Tag Archives: On the Prowl

Mona Lisa Betwining by Sunny

July 28, 2017Book ReviewDark Fantasy, Monere: Children of the Moon, On the Prowl, Paranormal Romance, Sunnyskyebjenner

Title: Mona Lisa Betwining
Author: Sunny
Series: Monere: Children of the Moon #2.5
In: On the Prowl (Patricia Briggs)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: Or even by Blaec, Halcyon’s father, though he had been the tool in sending them on to the final darkness.

Among the children of the moon, Mona Lisa is of Mixed Blood- part Monere, part human, and destined to be alone. Then she meets a man who could be her salvation- or her downfall.

This novella sends goosebumps running up my arms – the raw sensuality of the words is enough to make you glance sneakily around for an audience. But the emotive descriptions of the night, the moon and the forests add to this heightened sense of reality which Sunny is able to so effortlessly create. This heady combination left me speechless and dreamy for a long time after finishing this novella – something that is incredibly difficult, believe me!

Mona Lisa’s grief and confusion at her feelings, lovers and new role in life are so tangible throughout the story. And it is Dontaine who appears to bear the brunt of her negativity – a man that reminds her of not only what she’s lost, but what she has unwittingly gained. However, his very compassion and understanding of her in ways that she is barely able to comprehend are such an endearing quality that you can only hope for his continuing presence in her life.

The vividness with which Sunny describes both the setting and Mona Lisa’s potent sexuality definitely makes this story feel more like a guilty pleasure than a bit of classical reading. The unabashed way in which she describes the couplings throughout the story are both erotic and romantic, a difficult balance for any writer to strike.

<- Buying Trouble

On the Prowl ->

Image source: Patricia Briggs

Buying Trouble by Karen Chance

June 11, 2017Book ReviewCassandra Palmer World, Dark Fantasy, Dorina Basarab, Fae, Karen Chance, On the Prowl, Paranormal Romanceskyebjenner

Title: Buying Trouble
Author: Karen Chance
Series: Dorina Basarab #1.1, Cassandra Palmer World #9
In: On the Prowl (Patricia Briggs)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Fae, Paranormal romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: The dragon was Tanet, my newly discovered brother.

Claire just wants to keep out of trouble. But that isn’t always easy when you’re a mage with the extremely unusual ability to block all magic around you. And when Claire’s sleazy boss decides Claire herself is the most valuable rarity to sell at a magical auction, trouble finds her. Now, her only hope for survival is to trust a mysterious and handsome stranger, a Fey Lord named Heidar. As their pursuers close in, there’s one thing for sure, savior or threat, Heidar can show Claire things she never imagined in this world, and in herself. . .

This story took a lot of unexpected turns – first, the journey started at an auction house, then Clare finds out that she’s actually up for auction, and then she finds out more about her true heritage. All in all, the combination of these facts created a tumulus ride which spanned a number of beautifully constructed settings. The fact that the alliances and loyalties of the obvious love interest within the story were vague and difficult to pin down helped to add to the unpredictable, fast-paced track of this novella.

The use of first-person in telling this tale helped to place me in the slightly uncomfortable shoes of Claire. Mostly due to her status in the magical world and the constant danger which her powers place her in. However, the irresistible pull she feels towards her male counterpart and her fear and frustration at being forced to flee are incredibly potent emotions that are stunningly displayed through her own words. Her description of her emotions, confusion and thoughts made me feel incredibly connected to this slightly unorthodox lead, something which I love when reading any story.

Although slavery isn’t supposed to occur anymore, the use of Claire as a pawn in overall political games and the willingness of others to sell her reek of a lack of women’s rights in this world – even when slavery is supposed to be abolished. Even her newly discovered family appear to be politically inclined, although at least they are grateful for her presence. It is a reminder that although overt ownership of women isn’t present in today’s society, there is still a sense of ownership and usage over women who can prove to be useful.

The thing that I loved most about this novella was the conclusion of this tale. It leaves the story open for more journeying into the world of Claire and the Dorina Basarab series, but also hints at a ‘happily ever after’ for Claire.

<- Inhuman

Mona Lisa Betwining ->

Image source: Goodreads

Inhuman by Eileen Wilks

March 24, 2017Book ReviewAnimagus, Eileen Wilks, On the Prowl, Paranormal Romance, World of the Lupiskyebjenner

Title: Inhuman
Author: Eileen Wilks
Series: World of the Lupi #3.5
In: On the Prowl (Patricia Briggs)
Rating Out of 5: (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Animagus, Paranormal romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: The need for his voice, his presence, washed over her, leaving her shaky inside as well as out.

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

Certain people in Midland, Texas, are dying. All of them were Gifted, and all of them have been drained of their blood. Kai is a reluctant telepath with a skewed Gift—she sees thoughts instead of experiencing them. So, unlike other Midlanders, she can intuit that they have a “Guardian.” She also knows that the Guardian Nathan isn’t human. His true nature hasn’t been divined. Neither has hers. But when another one of the Gifted is found dead, Kai herself becomes a suspect. And only Nathan can save her.

The first few sentences left me incredibly attached to Kai, in a way that rarely happens in such a short period of time. Her supernatural abilities were also something that I had never imagined or heard of before, yet, they seem like an incredible ability to possess. Partner this intriguingly vulnerable character with Nathan, and a serial murderer, and this is one of my favourite short stories.

Kai’s eventual connection to the murderer was very surprising, but it was kind of sweet and indicated the depths of her care for others. This, and hints at her past accident, show the level of care that she show to other living beings, and that they all have the right to live. Although this very fact does eventually put her life in danger, something which helps to add flavour and fear to the blooming relationship between Kai and Nathan.

I’ve read this short story before, but reading it after finishing Blood Lines helped to place a lot more of the storyline within context. It also hinted at more connections in future storylines to the parallel reality / world of Faerie. Where Dis has been mentioned in past World of the Lupi stories, it isn’t until this novella that the connection to Faerie truly begins to have an influence on the overarching tale of the World of the Lupi.

<- Blood Lines

Night Season ->

Image source: Goodreads

On the Prowl by Patricia Briggs, Eileen Wilks, Karen Chance & Sunny

January 24, 2017Book ReviewDark Fantasy, Eileen Wilks, Karen Chance, On the Prowl, Paranormal Romance, Patricia Briggs, Short Story Collections, Sunnyskyebjenner

Title: On the Prowl
Author: Patricia Briggs, Karen Chance, Sunny & Eileen Wilks
In: On the Prowl (Patricia Briggs, Karen Chance, Sunny & Eileen Wilks)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal romance, Short story collections
Pace: Fast
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: Lightning stitched from one black-hung pocket of sky to the next.

Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs
The werewolf Anna finds a new sense of self when the son of the werewolf king comes to town to quell unrest in the Chicago pack- and inspires a power in Anna that she’s never felt before.

Inhuman by Eileen Wilks
Kai has a secret gift of sensing thoughts and desires. What she senses in her neighbor Nathan could be dangerous. Because he has a secret gift, too, and it’s about to be let loose.

Buying Trouble by Karen Chance
In a New York auction house, a Lord of the Fey crosses paths with a fiery redheaded mage named Claire. But in this strange underground society, the rarity up for sale is Claire herself.

Mona Lisa Betwining by Sunny
Among the children of the moon, Mona Lisa is of Mixed Blood- part Monere, part human, and destined to be alone. Then she meets a man who could be her salvation- or her downfall.

I am absolutely in LOVE with this stunning collection of short stories. The strong women; unabashed way in which these four authors approach a woman’s sensuality and sexuality; and the fantastical worlds which are created through their masterful words create a series of spine-tingling stories that will leave you greatly anticipating just what happens next. Long after the last page has been turned, the characters float through my mind in an antagonising march of potent story-telling and rampant romance.

I’m a sucker for a good romance, and I love it even more when the woman is strong and independent enough to fight for herself, whilst still embracing the love with which they are presented. As a woman, the fine line between succumbing to love while still remaining strong and tough is a difficult one to walk. To create literary characters that embody this in a way that they appeal to a wider audience is immensely difficult, and the authors who contributed to this anthology show their supreme talents in being able to construct these characters.

<- Inhuman Review

Alpha & Omega Review ->

Image source: Patricia Briggs

Alpha & Omega by Patricia Briggs

December 6, 2016Book ReviewMercy-verse, On the Prowl, Paranormal Fantasy, Patricia Briggs, Shifting Shadows, Strong Women, Werewolvesskyebjenner

Title: Alpha & Omega
Author: Patricia Briggs
Series: Alpha & Omega #0.5, M e rcy-v erse #7
In: Shifting Shadows (Patricia Briggs) & On the Prowl (Patricia Briggs)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Strong women, Werewolves
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Ace fantasy & Berkley
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: Anna touched Alan Frazier’s smiling face with trembling fingers.

The werewolf Anna finds a new sense of self when the son of the werewolf king comes to town to quell unrest in the Chicago pack – and inspires a power in Anna that she’s never felt before.

Anna is one of the sweetest literary characters that I have read in paranormal fantasy in a long time. Her introduction in this short story bought out a new aspect of the Mercedes Thomps on universe and ran beautifully alongside Moon Called.

And then there is Charles… I love Adam and Samuel, but I still think that Charles is my favourite werewolf. The mixture of his position as werewolf assassin and Native American medicine man (for lack of a better term) leaves a strong and intriguing character. Within the first few paragraphs, he leaps off the page and his silent presence engulfs you. Anna’s sweet vulnerability is a beautiful contrast to both his overbearing presence and unemotional role within the Pack is one of my favourite dynamics in Briggs’ books.

The idea of an Omega is something that I had never considered before, but there are certainly those that seem to fit this bill in our everyday lives. The idea of somebody who is protective, but not violent; dominant, but doesn’t require followers is a great change from the general leaders and followers structure of most societies and social systems.

<- Seeing Eye

Cry Wolf ->