Tag Archives: Urban Fantasy

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 ->

Image source: Amazon

Voodoo Moon by Lori Handeland

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

Title: Voodoo Moon
Author: Lori Handeland
Series: Nightcreature #7.5
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: Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy, Werewolves
Dates read: 1st – 2nd August 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: He had tattoos running up both arms and another winding up the side of his neck.

Synopsis

For Devil’s Fork-based FBI Agent Dana Duran, the only way to fight a supernatural serial killer just may be to embrace life. But little did she know that voodoo could be so viciously sexy…

Thoughts

I’m really surprised that I haven’t read more stories which feature the Voodoo religion. After all, it seems to come up in almost every TV series I’ve watched. Although that’s mostly as a method of killing… I’ve never read a story which has voodoo as the central storyline – one which involves the manifestation of the evil, and the way in which to rid the world of it.

Balance was a key idea throughout this story. It was the imbalance of nature and the world which bought the evil spirit to the small town. And it was recreating this balance (in the most fun of ways) which bought about a happy ending. As someone who has spiritual beliefs, discussions on balance and the way the world twists and turns is so incredibly important, so of course, I just completely lapped up this story. And then started researching how much it was going to cost to get the first few books in this series… because you know, self-control.

Paranormal romance stories which feature a cop of some sort as the lead always capture my fancy immediately. I love criminal shows, don’t read the books as much because I get a little scared, so reading a paranormal version that I know isn’t going to happen to me is a perfect middle ground. The use of a female lead who is an FBI agent investigating some really horrific and confusing deaths… you really can’t go wrong. Now I just have to wait until I have some spare cash to buy Blue Moon and the rest of the series…

 <- The MajickaBreath of Magic ->

Image source: Goodreads

Hounded by Kelley Armstrong

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

Title: Hounded
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Cainsville #4.5
In: Urban Enemies (Joseph Nassise)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 31st July 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: She dove under and pretended to snatch his feet as he kicked.

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Synopsis

He’s a huntsman and his Hound has been taken from him. He may have found a way to find a new one, but at what cost?

Thoughts

I was kind of thrown by how creepy this story felt. I know that it was going to be a bit off-kilter since it was in a collection of tales about villains from bigger series. What I wasn’t expecting was to go from really liking a character to feeling seriously uncomfortable about their entire existence. And reason for being. To close the last page and not only want to pick up the series, but to also not ever want to confront this rogue Hunter again.

To begin with, I was expecting this story to be a tale about a misunderstood villain. Or at least one who did have a nicer, softer side. And it started off in this fashion. Although he was obviously not a “good” guy, he did miss his hound and have a sense of yearning for what he had lost. He was also quite obviously hunting a woman who was not in any sense of the word “good”. Her inability to consider others, her belief that she was the victim and the ways in which she approached those who spurned her. Well, I started to think that this woman was the actual villain and one that I didn’t really want to have much exposure to.

Normally I love tales of poetic justice. Tales which highlight that no wrongdoing goes unpunished, and that there will somehow be a form of revenge. This short story did stick to that ideal, but it wasn’t in the normal format that I enjoy. Because the person who was serving the poetic justice was also the one pushing the wrongdoer and committing sins even greater. And, in my opinion, far more heinous.

<- Even HandNigsu Ga Tesgu ->

Image source: Simon & Schuster

An Apple for the Creature edited by Charlaine Harris & Toni L. P. Kelner

Book Review, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for an apple for the creature book cover

Title: An Apple for the Creature
Author: Charlaine Harris, Toni L. P. Kelner, Jonathan Maberry, Donald Harstad, Marjorie M. Liu, Rhys Bowen, Amber Benson, Mike Carey, Faith Hunter, Ilona Andrews, Steve Hockensmith, Nancy Holder & Thomas E. Sniegoski
In: An Apple for the Creature (Charlaine Harris & Toni L. P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Short story collections, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 23rd May – 13th July 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Ace Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: He’d charged George, heading toward the cornfield behind the store, and George had shot him.

Synopsis

Includes a never-before-published Sookie Stackhouse story!

What could be scarier than the first day of school? How about a crash course in the paranormal from Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner, editors of Home Improvement: Undead Edition? Your worst school nightmares—taking that math test you never studied for, finding yourself naked in school assembly, not knowing which door to enter—will pale in comparison to these thirteen original stories that take academic anxiety to whole new realms.

In #1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris’s story, “Playing Possum,” Sookie Stackhouse brings enough birthday cupcakes for her nephew’s entire class but finds she’s one short when the angry ex-boyfriend of the school secretary shows up.

When her guardian, Kate Daniels, sends her undercover to a school for exceptional children, teenaged Julie learns an all-new definition of “exceptional,” in New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews’s “Magic Tests.”

For those who like fangs with their forensics, New York Times bestselling author Nancy Holder offers “VSI,” in which FBI agent Claire is tested as never before in a school for Vampire Scene Investigation.

And in New York Times bestselling author Thomas Sniegoski’s “The Bad Hour,” Remy Chandler and his dog Marlowe find evil unleashed in an obedience school.

You’ll need more than an apple to stave off the creatures in these and nine other stories. Remember your first lesson: resistance is fruitless!

Includes stories by: ILONA ANDREWS, AMBER BENSON, RHYS BOWEN, MIKE CAREY, CHARLAINE HARRIS, DONALD HARSTAD, STEVE HOCKENSMITH, NANCY HOLDER, FAITH HUNTER, TONI L.P. KELNER, MARJORIE LIU, JONATHAN MABERRY, THOMAS SNIEGOSKI

Thoughts

This book has been on my wishlist for ages. But, it’s one that’s out of print, so I had to get a second-hand copy, and I always seem to be a bit slower at getting these. Now I’m not sure why I waited so damn long! I loved every single one of these short stories. They managed to reflect not only your worst nightmares relived in high school, but it was also filled with stories of training and cops, the paranormal and the supernatural.

Sometimes short story collections are full of tales which fit into series. Some are just full of tales that stand beautifully alone. An Apple for the Creature has a nice balance of the two. Some of these stories are ones which make me want to pick up the rest of the series. Some just a nice appreciation for a new author. It was a great balance, meant that I didn’t break the bank wanting to buy new books, but also found some great new series to sink my teeth into.

This collection contains everything I love about urban fantasy tales. There are vampires and werewolves, dragons and nymphs. Some of these characters are only just starting at their first high school, and others are in training for a greater purpose, such as crime fighting. Regardless of the reason why they’re in school though, every single character in these stories learns something from their adventures and made each and every story a complete, total and utter pleasure.

 <- Pirate Dave and the Captain’s GhostPlaying Possum ->

Image source: Goodreads

Black Rock Blues by Will Shetterly

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for coyote road book cover

Title: Black Rock Blues
Author: Will Shetterly
In: The Coyote Road (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Tricksters, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 13th July 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Firebird Fantasy
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: Street says, “You’re taking me now?”

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Synopsis

Street doesn’t have much of a memory of who and what he is. A chance encounter with the boss and the girl of his dreams might help him to find his feet again, if not his memory.

Thoughts

This story was quite clever. At the beginning, it felt like any tale with a trickster-like character. One in which their smarts, wit and penchant for trouble had gotten them into a spot of bother, and you knew that they would get out of it in the end. Which is kind of what happened… but the character actually was the trickster, and he was in trouble with death.

The mystery in this story worked really well to keep you hooked. As their adventures unfold, it becomes more and more obvious that Street and O are more intertwined than you had originally anticipated. Finishing the story and finding out what really happened made every moment all that more potent and intriguing between them. It highlighted that this is one of those short stories that you will be able to read again and pick up some extra, fun nuances.

This story had all of the fun and gumption of a trickster tale. It was funny and cute. Fast paced and almost impossible to put down. There was also a sense of a message in the story, although maybe it was something a little bit more than “don’t mess with Death” which is what I got out of it.

 <- The Senorita and the Cactus Thorn ReviewThe Constable of Abal Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Trust Me by Stacia Kane

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of vampire romance 2 book cover

Title: Trust Me
Author: Stacia Kane
In: The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2 (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 13th July 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: Another brick shattered a windowpane and clattered on the wood floor.

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Synopsis

She’s supposed to be spying on a man she believes could be Jack the Ripper. But fate has other ideas, and she quickly finds herself falling in love. Has she fallen in love with a monster? Or will she get her happily ever after after all?

Thoughts

While I’ve been reading The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2, I’ve also been reading The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories. And I never expected any kind of overlap between the two. At all. After all, they’re two entirely different genres with no overlap whatsoever in authors. Which meant that it was incredibly surprising, although a little fun to read a story which is a vampire paranormal romance, featuring Jack the Ripper and the times in Whitechapel surrounding these killings.

Sometimes I think that paranormal fantasy stories (be they romance or just run of the mill fantasy) take a few too many things from our history and twist them into really weird storylines. And if you had have told me that there was a vampire romance featuring Jack the Ripper, I would have put this in the “I don’t think so” basket. Luckily, I didn’t know that this was such a story, and for that I am exceedingly glad. This was just such a great spin on an old mystery, and almost felt entirely plausible.

Although this romance short was set in the 1800s, I wouldn’t classify it as a historical fiction. The lead female was a little too strong willed and independent. Which, I have read similar stories, but that very independence and strength of will is what continuously gets them into trouble. It got her into absolutely no spot of strife throughout the story… which isn’t to say that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy it. but this read a little bit like a modern story, just moving the location in which it was set…

 <- Vampsploitation ReviewThe Scotsman and the Vamp Review ->
Image source: Bookdepository

Pirate Dave and the Captain’s Ghost by Toni L. P. Kelner

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for an apple for the creature book cover

Title: Pirate Dave and the Captain’s Ghost
Author: Toni L. P. Kelner
In: An Apple for the Creature (Charlaine Harris & Toni L. P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Urban fantasy, Vampires, Werewolves
Dates read: 13th July 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Ace Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: “It’s his own hellish actions – “

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Synopsis

She’s on a werewolf retreat having a wow of a time. Until a ghost decides that he takes exception to her love life. And suddenly her retreat makes her want to go into retreat…

Thoughts

This story was nothing like what I expected from the title. I was expecting a pirate ghost story and had absolutely no idea how a schooling would tie into this. After all, it is the concluding story for a collection of urban fantasies which feature teachers and school. I was not expecting a story about a werewolf and vampire in a relationship. Who own a pirate-themed water park and who were getting haunted…

I seem to be finding more and more books / series with a vampire-werewolf mating. I don’t find many that really investigate the reactions to this interracial relationship. It’s something that people in real life have to go through, dealing with the prejudices against their other half. I like that this was the original driver for the conflict in the story. Everything was going fine until one person (ghost) with a prejudice against vampires manages to make everyone so awkward and uncomfortable that she is then left alone. Completely.

The interconnectedness of this story and the twist at the end were really fun. I finished this story with a huge grin on my face and the desire to see if this is part of a greater series. I also loved that it ended up with a ghost becoming friends with a werewolf and helping them create a haunted ship.

 <- The Bad Hour ReviewAn Apple for the Creature Review ->
Image source: Goodreads