Category Archives: Paranormal

June 19, 2011 · 11:10 am

Magic Slays (Kate Daniels, #5) by Ilona Andrews

Plagued by a war between magic and technology, Atlanta has never been so deadly. Good thing Kate Daniels is on the job.

Kate Daniels may have quit the Order of Merciful Aid, but she’s still knee-deep in paranormal problems. Or she would be if she could get someone to hire her. Starting her own business has been more challenging than she thought it would be—now that the Order is disparaging her good name, and many potential clients are afraid of getting on the bad side of the Beast Lord, who just happens to be Kate’s mate.

So when Atlanta’s premier Master of the Dead calls to ask for help with a vampire on the loose, Kate leaps at the chance of some paying work. Turns out this is not an isolated incident, and Kate needs to get to the bottom of it—fast, or the city and everyone dear to her might pay the ultimate price . . .

I just finished this book and my immediate reaction is “when’s the next one?” I made the point of re-reading the entire series which included the new short story “Magic Dreams” in the Hexed anthology. I am really glad I did. Not only did it help me keep the storyline straight, I remember how much I really love these books. I think it helps that I know where so many of the Atlanta landmarks that she refers to are located in “our” world.

Kate’s and Curran’s relationship is getting stronger, just as Kate’s magic is getting stronger. Not that the two have anything to do with each other, except I think Kate has more faith in herself and is willing to take risks that she did not before.

My only issue with this book is that I miss Raphael. I want him back. Curran really needs someone to pull his chain.

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Filed under Paranormal, Romance

June 10, 2011 · 7:26 pm

Ice Shards (Sisters of the Moon, #9.5) by Yasmine Galenorn (Hexed anthology)

This is Iris’ story where she attempts to get the curse lifted from her.

It has been several months since I read any of this series. The author did an excellent job of reminding me what was going on without beating me over the head with information. I do not know how much sense the story would have made if I wasn’t a fan of the series however.

This was a good side story. It solved some problems in the main storyline and set up possible plot lines. I think Iris will be able to help even more in the battles with the demons now.

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Filed under Contemporary, Paranormal

June 10, 2011 · 9:42 am

Nightshade (Nightshade, #1) by Andrea Cremer

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she’ll be the mate of alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers.

But when she violates her masters’ laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything— including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

This book has been nominated for YALSA’s Teens Top Ten list as well as Georgia’s Teen Peach Award, so my expectations were high. Unfortunately, I was not all that impressed. I had difficulty keeping the characters straight. There were two wolf packs (soon to be three), the Keepers, the Guardians (another name for the wolf packs), and the Searchers. The wolves answer to their alphas, who answer to their Masters, who are Keepers . . . I think.

Actually, the book did begin to work for me after the first hundred pages, but I hate to have to keep flipping back to see who the different characters are. The storyline is unique and I can see a lot of twists and turns coming.

There is a love triangle (Twilight, anyone? Vampire Academy? House of Night?) which I find tiresome. That just means there is no way everyone is going to have a happy ending.

And speaking of the ending, there’s not one. The sequel, Wolfsbane, is due out on July 26, 2011. Will I read it? I am sure I will one day, but I am in no rush. I will probably wait for the next two or three in the series to be released and read them all at once.

I am really tired of cliffhangers!

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Filed under Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult

June 8, 2011 · 7:47 am

Hit List (Anita Blake, #20) by Laurell K. Hamilton

A serial killer is hunting the Pacific Northwest, murdering victims in a gruesome and spectacular way. The local police suspect “monsters” are involved, and have called in Anita Blake and Edward, US Marshals who really know their monsters, to catch the killer.

But some monsters are very real. The Harlequin have been the bogeymen of the vampire world for more than a thousand years; they are a secret so dark that even to speak their name can earn you a death sentence. Now they are here in America, hunting weretigers…and human police.

The Harlequin serve the Mother of All Darkness, the first vampire. She was supposed to be dead, but only her body was destroyed. Now she needs a new one, and she’s decided that Anita Blake’s is the body she wants. Edward thinks the serial killings are a trap to lure Anita closer to the most dangerous vampire they’ve ever hunted. The vampires call Edward “Death,” and Anita the “Executioner,” but Mommy Darkest is coming to kill one and possess the other, and she doesn’t care how many others have to die along the way.

It is a really good thing that I re-read Bullit last week or I would have been totally lost in this book. I have decided that there are not actually twenty Anita Blake books, but one really, really long book. It’s not that there are cliff hangers, it’s just the storyline keeps flowing.

This was one of the books that had very little of Anita’s men in it. She is on a hunt with Edward. Unfortunately, Olaf is brought into the hunt as well and he totally creeps me out. It’s ironic that with all the “monsters” in these books, it is one of the humans who bothers me the most. I am always afraid he is about to slip his chain.

They are hunting for the killers of clanless weretigers. Anita’s group knows it is the Harlequin (and how weird is it that I have a hard time typing there name?), but the regular Marshals do not. What I can’t remember is why they are being slaughtered.

And yes, I loved the Harry Potter reference.

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Filed under Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance

June 5, 2011 · 3:46 am

The Kiss by Emma Shortt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Eva Diakou is offered a job on the Winterwood estate, she expects nothing but four months of back breaking work. Jobless and lonely, she has little choice but to accept. But things on the Winterwood estate are nothing like Eva was led to believe. Why has she been given one of the plushest rooms? Why is there nothing to do? And why is she so captivated by the strange statues adorning the estate?

Adam Winterwood is paying for a crime he never committed. Trapped for so many years, he is waiting for the one person who can keep him alive…or set him free.

When Adam and Eva meet, sparks fly. Yet, neither realizes the sacrifice they will both have to make. A sacrifice that will bring an end to a centuries old curse, or to one of them.

And it will all be decided by The Kiss.

I have a policy of not reading book blurbs because I have been burned with spoilers before. This is, of course, only for books I know I am going to read regardless of the blurb.

Anyway, I had no idea this book had a fantasy element to it. The fact that it does makes it just that much better to me. I was a little confused at first because the book switches from present day to the 1800s with no explanation. Although I was able to figure out what was going on after a couple of chapters, I think that aspect could have been handled better.

At the beginning of the book, I really felt that Eva was going to be one of those TSTL (too stupid to live) heroines. She agrees to take a job on a distant estate where she will have no contact with the outside world for four months. The interviewer questions her on whether there is any family or friends who will miss her or need to contact her while she is gone . . . and she tells her NO! Fortunately, it does work out for the best.

Adam and Eva (I cannot believe that allusion) are in lust with each other from their first meeting. The sex scenes are hot, but pretty vanilla. Adam definitely has a romantic side as well. If anything, Eva is the one being ruled by her hormones.

There is a witch’s curse and true love is the only way to break it. Maybe I should have classified this book as a fairy tale more than fantasy.

Either way, I really enjoyed it. The plot line was unique, the sex was hot, and the hero was built like a god.

What’s not to like?

(cross posted from http://www.seductivemusings.blogspot….)

View all my reviews

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Filed under Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance

June 3, 2011 · 3:21 pm

Kiss of Snow (Psy-Changeling, #10) by Nalini Singh

Purchased

Since the moment of her defection from the PsyNet and into the SnowDancer wolf pack, Sienna Lauren has had one weakness. Hawke. Alpha and dangerous, he compels her to madness.

Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would’ve been his mate long ago. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf.

Then Sienna changes the rules and suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. Yet as they strip away each other’s secrets in a storm of raw emotion, they must also ready themselves for a far more vicious fight…

A deadly enemy is out to destroy SnowDancer, striking at everything they hold dear, but it is Sienna’s darkest secret that may yet savage the pack that is her home…and the alpha who is its heartbeat…

Although I just discovered this series about eighteen months ago, I feel like I have been waiting for this book for years! You know how it is when you are being set up for a particular book when reading a series? Well, this is it. This is Sienna’s and Hawke’s book and it’s about time.

Hawke is all alpha which does not mean just dominant, but caring and protective . . . especially of his pack. Sienna, unbeknown to Hawke, may be the most dangerous thing the pack has ever had to deal with.

In the meantime, there is a subplot involving two other pack members, Lara, the healer, and Walker, a Psy, and Sienna’s uncle. Lara’s and Walker’s story was a nice addition, but I almost wished it had been saved for a separate book.

Speaking of which, I wonder when the next book will be released and who if will focus on.

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Filed under Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction

May 25, 2011 · 2:35 pm

The Unbearable Lightness of Dragons (Light Dragons, #2) by Katie MacAlister

Ysolde Bouchier is still coming to terms with the dragon part of her, while at the same time trying to free a friend of Baltic-her Black Dragon lover-from the weyr, get Baltic to meet with the dragons who want him dead, rescue a half-dragon damsel in over her head, raise the shade of the man everyone says killed her, and once and for all clear Baltic’s name of the murder charges that continue to plague him.

For Ysolde, being a dragon is starting to bite.

I had to re-read Love in the Time of Dragons before reading the new book. It’s a good thing I did because I would have never been able to follow the story otherwise.

The best part of this book is the inclusion of characters from previous dragon series. Jim, the demon dog, plays a fairly large part. And yes, I said demon dog.

Although the ending is not a cliff hanger, it definitely leaves a lot of loose ends. I should have waited for the entire trilogy to be published before reading any of them.

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Filed under Contemporary, Humor, Mystery, Paranormal, Romance

April 30, 2011 · 12:22 pm

Abandon (Abandon, #1) by Meg Cabot

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can’t help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she’s never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she’s moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can’t. Because even here, he finds her. That’s how desperately he wants her back. She knows he’s no guardian angel, and his dark world isn’t exactly heaven, yet she can’t stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

This is Meg Cabot’s latest release and it begins a new series based on the Persephone myth. Obviously, this is not one of her humorous stories.

Although it is part of a series, the ending was not a real cliffhanger. There was one storyline that was not addressed that I wish had been explored further. It’s going to bother me until the next book comes out.

When you finish reading the book, ask me about it. I want to see if you have figured anything out that I missed.

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Filed under Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult

April 28, 2011 · 5:56 pm

Mane Squeeze (Pride, #4) by Shelly Laurenston

Growing up on the tough Philly streets, Gwen O’Neill has learned how to fend for herself. But what is she supposed to do with a nice, suburban Jersey boy in the form of a massive Grizzly shifter? Especially one with a rather unhealthy fetish for honey, moose, and . . . uh . . . well, her. Yet despite his menacing ursine growl and four-inch claws, Gwen finds Lachlan “Lock” MacRyrie cute and really sweet. He actually watches out for her, protects her, and unlike the rest of her out-of-control family manages not to morbidly embarrass her. Too bad cats don’t believe in forever.
At nearly seven feet tall, Lock is used to people responding to him in two ways: screaming and running away. Gwen-half lioness, half tigress, all kick-ass-does neither. She’s sexy beyond belief and smart as hell, but she’s a born protector. Watching out for the family and friends closest to her but missing the fact that she’s being stalked by a murderous enemy who doesn’t like hybrids . . . and absolutely hates Gwen. Lock probably shouldn’t get involved, but he will. Why? Because this is Gwen-and no matter what the hissing, roaring, drape destroying feline says about not being ready to settle down, Lock knows he can’t simply walk away. Not when she’s come to mean absolutely everything to him.

How many times am I going to re-read this book? It doesn’t matter. I always love it.

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Filed under Contemporary, Erotica, Humor, Paranormal, Romance

April 27, 2011 · 5:17 am

Black Magic Woman (The Others, #4) by Christine Warren

Daphanie Carter is thrilled that her sister Danice finally found her Prince Charming—even though he’s not quite, well, human. Daphanie is trying to keep an open mind. Which is why she jumps at the chance to enter the hidden world of The Others when a friendly imp invites her to a non-human nightclub. Daphanie’s curious to see how the Other half lives—and parties—but soon, one handsome stranger has her bewitched, bothered, and beside herself…

Enter Asher Grayson. As a Guardian, it’s his job to protect humans who get mixed up in the affairs of Others. When he spots Daphanie in a club, going head to head with a notorious witch doctor, he steps in to cool things off. Now the heat is on. Daphanie becomes the target of strange magical attacks, and Asher’s got to undo the voodoo before it’s too, too late. But soon he starts to wonder if this beautiful, beguiling mortal has put a spell on him—because every little thing she does is magic…

I thought this was another re-write of of one her ebooks. I couldn’t figure out why I didn’t remember it. This was actually a completely new book. It just took place in the middle of the series.

I think this one is a little darker than most of the series. I hope that is not a new direction she is going. I really like the humor in her other books.

Christine Warren included a letter to the reader which lists the reading order of this series. It even includes books that are not published yet. She promises this is the order that will remain, so I guess I need to renumber my books. The original ebook title is in parentheses.

One Bite With a Stranger (Fantasy Fix)
Big Bad Wolf (Fur Factor)
Prince Charming Doesn’t Live Here (Faer Fetched)
Black Magic Woman
Not Your Ordinary Faerie Tale (Fighting Faer) – not published yet
Untitled
Fur for All (I am assuming this will be re-released under a different title in the future.)
Fur Play (ditto)
Wolf at the Door
She’s No Faerie Princess
The Demon You Know
Howl at the Moon
Walk on the Wild Side
You’re so Vein
Born to be Wild