants the throne. Only by knowing herself and recognizing love will Pearl be able to make everything turn out all right in the end. And of course she does so both of the little mermaids turn out to have a happily ever after but Pearl returns to the sea and Faye remains on land with James.

The Storyteller's Daughter: A Retelling of "The Arabian Nights" by Cameron Dokey

The Storyteller's Daughter: A Retelling of "The Arabian Nights" by Cameron Dokey

This is one of my favorites of the 'Once Upon a Time' series but one of the least imaginative colors. They could have done all kinds of cool things with the Arabic wear and veils and many different fabrics. As it is the poor half-woman on the cover has diamonds patterned over her skin and a bland looking, oddly patterned dress...

However, this is one of my favorites probably because of the inherent magic. Shahrazad is the daughter of the vizier to the king and Maju, a storyteller from a faraway land. Maju is one of great beauty and one of the greatest storytellers but is blind. By feeling cloth that comes out of her trunk she is able to decipher the story in the weave of the cloth. Once Maju died this gift to read the cloth (and also blindness) went to Shahrazad. The vizier remarried and his second wife also bore him a daughter but that wife died birthing the child.

Every good fairy tale must have a prince and so the story takes a turn to look at the two princes of the king that Shahrazad's father serves. Both sons married and both sons had their wives betray them (and nearly kill them). The eldest prince was cursed by his wife before she killed herself that he would never know peace until he knew the heart of the woman and that woman knew his heart as well. This tormented the prince so much that his heart turned to stone and he set forth an edict that he would take a new wife at the full moon so that he would not be without female company but would have her beheaded the next day so that she would not have time to betray him. No one wanted to give up their daughters but Shahrazad volunteered for the job. Her father and sister tried to dissuade Shahrazad but she had a plan in place that would hopefully give her the time needed to learn the prince's heart and him to knows hers as well. Each night she would read the cloth and tell the prince (and her little sister) part of the story within the cloth.

The plot is deceptively simple with a little bit of tricky politics but under it all is just a well-written love story.

Golden: A Retelling of "Rapunzel" by Cameron Dokey

Golden: A Retelling of "Rapunzel" by Cameron Dokey

This is not a normal story about Rapunzel. We know this within the first several pages of the book because the child named Rapunzel is bald and remains that way. So you know right off that this is no run-of-the-mill child unfortunate enough to get stuck in a tower for most of her life.

This Rapunzel starts out normally enough. Her mother had to have a certain variety of parsley/lettuce known as rapunzel and sent her husband next door to gather some. However, since their next door neighbor was a sorceress the devoted husband thought that he would have a better chance of getting the parsley if he stole it. This is where we know the story has gone awry because the sorceress is kind and allows the woman to have all the rapunzel she desired and in return, they must love their child no matter what because if they don't, the sorceress would take the child away.

The baby came out completely bald but the mother, so foolish about the rapunzel earlier, saw that the child would never be like herself (vain with beautiful, long, golden hair) and so rejected it. The husband/father was terribly sad at this because he would have loved his daughter no matter what and his wife's foolishness took the baby away from them. :(

So the sorceress raised Rapunzel (in a different town, of course) with love and eventually Rapunzel made some good friends despite her looking differently. The best friend she had was the tinker (Mr. Jones) and his adopted son Harry. When she turned sixteen a sickness in a nearby town caused Rapunzel and the sorceress to move out of the area before the villagers came with pitchforks for the sorceress. They traveled with Mr. Jones and Harry to a magicked tower where the sorceress' daughter by blood was held hostage. The two girls were of a similar age but not alike at all; opposites in most ways. For where Rapunzel was bald, the girl, Rue, had beautifully long golden hair that let them climb into the tower.

The day is saved (finally) when Rapunzel gives her name to Rue and Rue gives her heart to a passing prince. Of course Rapunzel (now nameless) had already given her heart to Harry. The girl formerly-known-as-Rapunzel took the new name of Susan. And Harry and Susan lived happily ever after. :)

This was not my favorite of the 'Once Upon a Time' series by a longshot but then I've never thought that the story of Rapunzel was terribly good either. Why did the mother HAVE TO HAVE the lettuce? I know pregnant women get cravings but geez, have some ice cream instead. It'd be more believable... And allowing people to climb up your hair just never seemed like a smart thing to me. She must have gotten sick of jokes like 'Well that's using your head!' The Rapunzel of fairy tales just never seemed like a smart or worthwhile character. She was a paper princess with not a lot of substance. It's a little bit sad but some of that carried over and into this story too. Rue wasn't a very fleshed out person and were hardly on a first name basis with many of the other characters. Parts of it dragged on while others happened so fast I wasn't sure what was going on anymore. I was truly confused about why Rapunzel had to give up her name.

I've got several more of this series to read so I'm hoping there are still a bunch of good ones.

The Darkest Pleasure by Gena Showalter

The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld, 3) by Gena Showalter

This book is very much more of the same as the previous two books. Reyes holds within him the demon Pain and has been lusting after Danika Ford since book 1.

I had some major concerns for Danika as Reyes is a fairly violent and bloody person (not to mention messy... all that blood...) and he tends to taint the women he associates with his demon so that they too begin to crave pain. Unwilling to afflict this future on Danika, Reyes protects her from both Aeron and himself. Of course this only works for a period of time before Danika forces his hand.

However since Danika is the all seeing eye and basically a portal between heaven and hell the demon can't hurt her. It basically just goes to hell (lol) when she is with Reyes rendering her safe from the demon.

I just checked and there are not any other books published after this one so I'm not certain if she is still writing this series or not. The plot points set out certainly aren't finished by this book. Only two of the four godly objects have been found and so they haven't gotten Pandora's box. Paris did have a vision of Danika holding the box but that's obviously sometime in the future. If Ms. Showalter writes more I'm willing to read them.

Out of Power for the Last few days...

I'm adding this post at work because there's a generator there so I'll have to be really brief...

To review:
Thunderbird Falls - C.E. Murphy
Beauty Sleep - Cameron Dokey
Raintree: Haunted - Linda Winstead Jones
Nobody's Princess - Esther Friesner

Hope power will be back on soon... We've been without it for 4 days now (since Sunday).

The Night Dance: a Retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" by Suzanne Weyn

The Night Dance by Suzanne Weyn

I really enjoyed this fairy tale combination. I had always liked the tale of the 12 Dancing Princesses but always found them a bit lacking. Why does the father lock them up in their room every night? Why doesn't the father just separate the daughters into different rooms? Why does the father hire strangers to find out what his daughters are doing? Can't he watch over them himself? Why do the daughters feel compelled to go out dancing every night and ruin their slippers? Aren't they tired???

By mixing the fairytale with Arthurian legend Weyn has a way to answer most of those questions. The girl's mother is the Lady of the Lake and is captured and imprisoned by Morgan LaFaye. The girl's father, wild with grief at losing his wife builds a great wall around their home to keep his daughters from getting lost and never coming back in the same way. The youngest daughter, Rowena has inherited some of her mother's magical skill and is desperate to try to get out of the prison of her home. One day she stumbles into Bedivere, the last knight of the Round Table and the bearer of the legendary sword Excalibur. King Arthur entrusted Bedivere with the sword and the mission to return it to the Enchanted Lake and the lady that lives there. Bedivere and Rowena fall instantly in love.

The sisters are eager to escape in the same way Rowena did but their father discovered her exit route and blocked it off. Instead the girls escape into tunnels and caves under their home and discover a lake deep underground. Unbeknownst to them that lake is where their mother is imprisoned. In an effort to distract the girls, Morgan LaFaye weaves a spell that changes their nightclothes into fine ballgowns and for barges to take the girls to a magical island on the lake where they can eat, drink and dance all night long. When they come home in the morning their slippers are ruined and their father is upset at them have left without his knowledge and the fact that he has to foot the bill (pun intended) for their ruined footwear.

Rowena is upset that she can't get back to Bedivere and she suspects her mother is captive beneath the lake but each time she goes down to the caves she is drawn off in the barges and forgets about her intention to search the lake. Finally the girl's father calls for his infamous contest of wits to see which man can figure out how his daughters are getting out every night and in return win one of their hand's in marriage. Luckily Bedivere manages to snag the card that shows he is the suitor for the second night of the trial (or the book might have gone on for far too long) and is able to help set the Lady of the Lake free, return Excalibur to her and win fair lady Rowena's hand and heart.

It's a charming retelling even if it does have a few flaws. As some other reviewers have noted the character development is a little lacking - only two of the sisters have any real role to play and the others are basically about as animated as store manniquins. We don't really get to see much of anyone's reasoning for anything although much of it is implied. On the whole it's not as good as some of the other stories from Weyn but it is worth a quick read.

Water Song: a Retelling of "The Frog Prince" by Suzanne Weyn

Water Song: a Retelling of "The Frog Prince" by Suzanne Weyn

I have really begun to like the "Once upon a Time" series with it's interesting retellings of standard fairy tales in unconventional settings that I wouldn't have dreamed of. This is the third book I've read in the series and I continue to be impressed with the level of storytelling they provide.

This book felt much less like a fairytale than some of the others I have read so far. One would expect a story like the frog prince to be rife with magic and fairies and princes but the story of the frog prince is almost a gloss over the true story of the book.

Emma is a British aristocrat that got trapped in her mother's ancestral home in Belgium on the Western Front in World War I. Her mother died in a bombing and Emma is literally caught between the Germans and Allies as they battle it out to control the North Sea ports. An American soldier fighting for the British troops named Jack got badly injured in a chlorine gas attack and was able to make his way to Emma's home and down her well to save himself from the gas. As is, his skin is torn and broken and his eyes are burned and swollen into slits. He is weak from the effects of the gas and is saved by Emma who happened by the well and saw him in search of a locket (the gold ball) that she threw in anger.

Jack and Emma are not alike at all but common cause and experience bind them together to survive the insanity of war. Both go to extreme lengths to save each other (after Jack gets his strength back) and to pass information to the Allies and end up falling in love. The extra layer of story as the Frog Prince really didn't enhance the story too much but definitely gave things an extra flavor at times. The story worked well with Jack's background growing up in Louisiana and swimming in the Mississippi etc. I also enjoyed the subtle reference to Louis Armstrong and how the books that Jack and Emma read in captivity are ones that were popular then and we still enjoy reading today like Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, Great Expectations and Oliver Twist. It gave the tale such a realistic background... as if fairy tales are everyday occurences and we just aren't looking at them correctly.

Raintree: Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones

Raintree: Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones

This is the second part of the Raintree family series. Gideon, younger brother to Dante is a cop with the ability to see and hear ghosts as well as control electrical fields.

Gideon is called upon to investigate the murder of his cousin's roommate and is saddled with a new partner, Hope Mallory. Hope is determined to learn something from Gideon's stellar record and prove to the big boys that a woman can do just as well or better.

Gideon tries to scare her away from him and off the case but both parties are too stubborn to give in. When it turns out that the intended target of the murder investigation was actually Gideon's cousin herself and that he was next in line to be murdered the partners step up to the plate to get it solved. Hope herself becomes a target as well since the murderess sees both what a distraction she is to Gideon and also how her death would harm him. The murderer is running out of time though since she must complete her family's dark plan before the Solstice.

Some other stuff happens and Gideon and Hope "find each other" and keep each other safe but the story is not quite completed. Hopefully the third book will tie it all in together. So far this has not been a great series despite my feelings about the individual authors. I guess I'll see how the third pans out.

Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, 1) by Ilona Andrews

Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, 1 by Ilona Andrews

This was a CONFUSING book. I've really started to get into the urban noir/paranormal drama scene but every so often it throws me for a loop. This was definitely one of those books.

Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary with affiliations at the local Order in Atlanta. When the Knight Diviner of the Order (a father figure named Greg) is found dead Kate promises herself that she'll find the killer and avenge Greg's death. Kate bumbles about a bit seeking information and pissing off a couple of suspects / allies before determining that the real enemy is a creature called a upir.

The upir is basically a beast that will copulate with anything in the hope of creating a male child that the upir will nourish with the offspring's mother. (Eew!) Only someone very strong will be able to bear the upir's child and it has set it's sight on Kate because of her strong magical background, which we don't know about because Kate won't talk about it. We do know that it has to do with who her father is and how strong that makes her blood. No normal weapon can kill the upir and so Kate is stuck trying to figure out how to kill the beast before it gets her. Kate does have an ally or two -- in particular the Beast Lord aka Curran. Curran is immensely strong and controls all of the shapeshifters in the Atlanta / Southern region. He can shift into a huge lion-like creature and helps take on the upir and a vampiress named Olathe. I like him as a foil for Kate and they fight and tick each other off at every chance they get.

I particularly liked the scene near the end where Kate was being offered a job over the phone and Curran was fixing her roof (that he broke earlier in the book) and Kate was told that she had been recommended by the Beast Lord. Kate breaks away from her phone conversation to yell at him about what he'd said to them and he replied that he had told them she was disciplined, a team player and was able to follow order - all things Kate doesn't do well at all. So she had to tell the person on the phone that the Beast Lord is a liar, that she doesn't exactly play well with others and that the Beast Lord can't hammer worth sh*t (because he's there on her roof trying to hammer down shingles).

Kate's audacity in the face of danger was really kind of impressive. I also enjoyed the part where she was with the Order's Crusader (Nick) and Curran about to bust into the upir's lair and she had to will herself to go in. She was scared and she knew it but wasn't willing to back down. Curran kissed her to piss her off and it brought back her anger and her courage. I'm sure there's more to come on that front in the next book.

Where it got really confusing was some of the wording about the upir -- at one point Kate figures out who it is and I thought she was able to contain him with a ward of bone and wood but then later she sees the guy she named on the street watching something (or so I thought)... and then later she captures something that must have been one of his minions but I thought she had said it WAS the upir. That whole section after she first figures out who the upir is really had me confused but most of it was clear by the end. I'll probably want to go back and do some careful rereading now that I know how it's supposed to go.

I think the next one should be worth reading since Kate has more "friends" now and a job all lined up. I can't wait to see how that goes...

Kiss of Crimson (The Midnight Breed, 2) by Lara Adrian

Kiss of Crimson (The Midnight Breed, 2) by Lara Adrian

Only in movies is the second installment worse than the first. In most of the novels I've read recently that have been serialized the best works have been second or third novels.

This held true for Kiss of Crimson. Book 1 got us started on all the backstory about the Breed and the war with the Rogues and set a very definite rough plot of where the series would be headed.

Kiss of Crimson started right up on the action even though it takes place a few months after Lucan and Gabrielle in Book 1. Dante is out patrolling when he stumbles into a Rogue that doesn't react to titanium the way they normally do. The Rogue fights like an animal and Dante has a hard time taking him out when several other Rogues show up at the scene and blow up the dock. Dante barely escapes into the river and crawls upshore badly injured. He pulls himself into a vetrinary clinic needing to feed and finds Tess Culver alone. He tries to convince her that she's safe and she doesn't put up much of a fight through the feeding but stabs him with a syringe once he's closed the wound on her neck and he's realized that she has the mark of a Breedmate. The syringe knocks him out for a few minutes -- long enough for Tess to call a friend who gets worried and calls the police. Dante isn't out for long and has to scrub her memories so that he'll have time to properly explain things to her later. Obviously a beautiful start to a wonderful relationship

Dante heads back to the compound thinking that there's no way his night could possibly get worse when an agent from the Darkhaven comes by with unexpected news about vanishing teenage vampires and a new drug on the club scene that causes Bloodlust in the teens that take it. Those teens eventually become Rogue which would allow for Lucan's brother Marek to practically manufacture Rogue soldiers for his cause. Agent Chase Sterling wants to help the Order stop whoever is dealing in this drug and bring back the missing teenagers and Lucan has assigned Dante to babysit him.

The plot continues to complicate when Dante can't stop thinking about Tess and shows up at an art show just to see her. Tess has the gift of healing (even among the Breed) although before she met Dante she had sworn never to use her "curse" again. She uses her gift to heal a dog that Dante brought to her (to get closer to her, sneaky guy) and sort of helps Dante to fight off the death visions he's been having all his life. Also through a little digging Dante finds out that one of Tess' best friends is not only the dealer of the drug Crimson but also the man who created and pharms the drug. Agent Chase Sterling also has his own agenda and is looking for his nephew among the missing drug users to impress his widowed sister-in-law.

Eventually Dante and Chase catch Tess' friend Ben (the drug dealer that Tess didn't really know about) but Chase lets him go and then Ben gets kidnapped by Marek's minions. Tess was walking by Ben's apartment and Rogues set upon her and nearly killed her with their feeding. Dante goes berserk and pretty much takes out all the Rogues present before deciding that only his blood can heal her. This would complete the Breedmate process something that Dante had been reluctant to do without explaining the ramifications to her or even asking her permission.

Tess did go a little crazy when she realized what had happened and left the compound in broad daylight. Dante is felled by the same death vision he's had all his life but he realizes that it is not HIS death he sees, but Tess' and Dante realizes he can't just let her go to face her possible death. So Dante goes out in broad daylight with Agent Chase and Niko to save her and gets badly burned in the process. It's after this that Tess realizes that no matter what Dante inherently is he still loves her.

The story is more complicated and dramatic than the first and even our heroine Tess seems to be a stronger character than Gabrielle ever was. Tess' whole history and her overcoming her demons automatically make her a more realistic and courageous woman.

I believe the next one has to do with Tegan and Elise, which makes me wonder what is going to happen with Agent Chase (who had fancied Elise). I guess I'll have to read and see...

Embrace the Night by Karen Chance

Embrace the Night (Cassandra Palmer, 3) by Karen Chance

I have to say, Cassie Palmer really DID embrace the night in this latest book by Karen Chance. She does a lot of interesting things in this book that she would not have been willing or capable of doing in the first two books.

The book starts off a couple weeks after the last book ends but the action starts immediately with no review of what has happened in previous books. This can make the series a little difficult to read if you are not reading them one after the other or if you pick up the wrong one first.

Cassie is still trying to fit into her role as the new Pythia, the seer for the entire magical community, but she seems to have much better luck finally adapting to the position in this novel. At several points near the end she uses her position to justify her actions to some characters that would have been on her do-not-cross list in the previous books and they step aside for her. It's gratifying to see her make some progress in that arena.

Since the storyline does deal so heavily with finding the Codex Merlini in both time and space the action can get a little garbled but the plot is not so complex that you get lost, just complex enough for you to really think about aspects of it. Cassie is seeking out the Codex in order to reverse the geis that was placed on her (once) and Mircea (twice) to bind them together. Since this threatens Cassie's independence she's willing to go through quite a few hoops to get it removed. An emergency 'out' was built into the geis (sex with the originator - in this case Mircea - or with one of his chosen stand-ins) but Cassie tried that in the last book with Tomas and it didn't exactly work.

Along for the ride is Pritkin who, as a war mage, is sworn to protect the Pythia. Pritkin is the source of most of the confusing aspects of this book as several interesting factoids about his past come to light. First off, Pritkin is half incubus and his father, King of the Demons, would really like to kill the Pythia and nearly seduces Cassie twice to get the job done. The thing is that he looks almost exactly like Pritkin but more stylish so Cassie confuses them at first.

The other major thing is Pritkin IS Merlin and wrote the Codex way back in the day. This leads to a long series of time-jumping, confusion about a map to the Codex which interestingly enough somehow involves stripping, a lot of distrust and some almost paradoxical episodes. Pritkin has tried to remove the geis from Cassie and Mircea but since it got doubled on one end the spell warped and the standard removal spell just won't cut it.

Cassie finally figures out how to remove the geis but it involves having sex with a Mircea from two time periods. Some parts of that were quite confusing (is it a threesome if there are three bodies and only two lives?) and the rest was interesting and dramatic enough to make up for the confusing bits. Cassie still has several problems on the horizon but there's quite a bit more light at the end of this book than at the others. At least the geis is gone and Cassie is finally starting to assert some sway over others so she's not constantly running but standing up to protect as well.

This was my favorite of the books so far and I can't wait until the fourth book comes out.