Tag Archives: Paranormal Fantasy

Fate’s Edge by Ilona Andrews

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Fate's Edge

Title: Fate’s Edge
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: The Edge #3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Paranormal romance, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ace Fantasy
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: His voice trembled slightly.

Synopsis

The Edge lies between worlds, on the border between the Broken, where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is a fairy tale – and the Weird, where bludblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny…

Born into a family of con men, Audrey Callahan left behind her life in the Edge for an unmagical existence in the Broken. Audrey is determined to stay on the straight and narrow, but when her brother gets into hot water, she takes on one last heist and finds herself matching wits with a jack-of-all-trades.

Kaldar Mar is a gambler, a lawyer, a thief, and a spy with some unusual talents that guarantee him lucrative work. His latest assignment has him tracking down a stolen item, and Kaldar doesn’t expect much of a challenge – until Audrey turns up to give him a run for his money.

But when the missing object falls into the hands of a lethal criminal, Kaldar realizes that in order to finish the job and survive, he’s going to need Audrey’s help…

Thoughts

I always love it when there is a character that is cheeky, mischievous and a bit of a trickster. Kaldar’s presence in Bayou Moon filled this urge perfectly – he’s a bit of a trickster, but with a deadly edge to his every move. The fact that he spent the majority of Bayou Moon purposely going out of his way to irritate William just made me love him even more. So, an edge novel all about him – and his partner… I was ridiculously excited to jump into this series.

Audrey was an interesting change from Cerise and Rose – she isn’t a killer or able to physically defend herself. Instead, she is constantly finding ways to con herself in and out of situations. Which, surprisingly at the end of the story, is what helps to save the day. Although Kaldar’s humour shines through in his past appearances, it’s his deadlier side which is highlighted in Fate’s Edge, and it is this aspect of himself that I took a little while to understand. Not in his characterisation, but in how Audrey and he would be able to end up together. After all, he’s a spy and although a conman, it’s his swordsmanship and cutthroat familial ethics that shine the brightest. But, somehow, it all just works. Audrey is able to see through his bullshit, and, although she isn’t able to fight, she still has an amazing tough inner-core.

George, Jack and Gaston have a great role to play in this story – predominately George and Jack. I love the brothers, the fact that they are polar opposites (like myself and my sister), but also have this same inner core. The fact that they actually make an appearance as adults in Sweep in Peace just made my jaw drop and I am completely, totally and utterly in love with their storyline now. I actually want to find out more about their lives and hope that they show up in Steel’s Edge a little more. But, even if they don’t, the ways in which they’ve already grown throughout this series has been fun – beautiful and effortless.

 <- Bayou MoonSteel’s Edge ->

Image source: Goodreads

House Rules by Chloe Neill

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
House Rules

Title: House Rules
Author: Chloe Neill
Series: Chicagoland Vampires #7
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: New American Library
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: And my grandfather Chuck Merit.

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

Synopsis

In a city full of vampires, trouble never sleeps.

At the tender age of twenty-seven, merit became a sword-wielding vampire. Since then, she’s become the protector of her House, watched Chicago nearly burn to the ground, and seen her Master fall and rise. Now she’ll see her mettle – and her metal – tested like never before.

It starts when two Rogues vanish without a trace. Someone is targeting Chicago’s vampires, and anyone could be next. With their House in peril, Merit and her Master, centuries-old Ethan Sullivan, must race to stop the disappearances. But as they untangle a web of secret alliances and ancient evils, they realize their foe is more familiar, and more powerful, than they could have ever imagined.

Thoughts

I still really enjoy this series, but the Ethan and Merit saga is starting to get a little old. They’re in love, they get their shit together, then something happens and it all goes up in flames. Then, at the end of the story, it’s all happily ever after. Until the next time. I’m all for a little bit of romantic drama, but in this novel I was finding it a little tedious. Plus, I like it when I actually like the lead man – and this is just making Ethan into kind of a dick.

Having said all of that, the Cadogan house leaving the vampire mafia and striking out on their own is a really enjoyable experience. It not only highlights the corruptness of some large governing bodies (power over protection, etc), but the sense in Merit and her cohorts that justice and what is right needs to come before what is politically acceptable. The addition of a vampiric serial killer into the mix helps to liven up the double-dealings and trickery that the vampires are forced to seriously consider their priorities.

The political ramifications of a serial killer who is preying on vampires is spine-chilling. They are forced to examine every which way in which somebody can break into their sanctuaries and commit murder. That, and old enemies raise their heads to create an extra patina of fear that is going to carry through the next few books (I predict anyway).

<- Biting ColdBiting Bad ->

Image source: Chloe Neill

Rise of the Blood by Lucienne Diver

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Rise of the Blood

Title: Rise of the Blood
Author: Lucienne Diver
Series: The Latter-Day Olympians #3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Mythology, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: If they (or an agent for them, since I hadn’t yet been struck by lightning or another freak storm) were behind the note, what was the purpose?

Synopsis

Weddings can be war.

Great. Tori Karacis’s face is on the front of yet another tabloid “news”paper, linked to Hollywood hottie Apollo Demas. It was ONE dinner, and she was pissed with him at the time. But that’s the least of her worries. Just before leaving for her cousin’s destination wedding in Delphi, she learns that her arch nemeses, Zeus and Poseidon, have escaped police custody.

Despite looking forward to seeing Detective Nick Armani in a tux, her bad pre-flight jitters are confirmed when Apollo, with his sexy new co-star on his arm, boards the same plane. A plane that a freak storm nearly tears out of the sky.

What awaits them atop Mount Parnassus is even more deadly. A prophecy, a kidnapping, and a bloodletting that stirs up the mother of all trouble—literally. Rhea is awakened, and she’s none too happy with her offspring for losing their usurped dominion over the Earth.

The Olympians have fallen. It’s time for the Titans to rise again. Which means it’ll be a bad day for anyone standing in their way.

Product Warnings
Bloodbath or blissful union…either way, the stakes are high in this destination Delphi wedding high atop the peaks of Mount Parnassus. Passions will flare, Titans will rise, monsters will awake, blood will boil and some will spill.

Thoughts

Every time I open one of the Latter-Day Olympians stories, I know that Tori has managed to find herself in trouble. Of some kind. Again.

Normally that trouble starts of pretty minor, but very quickly expands into a cacophony of danger that she is trying to escape. While working on her relationship with Nick. And ignoring her attraction to Apollo. And being a good bridesmaid to her cousin. Gaea’s attempt at revenge and rising not only tends to put a bit of a spanner into these plans, but it is also the catalyst for a very large change in Tori’s life. One that is going to be really interesting to follow in Battle for the Blood.

Rise of the Blood also helps to reveal a little more about Tori’s ancestral history. We know that she is a descendant of one of the Gorgons, but it turns out that she’s also a descendant of Pan. Which explains so much about her brother, although, it is obvious Tori inherited her many interesting traits from her other ancestor. I love the total chaos that Tori’s family creates. Not just in her life, but the insanity of their love and roles in life. Tori is still very much the outcast, but you can see where she gets her crisis handling from. After all, the only family that is more chaotic than Tori’s is the Olympians themselves. Something that is a huge driver in the final battle of the story.

Although this novel does sort of end with an epic battle, it also ends with Tori finally making a decision about who she is going to choose. Nick or Apollo. It’s the very last scene of the story, so whether it sticks or not will be seen in the next novel. But, it’s definitely a tale that I’m looking forward to reading.

 <- The ParlorBattle for the Blood ->

Image source: Goodreads

Veiled Magic by Deborah Blake

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Veiled Magic

Title: Veiled Magic
Author: Deborah Blake
Series: Veiled Magic #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Paranormal fantasy, Witches
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: InterMix
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: Farmingham quavered a little under her suspicious look, but then rallied.

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

Synopsis

Since Witches came out of the broom-closet in the early 21st century, they have worked alongside humans as police officers, healers, stock traders, and more. But they aren’t the only paranormal entities in our world…

Police officer and Witch Donata Santori spends her days interrogating dead witnesses by summoning their spectral forms. Normally the job is little more than taking statements and filing reports. But when she’s called in on the case of a murdered art restorer, she finds herself suddenly in possession of a mystical portrait that both the human and paranormal communities would kill to get their hands on.

Unable to take on the forces hunting her alone, Donata seeks help from two unlikely and attractive allies: a reluctant shape-changer and a half-dragon art forger. But as the three of them hurry to uncover the truth about the powerful painting, Donata realizes that she’s caught in the middle of not one but two wars—one for possession of the painting’s secrets and one for possession of her heart…

Thoughts

I love the magical realism that Blake brings to her work. She manages to take the world of today, Wicca and our daily social struggles and create a world that is entirely her own. It is the most enjoyable and wonderful way to become immersed in a story. Especially when Donata is such a relatable and thrilling character to take you on such a whirlwind adventure.

I’ve had this novel on my ereader for ages, but actually finding the time to sit there and read it has been a whole other story. No matter how many good ebooks I get my hands on, I still love the feeling of a good, hard cover in my hands. So, it did take me forever to actually read this. And now I kind of regret taking so long to read it. Because it was phenomenal, and now I can almost immediately start on the next book in the series, Veiled Menace. Although I won’t, because there are a whole slew of other books that are in my TBR pile and I tend to jump between series.

Other than Blake’s ability to create a beautifully realistic and layered world in which dragons, witches and changelings are part of everyday life, I love her character construction. There is something beautifully relatable about these characters. Donata is the black sheep of her family – the one who doesn’t quite fit in, never measures up to their expectations and has never been able to fit, so are the other two members of the little love triangle that she finds herself in. Yet, unlike many of the black sheep stories that I’ve read, Donata’s is willing to still love her and accept her. Alright, there’s strings attached and maybe they’re not as willing to accept her as the picturesque family would be – but there is still love there.

Unlike the Baba Yaga series, this has a very cops and criminals feel to it. Probably because Donata herself is a cop, but I love the overlay of the supernatural need for a cop as well. It is such a promising beginning of a new series, and I can’t wait to see which other supernatural crimes she is forced to face up to…

<- More Deborah BlakeVeiled Menace ->

Image source: Goodreads

Sorry… the Hardest Word by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
otherworld-chills

Title: Sorry… The Hardest Word
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #10.8
In: Otherworld Chills (Kelley Armstrong)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Orbit
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: She would have gotten help – she’s not a monster – but she wouldn’t have rescued me herself.

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

Synopsis

Cassandra du Charme travels to Toronto to make amends with resident vampire Zoe. It seems like this might be the greatest challenge of Cassandra’s long life.

Thoughts

I suppose that if you live for hundreds of years, you are likely to know a heck of a lot of people. Yet, somehow, it still surprised me that Cassandra and Zoe knew each other in the past. The fact that they had a history was a surprise. The fact that Zoe had been wronged… not so much.

Cassandra is a character that I have very mixed feelings about – she’s kind of a bitch, especially in Stolen, but as the series progresses and she appears in a number of short stories and novellas, you can understand the apathy that she feels towards the world. After all, she’s nearing the end of a very long life and has watched numerous people come and go. Which is why she is sent to apologise to Zoe. And, although she’s still a bitch, and Zoe is still annoyed, Zoe’s acceptance that this will give her peace is admirable.

Although it is a battle to get Cassandra to eventually apologise, as usual, Zoe’s manipulations and manoeuvring finally get her the result that she desires. It gives the story a beautiful, happy ending and is a great way to leave a smile on your lips when you turn the last page of the story.

<- Amityville HorribleWaking the Witch ->

Image source: Goodreads

Amityville Horrible by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Amityville Horrible

Title: Amityville Horrible
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #10.7
In: Otherworld Chills (Kelley Armstrong)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Orbit
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: It was dark.

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

Synopsis

Jaime Vegas—spiritualist, entertainer and, unbeknownst to her audience, real-life necromancer—swore she’d never do another reality ghost show after the last fiasco. But when she’s railroaded into a charity gig, she finds herself back on the set, this time with a cast of photogenic college kids, an up-and-coming Russian spiritualist, and a tale of missing girls and murder in New England. It’s cheesy, but that’s show business. With her werewolf Alpha lover, Jeremy Danvers, along to keep her nights interesting, it’s not so bad really. Until the bloody ghosts show up. Jaime has never faced spirits like these, and no matter how hard she tries, they won’t be ignored.

Thoughts

Yet again Jaimie is pulled into the world of fake reality and TV shows. And, once again, she finds a way to shine and do a trashy public event without sacrificing her own identity and self-worth. And, she solves a mystery, has an incredibly passionate romp with Jeremy and fills her time with foiling the evil (or at least incredibly morally bankrupt) director of the show.

I don’t know much about horror and ghost stories in my local area, let alone around the world. But, I’m assuming because the name Amityville has a ring to it that there is a place in America that has a horrible history filled with ghost stories. At least, the way that Armstrong wrote about it made me think that it does, in fact, exist. And the way in which she yet again intertwines the worlds of fact and fiction so seamlessly that helps me to fall even further in love with the characters which inhabit her world.

For a character and story that I couldn’t put down and seriously enjoyed, I’m actually finding it hard to find the words to describe it. It’s a fantastic story that made me smile and laugh, and although it centres of Jaimie and her finding of the truth, there are also the sweet and understanding moments between herself and Jeremy. It’s these moments of love and acceptance that I’ve come to expect from Armstrong and I’m always a little disappointed when these secondary plots don’t rear their head.

<- V PlatesSorry… the Hardest Word ->

Image source: Goodreads

V Plates by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Blood Lite III

Title: V Plates
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #10.6
In: Blood Lite III (Kevin J. Anderson)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Orbit
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: I want your body.

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

Synopsis

Losing your virginity is a serious thing for some, but it’s even more serious when you’re a werewolf in a zombie brothel.

Thoughts

I love when a non-Australian author writes about Australians and uses slang that we actually say. I’ve never heard someone say chuck a few shrimps on the barbie. For starters, we don’t call them shrimps, they’re PRAWNS! But, I have, and do use the term v plates to talk about virginity, and even told my friends that I’d lost my v plates when the time came. So just the title and the very beginning of this story worked well. Like I said, Armstrong actually managed to use Australian slang and characterisation in a way that was actually recognisable. And didn’t make us look like extremely backwards and uncultured swines.

Losing your virginity is a big moment in anyone’s life – for some it’s a passage into adulthood, others it’s an indication of your love, religion, something. In the case of Noah, it’s about not getting ribbed by his classmates anymore. The added issues caused by his slowed development and the fact that he’s a werewolf just make the moment and losing of his v plates a whole lot more difficult and serious. Hence Reese attempts to help him out. Which doesn’t actually work out all that well – after all, it wouldn’t be a great Women of the Otherworld story if there wasn’t chaos, mayhem and confusion left in their wake.

V Plates might be about Noah turning into a “man”, but it is also another great look into how much Nick has changed throughout the series. Instead of running from the problems with which they are faced and hand-balling it off to Elena and Clay, he holds his ground and tries to find a solution to their problems. He too has grown up, and I can’t wait to see what he does with this new maturity in the next series of stories.

<- Off Duty AngelAmityville Horrible ->

Image source: Goodreads

Off-Duty Angel by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
otherworld-chills

Title: Off-Duty Angel
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #10.5
In: Otherworld Chills (Kelley Armstrong)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Orbit
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: He continued questioning them, and it didn’t take long to realize that they weren’t just trying to prolong the game.

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

Synopsis

Even when she’s off duty, Eve Levine manages to find something to entertain her. And all too often, get herself into trouble. Kris understands this and tries to find he something to do while she’s off duty. Only to have it blow up in all of their faces.

Thoughts

Eve has such a beautiful penchant for getting into trouble. No matter where the demon / witch / angel seems to find herself, she has one epic adventure. The fact that Kris tries to send her on a journey to kill boredom just helps Eve’s ability to get into trouble along.

Although Off-Duty Angel doesn’t seem to be a major part of the overarching Women of the Otherworld plotline, it is a nice insight into Eve and Kris’ afterlife. After nine years as ghosts, they still manage to have fun and put a little spice into their lives. This short story is just a great reminder of the many ways in which they do this.

I love the insights that Armstrong gives us into her version of the afterlife in this short story. It not only helps to add an extra layer to the world that she has so carefully and lovingly constructed, but also creates a way in which death isn’t necessarily the end.

<- Counterfeit MagicV Plates ->

Image source: Goodreads

Counterfeit Magic by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Counterfeit Magic

Title: Counterfeit Magic
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #10.4
In: Otherworld Secrets (Kelley Armstrong)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Orbit
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: Not Lucas.

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

Synopsis

The first rule of a supernatural fight club? Don’t kill your opponent.

When the fighters come with lethal spells, werewolf strength and half-demon powers, that can be a lot tougher than it sounds. It’s hard to attract talent if they know they might not leave the ring alive. So when fighters at a California club start dying — it’s bad for business.

Witch detectives Paige Winterbourne and Savannah Levine take the case. Going undercover in the power-heavy arena of the fight club is a welcome change of pace for Paige, relegated to the role of The Wife as her husband struggles to find his place in his family’s Cabal–the corporate Mafia of the supernatural world.

As Paige is drawn deeper into new and dangerous corners of her world, she quickly discovers the greatest threat isn’t the killer in her sights. It’s something much, much closer to home. And this is one fight she can’t afford to lose.

Thoughts

Paige and Lucas have been a solid and sweet couple since they first got together in Dime Store Magic. Of all of the couples throughout the series, they’re the one that I most want to be – supportive of each other, yet independent of one another and able to pursue their own interests. Yet, things become a little bit more rocky now that they’re both taking a more active role in the Cabal. The very independence that makes them such a wonderful couple makes it hard for Paige when she isn’t treated with the respect and individuality that she is used to.

Although Paige and Lucas continue to try and keep ‘business as usual’, they find that slowly a wedge is being driven between them. The fact that there are external influences and a case to help this along doesn’t occur to them until the very end of this novella. These treacherous undertones lead to big trouble, and actually made me cry towards the end. After all, they’re the most similar couple to myself and my partner, and the fact that there are cracks in their relationship made me concerned about my own.

Counterfeit Magic may be mostly about Paige and Lucas’ relationship, but it also puts Savannah back into the spotlight. She is now 21, and although her school girl crush has been outgrown, her friendship with Adam has blossomed. To the point that this is a great precursor for their eventual get together. Or so I predict anyway.

<- ForbiddenOff-Duty Angel ->

Image source: Subterranean Press

Forbidden by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Forbidden

Title: Forbidden
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #10.3
In: Otherworld Secrets (Kelley Armstrong)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Orbit
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: It still wasn’t easy.

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

Synopsis

The team-spirit sign by the side of the highway seems a good omen to loner Morgan Walsh, as he drives to what could be the most important visit of his life — a chance to join the North American Pack. Then he wakes naked in the woods, surrounded by wolf tracks and a ring of suspicious cops. The situation only gets worse when he’s bailed out by Alpha-elect Elena Michaels and Clayton Danvers, her terrifying enforcer and mate.

Disappointed that such a promising young werewolf risked exposing them, Elena isn’t expecting anything from the pesky retrieval job except some much-needed alone time with Clay. Instead, she finds a different kind of evil stalking the streets and forests of Westwood, New York. Trapped in town by a snowstorm and sabotage, Elena, Clay and Morgan must find the mysterious threat before it sets its sights on them.

Thoughts

Morgan’s introduction to the Pack was certainly an interesting one – after all, he’s the first known werewolf to choose to spend all of his time as a wolf. But, now he’s decided to join the human world again and in doing so, is considering joining the Pack. But, as with everything in Kelley Armstrong’s world, nothing happens easily and nothing is as it seems.

Elena and Clay’s attempt to escape cabin fever and their over enthusiastic toddlers leads to their intersection with Morgan and a serial killer. Life in a small town just got a lot more dangerous. Although, eventually, it can be seen that the small town mentality is probably what caused the spate of ritualistic, weird, weird, weird killings.

Ultimately, this is a great test for Morgan’s ability to join the Pack. He is forced to accept Clay and Elena’s dominance and work in a team. Both things which he just isn’t used to doing. The fact that Clay is grouchy and unable to gentle him into the role just makes it all the more entertaining to watch their relationships evolve and unfold.

<- HiddenCounterfeit Magic ->

Image source: Goodreads