Tag Archives: Urban Fantasy

Kiss by Lilith Saintcrow

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

Title: Kiss
Author: Lilith Saintcrow
Series: Jill Kismet #6.5
In: Urban Enemies (Joseph Nassise)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Demons, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 22nd September 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: You must agree that’s only fair.

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Synopsis

Is it the kiss of steel or the kiss of death? What could this horrifying creature be planning for?

Thoughts

I’m still not entirely sure what the storyline in this tale was. I’m more than a little confused by it. But I liked the darkness. The idea of a villain plotting against her victims for decades… and there was a lot of information about kisses and debts to be paid… like I said, not entirely sure what I was actually reading about… but I know that I liked what I did understand.

Most of the short stories that I read are really good standalones. This is not really one of those stories. It’s kind of hard to follow, and the insidiousness of the villain seems to be highlighted better in the preceding stories. it made it a little hard to fear and question the villain than other stories in this collection. Because I just didn’t know how much of a villain she truly was…

This story was a lot about plotting. Every move is calculated and part of a much larger scheme. It reads like a set up for the next Jill Kismet novel. One that will pay dividends when you finally get up to that point in the series, but a short story that doesn’t necessarily draw me into the world and make me want to rush out and buy the first novel.

 <- Sixty-Six Seconds ReviewThe Naughtiest Cherub Review ->
Image source: Simon & Schuster

Underbridge by Peter S. Beagle

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
naked-city

Title: Underbridge
Author: Peter S. Beagle
In: Naked City (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Mental health, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 20th September 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: The months passed, and the weather turned relatively mild and notably dry.

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Synopsis

Richardson just wants tenure, or, at the very least, a stable job. But his discovery of the Troll Underbridge might just change everything…

Thoughts

As someone who is halfway through her PhD and just entering the world of academics… I can completely understand Richardsons’ incredible need to just… crack. Right down the centre. With absolutely no finesse. Alright, I don’t actually want to crack, and I definitely wouldn’t do what he did… but we’ve all had our moments of instability, and I found Beagle’s take on this in this short story incredibly entertaining and intriguing.

We’re all a little scared of the things that go bump in the night. The creatures which hide under the bed in the dark. The ghouls which hide under our bridges and in the dark, hideaway places. Which makes the troll under the bridge a perfect feature for an urban fantasy short story. After all, they’re a fixture in fairy tales and fit that idea of the things that scare us – although, they don’t seem to show up as commonly in the stories… probably because they’re just not quite sexy…

For me, this short story highlighted the question “how far will you go?” For Richardson, I think the answer was kind of too far. But it still begs the question – how far would I go to achieve my goals? To get a steady job… I think that there may be a little of Richardsons’ darkness in all of us when we truly want something…

 <- Picking Up the Pieces ReviewPriced to Sell Review ->
Image source: Patricia Briggs

Sixty-Six Seconds by Craig Schaefer

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

Title: Sixty-Six Seconds
Author: Craig Schaefer
Series: Daniel Faust Companion
In: Urban Enemies (Joseph Nassise)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 16th September 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: At all?

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Synopsis

What happens when two warring factions meet up? Nothing good. A blood bath is likely to be in the next sixty-six seconds…

Thoughts

I liked how all of the moments in this story were measured in short bursts of time. Almost as though each moment was actually worth sixty-six seconds and it was only in those short periods of time which the tale could be told. Breaking up the time and storyline in this way created an incredibly fast paced and intense short story. One that had me racing along with it every step of the way.

This was quite a graphic story of death and bloodshed. And a heck of a lot of assassination. I didn’t quite understand many of the backstory of this tale, but I know that I liked the goriness of it. And want to read more. There is nothing like a grey hero to spice up a storyline… and a lot of murky motives to make it seriously impossible to put down.

The revealing of motives at the end of this tale was somewhat surprising. Although I didn’t really think to question why the lead was hunting people, I just assumed that it was part of a greater organisation. Revealing the actual reasons of why and the conspiracy behind it… it made me intrigued as to the rest of the story. There is nothing like a good conspiracy to draw me into a new series…

 <- Nigsu Ga Tesgu ReviewKiss Review ->
Image source: Simon & Schuster

The Curse of the Black Swan by Alyssa Day

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for enthralled lora leigh book cover

Title: The Curse of the Black Swan
Author: Alyssa Day
Series: League of the Black Swan #1.5
In: Enthralled (Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day, Meljean Brook & Lucy Monroe)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 16th September 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: He caressed her exactly where she needed and wanted him to, and she cried out from the sensation.

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Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Day introduces the League of the Black Swan…and the dangerous game one woman plays when her family’s curse dooms her to kill the man she loves.

Thoughts

I haven’t picked up any of my Alyssa Day stories for quite a while. And reading this novella made me question why I haven’t done so… there is just something so intensely enjoyable and sweet about her stories. There’s always just enough darkness in them to stop them from being candy sweet… but not enough to make them dark and twisty like some of my other romances.

The prologue to this story was a fantastic trip to the world of fairy tales. It was dreamy and slightly ethereal. Tragic and completely engaging all at the same time. It drew me in immediately, especially with the knowledge that although this tragedy was a fantastic read, it wasn’t going to be the focus of the story. The jump forwards in time was completely expected and made far more intriguing by the fact that there is a history of a curse which is about to haunt the romance you are diving into.

Prejudice is always a big theme in many of the urban fantasy stories that I read. After all, it’s easy to highlight such an issue when you’re dealing with abstract, supernatural beings, rather than the social and cultural minorities who actually experience this. Day does this beautifully through the use of Sean and his fire demon heritage. Not only does it provide him with a great, if not slightly bitter, background, but it also supplies him with a reason to be unsure and uncomfortable with his budding attraction to Brynn.

The use of swans in this story as a curse made me seriously think about the Swan Princess… my sister’s favourite movie as a child. Which is probably why I loved this novella so much… it was a fantastic paranormal and adult version of a beloved childhood classic. Or at least, similar enough that it triggered my happy little nostalgia button.

 <- The Devil’s Due ReviewSalvage Review ->
Image source: Amazon

One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

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Overview
Image result for one foot in the grave book cover

Title: One Foot in the Grave
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Series: Night Huntress #2, Night Huntress Universe #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Strong women, Urban fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 28th July – 31st August 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Avon
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: Yeah, right.

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Synopsis

You can run from the grave, but you can’t hide…

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She’s still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind.

Being around him awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline kick of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head – wanted: dead of half-alive – means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard she tries to keep thing professional between them, she’ll find that desire lasts forever… and that Bones won’t let her get away again.

Thoughts

This book took me way too long to read. Not because I didn’t love it, but because I started reading it at a really crappy time in my life, and just didn’t read many books at all. It almost made me want to quickly pick up the next book in the series, At Grave’s End, and spend all night reading it. Just to make up for the fact that I haven’t had much of a chance to truly enjoy One Foot in the Grave like I usually would.

I haven’t read many series which jump years ahead between the first and second book. There have been a few that have done so later in the series. But never so early on. Which is why I found it kind of exciting that this took a very different approach to timeline than I am thus far used to. It almost made Halfway to the Grave feel like a prequel novel and that this is where the depths and insanities of the series were going to really get started. I am also feeling far more desperate to pick up At Grave’s End than I did before.

I’m a big believer in true love. Which is completely obvious from the selection of books which I tend to read. Although I don’t normally love the insta-love feeling that some books give you. There is a bit of that kind of feeling in Halfway to the Grave, but that completely disappears when you get to One Foot in the Grave. After all, they’ve both spent years pinning for each other and feeling unable to move on with their lives. Insta-love might be annoying, but when that turns into the kind of love that stands the test of time… that’s the kind of story that just melts my heart.

No matter how many series, genres and books I read, I always love to come back to the urban fantasy and paranormal fantasy series. The ones which feature strong women who can kick us. This is exactly that kind of book. Even when Cat is given a nice, easy out of the predicament she finds herself in, she decides to take the harder way out. After all, the easy way isn’t about independence, but the hard way is all about winning and triumphing over bullying power hungry fools.

<- Happily Never AfterAt Grave’s End ->

Image source: Goodreads

Valkyrie by Kate O’Hearn

Book Review, ,
Overview
Image result for valkyrie book cover

Title: Valkyrie
Author: Kate O’Hearn
Series: Valkyrie #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Norse mythology, Urban fantasy, Young adult
Dates read: 18th – 19th August 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Hodder
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: Archie climbed painfully to his feet.

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Synopsis

VALKYRIE: NORSE GODDESS,
CHOOOSER OF THE SLAIN,
REAPER OF SOULS.

Freya dreads turning fourteen – the official end of her childhood and time to take up the full duties of a Valkyrie.

But Freya doesn’t want to follow in the footsteps of the legends before her. As she observes the human world she wonders what it’s like to make friends with girls and laugh with boys, without fear of causing their death with one touch.

And then, on her first mission, she reaps a soul with unfinished business that sends her to the human world on a desperate quest…
Will she find out the true meaning of being human or being legendary?

Thoughts

This book has been sitting on my shelf for ages. And it’s one that I have looked at, picked up, and then seen something else and always just missed out on reading. And now I’m wondering why I just didn’t read it in the first place. This story was filled with the typical misfit storyline, but with extra oomph. Namely in the fact that the misfit is a Valkyrie who has slight temper issues and bands together other misfits to make high school something far more enjoyable…

I’ve read a few series that feature a bit of Norse mythology (not as many as I’d like, but enough to make me kind of happy). I’ve never read one that features a Valkyrie. And definitely not one that has a teenage Valkyrie who is trying to find her place in the world. This was certainly a surprise, and one that made me incredibly glad that I got to spend the time reading this book. Now I just have to wait until the next two books arrive at my doorstep… which, sadly, could be a while.

Although this was an incredibly fun book, it also felt like it was more of an introduction. It had a good storyline, but mostly set up characters, rivalries and societies ready for the next two books. It’s a typical beginning to a trilogy in that it draws you in and feeds you many, many details so that when the really intense storylines take over, you aren’t underprepared. And it makes a great, easy read for those nights I’ve had lately when I’m just too exhausted and overwrought to actually concentrate on anything…

Freya has made it my list of favourite, easy reading heroines. She is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her word, is unable to consider lying and completely independent. Even when it could get her sister into trouble. The dynamics of the many relationships throughout this storyline are intense and so well structured. In each and every relationship that Freya forms, she evolves and changes, finds a way to become more comfortable with herself and the way she feels about others. Which ultimately saves her and her loved ones.

 <- War of the Realms ReviewThe Runaway Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Nigsu Ga Tesgu by Jeff Somers

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

Title: Nigsu Ga Tesgu
Author: Jeff Somers
Series: The Ustari Cycle #4.5
In: Urban Enemies (Joseph Nassise)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Horror, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 26th August 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: His spell, his curse, it should have consumed me long ago.

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Synopsis

She is the most powerful of her kind. Her apprentice thinks that he’s finally found a way to usurp her. But there’s a reason that she’s survived for so long… a reason why she understands the words better than anyone else.

Thoughts

I absolutely adored the creepiness and spine-tingling evilness of this story. This might be in a collection of Urban Fantasy Villains stories, but there was something extra creepy about a girl chewing her own tongue to kill her father. A whole other level of darkness that hasn’t so far been portrayed in this collection – most villains use the sacrifice and blood of others. This woman starts off sacrificing parts of herself willingly.

I love that the woman in this is the most powerful in the world, but she is also incredibly feeble. This fantastic juxtaposition between physical and mental strength is incredibly fascinating and drives home the point that sometimes the most powerful aren’t the most physically able. The entire looks can be deceiving, and don’t judge a book by its cover ideal is heavy handedly highlighted in this story. But in a way that doesn’t feel clunky and irritating, just slightly humorous.

Nigsu ga Tesgu introduced me to a world that is entirely shades of grey. There is nothing black and white, good and evil in the world. There are just choices that aren’t good and aren’t necessarily evil. They’re just about survival and finding a way to move forwards further in your life. Normally the stories I read have a clear villain and hero (even if the hero is more than a little damaged), but this didn’t feel like that kind of story. I know that the woman was supposed to be the big Cahoona in the villains’ world, but it just felt like an old woman struggling to survive in a horrible world… in a incredibly horrible manner.

 <- Hounded ReviewSixty-Six Seconds Review ->
Image source: Simon & Schuster

Cave Canem by Susan Sizemore

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
First Blood

Title: Cave Canem
Author: Susan Sizemore
Series: Laws of the Blood #5.5
In: First Blood (Susan Sizemore, Erin McCarthy, Chris Marie Green & Meljean Brook)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 26th August 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: Of course, she hadn’t been aware of him since the companion connection had been severed between them several years before.

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Synopsis

When hellhound pups are stolen from under Dan Conover’s nose, an unlikely alliance is made. Vampire enforcer Dan is bound by a promise to guard the hellhounds. Werewolf Tess Sirella is charged with making sure no hellhound is trained to tap into its evil, murderous potential. Vampires and werewolves aren’t supposed to be attracted to one another… but for every rule, there’s an exception.

Thoughts

This was a fun, engaging and enjoyable paranormal romance. The involvement of demons, hellhounds, vampires and werewolves drew me in from the very beginning. As did the jump in timeline from the prologue to the main story. The only thing I didn’t love was the fact that the man had been involved with her many times great-grandmother. It felt a little creepy that he’d been intimate with a woman, and then falls for her descendant. There’s even a moment when he notices the similarities between the two of them…

There’s not much I love more in this world than my dogs. So I understood the drive of the hellhounds owners. After all, once that bond is formed, it’s almost impossible to break. Or at least, that’s what I’ve found so far. I really enjoyed the search for the missing puppies, the need to ensure their safety and the drive to indicate their innocence. I can’t imagine a day without my dogs, and the two men in this story obviously feel the same.

I haven’t yet read any of the Laws of the Blood series so I don’t exactly understand how this fits into the bigger world. Yet, Sizemore manages to give you enough information that you don’t feel completely confused by her world. But not enough that you don’t want to read the rest of the series. It’s a great little tease to draw you in, or let you revisit a world you’ve already seen before.

 <- First Blood ReviewRussian Roulette Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Breath of Magic by Cheyenne McCray

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for no rest for the witches book cover

Title: Breath of Magic
Author: Cheyenne McCray
Series: Magic #3.5
In: No Rest for the Witches (Mary Janice Davidson, Lori Handeland, Cheyenne McCray & Christine Warren)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy, Witches
Dates read: 25th August 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: The Underworld god’s muscles bunched and flexed as he strode toward them.

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Synopsis

San Francisco’s witches are in an epic battle. But even if Sydney can use her sultry ways and ancient Druid powers to save the world, can she risk losing her heart to handsome warrior Conlan?

Thoughts

This was a great partnering off, battle the evil, and, whilst not winning the war, winning the battle kind of story. I immediately fell in love with the characters, and wanted to find out more about this amazing world that Cheyenne McCray has created. You kind of knew that the two leads would end up together at the close of the book, but that didn’t make the journey any less exciting or intriguing. Rather, I couldn’t wait to see just how they would overcome their obstacles, and it was more than a little surprising when the conclusion was finally reached.

It was really nice to have a slightly different heroine in the lead of this story. Most of the tales I read feature a woman who is completely put together and beautiful, if not more than a little manic and insane. Instead, this features a woman who has glasses and makes some incredibly silly mistakes. Ones that are performed out of pure stubbornness, but still a good place. And more than a little stupid when she looks back at them in hindsight.

Breath of Magic is one of those fun novellas that I’ll read again and again. Not just because I love the simplicity of a good romance story, but also because there is so much more going on. There is a fantastic plot that actually takes centre stage over the romance and makes you hold your breath throughout – after all, you want the good guys to win, and it’s really not a certain thing. It is one of those tales that will make you want to dive right into McCray’s writing and sink into her worlds. Or at least, that’s how I felt… and now I have to go out and buy Forbidden Magic to get my next fix…

 <- Voodoo Moon ReviewAny Witch Way She Can Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for american gods book cover

Title: American Gods
Author: Neil Gaiman
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Adventure, Mythology, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 7th – 12th August 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Headline
Year: 2001
5th sentence, 74th page: The men said, ‘We are far, far from our homes and our hearths, far from the seas we know and the lands we love.

Synopsis

IS NOTHING SACRED?

Days before his release from prison, Shadow’s wife, Laura, dies in a mysterious car crash. Numbly, he makes his way back home. On the plant, he encounters the enigmatic Mr Wednesday, who claims to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America.

Together they embark on a profoundly strange journey across the heart of the USA, whilst all around them a storm of preternatural and epic proportions threatens to break.

Scary, gripping and deeply unsettling, American Gods takes a long, hard look into the soul of America. You’ll be surprised by what – and who – it finds there…

Thoughts

I knew that reading a Neil Gaiman story would be an adventure. This is the third novel that I’ve read by him, and every single time they’re intense, fun and completely off-kilter. The fact that this is my first really adult book by him just made it all the more exciting. And that much easier to just completely devour it. Especially at a time when I was getting a little overwhelmed and upset by everything else going on around me. It was kind of a perfect, twisted, world to float away in.

This is one of those novels that you will pick up nuances again and again as you read it. I spent a lot of the time on this, my first read through, trying to figure out which pantheon many of the old gods were from. Trying to figure out just who Mr. Wednesday was and what his motivations for hiring Shadow were. I didn’t spend as much time intrigued by the new age gods… which I think I will notice more next time.

I had kind of expected a bit of a romantic spin to this story when Shadow focuses on his wife so much at the beginning. It really isn’t even remotely romantic, and the relationship between Shadow and his wife turns a bit… well, weird. And, well, deeply disturbing in parts. Which is of course what I loved about this story – it made me kind of uncomfortable for the majority, and deeply disturbed at other moments. Not just in the storyline – but also with the message and themes that Gaiman is imparting throughout the story. It’s not supposed to be a happily ever after, comfortable story – it’s one that should really make you sit back and think about the choices you make in life, and just what it is that you worship.

American Gods is one of those stories that will stand the test of time. It discusses the battle that everyone must face at some point in their lives – old versus new. Which is better? Which should we worship? Are either of them actually any better than the other? As someone who is fascinated by ancient mythologies, but tends to live solidly in the real world, this is the perfect theme to follow – after all, it’s an internal discussion I often have too.

 <- Adventures in the Dream TradeAnansi Boys ->

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