Tag Archives: Urban Fantasy

Conjuring Max by Carolyn Crane

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for novellas and stories meljean brook book cover

Title: Conjuring Max
Author: Carolyn Crane
Series: Code of Shadows #0.5
In: Novellas and Stories (Meljean Brook, Carolyn Crane & Jessica Sims)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Paranormal romance, Technology, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 9th – 10th June 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: “It’s okay, Veronica -“

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Synopsis

The witches of the world ridiculed nerdy Veronica for trying to use newfangled computers to enhance old world spellcasting. Well, it’s 1984 now, and she’s perfected her spellcasting computer program. Hey, who needs friends when you can conjure virtually anything… or anybody? So when Veronica makes powerful new enemies, she conjures Max, a pitbull of a cop, to deal with the pesky hitmen who keep coming around. But tough-guy Max is in no mood to play lapdog to a gorgeous witch.

Thoughts

I really liked the technopagan spin to this storyline. Over the years I’ve read a lot of spins on witchwork and magic. But surprisingly none that use computers as the linchpin of the magic. Especially not coding which can bring the dead back to life…and I ate it all up. Which means that I have to exercise self-control (yet again) to not buy the following novels.

Veronica is a nerdy, pushy, secluded woman. She’s also a geek. Which of course meant that I immediately loved her. Although I did find some of her onion-like, tough layers a little tedious. After all, love is something that I believe in full heartedly, and she took a fair amount of time to actually succumb to the passion that was so obviously there. It’s a trope that I always find kind of frustrating when I’m reading a romance – the inability to see what is so obviously there! Although, I suppose it is also the reason that I like to keep reading these stories, even when I can roughly guess at the ending.

The romantic suspense throughout this novella might be fun, but what I kind of loved most was the creation of the dragon-dog that ate the enemies and decided to hang around. It kind of made me think of my adorable, kind of useless dog. Alright, he might not be a dragon-dog who is going to eat my enemies. But the companionship and loyalty that he shows throughout made me smile. And think of a happily-ever-after couple riding off into the sunset with their weirdly unique pet.

 <- Speed Mating ReviewWrecked Review ->
Image source: Fantastic Fiction

The Titan’s Curse – the Graphic Novel by Rick Riordan & Robert Venditti

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for the titan's curse graphic novel book cover

Title: Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse – the Graphic Novel
Author: Rick Riordan & Robert Venditti
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians – the Graphic Novels #3
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Graphic novels, Greek mythology, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 27th May – 6th June 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Graphic novel
Publisher: Puffin
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: Bianca is gone.

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Synopsis

IT’S NOT EVERY DAY YOU FIND YOURSELF IN COMBAT WITH A HALF-LION, HALF-HUMAN.

But when you’re the son of a Greek god, it happens. And now my friend Annabeth is missing, a goddess is in chains and only five half-blood heroes can join the quest to defeat the doomsday monster.

Oh and guess what. The Oracle has predicted that not all of us will survive…

Thoughts

I felt like there was a little more information left out of this graphic novel adaptation than past ones. Although, since this is the book that really starts to set up the final battle, that really wasn’t very surprising. And, the parts that they left out and glossed over really didn’t affect the way in which the storyline actually moved forwards. Which, all in all, didn’t leave me feeling too disappointed.

Like the first two graphic novel adaptations, the drawings in this were exquisite. They showed almost exactly what I had picture in my mind’s eye. It really wasn’t hard to be swept away in the story all over again.

Although I have read the novel, I love the fact that there was a big enough gap between my readings that it almost felt like I was reading the story all over again. My only real disappointment was that it was over so quickly…

 <- The Sea of Monsters – the Graphic Novel ReviewThe Battle of the Labyrinth – the Graphic Novel Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Callie Meet Happy by Amber Benson

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

Title: Callie Meet Happy
Author: Amber Benson
Series: Calliope Reaper-Jones #3.5
In: An Apple for the Creature (Charlaine Harris & Toni L. P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Grim reapers, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 3rd June 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Ace Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: “Not gonna happen,” Callie said, holding her ground in a pair of dirty Jimmy Choos.

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Synopsis

Callie is in a class learning how to create wormholes. But a crabby teacher and judgemental peers seem to keep getting in her way… until she figures out how to go to a Happy place.

Thoughts

This was an easy and enjoyable short story. The teacher kind of reminded me of Umbridge (Harry Potter for those of you who aren’t quite educated on her evilness). This teacher was judgemental, power hungry and kind of a pain. Something that we’ve all had experience with at some point in our lives. And the judging looks from her peers… well, that was a little bit too familiar. Which, in all lead to a completely relatable, and kind of funny storyline that I was sad to see end.

Stories which feature grim reapers and death are something that always fascinates me. Especially when there is a nice dose of black humour interwoven throughout. A level of sass from a female (pretty much any female) which makes such a serious topic (death) so much less… well, serious. Actually, in the case of Callie’s internal monologue, it just made this entire adventure quite funny. And very, very cute.

Many of the fantasy stories that I’ve read with a parallel world or time portals of any kind tend to be insanely complex. Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy them. But I tend to find it quite hard to grasp certain aspects of the storyline and then I have to go back and read certain sections again and again until I have a firmer grasp on what is happening. This tale was nothing like that. There is travel to a parallel world, but the storyline and lead character doesn’t get caught up in all of the minutiae detail.

 <- Low School ReviewIphigenia in Aulis Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Hotel Valhalla: Guide to the Norse Worlds by Rick Riordan

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for hotel valhalla book cover

Title: Hotel Valhalla: Guide to the Norse Worlds
Author: Rick Riordan
Series: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Companion
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Norse mythology, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 17th – 18th May 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Collection
Publisher: Puffin
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: Having his hand eaten by Fenris Wolf while the other gods bound the beast with the rope Gleipnir

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Synopsis

Dear Magnus Chase,
Welcome to Hotel Valhalla!
We hope you enjoy your eternal stay with us in the afterlife.

This is a guide to the gods, mythical beings and fantastic creatures of the nine Norse worlds – now your fellow guests.

There are stats, interviews, stories and anecdotes to help you avoid those awkward first introductions and make sure you never confuse a dwarf and an elf ever again.

Your story is just beginning, Magnus Chase. We hope you find this guide an entertaining companion on your adventures.

Thoughts

Hotel Valhalla is a great way to fill in the gaps that the storylines of the Magnus Chase novels just can’t fill. After all, they’re stories which follow a specific storyline. This hotel guide on the other hand isn’t a story, but a way to constantly give a background that you really don’t know you need until you read this collection.

Written with the typical Riordan humour, Hotel Valhalla really brings some of the more distant characters of Norse mythology to life in a very satirical and dry way. It helps to pull you further and further into the storyline of the Magnus Chase world and, because of this, the moment I finished the last page I was sorely tempted to get out of my couch next and grab Magnus Chase and the Ship of the Dead. I didn’t because I had two dogs happily asleep on my lap, but believe me, it was a fight of temptation.

My main complaint about this book is that it wasn’t longer. I would have loved a lot more insight into the characters which make up this aspect of Riordan’s world. But it still worked beautifully…

<- The Ship of the Dead9 From the Nine Worlds ->

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The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for magnus chase and the hammer of thor book cover

Title: The Hammer of Thor
Author: Rick Riordan
Series: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #2
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Norse mythology, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 12th April – 16th May 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Puffin
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: The nightly numbers ranged from zero to twelve.

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Synopsis

My name is Magnus Chase. Two months ago I died fighting a fire giant and woke up in Hotel Valhalla as one of Odin’s warriors. Time of a rest? I wish.

When I meet Otis, an informant with a lead on Thor’s missing hammer, all I get is the name ‘Provincetown’ before a wolf-masked assassin takes him out and warns me to stay away.

Someone really doesn’t want me to find the hammer, and even if I could it’s rumoured to be underground, guarded by powerful magic.

But the giant armies are on the move, preparing to invade. If I don’t find it, they’ll ravage the Nine Worlds, starting with the streets of Boston.

There’s just one person who could help. Someone who demands a very high price: the gods’ worst enemy, Loki.

Thoughts

It took me forever to pick this up after finishing Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer. And now that I’ve finished this… I’m really not sure why. Or why it took me so long to get through the first half of this book. This tale has everything that I loved in the Percy Jackson books, but with Vikings. Which, as much as I love Greek mythology, there is something about Vikings and the Norse mythos that is… better.

For the first part of this book, I kept on thinking of Thor like he is in the Marvel movies… gorgeous, powerful and just plain “good”. The Thor in this story is nothing like that. Actually, he’s kind of a bumbling moron. And he farts a lot. And you know, he’s the reason that the whole mess in this story even happens. Because he’s a moron. Which adds a great level of humour throughout the whole novel. One that makes me grateful for Riordan’s writings. And makes me think that I need to keep adding some of his books (the few I don’t have) to my bookshelves.

There are hints from the very beginning of this tale that it isn’t all about Thor’s hammer. But, since I was so caught up in the action and what was happening to Magnus and his friends, I didn’t really pick up on them. It was only in hindsight that I managed to understand all the little clues that Riordan was sliding out for my slow little brain to grasp. Which is kind of great in a book that is aimed at a younger cohort. It makes me excited to reread this book at some point in the future. Read and reread and reread over the years to come, being able to find other “duh” moments throughout this story.

I was so impressed with Riordan’s use of a Muslim lead character in Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer. I was even more head over heels in love, completely impressed, making this man my idol when I realised that he has a trans-person as a secondary lead in this story. Talk about helping to raise a generation on acceptance and love. Alex is feisty and fun, if not a little angry and damaged at times. Also a little too obsessed with taking off people’s heads with a wire… but I digress. Having two people from minorities that are being ostracised today means that I can’t wait until they feature even more strongly in the next Magnus Chase story! Now where did I put that book…??

<- The Sword of SummerThe Ship of the Dead ->

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Unbound by Kim Harrison, Melissa Marr, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson & Jocelynn Drake

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

Title: Unbound
Author: Kim Harrison, Melissa Marr, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson & Jocelynn Drake
In: Unbound (Kim Harrison, Melissa Marr, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson & Jocelyn Drake)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Short story collections, Strong women, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 29th March – 7th May 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: EOS
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: Startled, Jenks turned in the air even as Daryl caught her breath only to start coughing.

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Synopsis

Five master of dark fantasy cross the borders between our world and others.

Not all huntersa are bound by human laws…

Revisiting the paranormal realms they’ve made famous in their wildly popular fiction, New York Times bestselling authors Kim Harrison, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson and Jocelynn Drake – plus New York Times bestselling YA author Melissa Marr with her first adult supernatural thriller – unleash their full arsenal of dark talents, plunging us into the shadows where the supernatural stalk the unsuspecting… and every soul is a target. 88 Get ready for the ride of your life – because the wildest magic has just been unleashed…. and evil is about to have its day.

Thoughts

This was a great collection of urban fantasy novellas. Not only did it introduce me to a few new worlds (that are now sitting impatiently on my To Buy List), but it also swept me away into a couple of worlds that I already love, and can’t wait to sink my teeth into again and again. The great balance of known worlds and new ones made me incredibly excited to crack the pages of this collection, and I’m mostly just disappointed that it took me so long to do so…

The stories in Unbound run across a series of paranormal settings and creatures. Yet, they all have powerful women as their core. There is something that always draws me back again and again when the woman is the powerful lead, when she is independent and strong. Even if things tend to go a little haywire when they try to do the right thing…

It took me a little while to read this book. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to dive into the stories, but rather the opposite. I was a little concerned about the depths of my obsession with the stories. I didn’t want to go out and buy a heap of other novels when I still have so many to read. But, honestly, if I wasn’t concerned about spending too much money… I probably would have read all five of these novellas in a day or two. They were all completely amazing!

 <- Two Lines ReviewLey Line Drifter Review ->
Image source: Harper Collins Publisher

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for halfway to the grave book cover

Title: Halfway to the Grave
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Series: Night Huntress #1, Night Huntress Universe #1
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: 7th – 10th May 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Avon
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: Dinner for two.

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Synopsis

Flirting with the grave…

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father – the one responsible for ruining her mother’s life. Then she’s captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.

In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She’s amazed she doesn’t end up as his dinner – are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn’t have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side… and Bones is turnign out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

Thoughts

I couldn’t believe how much I loved this story! I knew it was something that was going to go to the top of my favourites lists, but I had no idea how much I would love it. I was kind of expecting another great urban fantasy story that would sweep me along with a kick ass chick as a lead and a great alpha male by her side. I didn’t realise that this story would seriously investigate issues of prejudice. That it would highlight the ways in which people turn against a minority just because they’re perceived as something a little different.

Cat is the kind of woman I want to be. She is strong and independent. Has a mind of her own, and even when she falls in love, she doesn’t let it consume her. Rather, it acts as a vessel through which she can become even more independent and accepting of herself. Something that I sometimes struggle with. I think it’s something that we all sometimes struggle with. And it is this independence and strength that makes her make one of the hardest decisions of all at the end of the story. A decision I’m not really sure I could make myself…

Most stories of this type that I’ve read don’t really have a parental figure at all. So having Cat have a mother who starts as her driver, and ends as her executioner was a great twist on the typical trope. Not only did it include the difficulties of family, it also highlighted how the crimes of the past can inform the future. And not always to the best interests of anyone involved. Their relationship breaks your heart a little, but it also shows that not every relationship is good or bad, but a complicated mix of something in between.

<- ReckoningHappily Never After ->

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Two Lines by Melissa Marr

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

Title: Two Lines
Author: Melissa Marr
In: Unbound (Kim Harrison, Melissa Marr, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson & Jocelyn Drake)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 7th May 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: EOS
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: I’ve done everything I could to avoid this moment.

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Synopsis

Eavan resists sex and murder that morph her into a glaistig until Daniel Brennan, sex slaver, tempts her into both.

Thoughts

I’m incredibly disappointed that this novella wasn’t part of a bigger series. I loved the idea of these fae women who rely on sex and death to live. That one of the children of the family refuses to continue in the line that is accepted by all of her family. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved this as a standalone, but I quite possibly would have loved it even more if I knew I had a whole new series to sink my literary teeth into.

In some of the older literature women are often demonised when they are strong and sexual. It’s a recurring theme throughout a lot of the stories that I read. And although I really don’t like the routes of the theme, I do love reading about it. Strong, independent women that are not exactly pure and innocent. That are sexual and powerful in their own rights. Eve manages to encompass this, but still have that beautiful, human vulnerability that is sometimes lacking a little in the characterisation of such women.

There is a love interest in this story, but it is a teasing one. And, unlike many other stories which have a love interest, I didn’t actually mind that their relationship was left open-ended. Normally I like the couple to get together in the end of the story. To have a bit of the “ride off into the sunset” feeling to it. There was no such thing in this story and I completely revelled in it. After all, this story really wasn’t about a romantic entanglement, it was about temptation and choosing your own path.

 <- The Dead, the Damned and the Forgotten ReviewUnbound Review ->
Image source: Harper Collins Publisher

The Dead, the Damned and the Forgotten by Jocelyn Drake

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

Title: The Dead, the Damned and the Forgotten
Author: Jocelynn Drake
Series: Dark Days #0.6
In: Unbound (Kim Harrison, Melissa Marr, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson & Jocelyn Drake)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Strong women, Urban fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 7th May 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: EOS
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: It was extremely rare for anyone to know me by name outside my own domain.

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Synopsis

Savannah vampire Keeper Mira investigates murder.

Thoughts

Yet another new series that I would absolutely love to read! Which is kind of annoying, because I need to finish one or two of the 140 odd series that I have gotten partway through… I guess I’ll just have to add another one to the shelves. Since I honestly can’t stop thinking about this novella. There was something that was great about the lead female character, the setting in which it was in and the fantastic urban fantasy world that Drake takes you to.

One of the common themes I find in series is the idea that to be strong and independent, to be respected, women often have to be fierce, and kind of scary. Mira embodies this perfectly. But, what made me love this far too much was the fact that it really bothers her when others fear her strength. After all, her insane powers are what keeps her people safe… and makes them all fear her completely.

 <- Dark Matters ReviewTwo Lines Review ->
Image source: Harper Collins Publisher

Kitten Tiger and the Monk by Carolyn Crane

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for novellas and stories meljean brook book cover

Title: Kitten Tiger and the Monk
Author: Carolyn Crane
Series: The Disillusionists #2.5
In: Novellas and Stories (Meljean Brook, Carolyn Crane & Jessica Sims)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 7th May 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: And as a man.

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Synopsis

Sophia Sidway, Midcity’s most dangerous memory revisionist, seeks out the mysterious Monk in the wasteland beneath the Tangle turnpike, hoping for redemption… but it turns out that the Monk is not all that pious, and the turnpike is no turnpike at all.

Thoughts

I love when you read a novella with absolutely no expectations what-so-ever. And then find that you just can’t put it down. That it is impossible to forget. And introduces you to a world you didn’t know you wanted to be a part of. For me, this was that kind of novella. It made me want to go straight out and buy the rest of this series. But I didn’t, because I need to learn some form of self-control… not something I’m admittedly enjoying at this point.

The symbolism of the Tangle was something that drew me in from the beginning. Not only was it a great and intriguing mystery, but the suffering and confusion of the people was reflected in its dark, twisty interior. This dark setting and overwhelming city almost acted like a third character in the story, and one that I would love to meet again and again throughout this series.

The many moral and ethical questions raised by Kitten-Tiger’s power linger long after you turn the final page. I understand why she decides to stop utilising it. But what if there were ways that it could be turned for good? Should you still use it? Who gets to decide what is right and good?

 <- Vixen ReviewSpeed Mating Review ->
Image source: Fantastic Fiction