Tag Archives: Paranormal Fantasy

Ley Line Drifter by Kim Harrison

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for unbound book cover kim harrison

Title: Ley Line Drifter
Author: Kim Harrison
Series: The Hollows #7.5
In: Unbound (Kim Harrison, Melissa Marr, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson & Jocelyn Drake)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Strong women, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 29th March – 4th April 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: EOS
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page:Startled, Jenks turned in the air even as Daryl caught her breath only to start coughing.

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Synopsis

Pixy Jenks faces murderous dryad locked inside statue.

Thoughts

I never realised that I was missing stories about pixies from my bookshelves until I read this novella. Now I want to see if I can find any story that involves these little sprites… and dig myself further into this series that has them as supporting characters. After all, Jenks isn’t a lead character, but he does (apparently) feature in the other Hollows stories and there was a lot of background to his character that I just haven’t got yet… but I’m trying to fix that right now.

Just before reading this novella, I had the privilege of sinking my teeth into Circe, so Greek mythology and stories were in the forefront of my mind while reading this. Which means that the moment that nymphs and dryads were mentioned, I started grinning like a school girl with a crush. The fact that the nymph is a warrior and a little unhinged and ran around with a great big sword made me all the happier. I always enjoyed a good mental case running around with a sword… it adds a sense of humour and entertainment to the storyline.

Harrison is able to add a great deal of detail in a very small amount of pages. I particularly loved the cultural and social backstory of pixies in this story. The creation of an entire paranormal race with their own motives, movements and beliefs is something that can be quite difficult to highlight by itself, but adding in a few fights with a sword-wielding nymph and a bit of a conspiracy that doesn’t really end in the best way… well, that is some fantastic writing.

 <- UnboundReckoning ->
Image source: Harper Collins Publisher

Blood Work by Kim Harrison

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for blood work kim harrison book cover

Title: Blood Work
Author: Kim Harrison
Series: The Hollows #0.2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Graphic novels, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 16th April 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Graphic novel
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: Damn, she was fast.

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Synopsis

When Ivy met Rachel, the result wasn’t exactly love at first sight. Sparks flew as the living vampire and the stubborn witch learned what it meant to be partners. Now Kim Harrison, the acclaimed author of Pale Demon and Black Magic Sanction, turns back the clock to tell the tale – in an original full-color graphic novel.

Hot-as-hell, tough-as-nails detective Ivy Tamwood has been demoted from homicide down to lowly street-crime detail. As i f rousting trolls and policing pixies instead of catching killers wasn’t bad enough, she’s also been saddled with a newbie partner who’s an earth witch. It’s enough to make any living vampire bare her fangs. But when a coven of murderous witches begins preying on werewolves, Rachel Morgan quickly proves she’s a good witch who knows how to be a badass.

Together, Ivy and Rachel hit the mean streets to deal swift justice to the evil element among Cincinnati’s super-natural set. But there’s more to their partnership than they realize – and more blood and black magic in their future than they bargained for.

Thoughts

I felt hooked on this series before I opened the first novel. But if I was kind of on the fence about whether to buy more of these books and truly sink my teeth into them… this graphic novel made me feel much more certain about my newest obsession. I was almost late to a meeting because I was so absorbed in reading through this. The imagery and the storyline just swept me away beautifully.

I’ve been reading a few graphic novels lately and this one was a little more sexualised than the others that I’ve been reading. A little more expected from the medium than the other contemporaries which I’ve been absorbing. But I didn’t find it much of a problem. There was sexualisation, but it wasn’t disturbingly so. Actually, it worked incredibly well since this is aimed at more of an adult audience and there is a very sexual component to the storyline and characters anyway.

I’m not sure if I was supposed to read this before or after the first Hollows novel. It provides great back story, but since it was published after Dead Witch Walking, I’m very uncertain. Luckily, I absolutely loved this story and it won’t be a large time gap between reading this and the first novel (when the first novel arrives on my doorstep that is).

 <- The TurnBlood Crime ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Turn by Kim Harrison

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the turn kim harrison book cover

Title: The Turn
Author: Kim Harrison
Series: The Hollows #0.1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Strong women, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 4th – 16th April 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Pocket Books Fiction
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Hesitating, she went over it again to make sure the holes were filled.

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Synopsis

Can science save us when all else fails?

Trisk and her hated rival, Kal, have the same goal: save their species from extinction.

But death comes in the guise of hope when a genetically modified tomato created to feed the world combines with the government’s new tactical virus, giving it an unexpected host and a mode of transport. Plague rises, giving the paranormal species the choice to stay hidden and allow humanity to die, or to show themselves in a bid to save the human race.

Under accusations of scientific misconduct, Trisk and Kal flee across a plague-torn United States to convince leaders of the major paranormal species to save their supposedly weaker kin. Not everyone thinks humanity should be saved, though, and Trisk must fight the prejudices of two societies to prove not only that humanity does have something to offer but also that long-accepted beliefs against women, dark magic, and humanity itself can turn to understanding; that when people are at their worst, the best show their true strength; and that love can hold the world together as a new balance is found.

Thoughts

I really, really wanted to give this novel a much, much lower rating. Actually, when I first put it down I did… but the more I think about it, the more I realise that I loved it. Alright, I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending (hence the slightly tanty that I threw when I finished this), but it was an incredibly powerful and intense story. One that I won’t forget at any point soon. And one that I will definitely read again and again and again…

I have honestly never wanted a character to die more than I did in this novel. I even had to stop reading this for a while because I was getting so damn ragey at Kal. And it’s probably because his villainy and actions hit a little too close to home. After all, every single horror in this story comes from the jealousy of a man, and his pride and belief that a woman cannot possibly be smarter than him. Better than him when she doesn’t fit the roles that he assigns to her. Like I said, it struck way too close to home. And it made me want to smack him around the head, and make sure the vampires and witches actually managed to kill him… I’ve really never gunned for a villain to die so badly. I’ve cheered before when they have… but I’ve never screamed when they haven’t…

This might be the first book I’ve read that features a female scientist. At least, the first fantasy tale (I’ve read plenty of non-fiction stories by female environmental scientists, but never a fiction tale). I may be an environmental scientist as opposed to a geneticist, but the drive to publish and create new avenues of research for myself is still there. I completely understood why Trisk was so determined to get her name on her own research, and the fine line that she had to walk. Alright, I don’t have to deal with many of these issues because the story is based in the 60’s, but there are echoes of them in every researchers life. Which is probably why I was so aggressively determined to see Kal end, and painfully if I had my way.

It’s obvious that I’ve been reading a lot of gushy, happily ever after tales lately. Because I fully expected that of this story. I didn’t for one moment think that I might not be happy with the ending. And I really didn’t consider that it would make me roar a little bit in rage (my poor partner was more than a little confused at my reaction). But, the more I’ve thought of it, the more I’ve actually liked it. After all, there aren’t the happy ending, everything tied in a neat bow finales in real life, so why shouldn’t there be less-than-perfect endings in the novels?

 <- More Kim HarrisonBlood Work ->
Image source: Goodreads

Dead End Dating by Kimberly Raye

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for dead end dating book cover

Title: Dead End Dating
Author: Kimberly Raye
Series: Dead End Dating #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Paranormal romance, Vampires
Dates read: 23rd October 2018 – 18th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Year: 2006
5th sentence, 74th page: Not yet.

Synopsis

BITING IS SO LAST SEASON.

A vivacious vampire with a flair for accessorizing, Lil Marchette is unlike most of her kind. She prefers lively shades of pink to dismal black (soo not her color), plus she’s a hopeless romantic. In need of a steady paycheck to support a compulsive cosmetics habit, Lil starts Dead End Dating (DED), a Manhattan-based matchmaking service that helps smart, sophisticated singles like herself find eternity mates–and may even help her stake a claim to her very own Count Right!

When Lil meets geeky vampire Francis Deville, she knows he’s the perfect first client. If she can hook up Francis–after a little revamping, of course–she will prove her skills to the vampire community and turn DED into the hottest dating service in the Big Apple. But just as her business takes off, Lil meets the (literally) drop-dead gorgeous bounty hunter Ty Bonner, who is hot on the chase of a serial killer. Instantly drawn to the luscious vamp stud, Lil really wants a taste. But as a made vampire, Ty can’t procreate–and Lil will settle for nothing less. Luckily, between “vampifying” Francis and helping Ty solve his murder mystery, Lil has no time for silly romantic entanglements . . . even if Ty is all that and a Bloody Mary chaser!

Thoughts

It took me forever to read this book. And not because I didn’t absolutely adore it, but because my version was an ebook (I went online last night and rectified that mistake…).

Most vampire stories are kind of dark in some way, shape or form. Whether it’s the blood drinking, but skulking around at night or the (sometimes) ability to turn into bats, there is always an element of darkness to the tale. Not so with this vampire story. It was kind of funny and witty. It threw expectations to the wind and created a whole new form of vampire. Alright, Lil would drive me absolutely nuts, and I’d probably bond better with the dark and twisty vampires better… but this was far more enjoyable to read about.

This was one of those thoroughly enjoyable easy reads. There was a bit of a mystery throughout (who the evil kidnapper would be), a bit of romance and a lot of indecision. But, what I loved the most was the humour in the narrator’s voice. At every turn, fun was poked at common perceptions of vampires and vampirism, providing a far lighter fantasy journey that I have previously read. And now I can’t wait to see where Lil’s shopping problem and penchant for believing in true love will take her in Dead and Dateless.

<- More Kimberly RayeDead and Dateless ->

Image source: Amazon

Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for weddings from hell book cover

Title: Happily Never After
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Series: Night Huntress #1.5, Night Huntress Universe #1.5
In: Weddings From Hell (Maggie Shayne, Jeaniene Frost, Terri Garey & Kathryn Smith)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 21st – 22nd February 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Harper Fiction
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: Isa went back to the living room and sat on the couch, scowling.

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Synopsis

To save her brother, Isabella is about to reluctantly walk down the aisle with Mr. Dangerously Wrong.. unless Chance, a dashing vampire, can derail this wedding of the beauty to the beast.

Thoughts

My best friend is getting married this year. And I’m so happy for her, but I’m kind of loving a collection of novellas with the theme “weddings from hell”. I hope none of her big day ends up like that… but it’s still kind of fun / funny to read these paranormal romance stories. Especially one in which the bride doesn’t want to be married and gets her own beautiful revenge for being forced into such a situation…

Isa is exactly the kind of heroine that I tend to love – independent, strong, kind of protective and with just the right amount of sass. Which really comes through in the end of the story (in case you can’t tell, I love how this story ended). Isa is able to stay in control of who she is, even when placed in a situation that I would find incredibly and intensely horrifying.

I might have loved Isa, but I love her grandmother far more. She is ten times sassy, far more pithy and had me laughing out loud. Especially when she constantly shocks her poor granddaughter with her saucy-ness. There is just something great about having such a spicy old woman in a storyline that is about a romance between a vampire and human.

<- Halfway to the GraveOne Foot in the Grave ->

Image source: Harper Collins

Day Off by Jim Butcher

Book Review, , , , , , ,
Overview
Blood Lite

Title: Day Off
Author: Jim Butcher
Series: The Dresden Files #10.3
In: Blood Lite (Kevin J. Anderson) & Side Jobs (Jim Butcher)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy, Wizards
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Edge
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: The golden lightning of a practitioner at work also flickered through their auras – which shouldn’t have been happening.

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Synopsis

Harry finally has a day off, and he plans to spend it showing a beautiful woman a good time. However, friends, apprentices and young morons keep getting in the way of his best laid plans.

Thoughts

I haven’t picked up anything in The Dresden Files for a while. Mostly because I’ve just been distracted by the multitude of amazing books that are out there. And reading this short story reminded me of just why I love this series so much. It’s funny. It’s quirky. And it always abides by Murphy’s Law – anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

I love how Butcher can take such a small thing as a day off and twist and turn it until all hell is breaking lose. Not just one moment of oh crap, or even one thing going wrong. It is a calamity of things going wrong. There’s the apprentice. The friends. And some weird wannabe rival kids. Anhy one of which would make an entertaining short story. But when you put all three together? I was laughing out loud… luckily there was no one else in the house at the time.

 <- Dead Hand ReviewBlood Lite II Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Earthbound by Yasmine Galenorn

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for earthbound yasmine galenorn book cover

Title: Earthbound
Author: Yasmine Galenorn
Series: Otherworld #0.75
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Fae,
Paranormal fantasy
Dates read: 12th February 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Nightqueen Enterprises LLC
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: I know it’s a lot to take on so soon, but I’ve been running my ass off finding you rides.

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Synopsis

When Camille, Menolly, and Delilah D’Artigo are reassigned Earthside, they have no clue of what to expect. Getting situated in a new world, figuring out where they’re going to live, what they’re going to do, is an adventure in itself. Return the beginning, as the D’Artigo Sisters walk through the portals to their new home for the very first time.

Thoughts

I started reading Witchling the other week, but since I was reading it off the back of Etched in Silver, I felt like I was kind of missing a huge chunk of the storyline. And then I found out that Earthbound actually explains how Camille and her sisters end up on Earth. Half an hour reading later, and everything I felt was missing makes so much more sense!!!

There isn’t a heap of fast-paced action in Earthbound, but it has just enough to carry the storyline forward. Yet, what I mostly love about this tale is the fact that it manages to feed background information through constantly. As the sisters attempt to fit in and find their feet in a new world, their lives and suffering are slowly unwound. Now it makes me want to pick up Witchling again, with a far greater understanding of what the back story actually entails.

 <- Etched in Silver ReviewWitchling Review ->
Image source: Kobo

Queen Rising by Danielle Paige

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for queen rising danielle paige book cover

Title: Queen Rising
Author: Danielle Paige
Series: Stealing Snow #0.2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Magic, Paranormal fantasy
Dates read: 10th January 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: And she felt the gravity of the boy and the dress and the promise of being something new.

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Synopsis

Enter a world of elemental magic, forbidden romance, and betrayal in this prequel to New York Times bestselling author Danielle Paige’s upcoming Stealing Snow.

Margot grew up as an apprentice to the witches Nepenthe and Ora, but she doesn’t possess the incredible magic that they have. So when the old Snow King asked her to kidnap Ora, she obeyed his command, hiding her true motives from the witches. Though the witches could kill Margot for her betrayal, they showed her mercy–and without her old friends at her side, she must find her own way.

Leaving the world she knows behind, Margot decides to put her affinity for thieving to use by embracing the Robber trade. But she is set for a much greater fate. . . and more of the prophecy foretelling Algid’s future will be revealed. Along the way, Margot must find her way from being a magic-less apprentice to be becoming a queen in her own right.

And Margot’s role in the prophecy is only just beginning. . . In the future, she is destined to cross paths with a girl named Snow, who will have the power to change Algid forever-for better, or for worse.

Thoughts

This was such an amazing novella. Which I was kind of expecting because I also thought that Before the Snow was amazing. Especially as a wind up to the actual novel and the first full-length story in this series. The only thing that annoys me about this is the fact that I decided to read Stealing Snow for my Around the Year in 52 books challenge… so I don’t get to read it until the 16th of July…. That’s a loooooong time to wait.

Queen Rising follows Margot through her journey to the cusp of adulthood. Although her life intersects with that of Nepenthe and Ora (who were featured in Before the Snow), this novella introduces you to an entirely different side of Algid. Which I thoroughly enjoyed, the multiple sides of a universe that are shown in two simple novellas. It makes me wonder how the novel will unfold – so much information has been crammed into the preceding tastes that have so thoughtfully been offered.

 <- Before the Snow ReviewStealing Snow Review ->
Image source: Bloomsbury

Before the Snow by Danielle Paige

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for before the snow danielle paige book cover

Title: Before the Snow
Author: Danielle Paige
Series: Stealing Snow #0.1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Magic, Paranormal fantasy
Dates read: 8th – 9th January 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: “Call me Nepenthe,” she ordered.

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Synopsis

Enter a world of elemental magic, forbidden romance, and betrayal in this prequel to New York Times bestselling author Danielle Paige’s upcoming Stealing Snow.

Young Nepenthe is half-princess, half-mermaid. Though she longs for the sea, her father wants her to stay on land. But only love can make a mermaid give up the water, and Nepenthe doesn’t love anyone the way her mother loves her human father. She wants to live as a mermaid and become the River Witch, like her mother.

Then Nepenthe meets Prince Lazar, the son of the all-powerful Snow King of Algid, and she can’t help but fall for him. After a horrible tragedy strikes, Nepenthe joins forces with a young fire witch named Ora to save Lazar and protect the kingdom. But it soon becomes clear that Ora loves Lazar just as much as Nepenthe does… And now Nepenthe must decide: inherit the power of the River Witch, or betray her friend to be with the boy she loves.

And Nepenthe’s role in the prophecy is only just beginning. . . In the future, she is destined to cross paths with a girl named Snow, who will have the power to change Algid forever-for better, or for worse.

Thoughts

I had no idea what to expect from this novella, or even what to expect from the rest of this series. I had just bought Stealing Snow because it was cheap in the Boxing Day Sales. And the cover looked pretty. And it was one of those stories that I’m so glad I did. At least, judging from the first novella (I haven’t got to the actual novel yet).

From the very beginning it is obvious that this is a great origins story. Not just of the villain, but also there is the hint of a key role that the River Witch is going to play in the greater series. Starting with the prophecy that is obviously going to govern the rest of the series drew me in from the very beginning. And the fact that the Prince (soon to be the Twisted King) starts off as an innocent pulled me in even further.

There is something almost sinister about the prince from the very beginning. Partly because there is a lust for power and triumph from his very first moment, but as his relationship with both Ora and Nepenthe develops, it become obvious that there is much more to it. And it isn’t until the final scene that you realise he is already beyond redemption.

 <- Stealing Snow ReviewQueen Rising Review ->
Image source: Bloomsbury

Ice Shards by Yasmine Galenorn

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for ice shards book cover

Title: Ice Shards
Author: Yasmine Galenorn
Series: Otherworld #9.5
In: Hexed (Ilona Andrews, Yasmine Galenorn, Allyson James & Jeanne C. Stein)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Fae, Paranormal fantasy
Dates read: 6th – 17th January 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: How could you do this to me?

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

In “Ice Shards,” New York Times bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn returns to the Otherworld as Iris Kuusi, a Finnish house sprite, journeys to the frozen Northlands to confront the crazed shadow of her former lover and break the curse that is keeping her from marrying the man she loves.

Thoughts

Many of the stories that feature that fae feature characters with some level of power, or at least the court fae. So I kind of loved the fact that this story featured a house sprite. One that is still powerful in her own right, but of a completely different stature and power than the stories which I am used to.

I’m thoroughly enjoying the hexed and cursed theme throughout the Hexed collection. Yet, there was something about this curse and resurgence of the past which was even more intense and potent. Something which I thoroughly enjoyed. After all, there is nothing like a good curse and a lot of remembering into the past to help liven up a battle for justice.

I haven’t yet had the chance to sink myself into the Otherworld series. And reading my second novella of the series has made me want to sink myself into this world… I just have to finish a few of the stories that I have on my shelves first…

 <- Magic Dreams ReviewDouble Hexed Review ->
Image source: Ilona Andrews