Tag Archives: Urban Fantasy

Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Rosemary and Rue
Author: Seanan McGuire
Series: October Daye #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2009

Thoughts

Holy crap. This was amazing. Like, phenomenal and wonderful and amazing. Although, I’m already completely in love with Seanan McGuire’s writing. So, it’s not really surprising that I loved this novel. Yet another fantastic series that I get to sink my teeth I to… now I need to FINISH some and stop finding new ones…

My brain most certainly got stuck on the whole saying goodbye to your family for 14 years. Particularly your little girl. I spent a lot of time while I was reading this novel glancing over at my beautiful daughter and just eye-beaming her with all of my love. I really and truly hope that later on in the series, Toby is able to reconnect with her child. Surely there will be a moment at some point throughout the series (I say with eternal hope).

The betrayal that occurs in this story is pretty ridiculously epic. And incredibly heartbreaking. There’s a whole lot of history that goes into Toby’s story, and when you realise who is responsible for all of the death and mayhem. And also, that final death that truly made a tear come to my eye… I definitely didn’t see any of it coming. Which, of course means that I loved it.

Rosemary and Rue does great justice to the fae and folklore. It doesn’t paint them to be kind and generous. Or welcoming to humans of any kind. Rather, they are predatory and incredibly wrapped up in their own drama. Also, beings of a totally different reality. The shifts and cracks in the many alliances and future challenges Toby is likely to face are already apparent in Rosemary and Rue. Again, making me want to dive right into A Local Habitation.

I’m being very hopeful that in future books, not only will Toby reconnect with her daughter, but also that she will be able to smooth things over with Julie. I hated that there was a rift there. I’m pretty sure Tybalt will eventually be the love interest, so I’m also looking forward to that…

<- More Seanan McGuireA Local Habitation ->

Image source: Amazon

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Cursed Luck by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Cursed Luck
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Cursed Luck #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2021

Thoughts

There is a very good reason why I love Kelley Armstrong so much. And everything I pick up one of her books, I’m reminded again of just WHY I think she’s so amazing. Although, admittedly, some of her works are pretty dark. This is nowhere near as dark and heart rending as some of her other stories though… there is such a pithy, light, and fun tone to this whole story that left me smiling throughout.

Kennedy is a little too much like me. And I loved her. She’s impulsive, loyal and doesn’t always think things through when trying to help. Which, of course is what ends up placing her in awkward position after awkward position. That, and she’s obviously and needfully very driven to find her sisters. Mostly though, her impulsively doesn’t always necessarily lend itself to being helpful in her situation. Something I am all too familiar with…

Aidan is a great counterpoint to Kennedy. He is sweet and buttoned up, and really very cute. His rule-following nature and tendency to want to plan his way through everything sort of acts as the voice of reason to Kennedy’s insanity. Like Kennedy though, he is incredibly loyal to his sibling. I loved how both the leads in this are very loyal to their siblings. It means they get manipulated constantly by this motive… but it’s yet another reason to love them.

The surprise of motive and culprit was brilliantly done within this novel. There were some wonderful surprise reveals from the second half onwards. It had me diving into this story page after page. I love when authors are able to take a great story and make it even more phenomenal with all of their tricky little twists and turns. The fact that Armstrong was able to use this surprise to provide a totally unexpected motive… I definitely can’t wait to read High Jinx.

<- More Kelley ArmstrongGoddess of Summer Love ->

Image source: Amazon

The Leopard King by Ann Aguirre

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: The Leopard King
Author: Ann Aguirre
Series: Ars Numina #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters, Urban fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2016

Thoughts

I’ve read a book by Ann Aguirre before, but it was a young adult dystopia novel (and I still need to finish the series). Having said that, I had NO IDEA what to expect from a adult paranormal romance by the same author. Until I dug into kobo plus, I actually had no idea that there WAS an adult series. But, wow, am I glad that I found out about Ars Numina!!! This was an amazing novel and I literally read it cover to cover.

At first, I was wondering how the complexities of Dom and Pru’s relationship would work out. His dead wife was her best friend and her booty call his best friend. But somehow Aguirre was able to make this work perfectly. In fact, you feel an emotional connection to everyone in this. Even Slay, who definitely acted a bit like an idiot. You still want him to find his happily ever after. Which will happen much later in this series I believe…

The world building in this romance was particularly enjoyable- there’s the history of the arcana’s separation from humans. But, then there’s the five warring factions that are trying to come to a Peace Treaty. And all of the insane politics that slowly get unraveled throughout. Honestly, the multitudes of complexities throughout this were amazing and, even though I loved the central relationship, it was also all of the intricate details that Aguirre was able to cram in that had me grinning from ear to ear.

Pru and Dom’s story was very sweet and filled with just enough lust to make my toes curl. It was also a fantastic way to start a whole new series. Each of the 6 men who are featured in this series were introduced, and almost all of the women. Since I already love all of these characters, it’s going to be hard not to just dive headfirst into the rest of the series, and forget about all of the other great books on my shelves.

<- More Ann AguirreThe Demon Prince ->

Image source: Kobo

Doomsday Can Wait by Lori Handeland

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview

Title: Doomsday Can Wait
Author: Lori Handeland
Series: Phoenix Chronicles #2
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Angels, Demons, Fae, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Year: 2009

Thoughts

It’s been a long while since I read Any Given Doomsday. So it did take a little time to get into this… mostly because I kept forgetting what had happened in the past book. But, once I got my head back into the world building… I was hooked.

One of the things I still find weird about this series is the whole sexual empath thing. Its certainly enjoyably unique, but I’ve been mainlining contemporary romances lately. And this really doesn’t fit the bill. Again, something that took me a little while to get my head around. But, I am looking forward to seeing how that will evolve in the following book.

I liked the idea of Liz and Jimmy reuniting in Any Given Doomsday. But the more I got to know Sawyer in this, the more I enjoyed their dynamic. The complexities of the relationships in this world got very heavy very quickly in Doomsday Can Wait. I can’t wait to see how they will develop further into the series.

I was completely taken by the relationship complexities in this novel. But there was a lot of action as well. Liz’s desire to win the day, no matter the cost and the fight between good and evil was pretty intense. It added a brilliant and much needed element of darkness to this fantastic story.

<- Any Given DoomsdayApocalypse Happens ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
The Grendel Affair (SPI Files, #1) by Lisa Shearin

Title: The Grendel Affair
Author: Lisa Shearin
Series: SPI Files #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Strong women, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 18th – 21st August 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ace Fantasy
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: Because I’d failed.

Synopsis

We’re supernatural Protection & Investigations, known as SPI. Things that go bump in the night, the monsters you thought didn’t exist? We battle them and keep you safe. But some supernatural baddies are just too big to contain, even for us…

When I moved to New York to become a world-famous jounralist, I never imagined that snagging a job at a seedy tabloid would change my career path from trashy reporter to undercover agent. I’m Makenna Fraser, a seer for SPI. I can see through any disguise, shield, or spell that a paranormal pest can come up with. I track down creatures, and my partner, Ian Byrne, takes them out.

Our cases are generally pretty routine, but a sickle-wielding serial killer has been prowling the city’s subway tunnels. And the murderer’s not human. The fiend in question, a descendant of Grendel – yes, that Grendel – shares his ancestor’s hatred of parties, revelry, and drunkards. And with New Year’s Eve in Times Square only two days away, we need to bag him quickly. Because if we don’t find him – and the organization behind him – by midnight, our secret’s out ad everyone’s time is up.

Thoughts

I read the novella Lucky Charms a very long time ago. By the time I got this book, I’d honestly forgotten how much I liked the story and idea of Mac the seer and special agent. It didn’t take me many pages to regain that sense of happiness and intrigue inspired by my first taste of Lisa Shearin.

I always love stories that just drop you straight into the drama. The Grendel Affair does this – it starts with Mac hunting a gnome creature with booze. So yeah, it also started with a good, fun dose of humour. Nothing like some sass and off kilter hunting humour to start a novel and truly pull you in.

As the story unfolds, you can feel the partnership between Mac and Ian strengthen. It was really nice starting the tale with Mac being seriously insecure and a little uncomfortable around her partner. Then slowly building that trust between them. It makes me ridiculously keen to dig into the next book in this series so I can see how their relationship and partnership continues to grow.

I’ll admit, I’ve never read Beowulf (it’s on my very long list). But I immediately recognised the name Grendel. And I knew that it was Scandinavian. The way that Shearin uses this mythos and literature is incredibly fun and a perfect blending of lore and contemporary reality. I seriously loved this mix and can’t wait to see what happens next (although I might miss the mad Scandinavian Rolf in The Dragon Conspiracy).

<- Lucky CharmsThe Dragon Conspiracy ->

Image source: Goodreads

Pattern Recognition by Dana Cameron

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Murder and Mayhem in Muskego: Jordan, Jon & Ruth, Phillips, Gary, Richardson, Kat: Amazon.com.au: Books

Title: Pattern Recognition
Author: Dana Cameron
Series: Fangborn #0.4
In: Murder and Mayhem in Muskego (Jon & Ruth Jordan)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy, Vampires, Werewolves
Dates read: 30th June 2021
Pace: Slow, Medium, Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Down and Out Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: And her brother; apparently he’d taken on Cesar’s men when they broke into the apartment.

Synopsis

Siblings Claudia and Gerry are fangborn, and when one of Claudia’s patients rings her with an odd experience… they realise that things are starting to enter the mythological realms of prophecy and ruin.

Thoughts

I know I’ve read a fangborn short story before. And I know that I enjoyed it enough to add the series to my wish list. And I remember that I loved the idea of Gerry and Claudia… werewolf and vampire siblings. This story was just as enjoyable and surprising.

I wasn’t quite surprised to find a story like this in the Murder and Mayhem in Muskego book. I wasn’t really expecting a paranormal story in here. I’m not really sure what I was expecting expecting be fair as this is only my second story of the collection… but still. I like that there is a paranormal tale in here. Its incredibly fun and left a huge smile on my face.

I really liked the mayhem throughout this story. It didn’t quite touch on murder as much as I expected. But I really enjoyed all of the mayhem. And the blood. And the fact that there was impaling of the bad guys… I’m not bloodthirsty at all!

<- Hollywood LanesSlider ->

Image source: Amazon

The Iron Hunt by Marjorie M. Liu

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
The Iron Hunt (Hunter Kiss, #1) by Marjorie M. Liu

Title: The Iron Hunt
Author: Marjorie M. Liu
Series: Hunter Kiss #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Demons, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 22nd May – 19th June 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ace Fantasy
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: For the first time in my life, I did not care.

Synopsis

Silver smoke winds around my torso, peeling away from my ribs and back, stealing the dark mist covering my hands and lower extremities…tattoos dissolving into demon flesh, coalescing into small dark bodies. My boys. The only friends I have in this world. Demons.

I am a demon hunter. I am a demon. I am Hunter Kiss.

By day, her tattoos are her armor. By night, they unwind from her body to take on forms of their own–demons of the flesh, turned into flesh. This is the only family demon hunter Maxine Kiss has ever known. It’s the only way to live, and the very way she’ll die. For one day her demons will abandon her for her daughter to assure their own survival–leaving Maxine helpless against her enemies.

But such is the way of Earth’s last protector–the only one standing between humanity and the demons breaking out from behind the prison veil. It is a life lacking in love, reveling in death, until one moment–and one man– changes everything…

Thoughts

I’ve been hanging to fully get into this series since I read the first Hunter Kiss novella. But, for whatever reasons I’ve been putting it off. But, now I’m definitely going to keep diving into this series. There’s the whole intrigue of the end of the world going on. And a question of heart. A question of loyalty. There’s just a whole lot of wow going on.

I like that Maxine is the first if the hunter women to actually stop and put down roots. They’re still unconventional. But they are roots, nonetheless. It creates a wonderful, sweet and nice world that she is able to rely on. And, since this whole series seems like its going to revolve around the idea that maxine is special and last… it just adds that extra layer of mystery.

I really loved the feeling of mystery and world building that Liu was able to create. I know from some of the other works I’ve read by her that she tends towards a darker style of story. I know that my heart strings are going to be plucked drastically throughout this series.

The boys that surround marine are also adorable. I’m sure that finding demons adorable is a bit odd… but nevertheless, I still find them wonderful. And im not sure if I’m excited for Darkness Calls for the continuation of the storyline… or getting to spend more time with Maxine’s “boys”

<- Hunter KissDarkness Calls ->

Image source: Goodreads

Devils and Details by Devon Monk

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Devils and Details (Ordinary Magic, #2) by Devon Monk

Title: Devils and Details
Author: Devon Monk
Series: Ordinary Magic #2
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Mythology, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 26th April 20
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Odd House Press
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: Thank you so much, Thor.

Synopsis

Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea…

Police Chief Delaney Reed is good at keeping secrets for the beach town of Ordinary Oregon – just ask the vacationing gods or supernatural creatures who live there.

But with the first annual Cake and Skate fundraiser coming up, the only secret Delaney really wants to know is how to stop the unseasonable rain storms. When all the god powers are stolen, a vampire is murdered, and her childhood crush turns out to be keeping deadly secrets of his own, rainy days are the least of her worries.

Hunting a murderer, outsmarting a know-it-all-god, and uncovering an ancient vampire’s terrifying past isn’t how she planned to spend her summer. But then again, neither is falling back in love with the one man she should never trust.

Thoughts

I forgot how much I enjoyed the world building in this series. I love the idea of gods on vacation and having a sheriff to try and control the insanity that will surely follow. I mean, after all, gods are known for being unpredictable, and well, frankly, nuts… so it makes sense that they need a sheriff to keep them all under control. The fact that it’s Delaney and her sisters just makes it all that much more likeable.

This story careens from insane moment to insane moment. It left me smiling and giggling all throughout. And, for most of the tale, I wasn’t really sure of where this story was going to take me… I mean, god powers being stolen, vampires being murdered, past loves trying to reconnect… there is a whole lot in this that is fun and sassy. And completely unpredictable. Which I think all stories of gods should be if I’m being honest.

I did kind of predict what Ryder’s secret and reason for breaking up with Delaney were. Even then, the actual explanation was a little more than I had hoped for (yay). I loved their dynamic throughout this. Alongside the protectiveness of Delaney’s two sisters – I mean, what are sisters if not beautifully and ridiculously protective?

This story ends with a war on the horizon, and a missing vampire. I can’t wait to see where they went / what happened and where the story is going to take us from here… bring on the next novel in this series!

<- Death and RelaxationGods and Ends ->

Image source: Goodreads

Things to Know About Being Dead by Genevieve Valentine

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for teeth ellen datlow terri windling book cover

Title: Things to Know about Being Dead
Author: Genevieve Valentine
In: Teeth: Vampire Tales (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 7th February 2021
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Harper
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: I tried to speak, but my throat was too dry; I lay quietly as she smoothed her fingers over my shoulders, my neck, the backs of my arms.

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

Synopsis

It’s not so fun being dead. But there are certain things that you should know…

Thoughts

There is something about Genevieve Valentine’s short stories that always make me smile. And this was no exception. Starting with a death, and then including anecdotes, lists and all sorts of other fun nonsense. I just smiled all the way throughout this short story. The fact that it is the opening story in a collection of vampire stories… well, that made it all that much better!

In all of the vampire books and stories that I’ve read, there hasn’t been much of a humorous aside in what it means to get used to being dead. A few have touched upon the adjustments that the characters have to make. And they’ve even sometimes touched upon the negatives, but mostly, it’s a “look at all the things I’ve gained” approach. This didn’t really do it. It didn’t place becoming dead as a negative endeavour either, just one with a steep learning curve.

There seem to be a lot of teenage vampire stories in the literature. It’s a bit of a trope that sometimes irritates me. But, the way that Valentine deals with this in her story was… not irritating. It was funny and light. And almost felt like it was pulling fun at the trope that can be a little bit overdone…

<- TeethAll Smiles ->

Image source: HarperCollins

Blood Challenge by Eileen Wilks

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Blood Challenge (World of the Lupi, #7) by Eileen Wilks

Title: Blood Challenge
Author: Eileen Wilks
Series: World of the Lupi #7
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Animagus, Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 1st – 22nd January 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: I usually don’t, but patterning’s potentially a -“

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

Synopsis

Lily Yu and Rule Turner’s engagement announcement is stirring up ugly passions in the Humans First camp. There’s hate mail. Death threats. Lily’s car is vandalized.

But professionally, things are running smoothly… until a lupus in Tennessee goes on a killing spree. Then Rule’s brother, Benedict, catches a lovely intruder – twice. The first time, she’s sneaking around the home of the leader of Humans First. The second time, she’s sneaking around Nokolai Clanhome.

It may not be possible to deal with the rapidly escalating situation the way Lily always has: through the law. Especially when she’s pulled off the case due to an alleged conflict of interest. Lily’s loyalties will be stretched to the breaking point when she discovers that the deaths in Tennessee were only the opening skirmish in an all-our war.

Thoughts

I had this on my TBR pile late last year. There is something about the World of the Lupi books that are brilliant, and always make me want to reach out for them. Plus, I read Human Error just before Christmas, which gave me that yearning yet again. It did take longer to get through than many of the other books of this size tend to do… but it was still thoroughly, beautifully enjoyable. I just tend to forget that these books are long, complex and filled with small writing.

The fact that Benedict gets a second chosen was kind of given away in Human Error, so that pleasant surprise was very quickly taken away from me. But, getting to know Arjenie a bit better as the insanity of this storyline unfolded was brilliant and fun. Particularly when the “getting to know” was taking place alongside all of the insanity of a very complex plot that just seems to keep getting more and more complex. It’s one of the reasons that I don’t just breeze through these books, but become completely absorbed in them. They’re beautifully, wonderfully intricate and, often, confusing!

The major conspiracies and backstory in this series has slowly been ramping up. And now, getting to the 7th book in the series, it is getting seriously, ridiculously intense. The characters are still brilliant, and the emotions that you feel alongside them are wonderful. But there is so much more going on with the battle that the lupi face now. It meant that once I got about a quarter of the way into this book, I was sunk. And couldn’t stop reaching for it, even when I needed to be productive.

I loved this book. And now I need to wait until I’ve finished a few books before sinking my teeth into Death Magic. Now that the plot is thickening with the characters and conspiracies throughout this story, I can’t wait to see what insane shenanigans are going to happen next. Plus, Cynna has had her baby, Benedict also has a chosen, and everyone is just thoroughly loveable and impossible to forget…

<- Blood MagicDeath Magic ->

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