All posts by skyebjenner

Dark Sins by Jenna Maclaine

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

strange-brewTitle: Dark Sins
Author: Jenna Maclaine
Series: Cin Craven #1.5
In: Strange Brew (P.N. Elrod)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Strong women, Vampires
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: Whatever the wizard had dosed him with had put him so far under that there was no consciousness left.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Venice 1881, Cin Craven’s journey starts and she is forced to battle some fairly sinister forces.

Thoughts

The employment of the Morrigan in a story about vampires was not something that I expected. Neither was the merging of a vampire and a witch into one incredibly powerful being. However, it worked brilliantly! Cin Craven is everything that I love in a heroine – and the fact that she is a vampire was a different twist. Unlike a lot of vampire stories that have become popular in our modern culture, her condition as this type of paranormal creature is not fully romanticised, nor is it portrayed as something that all simpering teens desire. It was a lot darker and, due to this, felt a lot truer.

The placement of the story in 1881 Venice had so many romantic connotations – ones that were maybe not fully realised, but the use of this backdrop left a lingering feeling of love and sophistication to the carnage into which Cin steps. This juxtaposition between the two conditions and Cin’s team and those of their enemies worked beautifully to create a reality in which the storyline flourished.

 <- Ginger Review Strange Brew Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Ginger by Caitlin Kittredge

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

strange-brewTitle: Ginger
Author: Caitlin Kittredge
Series: Nocturne City #3.5
In: Strange Brew (P.N. Elrod)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Werewolves, Witches
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: I pulled the magick down to me, feeling it spiral from my forehead to my fingers.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

The sweet, quiet sidekick finds her own strength and power.

Thoughts

Sunny was a very sweet heroine in Ginger, and a great counterpart to her far more volatile cousin. The balance between these two characters was enjoyable, and Sunny’s ability to hold her own (even when she doubts that she can) reminds us that strength comes in all shapes and sizes. Even in those who are naturally meek and uninterested in conflict of any shape or form.

The political intrigue and use of the American Justice System in the telling of this story added a layer of interest to a tale that is otherwise a little forgettable. The characters are relatable and enjoyable, but the overarching storyline was not as spine tingling and attention grabbing as the rest of the short stories in the Strange Brew collection.

 <- Signatures of the Dead Review Dark Sins Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Devil’s Left Boot by Faith Hunter

Book Review, , , , , ,

Overview

Blood in Her VeinsTitle: The Devil’s Left Boot
Author: Faith Hunter
Series: Jane Yellowrock #6.1
In: Blood in Her Veins (Faith Hunter) & Kicking It (Faith Hunter & Kalayna Price)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Animagus, Dark fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Roc
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: Everything fell into place with a little thump in Liz’s mind.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Set in the world of Jane Yellowrock. Jane makes a brief appearance.

Twin witches Liz and Cia Everhart agree to search for a missing woman and are drawn into long-hidden secrets of vampires and blood magic.

Thoughts

I enjoy anything set in the Jane Yellowrock world – it is always sassy, strong and constantly reminds you that no matter how odd you may be, there is somewhere in the world that you can fit in. If anything, I found this short story easier to relate to than the others so far – the twin Everhart witches are not only trying to cope with their sad past, but they are forced to confront a school bully. For those of us who have been bullied, we all imagine that day that we are reunited and can show that person how wonderful we are now that we’re not in school. When you’ve found a place in society that you can actually fit into, you want to show others that all of the hurt in the past doesn’t matter anymore (even when it does). The Devil’s Left Boot allows the twin witches to do this. And it works brilliantly.

The idea of twins is a fascinating one, there are a lot of mythical and social beliefs surrounding twins, especially identical ones. Hunter uses this brilliantly in the description of their spells and rituals throughout this story. Yet, they are still starkly contrasted against one another – they have different sources of power, different desires and different obsessions. The play between the two girls, their similarities and differences built them up beautifully in my mind and there they continue to stay, fascinating me and drawing me further into the world of Jane Yellowrock and the Everharts.

<- The Girl With No Name High Stakes ->

Image source: Goodreads

A Good Bargain by Christina Henry

Book Review, , , ,

Black Wings ShortsTitle: A Good Bargain
Author: Christina Henry
Series: Black Wings #1.6
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Angels, Ghosts, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Free online short story
Publisher: Christina Henry online
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: The ground shook like the tremor of an earthquake, and I staggered a little.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Everyone loves a good bargain. And, although I can’t imagine what it is like to go shopping at a Walmart or some such shop, it was still quite amusing reading about Maddie’s (once again) chaotic experience of shopping. The appearance of Lucifer, and Beezle’s snappy comments just helped to increase the enjoyable feeling of mayhem that I know I experience when I have to go to the shops.

This is a great little short story that, although it doesn’t quite add to the overarching storyline, is a great aside of Maddie’s daily existence under the shadow of Lucifer’s lineage. A nice way to fill up 5 minutes when you don’t have the time to read one of the novels.

 <- Night Out Review Moonlight and Sunscreen Review ->
Image source: Fang-tastic Fiction

Night Out by Christina Henry

Book Review, , , ,

Black Wings ShortsTitle: Night Out
Author: Christina Henry
Series: Black Wings #1.5
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Angels, Ghosts, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Free online short story
Publisher: Christina Henry online
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: He stood in a shadow cast by the taller hotel across the alley from the movie theatre roof.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

It’s kind of difficult to find the time, not to mention the money to spend a night out on the town. And I don’t have supernatural duties and forces to contend with. Maddie and Beezle’s night on the town, although it had a happy ending had the same catastrophic, chaotic style that well, all of her stories do. It made me feel a lot better about my own hermit-like existence at times…

Dragons, illusions and weird little demons are a great way to work up the energy to watch Toy Story 3 (which I haven’t seen yet by the way). And Beezle’s determination to have his popcorn is both irritating, and endearingly obnoxious. Maddie’s ability to constantly maintain her sass and attitude, even when she’s quite possibly bleeding to death shines again throughout this story. If you’re feeling bad about not going out to socialise as much as you’d like then this is a good little story to read. It will not only make you laugh on your night in, but it will also remind you that sometimes it is just better to stay at home.

 <- Black Wings Review A Good Bargain Review ->
Image source: Fang-tastic Fiction

Aren’t You Glad You Didn’t Turn on the Lights? by Christina Henry

Book Review, , , ,

Black Wings ShortsTitle: Aren’t You Glad You Didn’t Turn on the Lights?
Author: Christina Henry
Series: Black Wings #0.6
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Angels, Ghosts, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Free online short story
Publisher: Christina Henry online
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: He was young, surprisingly young.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

In hindsight, this isn’t really the type of story you should be reading while you are in the middle of nowhere, doing fieldwork at 3am… The title alone kind of shows that. Regardless, I actually thoroughly enjoyed these five pages of slight terror that I felt in my tiny, accessible cabin on reserve. I just didn’t so much enjoy it when I decided to turn out the lights…

Maddie’s position as an Agent of Death must have some pretty difficult deaths which she is forced to witness. And, although they don’t fit into the overall structure of the novels, I like that Henry was able to find time to pen a short story of one such moment. I can’t imagine the horror that Maddie felt at watching a, well, horrifying murder take place right in front of her. Yet, the poetic justice of the story did help it to come full circle and emphasise that at least in this literary world, good always triumphs.

 <- The Care and Feeding of Gargoyles Review Black Wings Review ->
Image source: Fang-tastic Fiction

Cherry Kisses by Erica Hayes

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Cherry KissesTitle: Cherry Kisses
Author: Erica Hayes
Series: The Shadowfae Chronicles #4.5
In: Hex Appeal (P.N. Elrod)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Dark fantasy, Demons
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: And opened the door.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Sexy con-artist Lena Falco isn’t a witch, not technically. She uses her cache of stolen magic tricks to seduce and bedazzle her marks. When she’s hired by a demon to steal a cursed magical amulet from a monstrous tower in Hell, it must be her lucky day.

The prize? A single wish—whatever she wants.

The catch? There’s competition: Ethan Benford, swordsman and enchanter, arrogant, maddeningly sexy and the only incorruptible man in town.

Lena’s been burnt before by Ethan’s easy charm, and she vows he’ll meet his match this time. But is ultimate power worth betraying the only man who truly believes in her?

Thoughts

There is something so tantalising about a main character that is so obviously not good. Whether it’s someone like Cherry Kisses’ Lena Falco, or a morally ambiguous hero like Batman, the blurred line in morality makes these characters both more relatable and scandalous. Especially when the tale ends in a truly moral dilemma and the choice made really isn’t what the truly good heroes would make.

I have a tendency to very quickly fall for any tale that mentions an Australian city, or is written by an Australian author. Since it’s where I’m from, it makes it that much easier to relate to the characters and settings of the tale. Lena’s recognition that she is nothing special within such a familiar setting helped to further endear a potentially unlikable character to me.

<- There Will Be Demons Review The Arcane Art of Misdirection Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Bacon by Charlaine Harris

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
strange-brew

Title: Bacon
Author: Charlaine Harris
Series: Sookie Stackhouse #8.6
In: Strange Brew (P.N. Elrod)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: “I understand,” Kathy murmured.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

A beautiful Vampire named Dahlia joins forces with a Witch named Taffy from an ancient line to find out who killed her beloved husband.

Thoughts

I’m not normally a huge fan of stories that are all about revenge – it seems like most of the time it is a twisted pursuit that leaves the perpetuators shells of their former selves. However, I liked the gradual and manipulative way in which Dahlia pursues her vengeance in this short story. Not only is it a pursuit in the name of love, but the sass and flash with which she carries out her retribution completely makes up for my usual distaste in such a story.

The invocation of Circe and her descendants in this short tale finally helped me to make sense of the name of this short story – Bacon. The true cunning and wordplay of Harris actually comes to the fore, but it isn’t until the very last sentence that this wit is shown.

<- Hecate’s Golden EyeSignatures of the Dead ->

Image source: Goodreads

There Will Be Demons by Lori Handeland

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
hex-appeal

Title: There Will be Demons
Author: Lori Handeland
Series: Phoenix Chronicles #0.6
In: Hex Appeal (P.N. Elrod)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Angels, Fae, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: He should be frozen like a gargoyle.

Synopsis

She thinks that she’s saving him from the demons, but could there be more to the story?

Thoughts

I really don’t have many words to describe this short story. Basically, I loved it, but at the same time, I was a little mad at the end of the story. It felt like a good beginning of a series, but also another tale about a strong, independent woman losing her identity for the sake of a man – not something that I am a huge fan of in the least. However, the writing and slow filtering of information that Handeland uses is a perfect counterbalance to create an enjoyable storyline that would probably otherwise have really, really, really annoyed me.

The use of the Nephilim, Grigori and Fae really drew me into the world created in There Will Be Demons. Handeland’s explanation of the different groups displayed a well-thought out reality which she has used to create a set of multi-dimensional characters. The obvious secrets that both Summer and Jimmy hold throughout the tale only built upon this world to leave me turning the page back and forth, looking for more of the story. Not all of their secrets are revealed, and it was both frustrating and disappointing to end this tale.

<- In the BeginningAny Given Doomsday ->

Image source: Succubus

How Do You Feel? by Simon R. Green

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

hex-appealTitle: How Do You Feel?
Author: Simon R. Green
Series: Nightside Companion
In: Hex Appeal (P.N. Elrod)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: Won’t that be nice?

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

An interesting short story about Green’s Dead Boy and how he lives his life.

Thoughts

How Do You Feel? was a completely unexpected short story – it was quite dark, with a twisted and unexpected strain of humour throughout it. The completely unforeseeable love story that rounded it out just polished it off to make me want to read the rest of the Nightside series. The use of a main character whose name is Dead Boy should have given me a hint to what kind of story I was in for though.

There is always a question about what happens after death, after all, most people don’t want to believe that this life is all that there is. And the idea of what happens when a life is cut too short with little or no mercy is a far more tantalising theoretical question. In creating a character that exists almost solely for revenge, Green approaches this question from a unique angle. Not only in addressing what happens after death and the lingering of souls, but how a thirst for revenge and an unyielding anger can destroy a life (and afterlife).

<- Outside the Box Review There Will be Demons Review ->
Image source: Succubus