Tag Archives: Paranormal Fantasy

Biting Bad by Chloe Neill

July 28, 2020Book ReviewChicagoland Vampires, Chloe Neill, Easy Reading, Paranormal Fantasy, Vampiresskyebjenner

Biting Bad (Chicagoland Vampires, #8) by Chloe Neill

Title: Biting Bad
Author: Chloe Neill
Series: Chicagoland Vampires #8
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 29th June 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: New American Library
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: A giant soaking tub sat in one corner, and tonight, it bore a surprise.

Merit has been a vampire for only a short while, but she’s already seen a lifetime’s worth of trouble. She and her Master, centuries-old Ethan Sullivan, have risked their lives time and again to save the city they love. But not all of Chicago is loving them back.

Anti-vampire riots are erupting all over town, striking vampires where it hurts the most. A splinter group armed with Molotov cocktails and deep-seated hate is intent on clearing the fanged from the Windy City, come hell or high water.

Merit and her allies rush to figure out who’s behind the attacks, who will be targeted next, and whether there’s any way to stop the wanton destruction. The battle for Chicago is just beginning, and Merit is running out of time.

I remember being a bit “eh” about House Rules. It was a good book, but didn’t really grab my attention, and so I took a break from this series. I kind of expected to get the same feeling from Biting Bad, but figured I’d give it a shot anyway. And boy, am I glad that I did. This was almost a revamp of the energy that I found in the first few Chicagoland Vampires books. It had all of that paranormal fun that I was hoping for, plus a number of riots and a lot of sword-wielding. What more could a girl ask for?

Ethan and Merit have taken a long, long time to find their happy-place in their relationship. At first it was supremely frustrating… stubborn and stubborn just constantly clashing and butting heads. But, as this series has evolved, that stubbornness has had a truly endearing quality. And I love that in Biting Bad, they’ve finally found their sweet-spot with their different character quirks and managed to find their happily ever after. Or at least, the beginnings of it.

There is something a little more unique about Chicagoland Vampires in the genre of vampire stories. Probably because it deals a lot more with the inter-politics between humans and vampires – most stories they are not political stories which are discussed between the two races. In fact, they are largely separate. I love that there is a hugely political spin to not just all of the character interactions, but also huge aspects of the storyline. Right down to where the different branches of the police are called in.

I really wasn’t expecting the ending to this story. I thought that some aspects of this novel would carry on until the next and some would cease to exist in this story. I was pretty much 100% wrong on both aspects. Which just makes me want to read the next novel even more… I just have to dig it out of my shelves first…

<- House Rules

High Stakes ->

Image source: Goodreads

Squatter’s Rights by Rochelle Krich

July 27, 2020Book ReviewDark Fantasy, Home Improvement, Horror, Paranormal Fantasy, Rochelle Krichskyebjenner

Image result for home improvement undead edition book cover

Title: Squatter’s Rights
Author: Rochelle Krich
In: Home Improvement (Charlaine Harris & Toni L.P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Horror, Paranormal fantasy
Dates read: 29th June 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: Eve was sure.

Eve and Joe have just bought their dream house. But there is something knocking in the walls at night. Who will win this battle of wills?

The start of this story made me think that it was going to be kind of cute and super sweet. Turns out I was wrong. Fairly seriously wrong too to be honest. This is not a sweet short story. It does not have a happy ending. In fact, I don’t suggest reading it just before bed… there is just something goose bump creating about it that left me cringing and feeling very seriously uncomfortable.

I did guess that this story would be a little random due to the name – after all, Squatter’s Rights are based on the idea that whoever lives in a place owns the place. I didn’t realise how truly dark Krich would take the idea and the story though. How uncomfortable I would be at the end of this short story and how much I would enjoy that feeling of discomfort…

There are many things that this story touches upon. But one of the most poignant – the fact that it is seriously easy to lose trust and faith in another person. How easy it can be to manipulate someone into believing that things aren’t all as they seem and matters should possibly taken into their own hands…

<- Gray

Blood on the Wall ->

Image source: Hachette Australia

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

July 24, 2020Book ReviewCharlaine Harris, Crime, Harper Connelly, Mystery, Paranormal Fantasyskyebjenner

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris - Books - Hachette Australia

Title: Grave Sight
Author: Charlaine Harris
Series: Harper Connelly #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Mystery, Paranormal fantasy
Dates read: 27th June 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2005
5th sentence, 74th page: I found it with my other sense, instead of asking for directions.

Harper Connolly is honest, ethical and loyal – and ever since a bolt of lightning zapped her on the head, she’s had an extra-special talent: she can find dead people.

It’s not a common-or-garden job. Some people find Harper’s talent useful and fascinating, but she’s getting used to most people treating her like a blood-sucking leech, preying on the recently bereaved and offering false hope. She’s become an expert at getting in, getting paid and getting out fast.

So when Harper and her stepbrother Tolliver are hired to help in the Ozarks, they’re wary. Their mission is to find a local teenager – missing, believed dead – and instead they find that someone is willing to go to extraordinary lengths to bury a secret. 88 It doesn’t take long for Tolliver to be is locked away on trumped-up charges and leave Harpeer fighting for her life…

So this is a much better start to a series than the first Sookie Stackhouse novel. It’s a little more developed, which I think is probably just an indication of Harris’ developing skills. From the very outset, you are thrown into the world of Harper Connelly and her unique powers. From the very outset you are completely swept away and enmeshed with a woman who is quite damaged and has a seriously great personality.

I loved how this story started completely in the present. But, as the story unfolded, parts of the past also filtered through and helped to fill you in on so many important little titbits. It was a great way to create a beautifully dimensional and emotional character that you constantly felt connected to. It built upon all the trials and tribulations of the present story. It also helped to highlight exactly why Tolliver and Harper were so close. Just not in the way that is often implied…

Alongside the paranormal journey and discovery of Harper’s past, there is a great mystery to this story. In fact, it almost reads a bit like a cozy mystery. Just not quite. But still, it has that same sense of mystery to it and the almost innocence of the story line that the other cozy mysteries I’ve read hae had. However, there are a few more stakes raised. And a little bit more darkness due to Harper’s unique gift. It gives a slightly different feeling, and removes some of that innocence. Mostly though, I do love this paranormal aspect and brilliance. Particularly when it just makes the story that little bit darker.

Although the end of this story involves Harper and Tolliver getting the hell out of dodge, I can’t wait to see how this series unfolds. Partly, I kind of hope that they both get a bit of a happily ever after. It obviously wasn’t going to be in the Ozarks, but I look forward to jumping into this series and finding that at some point… hopefully.

<- More Charlaine Harris

Grave Surprise ->

Image source: Hachette Australia

Omens by Kelley Armstrong

July 20, 2020Book ReviewCainsville, Fae, Kelley Armstrong, Paranormal Fantasy, Urban Fantasyskyebjenner

Omens: Book 1 of the Cainsville Series: Armstrong, Kelley: Amazon ...

Title: Omens
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Cainsville #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 24th May – 26th June 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: sphere
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: The kind I’d only ever seen on TV, usually where the bad guys holed up until the cops came busting through the door.

A LIFE SHATTERED IN ONE MOMENT.

On the eve of her wedding Olivia Jones discovers two shocking facts. One – she was adopted. Two – her biological parents are notorious serial killers.

A YOUNG WOMAN FORCED ON THE RUN.

With her life in immediate danger, Liv is thrown into a terrifying new world. But then she is confronted with a tantalising hope – is it possible her parents are innocent?

AND THE MYSTERIOUS TOWN THAT AVE HER SANCTUARY. AT A PRICE.

Arriving at the remote town of Cainsville, Liv believes she has found the perfect place to hide while she hunts for the truth. But Cainsville is no ordinary town – and Liv’s arrival was no accident…

So, there’s definitely a reason why I love Kelley Armstrong – Author. I’ve been putting off starting a new series by her because I tend to get sucked into her world, and then I’ll want to buy more and more books… but, I decided that I had to read Omens. I’ve read all the prequel short stories and really, really wanted to start on this series. It may have been a mistake… I now want to go out and buy the rest of the books in this series… and I really don’t have the money for that at the moment.

You really don’t need to read any of the prequel short stories to fall madly, stupidly in love with this novel. In some ways, it may even be a little better… you won’t know so much about the gargoyles, Gabriel and that slightly paranormal hint throughout the story. Although, if you’re like me and you want as much information as feasibly possible…. It’s well worth reading the short stories before this. It meant that I had some extra mysteries that I was just constantly guessing at. And some extra historical moments that helped to fill in some of the blanks…

I absolutely loved how Armstrong managed to layer the paranormal, omens on top of a very realistic storyline. It takes a long time to see how the paranormal starts to come into play. After reading her Women of the Otherworld series, it is really fun to see a more subtle and covert approach to the paranormal, and the way it is placed into a very realistic feeling setting. You can almost imagine that a town like Townsville exists and the power to read omens is strong and alive. I can’t wait to see how this “power” develops and the supernatural that is heavily hinted at throughout this novel develops as the series unravels.

There are many, many, amazing things going on in this novel. But one of the aspects that I enjoyed the most was that it definitely bought up the whole nature / nurture debate. That it highlighted the mixed and confused feelings that Olivia felt as she realised that part of her was created by two individuals she has never met. A good portion of this storyline is taken up with Olivia’s own internal battle, trying to figure out how to feel.

<- The Orange Cat

Visions ->

Image source: Amazon

Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews

July 17, 2020Book ReviewDystopia, Ilona Andrews, Kate Daniels, Paranormal Fantasy, Shapeshifters, Strong Womenskyebjenner

Magic Triumphs (Kate Daniels, #10) by Ilona Andrews

Title: Magic Triumphs
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels #10
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dystopia, Paranormal fantasy, Shapeshifters, Strong women
Dates read: 17th – 18th June 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ace Fantasy
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: So, what triggered it?

Kate Daniels has come a long way from her origins as a loner taking care of a paranormal problems in post-Shift Atlanta. She’s found love and started a family with Curran Lennart, the former Beast Lord, and has made an uneasy truce with her father, Roland. But her magic is too strong for the power players of the world to ignore.

The Witch Oracle has begun seeing visions of blood, fire, and human bones. And when a mysterious box is delivered to Kate’s doorstep, a threat of war from the ancient enemy who nearly destroyed her family, she has no choice but to combine forces with the unlikeliest of allies.

She knows betrayal is inevitable and survival uncertain, but she has to try.

For her child.

For Atlanta.

For the world.

I have been putting off and putting off reading this. Simply because it is the last book in the series, and I really, really didn’t want the Kate Daniels adventure to be over! After all, this has been one of my favourite series since I first picked it up a few years ago and it’s one that I have absolutely adored. That final read is so bittersweet… and I really dreaded knowing what the ending was going to be like.

Sometimes when a series ends, one of two things happens. The first, the series doesn’t really end, and it just drags on and on until you kind of lose interest. Or two, it ties things up in a neat bow and just doesn’t really work with the rest of the storyline. This story was one of the rare third option – a closing of novel that is both brilliantly tying up ends, but leaving the future open-ended. There will be more battles and monsters in the future, but the great challenge of Roland that has been building up throughout this entire series… that is solved. It leaves future stories open, but you don’t need to know them. Because there is this great sense of completion to the whole storyline.

The whole way through this novel, I had my heart in my throat. I think partly because I knew that this was the conclusion to the series. But, there was also no gradual build up like all of the other books in the series. This started at a crest and just kept on rising. I almost didn’t talk to my partner for a twenty-four hour period because I was so desperate just to finish off this book. There are NO GOOD places to put this down and take a breath. No crests and troughs, just rise after rise after rise. It’s not the kind of novel I always want to read… but when it’s the conclusion to such an amazing series… yeah, that’s the kind of novel I want to finish everything off.

After finishing this novel, I got straight onto the phone to my sister to tell her how much she needed to read this. Now, I’m hoping that she catches up soon so we can discuss it… in depth. Not only did I feel the mad need to discuss this with everyone and anyone… I also now have an insane urge to go right back to the beginning and reread all of the books in this series. Regardless of the fact that I have a TBR pile that towers over my head…

<- Iron and Magic

Curran’s POV ->

Image source: Goodreads

Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire

July 9, 2020Book ReviewInCryptid, Paranormal Fantasy, Seanan McGuire, Strong Women, Urban Fantasyskyebjenner

Discount Armageddon (InCryptid, #1) by Seanan McGuire

Title: Discount Armageddon
Author: Seanan McGuire
Series: InCryptid #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Strong women, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 2nd – 11th June 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Daw Fantasy
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: I yawned, not bothering to cover my mouth.

Cryptid, noun: Any creature whose existence has not yet been proven by science. See also “monster.”

Cryptozoologist, noun: Any person who thinks hunting for cryptids is a good idea. See also “idiot.”

Ghoulies. Ghosties. Long-legged beasties. Things that go bump in the night… and that’s just the beginning. The Price family has spent generations studying the monsters of the world, working to protect them from humanity – and to protect humanity from them. Enter Verity Price. Despite being trained from birth as a cryptozoologist, she’d rather dance a tango than tangle with a demon, and is spending a year in Manhattan while she pursues her career in professional ballroom dance.

Sounds pretty simple, right? It would be, if it weren’t for the talking mice, the telepathic mathematicians, the asbestos supermodels, and the trained monster-hunter sent by the Price family’s old enemies, the Covenant of St. George. To complicate matters further, local cryptids are disappearing, strange lizard-men are appearing in the sewers, and someone’s spreading rumors about a dragon sleeping underneath the city…

A lifetime of training isn’t enough to prepare Verity for what’s ahead – especially not for Dominic De Luca, the Covenant’s newest operative. When a Price girl meets a Covenant boy, high stakes, high heels, and a lot of collateral damage are almost guaranteed.

I absolutely adored this story. It was fun, engaging and an absolute riot. I laughed frequently while reading it. And, although it did take me a bit over a week to read… I basically read the whole story cover to cover in one night… I stayed up until 3am and ALMOST finished it… but the words started getting blurry so I figured that I had to stop…

After finishing this novel, I seriously can’t wait for the rest of the InCryptid stories. The Price family seems like a hoot and a half from their brief moments in this story, and I’m sure they will continue to be entertaining and kind of hilarious as the series develops. Luckily, there are a number of short stories that I’m hoping to be able to read in the meantime…

As much as I enjoy the whole “opposites attract” mentality, it doesn’t always work in a story. Let alone the enemies-to-lovers trope. But Dominic and Verity do manage to pull that whole thing off perfectly throughout this novel. For sure, you do kind of guess that they will end up in these roles from the very beginning, but the journey that isn’t quite complete at the end of this novel is what makes it so much fun. And kind of hilarious if I’m being honest. I’m REALLY hoping that at a later point in the series he has to meet the rest of the Price clan… that’ll be incredibly entertaining.

The whole scientific enquiry tone of the Price family and monster hunting makes this feel much more plausible. Alright, it’s fantasy. But making an urban fantasy series which talks about evolution, physiology, species… I love that the “monsters” are constantly discussed like this. It was such a fun, unique and engaging way to talk about the paranormal creatures and things that go bump in the night…

My last favourite aspect of this story is the fact that the ass-kicking, somewhat terrifying monster hunter is also a ballroom dancer. It’s not a mix of professions that I would have thought of… but it somehow manages to work so seamlessly. Especially when she starts explaining how dancing is a fantastic way to train for monster hunting…

<- Tailed

Midnight Blue-Light Special ->

Image source: Goodreads

If I Had a Hammer by Charlaine Harris

July 8, 2020Book ReviewCharlaine Harris, Dark Fantasy, Home Improvement, Paranormal Fantasy, Sookie Stackhouse, Vampiresskyebjenner

Title: If I Had a Hammer
Author: Charlaine Harris
Series: Sookie Stackhouse #12.5
In: Home Improvement (Charlaine Harris & Toni L.P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 9th June 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: There’s a reason the haunting started when the hammer came out of the wall.

There’s a reason the haunting started when the hammer came out of the wall.

This is not the kind of short story you want to read before doing a home renovation – after all, in it, everything that can go wrong… will. But it does make it entertaining and a fun reading.

I absolutely adored Sookie in this story. She is fun, engaging and entertaining. Her strength is great. And considering I’ve only read one full-length novel, and in that she’s a little wishy washy. Yet, this short story takes place later in the series – and it highlights the strength that she finally has after she’s grown.

I love that there is a double storyline in this short story – not only is there the story line which follows Sookie and friends as they try and figure out what is going on with their mysterious guest. But there is also the tale of what actually happened generations ago that involved a hammer and a bit of vengeance…

<- Home Improvement

Wizard Home Security ->

Image source: Hachette Australia

Two Blondes by Charlaine Harris

July 8, 2020Book ReviewCharlaine Harris, Dark Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy, Sookie Stackhouse, Vampiresskyebjenner

Image result for death's excellent vacation book cover

Title: Two Blondes
Author: Charlaine Harris
Series: Sookie Stackhouse #9.6
In: Death’s Excellent Vacation (Charlaine Harris & Toni L.P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 30th June 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘Our new masters have been chipping away at Edgington’s control of Mississippi,’ Pam said.

Sookie and Pam just want a little vacation in Glitter Town. But then vampire politics get involved… and things take a turn for the interesting…

This was a really, really good, funny and enjoyable short story. It featured all of the aspects of the Sookie Stackhouse short stories that I’m seriously beginning to love and a little more information about the series as a whole… I should probably actually pick up the full-length novels again… this was just such a great reminder of how enjoyable they really are.

One of the aspects of this short story that I loved (and what I assume will be more obvious after the 9^th book in the series), was the sense of gender fluidity and sexual identities in this story. I loved that there were characters who were most definitely part of the Vampire LGBTQI+ community (and what an interesting community that would be). It also showed Sookie exploring a little more of her own identity, something I haven’t yet come across as a major plot line in the first novel…

Probably what I liked so much about this short story, that didn’t pull me into the original series was the fact that Sookie is no longer kid of weak and whiny. I found her really irritating in the first novel, and I’ve been told multiple times to actually read more of the series, that this diminishes. But reading this short story really drove that fact home. And has left me kind of excited to actually stick my nose into these books again.

<- Death’s Excellent Vacation

The Boys Go Fishing ->

Image source: Amazon

The Orange Cat by Kelley Armstrong

June 28, 2020Book ReviewCainsville, Fae, Kelley Armstrong, Paranormal Fantasy, Portents, Urban Fantasyskyebjenner

Title: The Orange Cat
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Cainsville #0.7
In: Portents (Kelley Armstrong)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 27th May 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Kelley Armstrong
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: Gabriel put the pet carrier on the table.

Gabriel is beginning to make his way in the world of criminal defense. But this latest case, featuring the orange cat is just a little bit unique… Cainsville kind of unique.

I like this short story that revisited Gabriel as an adult. You find out so much about his childhood in previous short stories, but, considering I’m convinced he’ll be an adult in Omens, I liked that there was a little bit more about him as he’s making his first forays into the adult world. The fact that it was done in a quite funny manner, with a bit of a sadistic twist… well, of course I enjoyed that all the more.

In all of the Cainsville short stories that I’ve read so far, one of the common re occurrences is karma, paying your debts, etc. The fact that this story uses an orange cat that just won’t stay away, can’t be killed and is pretty damn single-minded was quite intriguing and somewhat clever. It kept with the theme that I have found so far, but managed to make it a lot funnier – after all, who would have thought that a cat could cause that much damage?

The more short stories I read in this series, the more keen I am to start reading Omens. And, luckily, this is the last short story that stakes place before the activities in Omens, so now I get to read that novel to my heart’s content…

<- Bad Publicity

Omens ->

Image source: Amazon

Bad Publicity by Kelley Armstrong

June 25, 2020Book ReviewCainsville, Fae, Kelley Armstrong, Paranormal Fantasy, Portents, Urban Fantasyskyebjenner

Title: Bad Publicity
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Cainsville #0.6
In: Portents (Kelley Armstrong)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 25th May 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Kelley Armstrong
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: Making contact.

Patrick has never wanted to do much publicity. But, when his new publicists manages to outmanoeuvre him, he decides to go along with her schemes. Until he realises that they may just not be her schemes…

It was nice to revisit Patrick and his shenanigans after reading Devil May Care. Particularly when you know that he is integral to this whole idea of a future that could impact all of the fae camps and the world as they know it. It highlights the reason why he’s obviously stayed away from Gabriel up until this point, and the ways in which the fae are already moving about in this world…

There may be no such thing as bad publicity, but there is such thing as a bad publicity experience. Particularly when the poor individual who organised it all ends up being just a bit of a pleb. One that is pushy. And driven. But still just ends up being a pawn in a greater battle. I like that even though Patrick is annoyed at the fact that she’s the instigator, he still honours her gumption and drive. It was a nice way to end this short story.

Bad Publicity is a little light and humorous. But it is also a great reminder of the more traditional role that the fae seem to be able to play in the Cainsville series… that of tricksters, predators and the slightly envious. Beings which always pay their dues and find a way to get their own. Regardless of the consequences to others.

<- Gabriel’s Gargoyles

The Orange Cat ->

Image source: Amazon

Earth and Skye

The ramblings of a bibliophile.

Tag Archives: Paranormal Fantasy

Biting Bad by Chloe Neill

Squatter’s Rights by Rochelle Krich

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

Omens by Kelley Armstrong

Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews

Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire

If I Had a Hammer by Charlaine Harris

Two Blondes by Charlaine Harris

The Orange Cat by Kelley Armstrong

Bad Publicity by Kelley Armstrong