Tag Archives: Paranormal Fantasy

Bellum Romanum by Carrie Vaughn

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for urban enemies book cover

Title: Bellum Romanum
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Series: Kitty Norville #0.2
In: Urban Enemies (Joseph Nassise)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy, Werewolves
Dates read: 1st November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: The force of Gaius’s rage surprised him.

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

Roman was once a man called Gaius. Who was turned against his will. But, in his quest to find vengeance, he might go a little bit further than expected.

Thoughts

Thoroughly enjoyed the idea of a villain who is simply seeking revenge on the entire paranormal community because he was forced to join it. No more sinister, intense reason, nothing else going on… he’s basically just cracking the shits because someone turned him against his will, so he may as well burn the whole world down because of it. Talk about a temper tantrum.

Although I didn’t feel sympathy for this villain (as I do tend to do with a lot of villain POVs), I did gain a little understanding into him. And that was kind of nice. After all, the best villains are the ones you can understand, and even imagine yourself becoming… mostly I think that this villain is a bit of a petulant child. And probably just needed to break something. Too bad that someone came along and gave him the means to break the world…

I absolutely love when you can recognise a historical moment woven into a series. Especially when it’s a contemporary, urban fantasy like Kitty Norville. But Pompeii is in this. And I have a slightly intense fascination with this, have had since I was a young child. Which meant I was completely digging the idea that the villain in this caused Pompeii. That that was one of his petulant child moments of destruction… completely brilliant and so much fun!!! Except for the peoples of Pompeii… not so much fun for them.

 <- The Book of Daniel ReviewA Princess of Spain Review ->
Image source: Simon & Schuster

Xoe by Sara C. Roethle

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover xoe sara c. roethle

Title: Xoe
Author: Sara C. Roethle
Series: Xoe #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Young adult
Dates read: 26th September – 1st November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Publisher: Sara C. Roethle
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: Brian seemed relieved to have the attention off him.

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

Xoe Meyers had a normal life. So she was stuck going to high school, and she only had a few friends to call her own. She liked her normal life. Things were about to change though, because there’s a new guy in her small town, and he is anything but normal. Before Xoe can say, “Werewolf,” her best friend’s life is in peril, and Xoe’s world is turned upside-down. Then, of course, there’s Jason. Xoe doesn’t trust him as far as she can throw him, and given that he’s a vampire, she’d have to be able to catch him first.

Thoughts

This wasn’t a bad book. I think most of my “meh” feelings about it just come from the fact that I had to read it as an ebook. There is just something about the format that I really don’t enjoy. And it means that I just don’t get as involved in the stories as I otherwise would… which is quite sad. Because I think if this was a paperback, I would have completely ripped through it. In the best way possible…

This was a fairly typical young adult paranormal fantasy book. Vampires, werewolves and tyring to figure out how to fit in with the rest of their society. Especially when there’s something so obviously different about them. But it was a little unique in the fact that there was a half demon featured in the story. I also thoroughly enjoyed the narrators’ voice – Xoe is funny, relatable and not too much of a whiney teenager. All things that I look for in a good story.

Like most young adult stories, or really any in general, there was a bit of a love interest in this tale. But, unlike a lot of stories that find their way onto my shelves, this one didn’t really have a focus on that fact. Actually, if there weren’t moments when Xoe spells it out how interested she is, you probably wouldn’t even notice that there was a romantic edge to the story. It’s all about saving her BFF and making the world a better place.

Although I lament the fact that this was an ebook rather than a physical one. It is still probably the fastest full-length novel ebook that I’ve read in a long time. It was just cute and sweet enough that I was intrigued. Yet, it will probably be a little while until I grab the next ebook in the series.

 <- Minor Magic ReviewAccidental Ashes Review ->

Image source: Goodreads

“All Shook Up” by P.N. Elrod

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for my big fat supernatural wedding book cover

Title: “All Shook Up”
Author: P.N. Elrod
In: My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding (P.N. Elrod)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Humour, Music, Paranormal fantasy
Dates read: 27th October 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Year: 2006
5th sentence, 74th page: Frankie looked at the Elvis guy, her jaw dropping.

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

The Elvis impersonator at the wedding she’s catering gets a little bit too into his routine. But there is something deliciously attractive about him that makes her want to get to know the crazy a little better…

Thoughts

This story is a little crazy and different. It’s kind of intense, super fun and features Elvis. Which, of course, immediately makes me think of my Mum. Because she is completely Elvis obsessed. A bit like the Grandmother in this story… a woman who is just deliciously enthralled by the long-dead entertainer. I actually thought that in this story he had been bought back to life… but it was still just an impersonator.

Although this is a wedding story, it’s one that is about the caterer, not the bride. I’ve been to many, many weddings, but mostly as the wait staff. So it was nice to read a tale that I could relate to the lead a lot more. I’ve never been a bride, but I’m aware of all the difficulties and intricacies of working a wedding. Trying to feed the masses and (sometimes) not laugh at the amusing antics of the bridal party. It made this funny, cute and sweet story so, so, so much more relatable than most of the wedding stories I’ve read.

One of the parts I loved most about this story though was the fact that it featured the power of music. I’ve always found music to be an intense pathway through which to experience human emotion. And this story takes it just that little step further… in making it a pathway to help people adjust their emotions for the sake of others. For the sake of the marriage which is just about to begin.

 <- Dead Man’s Chest ReviewThe Wedding of Wylda Serene Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Dead Man’s Chest by Rachel Caine

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for my big fat supernatural wedding book cover

Title: Dead Man’s Chest
Author: Rachel Caine
Series: There Be Pirates #1
In: My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding (P.N. Elrod)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Pirates, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 23rd October 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Year: 2006
5th sentence, 74th page: “Then why parade me around like this?”

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

Cecilia thinks that she’s finally found a man worth her time. But, after just a few months he wants to get married on a pirate ship. Things quickly turn from romantic to downright wrong as her adventures progress.

Thoughts

I really wasn’t expecting this kind of wedding. I knew that something was bound to go wrong because it’s in a collection of stories about supernatural weddings, and they’re never simple. But I really wasn’t expecting cursed pirates, a con man and being thrown overboard.

One of my favourite moments about this story is when the bad guy realises that he’s got the wrong Cecilia. It’s more than a little awkward, and just downright hilarious. Especially when he’s gone to so much effort to gain some money… and then finds out that he needs to make amends, and quickly if he wants to survive. It made it quite hilarious to realise that after much careful planning, the “bad guy” had totally buggered everything up.

This story has a very Pirates of the Caribbean feel to it. From the plain fact that there are pirates, to the single woman aboard, right down to the curse placed upon the crew. It was like a funnier, cuter version of the famous movie franchise. But, I think that I like this one much, much better.

 <- Something Borrowed Review“All Shook Up” Review ->
Image source: Amazon

The Screams of Dragons by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for portents book cover

Title: The Screams of Dragons
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Cainsville #0.1
In: Portents (Kelley Armstrong)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 21st October 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Kelley Armstrong
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: He let her out!

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

Synopsis

Bobby has never quite fit in with his family. But when his grandmother decides that he’s a changeling, things take a turn for the worse. Only the screams of dragons seem to make him feel complete… but they might not be the safest thing to obey.

Thoughts

I kind of forgot how disturbing Kelley Armstrong’s stories are. They’re so much darker than most of the fantasy that fills my shelves. And there’s not necessarily always a happy ending… although it does mostly work out that way. This short story goes to the top of the kind of disturbing list… especially when the story features a boy who is so obviously not okay… and, eventually completely evil.

I’m a big believer in the idea that there is a little bit of darkness in all of us. That it’s our choices and the influences around us which help us to either go down the dark path, or find a way to follow the light. Bobby so definitely chose the dark path in this story. At the beginning of the tale, you believe that he is a victim, someone you should feel sympathy for and you want to find a happily ever after. But, as he starts to find his own power… the sympathy starts to seriously wane and a new emotion takes over… revulsion.

I haven’t yet read Omens and truly started the Cainsville series, I’ve only had the joy of reading a few short stories. But they’re enough to know that I’m going to love the bigger series and find Armstrong’s twisted, dark version of fantasy as enjoyable as I did with the Women of the Otherworld series. There is something way more twisted to the end of this short story than most of the other villain tales I’ve read. And the poetic justice worked absolutely brilliantly.

<- PortentsNos Galan Gaeaf ->

Image source: Amazon

Working for the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover working for the devil

Title: Working for the Devil
Author: Lilith Saintcrow
Series: Dante Valentine #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Demons, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 14th – 20th October 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Orbit
Year: 2006
5th sentence, 74th page: The Hall had been hell – a true hell, a human hell, withou the excuse of demons to make it terrifying.

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

Dante Valentine’s working relationship with the Devil wasn’t her choice – but you can’t turn down a contract with Lucifer and live. 88 Hired to kill fugitive Vardimal Santino, Dante can count as allies only a demon familiar she doesn’t trust and a small band of psychics. The thing is, Dante doesn’t need friends, she needs a miracle. Because the first time Dante Valentine met Santino, she almost died.

Thoughts

I’ve been meaning to get to the first Dante Valentine book for quite a while now… mostly because I’ve loved the short stories that I’ve read in this series and by Lilith Saintcrow in general. But it’s never seemed a good time to start a whole new series. But, I finally succumbed. And boy, am I glad that I did. Although now I have to wait until I have the money to buy the next books in the series… which is problematic because I want to know what happens next!!! The occurrences in this story are completely ground breaking, and normally happen about 3 books into an urban fantasy series like this… not at the very beginning!!!

Working for the Devil has kind of a tragic end. I’m hoping that things will turn out better in the next book. It was also nice to have a story that didn’t end with a happily ever after. For starters it makes me want to read the next book more than any other urban fantasy I’ve read recently. And it also is a reminder that life doesn’t exactly end up the way you want it too. I might get really mad if I find out that she’s pregnant in the next book though… that’s just not a good trope.

The amount of backstory and hints that Saintcrow manages to sneak into her storyline. She has a past lover, past injuries and a past enemy. All of which manage to jump out at her as she races to stop a demon at the bequest of the devil. It’s a pretty fast-paced storyline. Which is what I love – something that gets the heart racing, and makes it impossible to put down. I also loved that all of these past hurts aren’t fully described in the novel, but expanded on enough that you know parts of the story, and just want to know more. It also made one hell of a tough chick as the lead – someone who is totally damaged, and for me, incredibly easy to relate to.

Working for the Devil moves up my list for favourite urban fantasy stories. It has a kick arse chick with a penchant for death, a horrid history and a band of ragtag mates that are loyal to the core. Alright, it fits a lot of fairly typical themes and tropes for the books on my shelves, but there’s a reason why they fill my shelves. They’re fun, engaging and far more relatable than any of the male-driven storylines that also tend to sit on my shelves.

 <- Coming Home ReviewDead Man Rising Review ->

Image source: Fantastic Fiction

Something Borrowed by Jim Butcher

Book Review, , , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for my big fat supernatural wedding book cover

Title: Something Borrowed
Author: Jim Butcher
Series: The Dresden Files #7.5
In: My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding (P.N. Elrod) & Side Jobs (Jim Butcher)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy, Wizards
Dates read: 16th October 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Year: 2006
5th sentence, 74th page: On the weekend?

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

Harry’s friends, Bill and Georgia are about to get married. There’s just one little problem…. Georgia is nowhere to be seen and there’s a revenge-hungry faery on the loose.

Thoughts

Every time I pick up a Dresden Files short story, I feel an insane urge to run up to my shelf and grab whichever novel I’m up to. There is just something amazing about this series that makes me want to sink my nose into it every time. But, I did exercise some self-control after reading Something Borrowed… because I have a pile of books I’m currently reading that is fairly high (I’ve been told I have to get them off the couch and use some restraint).

You know that any wedding set in the Dresden Files world is going to be entertaining. And things are probably going to be blown up because Harry Dresden is involved. This short story doesn’t disappoint on any front. It also involves insulting the future step-mother-in-law and a great little switcher-oo of the bride. Like I said, it’s impossible to be boring when reading one of the Dresden Files tales. Although, it was also quite sweet because there was the kiss of true love (I’m pretty sure there were two, but there’s enough ambiguity in the second one that you can’t be entirely positive).

Something Borrowed is an incredibly sweet, fun and entertaining read. I was so sad when it was over, although also quite happy considering there was a happily-ever-after ending to it all. This is the perfectly dramatic wedding – the best man is in plaster, the groom almost marries the wrong woman and there’s an insane fae running around trying to get vengeance. If you want a story of calamities that will make your own nuptials look kind of tame… definitely read this. Actually, just read this short story anyway. It’s absolutely brilliant.

 <- Spellbound ReviewDead Man’s Chest Review ->
Image source: Amazon

The Resurrectionist by Caitlin Kittredge

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for urban enemies book cover

Title: The Resurrectionist
Author: Caitlin Kittredge
Series: Hellhound Chronicles #2.5
In: Urban Enemies (Joseph Nassise)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Demons, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 15th October 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Some dame with legs and a problem.

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

A routine job turns into something a little more sinister. Especially when the end of the journey results in everyone dead and grudges being held.

Thoughts

It took me a little bit longer than I would like to admit to realise that the lead in this wasn’t alive. That he was dead. And that was why he got hit with a shovel (and other implements) multiple times and didn’t die. It finally started to make a little more sense… but in the best, most beautiful way possible. Because I really like stories about people who are weirdly undead rolling around the world.

This is one of those short stories that really didn’t end the way that I expected it to. Everyone is dead. There is no happily ever after, although there is a sense of finding oneself at the very ending. Or maybe refinding oneself is the better way to put it… since the narrator eventually realises what his original calling in life was and decides to return to it.

This short story has added yet another series to my wishlist. If this is the tale of one of the “enemies” in the story, then the heroes are going to be fantastically beautiful. There is something alluring about this story and the idea of hellhounds… they’re certainly a paranormal beast that I haven’t read much about…

 <- The Naughtiest Cherub ReviewDown Where the Darkness Dwells Review ->
Image source: Simon & Schuster

Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover flying blind

Title: Flying Blind
Author: Deborah Cooke
Series: The Dragon Diaries Trilogy #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dragons, Paranormal fantasy, Young adult
Dates read: 7th October 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Allison & Busby Limited
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: She snapped her fingers and chuckled.

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

I will shift shape and I will cast dreams and I will be everything that I am forecast to be. I am the Wyvern. And I will claim my birthright, right here and now.

Zoe Sorensson is a perfectly normal teenage girl. That’s the problem. She’s always been told she’s destined for great things – she is a dragon shape shifter, a Pyr, and the only female one of her kind. But Zoe’s powers are AWOL, so she’s sent to Pyr boot camp.

Zoe quickly realizes that she has to master her powers yesterday, because the Pyr are in danger and boot camp is a trap. The Mages want to eliminate all shifters and the Pyr are next in line – unless Zoe and her friends can work together and save their own kind.

Thoughts

This is one of those random, impulse buys on my shelf. One that I saw in the shop for cheap, grabbed and didn’t even bother reading the blurb for. Sometimes they work out well, sometimes not so much. This is one of those impulse buys that did work out really well… I have a brand new, fun series to obsess over and a new author to pile onto my shelves.

As a teenager, I always had a lot of male friends, and always felt like a bit of a misfit at school. Which is why Zoe would probably have been a major favourite with me when I was in high school. She doesn’t have a huge click at school, but her life out of it is kind of intense and insane. In all of the ways that I wanted for myself… alright, I never truly believed that I could turn into a dragon… but wouldn’t that have been AWESOME?!?!

Although I’ve never had any of the pressure of being the “one hope” and a messiah to my people (most days I’m not even sure who my people are), I do understand the kind of pressure that can be placed on a person. When there is a sense of hope and belief in you it’s kind of beautiful. But it’s also really intense and overwhelming – what do you do if you stuff up? Zoe is constantly grappling with this and being questioned by her peers. There is this overwhelming sense of failure in herself, and it isn’t until she finally finds that one person to believe in her that she starts to gain her own identity again.

Flying Blind is a great coming of age tale. And it’s just the beginning of a series! It’s shows you that it’s your belief and inner strength that can lead to great things. That anything is possible, and that maybe sometimes you need to seriously take a step back and stop listening to that horrible, jealous little voice in your head…

 <- Blazing the Trail ReviewWinging It Review ->

Image source: Goodreads

Love is Hell by Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfield, Justine Larbalestier, Gabrielle Zevin & Laurie Faria Stolarz

Book Review, , , , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for love is hell book cover

Title: Love Is Hell
Author: Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfield, Justine Larbalestier, Gabrielle Zevin & Laurie Faria Stolarz
In: Love is Hell ( Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfield, Justine Larbalestier, Gabrielle Zevin & Laurie Faria Stolarz)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Short story collections, Young adult
Dates read: 10th July – 24th September 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Harper Teen
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: There hadn’t been any Scarcity classes back in his day, and he never understood how I could get worked up over an ungraded course.

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

Sure, love is hell. But it’s totally worth it. 88 In these supernatural stories by five of today’s hottest writers – Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely), Scott Westerfeld (Specials), Justine Larbalestier (Magic or Madness), Gabrielle Zevin (Elsewhere), and Laurie Faria Stolarz (Blue is For Nightmares) – love may be twisted and turned around, but it’s more potent than ever on its quest to conquer all.

From two students who let the power of attraction guide them to break the had-and-fast rules of their world to the girl who falls hard for a good-looking ghost with a score to settle, the clever, quirky characters in this exciting collection will break your heart, then leave you believing in love more than ever.

Thoughts

I both thoroughly enjoyed this series and consistently wanted to punch some of the characters in the face. I was expecting tragic tales of passion, lust and love. Instead I got a series of young adult tales with some seriously whiney leads. Not in every circumstance. Not in all ways. But enough so that I couldn’t give this collection a five star rating.

There were a few stories in this collection that I thoroughly enjoyed. They reminded me of the books I read as a child that had just a tantalising hint of romance. Nothing overt and sexual, but enough there to make you think that happily ever after was possible. I even found some of the stories incredibly cute. after all, there is something enjoyable about the innocence of young love that I just don’t find in many of the books that I read today. There was also a lot that had me questioning what constitutes romance these days, and what love is truly about…

Love isn’t something that is simple, beautiful and complete. Or at least, it hasn’t been in my experience. It’s this intensely complex and difficult thing to deal with. It makes part of your life better and can leave you feeling more complete. But it also leads to a lot of complications and indecisions. Some of these stories highlighted that beautifully in this “love is hell” theme. Some not so much. But it was definitely worth the read.

 <- Love Struck ReviewSleeping with the Spirit Review ->
Image source: Harper Collins Publishers